I saw a TV advertisement last night and at the end of the spot saw something that is becoming increasingly common in advertising: displaying the logos of Twitter and Facebook on the screen. But there was no call to action, no “friend us” or “follow us,” and nothing written or spoken about the logos in the spot. The advertiser was Boar’s Head, the maker of meats and cheeses you probably find at your local deli or supermarket.
These days, prevailing wisdom suggests that every company should maintain a presence on social media. The promise of social media is a lot like the early promise of the Internet: your customers are out there, you just need to find them. Now it is slightly different. Every company believes that thousands of people are talking about them online, and that to ignore them is to sacrifice sales and prestige and brand loyalty. To a point, that is true. But frankly I’m not too sure how many people talk about Boar’s Head online (except, clearly, for me). Maybe I’m wrong. But it’s not too encouraging when the first result for a Google search of “boars head twitter” is for an inactive and former account maintained by the company. The second result is for a Kentucky-based Christian blog.
Frankly, I have to give Boar’s Head some credit here. While the number of companies who include Twitter and Facebook logos in their ads seems like it is growing, it’s still pretty uncommon for mainstream products like deli meats and cheeses. Maybe there is a market here that I am overlooking. And the Boar’s Head facebook page seems way more popular than the Twitter page. There’s room to grow, obviously. A printed call to action on the TV spot seems appropriate. Another thing working against Boar’s Head is that there is no clear benefit to follow or friend the brand. This is especially true because the product is bought through a third party (the grocery store). Boar’s Head doesn’t necessarily have a direct relationship with the people who buy their product. Maybe this is what their social media endeavor is trying to accomplish. I’m glad to see that companies are experimenting with social media, even if that means figuring things out as they go along.
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Social media is the same as any other form of advertisement — no matter where it is, it still needs to be interesting. You’d never see Boar’s Head run a print ads with just their logo. You bought the space, use it well. But online, there is no cost-friction. So every brand signs up for Twitter and flops their brand out there. It’d almost be better if Twitter charged brands to have an account. Then clients would at least think twice before funding some contentless advertising.
Anyways. Good post. Social media isn’t a concept. It’s just another medium.