The topic of a successful customer journey and the subsequent satisfaction has been commonly accepted as a key component of any brands marketing strategy and approach. Be it the first communication a potential customer may have, the sales experience or the ongoing support.

Primary communication is vital to engage the potential customer, and the sales process essential to convert leads to profits. However, it is the ongoing communication which will create standout. Dependent on who you’re talking to the result of this activity will lead to the creation of ‘brand champions’ or ‘brand ambassadors’.

This, in part, explains the immediate success and mass adoption by the marketing industry of Twitter. Although a brand has always had the ability to interact with their customers on a one to one basis – In reality, this was costly and time consuming. As a result, significant investment requirements led often to poorly instructed customer service reps, with hours of waiting around on telephones. Services like Twitter set out to allow interaction in a cheap and simple way.

This area has become so important in marketing strategies that brands like Ford have employed specialists in the area. Head of Social Media, Ford Motor Company – Scott Monty is tasked with answering questions and engaging on a human level. And although he receives some negative feedback, and there are questions over whether the name eclipses the brand – its proof (if needed), that the way we as marketers connect with brands has been changed significantly in the face of social media.

The much publicised Dell Ideastorm website was amongst the early adopters to this market. And it is pioneers like Dell who have made brands sit up and take note. The great thing about the internet these days is that news spreads fast, and there are plenty of entrepreneurs who capitalise on great ideas; rolling out a customisable application ready for the masses to embrace. Getsatisfaction.com is one such case. The portal allows brands to set up forums for product discussions which can be fully customisable. Spotify shows how this should be done and you can see Spotify staff actively responding to queries and a back catalogue of useful tips and advice is logged. The whole experience is friendly and from clicking on here without even a query in mind I’ve left, impressed with the attitudes and willingness to provide assistance.

However, if we look at a branded application from BT Tradespace – we’re let down by the complete lack of responses from staff, to some very negative questions. This is a negative message, and although work has clearly gone into creating a professional and on-brand interface – a quick glance leaves a bitter pill, similar to a 30 minute wait for a call center, with no end result.

The technology is there, but it’s clear it’s not a wonder cure. It needs nurturing and attention, and importantly buy-in from not just marketing departments, but those throughout the company. To get those talked about Brand Champions, you need Brand Champions of your own.

Brands now more than ever need to love their customers before their customers will love them, and to show them love you need brand love from all customer facing employees (which is a whole other chapter, and one that traces back further than the age of social media). So from a blog which started singing the praises of the early adopters of social media, we have ventured back to the message that ‘everything you say or do affects your brand’, which is a prophecy that is unlikely to ever change.