Study: Marketing Execs Must Realize and Learn to Use Power of Social Media

Senior marketing executives in several countries agree that the use of social media for corporate, brand and product marketing is not a passing fad - with nearly half saying it is a vital component - according to research sponsored by TNS media intelligence/Cymfony, MarketingCharts writes.

Some 49 percent of execs say social media should be monitored at the executive level and be allocated significant resources (see chart for other responses).

Among the highlights of the study:

• Some 30 percent of marketing executives agree that social media is an unconventional new opportunity that businesses must grasp with a sense of urgency.
• 95 percent say they believe that social media will grow in significance over the next five years.
• Asked about the uses of social media, respondents endorsed it as a strategic tool to gain consumer insights (37 percent), build brand awareness (21 percent) and increase customer loyalty (18 percent). (See chart).

Below, additional findings release by TNS media intelligence/Cymfony.

Influencing Consumers: Listen, then Act

The potential business impact of social media was similar from country to country, but the U.S. has a stronger point of view on the value of market research in social media:

• Some 88 percent of U.S. respondents and 65 percent of global respondents were in agreement that reading and analyzing social media to understand unfiltered consumer perceptions would have the most impact on the future of their businesses. (View chart.)
• Word-of-mouth campaigns were cited as having the second greatest impact: All countries were in broad accordance at 62 percent, but the U.S. once again led with three-quarters agreeing on the effects of these marketing campaigns.

Respondents endorse the role that blogs and other social media channels play in an integrated product launch campaign:

• The potentially most effective use of social media, selected by more than 50 percent of respondents, is creating a user community of bloggers to provide user experience feedback.
• Some 47 percent also say using social media vehicles, such as YouTube, to generate a viral campaign would also be very effective in a product launch.

About the research: In late 2007, TNS media intelligence/Cymfony, in coordination with TNS UK, TNS media intelligence France and TNS Canadian Facts, conducted a survey dubbed “Harnessing Influence: How Savvy Brands are Unleashing the New Power of Blogs and other Social Media.” Some 70+ marketers from leading companies around the globe were polled about their experiences incorporating all types of social media tools in their marketing strategies. Represented countries include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and France.