Cluetrain Day 6: The Internet Is Enabling Conversations Among Human Beings That Were Simply Not Possible in the Era of Mass Media.

Well, yes and…it’s still an era of mass media for some.

One has only to look at large brands to see how effective mass media still is.  In fact, this article on Pepsi and Samsung and their concept of "mass sensibility" makes it a near imperative that large brands still approach us as the masses. 

Consumers make purchases not because Samsung or anybody else makes the best product, but because the brand has "deeper social and cultural meaning," according to Ralph Santana, senior VP and CMO of Samsung Electronics North America.

But, he told the Association of National Advertisers conference in Orlando, just knowing your space "within culture and consciously behaving along this paradigm is not enough to ensure success."

Mr. Santana said the key is to have a brand idea that has a "mass sensibility" to it. "And then you need to scale your message and make sure that the idea is getting enough exposure to be successful."

But we digress. Certainly it’s true that there are conversations today that couldn’t have happened in the era of mass media. Skype, Facebook, micro giving and dozens of other concepts, causes and websites are now not only possible but potentially profitable because we can do things that we couldn’t in the mass era.  David Weinberger sums it up best in a 2002 Fast Company article.

The Web is a quintessentially human expression. In every case, what makes it interesting is not only the content but also the fact that it has a human voice and that it is part of the context of human life. It’s not simply data or transactions from machine to machine. Certainly, there are transactions on the Web — just as there are thousands of practically useless corporate Web sites. But that’s not what’s exciting. What’s exciting is the ability for people to go online and talk with other people in their own voices. In order for the Web to work, there have to be individuals who are willing to express themselves in ways that are as idiosyncratic as they are.

Yes, in so many ways, the web is as human as it gets.  I remember communicating on bulletin board system back in 1996 thinking that it was the most awesome thing in the world because it brought together hundreds of people from around the world.  I still think that it’s as cool today as it was then!

The bottom line is that “enabled conversations” are an asset to the brand that embraces them. So many brands still run from the web, but really, it’s time.  It’s time to let the conversation in, it’s time to join the human conversation and to engage with your customers.