Prepare for Facebook’s next decade
Brands who will benefit from Facebook the most over the next 10 years will be those that have more detailed insight about their community. It’s not a numbers game, it’s all about engagement. With access to even more information, retailers will be able to understand how and why
a consumer began interacting with them on Facebook – and there lies the key to keeping them engaged. Whether they made a purchase, read about your brand online or are just a fan of the products, knowledge of what attracted them to your community will give the retailer power to offer them the correct goods in the correct way every time.
Imagine being able to engage your Facebook community through specific ‘Facebook rewards’ gained by the interactions they make with your brand? By offering exclusive deals in return for engagement, Facebook could develop lucrative loyalty schemes for retailers. Not only does it become a powerful marketing tool but it incentivises brand engagement massively.
Carol Dray, marketing director, Play.com
It was interesting to read the evaluation of Facebook. Ten years on, brands and marketers are still making sense of Facebook as the platform continually evolves to meet the expectations of its users – and with over 30 per cent of members on the site for at least
an hour a day, there is no ignoring its influence.
As part of its maturing offering, Facebook is starting to use its potential to harness communities rather than just target individuals. Grouping messages and news feed updates will create the environment for brands to more easily integrate their Facebook strategy with other parts of their online marketing activities.
Simon Robinson, senior director marketing & alliances EMEA, Responsys
Pernod takes digital lead
It was refreshing to read that one of the drink industry’s powerhouses has undertaken a comprehensive revamp of its digital strategy. To set out a vision and execute a three-year strategy is commendable when it could have been much easier for Pernod Ricard to chase short term volume. Of course, the proof will be in the quality of the innovation, and although a couple of the initial ideas raise some questions, there is a clear demand in the drinks industry for engaging and relevant digital.
The time has come for an overhaul of the way in which drinks brands approach digital and Pernod Ricard is setting a fantastic example.
Matthew Bennett, creative partner at drink, part of ZAK Media Group
Take a tip from Esquire
Jonathan Bacon’s ‘How to get user experience right across platforms’, brings to mind another aspect of branded digital content – how to monetise or fund these offerings. Consumers are shifting from purely print media consumption, so it is key that media brands get their digital offerings right, both in terms of content and revenue-generation.
Paywalls work for some content, while some publishers monetise the channel through advertising. Esquire Weekly, meanwhile, combines ecommerce with editorial content through ‘click to buy’ options, adding value for the reader and enabling the publisher to earn commission on sales. We’re seeing the latter as an increasing trend online this year.
Martin Ferguson, director of publisher services, Rakuten Marketing
