I love parodies especially when they’re not so tongue-in-cheek like Mark Logan starring as the Twitter spokesman in this video by Comedy.com.  It also led me to questioning whether or not Twitter users become self-appointed brand ambassadors once they make an endorsement of a product or service in a tweet.  Being a social media marketing consultant advising both individuals and corporations on how to build their reputation on Twitter this is a pretty common question I find myself addressing.

I know based on my own experience, there are several websites, SEO tools, web 2.0 applications and services I regularly endorse and support.  Sometimes cleverly orchestrating a barrage of adjectives to highlight there value in the marketplace, my soul aim is to hype up these websites because I believe in their mission.  I will be the first to admit that I have mistakenly endorsed some total duds and have made errors in judgement.  This is what Twitter is all about: authenticity.  If you make a mistake it’s always easier to just admit it, make amends, and carry on (if only more major league baseball players who played during the steroid era could be so candid).

Recently, I have been tremendously impressed with Domino’s advertising and re-branding campaign in which they acknowledge customer complaints and pledge their dedication to improving their pizza.  Some marketers have considered this tactic to be a mistake because if a company ranks #2 in a $36 billion pizza market then what could Advertisement- Electronics Expopossibly be wrong with their product?  Like the 800 lb gorilla in the room,  the answer is enough to make it worthy of addressing.  Ultimately this will create an opportunity to improve their reputation by committing to the creation of an even better product.  What consumer does not appreciate a company who says they want to be better and are willing to do what it takes to win their trust?

Social media in general is a great place for co-marketing and co-branding, but should we also be held accountable by our followers for a product endorsement that ultimately lets them down?  I think only to a certain degree.  With an abundance of resources available, web surfers have nanoseconds to determine the validity and reliability of what is right in front of them.  In that same vain, it is crucial to cite information from reputable sources if you want to be taken halfway seriously by the followers in your particular industry or practice.  With web applications it’s best to test them out for a little while before promoting them.  Twitter is about being social, communicating, and building trustworthy relationships in a web 2.0 atmosphere.  The only way this type of environment can be created is if there is a mutual understanding, and a willingness to set things right if you realize what you endorse proves to be something contradictory to what you introduced in the beginning.

What do you think?  Do you become a spokesperson once you tweet about a company, blog, product, or service on Twitter?  We’d love to hear about some of your own experiences.  Tweet on!

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