Effective Branding Is About Way More Than Clever Tweets
Have you ever followed a company on Twitter because of a funny tweet? Maybe you’re a fan of Taco Bell’s goofy e-persona or you want to be among the first to see next time Arby’s tweets at Pharrell. Even if a consumer has willingly signed up to be marketed by a company, Fortune contributor Tom Doctoroff is skeptical about just how many sold tacos or roast beef sandwiches are sold through acts of Twitter goodwill. Doctoroff writes as much in a piece currently up on that site in which is refuses to anoint social media the new monarch tool for branding.
“Yes, new technology platforms are available, but that doesn’t mean companies should abandon common sense as they build their brands. The ABCs of marketing are as true today as they were during the Mad Men era. And so-called traditional media is here to stay.
Too many businesses lunge toward the latest app or social media stunt without considering their identity as a brand, and how their media strategy works. In the process, consumers end up confused and detached.”
Doctoroff offers two points (he calls them “truths”) about how to effectively brand and market. The first is that brand preference is built through advertising on traditional media while brand engagement and loyalty are built through digital media. In today’s age, it takes a combination of the two to really take off. The second is that all communications between a customer and the brand should be consistent with a “brand idea.” Basically, you can’t ever divert from the theme of how you want your company to be perceived. Too often, branding efforts spearheaded through social media send mixed signals and interfere with how your audience views “the soul” of your product.
For more on this topic, read more at Fortune
Photo credit: Ed Samuel / Shutterstock
Big Think is proud to present a new video playlist entitled “How to Succeed in Small Business: Barbara Corcoran’s Playbook for Emerging Entrepreneurs.” The first video in this helpful mini-course places a focus on the importance of building your brand. The subsequent videos serve as a brief how-to for attracting investors, recruiting strong employees, and expanding the business. The first lesson is embedded below:
