In the soda industry the first two names that will come to people’s minds are typically Coke and Pepsi. The two companies that represent these massive brands compete fiercely with each other within multiple segments […]
Category: Chapter 11 – Manage Marketing Channels and Points of Customer Interface
Aligning Content Marketing with Brand Values in a World of Social Media: GoPro’s Approach to its Online Video Marketing Has Created a Win-Win for the Brand and its Most Avid Customers
(GoPro Website, 2014) At the end of March 2014 Google published a Brand Channel Leaderboard that listed the top brand channels on YouTube for the months of January through March. At the top of this […]
Marketing and Security
(The Tech Journal, 2012) Here we go again. Some consumers are still smarting from the exposure of their personal data as a result of security lapses at Target and Neiman Marcus. Thought unnamed, authorities specializing […]
Getting to Know Marketing Automation
(The Sales Lion, 2014) Marketing Automation. Out of context and definition, it sounds like something that could replace all of us living, breathing marketing professionals, no? In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Marketing […]
Utilizing the Second Screen
(GeekWire, 2013) There exists today no shortage of marketing initiatives crafted to exploit new technology. Where can consumers be reached and how can we deepen levels of engagement once we find them? The consensus is that rapidly […]
The “Showrooming” Effect
(Forbes, 2012) A recent article in AdAge revisits the concept of “showrooming” and its effect on brick and mortar retailers. For readers unfamiliar with this technologically-driven activity, picture the following scenario. You walk into your […]
The Marketing Value of WhatsApp for Facebook
$19 Billion. It is not a bad day to be a stakeholder in the mobile messaging company started by Jan Koum and Brian Acton in 2009. Facebook’s purchase of the CA-based start-up is a clear […]
The Maturation of Content Marketing
(source: SAP, 2013) A great article popped up in The New York Times yesterday that seemed to appropriately piggyback off the “2014 marketing trends” we posted about a couple of days ago. NewsCred, a Content […]
Believing in the “Big Box”
We know what you are thinking – what company could possibly be jumping into the big box retail market in the face of mounting evidence that consumers are doing their shopping elsewhere? Hasn’t recent history […]
Everyone is buzzing about the upcoming Twitter IPO. When the company begins trading on the public exchange later this month, what will happen? Will it stumble out of the gate, echoing the challenges other social media platforms have faced? Or will it soar? Will it fail to meet, match, or exceed investor expectations?
All of this is great chatter for the talking heads on cable news. Even the casual consumer will be drawn in by the rapturous tale these pundits will weave, regardless of the outcome.
But beyond the headlines, beyond the “big numbers,” there is a real debate going on – one that has serious consequences for marketing managers at every major company. Does real, sustainable potential in this new wave of social media marketing exist?
More specifically – what does real-time marketing do for a company’s bottom line?
Noted author and marketing strategist David Meerman Scott, in his book, “Real-Time Marketing and PR” defines this concept in this way:
“… products or services instantly, based on feedback from customers or events in the marketplace. And it’s when businesses see an opportunity and are the first to act on it.”
Many of us remember the now infamous and timely Twitter post from Oreo that capitalized on this past February’s Super Bowl during the unexpected blackout.
It was a watershed moment for the company and for proponents of real-time marketing – the sheer interactions and touch points generated brought Oreo unparalleled exposure and viral connectivity.
And let’s face it – it was cool.
During the Emmys this year, AARP of all companies capitalized on a mention by winner Jeff Daniels during his acceptance speech:
Daniels: “”The last thing I won was a few years ago for ‘The Squid and the Whale.’ I won best actor over 50 from the AARP. With all due respect to the AARP, this is better.”
AARP’s response?
But again – does this exposure translate to the bottom line? Does this type of social marketing reach new customers or simply get batted around by current ones?
While marketing managers may be able to save money by capitalizing on these viral memes and hot buttons, the investment of time and energy to consistently stay abreast of the ever-changing social media landscape presents a whole bevy of new challenges.
This article from “AdWeek” crunches some more real-time marketing numbers. What do you think? Is the investment paying off? What would you do as the CMO of your company?
