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Make It Count! Nike CEO Calls Social Media A Game Changer
January 10, 2012
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“Social media is helping us unite and expand. We have never been closer to our consumers.”
-Mark Parker, Nike Pres./CEOThat’s a pretty powerful statement from a pretty powerful man -- a guy behind one of the ultimate “brands.” The quote was from a recent article about how Parker has exceeded investor expectations in an economy that has been quite shaky.
In the article, Parker calls social media a “game changer” in Nike’s marketing approach. He has clearly identified the essence of this social space -- the opportunity to go beyond the ordinary and create meaningful fan experiences.
And just as Nike is an extraordinary brand where people feel a sense of pride when they sport the “swoosh,” radio also has extraordinary brands with many of those same people having the same sense of pride and “ownership” about their favorite stations.
But many times when we only look at our audience based on what they can do for us, we come up short in the goal of growing effective brands and creating loyal, motivated relationships.
Social platforms are “game changers,” as Parker calls them, because they allow us to get closer to the audience and serve. They allow us to share unique, human sides of news stories that provoke conversation; to share pictures or videos that evoke emotion and to be used as gateways to blogs that provide perspective or a personal angle -- a way to better understand the world around us.
Some people are so perplexed by what “works” on Facebook or establishing so-called “best practices for social media” that they miss the simplicity of how these social sites enable us to get closer to the audience and serve a new league of listeners that are willing to spread your message and give you more opportunity to grow your audience through word of mouth.
To get started, habits must be formed. The habits of extraordinary brands on social platforms are simple. They do three things:
- Validate -- When you acknowledge people socially, you make them feel welcome and that they matter. They then feel free to participate and return to you. This also gives the cue that you care.
- Inspire -- People look for inspiration and ideas that connect to their passions. Many times, consumers get their sense of self-worth from brands. Your connection to the community, your music, and the things they care about can provide that inspiration.
- Inform -- Having a reliable rhythm with response time as well as your content curation or creation builds up the trust you need to become “a source” for information and receive the permission to be part of their daily lives.
What many stations may not know is that there are untapped resources in the form of talented, loyal, and committed listeners deep in their databases who are willing to work for free as “social mouth pieces” for your messages.
Understand what it takes to build and sustain relationships. People are starving for attention because in today’s world, everyone gets to be mini-stars with YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Be inspired by Nike’s CEO and kick-start the passion of your audience as well as broaden your reach and increase your cume by building stronger relationships on these social platforms. As Nike’s newest campaign states: #MakeItCount.
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