Expand Your Brand Community Online

AdAge published an excellent article recently on CMO strategy recommending how brands can utilize social media to engage consumers online. Their discussion highlights how problematic the traditional “marketing tunnel” is to drive consumer loyalty online through conventional banner and print ads, and 30-second commercial spots:

“Traditional 30-second TV spots, viral stunts and PR campaigns are subject to rerouting through a milieu of online communities that repackage, edit and mash up intended messages for distribution through social networks, search engines, e-mails and word-of-mouth. It’s within that mix that today’s real marketing opportunities lie.”

CMOs must consider how consumers interact with the brand online, become brand advocates, and ultimately in doing so become participants in a campaign. All of this boils down to encouraging word of mouth.

The challenge facing every CMO is to find a balance between letting go of complete control of your brand vs. constructing your brand marketing in a way that it will retain consistency with your corporate identity as consumers interact with it across forums, chat rooms, and social networks.