The Molson Coors Brewing Company got a sobering message about the appropriate versus inappropriate use of social media last week. On Friday, the company cut short it's online Facebook promotion that encouraged college students to post pictures of themselves partying on campus. Here's the news item about it courtesy of reporter Marina Strauss. The fact that I don't have to tell you why this social media offering caused a problem among college and university staff and faculty should give everyone pause. How can a big-time, long-experienced organization with veteran marketers not intuitively know this might burp in their face?
But of perhaps greater interest is Ms. Strauss' preview of research results to be released in full tomorrow. Allow me to highlight for you just one of the more amazing statistics as well as a quote by an executive at the company responsible for the survey. See if this makes sense to you?
The survey, done by Pollara Strategic Insights, found that 26 per cent of business and marketing leaders say they are less familiar with social media marketing than their own customers...
"There's really a high level of interest in social media but at the same time companies are really struggling to understand social media," said Robert Hutton, executive vice-president at Pollara.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Today is being called by some 'Cyber Monday.' It's supposed to be a huge online shopping day. Not so very long ago when e-commerce started to happen, I recall tons of people who took forever to get it and come around, al while endorsing the concept enthusiastically. For the most part consumers got it right away. So here we are again, back at the beginning?
Like last time, it will be the early adopters who gain the strategic advantage, unless they mess it up.
Cheers!
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