I just saw this post from Signal vs. Noise, where it references an apology letter from Hulu regarding the removal of some episodes of  “It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia”.

It just strikes me how rarely companies openly acknowledge mistakes.  I have to say that more often than not, companies appear to view reputation managment a way to “cover up” their misdeeds and mistakes, rather than manage the repair of their reputation by engaging with their communities and stakeholders.  They approach the term reputation management as though it’s a one-sided affair, that all it takes is a good PR team to spin their problems away.

Yet in this age of brand building and hyperbole (the brand is bigger than the sum of it’s parts, and that’s not a good thing), the companies that are acknowledging that they have a human side are resonating with consumers.  What, you weren’t aware that brands actually had human beings working within their four walls?  It is true my friends.

Three examples from Twitter are readily available.  The pioneer is @ComcastCares.  That’s right, Comcast, the bain of just about everyone’s cable and Internet providers existence, has a representative (his name is Frank Eliason)  directly answering questions and working to solve customer complains via Twitter.

The second example is from 1-800-Flowers.  I had posted a (somewhat smarmy) tweet asking why the founder of 1-800-Flowers had his picture on all of his advertisements in the city.  I didn’t expect a response, I simply wanted to make an observation, a sort of localized rhetorical question if you will.  A few days later, I received a reply from @1800flowers, letting me know that the founder Jim was a florist originally and that for him, 1-800-Flowers is a family business.  Now, I still may not agree about putting his face on all of the ads, but because someone reached out to me to provide an explanation, I have a very favorable perception of 1-800-Flowers.

The third example is one I just heard of this weekend, that Bank of America has a Twitter account @BofA_help.  That’s right, a major bank with a name and, oh my God, a face!

The point is, companies are by definition fictitous entities.  They’re not real, at least not in the way that people are real.  Companies have spent so much time brand building that they have become entirely impersonnal.  And then they wonder why they cannot connect with their consumers.

You don’t have to be small and human all of the time.  But when it comes to things like customer service and support, smaller and human is better.

Just about every day, I am reminded in one way or another that we live in a world of hyperbole.  Overstatement.  Smoke and mirrors.