Q: Should I Listen or Not Listen to Consumers? A: Both!

As almost always in (business) life the answer to an or-question is 'both'. Listening has always been at the heart of the brand. That brands didn't really do it for the last 50 years does not prove it wrong.

You just have to decide, if you want to be an average brand, corporation, manager - or if you want to lead the pack - with potential to become the next Apple. Okay, let us be realistic.

Listen

Listening is one of businesses' core competencies. In the old days you listened via market research, via elaborate studies, via the marketing director's wife and kids, via huge temporal distances (every month, every 6 months). You wanted to collect enough people saying you are right.
(These processes are one reason for our existing problems in the car industry, in telecommunications, banking, nuclear and other powers. Not listening, but pretending to have understood.)

Today you are able to listen in real-time. You are able to listen to every single individual talking to or about you on the net.
Listening ain't difficult any more. You just have to do it. Now!

Understand

But while listening you will face the next challenge: understanding what people are talking about! Understanding what they are talking about - and what they want to tell you.

They are talking about their new independence, their individuality, their impatience. They are talking about networking, collaboration, cocreation, sharing, playing. They are talking about dialog and conversations. They are talking about and at eye level.

And they want to tell you, that you have to adapt to their world, to their time, their needs and wants. That you have to adopt their behaviour, their way of communicating, their way of outgrowing themselves.

Act

They want you to act! Stop talking. Stop making sense! Embrace change. Embrace the future. Change the Game.

Don't Listen

But do it because you want to. Don't do it, because they tell you.

They want to be surprised by you. They want to be inspired. This will only work, if you are ahead of them. If you do not listen to them, do not wait for them - but lead them.

They want to follow you - if you are truly you, if they believe you are authentic. If they believe you share their beliefs, their wants and needs.

Both

To become distinctive you must listen more.
To become disruptive you must listen less.
To be loved you need to do both.