As I mentioned in my previous blog Misplaced in Ether, there's so much matter that just goes past unnoticed over the ether. Until one day when you stumble upon it. You feel great when you get it, you feel sad that you got it this late.
Tripped over a case of change. Download ford_lawsuit.pdf
Robert Lane was notified of a Federal lawsuit against him following his article "Green it is'nt, black it is" because he divulged the emission problem in a batch of engines contrary to the cited reason for pulling back the consignment. He was responsible similarly for the cancelling of Mustang 2000 model. And so Ford took him to court!! This was in 1999.
2004. Today, any company would go ass over balls to find and prompt a Robert Lane. Because Robert Lane's site is the comprehensive Ford review site. Because his reviews are not a paid for, but true and belong to one of the consumer's. Because he prevents careless/deliberate goof up's to go out unchecked and thus saves grace for Ford. Because his site gets more hits than the official news site www.fordworld.com(and now, offers more credibility). Because he already has an established online network, not having to go the 'pay-search' way. Because it shall now be more pertinent to let him release, 'not yet released' fact files about the company, to drive greater interest and fascination even before the official launch is made(rather than asking him to pull out such an article).
In a mere five years, the marketsphere has transformed. Organizations shall only be too glad if their products are adopted by such 'off-rolls' brand messiahs in a devout way. Who are epicenters of consumer aggregration. Any cult brand; be it a corporation, rock band, book, movie, character, cartoon, person, videogame or product has multiple times more spin off links, blogs, forums, chatrooms, and websites than it officially launches. And it is these trajectories that give the brand an acclaim many times more than it can earn paywise.
It's about time organizations recruited dedicated teams to track, analyse, develop a pattern, and thereupon foster the buzz over online communities. To make it conducive and meaningful for consumers to do marketing for you in a mass way.
Catch Robert Lane here.
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