Digital CPG Blog

ReadWriteWeb recently posted some research on the fact that “74 % of social media users expect cries for help to be answered within an hour.” They weren’t talking about consumer brands, but rather the American Red Cross and the idea that “social media has proved a fast, reliable way to get information from the ground – exactly what’s needed in an emergency.”

Except for many consumers, any incident with a brand is an emergency. If you can’t hang your curtains properly – whether through product defect or your lack of handyman skills – a tweet to West Elm might be fired off angrily. You would probably expect an answer. And in not getting one, you would probably only get angrier. Even when you love a product, getting affirmation from a brand that they hear you and are appreciative is incredibly powerful.

I suspect that consumers not only demand to be answered within an hour if there’s an emergency, but expect fast and efficient communication with brands no matter what. While your customer service may have specific hours, community brand managers and social media brand leaders are constantly checking Twitter or company Facebook pages at night, in the morning before work and throughout the day to ensure customers’ needs are met.

In a way, this makes the brand more human. There is obviously someone who cares if they’re replying to you at 11:39 pm. But it also raises the expectations mightily, and brands need to expand their product definition from not just what the consumer can hold or use, but the entire experience around the product.