Social media requires delicate approach | Opinion | New Media Age

Social media requires delicate approach

4 March 2010

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David Edwards, planning director, Digitas London

A shift away from campaign sites to community networks by major FMCG brands such as Coca-Cola and Unilever (nma 14 January 2010) is no surprise as marketing dollars are heading to where a massive swathe of the global population is spending an increasing amount of its time.

We’ll undoubtedly see many more brands attempting to build their reputations in spaces where their audiences are active participants.

It’s harder for brands that don’t have the cachet naturally to inspire participation within the social landscape, so the danger, as more brands jump aboard the social bandwagon, is a glut of heavy-handed attempts to demand attention resulting in a commercial hijacking of social discourse.

Brands should be aware of the delicacy of touch required to add value without dominating the natural flow of online social interactions.

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