Some marketer’s think it’s a fine idea; let’s let our consumers tell us what they think! Have them make a movie, have them write the content on our site, get their opinions. Unfortunately our world of marketing is a far cry from Utopia. Consumers may not always think what the product developers and marketers think. And utilizing the Internet, it has become much easier for those consumers to speak out.

Consumer generated content is the idea that it is no longer the producers and marketers who are speaking out about topics, issues, people, and products, yet it is the consumers themselves who are acting as copywriters, art directors, producers and distributors.

Today consumers themselves generate some of the fastest growing media, and unlike paid media, consumer generated media, or CGM is seen as trustworthy material among peers and is often influenced, but not controlled, by resent events, products, and services. This CGM is usually in the form of blogs, podcasts, video, wikis, and forums but is not limited to these and is continually growing. [8]

Wikipedia, also, a forum for this consumer-generated content, defines CGM as “word-of mouth behavior that exists on the Internet.”[1] Typically this type of media is a combination of opinions, experiences, advice and commentary that is expressed through a variety of forums including blogs, video, wikis, and many more. These self-editors use images, sound, video, and text to cast their opinions and often are part of an online community with several forms of CGM outlets working together to communicate with others. CGM also often leaves a leaves a pretty defined digital trail, and is” highly measurable, allowing advertisers to gauge brand equity, reputation, and message effectiveness in real time.” [9]

Perhaps a large contribution to the CGM phenomenon is the availability of Internet, worldwide, as well as freeware, and easily accessed information about producing editing and publishing materials online. This has allowed individuals to easily put their ideas out into Internet communities with producers alike. 

Another factor is that “consumers place far more trust in their fellow consumers than they do in traditional marketers and advertisers,” [11] this is probably the most efficient way of passing information and breaking through the traditional marketing clutter. CGM has also taken the control from the marketers by making the, message available across many forms of CGM. When searching for a company or product results will yield a variety of CGM and non-CGM, both positive and negative. [9]

Some examples of sites based on CGC include, YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook, which all employ video, text, images, sound, or a combination of these. Blogger and other forum and blog sites are also part of this mix.

Mass media is also beginning to recognize CGM. TIME magazine recognized “you” as their person of the year, meaning all of those who contribute to user-generated media, while New Line Studios used CGM to promote their 2006 movie “Snakes on a Plane,” by taking suggestions from enthusiasts on how to end the movie. Car companies, beauty companies, like Dove, grocery stores like HEB, and others have also asked their consumers to contribute by making a commercial. Yet however confident the company might be sometimes these ideas do not go as planned and take a turn for the worst.