Nothing gives me more of a buzz than catching articles in the mainstream media about the power and importance of social media in today’s society. This evening, I caught an article in the Evening Standard by Gideon Spanier talking about the importance of sharing and the value this brings as per comments made by Tim Dyson, CEO of the Next Fifteen Group.
I couldn’t agree more in his sentiments in that “it is no longer about retaining control. Instead, agencies and their clients must encourage and participate in conversations that consumers can share. That means creating original content, building communities and improving the digital experience.”
Indeed there are a plethora of examples where sharing content has been key in a campaign’s success. The campaign mentioned Coca-Cola’s use of Maroon 5 and the live 24 gig they did via Twitter, but also John Lewis’ new Christmas advert is an example where sharing the film online led to it being shared and talked about days in advance of its TV screening.
Advertising spends are shifting, and as Spanier points out, the digital and social PR market is competing for the same budget and it’s hard not to see why. Having consumers not only talk about your brand online but also share your content voluntary is gold dust in social success.
I recently advised a client that it’s not always about print, even though historically more value has been placed on the printed word. In fact, it’s now more desirable to have your brand mentioned online. That way, you can share it, tweet it, blog it, post it and effectively extend the life and reach of what you have to say.
It was exciting to read this article today, and you can find it here if you haven’t seen it already. What do you think? Is it just a fad, or is this truly the future of branding and communications?
Asad Dhunna 