Please… correct me if I’m wrong; but advertising/marketing is about finding the single most appealing cultural relevance of any given brand, and coming up with the most spontaneous way to make a connection with any given demographic, right?

In order to do so, as professionals helping brands make such connection, we still need to have the ability to observe from the outside, and be attentive to everything that is going on beyond the Social Media halls: read magazines, books, pay attention to outdoor advertising, what type of concerts are going on, what’s selling at music stores, how outdoor advertising is being displayed and -simply- just how people go about their daily lives making their way through everything mentioned above. These will give us the ability to make a better and smoother transition from one way of communication to the other, without falling into the same old same old.

Why are we so determined on the idea of handling this new way of communicating (as a business model) the same way traditional media handled theirs? As an industry, we did a great job to bring advertising to what -I’d like to think- we all wanted it to become: a true and direct connection with our consumers. I mean, that was the thinking behind the minds of our pioneers (I refused to quote them, because by now, I’m sure you all know hundreds of their quotes), and now that is here we will halt its evolution if we don’t stop for a minute and think.

Although I’m a firm believer that brands can’t just come into our lives, one day to the next, invade our personal space and expect to be received as any other human out there, the level of intimacy brands are able to reach with their consumers is that of a human - a person, even a friend. Therefore they need to be treated (from our pov, as the ones shaping the brands’ personality) as such - with common sense. I don’t think any of us go around our circle of friends stating the obvious: “hey we’re going to this meeting, you need to be polite, shake hands and be respectful…” (If you do, I’m sorry). Instead, we could, however, tell them: “as we walk into the room, Mike is the person you should shake hands first, he likes baseball and hates the Yankees…”

The reason why I draw this simple analogy is because they are just that: simple, not very difficult to come up with, to notice, to see with just a little bit of common sense; and it bothers me that companies spend so much money on “research” that tell them just that: state the obvious.

In addition to the link/example above, and with all due respect to the people at white paper source, they came up with a Social Media Marketing report that had been well received (and appreciated) within the industry, and people are going crazy over findings such as:

“Nearly all marketers who’ve been doing social media marketing for years report it generates exposure for their business and a significant 64.86% strongly agree.”

I mean, I would hope so. If I were aspiring to become a professional athlete trying to to catch the attention of scouts/professional teams, and have years trying, I hope my chances of being noticed increase over time (assuming I’m talented enough and have the right agent = for our sake, a good Social Media marketing agency).

“Improved search engine rankings were most prevalent among those who’ve been using social media for years, with nearly 80% reporting a rise (and most reporting a strong improvement).”

Again, if out of all the guys trying to get signed, I’m the one who’s been doing it the longest (and assuming we are all at the same level), I should be ahead in the ranking, don’t you think?

The idea of Social Media is to be spontaneous, genuine, personal, using common sense; and although the program has some great information, we should try to devote our resources (time, money, personnel) to figure out what are the ever-changing cultural insights that can help us make a human connection with our consumers without being intrusive, and help this new business model evolve.

Aroldo Nery

Social Media Brand Director @ The Re Agency

Once upon a time (roughly about 20 years ago) an endlessly expansive and limitless tool of communication and production was brought to our desk tops; the days of the type writer, transcontinental letter, calculator and even pen where dissipated  to an almost vague memory,  replaced by Microsoft word documents, E-mail, and Quick-Books.

Almost instantly, our lives and the way we conducted business changed completely. Those who embraced the change where on the forefront of innovation and pioneered the age of the technology, those who did not, simply failed and where probably never heard of again.

This tool was the Internet, and now again with this tool we are evolving. Our world is changing once again, and what began with a simple site to promote our business and endeavors has transformed into the epicenter of our marketing and advertising campaigns, which essentially, are the heart of our success.

The fact is our consumer has changed. No longer does he attentively watch 30 second spots blowing up his screen with what you can offer him. And honestly why would he?  He can Tivo right through it and watch what he really wants to see.

No longer does the radio listener sit in traffic absorbing the incoming radio signals promoting your products. No, they pay a small monthly fee for satellite programming and commercials are not transmitted in this medium.

No, these consumers are tired of being talked at; they’re tired of listening and have rebelled. They’ve rebelled against everyone telling them what to buy, and what to pay. They’ve rebelled against shoddy customer service and inconsistencies in brand promises.

And they’ve chosen the most readily accessible, globally intertwined systems of Social networks as their soapbox.  They stand proudly atop it yelling from their Facebooks’, Twitters’,  Diggs’ Consumer reports’ and the most personal of sites, their BLOGS. From these tools of Social networking they’ve created elaborate communities that delve deeply into the matters of brands and purchasing. If they’re upset, if they’re content, or if they love a brand, they’ll share it and they’ll share it as abrasively, crudely and honestly as possible.

But don’t be alarmed although this consumer has learned to sort through the traditional media bombardment he faces daily, he still wishes to give you the benefit of the doubt.

He’s chosen to talk to you and ultimately to be your friend.

He is waiting for your response, he craves to be spoken to, to be redeemed or be acknowledged for his years of devotion to your brand, product or service.

He wants to be engaged intelligently and indiscriminately. The communities of social networks are open and willing to hear your piece. To know who you are as a company and to let you in to a world riddled with immense possibilities of communication, information, and direct consumer opinion more efficiently and at a lower cost than traditional media ever imagined being possible.

The opportunity to talk to your consumer, relate to him, and remind him why you’re his favorite, or could be his favorite is more possible today than other time.

The choice is yours to take part in a global conversation, to join the virtual community as you’ve joined the communities of the real world.

Accept that you will be talked about, positively, negatively, or neutrally.  Only by accepting this can you then begin to formulate a plan of action and incorporation.  Only then can you shift conversations in your favor, defend and reignite the fanaticism of your brand.

The era of Social Media is now.

And The RE Agency exists to guide you through the process of integration to Social Media. With millions of active social networking sites it’s a heavy but necessary task. We’ll discover where your demographic lives online and the best means of approach to attain success. We’ll guide you through the process and provide you with feedback for the acquisition of your goals.  Social media is the future of your business and we are here to secure this future.

Now the question remains, will you innovate?

Will you accept and embrace change?

Or will you lay dormant?

Never to be heard of again.

Sheila

Social Media Communications Specialist @ The RE Agency