I read this today on the Marketing and Innovation Blog. ExpoTV has done some pretty compelling research about the power of engaging people in an online conversation. Here at HQvB, we think that creating online communities for people to get involved with brands is key to marketplace success.
But that's not to say there's not a role for what people call "traditional advertising". There is. We think the best use of traditional advertising is to point people to these communities. To get the ball rolling on a bigger brand idea that involves people, and then let them use their own social network to spread the word.
I had great success a coupe of years ago at my last agency when I did this for a campaign for the Canadian Tourism Commission and Toyota. We used TV to get the ball rolling, for a just a few weeks, and then let people who we got involved in the online community use their social networks to get others involved.
It was a huge success. Here's more proof that this thinking works:
Consumers Itching to Talk to Brands
by: Matt Rhodes
"A new study from ExpoTV shows that 55% of consumers want an ongoing dialogue with brands. The study investigates how brands and consumers interact, and in particular how consumers want brands to engage them. And the results are exciting. In addition to the 55% wanting an ongoing dialogue, 89% of respondents said they would feel more loyal to a brand if they were invited to take part in a feedback group.
These results mirror our own experiences, where involving people in a true feedback process has positive impacts on loyalty and advocacy. "
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