The Hashtag Will Dominate Social Connections

The 2013 Superbowl on Sunday February 3rd was the olympics of advertising. And as an American-marketing lover, I tuned it to watch and observe all the big-brand players. My personal favorite on-screen brand connection was “The Chase” by Coca-Cola. Coke was able to create and execute an interactive experience for audiences by producing a commercial with a winner voted on by viewers during the game. This not only was a fun commercial for everyone sitting at Superbowl parties to enjoy, but the creative execution left the viewer engaged and curious. Another connection I found to be noteworthy during the big game was the Budweiser commercial “Brotherhood.” Budweiser encouraged viewers to help name the baby clydesdale used in the ad, via twitter. Other Superbowl ads included heavy use of hashtags, Facebook icons, and corporate website references.

The idea that viewers will take the time to engage during a Superbowl is risky, with all the partying. Brands are taking the risks and learning that there is a large audience who wants to interact. I am an avid believe that the consumer wants to be heard, and any voice is okay. The fact that these brands used simple ideas to facilitate connections that did not require too much energy from the audience is totally necessary during a game. Critics may have thought the idea of ‘the great chase” to be vanilla but it was completely necessary for the event (Superbowl) taking place.

According to an Altimeter report 2013 Superbowl Ads Favor URLs, Hashtags- Not Facebook by Jeremiah Owyang, 75% of brands integrated second screen experiences to their commercials. Owyang describes the second screen experience as a promotion to extend engagement to brand websites and social sites. The report also highlights that Twitter and URLs prove most successful in this second screen experience.

Twitter is a universe that allows audiences to engage most during events, like the Superbowl, and that is why it is crucial for brands to use hashtags during commercial airtime. Like i said the Superbowl is the olympics of advertising with the best of the best  in brand names coming to play. Brands must promote second screen experiences, like Coke and Budweiser, to further engage audiences and continue to make meaningful connections. According to Owyang’s report, hashtags will overtake corporate websites in 2014 and prove to be the most successful means of making second screen connections.

I have to agree with Owyang because I see the potential for hashtag use growing throughout next year. The hashtag allows Twitter users to tweet relevant ideas and thoughts. It allows brands to track these messages and further engage with the audience. It is true that the hashtag will continue to make connection-magic as the years progress. As a hashtag lover I am excited to see the hashtag progress and curious to see what will be the next big connector to social audiences.

Until next time…

 

The beginning of analyzing brand connections in the world of social

Hello all, today I embark upon the journey of blogging specifically for PR and Social Media purposes. Currently, I am an undergraduate student studying about the world of Communications with a specialization of PR. The other aspect of my life that is valuable to this blog is that I am a traditional millennial, which requires me to stay afloat with all things social media. I proactively utilize accounts I have on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Foursquare.

The vision I have for this blog is to analyze the way different companies are using social media to connect with consumers. My future blogs will be similar to case-studies, analyzing the information found. This topic will involve researching other blog posts, articles, and any relevant brand activity via social media. Bare with me through the beginning phases of posting, because I am far from being a seasoned blogger at the moment.

However, I am optimistic about brand efforts towards social media and highly skeptical of any brand who hasn’t taken advantage of the social media audience. Social media sites have created a world of listeners and speakers that are willing to document their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Accurate insight into the consumer’s mind translates into every  aspect of a company. And what is said, and done online, to facilitate connections is crucial to further success.

According to Tom Foremski, in his post titled “Advice To Marketeers And Others Not On Facebook And/Or Twitter” social media websites are a world we must use to learn from. While we may not like to emotionally tweet, or post Facebook rants, we must learn how others are and why? As the internet continues to change so quickly, marketers and PR experts must stay abreast with the changes in the marketplace. His advice to brands is to understand these conversations and outlets for communicating.

My futures reflections will address Tom Foremski’s central idea of his blog post and that is the understanding of communication in the social media world. How well do brands  understand social media? How are consumer messages online being interpreted? What are brands doing to engage us online? All of these ideas and questions will be answered throughout this process. I am open to suggestions about what brands seem interesting and anything relevant to the analyzing process. Feel free to nudge me in any certain direction on this topic.

Well I know I am intrigued for this process to begin.

Until next time…

 

 

 

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