Is the Social Media world about to change on Tuesday? Probably not, but all eyes will be on Mountain View tomorrow when Google announces their latest venture into the social sphere, reportedly a social add-on to Gmail. What might Google have up it’s sleeve–let’s speculate and imagine a more powerful and relevant Social Media experience.
A shift is occurring in the relative importance to marketers of Social Media and Super Bowl advertising. As Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Audi, E*Trade and Unilever are demonstrating, the servant is becoming the master.
Much of the results generated by Social Media can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively: transactions, decreased customer service costs, increased awareness, improved sentiment, etc. But some of the advantages from Social Media cannot be measured, because much like investments in insurance and tires, the benefits come from risk avoidance. Why total and complete Social Media ROI may be impossible to measure but can be estimated.
If you track Social Media news, you saw the eye-catching headline: “Pepsi’s Big Gamble: Ditching Super Bowl for Social Media”. For the first time in 23 years the brand will not be purchasing a Super Bowl spot. Instead, it is sinking $20M into a Social Media program called Pepsi Refresh. The Pepsi Refresh site will allow people to vote for worthwhile community projects, and Pepsi expects to sponsor thousands of local efforts via this program. What does this mean to marketers?
Marketing’s been under attack for some time, but in 2009 we witnessed the most profound evolution the marketing world has seen in fifty years or more. The pace of change is not going to lessen in 2010. Core elements that have driven marketing practices for decades–such as messaging strategy, mass media, PR, advertising, and others–will continue to change rapidly. Let’s explore the trends and what they mean to marketers.
Interactive marketing, SEO and social media are a few of the marketing techniques Ryan Nelson has been perfecting for years. Ryan has developed marketing strategies for Clear Channel Outdoor, Sony, MLS, Usher, Macy Gray, University of Buffalo, Kooza, Prudential California and a list of many other large events and fortune 500 companies.
