Why Social Media Matters to Your Company by Libby Whittaker

There’s a lot of talk about social media today. It’s quickly becoming obvious that it’s not going away. Social media isn’t a fad––but rather a way we communicate. In 2010, an estimated 96% of Generation Y uses social media. Facebook and Twitter have given marketers a powerful tool to target people in a way that was unimaginable even ten years ago. Companies today are trying to figure out the best way to get involved in the conversation, but often shy away.

If your company targets an influential community that’s involved in social networks, like teens or young adults, the worst thing you can say is nothing. According to the Socialnomics blog, 78% of consumers on social media networks trust peer recommendations, but only 14% trust advertisements. What are they saying about you? What do you want them to say about you?

Case in Point: Old Spice’s Real-Time Web

Old Spice was, well, old. I would buy it for my grandpa. Their recent brand refresh was a huge overhaul, bringing a fresh look to the brand that was well overdue. Their latest ad campaign from Wieden+Kennedy with Isaiah Mustafa, also known as “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” has become a hilarious hit with marketers and consumers alike.

Recently, Old Spice joined the social media train, and created such a ground-breaking campaign that even advertisers took note, including influential sites like AdWeek and Mashable. Old Spice showed up on Twitter with one simple phrase: “Today could be just like the other 364 days you log into Twitter. Or maybe the Old Spice man shows up.” The result was astounding.

In 48 hours, Mustafa and his crew produced more than 180 YouTube videos in response to comments and questions posted to Twitter and Facebook. (He even made a marriage proposal for someone.) According to Mashable, these videos were viewed 5.9 million times just in those 48 hours.

Social media experts on the Wieden+Kennedy team chose questions to respond to based on two variables: they must 1. have opportunity to produce amazing, hilarious content and 2. have the ability to then embed themselves in an interesting or virally- relevant community (read: influential). The campaign showed their ability to keep up with the high metabolism of the Web, with several videos released per hour. The campaign marked the beginning of the transition from brand-time to real-time in the lives of consumers.

And now, I would buy Old Spice for my husband. Wieden+Kennedy found a way to become a part of the conversation without being overbearing or too “advertise-y.” They didn’t shove the product in your face. In fact, the products were only shown in a handful of the videos. Instead, they utilized a great spokesperson that is liked by men as well as women to influence people’s perceptions about the brand, which is proving to influence their purchasing habits as well.

Social Media is Only a Piece of the Puzzle

While their campaign was inspiring for anyone working in social media, what’s important to realize is that social media isn’t everything. As groundbreaking as it was, and for how many people are blogging about it right now, this campaign was just a piece of the puzzle. It didn’t receive nearly as many views as their TV commercials.

Just as you wouldn’t tune only one string on a guitar, there’s no sense in fixing one part of the problem when the entire marketing scheme needs to work seamlessly together. Social media, for all the things it’s done for marketing, doesn’t fit the bill for every marketing strategy.

If your target market isn’t highly involved in social media, it might not be worth your time. The key is to integrate all aspects of the marketing mix into a well-rounded campaign–– including print, TV, and digital tactics––that hit the mark from all sides.