Apologies for the blurred graphics in advance…! Between all those tweets about Justin Beiber and One Direction (Who? …Exactly.) there is a powerful force at work, and it’s one that can help you find out what people think of your brand. Are you going to use this power for good? Or for evil?

Collecting public sentiment has been around for a long time in the form of surveys and forums, but has only recently began to take up any traction in the realm of social media. Although companies such as BrandWatch are already doing it for a fee, there is a feeling that some brands are going to have to do a lot of catching up before they really understand their customer base. There is not standard etiquette for how brands should behave on this platform, and it’s possible that this could depend on the customers and market segment.

In particular, I love interesting trends. Or Twends. But restauranteurs, make sure you don’t show up on this one:



This lovely lady echoes my sentiments exactly:



Of course, it’s not all negativity. You can certainly use your branding powers for good and reach out to consumers that are after something that you have. That would be pretty good customer service.


Especially if you’re prepared to take on advice from your customers, and acknowledge that they’ve been heard. Although this restaurant is no global brand, with only a few restaurants, they’re already on Twitter and engaging with their customers. They reply really quickly and in a friendly tone that not only makes you feel comfortable talking to them, but also reinforces your positive relationship with the restaurant. There is no question if I will be going back.