“Brand experience is the original social media”

The marketing landscape has gone through tremendous transformation in recent years. But, one thing has stayed the same: people still seek authentic and meaningful experiences from the products and services they buy…and even more from so from those brands that enable sharing of those experiences with others.

Hence, for those of us in the brand space who specialise in experiences – online, on-devices and through physical events – we can’t help but see the market’s changes as entirely positive. Every advance in our ability as consumers to find, evaluate, share, create and connect with others with the help of the brands we trust, confirms for us again that brand experience truly is the original social media. This is a fact that smart brand marketers are striving to take advantage of right now.

I often pose a question to my clients: ‘what tools are you giving your customers that allow them to share the product experience?’ Whether that happens in a store aisle, a mall or at a trade show, experience-focussed brands understand that the act of socially sharing authentic brand experiences among friends, family and colleagues deepens the power of the brand unlike any other activity.

Many times it’s through others’ opinions and feedback that we develop our own final perspective on a product or service. On the consumer side, that’s even more the case for expensive, high-margin products in a host of categories, from luxury and automotive to white goods and fashion. There’s more at risk, and not just financially; social helps us make better decisions for ourselves. And in the corporate setting, where decisions are made by committee, social is not optional – it’s how consensus is built and decisions are made. B2C and B2B brands ignore this fact at their own peril.

The takeaway idea for marketers: brand experience is the original social media. For your next campaign, think about creating shareable moments that prompt customers to connect with others not only to make a purchase decision but also to continue to evangelise the brand long after the transaction is over.

The author is Vice President and Managing Director, George P Johnson India