What do you mean, you "didn't notice" until now?

Social media can turn your latest product short coming or service failure into a meme, parody Twitter account, or blog.

http://theamazingios6maps.tumblr.com

Charlene Li said in a HBR article in 2011 that: "In a world filled with real-time, tell-all social media, your ability to hide from your failures is, well, non-existent."

Even previously 'untouchable' brands aren't immune. Obviously by now everyone is aware how inaccurate the new maps function is on iOS6 - prompting a wave of new demand for 3rd party map apps.  It has also spawned a Tumblr site for hilarious (or frustrating) screen captures of off-the-mark locations.

So - the question is, when the locals "take up arms" how will you react? With so much connectivity (users to companies & users to users) there is no appetite for sweeping things under the rug. The act of trying to cover something up is worse than the original error.

Gary Vaynerchuk has said many times that the "consumer's bullsh!t radar" has never been better.  People know when you're not being upfront, honest, and when you don't care.

Perhaps that what makes the Domino's Pizza campaign from a few years ago so refreshing. A company coming out and saying "this thing we made sucks, and we're going to do better because you told us how bad it really was."

Even Apple's horrendous new maps app (and user's reaction to it) on iOS6 has generated an open letter of apology from Tim Cook.

But, I have to ask...

Do you mean to tell me that no one at Domino's knew they we're making terrible pizza? And, for so many years?! And, that some focus group really made people realize, "hey, this isn't as good as we keep saying?" 

And, Apple, one of - if not - the most innovative and smartest companies in the world didn't know that the 'new maps' was worse than the old maps? There wasn't one engineer, designer, marketer, or executive that said - "this just doesn't work right!"  I bet Steve Job's wouldn't have needed to write that same letter Tim Cook did.

Product and service quality should be everyone's responsibility - and everyone should be empowered (or required) to speak up when things don't look, feel, or work just-right. 

There are thousands of case-studies written on companies that stopped caring and doing things the right way, let someone else be the next one.

2012 SXSW Interactive Photos

Photos from SXSW have been posted!

Click here to check them out.

Gary Vaynerchuk talks about the "Interest Graph" and the growth of Pinterest

A great video where Gary flexes his predictive ability, and talks about the "Interest Graph" - the network of interests and hobbies that has died off with MySpace (yes, you did read that correctly). Check out the video, and check me out on Pintrest - maybe we have a few interests in common.

Gary Vaynerchuk talks email at SXSW Interactive

I'm fresh off my trip to SXSW.  It was an amazing time and I'll be posting more on it very soon. I did have one video that I wanted to post right away - Gary Vaynerchuk discussing email.  If you've scrolled through my blog, you know I talk about email - and I have an almost unending passion to get email right.  With that said, I present Gary talking about email during his 2011 SXSW Keynote - be forewarned of his language.

Gary Vaynerchuk's email auto reply is awesome

Gary Vaynerchuk...who started WineLibraryTV and author or Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion has a very cool, yet very simple, auto-reply strategy when you email him.

On Twitter, Gary put out the call for people to send the receipts of his new book the The Thank You Economy to him via email.  It seems no one knows what he's planning on doing with all those email confirmations, but @HeatherPierucki asked if he was going to use them for wallpaper maybe.  


I was going to order the book anyway...but this added some urgency - and, just what is he going to do with those confirmations?! I had to find out. I ordered the book and sent over my receipt.

When I forwarded my confirmation to his address, I immediately an auto reply with a link to a landing page with a short video from Gary. While the email itself didn't have much to say...it was a great confirmation that my email made it to its destination and it did an amazing job setting the expectation of a reply.


It also contains links to his new book and his About Me page on his website.

Once you click through to the landing page and watch the video (which is also very good), you can see the appropriate channel for many requests that Gary receives. There is email contact information for his various activities such as: speaking, his wine business, interviews, and consulting.  Also, links to his Facebook, Twitter, and About Me page again.


This is an awesome example of taking something simple like an auto-reply to an inbox, and elevating it to the next level.  Do you have an auto-reply email, perhaps to an inbox that you couldn't monitor - even if you tried? I bet you could easily implement this auto-reply/landing page/video strategy. Simple and effective.


Oh, and what's he doing with those receipts? I'll let you know as soon as I find out!