On Friday i.e. 7th
August I attended one of the unique Award function which celebrates the work of
digital & marketing agencies regarding their work on campaigns in social
media.
This is something unique in
nature since social media was considered one of the part of the media mix in
total campaign strategy and now it’s the leading medium for consumer outreach
The event had session in
which people belonging to different companies & agencies deliberated on
various issues regarding social media including metrics & ROI it generates.
There were some wonderful
insights given by people who have become successful in this industry.
Starting session was
conducted by Raj Hosahalli, VP Nielsen India talked about “State of Social
Media in India” which was highly insightful regarding consume behaviour. But
one thing he emphasized on very strongly is that in order to win in this medium
one has to be always be prepared.
It’s not a traditional
medium having one way communication but a dynamic real time two way
communication and by nature the social media is about an individual as in “me”.
And it’s a win-win
situation for every stakeholder involved since everyone benefits from it.
But the real time world of
social media come with riders for the brands. He specified that the brands need
to follow these 4 rules otherwise they will perish-
Always be authentic
Always be honest
Always be prepared
Make sure your timings are
right
He shared some incredible
stories on how brands used social media by turning challenges into opportunity.
One has to be always be on the vigil because no matter what any small incident
can turn into a wild fire or what it is said #going viral which can make or break your brand image.
Now with rise of mobile
devices like smart phones & tablets the use of social media is increasing
across every step of customer journey in acquiring a brand.
The approach and strategy
matters the most and you will see that metrics will turn in your favour
gradually.
After the insightful
presentation then came the discussion among successful bloggers of blogmint
& shout me loud where they discussed how their blogs have become
influencers rather than traditional media.
They discussed how over a
period of time they have become trusted among the readers by writing from the
user’s perspective rather than opposite. Traditional media indulges in a simple
product review where they mostly appreciate the brand. This has created a trust
gap among readers as they believe that it is paid news by the corporates.
The content of the blogs is
generated by the regular writers and the discussion is among the different
users which is basically the two way communication where the people are talking
among themselves.
Also they said keeping the
content simple & straight with equal weightage on pros & cons would
keep the user engaged.
Then there was discussion
among the corporate heads of marketing & social media where they explained
how the traditional brands are gradually coming to terms with the dynamics of
social media. The trust & value that their brand has generated over the
period of time is not enough since they cannot afford to social media lightly.
Obviously apart from
regular advantages & disadvantages the ethical issues were also discussed.
Since social media is an open platform where the content producers are in
millions unlike traditional media the brands should learn the art of dealing in
this forum.
Since one cannot always fix
accountability & anything can g viral like a wild fire the brands need to
have a hold of all the perspective including legal.
In the end it was agreed by
every panellist and in every discussion that social media was all about
connecting with consumers where it allows two way communication but it is very
tricky and involves lot of issues. Even big brands are slow in getting a hang
of it.
Many companies along with
digital agencies have crafted some beautiful campaigns which have become
successful and were rewarded by these awards.
It was indeed a unique
evening where #campaigns were recognized done by digital enthusiast rather than
ad honchos who treat them as celebrities and out of reach for enthusiast
marketers.
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