Marketers: Put Your Listening Ears On.

Attend any marketing conference these days and you’re sure to see or hear this quote from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos: “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” I’ve even used it myself. Often.

And while it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Bezos made the statement, it’s clear it was a reaction to the lack of control or ownership that today’s brands have over their own stories. He was also undoubtedly referring to the modern digital age of marketing where social media, product reviews, and other online communities have as much voice and influence on a brand’s perception as any PR or traditional paid media might have in the past.

But while the pithy quote from Bezos is now held as gospel among marketers, it appears we’re still not listening. Most marketers are intent on telling their brand story in their own ways regardless of whether the people we care the most about are listening, what they’re saying about us or, more importantly, what they need or want from our brands.

And, unfortunately, it’s probably even more true in higher education than in other sectors. We continue to insist that we must “tell our stories better” or “get people to understand the value of the liberal arts,” use jargon-y, impersonal language, or just insult our audiences by presenting cliched, staged, or poor-quality images of our people and campuses.

It’s time we start listening! And that can take shape in several ways.

Read more at the SimpsonScarborough website and join the conversation by attending ListenUp EDU in Chicago October 17-18.