危 wēi  danger

Consumer activism is on the rise and many companies see this as highly threatening – traditional marketers are being forced to give up control.  For Samsung, the Korean electronics firm, negative consumer reviews on independent and retailers’ sites could undermine sales if its products were not up to scratch.

机 jī opportunity

Samsung sees it differently – it sees consumer feedback as an opportunity to learn and has begun soliciting reviews for its products on its website.  Importantly, Samsung acts on the information and improves its consumer offer.   For example, Samsung quickly saw that consumers were dissatisfied with its flat-panel televisions as the speakers on the side of the unit were preventing consumers sliding them into cabinets.  Samsung quickly acted, redesigning the speakers on the base of the television and the feedback immediately improved.

how about…

• soliciting consumer reviews, good and bad, to shorten the feedback loop
• being open and sharing the reviews back with consumers, good or bad