¿Cómo las marcas pueden mantenerse relevantes en un mundo digital en donde todos los consumidores tienen una voz y algo que decir? Generation C es un breve whitepaper que habla sobre este tema por @monixette.

1. Generation C:
How to remain relevant in a world
where everyone has a voice
by Mónica De Salazar

2. Generation C is (in) the spotlight
Millions of online users are active everyday; from the moment they open
their eyes to the moment they go to sleep. So how do we go along with
them through their lifes and most of all... how do we keep up with
everything they do, think or say?
Generation C has emerged as a enormous group of worldwide online
citizens creating contents in all kinds of media such as blog and social
media posts, home-made movies and music, pictures, articles and a lot
more! All the information that this group develops has one objective: to let
other know what they think and how they experience everything in their
daily life. The question here is “are we part of this content?”.
It is well known that observation is the only
way to really get to really know what others
are thinking and finding out what is important
to them. Only by doing this we will be able to
get along with them.
Every day, billions of dollars are invested in
developing new ways for brands and companies
to get closer to their users and customers, but
not everyone is actually listening to them.
Not paying attention to this is the fast track for
failure.
Sometimes brands and companies need (or
have) to step back, take a look at what is
going on out there to have a better response
regarding the changes in communication, and
only then, come up with how to step in with the
right foot into what is really happening.
This has nothing to do with copying trends or
trying to be the coolest pastiche made out of
things that are talked about. It is all about
understanding and being part of it.
Generation C: How to remain relevant in a world where everyone has a voice

3. How could we come up with a strategy or a plan to be cool or trendy? It is
impossible. What some love others will hate, what some think is really
useful and practical, others will find confusing and complicated. Then we
have to listen and be flexible for changes at all times. Only the ones able
to adapt will remain relevant.
Nowadays everyone is talking, posting, creating, sharing and liking
products, comments, posts, trends and everything else that comes up as
they go around in daily life, the online and offline.
Since people have become powerful content creators, the only way to
remain relevant for brands and companies is being part of the
conversation. But how are we supposed to do this?
Some think they have to be giving information for
others to talk about or comment and share, but
experience has shown us that if you give people
model messages some will respond as expected,
but others might react in ways that we cannot
even imagine. Then, instead of trying to tell
people what to do and how to do it according to
guidelines a better option is to give them a
blank canvas and show them options on how
to use it... From there sky is the limit.
When we give people tools and information that
they can turn into whatever they want, incredible
things may happen and, as this is done amazing
results appear!
For brands and companies, communities talking about their products and
services is by far the best information to know how to structure new plans,
products, varieties and ways to communicate. When people feel free to
express themselves and their opinion is considered they will keep on
giving feedback. On the other hand if they are not considered and they
are just getting one way messages, the result will be the rejection of these
at some point.
Generation C: How to remain relevant in a world where everyone has a voice

4. What would you like better? Having a community-based product or service
that people will help grow since they are part or it, or having one that is
accepted only at some points, but is rejected or worst, ignored by a lot of
other people?
One of the hardest things to do is imitate
naturality, from makeup to happenings and
even TV screens, it means a lot of work,
planning and technology has to be done
and developed to make things seem natural. So
why not using the real thing? And this real thing is
what Generation C is coming up day after day
through blog posts, pictures, videos, reviews and every other
people-based content.
Wouldn’t it be great for brands and companies to have millions of
reliable spokespersons instead of paying all that money in advertising
and creating messages that may or not get the expected results? One of
the main attributes that must not be overlooked about Generation C is
they love to be informed and what friends say seems to be more
trustful than what an ad may possibly communicate. This is why more
and more companies are starting to recognize participative users and
costumers as key local spokespersons that may and will influence others.
Generation C: How to remain relevant in a world where everyone has a voice

5. Right now, the puzzle that brands and companies have to solve is how to
get friends with their users and consumers in order to stay relevant. The key
is to observe and listen so that when they figure out what is important for
their communities, they come up with apps, social networks, tools and
branded contents that will help people to show their potential as
content creators.
Observation is the door to knowledge, and knowledge is power... then
paying attention to Generation C will help brands, companies and
even people who want to stand apart from the crowd, to create better
ways to communicate things that will make a difference.
Making a difference in a flexible and empathetic way will help us
remain relevant in a world where everyone has a voice.
Generation C: How to remain relevant in a world where everyone has a voice