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Cluetrain Manifesto: Twitter

A few comments about how some of the theses in the Cluetrain Manifesto relate to Twitter:

28. Most marketing programs are based on the fear that the market might see what’s really going on inside the company.
- Companies have far less to worry about and can focus on consumer desires when they are able to connect directly to the public. Transparency goes a long way when it comes to things like product safety. Social issues such as who the company donates to is an area in which more transparency will not necessarily lead to more sales.

44. Companies typically install intranets top-down to distribute HR policies and other corporate information that workers are doing their best to ignore.
- A new government trend is to transmit the majority of unclassified information via 3rd party platforms such as moodle rather than intranets. Unfortunately they still are out-of-bounds to search bots. Even with technologies like twitter, only information that individuals deem necessary is divulged to the public.

60. This is suicidal. Markets want to talk to companies.
- Consumers are now getting their chance to talk directly to companies such as Comcast. The question is what will consumer say? Will they talk?

64. We want access to your corporate information, to your plans and strategies, your best thinking, your genuine knowledge. We will not settle for the 4-color brochure, for web sites chock-a-block with eye candy but lacking any substance.
- While some twitter posts are undoubtedly lacking in substance, the real-time information they present is much more powerful than brochures and web-sites. I would argue that it also rivals TV commercials in that when information is broadcast on a 2-way platform, others’ comments amplify the data.

84. We know some people from your company. They’re pretty cool online. Do you have any more like that you’re hiding? Can they come out and play?
- I often find that when people blog or tweet about their own company they are honest and interact on a more personal level than traditional marketing via large media outlets. Unfortunately there will likely always be a digital divide and overwhelming confusion about the best tactics for advertising.

95. We are waking up and linking to each other. We are watching. But we are not waiting.
- When linking to each other requires only a click of the mouse and information is in real-time, requiring customers to locate or wait for information has a negative effect.