Comments on: Social Media is becoming core requirement for Marketing Managers

By: Adrienne Wallace - Hayward

Adrienne Wallace - Hayward — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:35:27 +0000

The Marketing, Research, and Corporate Communications groups of any big consumer brand; especially the FMCGs had better start looking at having specialist who concentrate on social media on their teams.
While Social Media is not marketing ..it provides the unsolicited focus group and often truthful personal and group impressions of a brand.
Those who love something tell maybe three people, those who hate it or have a bad experience , well they tend to tell evryone they know through these channels. Companies have to ensure that the advertising, marketing, and even product packaging and delivery resonates with their consumer and trade partners to assure that they continue to buy. Social media aids in achieving that goal.

By: Colin SHaw

Colin SHaw — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:09:06 +0000

The issue for me is that social networking is hear to stay so how do organisations deal with it? I had been recently chatting with a client about this very topioc. Their regulatory measures “customer complaints” – letters and the such like. Untill I showed them they didn’t have any idea of the “complaints” in blogs etc. Deer in headlights is right! My way of thinking is where else, other than marketing, (external comms) would you put this function. But it does need a new way of thinking.

Colin Shaw
Author & Founder Beyond Philosophy
Blog: http://www.ExperienceClinic.com

By: Amy Wood

Amy Wood — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:07:31 +0000

Charles,
I can imagine the deer in the headlights look you speak of. Social media networking is much more about building relationships than marketing product. This is all about creating connections and trust between consumers and the people behind the brand. I’m a news anchor using social media to connect with my viewers and get to know them. I also host a live chat as I solo anchor an interactive show at ten, where I almost have my own focus group gathered each night to learn about likes dislikes interests concerns etc. The key to social media marketing to me, is that you had better have a genuine interest in the relationship. If you are just using it as another way to push your product it won’t work. Enjoy it. Learn from it. This social media world is potent and powerful!

By: Charles Heflin

Charles Heflin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:40:56 +0000

The biggest problem with social media and marketing managers is teaching the marketing manager that social networking is not marketing. Deer in the headlights all over the corporate marketing world … Is the marketing manager even appropriate for an integrated social media campaign?

Things are getting very interesting in this space.

Charles Heflin
Twitter @CharlesHeflin

By: Erika

Erika — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:45:42 +0000

Fascinating. I wonder when Colleges and Universities will start to offer specialized degrees in Social Media Marketing?