In the following interview segment, Doug Levy, author and CEO of MEplusYOU, explains why marketers can no longer selectively show what they want to the public. The full interview with Doug Levy can be seen HERE, in which he discusses his new book, Can't Buy Me Like. In the book, Levy tackles the changing marketing space, believing that companies must either adapt or continue to put blind faith in increasingly ineffective advertising. Levy also explains a new era that we've entered, dubbed the 'relationship era', and describes how this will change marketing for all companies, big and small.
Perhaps more than any other company in history, Google (GOOGL 1.42%) has put the power of information into the hands of the consumer, and made investors rich in the process. As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other web companies, it's also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn't sold. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.
Brendan: Let's talk about the Internet. We talked about it a little bit earlier. How responsible do you think it is for bringing in this Relationship Era, Facebook (META 0.14%) specifically? Do you think Facebook can take advantage of this? Do you think they'll have to change the way they have their advertising model right now?
Doug: The Internet's changed things considerably. Another way that marketers have grown up is thinking about marketing as spin. In fact, marketing is often synonymous with spin. "Put your best foot forward. Show customers what you want them to see."
Well, now with the Internet -- Google in particular -- customers can see anything and everything, so marketers no longer have that luxury of just being able to show the things that they want.
The other aspect of the Internet that's changed things so dramatically is social media. The explosion of social media has made it so that people's actual experiences get shared much more quickly, with much more volume, than ever before.
