User-generated content is fast becoming a new media buzz phrase. It's either a lot of hot air or the best untapped marketing and branding opportunity since the testimonial. Depends on who's talking.

I believe it's a bit of both.

For the record, Wikipedia defines user-generated content--known affectionately by new media experts as UGC or consumer-generated content--as content that "refers to various kinds of media content, publicly available, that are produced by end-users." Or, in layman's terms, a form of commercial that's created by people who consume your product or service--a testimonial on steroids, if you will.

Many times, to the dismay of chief marketing officers everywhere, UGC will show consumers using a product or service in a way the product or service provider hadn't intended.

For example, a few years ago two people began to upload video footage of a "coke geyser" that was created by adding Mentos candy to bottles of Diet Coke. Dressed in lab coats and goggles, these two gentlemen created an artful display that, in some respects, resembles the dancing water display in front of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

This spawned a whole series of additional experiments with Diet Coke, with at least one video including a Diet Coke bottle, Mentos and dry ice.

The initial response from Coca-Cola, understandably, was less than accepting of this new form of consumer expression. But slowly, the powers that be at Coca-Cola began to see how these videos of their product--although unintended and certainly unsanctioned--aided the visibility of their product.

So where are we going with this? What do two guys with time on their hands in lab coats and protective eyewear have to do with your brand? A lot.

When it's properly executed, consumers think this kind of content is cool and fun to watch--as evidenced by the fact that the Diet Coke and Mentos video has been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube. People are even selling Diet Coke and Mentos "kits" for $30 apiece.

Also, it would appear that video is taking the lead when it comes to UGC. "The truth of the matter is that people don't really read anymore," web video expert Jim Kukral explains. "This has been true for years on the web, but it's getting worse. People scan and they look from headline to headline, bullet point to bullet point, and when they are confronted with the choice of a 45-second attention-getting video or a page and a half of corporate marketing text, video wins every time."

The Best of Both Worlds
My client Harry Allen is known for delivering the line, "Don't Believe the Hype." I offer that same advice about UGC.

To hear many people tell it, UGC is the next wave of advertising and presents untold potential. The truth is that most UGC isn't any good--it's simply not worth watching and, as a result, won't get the number of eyeballs you're hoping for. So if you're waiting to hit the UGC lottery, you might be waiting a long time.

However, in the event that good UGC happens to your company (and I use the word "happens" intentionally), see the opportunity for the gift that it is. While it's perfectly acceptable to issue a statement, if applicable, that this is not the intended use of your product or service (and provided that use doesn't break the law or injure anyone), adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Like the folks at Coca-Cola, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised by the uptick of interest in your brand.

To leverage UGC, you need to know the best ways to do so:

• Find an early-warning system. Before you can leverage this form of content you have to know it exists, and the best way to do that is to make sure your public relations consultants have this type of content on their radar as it relates to your brand. If you don't have a public relations firm working on your behalf, well-devised Google Alert subscriptions can do the trick.
  
  
• Mobilize forces. Determine what your response will be before anything happens so you're not scrambling to craft a response at the last minute. Create three responses--one that endorses the UGC, one that doesn't endorse but doesn't disapprove the UGC and, in the case of UGC that creates potential legal liability, a response that condemns the UGC altogether. Granted, you can't prepare for every situation, but being partially prepared beats being totally unprepared.
  
  
• Keep an objective eye. Sometimes we get so caught up in how our markets ought to be using our products and services that any other use is met with a knee-jerk negative response. Don't be so quick to denounce how your market chooses to interact with your brands.
  
  
• Kick-start your own UGC effort. If you really want to see what can happen when consumers get hold of your brand, have the courage to invite them to engage with your brand in this way. Sometimes this works well, and sometimes it doesn't (especially when it's not a moderated process), as the Social Media Trader post "When User Generated Content Attacks" makes clear. Always have a way to bring a quick close to the outreach program if things veer too far from the intended path. And, for Pete's sake, have someone manning the ship.

If the spike in user-generated content brings on a sharp attack of heartburn, take a Tums and remember that most people rely on advice from experts, industry professionals and experienced peers to make final buying decisions.

See? All better now.