How Can We Help Brands Become More Social?

Every week a new article attempts to redefine what social media means for brand advertisers. This communicates, accurately I think, that the advertising and media industries are still working to understand how they can best help their clients capitalize on the new social media opportunity.

Are brands being approached correctly on this subject. Does the term "advertising" even belong in this conversation? I beginning to wonder if discussing ad campaigns in the context of social networking isn't muddying the waters completely. Can a company succeed with a social presence without assembling the assets to function as a social company? The resources and talent needed to succeed socially have less to do with traditional advertising and marketing, and more to do with customer service and public relations.

Wikipedia defines PR as "the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics." Customer Service is defined as "the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase." These are the brand attributes that make companies social. These activities are grounded in listening to the customer and the market in order to address the needs and concerns of the customer and market. These departments are skilled at deciphering changes in customer perception and market environment, and know the importance of response. They are trained in the art of conversation. Ironically, just as most businesses have given up on idea of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), the ultimate CRM facilitator may well exist in Social Media. CRM, according to Wikipedia, is "a multifaceted process, mediated by a set of information technologies that focuses on creating two-way exchanges with customers so that firms have an intimate knowledge of their needs, wants, and buying patterns. ...CRM is intended to help companies understand, as well as anticipate, the needs of current and potential customers."

Advertising doesn't know how to listen. It only knows how to talk. So talking with advertising people about social communities is like telling an accounting department how you can increase sales. Sure, you can run traditional ad campaigns within social settings, but the real opportunities being advanced are not advertising... but communication opportunities. This misalignment between the goals of marketing decision makers and opportunities being offered is why many companies are moving so slowing, and acting so suspiciously of social media .

Advertising isn't going to go away, and it isn't going to change. Nor should it. Advertising, as we know it, will remain an important way to build brand and drive sales. But developing social strategies and advertising strategies are completely different vocations. I don’t believe marketing or advertising departments are where tomorrow’s corporate social initiative will reside.

In order for companies to succeed socially, they will have to restructure to become social entities. It will happen, but it will take time. Helping companies understand where their social assets lie and how to synthesize these assets to create modern CRM departments maybe the answer. These new departments would strive to manage the ear, face and personality of the business, and help the company engage socially to win. In the real world, when we represent our companies at social events we do so knowing who we are, why we are there, who we are speaking with, and what we'd like to accomplish. We know that our success requires that we engage the room in conversation and that we listen. Welcome to social media.