TGI's Online Marketing Fiasco

TGI was faced with some unexpected consequences to its September '09 promotion.  I wholeheartedly recommend reading Bob Garfield's article Why getting a Woody and bribing people won’t get you any real friends.

TGI's Woody
Courtesy of Gizmotastic

Through TGI's example of a promotion turned into a marketing nightmare, we get an excellent opportunity to see clearly how companies nowadays cannot stray away from an honest ethical behavior, —advertising half truths or fake posturing do not fly well with customers empowered with blogs, facebook or others.

Gone are the days of the subliminal propaganda lies. Nowadays, people demand real companies with real people and real products. If not, they will not only find others that do, but along the way, a mob may try to destroy the reputation of a company, target of their temper.

Or as Bob puts it, relationships are formed with real people, not brand personas, —and, money can't buy you love.

I would add, that if these "real people" want to stay in business, or in a "good relationship" with their clients, as in any marriage, then they not only have to be smart, creative, and all those other attractive business attributes; but, they also need to struggle to be good natured people: honest, hard working and service oriented.

In conclusion, technology is pushing us all to be better.
Or, (can't avoid putting this in), as Heidegger would say: Technology is god.