"Your brand isn't what you say it is..."

This series of posts are reflections from the Art of Marketing conference. This one is based on Mitch Joel's session.

"... it's what the search engines say it is. Forget your website." (Joel)

A lot of time and energy is invested into a website so that you can get the branding and right message across to your target audience. But that has changed. With search engines, social media and other content creation tools, other people can speak into your message. Whether that be employees, customers, potential customers, trollers, competitors, your webpage is not the only place people will know about your product or message.

As I wrestled with this reality, I realize that making sure a product and/or message needs to be promoted and communicated well by an organization. However, equally and if not more important is being informed how stakeholders and related parties promote and communicate your product and/or message.

I recently came across this tool, Radian6, and I believe apps like these will give an organization the ability to manage their brand beyond just their webpage. Although your webpage may be needed for other reasons, the reality of today is that brand messaging happens not on your own homepage but in the hands and opinions of others.

"You don't control your homepage. Google does." Joel

Action point:

• Are we engaging our community to help them to continue to tell the story or are we trying to control the story for ourselves?