Emarketer

Check out these latest stats from eMarketer (link).  As marketers it sometimes feels like we are chasing the latest fad only to be dazzled by the latest-latest fad.  And I think for many of us “Social Networking” is just the latest shiny thing.  For those that do feel that way it’s time to wake up.  Social Networking is not a fade to gloss over.  The numbers tell the tale.  If you’re not geared up to leverage this communication channel than move aside.

Thoughts:

• Social Networking on the internet is NOT NEW!  Social Networking has always been the fuel that grew this beast.  Email, Newsgroups, Message Boards, Chat, Forums, Homepages, Web rings, File sharing, the list goes on and on were all forms of SocNet that has now become main stream.
• Now is the time to build your permission based marketing channel.  Email is dead.  You need to be channeling your consumers through a process that builds up your Facebook and Twitter lists.  It’s not “sexy” but it is a list of consumers that want to hear from you!
• How do you measure SocNet?  There is only one measurement — cash.  Your SocNet campaigns need to drive incremental sales by driving traffic to retail and earning additional merchandising space.  SocNet can do that through creative campaigns that leverage your retail partners exclusive assets.
• Access to information provided by your peers will continue to permeate  into every medium.  How will your product stand up against instant user feedback available to anyone during the purchase decision.

Where Who Is

Here’s another great data point from eMarketer (link):

Gen Z = 13 to 14

Gen Y = 15 to 29

Gen X = 30 to 44

So this is saying of the Gen Y’s that use Soc Net sites 65% of them use Facebook.

Wow!  You’ve got to check out what Graco is doing online.  Graco’s robust Social Networking presence is a great example of how businesses, especially businesses in highly regulated industries, can effectively surround their audience with a consistent online message.  What I really like is the consistency of their message.  They are amplifying their “Ready for the Road Ahead” campaign throughout.

Check out this post from Ignite Social Media (link).  And the following slide show from the Blog Council (Link).

Graco Blog:  http://blog.gracobaby.com/

Graco on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ReadyForTheRoadAhead

Graco on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracogettogethers/

Graco on Twitter: http://twitter.com/GracoBaby

It’s interesting that Graco has no Facebook presence yet.  I would have thought this was a natural for them.

There are a lot of great insights here on how major brands can embrace Social Networking in a meaningful way that engages their target consumers.  We’ll keep an eye on Graco and see how they develop these strategies moving forward.

Facebook Connect

Commenting on Red Bull Site - Facebook Connect

Facebook deployed the Connect functionality late in 2008.  This functionality allows web sites to key off of Facebook’s social network.  For example, Red Bull’s web site allows me to register with a click on a button labeled “Facebook Connect”.  Once registered all of my Facebook friends are notified that I am now connected to the Red Bull site.  Every time I comment on the Red Bull site all my Friends on Facebook are notified.  Facebook also records what sites I am registered on for their ad targeting — more Red Bull coupons for me!

Thoughts:

- This is genius.

- If you have a web site that allows users to post comments then add this functionality now.

- This reminds me of the ewallet craze of yesteryear.  The idea was an ubiquitous service that kept your credit card info safe and usable on any site.  The idea didn’t take off because sites wanted to control their own user experience.  Facebook connect may be different — opening a new age of cross site cooperation.

- The more Facebook connects to your life the more information they know about you and the more than can hyper-target advertising to you.  I see a day when I buy a beer by scanning my cell phone at the bar — which instantly posts a message on my Facebook that I’m at Baron’s Beefhouse with a Weyerbacher in front of me.  Honey, I’ll be home late tonight.

Frito-Lay Facebook Campaign

This example comes to us from ClickZ (link here).  Frito-Lay is using Facebook as the hub for a contest that supports their Fiesta Bowl.  The contest consists of two teams, one from OSU and one from UT — the teams in this years Fiesta Bowl, competing for $100,000 in scholarships for their school.

How they used Facebook

The goal appears to be to extend Frits-lays investment in the Fiesta Bowl to give fans a new way to interact with the brand.  Frito-Lay purchased ads targeted to potential schools that might be in the Blow prior to the final teams being determined.  Facebook has an extremely powerful ad targeting capability that allows for ads to only be displayed to students at schools that might be in the bowl.  Once OSU and UT where selected the ad buys focused on those schools.  The ads prompted students to become “Fans” of groups set up on Facebook.  Once a visitor was a fan they had the opportunity to enter to become members of the finalist teams.

The Results

As of today, the main Facebook fan site for “Tostitos Race to the Bowl” has 13,394 fans and 405 wall posts.  The ClickZ article says that the received over 1000 submissions into the contest.  I don’t know the amount they spent on Facebook ads to drive the traffic to the fan page.

Thoughts

• The big take away for me is the use of Facebook to connect to an existing social note.  When looking to do use Facebook or any other Social Media it is very valuable to connect to an existing meme.  In this case College Football.
• Also of note in this article is the use display ads.  As I have stated before it is not enough just to throw something up there and hope for the best.  You need to seed the program with an ad buy either directly on Facebook or through Facebook applications.