My non-conversations with brands on Twitter

So I use Twitter. I use it quite a lot. I use it to chat to friends, listen to people and also to have the occasional rant about a brand.

Sometimes, I also use it to have a chat with brands - not about anything in particular, just to see if they want a chat. After all, isn't that a main selling point for a brand on Twitter? As well as listening to what people are saying about their brand, it makes it incredibly easy to have a chat with people and engage with them.

Traditional ATL campaigns can cost millions to a brand, just in an attempt to make me notice them. True engagement is even more hard ATL, but much easier when you use channels like Twitter. But let's setup a scenario.

If I mention a brand name, either by their @ name (and thus I'm then specifically directing a comment toward them) or if I mention their brand name (and if they've got any sense they'll pick it up), then I'd expect a response. Any response. Maybe not the one I'd like (some freebies, a true entertaining engaging conversation), but even a 'thanks for getting in touch.'

Below are the majority of Tweets in which I've mentioned brands in the past couple of months. I've omitted some small ones (some pubs, small brewers etc), but the ones below aren't small. Most of them are huge brands that will have an agency that will manage their social media output. 

Let's see who's been ignoring me.

Context: I asked Waitrose a simple question about their labeling system. I even took a pic to explain my question.
Brand response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: I gave a suggestion to Unilever about how they could turn a bad thing into something a bit better.
Brand response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: This was when I was traveling back from a trip and the Heathrow Express was delayed. It was delayed completely outside their control, but would they explain why or say anything?
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: I saw something really cool on the Coolhunting website that was on in NY. Would it be on in London?
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: I mentioned to the Stoke Newington Literary Festival that I'm trying to write a novel. I asked them for any tips.
Brand Response: They sent out a tweet to their followers and then had a chat with me. Very helpful.

Context: I got charged a customs import charge for some t-shirts from Threadless. I wondered if they were listening or if they would refund the money.
Brand Response: They replied, apologised and explained it wasn't their fault. After looking at their website I agreed. Nice that they told me though.

Context: I saw that there was this game Dotwar where your Twitter avatar could battle with others. I wondered if brands would be interested if I pitted my avatar against theirs and engaged with their brand in a fun way. This is Marks and Spencer.
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: I decided to try the Dotwar approach with other brands. This is Adidas. Surely a sports brand would be up for some fun?
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: I wear Mizuno running shoes and have done for several years. I reached out to them with a cheeky request. (I wasn't expecting anything free, but maybe a response?)
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: Let's give Moleskine a try.
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: Surely Zappos would listen wouldn't they? They'd take my cheeky request in the spirit it was intended and write a witty response?
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: OK. This one is slightly different. I'm a big user of Hipstamatic. I like it a lot. The iPhone OS4 has a great new function in the Photo app - it automatically sorts by location. It's really nice and means you can look at your photos in a non-linear fashion, and immediately see the ones you took in a certain place. Nice. Except it doesn't pick up the geolocation of a Hipstamatic photo and thus they don't show up. Surely they'll fix it soon? Will they let me know what they're planning to do about it? After all I have bought the app and several bolt-ons.
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: OK, no response first time, so let's try again.
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: Will they ever get round to fixing it, or at least explaining the problem?
Brand Response: Nothing. I didn't get a reply.

Context: So I had an issue with some old insurance. I rang Morethan and they sorted out my issue quickly and efficiently. I thought I'd thank them even though the Twitter team probably knows nothing about my specific issue.
Brand Response: They got back to me and asked if they could be any more help. Very nice of them.

Some Learnings
So, that's it. Brands are spending millions trying to get me to notice them ATL, yet of the brands I try and speak to only a very small amount make any effort to even say hello to me.

Sure my little experiment is unscientific, but that's why I think it's interesting. Those potential interactions up there are what a bog standard Twitter user would do. I'm not a 'Social Media Expert' but I do wonder why brands are in a space if they're not going to respond to a consumer saying hello to them.

Sure I asked some cheeky things, but at the very least all I was looking for was a response in a relevant tone of voice thanking me for saying hello.

I simply can't believe how many of the brands above are ignoring proactive engagement from a consumer. So while they're spending millions ATL trying to get me to notice them, I'm trying to engage with them and they're ignoring me.

There's something not quite right about the balance of that.

Comments

[John]

Fair point, but I think some of your questions required a little more of you (or any customer) in terms of identifying to whom to address them. Yes a presence on twitter should be accompanied by a concerted effort to respond to any genuine customer problem as with comcastcares etc. I'm not sure it goes as far as answering general informational queries. I'm struggling for a metaphor here, but that is a bit like going onto some corporate campus and holding up a written query and hoping that the right person notices it.

[Mark Hadfield]

Thanks John,

Yeah I agree it's not a particularly scientific test but for me that's part of the appeal. I'm not checking specific metrics, nor am I directing my questions against any brands that 'stand out' in the industry.

I've simply tried to do what a punter on the street would do: speak to a few brands that interest him and say hello, or speak to a brand that I have a question for. True, the people in charge of the Waitrose account may not have set it up to answer questions about packaging, but at the very least I'd like them to say that to me.

[Account Deleted]

It's intriguing stuff this 'let's talk to our users thing'. So many talk a game and don't deliver.
I must point out I recently bought a Virgin Atlantic ticket and had a nice online chat with some dude there offering me help.
I didn't need any help at all but it was nice to chat to the chap. Smart win. Made me feel like they wanted me to have a nice experience, which of course I did.

[Phill]

I agree with you that it is common courtesy for any company to respond to a question even if it is just to say sorry we can't answer that via this medium.

Oh regarding the '3' on the Waitrose packaging which I guess is on either a baguette or a freshly prepared product from a Waitrose cafe or ready to eat counter refers to the time that the staff must take the product off sale because it has reached the legal time that it can be displayed for.