Before I start I know there are a gazillion Facebook users and that it’s changed the world etc. But, I’ve got a real problem with it as a brand.
My basic marketing instinct tells me that there is something inherently wrong with it. Why? Well, first it’s sneaky. What are they doing with the unfathomable volume of data that they have on us? It makes the Tesco Clubcard database look like a pocket address book. Second, as a media it has no authority, yet it has become our de facto news feed. Sure the content is aggregated through our ‘friends’, but what about when it’s manipulated? Look at what’s happening in Sudan .
The simple problem for me is that I don’t trust it. And it looks like I’m not on my own. Only a staggering 23% of UK users do. So What? Well great brands, that have longevity, are based on the foundations of trust. Proper, honest, good old-fashioned trust. The problem for Facebook is that once that trust is eroded, it starts to nibble away at a users desire to post personal and really accurate content. The very thing that has fed the popularity of the service.
Of course I’m not suggesting that Facebook is going disappear, but I won’t be surprised if it’s popularity wanes.
