It is well accepted in the industry that social media is unique in being a two-way street – as it enables direct brand dialogue and acts as a medium to reach and influence consumers. At the Gild, we would go further and suggest that it is actually a three way junction. Firstly, it does indeed act as a medium that engages consumers; secondly in addition it enables an ongoing brand dialogue. However, it also has a third dimension – social media is a direct, permanent & accessible record of consumer brand sentiment and product need. Social media insight digs deep into this record of actual consumer thought and opinion – delivering profound insights. At the Gild we have already been using such techniques to deliver inspiring consumer insight into ongoing projects with the likes of Sony Mobile, Unilever and Molton Brown.

We believe that paying attention to the social conversation surrounding your brand is essential if a brand is to respond to consumers’ needs and sustain engagement. With the right research approach and analysis, online social platforms can be leveraged to reap tremendous rewards. We’ve found that there are five killer reasons for applying such social media insight techniques alongside other research approaches for marketers:

1) Rich customer verbatim. Great passionate consumer language can be curated for input into brand territory discussions and claims workshops.

2) Social media insight is non-intrusive. In some ways, we can use social media insight like an enormous – unstructured – focus group. People talk about the things that matter most to them – and we can listen in. However, with social media research we are simply observers – we don’t ask questions, we don’t have a framework or interview guide. We are able to listen into organic conversations about brands between real people without any research effect.

3) Social media insight offers a scale of insight gathering in terms of the number of consumers we research. Unlike purely qualitative methods, with social media insight we can observe and analyse real consumer verbatim across thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of individual conversations – delivering truly inspiring insights into actual consumer behaviour.

4) Global reach. Another massive advantage is the ability for us to gain understanding from consumers in all global markets. At the Gild, our eQVoice™ service uses brand analysts who are native speakers to deliver rich insights, sensitive to cultural and linguistic norms. We’ve done studies in 20+ markets and languages worldwide (from Australia to Vietnam; in languages from Chinese to Russian).

5) Engagement to Advocacy. Social media users often use their brand-related conversation to review their experiences with products and services. Research insights can discover influential advocates of whom you may not even have been aware, and present opportunities to capitalise on them through NPD and reinvigorated brand claims.

We believe that it’s increasingly vital for marketers to tap this rich consumer conversation about their brands, about consumers’ needs from product categories. However, harnessing such rich insights into real consumers lives needs both a careful and a clever curator – so we’d humbly suggest ourselves!

It is no secret that classically British brand owners Premier Foods have been battling an up-hill struggle with their portfolio and their strategy of dumping their weak and building up their ‘power brands’ has been well documented. Ambrosia custard is one of these ‘power brands’ and therefore is receiving a great deal of marketing support while other brands such as Branston Pickle and Hartleys Jam have been given the heave-ho and sold to foreign hands. It is therefore crucial that investments such as this multi-million pound Ambrosia campaign pay off, or it could see the company, which is looking into further re-financing plans, fall even further into debt. While I was impressed by the TVC it struck me that little I know about the brand has changed and moreover that it looks decidedly dated. Can this brand really still be relevant to the modern British family?

On shelf the Ambrosia brand is instantly recognisable with its blue and yellow packaging and retro feel but this is not a kitsch marketing technique, instead it just feels out of date. The brand’s recent innovations to accompany the campaign such as portion-controlled rice pots and a reduced fat strawberries and cream accompaniment have some consumer relevance but are in no way differentiated and I feel are let down by their weak packaging. If the brand wants to really reinvent itself as relevant to modern British family life then I believe its presentation needs to be more appealing to these consumers. While I have fond memories of Ambrosia alongside victoria sponge and apple crumble with a Sunday roast, the brand is at risk of dying with these memories. In these economic hard-times traditional British puddings are having a resurgence, with sales of spotted dicks and bakewell tarts on the up and while these comforting treats may appeal in the short-term they are not a long-term solution to stay relevant to modern British families. Additionally this TVC campaign might help to momentarily reawaken an emotional connection with the brand, but more work will be needed to create lasting relationships and to engage new consumers.

But meeting needs isn’t always enough – we have to anticipate future opportunities and even create new behaviours. As Henry Ford so famously claimed, ‘if I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.’

So, I have been delighted to see Ikea’s latest use of insight – turning in depth consumer understanding into a practical demonstration of value and quality.

Their recent introduction of ‘party proof kitchens’ invites consumers to ‘test’ them online… of course, you can’t really test them – it’s more like scrolling over key detail and discovering how they have put them to the test for you – but the way they have incorporated consumer understanding is sophisticated:

— They have met consumers’ needs: to feel confident that they’re investing in something that will last

— They have met consumers’ wants: to make the buying process fun, not stressful (buying a kitchen is already expensive enough)

— They have accurately tapped into consumers’ behaviours: using insights such as ‘people tend to lean on drawers,’ they have stress-tested each drawer with weights and repetitions to test them thoroughly.

— They have gone beyond expectations: does anyone really think about how ‘slam-proof’ their cupboard doors are before they buy? Probably not, but by putting it in as a basic standard, IKEA cleverly raise the perception of their own standard.

— They have kept it simple: no overly scientific terms or inaccessible category language… just old fashioned boxing gloves to show impact resistance and 27 champagne bottles on a shelf to demonstrate weight strength. It’s ‘relatable communications’ at their best.

It’s a functional product demonstration at its best, inspired and articulated using real consumer insight and tangible, simple examples. The takeout is that this is a kitchen as durable as any top drawer option (if you’ll forgive the pun) As one of a select group of homeowners who has never been to IKEA… this has made me want to go. Well done IKEA.

I know that this stat should excite me; how can we help our clients’ fans to be worth more than their competitors? What does this mean for the future of digital fan bases? Finally, Facebook is proving its monetary value to brands beyond advertising potential!

But I’m not excited. To me this figure is just yet another reminder of the value of data, which we have known for a long time but which the majority of brands are still not interacting with in an exciting way.

There is such a big difference between a fan who ‘likes’ your brand and thinks little more of it and a fan who uploads their own content. The former is a number – representing people who were targeted appropriately and delivered the desired (and predicted) response; the latter is a value – representing an individual relationship and story with a brand. One number is bigger, one is smaller… and sadly it’s the larger numbers which get the pride of place in too many leadership powerpoint presentations, not the rarer (but more valuable) individual interactions.

I don’t mean to undermine the numbers and facts – they’re a crucial part of business planning and guide for investment. My point is rather that we need to question them when we can; too often brands tell us how successful their digital strategy has been due to the number of ‘likes’ they have on Facebook but I want to help brands create lasting relationships, not momentary approval.

The value of a real fan is priceless. Fans are active, involved, creative and sharing beings – not just passive approvers. There must be a way of converting $174 into something a little more meaningful? (And please, not another multiple choice vote.)

For the beer category, I’d say yes. It isn‘t going to change consumer behaviour or make us reappraise the way we drink beer. However, what it does do is create some new-news for the category. The bow-tie shaped can gives consumers something to talk about, which means the brand will resonate more in their minds, whether that is in a good or a bad way has yet to be seen.

It also provides some differentiation for the brand in a category where one beer product looks the same as all the rest. This is a smart move for Budweiser – the can provides a story for the retailers which will ensure that it gets prominent placing on shelves.

“This can is incomparable, like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” said Pat McGauley, vice president of innovation for Anheuser-Busch. “The world’s most iconic beer brand deserves the world’s most unique and innovative can. I think we have it here.”

During SXSW, I attended several different panel discussions, and one of the most interesting looked at what it takes to create a ‘movement’ – and it seems the principles for creating a movement are essentially the same for tech entrepreneurs, musicians and brands alike.

So what does it take to get millions of people to listen, advocate and then act on what you have to say? And how do you ensure those people are the right people and the people that influence others?

The panel argued that it is first-and-foremost about getting the content right and then about packaging and distributing that content in the right way. As marketers, we already know this, but it’s interesting to look at both of these things a little more closely.

How do you go about creating the ‘right’ content to start a movement? Is it just about pure, creative spark? Something that’s more ‘art’ than ‘science’? Some thought so but others argued that having a great idea alone often isn’t enough. What is also important is to gain insights on who you are trying to reach, understand what makes them tick, what they’re into and what they’re talking about, and then leverage those insights to inform and shape a great idea and make it more effective. It seems the movement-building world could have something to learn from the marketing world.

And then on to packaging and distributing content in the right way – what is key here? Eli Pariser argued that success could simply come from the title you choose. He gave examples of how the same content received up to 20 times more hits with a different title. But beyond the title, it really is then about having a great understanding of your audience. Who are they? Where are they? What sites are they looking at? Who and where are the influencers who will share your content on your behalf?

But even more importantly than that, it’s about understanding the role of today’s consumer in broadcasting messages on behalf of musicians, activists and brands. Social media has empowered consumers, but it has also put more responsibility back on consumers to up the level of output in terms of culture. Consumers are realizing this and so are thinking harder about what they share and what they do. Therefore, giving consumers something that helps shape their own identity, along with that of the culture around them will become increasingly important.

So from Occupy Wall Street to the Harlem Shake, creating a movement really is about a magical mix of creative genius (the art bit) and having a deep understanding of your targets and the culture that surrounds them (the science bit).

Past the egg baubles that decked the trees’ white wicker branches, I meandered into a forest of fluffy chicks, cellophane-wrapped ducklings and fabric flowers in every sugary shade of pastel under the sun.  Poised on fairy-lit fortresses of patterned cupcake stands, flocks of chocolate sheep watched my every move with their big marshmallow eyes. Seriously, it was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds meets The Generation Game – complete with wobbly chicks instead of quivering blokes!

Either I’d mistakenly popped a caffeinated capsule in the coffee machine that morning (caffeine does strange things to me!) or I was met with today’s reality of Easter on the British high street – a carnivalesque fusion of Easter, Christmas and Halloween all wrapped into one big, bold “BUY ME!” bonanza.

Now, I love any excuse for a knees up and for me, Easter is a cherished family occasion, but the question that springs (pun totally intended) to mind is why are we being made to feel that a few chocolate eggs and a bunch of daffs from down the garden are no longer adequate Easter adornments?

It’s easy to condemn the high street for laying on such lavish spreads of occasion-inspired paraphernalia, but does our exhibitionist appetite for social approval have a part to play in this?

Think about it – some people can’t even make a cup of tea without deeming it a tantalizingly exciting experience, worthy of an approving audience and with a click of a camera phone, it’s live on Facebook, twitter and Instagram for all to ‘like’ and admire.

From the lifestyles we lead to the brands we buy into, our desire to showcase our lives and possessions has never been stronger. Therefore, when it comes to today’s OTT Easter offering, surely we can’t blame the high street for capitalising on human vanity gone platinum?

While we could put the increasing commercialisation of Easter down to basic greed on the part of the department stores, I think they’ve simply cottoned on to an opportunity being presented to them by consumers: consumers who can’t wait to exhibit their gaudy gingham displays in all their glory and who next year, will be flocking back for more because last year’s display was, “so last year darling!”

That said – in our house, we’ll continue to do what we’ve always done – good food, good company, good wine and not a wobbly chick (before the wine at least) in sight!

But it’s not the size, the cushy shareholder return percentage or the added chapter to the already bulging biographies of Buffet which are the interesting bit for me. Rather, it’s the statement about ‘value’ that this acquisition says to the rest of the world.

As Buffet has said, ‘It’s better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.’ I couldn’t agree more; it is the principle of genuine, substantiated value that encouraged me to first work within the branding industry. Jargon such as ‘added value’ and ‘value creators’ etc. litter our presentations and competitors’ names because they mean something within branding: brands aren’t about just a name and a logo, they’re about what a company stands for and its unique personality which people buy into when they purchase branded products or services.

Buffet has famously always stayed within the constraints of the mainstream as this is where he feels the money – the value – really lies. I couldn’t agree more; whilst the luxury sector is exciting and crucial for thought leadership and innovation, it’s the mainstream sector which really makes up a country’s culture.

I’m looking forward to seeing where Heinz goes next…it’s a special company whose value proposition and valued positioning in consumers’ minds are almost uniquely aligned, so to see where this injection of money and growth agenda will take it is exciting.

Ref: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21461779

I’m not alone. The latest frequency figures of skipping are as high as 80%, according to Mohamad Mourad, Regional Manager at Google.

An important caveat that Creatives may use to defend dragging ads straight from T.V or unfavorable skipping statistics is that YouTube only charges companies for ads that are watched for their entirety or for 30 seconds, whichever comes first.

I see two shortfalls in this attitude. Firstly it’s wasteful of an opportunity to make great ads that people actually choose to watch. More importantly though, I think a poorly crafted, pre-roll ad can actively work against its brand, even if it is skipped.

In a consumer world where advertising and branding are ideally seamless conduits between the consumer and their desired experience, a 30 second advert that entertains can be less intrusive than the 5 seconds of a crap ad that you are forced to watch. It is not unimaginable that people would acknowledge which Brands are adding to their enjoyment and which are just getting in the way, and adjust their perceptions of those Brands accordingly.

If the designing of the ad took into account that they can be, and often are, skipped as soon as the mouse allows, they could be tailored to generate intrigue or curiosity in the first 5 seconds. This could encourage viewers to resist the skip and offer some level of entertainment as the ad went on. Another thought I had was to play with the on screen presence of ‘skip this advertisement’ button. Annoyingly I found that the Government Environmental Care Agency in Chile had not only beat me to it, but done it to a dauntingly high standard. (They put their own button above ‘skip advertisement’ button called ‘skip behaviour’, which linked you to advice about how to have less of a carbon footprint).

Now the rest of you, stop getting in the way, even if it is for 5 seconds. Either enhance the YouTube experience or don’t be on it at all. It may not hurt financially to put up unimaginative pre-roll ads, but you may well suffer the wreath of eager Rihanna fans who will not appreciate the inconsiderate invasion of their YouTube experience by generic TV commercials with your logo plastered across it.

All the Middle Eastern and Asian airlines were doing incredible things, largest legroom in economy, USB sockets, in-air Wi-Fi, cabins in First Class. Innovations by the plane load. Where were the Brits?

Then British Airways announced their new (old) strategy ‘To fly. To serve’. I don’t remember it the first time around, but I do remember the days of BA’s straight backed, high class, proud position as ‘the British airline’ and I thought maybe they intended to recapture their glory days. I gave them another shot.

Immediately my perception changed. A flight back from New York after ‘snowmageddon’ and a completely empty economy section, the on board team offered us ‘three wishes’. We got headphones and champagne from Business Class. I won’t tell you what the third wish was! The on board team seemed to transform from a tired old guard to a smiling, more spritely bunch of concierges with their own actual personality. No request was too much trouble.

Since that time I have more or less become a completely loyal BA traveler and the service continues to improve and impress.

Now the question I have in my head is this, which came first, my belief in ‘To fly. To serve’ or an improvement in BA’s customer service? Did I give BA the benefit of the doubt, forgive them their misdemeanors (and there have certainly been many grumpy or less than helpful staff since their strategy shift) and focus only on the positive examples. Or did BA actually change their outlook and customer service so dramatically that it shifted my perception?

I have concluded that it doesn’t matter and the answer is most likely both. I am now a Gold card holder, an advocate and firmly loyal, I’m pretty sure that was their main objective.

What is clear is that a solid ‘believable’ brand strategy which has its roots in the heritage of the brand, but has a contemporary and relevant stance to it can work wonders for a brand. A strong strategy is not just about emotional connection or building a conversation, it’s about a statement of intent, ‘this is what I’m going to deliver to you and this is how it will make your life better’. It is critical to be absolutely clear to the consumer what your intent is, what you plan to deliver to them and then deliver it at every single tiny little touchpoint. In order to do this a brand cannot simply adopt a new brand template, pass it on to the ad’ agency and knock out a campaign. There must be a thorough brand engagement program for all internal teams and external partners. The people behind the brand deliver the brand, especially a service brand such as BA. The advert simply told me of their intent, but the BA staff made it real, they delivered it.

I’m on a mission to see how customer service brings to life a brand’s strategy. Well done BA, who’s next?