Social Networking

Let’s face it, the world has changed. We are now living in the age of technology and it is an age characterised by one thing – convergence.

Now I know that’s a very big word for some of the less informed amongst us, but it’s actually quite simple. All it means is that now one device is capable of performing a multitude of tasks, which has opened up a world of new experiences and possibilities to even the most phobic of technophobes!

Take the humble cell phone for example; not only does it allow you to make calls, but you can also take pictures and videos and share them on the web with your friends, download music and books, update your calendar, find your way to your next meeting and even do your banking. And it’s not just cell phones. iPods, PSPs, Zunes, Garmins – all of these are ultra portable, multi-media devices, capable of pretty much everything, including redirecting spy satellites. OK not quite, but almost!

And at the heart of this convergence lies technology. Technology has become an intrinsic part of popular culture…it has gone from geek to street. It is pervasive, portable and extremely personal. It is the new social currency. In fact, the brand of cell phone that you carry says as much about you as the clothes that you wear, the car you drive and even the places you go to. Cellphones are as much a fashion accessory these days as they are a means of staying touch, available in a colour to suit any mood – I even found a gold Dolce & Gabana handset on the web for sale at only $265 should the mood take your fancy!

 The latest technologies all have one thing in common. They give consumers the ability to share views, opinions and experiences. They can exchange information and content and technology allows people to kill time and keep in touch.

Convergence has led to connectivity. Everyone from telecommunications companies and banks to internet service providers and even the government are talking a whole new language, a language that has more acronyms that the US military. They are all talking about WIFI, ADSL, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA and VOIP to name but a few. Now while all this might sound mightily impressive, it all boils down to one thing. Like or hate it, society is switched on, tuned in and connected – connected to the bank, connected to the grocery store, connected to the media and perhaps most importantly, connected to each other.

Social networking or web 2.0 is the new buzzword and is all the rage the world over. Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Mxit, Skype, Windows Messenger, to name but a few (there are hundreds of others) and each of them are multi-million dollar businesses existing with the sole purpose of connecting people, and there are literally millions. In fact, as I write this, there are currently about 12.6 million people logged into Skype and I am busy having a conversation with Yuri from Vladivostok... who says hello, by the way!

So what is the point of all this? Well, people are creating their own content and broadcasting it on the web. They are posting videos via YouTube, podcasts on iTunes, photographs on Facebook, book reviews on Amazon, entries in Wikipedia – you name it, they’re doing it. And believe it or not, they are even talking about your brand. If you don’t believe me, just log onto hellopeter.com to see what I mean.

It has never been a secret that word of mouth is an extremely important marketing tool, and we’ve known all along that we need to create brand ambassadors because people listen to what other people have to say, and that they act on personal endorsements – but the referral economy has never been as important as it is now… because now, thanks to technology, millions of “conversations” are taking place on a daily, even hourly basis. Influential people are talking about their brand experiences, good and bad, and there are people out there listening!

 So what does all of this mean for marketers? Well it is becoming increasingly important for brands to start taking part in these conversations. They need to facilitate the conversations and give consumers something to share that is engaging. Remember the BMW/Madonna films? The marketing paradigm has shifted. The old model was interruption; this needs to change to consumer centric marketing, putting the consumer at the centre and rewarding them for their time, either through entertaining or informing them relevantly. The consumer is saying “Don’t bore me. Tell me something different, or move on”.

So is social networking the new black? It’s true that it is certainly worth looking at more closely, and it’s also true that adspend on social media alone has grown by some 269% in the US since 2006. But we also need to be cognisant of our local market realities. The internet in South Africa is very small by comparison to worldwide standards. In fact the latest AMPS tells us that only two and a half million South Africans have accessed the web (anywhere and by any means) in the past four weeks – and this is inclusive of the 60% of the population who have the ability to access to the web via their cell phones.

So the reality is that despite having the technology in hand, the vast majority of our population still consume traditional media such as television, radio and press for their news, information and entertainment needs. They are not yet using the internet to any great extent. Perhaps this is because most cellphone users are on pre-paid schemes and would rather use their airtime for calls and text messaging, or perhaps the worsening economic conditions in the country are putting more strain on consumers and so the “nice to haves” are falling by the way side. Whatever the reason, social networking in South Africa is not yet living up to the hype and we ignore the more traditional forms of media at our peril.

Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not dismissing new technology (ask anyone who knows me, I am the biggest gadget and technology fan out there) but I am also not suggesting that advertisers go and change their entire marketing strategies and focus solely on new technology and social networking to achieve their objectives, because South Africans are not quite there yet. Have a dabble, yes, have a play…experiment a little bit, because it will position your brand as cutting edge and forward thinking – even if only amongst early adopters, but ask yourself this, if your advertising only achieves a 1% response rate, would you rather reach 80% of your target market through traditional means or 10% through new technology? It’s a no brainer.

There is however definitely merit in adopting and learning from the principles of social networking – that is to say, get involved with your consumer, don’t interrupt and shout at them, talk to them, engage with them and use their language. Help to facilitate their conversations, be relevant and give them something to talk about.

Put these principles into practice now and when South Africa is ready for the digital media explosion (and it will come) your brand will be at the forefront and ready to make the most of it.

By: Richard Lord, Associate Media Director, The MediaShop