CMO Corner. Capture word of mouth to make brands relevant

With the proliferation of the Internet driving increasing democratisation of information, especially via social media, consumers themselves are playing a much larger role in driving brand perceptions. In fact, they are doing it harder and more credibly than brands themselves. Marketing needs to move from a traditional to a collective branding approach where the power of ‘word of mouth’ is actively stimulated and harnessed to create brands that are more relevant as well as more persuasive.

The flow of data, especially in technology companies, is increasing at an exponentially increasing pace. This customer data can be leveraged to create not only more meaningful and relevant relationships but to drive hyper-customisation in a way never done before, creating immense consumer value as a result. Managing this deluge of data to generate useful and actionable insights requires a fundamental shift where IT and analytics are seen not as another function but an extension of core marketing.

(Gurinder Singh Sandhu is Head, Marketing - Mobility, Tata Teleservices Ltd)