Customer Reference Programs, as we know them, are going away!  There, I said it.  It had to be said.

I’ve been seeing a shift in Customer Reference Programs for some time now.  More and more of the traditional functions of the Reference Program seem to overlap with too many other groups within the organization and the core value seems to have faded.  Furthermore, the importance of having a dedicated team to act as the conduit of Reference information seems almost antiquated especially with the explosion of Social Media.  This reality has played out in the economic downturn, which has proved to be unkind to many Customer Reference Programs who have seen a reduction or, in some cases, a complete shutdown.

This isn’t news.  We have been seeing the signs for some time now.  In fact, as early as January 2007, Forrester Analyst, Jeremiah Owyang recognized the disruptive impact of Social Media on Corporate Customer Reference  Programs in a blog post.  It’s well worth the read. Essentially, the availability of product and service reviews in social media often provides prospective customers with ample information to make a decision.

As we have encouraged our customers to join our communities, they, too, have become active in other online communities and often leverage those forums to communicate with eachother without our support.  In the same way, marketers must embrace New Media to engage with customers and prospects – it’s no longer an option.  If Customer Reference Programs want to survive or, even better, thrive, they need to leverage New Media to connect with and connect together our customers and prospects.  As always, take the time to build a proper strategy and select the vehicles that work best for your objectives.

How have you seen your Customer Reference program change in recent years?

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