Groundswell: the Unstoppable Trend in Advertising

I used to think advertising is all about persuasion. However, after I have read about the book of "Groundswell",  I have a better explanation now.
With the development of technology and social media, people are overwhelmed by advertising. In other words, the interaction with the groundswell has become an integral part of advertising industry.
Now, let's talk about groundswell in advertising from three aspects.

• Will The Groundswell Bring a Risk or An Adventure?

British luxury fashion house Burberry roped in Brooklyn for their new campaign as a photographer.
However, commentators furious with Burberry's choice of hiring a sixteen-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham for shooting photos. The Guardian calling the hiring "sheer nepotism."

"Brooklyn has a really great eye for image and Instagram works brilliantly for him as a platform to showcase his work," Burberry boss Christopher Bailey said.
This may be a risky choice, however.
With more than 6 million followers on Brooklyn's Instagram, obviously, we all know Burberry's choice is more like a perfect adventure than a risky.

• Putting Your Ear to The Ground

Deviations can exist between what customers want and what advertisers think. And the Groundswell can be a double-edged sword sometimes.

2016 is the Year of the Monkey in China. Since the Spring Festival Gala's official Weibo account has published its 3D version of the mascot for 2016, quite a considerable number of the netizens sneered at this version: "Why are they using different colors asymmetrically? " "Reminds me of green and red lights." "Lost all the flair of that ink painting" "What are those balls under its ears?" "What a stiff body!" "It is so ugly that I just want to cry."

According to a vote by Sina Weibo, China's Facebook-like website, 82.7 percent of web users refused to accept the "surprisingly ugly" mascot for Spring Festival Gala. However, the official website ignored the public's suggestions about changing the mascot, without any response.

Netizens' backlash towards Spring Festival Gala was around the "trigger line". For advertising without listening to the public, I have every reason to be worried about the ratings of the Gala.

• Spreading the Word of Mouth

Now, let's take a look at groundswell on the bright side.
Red Bull is the market leader in the worldwide energy drink market, and they continue to grow awareness through "word of mouth" focused activities.

• Red Bull Wings Team – a group of Red Bull employees that drive around in Red Bull branded vehicles distributing samples

• Student Brand Manager Program – A student ambassador program, which mainly reaches new students, excites students, increases sales and manages the Red Bull brand on a collegiate level in the world.

• Red Bull Reporter – A program where Red Bull sponsors journalism and film students to create news stories around the Red Bull brand.

Red Bull rarely miss a chance to utilize compelling events creating a buzz, and amplifies these by expanding influencers. Through "word of mouth" focused activities mentioned above, Red Bull's international marketing campaign targets young men mostly with extreme sports and combines extreme sports closely with their products. "Red Bull gives you wings", as the slogan says, they always keep in mind the importance of connection between them and customers.

The period of advertising persuades us to buy products barely exist anymore. Customer base now depends on what others saying about your products---word of mouth. Because people learning from and interacting with each other frequently. 

According to the chapter 5 of Groundswell, shouting doesn't work. Conversations do. From what I have learned, only through listening to and talking with the groundswell can advertising define the real purpose and target population.
We are now live in a world that we no longer find information, it finds us. In order to propaganda your products or services, interacting with the groundswell is indispensable.