RSS
Home
Say it ain't so Joe...the big debate on brand impact and measurable social net results
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.png)
Research finds nearly one-third of social consumers are indifferent about brands on social media sites
If I was to ask Joe Public what makes him buy, he might say he saw it on TV or he could say that he heard it on the radio. Depending on his age, he could have seen it on the web or viewed it on his mobile phone. His action is influenced by the brand he loves or the brand he has never tried. In my recent article I draw attention to the brand influencers. But in this past week. I found a big debate on how much social nets are influencing our buying decisions. According to a recent online report published July 9, 2009 by marketingcharts.com, Workplace Media discovered in a study that 96% of employed consumers say their opinion of a product [brand] does not change even if that brand has no presence on a social networking site.
You might be wondering about this company. Workplace Media is a media group who assist market professionals reach 64 million at-work consumers and represents 920,000 American employers. It is an interesting concept where their mission is focus on primary time slot of our daily lives: where we work. Upon investigating the service the company performs, I found that while there may be valid truths in this report. I am always suspect of the service offerings justify the research behind certain companies. Core brand disciplines fall on print campaigns, WOM [word of mouth] and point of purchase displays in key areas of the workplace. On the site, they offer an online database targeting local business based on zip code population. With that being said and moving forward, I did find this quote remarkable:
“When it comes to influencing brand perception and purchase decisions, the data shows that social networking still has a long way to go,” said Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media. “Most of our meaningful recommendations continue to be old-fashioned, word of mouth recommendations from friends, co-workers, and/or family.”
Maybe Ms. Molinar brand practice is niche in such a way that her company has value but I would like to explore other viewpoints and research.
Recently, the advertising agency, Razorfish have produced a report while developing a new system SIM [Social Influence Marketing] Score. The group believes that there is a synergy between the customer’s final buying decision. It goes beyond word of mouth and online social networks. This three-part survey defines the definition of intimate conversations between marketers and the brand. We should consider it as the “brand voice” and its impact it has in the marketplace.
“Social media has quickly become one of the most talked-about topics in marketing. We didn’t want this report to just be more of the same, so instead we took a different, more scientific approach to evaluating this phenomena and measuring its effects,” said Shiv Singh, VP and Global Social Media Lead at Razorfish. “Today, a brand’s actions speak louder than its words and pushing out messages is no longer enough to excite and engage consumers.”
As indicated on page 10, the report stipulated it’s criteria: Razorfish surveyed 1,000 consumers split evenly between active social network users and a sample drawn from the general population* to test for variations in responses between them (participants who had never used a social platform were screened out). No significant variations in responses were ascertained. Concentrating on the 18-55-year-old age range, the panel had equal gender representation. Fifty-six percent (56%) of the panel respondents reported spending over $50 a month online. We also analyzed past external studies on the topic and reviewed data from previous studies conducted by us.
A slew of articles commented on Fluent. One in particular was posted on Mediapost by Joe Marchese. Reading the article on Tuesday, you would think at first blush that his critique was following the same plot line as mine. But then much to my surprise, I find his conclusions are has valuable as I found the report. The SIM Score has value as a social net dividend for measurable result within this space. For the sake of my article, I am going to cite Joe’s previous post. In his May 5th post, he breaks down the creative and online media channel where traditional media is enhanced by the social net ancillary advertising products. It’s unique quality of measuring rank, likes and dislikes of a product or service in real time.
.png)
Key influencers
in specific fields have an out sized influence on
brand affinity and purchasing decisions on social
platforms. Key influencers typically have their own
blogs,huge Twitter followings and rarely know their
audiences personally.
Social influencers
are everyday people who participate in social
platforms. These users are typically in your
consumer’s social graph and influence
brand affinity and purchasing decisions through
consumer reviews, by updating their own status and
Twitter feeds and commenting on blogs and
forums. In some cases the consumer knows
the social influencers personally.
Known peer influencers
are the closest to both the purchasing decision
and to the consumer. They are typically
family members, or part of the consumer’s
inner circle. They influence the purchasing decision
most directly and have to live with the results of
their family member or friend’s decision as well.
With that being said, do we still trust traditional media outlets
more that online outlets? Maybe because it is a part of our entertainment. Print, television, and radio longevity is a part of
this equation. Media clutter and the repetition diminishes the value
of ROI. The enrichment of a campaign can benefit from the brand
extension of a viral or social network strategy. The “brand conversation" becomes a key component for a buying decision. Our advertising community is embracing the development the metrics of this new medium. There is an intersection between social nets and
the conversion level of adoption. It is certain that human behavior
and intellect is flexing its trust in this new engagement. You can see it with the rise of twitter, facebook, and other social sites.
Within the report there are 10 steps companies need to take to control their brand on Twitter and establish a successful presence:
1. Become familiar with Twitter by reviewing, or following, the activities of successful brands such as Dell (dell.com/twitter), Zappos (twitter.com/zappos) and Comcast (twitter.com/ comcastcares).
2. Listen to what is already being said on Twitter about your brand.
3. Identify initial objectives for using Twitter, including what would qualify as a Twitter success story for your brand.
4. Look into competitive activities and potential legal considerations, especially if there is already a Twitter account that uses your brand’s name or other intellectual property associated with it.
5. Use the findings to decide on the appropriate opportunity — such as offers or community building, tone of voice and method of engagement — that may be right for your brand.
6. Since Twitter is an ongoing activity — even if your company is only listening in — dedicate a resource to monitor the conversations and competitors.
7. Map out a plan for the content you will share, including valuable initial content to pique user interest.
8. Integrate your Twitter account throughout your marketing experience, by embedding it as a feed on the company Web site, including its URL in communications and so forth.
9. Maintain momentum by following everyone who follows you, responding to queries and joining in conversations without being too marketing oriented.
10. Provide ongoing direct value through your tweets by continuing to listen, learn and fine-tune your Twitter activities.
Footnote: *The social media sample is made up entirely of people on social networks, while the generic sample is a more standard consumer sample of people who use social media less frequently.
Related Articles:
Comments
