What has the internet done for people? Besides the information overload, it’s also delivered another benefit. It has provided the multitude of voice-less, powerless people an opportunity to flex their muscles, make a difference, voice an opinion, be heard.

Why could this be so important? Could it be that people living in the present moment have the feeling that they do not count anymore, they are insignificant and that their existence is irrelevant?

That sounds really depressing doesn’t it. But let’s have a look at whether there is any substance to that statement and if yes how this could have come about.  If we look at the first time that we are integrated into society, school, one already sees that the process of creating voiceless people is started at a young age.

Education provided by schools is based on a process of learning material in order to pass examinations.  The better the exam results, the better the school. There is not much difference in the practice of education at University level.

Once at work, procedures and processes are set down and the average worker’s day is dictated to by manuals written by faceless manager. It boils down to having to perform a series of pre-set task. No thought is required or encouraged.

Outside the work environ it’s not much different. Try to interact with any of the companies that we do business with or we are customers of. Gone are the days of managers who actually deal with customers and instead welcome to call centres manned by staff who don’t even speak your language.

So much of our time is spent dealing with automated processes whether shopping, consuming our entertainment, traveling, managing our health and much more that we start to feel sidelined and alienated. When last did you deal with somebody in authority, somebody who would listen to your concerns, take responsibility and actually deliver a personalised solution?

So how does the internet provide a voice to the voiceless? The best example of this was the recent success of the Obama win to become the next President of the USA.  In terms of participating, active people that became part of the Obama community, appropriately also called My.barackobama.com here are some staggering stats.

Obama and his team collected a couple of 100 million Dollars in funds, 2 million volunteers, 10 million e-mail addresses, 5 million mobile phone numbers and 4 million names of donors.  That’s some participating community. And how appropriate was Obama’s rallying cry of ‘Yes we Can’?

The internet has allowed these millions of people to participate, voice an opinion, take action, be part of something meaningful and feel that they can make a difference and have the power to create change.  That rallying cry of Obama’s fell on fertile ears.

Would this concept be something marketers could take note of when approaching the web? After all the internet is the communication tool where the consumer has total control over what they consume, watch, interact with.  And it is an area where marketers are still flapping around wildly trying to find their feet.

Could it be that online campaigns that treat the consumer with respect, provide him with a voice, take his statements and opinions seriously, react to suggestions and in general permit him to be heard and taken notice of -  that this might actually work? Couldn’t possibly be, could it?