Brands and social media, a bitter-sweet relationship

General elections around the globe to the Arab Spring — all have been harnessing the power of social media.

The last US presidential campaign, however, changed the rosy picture. The Facebook data breach and the upsurge of fake news has resulted in a more critical look at the role of social media.

Advertisers and digital analysts insist social media is irrevocably changing not just how we perceive the world around us, but also how brands are built.

Brands love social media, says advertising executives, and have been using it to distribute content, share news, for content marketing, or to provide customer service. And sometimes, brands use social media for jokes or burns.

Pooja Gururaj, Digital Strategist, VML, which is into digital intelligence, strategy and execution, says brands are making the most of social media.

A potpourri

“From a child’s favourite treat like Oreo to a federal agency like NASA, from micro-level personal marketing for brand loyalty to macro-level broadcasting for awareness — social media is being used for a variety of purposes,” she said.

Whether it is social selling or customer support, social media gives companies the opportunity to reach their target audience, she claimed.

“Brands represent significant assets for companies. The strength of brands is tied into well-known asset dimensions that drive the relationships with customers,” said Michael Rocha, Global Director, Brand Valuation, Interbrand.

Mahindra Lifespaces used the same dictum in its social media campaign #JoyfulHomecomings.

The company teamed up with digital agency Gozoop to re-engineer the landscape.

Sunil Kumar Sharma, Vice-President, Marketing and CRM, Mahindra Lifespaces, says social media forms a key part of the firm’s engagement-building effort.

“The efforts on social media have focussed on a few key tenets that lie at the heart of the brand and what it targets to deliver,” he said.

Power of conversations

Amyn Ghadiali, Group Director - Brand Communications, Gozoop, said: “In today’s age, brands need to understand the power of gestures and conversations. They can inspire and influence many, form perceptions, aid the decision-making process, and build brands with a simple tweet.”

Companies are eager to make their brands more social, in a bid to interact in new ways with customers. Social media has become a crucial part of most brands’ digital communications strategy.

“They love it, they hate it. Either way, they are all on it. Just like people, brands too are caught in a bittersweet relationship with social media,” Gururaj said.

“Service is an integral pillar of any brand’s social-media presence,” she insisted, adding: “Consumers want answers and they want them now. Unlike most ad platforms, social media is strictly not just for serious advertising. It welcomes brands to socialise with its audience.”

Be it with new products, the upcoming Marvel movie or even the Budget, brands are listening to their consumers on social media.

Micro-cultures

Gururaj said social-media channels have been “the incubator for micro-cultures: coffee lovers, bird-watchers, home schooling and even barbecue sessions.”

With all kinds of people and interests being represented on social media, “brands no longer need to carpet-bomb a vast demographic target group. The growing parameters and precision of social targeting help brands speak to the audience as individuals,” she added.

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