Leo Burnett - Cultural Fuel

eMarketer newsletter brought fresh data on the relation of social media usage and shopping behavior - esp. among the so-called “Generation Y” demographic:

• 85% of Gen Y and 39.3% auf US “retail respondents” are social networkers
• The most relevant social networking sites (for the US) are, still, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.
• Search engines, online rating systems, discussion forums and blogs are perceived as the most relevant sources for product information that influences purchase decisions. These media rank above company websites, even.

eMarketer: “Consumers’ use of social media is altering the way they make purchase decisions. To stay relevant, retailers must determine how to incorporate social media, such as social networks and blogs, into their marketing strategies.”

And that’s exactly the point: Companies must find ways to engage with people who have increasingly learnt to come to the internet for peer produced information. Simply advertising in social networks may be a start - at least there is reach. But the real challange is for brands to raise to peer-level in terms of trust, authenticity - and relevance.

Tweet This Post