Social media and advertising

So, social media is the new media for brands. For the lazy it's a Facebook page and a Twitter account. For the more sussed it's creative ads virally shared via YouTube and email - integrated campaigns across a host of media which entertain more than they sell.

But what no one talks about is that the changing times are not about a new medium. It's about a profoundly different way of doing business.

Before a brand could get away with an average, over-priced product and bloody awful and arrogant service by spending an obscene amount of money telling the world how wonderful they were. Don't talk about the problems, instead portray a utopia where their product will make you happier, sexier, smarter, more popular and loved by all.

Advertising and branding was a diversion. It allowed a brand to save face without having to do any of the hard work of actually building a decent business.

Of course I'm generalising. There are brands who've built their business on putting their customer and staff first and benefited from this focus on the core areas. But there are a plethora who have gotten it wrong. If you weren't able to communicate effectively with your customer before the new social media won't help.

It's not dissimilar to a socially inept person being given the full make-over, all of it being external, and then expected to miraculously morph into a sauve, confident conversationalist. If the fundamentals didn't exist before all the new social media platforms will do is highlight that ineptness faster than the old forms of communication.

It's pretty simple really. If your business has been built around serving the needs of your customer, dedicated to ensuring that every experience with your company and product is a positive one, honestly cares about what your customer thinks and is centred around the core values of mutual respect, integrity and service then social media will help to enhance and amplify your story.

If you're the socially inept entity perhaps a deep introspection and foundational changes are needed before that first tweet is sent.