Back in the good ol’ days, self-respecting business people would wake up and scan over the newspaper in the mornings to read the latest “status updates” and the opinions of influential leaders. In the time so wonderfully glorified in the popular show Mad Men, print and television advertisements were the path to success. A jingle and a billboard were the currency of capitalism.
Times have changed.
Media has changed.
But old-school ways are yet to be found in the modern business world.
Lurking behind a veil of new-fangled technology called “social media,” there lie the same old, tried-and-true tenets of marketing. And the big-time, long-standing, Fortune 500 companies that have been around since long before television—let alone internet—have recognized that common thread.
Case in point: Procter & Gamble recently announced a switch from 77 years of doing TV ads and soap operas to going full-steam ahead with Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
For those businesses holding out to watch the online social media “fads” fade, this is one hefty piece of evidence that social media marketing is here to stay. Like an older sibling wisely lets the little one test the waters before plunging in, P&G and other movers and shakers have bided their time, collected the evidence, and will now likely dominate the social sphere just as they have in other forms of media. The classic company may seem laudable for their liberal-minded, forward thinking and adaptability. But, in fact, the opposite is true: they are sticking to what they know, and what they know works.
The P&G marketing chief Marc Pritchard said it best in a recent AP News article, “It’s kind of the oldest form of marketing — word of mouth — with the newest form of technology.”
You see, people don’t actually use their mouths anymore—that would be so primitive. We have invented cool new ways of sharing what we like, and the results are trackable.
P&G’s Old Spice YouTube commercials resulted in 140 million viewings and a 2,700 percent increase in Twitter followers for the brand. Which answers the question, “How do you make a product called ‘Old Spice’ new?”
Social media solutions to marketing are dynamic and undeniably changing the way people shop, and the wisest brands are taking advantage of the versatile new media possibilities. Where does your business stand? If it’s time to join the old-school of thought on new media, you can find out more about how to turn 140 characters or a 30-second video into free, effective advertising here. Or, you could wait for the next commercial break…Permission to Reprint: You may reprint any items from “Social Media: Old-School Business in Shiny New Packaging” in your print or electronic newsletter. But please include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from “Paso Robles Marketing,” a blog featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity written by AR & Co PR & Marketing. Subscribe at http://www.pasoroblesmarketing.com/ and receive Blog updates by email.If you like these tips, please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.Follow us on Facebook!
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