This isn’t your Mother’s Social Network

 Unlike a lot of Mom’s, mine is not on FaceBook. In fact, my mother’s FaceBook consists of cutting out newspaper announcements and either mailing them to me or leaving them on my dresser from when I’m home to visit. Little does she know that I am already aware that so-in-so is having a baby, or that what’s-her-face already got married.  When she exclaims, “how do you know that already?!” I simply say: “FaceBook.” Yet, it isn’t just FaceBook that feeds the need for instant communication.

The internet has provided a whole new set of media rules. It is not just print, radio, TV and billboard anymore. Now it is networking sites such as Twitter, Skype, Friendster and Youtube. Ten years ago it wasn’t “do you have a business card?”  It was “do you have a website?” Viral and social media have taken over traditional forms of media quicker than anyone would have predicted. Recently, newspaper websites such as USA Today’ s top picks, have been using video plug-ins to broadcast various stories; not only does it save on space but takes less time to listen to a story than to read it.  Major corporations are using social media to expand their brand identity and awareness. Big Y (a northeast coast grocery chain) is on Twitter and has 277 followers, Dunkin Donuts is on FaceBook and has more than 1 million followers, and P&G has a section where you can watch video about their various products. Social media makes it possible for push/pull advertising that occurs within seconds and it is all in the capacity of the click. 

Some may say social media is solely a form direct response and has nothing to do with branding. However, because interactive media has blown the lid off of the very idea of what branding is they are not that far apart. Thanks to Interactive media and social media, brands can be direct sellers and have immediate, instantaneous contact with their consumers and thus resulting in extensive impulse buying and more revenue. For example the musician and rapper Eminem had a video on thisis50.com where he was wearing a white, G-shock watch. That is free advertising for G-shock, and the video pulled in over five thousand plus viewers. Seeing the watch on Eminem then drives viewers to the G-Shock website. Then when one person buys the watch, he or she might go on Twitter, FaceBook etc to share their costumer experience and BAM! 1000 more watches sold. Because consumers actively seek out what others think about various products Social and Interactive Media are crucial to a company and its brand if it wants to continue growing and expanding within the market.