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Before engaging, however, it’s important to understand
and respect the unwritten rules of each social media avenue.
Consider two real world examples from two well-known
brands – one great, the other a great example of what not to do.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS
Doritos created its “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign in 2007.
This consumer-generated contest gave average people a chance to
produce their very own Doritos commercial, upload it to the Web
and have a shot at the grand prize: having their video aired live
during the Super Bowl.
But the winning video wasn’t decided by Doritos. Instead, the
general public voted via a customized Web site created specifically
for the contest, which also allowed users to comment and share
their opinions on the contestants. This contest contained all the
ingredients for a successful social media campaign – it engaged
consumers by giving them an interesting subject for discussion,
it provided a convenient platform for the conversation and it
generated a lot of buzz for the Doritos brand in the process.
SOCIAL MEDIA BLUNDER
On the flip side, Wal-Mart found a way to display the
deceiving and downright ugly side of social media. In September
2006, a blog entitled, “Walmarting Across America,” was born.
The premise was based on an everyday American couple, Jim and
Laura, documenting their RV journey from Las Vegas to Georgia
via a blog – camping out in Wal-Mart parking lots along the way.
During their travels, the couple interviewed Wal-Mart
employees, all of whom expressed extreme enthusiasm about
working for the mega-retailer. Such widespread sentiment
raised a small but very red flag in the minds of media watchers.
Shortly after Jim and Laura’s journey began, they were
uncovered as fakes.
Jim and Laura’s blog was actually a “flog” (fake blog).
It turned out that Wal-Mart’s PR firm not only created the flog,
but also developed the content published by “Jim,” (actually a
staff photographer for The Washington Post) and “Laura,”
(a real-life freelance writer), both of whom had been hired
for the campaign.
The differences between these two examples are many, but
transparency is probably the most outstanding. Doritos created
a campaign that was open and straightforward.
Wal-Mart did not. Consumers are smart, certainly a lot
smarter than most executives assume. As legendary advertising
man David Ogilvy once said, “The consumer isn’t a moron;
she is your wife.”
Besides respecting the rules of engagement for social media,
it’s also important to ask yourself what you expect to gain and
what avenue best fits your goal. Not all social media channels
make sense for all brands.
For example, a company selling life insurance and retirement
plans may not be the best candidate for a viral video, mainly
because the content isn’t all that entertaining (a requisite for most
successful viral videos). However, that same company might
consider, for example, a branded Web site that provides a forum
where future retirees can interact and share stories about their
retirement plans, possibly with a promotional or contest element.
As technology and the speed of Internet information continue
to advance, social media will play an increasingly important
role in the way companies communicate with customers.
Online is going mainstream, so now is the time to get in on the
conversation. Assess your goals, find ways to leverage social
media opportunities and take an open, honest approach to gain
a competitive advantage. PM
Jason Swartz is a web marketer and copywriter for Padilla Speer
Beardsley, a multi-specialty communications consulting firm with
headquarters in Minneapolis and an office in New York.
Jason majored in creative advertising at Drake University in
Des Moines, Iowa and earned a bachelor’s degree from the school of
Journalism and Mass Communication.