Why Customer Testimonials Still Are The Best Ads

                                                                                         

Somebody asked me if I could consider myself a marketing expert. Absolutely not, I replied. But if expertise is all about familiarity, then just about everybody would qualify. Now, imagine a situation where your customers make their own ads. This idea has lately been toyed around. Is it effective? Let us take examples of what could be thought as ‘people’s marketing’ and see for ourselves whether this strategy is effective or just another marketing gimmick in itself.

Mercedes-Benz solicited snapshots of its proud owners in their ultimate driving machines and run these ads.

KFC announced a contest asking its customers to develop commercials for the chicken chain and then ran the winning spot nationwide during prime time.

The magazine Look-Look is made up entirely of contributions by amateur artists and only accepts advertising from sponsors, such as Virgin Mobile and Pepsi, who are willing to let members of that same contributor base design their ads.

YouTube has gained immense popularity judging from the number of contributions from its followers.

These ad-making contests are clearly geared toward people who are trying to break into the marketing business. What can be seen as a pure marketing gimmick is actually a clever design to engage loyal customers by allowing them to dabble with creating and defining their brands.

What benefit can be derived from this? Having something that you are responsible for gives that heady feeling and importance to your target market. In fact, making them feel responsible for your ad can give them the importance and value that they would definitely appreciate for many years to come.

A CEO of an advertising giant even published a book about where people’s marketing is heading. The book proposes that the best brands are owned by the people who love them. The goal is to have everybody selling their own experience as consumers.

Another popular burger chain has done the same thing exceptionally well by developing a "secret menu" designed via customer suggestions. These offers are not on the official menu mind you, but are on full color postcards at its outlets. The accommodation helps create a kind of insider club, letting its members think about and discuss the brand in their own unique, unfiltered way.

Whether these strategies especially when it comes to creating the excellent postcard printing pieces for example, are effective or not, you be the judge. Although I reckon that customer testimonials still are the best ads ever in the marketing industry.

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