Social Media Question of the Day: Does Anyone Really Want to “Connect” to Brands?

This question, in one form or another, has bugged me for years.  Some people wonder if Bigfoot is real.  Or if there is a God.  Or if there are any women Herman Cain won’t hit on.

I don’t wonder about any of that.  Here’s what I really want to know…

DOES ANYONE REALLY WANT TO “CONNECT” WITH A BRAND?

Is there someone sitting down at his or her computer this very moment thinking “I wonder what Target is doing?”  Or “I think I’ll tag General Motors in a meme.”

I think it’s stupid to (capital F) Friend a non-person on Facebook.  I’m  (capital F) Friends with one cat, and the Guy on a Buffalo band, but that’s about it.  I don’t really want to be (capital F) Friends with my grocery store or the pizza place down the street.  I go out of my way to avoid contact with people trying to part me with my money.  I sure as hell don’t want to volunteer to be marketed to.

This whole connecting with a brand business is nothing more than a desperate attempt to recreate the dying traditional advertisement business.  It’s a volunteer brigade of allegedly easy marks cleverly compiled in the name of targeted advertising.

So, is there anyone out there who doesn’t have skin in the game who really wants to “connect” to a brand?  If so, please tell me why.