As news broke of Jordan being recruited to help promote Snickers on twitter, the Coolpink office was instantly a hive of discussion. We were not only split by the divide of who loves and hates the chocolate bar, but more so on the topic of whether consumers really are stupid enough to fall for this kind of advertising…

Granted this kind of trickery grabs attention. As Jordan tweeted about the state of the economy, then revealed she hadn’t been herself because she was too hungry and proceeded to post a picture of her with a Snickers bar, the headlines were written.

…But are consumers really that stupid?

It’s got the talk ability factor but will her 1.5million followers really have found this entertaining and will it have led to a positive feeling towards the brand? Well after worrying that her account had been hacked, then getting over the sense that Snickers were offending her by portraying her as an airhead… Probably not.  This is one tweet on the subject:

‘#Snickers hijacks Katie Price’s Twitter – and insults her intelligence to try and shift the nutty chocolate’

So, we ask, what’s going on with the world?

Have brands really got to the point where they think this kind of obtuse attempt at celebrity endorsement is the way to win the hearts and minds of its consumers, or have they just stopped really caring? Maybe they’re not looking for a relationship with their audience any more, rather just a quick fling?

It’s tempting to turn to stunts and shock tactics to raise an interest in your brand, but it is crucial to ensure that your brand messaging still rings true. What is it that Snickers was trying to say here? That eating it makes you yourself again…well this only works if we feel we’re not ourselves when not eating it…a tad vacant in it’s message perhaps?… We say bring back Mr T – at least we all bought into the ‘Get some Nuts’ strapline.

What happened to building relationships with your audience?

The relationship a brand has with its consumers is a very delicate one. What people are really after is feeling a part of a brand, feeling involved, and included- they do not respond well to being duped, or tricked with below the belt advertising.

The Snickers twitter stunt illustrated how social media can be exploited and those active on social networks do not appreciate being deceived. We constantly find ourselves in discussions with clients who see social media as the answer to all their problems, as they fling around buzzwords such as engagement and social media influence.

However social media is not magic. Snickers can get away with a few gaffes but lesser brands need a little more structure to their affairs.

Getting to Know You

Let’s get back to basics and consider that social media is a platform where we hold conversations. Yes, it’s fantastic for brands as it opens up doors that would previously have been shut, but as with anything, they can’t just barge in uninvited and expect to be welcomed with open arms.

Building relationships with your online audience goes much deeper than social media – it has to start on other platforms first. So whether it’s an in-store interaction, a web transaction or an email communication, relationships have to be built before they can be flirted with.

Marketing managers need to hold their nerve, and keep the faith in traditional marketing mechanics. With a strong grounding across other channels, social media can then excel.

Brands putting the hard yards in to really interact in the lives of their customers will reap the rewards of social media, but those looking for a quick win, offering no real substance will undoubtedly be left with egg on their face.

It’s been heralded a million times, but The Old Spice campaign was a corker, and more recently Southern Comfort’s approach to facebook looks like an interesting one, as they bring their brand character to life to deliver New Year’s resolutions to friends and family. What they both have is a desire to be on the same page as their audience, and a commitment to show they’re relevant to their lives.

We’ve also seen great success with Weber BBQs, who are fast becoming a cult brand with a very loyal following, much of which has been established over social media, supporting their nationwide ‘Grill Academies’.

Give a little respect

When it comes to marketing, consumers are not stupid by any stretch of the imagination – not even Jordan’s followers. It’s clear that brands out to notch up marks on their bedposts are playing a very dangerous game, whereas those in it for the long haul will consistently reap rewards.

Online engagement is only going to get more complicated as technology enables it to, so there’s sure to be more fun and games to be had this year. There’s always room for that, but the smart brands know where the boundaries are and know how far to push their luck.

So, do you still fancy risking a quickie with your paying customers?… We thought not….Us neither.

It’s clear brands are revelling in the new technologies evolving at their fingertips and it’s great to see them really start to have fun with online engagement…but there’s a real danger here of ‘kid in a sweetshop’ syndrome.

As apps and mobile activity are on the increase, along with social media campaigns and user-generated content, are people bypassing the brand websites that many retailers spend millions on? Are consumers content with just interacting with brands on Facebook or Twitter? Is this the death of the website as we know it?

Er, no. Everyone just needs to calm down a bit.

Some quarters suggest that the trusty old website should just pack up and slowly disappear off into the sunset to join the likes of the gramophone and VHS player. However, with the constant change of consumer behaviour, we’d say this would be more than a tad dangerous. As consumers become more and more flippant the security that a website brings is even more invaluable.

It’s worth noting that over 40% of Facebook users who like a brand during a campaign immediately ditch it afterwards *…so remember new friends are not always friends for life.

So….how do you make it work? Social media, websites, smart phone technology… how does it all fit together? There is a real value in marketing multi-channel but it’s all about having a plan.

The answer comes in viewing your online presence as a whole and in starting to understand that the website is one destination designed to do a specific job. To make it work better, harder and smarter, brands must integrate it more into customers’ everyday lives and this is where other complementary channels come into play.

Website Vs Web Presence

A website is no longer the one and only destination for a consumer researching a product or service. It may still be the end destination before purchase but there are now many more steps along the way.

We don’t see the death of websites lurking on the horizon – Google search is still the first port of call for 75% of the market and with 16,000 searches per minute in the UK the website is still king.

However, there is definitely a real need for retailers to expand the reach of their websites, by getting to grips with more creative digital marketing as part of fuller, more integrated campaigns.

A Familiar Landing Place

Getting back to basics, the website is the place where it should all come together. After all, it has the familiarity of the old slippers that people still love coming home to and this is always going to be welcoming.

The secret is in not letting your website go stale, but in using new technologies to give it a fresh lease of life. Use your website as ‘the home of your brand’ and customers will be provided with everything they need. If they can research your products there, great. If they can buy them there, better. If they can read reviews of recommended products, ask questions, get engaged and excited, then your brand really come to life.

A New Look

Websites today needn’t look like websites of old – they can be more fluid, more dynamic, more individual for each visitor. With personalisation and the integration with social media, most retailers’ websites could be dramatically refreshed, providing a much improved customer experience and a much healthier set of figures for online revenue.

Fixing the Balance…

A bad website = A bad customer journey. This leads to high bounce rates, which equates to poor brand engagement. The customer then concludes that the website, and the brand, are a waste of time and the marketing team decide the website is a bad investment.

A good website = A great customer journey, which leads to customer advocacy & referrals and a strong brand engagement. This equates to a cost effective marketing channel and great ROI and an excitement about the future opportunities to be explored.

You can control which one of these scenarios you’re working to.

Websites are not going anywhere, but they do need to evolve. Use yours to support the growth and reputation of your brand and we’re sure you’ll be the best of friends for life.

* A survey by ad agency DDB Paris has found that as many as 40% of Facebook users who like a brand page during a campaign will ditch it immediately afterwards.

However, the recent platform changes have really mixed it up and brands are going to have to work much harder to be seen on individuals’ Facebook newsfeeds.

There have already been changes to content with Facebook leading the way on removing spam marketing and giving more choice to what we view, based on user interaction.

This means that a ‘like’ is no longer enough to ensure followers get every communication brands post, as flat or irrelevant pages will now gain less exposure.

User interaction is the key and the secret…but it’s no easy feat.

Understanding the Rules of the Game

Facebook understands and appreciates the fact that its biggest asset is its audience. Obviously the more buy in from the consumer, the more power they have over advertisers, but it’s a complex chain…

They are now focusing on user engagement, of finding new ways to really get under the skin of their users – and stay there.

The true challenge for brands is to cut the crap, sack off the spam and delete the dross, to sustain visibility with valued relevant content.

So, What For Marketers?

The changes mean that brands need to interact more personally with consumers, encourage more regular communications and find ways to really befriend them.

The next big thing coming from Facebook is the ‘Timeline’ – a virtual scrapbook of your life, which will create a completely new look profile page eventually.

An important element for brands to understand is that the Timeline strives to portray a deeper insight into the users lifestyle, what activities they enjoy, what they aspire to achieve and more crucially from a marketing perspective, what brands are interlinked with their lives. This is powerful information for advertisers, and an important communications channel for brands that are embraced by users.

Retail stores, music and video streaming sites will all gain more exposure through this new way of updating our status as we see what our friends are reading, playing, buying, wanting and listening to more than ever.

There’s an App for that…

The key to utilising the new timeline effectively comes in the form of the facebook app as they will now be given much more prominence. This is especially true across communications, gaming, media and lifestyle categories.

As people use apps to tell the story of what they’re up to throughout their day, so their alignment with brands will grow as they get more used to connecting with them in the online space, and enjoy engaging with them, in everyday life.

It also provides a much bigger stage as brands’ content will now be shown across friends’ networks on a more regular basis.

Apps will be the new vehicle to channel creative brand promotion. We’re going to see much more of friends checking into a store or restaurant when not only can you see where they are, but also what they’ve bought.

You’ll know how far your friend has run thanks to RunKeeper or the Nike Training Club App; what they’ve watched on TV thanks to Virgin Media’s TV Guide review; where they’re going on holiday thanks to Lonely Planet etc etc…Our whole lives could effectively be sponsored… fancy a piece of that?…

There’s a risk of all this being just a bit too obvious though and the clever brands will dig much deeper to engage with users in creative, interactive, useful ways that really do add value. This is when the fun will truly begin.

So the wake up call is: It’s time for brands to forget about being liked, and work out how to start being loved, to get themselves fully wedged into the heart and soul of consumers lives, so they’re not going anywhere in a hurry.

If brands don’t, then those first tentative steps into social media that have been made will be halted pretty damn quickly and consumers will not only loose their appetite for that brand but will end up with a bad taste in their mouths too. It’s time to raise the game or be left behind – challenging but very exciting times!

Nick Ramshaw, Chair of Leeds Media comments: “Leeds Media is committed to helping develop, attract and retain the very best talent in our region. This is essential to support the continued development of our creative industries and this event is another example of the practical help Leeds Media is providing to ensure this happens.”

Workshops and seminars will be held by representatives from some of the UK’s leading agencies, which are all based in the Leeds City region, including Ogilvy, Jelly London, Thompson Brand Partners, BrandNu, and Creative England (previously Screen Yorkshire).

Michaela Laubscher, Director of Social Alchemy commented: “As a young person and a business owner, I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it is to break into the media industry.  Events like Inspire. Create. are important for breaking down barriers by allowing young creatives to meet their industry peers face to face.  Our range of seminars and workshops will inspire students, graduates and freelancers to take the important next steps in their career – whether that’s getting a placement within an agency, or starting up their own.”

The session will delve into the digital arena, look at how it has developed in the agency environment and provide an overview of the diverse roles and skills those working in the sector need.

For tickets to the talk that will take place between 2-3pm visit…http://www.inspirecreateleeds.co.uk/tickets/