Mind the Gap

One of the biggest marketing stories of the last few days was high street clothing retailer Gap introducing the redesign of their blue box logo. The decision was badly received by customers who rushed to twitter and facebook to channel their rage. More than 2,000 comments were posted on the company's Facebook page on the issue and it was a perfect example of how social media is influencing corporate behaviour. I personally find it extremely encouraging that online media is becoming so incredibly influential and shaping the way that organisations communicate with their stakeholders.

The big question now is whether this is genuine and Gap had in fact planned to use the new logo or whether this was merely a publicity stunt to increase brand awareness and attract attention for the company? In either case the consumer was (in this instance) victorious and Gap insist that if they do consider to rebrand in the future then they will handle it much differently. The company itself admitted that it had missed the opportunity to engage with the online community. Personally, I would have recommended that they showcased the logo on their social media pages and possibly conducted a survey into which logo customers preferred. This would have encouraged customers to provide feedback and helped them to feel involved in the decision making process as if their opinions were valued by the organisation. Now it remains to be seen whether Gap's reputation will be negatively affected and whether they will decide to have more two way communication with their customers in future

The best a fan can get?

Gillette is arguably the most famous shaving brand on the market and it appears as though their innovative thinking doesn’t end in their products. They have launched a twitter campaign which aims to answer the age old question of whether the public prefers a beard to the clean shaven look. The campaign features twins Dean and George Georgiades who sport the different facial hair styles and whoever recruits the most followers will be victorious.

I am impressed with how Gillette is interacting with its customers and exercising two way communication to increase brand awareness. Clearly they have been alerted to the value of social media and are utilising it in a new and creative way. I am looking forward to seeing which twin is favoured in this fight of facial hair. I myself am backing the clean shaven look!