Social Media Reality-Check

Is the social-media explosion a "big bang" that's creating a whole new brand-communications paradigm, or is it part of an ongoing evolution whereby focused brand-building principles are not only still relevant but also more important than ever?

The More Things Change...

Social media is, indeed, changing the ways through which brands can be built and expressed—and how they connect with, and influence, key constituencies.

But successful brands have always been—and will remain—the ones that deliver on their promise, and the ones that are understood and valued by their constituents, are differentiated in the competitive landscape, and are enthusiastically recommended by engaged brand advocates. No sea change there.

What's evolving is the nature of brand discourse—from predominately one-way, outbound organization-to-constituent monologues to two- and three-way conversations among your organization and constituents, the latter often talking to one another beyond your hearing. That has significant implications around how your advocates proselytize, where you put your brand-communication resources, and how you build trust and relationships.

Put simply, social media is transforming the Web into a predominately social experience. The distinct profiles we manage across the social-media sphere—via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the like—are becoming more portable, meaning "buyers" of all stripes can carry them around whether they're searching for a new stereo, looking for something to do on a Friday night, evaluating whether to invest their philanthropic dollars with you, or checking out graduate schools.

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