Let go, let your Community create with you, and grow together

I often use the term Community Marketing. To me this is how corporations should consider changing from ‘pitching their product’ to being a customer advocate and community resource. I did this at my previous role at Hitachi.

While in Singapore, my new friend Bill Claxton took me and some bloggers from The Digital Movement to this wonderful ice cream shop. What’s really intersting is that they encouraged the guests to take pictures (often with their own cameras) print it out and post on the wall.

While this shop could have painted the walls in a monotone color, they choose to let the customers (community) brand it. This is an example of the community being empowered to create their own story, be part of the business, and just be human and interesting.

While at first, it may look like a jumbled mess, upon peering closer, there’s a unique personal story told by every single image.

How many corporations encourage their customers to come take part and be part of the company communications and ‘paint the walls’? The future of websites should be a combination of community and corporate employees, let’s all join in and create something together.

Thanks to a Brian in the comments, the place is called:

Island Creamery found in the Serene Centre shopping complex

Address: 10 Jln Serene #01-03 Serene Centre Singapore 258748

Tel : +65 6468 8859

Customers encouraged to participate

Detail of the wall

Customers are part of the business

and it becomes an attraction, bringing customers back and together!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 at 4:21 am and is filed under Community Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.