Trust and Reputation

The currency of your social media brand

The significance of social networking is that it may forever change the process of advertising and decision-making.

Millenials automatically assume a product’s claims are lies, part of the manipulation process of marketing. The truth always lies in the endless pages of small print and words read so fast at the end of spots you can’t understand one of them.

So, even if they would listen to/watch spots (which they won’t), they don’t believe them.

They believe their friends, and trusted sources they’ve friended on social networks.

That brings me to your station and your station’s talent.

Really, the only thing of value any of us has at the end of the day is our reputation. Can we be trusted?

Can we be trusted to be who we say we are?

Can we be trusted to tell the truth?

Can our recommendations for products and services be trusted?

I know there is pressure for short term revenue. I know air talent loves the extra money they earn for doing live reads and endorsements.

But if you ever want your station to have real clout in moving products, actually selling stuff your clients are paying to advertise, you would be wise to limit how you “sell” your reputation, especially the reputation of key air talent.

In the future, which is arriving every day, the real value will be in relationships and reputation, and if your talent becomes known for being shills for every product that pays their fee, what does that say about whether they are to be trusted?

I just think if you sell your reputation too cheaply now, you’ll regret it sooner, rather than later.