Social Marketing

The explosion of social networks and consumer-generated media over the last few years continues to have a significant impact on advertising as consumers’ reliance on word-of-mouth in the decision-making process – either from people they know or online consumers they don’t – has increased significantly.

Last month I attended one of the best parties in L.A.  No, I’m not talking about the Oscars.  I’m talking about the Brisk Bodega-Star Wars Cantina party, presented by Brisk Tea. Now ostensibly the party was intended to present and offer party-goers samples of Brisk Tea.  But by partnering up with LucasFilm, Brisk was able to offer another element of intrigue at its party: an exhibition of art conceived by emerging, young artists, and based on the iconic characters from the “Star Wars” film.
 

Ninety-two percent of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising—an increase of 18 percent since 2007, according to a new study from Nielsen. Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted form of advertising with 70 percent of global consumers surveyed online indicating they trust this platform, an increase of 15 percent in four years.

A study of companies worldwide from SHARE and GUIDE SHARE EUROPE and sponsored by IBM and Marist College found that only 52.8% of respondents were currently monitoring open online social media communities or networks. [Unisphere Media collected the data in January and February 2012. The study was written by Unisphere analyst Peter Auditore.] A majority of respondents were IT professionals, with others including CEOs and those performing management and other business functions.

Consumers connect with brands both via email lists and by “liking” companies on Facebook. While users want to receive discounts and special offers via both channels, connecting with a brand on social media is an added public display of support.

As marketers look to integrate their advertising efforts into a more cohesive strategy, many are eyeing digital media, specifically owned and earned media.

Our Industry colleague and friend Tony Hernandez of Latino Broadcasting Company and founder of the Immigrant Archive Project has been listed by NBC Latino at one of the Top Twitter That Matter. Felicidades!

Usage on Google+ isn’t as high as on longer-established social networks, but companies are starting Brand Pages there, and some consumer engagement is taking place—particularly in the mornings and on Wednesdays.

There may be new reasons for CEOs and CMOs to join the Twittersphere. According to a study by social media branding firm BRANDfog consumers and employees regard company leaders who engage on social media platforms positively.

Sixty three percent of global, socially-conscious consumers are under age 40, they consult social media when making purchase decisions and are most concerned about environmental, educational and hunger causes, according to a new study from Nielsen. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Marketers, agencies to spend more display ad budget on social networks than with publishers this year

Teens are fervent communicators. Straddling childhood and adulthood, they communicate frequently with a variety of important people in their lives: friends and peers, parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, and a myriad of other adults and institutions. This report examines the tools teens use to communicate, with a particular focus on mobile devices, and then places the use of those tools in the broader context of how teens choose to communicate with people in their lives. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Just as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted, the world is becoming more social. There will be 1.43 billion social network users in 2012, a 19.2% increase over 2011, eMarketer predicts—amounting to a substantial share of the world’s entire population.

Among the most-discussed topics at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference held in Austin, Texas, was the increasing interaction between television and social media.

One person’s granito de sal (grain of sand) can make a world of difference. Premiering as the official Latino event at 2012 SXSW Interactive on March 12, The Social Revolución will honor those who’ve made a world of difference.

For the debut of its new model, the Stepway 2012, Renault Mexico wanted to target consumers in Mexico City between the ages of 25 and 40 who had graduated from college, were working their first job and interested in buying their first car.

When analyzing the engagement, clickthrough rates and cost per click (CPC) of Facebook campaigns, the results, broken down by industry, give a unique view into how well social media marketing works and how cost effective it is for certain industries.