By: Ravi Sinha
Track2Realty Exclusive: The real estate, like any other business or even the government, is suddenly faced with the reality of Facebook and Twitter that have helped the buyers harness the true power of their opinion. Ignored customers now have a platform to air their grievances and take on big companies.
It is no more big business and big Government monopolizing any communication with their reach, the resources, and yes, the impact, to command media coverage or to buy exposure through advertising.
That may not have changed, but social media has made it possible for individuals to do more than just tell the world what they had for breakfast; popular services like Facebook and Twitter have helped the buyers truly harness the power of their opinion. Their grievances and scorn, and approval and support, have become weapons that in hours and days can make behemoths stop and think.
Historically social movements have emerged in a geographical pattern, revolving around physical gathering spaces. Today social movements are transpiring in virtual space, which sets the stage for new forms of protest, organization, cooperation, and coalition-building.
The Internet plays a major role in such anti-brand movement because it provides communication methods for people around the globe irrespective of geographical space and/or time zones.
In most cases, anti-brand communities originate and communicate solely in cyberspace. This virtual community is built around common social and political interests. Communities are formed online because people are able to come together, regardless of geographical proximity, and identify with a common need, goal, or identity.
The community is situated around common detestations of corporate brand names. Various consumer groups form to support each other in their efforts to resist marketplace practices and globalized consumption patterns.
……to be continued
