Communication is no longer about just businesses talking to anyone; it’s about people talking to people. Forget who’s on the end of the conversation. This is about where it all starts. The future of communications is C2C, or consumer2consumer or people2people.

Individuals, whether buying for business or themselves, are talking to and listening to other consumers. They are setting the agenda, leading the conversation, sharing their views, recommending the best products and deciding whether brands are successful or not.

No longer are consumers just taking in information corporations and brands are spewing at them. Now they question and make brands earn their loyalty. Because of social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, consumers are now quick to ask brands: What can you do for me?

Case in point: Take the fatal example of Netflix. When Netflix raised prices last summer, customers became infuriated, took to their blogs and Twitter accounts, and raised hell. Netflix was humiliated and has yet to fully recover from the CRM crisis that has plagued it ever since. Instead of being accountable to its customers, Netflix let Facebook comments go unanswered, and the company’s president responded with an answer about profits rather than speak to its customers directly in a level manner. Millions of customers felt betrayed and gave Netflix quite a scare by cutting service, resulting in its stock prices taking a 60 percent nosedive.

So, our challenge is getting people talking about brands in a positive way, not getting brands to talk to people. With so many touch points, brands must move away from the traditional 1960s formula of one-sided information and start having conversations with consumers. Consumers want brands to be authentic and have a real human voice they can speak with when something goes wrong (or right).

Advertisers are in complete denial if they think they can continue with the same tired, one-sided formula. Brands need to have authentic conversations with consumers if they want to survive. Consumers are talking to each other, so why aren’t brands following?

Fiona Menzies is managing director at gyro Dubai.

Originally published at Ignite Something on the Forbes CMO Network

In Advertising Age on June 15, Amsterdam is featured as ‘the industry’s talent trap’ in an article that describes a unique presence of creative agencies representing the global needs of prestigious clients including those of, ironically, both Nike and Adidas.

GyroHSR Amsterdam is no exception to this phenomenon and over 90% of our client base is represented by Global and European (or EMEA) headquarters based in The Netherlands and Belgium.

So what makes this city such a fruitful growing ground for global business?

Amsterdam is a global village or a world city on an intimate scale if you like. It is a bohemian English speaking city that stimulates creativity and exchange. With a business community within cycling distance and a well-connected international airport at a 15 minute drive.

Renowned for its open and tolerant culture it is the home to some 200 nationalities and offers a premium on work-life balance. It offers great infrastructure – Port to Europe – and a highly educated work force.
Amsterdam just ranks 25th on the Mercer 2008 Cost of Living Survey. Add to that an attractive tax climate and relatively mild labor conditions and we are there, almost.

In my opinion, the main driving factor behind Amsterdam’s success is the absence of a dominant domestic market. For centuries this has driven its culture to maintain honest and broadminded view and saved it from national centricity.

Because of the advantage of proximity and sometimes comparative scale, we often find HQ central resources being dragged into serving the national market needs of the location in which they are based. We see them grow into the habit of believing that these are representative for global or regional market conditions.

Instead in Amsterdam, there’s breathing space and the business of creativity can flourish.

Tom Bals
Managing Director
GyroHSR Amsterdam