Brands: Please Bring a Plate
Online Social media has, and continues to, create the world’s biggest buffet. It’s a feast of content and functionality to suit every taste – even the most picky or allergic of people .
And lordy is the online world gorging on this buffet.
Universal McCann’s third wave of a global Social Media tracking study has just been released. It involved 17,000 interviewees in 29 countries, and it really hit home just how little control brands have as to whether they are part of the banquet.
This is power to the people, people. Brands that want a seat at the table or an invite to the barbie have to contribute. Merely being there is not enough to ingratiate yourself with the digitally connected crowd.
WOM has always been the most powerful thing in marketing. But now it’s out of control, ‘cos anyone can share anywhere, anytime. And share they do. 29% of the online populace are writing blogs – an increase of 11% in just 6 months. 47% of people upload photos. Half belong to a social network. Over a quarter share videos. What these people put out into the digital world is being devoured by the broader online community: nearly two thirds are reading blogs, and 77% are watching online video.
The loads of stats Universal McCann collected from their study revealed one big thing: “new media” isn’t “new” anymore. With this many people getting stuck in to online social media, it’s no longer a small thing for the early-adopting-few. But the question that still remains is what the hell can and should brands do in this environment, to be part of the conversations?
For starters, people are interested in reading about people. Whether they are checking out blogs or catching up with Sally Jenkins from their under 12s netball team, the main point is that social media is all about connecting with people or with passions. They don’t particularly wanna read about the change in formulation that makes your product faster/cleaner/brighter than the next one. After all, they’re too busy throwing pies at each other on Facebook or answering a quiz about Which New-Romantics-80’-pop-icon-do-you-look-like?
They WILL read funny stuff. Absolute crap is grabbing the attention and imagination of the masses. How does a brand compete with Defamer’s blow-by-blow account of the first night of Big Brother? Or with Perez scribbling his inane but fairly humorous comments on the latest celebrity pap snaps? People know it’s bad for our health, but just can’t stop indulging.
People are forming communities of both friends and strangers, connected by common interests or friends-of-friends. These communities will shortly become the one stop shop for all info, entertainment and pursuits. Throw a question about how to make the best spag bol, and a heap of people from the network will happily share their mum’s secret recipe. Ask how to help lower cholesterol, and they will happily adhere to the advice of twinkletoes or ponyboy105. Back to that WOM thing: the opinion of a nameless, faceless stranger on the internet is often more powerful than a brand message, and these days, even editorial.
It’s hard for a brand to find a role in all this, but if the advertiser is bringing info, entertainment or interest to the market, then maybe it has a shot? Easier if you’re Nike than life insurance, let’s face it. Your product message is usually not that interesting, especially when people can choose exactly what they want to graze on. RSS feeds give people portion-controlled pieces of their favourite snacks, without a click of a mouse.
What can your brand permissibly bring to a Facebook application? What’s the next gift or zombie application that you might bring to the connected party?
People are into sharing. It’s all about co-creation, man. So what will they share about your brand? Why would they share anything at all unless it’s informative, entertaining or interesting?
At the end of the digital day, don’t show up to the online social gathering empty handed. If you wanna have a seat at the table, if you wanna get your hands on the tongs, if you want people to have a chinwag, and importantly, if you want people to talk about you (nicely) when you’ve gone – then brands, please bring a plate.
