Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

Customer service is awareness of needs, problems, fears and aspirations

In my opinion Flickr, an online photography site, is one of the most undervalued market research tools there is around. It offers companies a chance to see how consumers are using their products, as well as offering them the chance to show of their goods like an online version of window shopping.

Nike offers up the perfect example. If you search for the brand you get the following results. The first page alone shows Flickr users trying on the latest trainers and it also has stock photography of their latest ranges.

So Nike can see how their customers are using their products, whether they like the brand or not (someone may just tag a protest against child labour Nike), show off their latest products to online enthusiasts and watch as Flickr users take photos of themselves and use the site to see what the product looks like on them.

So Flickr is much more than a website to upload and share photos, it’s a shop window, mirror and market research test tube rolled into one as well.

Just to note that consumer brands aren’t the only companies that should be using it. Flickr users may use the site to take photos of a dirty brandroom in a restaurant or technology companies could upload images of their user interface.

Trendwatching.com have more about the matter in their latest newsletter.

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