Social Media and Branding
The more things change the more they remain the same, why would advertising and marketing be any different? Answer - they are not...the Fundamentals are fundamental for a reason!

Technology in and of itself is a poor player on the advertising and marketing stage...full of sound and fury and usually signifying nothing, or at least selling precious little for anyone other than the largest players. Because of the ubiquitous nature of the internet, some have already declared Branding dead. Wishful thinking for those that do not understand human passions, motivations and how advertising and marketing serve those needs. Serving human needs is an issue that will be addressed in the coming months.

In this segment, we address Social Media and Branding. Branding is fundamental to your marketing strategy now, tomorrow and maybe forever...regardless of how the message is delivered and received.

More is not only More...Sometimes It is Vital
In the last 15 years the media options available for delivering information has more than doubled. Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati, recently wrote the book “Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business.”

In his book, Gulati states: “In a marketplace like today, customers have more choices and more information, and services start to look like each other, in what we call a sea of sameness. If you don’t have an ability to transcend beyond the features and functionality of my product versus yours, then you have a problem.”

In other words, in an increasingly undefinable environment, your Brand is probably your only means to stand out and distinguish yourself as an authority. Fundamentals..Branding is supposed to establish you as an authority which by definition sets you apart from most competition. The internet requires more Brand awareness, not less!

So what is the pitfall when using Social Media to raise your Brand? The answer begins with understanding why the unintegrated use of Social Media is not Branding.

Social Media: Are you really reinforcing the Brand
These days one cannot get through a business mixer without a marketing professional mentioning social marketing, unbelievable profits and little or no cost in the same breath. Names like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Digg and Stumbleupon drop with great flourish. The problem is that marketers fail to understand how to integrate Social Media into their marketing strategy and ELEVATE THE BRAND. They set up a Facebook page and believe this is Branding. Well sports fans...it ain't and here's why!

You cannot create a Brand using resources you do not control. If your strategy is to build your Brand using only Facebook then your bare bottom may be hanging out the bus window when Facebook deletes your page (accidently or on purpose) or changes the rules regarding how you can use Facebook. Furthermore you cannot control the subscription process or list. Your list is limited to the " friends" in your Facebook profile. If this is your Branding strategy...you are in deep kimshee.

So now might you ask, "How do I integrate Social Media and elevate my Brand?"