Brian Solis, award-winning author and principal at Altimeter Group, was recently interviewed by Google Think Insights, which was published online and as a digital download, “Give Them Something to Talk About: Brian Solis on the Art of Engagement.” Google’s new hub for marketing insights and inspiration for advertisers and agencies. As part of Google’s Engagement Project, Solis discussed how brands inspire people to share meaningful product experiences.

Google has studied how first impressions are formed online and the big impact they have on consumers’ buying decisions. Google has named this decision-making moment the “Zero Moment of Truth” (ZMOT). In his latest book, What’s the Future of Business, Solis expands further on ZMOT, zeroing in on how consumers’ first impressions of a brand are often influenced by fellow consumers sharing their experiences online.

According to Solis, brands need to pay more attention than ever to customer experience, journeys, and the relationships they nurture.

As quoted in the interview, Solis says, “As a brand you have to create the experiences you want people to have and share, and reinforce that through positive conditioning, so those are the things people find — over and over again. To get people to share more positive things, you have to first make sure they have a positive experience. This is a renaissance opportunity for brands to look back: ‘Why did we start this company? What are we trying to do?’ Because in the social web, it is those experiences that become your brand.”

About Brian Solis

Brian Solis is principal at Altimeter Group, a research firm focused on disruptive technology. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture. Solis is also globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media.

His new book, What’s the Future of Business (WTF), explores the landscape of connected consumerism and how business and customer relationships unfold and flourish in four distinct moments of truth. Solis motivates readers to rethink business models, products and services, marketing, and customer and employee relationships with desired experiences in mind.

His previous book, The End of Business as Usual, explores the emergence of Generation-C, a new generation of customers and employees and how businesses must adapt to reach them. Prior to End of Business, Solis released Engage, which is regarded as the industry reference guide for businesses to market, sell and service in the social web.