A reoccurring theme throughout the IMC program has been transparency. Consumers are demanding transparency and we must give it to them. As the Web continues to evolve communication, transparency is not only more sought after, but easier to provide. It’s often been said that the equation is company transparency = consumer evangelism.
Our final week of IMC 619 allowed us to take a look at the practices of paid placement and paid inclusion on search engines. Throughout the lesson, Google is praised for its full disclosure from its clear “Sponsored Link” labels, bold fonts and a page design that helps users easily distinguish from paid and organic results. Has Google won this battle solely by being transparent? My best guess is yes. This supports two important observations. The first being that consumers and Internet users are rapidly becoming more savvy and are quick to reject confusing business practices. Also, as Google continues to grow their market share, it seems evident that other search engines will need to mirror Google’s practices or find a new approach to stay competitive. As IMC practitioners, we have a lot to learn from this example.
To many companies, the idea of divulging previously perceived “secret” information is scary. But ask yourself this, will your brand gain more exposure by keeping quiet or revealing themselves to the masses?
