And now what? Social networks among hype, business failure and “secret weapons”. With no knowledge and culture of relationships, direct and interactive marketing, there is no 2.0 marketing.

That is the title of the lecture I will be presenting at the next OMExpo Madrid, on February 24th. I would like to share the summary with you and get your feedback.

“When even shoeshine boys are giving you stock tips, it’s time to sell”
Joseph P. Kennedy

Current times remind me of Kennedy’s famous quote, quoted above; a man who sold his stocks some days before the 1929 crash. When the President of a large Spanish company asks me to teach him how to “twitter”, it is time to stop and evaluate. I recognize a bubble when I see it. I remember the hype of the CRM (“I have just bought a CRM”), and of the “virtual communities” and the “brand co-creation” (“We have opened a community. We no longer need to take care of the content”).

In CRM, Virtual Communities and now Social Networks, most of the companies are moving from total ignorance to a relentless search to ride the trendy train, in just a year. And then fail miserable. Only a few companies have been able to turn these basic concepts in their “secret weapons” to obtain a lasting competitive advantage. They are the exceptions in the current markets that are infatuated with the latest technologies and trends, and ignorant of the most basic strategies to take advantage of them.

Only companies and professionals with knowledge and culture of relationship, direct and interactive marketing are saved from this debacle. Those who understand the delicate balance between listening to the customer in an structured way, adapting to his or her needs on a one-on-one basis, and maintaining the capacity to positively surprise the customer when it is least expected.

In my presentation, we will kill some sacred cows and will play the midwife in the birth of some calves with great potential to become pure breed bulls.