The Future of Branding on Social Networks?
So, fairly frequently a client asks me “What’s cool?” (Anyone who knew me in high school would be highly amused to learn that I’m never asked that question) Admittedly, my gut instinct is to ask them if they’d seen “Dexter” or “The Wire” yet. I then realize it’s a work-related conversation, so I deduce (by thinking) that what they’re really after is actually, “What’s next in the digital space?”
So, what exactly is cool? Now, admittedly I’m no Ashton Kutcher, but for the immediate future, one of my answers is SocialVibe. And here’s why: their model just may revolutionize the way brands show up on social networks; the way consumers interact with brands; and, the way social networks make revenue (I know this last point may seem like blasphemy to some of you purists who think “eyeballs” are as good as money, but the VC well will run dry at some point and companies are going to need to make more than they spend).
First, for those of you that haven’t heard of them, here’s a little SocialVibe “about us”. And, seeing as how I’m incredibly lazy, here’s how paidcontent.org describes them: “SocialVibe lets users choose a cause to support and then a brand to “sponsor” them, from biggies like Coca-Cola, to indies like apparel-maker Sub Urban Riot. They post a branded badge to their social media profile and the sponsor donates to the cause according to the number of views it gets. Users can choose multiple causes and sponsors, and the badges work across nets like Facebook, MySpace; with integration into WordPress and IM clients like AIM coming down the pike.”
Nothing complex, but incredibly brilliant none the less. And, the reason I think so can be summed up by this: everybody plays, everybody wins. It’s a win-win-win-win (for those of you keeping track at home, that’s four more wins than the Detroit Lions put up this season). Here’s how:
- Individuals “win” because they get to control what brands they are associated with while getting the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with helping out a good cause. It’s no surprise that this site is gaining traction with teenagers, as it’s been well documented that teens “value the environment, and buy from socially responsible companies” (http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=57341).
- Brand’s “win” because they not only get to be associated with an individual’s favorite cause (in that individual’s mind), but they get in invite into the social media party/conversation. It’s as if the individual is saying, not only do “I support this cause”, but I also “support this brand”. How powerful is that for the brand’s credibility and their relationship with their consumers? Beats the crap outta some banner on the right hand nav. I guarantee it. I mean, it’s as if the brand got their Evite to the “social media party”, they showed up on time with a bottle of wine or a case of beer, they were charming, and now the host and guests are loving that they’re there.
- Charities “win” because they… well… because they get some much needed cash.
- SocialVibe “wins” because it’s only fair that they should take a nominal piece of the cash pie for facilitating this program (this piece is evidently coming soon, as I believe all the money currently goes directly to the charity). To be honest though, I am left with one nagging question: what happens when Facebook (or Myspace) replicates this offering and uses the power of their 280 billion users (and their countless brand relationships) to make SocialVibe obsolete. Hopefully that doesn’t happen, but in that case, Facebook finally has a revenue stream so they then get the “win”.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts @jack2point0
Tags: Facebook, Myspace, non-profit, social community, Social Media, social vibe
