In the last couple of weeks, two of my favorite photographers have launched a formspring account. For many, or most, who are unfamiliar with this new dot com it is a website that allows anyone anywhere to ask questions anonymously or by setting up an account (if you set up an account you will be notified when your question is answered.) Both photographers, Image is Found and Jessica Valle, are absolute characters and have made this whole experience interesting. It did get me thinking, what if brands used this or something similar and allowed themselves to be personable open books?
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Send and receive anonymous questions, and learn more about people you find interesting by following their answers.
Social media has opened up a new avenue where a brand has new and hopefully friendlier face. If I want to talk to Starbucks or Levi’s I know where to go on twitter. If I am interested in connecting with Lululemon then facebook is my first choice. There has been no better time for our favorite brands to become our literal friends and this new transparency is only going to get clearer.
I wouldn’t recommend a national brand like Target or local brand like Tony & Alba’s Pizza to use a formspring because it is hard to track and the interface is too simple. But I do love the idea of it. Personally, I can’t help but think how this would be a great type of medium for my dad. As a pastor in PDX he is constantly flooded with questions whether it be from his blogs or sermons or pesky daughters. I know in the past he wanted to hold Q&A sessions via twitter during services but was concerned with some of the blowback or inappropriateness that could be posted. (We were all 13 once!) Formspring would allow him to receive the questions and then approve them to be answered and becoming public.
We have seen reputations be nationally tarnished in a day or brands come out of no where in success. With each bad comes good and, overall, this culture loves the immediacy and opportunity of building relationships, connecting, and being heard. Brands are no longer out of reach but becoming more and more like our next door neighbors.
Jessica Valley: http://www.jessica-valle.com/
Formspring: http://www.formspring.me/jessicavalle
Image is Found: http://theblogisfound.com/
Formspring: http://www.formspring.me/imageisfound
Image courtesy of Viyay.com
