Social Media Integration: Baby Steps to Updating Traditional Advertising
I often encounter this issue: Brands have a multi-million dollar campaign running across multiple platforms (print, T.V., web) and a Facebook page that was started then abandoned months ago. Just today I stumbled across some numbers from Emarketer on social media integration in ad campaigns, and it got me thinking about this issue. As you can see, the numbers are so-so, with just 41% of campaigns integrating third party social networking sites. Compare that with the fact that 55.6 million adults in the U.S. visit social networking sites monthly, and you realize there is a serious disconnect going on here.
Fear of the Social
We constantly hear from people who think that getting into the world of social media is a terrifying leap from the traditional media they are used to. It doesn’t have to be scary when you slowly integrate what you are currently doing with a bit of the online world. And remember, trying this doesn’t mean the commitment to a million-dollar media buy.
I’d like to highlight some campaigns that have caught my attention by doing a great job of integrating social media with print, radio, TV, or websites.
Beginner
I noticed a Toyota Sienna commercial last week that finished not with their website, but with their youtube site. What’s great about this is it drives consumers to a site that is the consumer’s, not Toyota’s, “safe zone”, making it feel much more comfortable.
Intermediate
Using navy.mil as the jumping off point, the Navy utilizes various social media resources, including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, RSS feeds, podcasts and Flickr. These resources allow them to effectively manage and communicate with multiple constituent groups, a process that could be confusing and nightmarish to manage given that their constituents range from enlisted men to the media to worried mothers. Specific organizations have specific social media accounts, so if you need to find information about your friend in Amphibious Force Seventh Fleet, you can easily find the fleet’s feeds here.
Expert
Old Navy, who has been using mannequins as a central focus of their traditional media campaigns, started the Supermodelquin Search, which solicits a significant amount of interaction from users, both offline and online:
- Users take photos of themselves and upload them to a website
- The best pictures bubble to the top through user voting
- Users can share what they like through easy share buttons on each page
- The campaign has been neatly integrated with the existing Old Navy Facebook page
- 7 of their modelquins have Twitter accounts, where they share amusing information, push the contest, and promote the brand
So. Any good (or bad) examples that you can think of?
Hello_BenHere:
BrandonSings:
Room_214:
MattAt214:
jo_rogel:
runquatro:
ElyseHeslin:
JamesOClark:
JasonCormier:
peterahall: