Social Media

Twitter and advertising

Brand Republic — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:44:12 GMT

Twitter keeps talking about advertising, but so far little sign of it being introduced. Some argue that Twitter isn't the right platform to generate significant amounts of advertising are they right?

Can social media support organic search results?

joel davis — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:36:40 GMT

I believe it can.

There are quite a few factors to take into consideration including keywords used, frequency of activity, content on the destination page as well as the social media site selection.

Are you finding similar benefits from your social media marketing activity?

Joel

agency:2 The social media agency

Brand Republic Blogs -how do I get one?

Adam Smith — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:39:54 GMT

I'm interested in start a blog here at brand republic to chronical the development of my company brand, but I can't seem to find a way of setting one up...and the FAQ loads an error page.

Can anyone help?

Many thanks
Adam

Does Facebook have a right to monetise its users conversations?

Forum Admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:28:44 GMT

The value of Facebook and other social media networks as advertising platforms has been called into question after P&G marketing chief, Ted McDonnell, said it was "arrogant" to monetise the popularity of these websites.

Is McDonnell right? Or is he is out of step with the media habits of consumers today? Are his views shared by other large advertisers? Is McDonnell right to question the ethics behind advertisers who seek to engage with consumers on social media networks?

[Poll]

Is Facebook right to walk away from takeover talks with Twitter?

Forum Admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:41:37 GMT

Facebook has walked away from talks to buy Twitter, the micro-blogging site and latest new media sensation, because it felt the $500m price tag was too high.

Is Facebook passing up the chance to buy the next big thing - something that could eclipse its own offering? Will the social networking website fail to continue to grow at its current rate without canny acquisitions? Is there a danger Facebook is opening up an opportunity for a rival to steal its thunder by buying Twitter? Or is Twitter just the latest overnight sensation that could disappear tomorrow?

[Poll]

Twitter users face being sued over Jordan rape claims

Brand Republic — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:58:44 GMT

Sky News is reporting that hundreds of Twitter users risk being sued for libel after speculating about the name of Katie Price's alleged rapist. There has been an explosion of Twitter of claims about the identity of the alleged culprit.

Twitter could find itself liable for such comments - should Twitter be more closely policing what people are posting?

Twitter what should brands be doing on it?

Brand Republic — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:46:52 GMT

Habitat made its return to the world of Twitter last week and asked the Twitter community for ideas on what it should be doing? What are good examples of brands using Twitter and what should they be doing?

Is it worth using LinkedIn or Xing?

Roger OThornhill — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:05:05 GMT

LinkedIn and Xing never mention the return business they deliver to members. Instead, they compete on how many members they have signed up. Interested to hear what people think ... Are they worth using? Are there any other online business networks people rate?

Tracking Social Media Marketing Campaign

marketingimpactzone zone — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:36:16 GMT

Social Marketing has proved to be a very useful medium of information dissemination in the recent years. Combination of the reach and popularity of social networking sites, forums etc, and ingenious techniques of marketing to ensure right delivery of a message has ensured success for businesses in delivering right message in the right way.

But, the need of the hour is creation of measurable social marketing campaign that can be tracked, tallied and customized as per the need. The same would also help in removing ambiguity over the effectiveness of a campaign and measure the worth of time and effort invested in it.

A very important step in this direction is defining measurable objectives for the campaign. They help in maintaining the focus. Periodical study of the reviews, visitor footprints and reversal matrix would let you know whether you are on the right track to your goal.

For more information on social media marketing please visit marketingimpactzone.com

Social Networking as a Recruitment Tool

Paul Wood — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:03:01 GMT

Arguably recruitment has always relied on, among other things, being both 'social' and having the ability to network to find the best talent. So it's hardly a surprise that recruiters have embraced social networking sites and added them to their armory of ways to reach out to potential candidates and employers. If you register on one of the better known of the social networking sites, you automatically post a profile of yourself online and visitors, or people who 'connect' with you, can get a general picture of the kind of person you are from that information. In fact it's come to light recently that recruitment professionals may even research online profiles within these social networks to further vet their preferred candidates' suitability for a role. I, personally, believe that you can tell more about a candidate's suitability from their demeanour and experience offline anyway, but having said that, social networks do provide a clear route to a vast pool of talent.

More than that, because the internet is a truly global medium it is now easier than ever to see the world as a global work force and we have had applicants responding to our Twitter posts from the US and other international markets. It's a sign of the times that people are willing to apply for jobs in the UK and to move away from their own countries for the right package - relocating for the right job is just not the daunting prospect it once was and there's definitely an understanding out there that you have to move to where the work is. So while we as recruiters need to respect the privacy of these social network profiles, we would also be doing our profession an injustice if we didn't tap into the potential benefits they can offer.

Are Retailers being forced to revise their business models due to a never seen before "double dynamic"?

Karl Havard — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:41:18 GMT

The UK Retail industry is in the middle of a situation never experienced before. Firstly, we are in the midst of the worst economic crisis or over seventy years. This is bad (Although I did overhear someone in a chip shop saying the "green shoots" are here!), but recessions have happened before and managing costs; sticking to the knitting has seen most retail businesses ride the previous recessions ok. However, when mixed up with the second factor, this tried and tested approach will no longer work. The second major dynamic is how the Internet has evolved (specifically the social web, social media and online conversation) allowing consumers to hold a much higher level of influence and power than ever before. Consumers online, especially in groups are beginning to call the shots and are no longer receptive to "push" marketing approaches, such as advertising.

So retailers, from the very largest to the smallest, need to reconsider their business models in order to sustain and accelerate growth for when the recession starts to ease. Should they automatically re-open another store? Should they continue with the same distribution channels? or should they look at more innovative and forward thinking measures online? I'd promote exploring the latter.

Formulating and implementing a brand engagement strategy online, targeted at helping your specific group of consumers needs to be considered. Rather than just focussing on the sale; place a much higher emphasis on providing good and helpful information and truly reflecting your own and employee's personalities, as well as that of your brand. This will become viral, much more personable and you will be in a much better position to create advocates...even if they have never purchased from you.

This combined dynamic of economic downturn and Internet evolution also means the smaller and medium sized retailers can challenge the bigger players for market share. Smaller retailers can be more agile; reflect their personality easily; and achieve the same level of visibility online as held by the major retailers, or an even higher profile if done well. Change can be executed at a much faster pace as long as the desire is there to do so. This has to come from the very top of the business accompanied by the willingness to take a few calculated risks and "get involved."

An example of such an organisation is Wallace Sacks and their CEO Stephen Sacks. Stephen presented and took part in the Institute of Leadership & Management's "Delivering in the Downturn" event on 21st April 2009, exclusively for ILM members. Stephen outlined the "nagging feeling" he had had for sometime and came to the realisation that he needed to change the engagement and business model for the benefit of his customers, and for his business. In fact, to put in place a strategy that would allow Wallace Sacks to deal direct and extend their consumer reach. The social web plays a major role in this approach.

To draw an analogy, the UK retail sector could be seen as a massive, never ending, boat race where everything from cruise ships to inflatable dinghies are taking part. All having the aim of not only staying afloat, but to stay ahead of the competition and take on board more paying passengers as they progress. The combination of the afore mentioned dynamics means the race has reached a tricky part of the course where there are a number of sharp turns to navigate through; in stormy seas, all with ports where paying passengers need to be picked up. The smaller boats, captained well, will find these passengers faster and learn to cater for their needs; the larger ships will find it challenging as it will take longer to "turn" the ship. The vast majority will take it very slowly coming out of it ok, but losing out on the extra passengers. Some will sink.

Which ship/boat are you on?

The suits come to Social Media. Now that’s the kiss of death!

Paul Ashby — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:36:55 GMT

Advertising Agencies, having all but destroyed a perfectly good Old Media are set to do the same with Social Media!
In the fickle world of online chatter, yesterday’s achingly fashionable meeting points are rapidly acquiring the appearance of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s’ headquarters.
Already Twitter, becoming bogged down with fake PR tweets as well as fake advertising tweets, so much so that already the kids dismiss it as tired! And are moving on.
As soon as the buzz of innovation starts to fade the “cool” but influential people move on quicker than you can send a tweet.
As witness by, essentially Commercial Television, Advertising Agencies are loath to change a medium that is to them, a money-spinner. Despite the fact that it was non-accountable.
And now Agencies are rushing onto Social Media ignoring the fact that, as in the past, people don’t want their advertising in whatever form. The difference here is that they can easily move away from advertising, you have only to look at the experience of Second Life, that was to be advertising’s salvation. That’s why the early adopters have moved on!

My book "Television Killed Advertising" is now available and details where advertising has gone wrong in the past and where they will go wrong again, in the future. I suggest you read it you will learn something beneficial!

CHECK OUT THE AGENCY CREDENTIALS & MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND THE WORD “COMMUNICATION”

What’s in a name? A rose smells just as sweet under another name!

Paul Ashby — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:44:29 GMT

What is the perverse attraction of the Internet? Why do advertising and marketing people insist in discussing aspects of the Internet endlessly?
Because it is all totally meaningless!
Not only are we trapped in the worst recession in living memory. But behind all this lurks a horror even more shocking; the entire marketing/advertising-economic model of free enterprise, rugged individualism, creative advertising and marketing is broken beyond all hope of repair.
In 1989 the world, from China and Russia to South Africa, India and Brazil, concluded that there was no serious alternative to market forces as a means of organizing productive activity. In 2009 the whole world seems to have reached the opposite conclusion — that free markets and financial incentives together with marketing & advertising, lead even the richest and most sophisticated societies to disaster.
The question we must ask today is not whether Marketing & Advertising is too big or too small, but whether it works at all.
And that most certainly includes the Internet, which is most definitely NOT an advertising medium.
To reinvent advertising and marketing the first thing we have to do is to fully understand the word "communication". From there comes all else.
Read my book "Television Killed Advertising" and you will discover where we went wrong in the past and we are going wrong now. Already I am drafting my next book titled "Advertising Killed Advertising"!
Certainly the next possible title is “The Internet finally put Advertising to Death”!
Want to discuss this further? paul.ashby@yahoo.com

Is Oli Beale's six-page letter of complaint giving Virgin Atlantic good PR?

Forum Admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:35:09 GMT

Some have suggested WCRS creative Oli Beale's six-page rant about the quality of food he experienced on a Virgin Atlantic flight is a clever stunt.

The letter prompted Richard Branson to call Beale personally, leading to acres of press coverage. Brand Republic has heard that the letter is in fact real, but is it generating positive PR for the Virgin brand, as some have argued?

[Poll]

What are the key ingredients of a successful social network community?

Forum Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:34:05 GMT

Karmarama has teamed with up the digital developer FreshNetworks to launch an agency called K Networks dedicated to building social networks for clients.

But what are the key ingredients of a successful social network community and how can brands engage with consumers through them without being over-bearing or contrived?