Unilever Ambitious About Asian Market, Adopts Social Media

Looking at the rate at which social media is growing amongst small businesses across the world, corporate giants are making sure not to be left behind in experimenting the latest marketing medium. We’ve already seen companies like Ford, General Motors, Coca Cola, Southwest Airlines, etc. embrace social media and using it effectively to create a strong online presence. Now, its time for FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies to set the gear high and ride its benefits! According to Advertising Age, FMCG mogul Unilever is all set to whirl the social media wand in the Asian market.

Apparently, Asia is the biggest market for the FMCG companies to market their products, with demand escalating from fast-developing nations like China and India. Being aware of the growing competition, Unilever has decided to promote three of its popular brands, Pond’s, Lux and Comfort through social media. The aim is to target specific regions and engage users via certain social media platforms like blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

Social Media Expands Horizon for Travel and Hotel Companies

There’s an explosion of social media sites that are ready to assist the travel and hospitality industry reach out to both, their existing as well as potential customers. As users increasingly use forums, review sites and social networking sites to share their experience, seek answers to their queries and assist others in need, the popularity of these social media platforms is certainly on the rise.

While Facebook and Twitter are still the favourites for most of the travel and hotel companies, other niche sites like WAYN, LonelyPlanet, Virtual Tourist, etc. are making their presence felt as well. They are soon becoming an online destination for users to share their travel pictures, likes and dislikes, views and knowledge about a particular place, etc.

Twitter can be Dangerous to your Brand … Sometimes

Twitter has become a very important site for businesses today. As companies realize the power of Twitter in helping them connect with their present and potential customers, the micro-blogging service has created a strategic business position across the globe. There are already thousands of brands leveraging it as part of their social media activity, along with several others keen to use it for the first time.

However, like every coin has two sides, so does Twitter. Though it is beneficial in nature, it can also prove to be dangerous if not monitored and used effectively.

MySpace and Vodafone Team Up To Create Music Sensation

Collaboration is the need of the hour to grow and sustain, and MySpace is doing exactly that. The social networking site has partnered with telecom major Vodafone to launch The Music Studio – an eight month campaign targeted towards music aficionados. The strategic partnership is a result of Vodafone’s ambition to strengthen its connection with the music industry and MySpace’s aim to enhance the experience of its users.

Accessible in the UK, Germany and Spain, The Music Studio will allow users to remix the latest tracks, get insights from music experts, and obtain tips and tricks to increase their band’s profile.

Using Social Media as an Extension of Traditional Advertising

The success of a brand depends a lot on how well people familiarize with it. An average consumer comes across hundreds of advertisements each day through television, radio, hoardings, newspapers and magazines, internet, text messages, etc. However, the ones that appeal his needs, interests, imagination, thinking, behavior, and/or lifestyle tend to win over others when it comes to brand recall. At the end of the day, an individual remembers only few advertisements out of the major chunk that he comes across on that particular day.

There are several businesses that consider social media as an expense rather than an investment. Conventional firms often stick to the traditional advertising vehicles and are reluctant to use social media tools, which is not a desirable move today. No doubt traditional mediums are important, but the growing significance of social media just cannot be ignored.

Microsoft Integrates Twitter and Facebook with Xbox Live

Software giant Microsoft Inc. announced recently that social networking superstars Twitter and Facebook, together with Internet radio Last.fm are coming to the Xbox 360 gaming console. The announcements were made on the eve of a major Electronic Entertainment Expo trade gathering in Los Angeles, U.S.

Social networking and Xbox Live enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate as they will be able to access their Facebook and Twitter accounts through consoles. This means, users would have another medium to stay connected with their friends; besides desktops, notebooks, and smart phones.

Australia Inc. Blocks Social Networking?

Whether social networking sites should be accessed at workplaces or not is probably one of the hottest debate topics across the Web. Though several businesses allow their employees to ‘tweet’, ‘update’, or ‘poke’ at their friends, others are skeptical about its usage and are blocking access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. As per the recent findings from Telstra Business and MessageLabs, Australian businesses are taking strict actions against the use of social networking sites.

Loss of productivity and increased use of bandwidth and Internet are the major concerns forcing enterprises to keep their employees away from social networking sites. In fact, a recent research by Nielsen also supports the fact that social networking is more popular than e-mailing at offices.

To understand the situation better, here are some statistics as per a review of web-usage trends of Australian small and medium firms:

Bebo Seals Content Deal with Samsung

Looking at the growth of mobile social networking, it was expected that something major is around the corner. And here is the news that is certainly going to be talked about in the mobile market for some time. Fast growing social networking site Bebo has found a new partner in Samsung Mobile UK that will help the latter compete with Nokia and Sony Ericsson. As per the agreement, Samsung will sponsor and provide music content for Bebo’s music homepage and also sponsor the site’s series of live music events.

Google on Alert from Social Networking Sites

According to you, what are social networking sites famous for? I believe majority of you would say connecting with friends, sharing photos and videos, chatting, passing time, promoting yourself and/or your service, and sharing information with your connections. And when I ask you what is Google famous for, your answer would undoubtedly be “search”. But what if you come to know that the search engine giant is concerned about its search business due to social networking sites? You would be amazed, isn’t it?

The latest comments by a Google official suggest that the company is considering social networking sites like Facebook as challengers to its search engine.

Do Users Care About Ads on Social Networking Sites?

They say that ads must be targeted only at places where your potential costumers are available. While this statement largely holds true, there may be cases that even your potential customers would not be too keen about buying your product at one of the most crowded places in the world – the social networking sites.

Generally, users do not portray their actual behavior on social networking sites. They are often manipulative and pretentious to grab the attention of their friends or connections. Hence, you might also likely find that their behavior would be different on different social networks. Also, thinking that users would enjoy seeing your ad displayed on the site and would eventually purchase your product is more of an optimistic approach towards marketing, rather than a practical one.

Before advertising your product on a social networking site, you must ask yourself the following questions: