Editor's Note - November 2014

To err is human, to correct is divine!

Last month, we witnessed a series of brand faux pas and some consumer grievances going viral and all the drama that followed.   

The industry is abuzz with rants of unhappy customers on social media, right from Amul’s milk fiasco to Flipkart’s Big Billion blunder and HUL’s resilient tactic to win over Snapdeal’s customer. This has led to the beginning of a new era for social media and customer relationship management in India. This has also bought in a realization among brands to move from the traditional mindset of executing campaigns with pretty pictures to moment marketing clubbed with smart customer service tactics and present it as an experience for the customer.

Brands must understand that the consumer of today has digital communication embedded in his DNA. If you are present on a platform where your customer is present, what are you trying to achieve? If he is spending most of his time there anyway, what value are you creating for the customer there? If your answer is 2 Facebook posts a day, a few tweets and a lot of advertising, well you must retrospect. We must remind ourselves of the means of persuasion – Ethos, Pathos and Logos.

These articles might help you in your journey:

Customer Service and Social Media: Tools, Analytical Wealth and Brand Perception Decoded. Read

21 Lessons Brands Can Learn From Amul’s Social CRM Approach. Read

Good Content v/s High Spends: Which Drives the Digital Marketing ROI. Read

Brands need to get out of the social misfit syndrome that they get trapped within knowingly or unknowingly. Advertising on social media is almost like forcefully selling your product to some youngsters dancing at a club. They really do not care. But if you create an experience for them at the same club, adding value to their experience, they will remember your brand. It is the same methodology that applies to social media marketing. Amul and HUL both did a brilliant job within this domain and on a positive note, it is interesting to see brands are evolving on social platforms.

This month, we plan to enlighten you with articles on the theory of digital maturity model, big data and analytics and a few other topics that will be an addition to the ladder, brands can use to step up their strategies.

Do share your opinions and feedback using the form below.

Happy Strategizing!

• Apeksha Harihar, Editor/ Head - Content, SocialSamosa.com