Haven't you always wanted to be friends with Chanel? What about Sony? Obviously you've always wanted to call Ford your best friend. The internet has a lot of bizarre attributes, and one of the newest online fads is all about adding brands to your buddy lists on social networking sites (SNS).
"The Generation Y audience is more likely to 'friend' their favorite brands than adult users of social networking sites," PRMinds reports. "One third of Gen Y users are interested in viewing marketer's profiles, whereas almost half of adult users say that they would be interested in viewing a marketer's profile."
"That said, users who do befriend a brand do so simply because they have a particular affinity or loyalty to a specific brand. For instance, the movie, X-Men: The Last Stand, befriended more than 2 million users on MySpace."
So how do you get your brand marketed on SNS sites?
The key is to "inspire communication or action to the end-user." Brands that evoke emotion, like passion or excitement, do a lot better.
If you're simply not able to arouse any emotional response, a little bribery could be in order. Incentives like contest prizes or awards is one way to get people to engage with your brand. Also, make sure to cater to the specific audiences of each SNS. "Pontiac has a Pontiac Underground site on Yahoo!, but on MySpace, Pontiac caters to a younger audience with its 'Friends with Benefits' campaign."
Adding Brands As Friends
Marketing On SNS
Trend Themes
1. Brand Friendships - Opportunity for brands to create and foster personal connections with consumers through social networking sites.
2. Gen Y Affinity - Marketing strategies tailored to appeal to the Generation Y audience through targeted brand profiles on social networking sites.
3. Emotional Branding - Utilizing emotional triggers, such as passion and excitement, to enhance brand engagement on social networking sites.
Industry Implications
1. Marketing and Advertising - Brands can leverage social networking sites as a powerful platform to promote their products and connect with customers.
2. Entertainment - Movie studios and entertainment companies can tap into the trend of befriending brands to create buzz and fan engagement.
3. Automotive - Auto brands can develop targeted campaigns to connect with younger audiences on social networking sites, offering exclusive benefits and incentives.