Quote:
fritz said:
... but professionals like those are aware of the "noise-to-signal ratios" involved in information sources like clinics or the internet. They would apply their own "plausibility check" to what they hear and would filter out much of the content, leaving just the things they wanted to hear in the first place anyway.



This, for sure, happens in my business, too.

There is so much wrong information, mis-information, and even dis-information floating around the web that it takes quite a long time for "the truth" to settle in. A manufacturer that took first-flash info from the web as a guide to action would be at a distinct disadvantage.

Manufacturers can get a quick read on competitors' moves from the web without having to wait for the sales channel to report via order volume. Web info can be very interesting and even entertaining. But, in the end, it's all about making the cash register ring. If one sells the goods, it's hard to get upset by disappointing web chatter. If the merchandise sits around with no takers, that gets people's attention. Web-derived nuances and attitudes don't make as big an impression as actual cash. That's the real signal in the noise of a market.

Customers and potential customers that natter about on web forums are often motivated by a desire to get the latest information. It's a form of entertainment. The total appetite for "new and better" generally exceeds the ability of reality to supply it. If the flow of upbeat information is not fast enough or good enough to satiate absolutely everybody, a vacuum is created that sucks disappointment into the void.

Then starts the bitching and moaning. Its like a bunch of kids on a sugar high that want more, more and more sweet stuff until they crash in the most disagreeable way. Except, one can't merely send ones customers to bed and hide the candy from them.

From a manufacturer's point of view, trying to deliver more and more goodies to keep a smaller and smaller portion of a customer base satisfied is a fool's errand. It's expensive and tends to distract from the core mission. A business plan looking for long-term sustainability has to try the hardest for the biggest portion of its customers. Web feedback is only one of many tools available to accomplish it.