LED and lamp manufacturers are listening to and responding to customers on social media with a sense that something fun and important is going on.
It started with a showerhead
Recently, my wife forwarded a note about a HotelSpa Ultra Luxury LED Hand Shower that was available on Groupon. It turns out that (in my neighborhood, at least) Groupon has lined up a bunch of LED-related products. Along with the aforementioned showerhead, I could get a deal on teeth-whitening kits, Flavor Vapes Hookahs, and an array of nightlights, keychains, and light sabers. Groupon is leaving the A19 replacements to Walmart and Home Depot.
Walmart isn't using social media to promote its LED offerings, either. The company has mentioned just one LED lighting product (a flashlight) on its Twitter account in the past six months. There are plenty of references from other Twitter users to Walmart's lighting deals, but almost nothing from the Bentonville behemoth. There's nothing about LED lighting on Walmart's Facebook page.
Philips ad from 1938.
Relying on friends
Several Pinterest participants have put up pics of Walmart's LED products, but most of the pinnings are months old or older. You can find a YouTube video touting the benefits of LED phototherapy using the Illumask found at Walmart. There are probably more, but the quality of the products and promotions starts to fray as we get near the edges.
All steak and no sizzle
Those of a certain age will recall Digital Equipment Corp. and other early computing companies. Their products were built by engineers for engineers. Their marketing motto was quod erat demonstratum. It worked wonderfully until it didn't.
The press releases and retail promotions suggest at first that we're going though a similar phase in LED markets: lots of talk about lumens and color temperatures directed at folks who don't know or don't care. The tech specs on the Philips Hue website are filled with eye-watering gems ("60 Im/W luminous efficacy @4000K, >80 CRI from 2000-4000K") that look like TECO macros.
Taking a cue from the nonprofits
People don't buy lights because they want lights. They buy lights because they want to see something. Nonprofits such as Watts of Love enlist and engage supporters on all social media channels. Here it's not just about prices or technical specs; it's also about how LED lights are changing lives.
The manufacturers have found a way of engaging with their own enthusiasts, so they are filling the social media gap left gaping by the retailers. The Philips Lighting US and Cree LED Bulb Twitter accounts are lively with tweets with and among customers. (A division of Philips sponsors this site.) They are a mix of promotion, information, and support.
Osram's accounts aren't quite as active. Additionally, instead of using direct messages to contact customers, Osram asks them to call the regional support center. By making the customer take that additional step, the company is missing an opportunity.
Similarly on Facebook, the manufacturers blend promotion and support, answering questions about color temperature and certain other topics while letting others slide. Philips, for example, doesn't respond to accusations that blue spectrum LED lights suppress melatonin levels in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Pinterest users mix old and new, pinning images of new LED lighting with pre-war ads. Cree is not so fortunate. A Pinterest search for Cree results in images of people from the Canadian First Nation, not light bulbs.
Using social media as broadcast channels dulls the spirits of marketer and markets alike. It's noteworthy that retailers, when they promote LED lighting at all, are doing so mostly with specs and prices. Manufacturers, by comparison, demonstrate more of a clue.
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