UK marketers admit falling behind social media trends
McCann Erickson Bristol Launches Social Media Index for UK Businesses
The McCann Erickson UK Social Media survey conducted by the global agency’s Bristol office shows that whilst 86% of those that took part in the survey acknowledge social media is now here to stay and is not just a fad. Almost half (46%) of the senior marketing professionals that responded admit their companies’ IT department proactively blocks access to popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter – rendering them incapable of effectively monitoring what is being said about their brands. Those that do have access cited Facebook and Twitter as the top two most used social networking sites in the McCann Erickson Social Media index (table 1.0).
Commenting on the study, Joanna Randall head of PR at McCann Erickson Bristol, said: “There is a real thirst for information and knowledge on the subject of social media which is constantly evolving – making it hard to keep up with the latest trends. We have established this report as part of an ongoing study into usage and attitude, run through our specialist SoMe (Social Media) unit.
“This study highlights that some of the UK’s major businesses are ignoring social media channels – but they do so at their peril. Word of mouth is now more powerful than ever; opinions can be shared with a global audience at the click of a button; we all have the ability to influence, both positively and negatively, and therefore as marketing professionals we should be considering how best to harness the power of social media.”
Who we work for
We are happy to work with brand owners and direct with agencies. We're equally happy listen out for your brand as well as your competitors, after all you'll want to gain a competitive advantage if there is one to be had ... wouldn't you?Working with Agencies
As custodians of the clients brand its essential in developing an advertising and marketing strategy you are aware of what's happening in the market place.Whether you are an account handler or a planner it will be part of your remit to know as much about the client's brand as possible. From our conversations with many agencies this is great in theory but getting the resource to handle listening on a regular basis is a tough call. We'll take the pressure off and make sure you have the most up to date information and give you essential information that will help you keep one step ahead of the game. You'll have summary information available to you at anytime for a scheduled or impromptu client meeting.
The listening post will tailor a service for your clients. We'll make sure your agency is fully briefed on a regular basis as well as providing you with additional metrics you will be able to use.
Working with Clients
Some of our clients are brand owners and want to have direct influence on the listening process. They may also wish to extend the number of related key brand searches to include competitive data as well.Our remit in both cases is to provide up to date and relevant listening data. We work best with clients with whom we can share a common vision and believe that the web is truly a place to do business.
The most cost effective solution
Chances are you don't have the resource to listen in-house and the cost of employing someone just for that task isn't going to come cheap. What's more conversations happen 24/7 365 days a year so you need to be on the case everyday, its not 'we'll do a bit of listening on a Monday.' Listening regularly alerts you to what's happening now, enable to you to feel the pulse of you customers and build a complete picture of what is happening with your company or brand on-lineWe can tailor a package of listening to suit your budget and we'll report back to you with everything we have found on a regular basis - The good, the bad and the down right inspired.