Well, I've had enough of Ricoh social media as of late. As an example, the "Pentax" Facebook page which started long before the Ricoh buyout was a great place for Pentaxians to hang out, but not anymore.
The Pentax Facebook page is now a Ricoh page. Instead of building two complete brand identities and nurturing each, some idiot decided to crash the Pentax page with an onslaught of Ricoh.
As in train-wreck.
That's NOT how you do it.
Social media works when like minded folks get together and share. When you get marketing mistakes that force-feed a message that you don't want, you destroy whatever social "good-will" you have.
The Ricoh folks have REALLY pushed and pushed the RICOH message down our collective Pentax throats. It's sickening and repulsive.
Since the buy-out, we GET IT.
Ricoh. Owns. Pentax.
If Ricoh was smart they would leave Pentax alone and build more brand awareness with SUBTLE links to Ricoh, but no.
We have been hammered on the head over these last months.
It's like, "Pentax, you lost your identity because not enough of you bought your own products, you have been conquered, now OBEY your new masters! You are week, feeble, follow RICOH or die!!!"
"Kneel before ZOD!!!!"
Because I have had enough, I'm fighting back wherever I can. A little dig here, a little dig there.
I've been banned at the Pentax Facebook page because of what happened during Women's month when inane women-centric marketing videos and camera loans were showcased.
It was horrible and I voiced my opinion.
You know, "social media" - talking, opinions - that sort of thing.
When Ricoh marketing started to take over the Pentax Facebook page, I said things like "C'mon, can we get back to Pentax now?"
I'm pretty sure I know the folks responsible (using LinkedIn) and I can trace it logically to folks that have no idea what Pentax is all about.
So my recommendations - as if anyone EVER listens to me - would be the following.
Give Pentax back it's independent social media presence.
Give Pentax back it's websites.
Link to Ricoh in subtle ways, do not keep force-feeding it in our faces.
How about Ricoh cameras standing on their own and building their own fan base?
Stop trying to "convert" Pentaxians as if brand loyalty was something easily changed.