Integrating Corporate Branding Strategies with Social Networking
Source: Julio Aguiar
We’ve all experienced the scenario—a friend invites you to “Like” a brand on Facebook. Do you do it? Typically I do. I figure, “what’s the harm?” I go along with Liking a brand because it’s the path of least resistance. But what does the brand get out of the deal? In most cases the benefit to the brand is an additional tick mark on their tally of “likes.” In this scenario I don’t necessarily have more loyalty to that brand nor has my purchase intent necessarily increased. While social networking may be an integral part of the company’s corporate branding strategies, the brand won’t see an appreciable impact of social marketing from the connection with me.
The scenario changes completely when I seek out a brand based upon my interests. For example, I enjoy running and decided to set up an account with Nike+ . With that account I become part of a worldwide running community where I can log my workouts, analyze performance, set goals and interact with other users. In this case, I am part of a larger community that shares one of my interests, running. I am engaged with the brand, have a strong sense of brand loyalty and am far more likely to purchase products on an ongoing basis.
Facebook likes and Twitter followers are good to have, but they don’t necessarily translate to brand engagement and purchase intent. Marketers need to remember to become a part of what their consumers do, not just what they like in order to realize the positive impact of social marketing.
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