The social web is fuelled by factors such as a desire for mutual exchange – consumers are willing to write detailed reviews, for free
represents a signifi cant threat; mediocrity in the era of the social web is a very vulnerable place to be. Consumers can now write, publish and spread their views on last night’s restaurant meal or this morning’s group exercise class via an ever- growing number of specialist review sites such as Review Centre, Yelp, LoveTheGym and Ciao. Do these reviews infl uence what other consumers buy? Yes, they do. A 2009 study of 25,000 consumers across 50 countries discovered that online consumer reviews were the most trusted form of ‘advertising’. A recurring question that people often ask when told that people voluntarily add
june 2011 © cybertrek 2011
to the social web is ‘why?’ Why would someone write a thoughtful and detailed Amazon book review, for free? ‘Why’ is an important question, because it explains what is fuelling the social web. Often, fi nancial reward is not required to drive participation. Instead, the social web taps into our altruistic inclinations and desire for mutual exchange – a move from zero sum gain to ‘win, win’. I describe this phenomenon as ‘digital reciprocity’. Allied to digital reciprocity is the way
in which the social web allows consumers and companies to ‘co-create’. What is co-creation? Well, as I watch today’s news on the television, I notice that the
Health clubs must understand and tap into the factors driving the growth of the social web (above)
content is increasingly being sourced from the public, uploading their stories to Twitter, YouTube or direct to the news organisations’ own websites. Consumers are increasingly ‘breaking’ stories. Other co-creating examples include
creating your own custom sports shoes at NIKEiD, and car manufacturer Fiat inviting consumers to post comments on its website about features they like/dislike for the re-design of the Punto model.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 47
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