Tessa Barrera

INTERVIEW: Marketing in the UK: Learning from Social Marketing's Evolution

Social media is still young and limited in its capabilities for marketers. First, there are only three major players. Whenever I am asked by clients to formulate a social media strategy, I know what they’re really asking is, “What should I do with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube?” Each platform, even with Facebook’s regular innovations and Twitter’s new redesign, has distinctive strengths and weaknesses. But each also has a limited range of uses.

Crowd sourcing is a dangerous game. It puts an incredible amount of power in the hands of the community. This can go two ways. It encourages avid participation and can be both fun and gratifying for users. But it also puts the brand or site at the mercy of a potentially unhinged pack mentality. We all know how courageous people can be when separated from the fray by a screen name.

Twitter allows fans to personally connect with celebrity and company brands they love. But the social media effort is only a brand builder if the feed retains a sense of authenticity.

Managing communities, including comments sections, is a valuable art—it requires sensitivity, leadership and strong communication skills. But some of the most prominent community managers are automated or act like they are.

Moms make up 29.5% of all iPhone users, and 96.2% of moms who own iPhones are involved in household purchase decisions. They are a valuable share of the iPhone market. However the iPhone apps marketed to moms based on an inaccurate user model. The industry assumes moms are using their iPhones for entertainment or as a tool to distract their child—assumptions seemingly founded on gender stereotypes. Moms actually use the iPhone to stay connected to important people and find solutions to their… Show more

Moms make up 29.5% of all iPhone users, and 96.2% of moms who own iPhones are involved in household purchase decisions. They are a valuable share of the iPhone market. However the iPhone apps marketed to moms based on an inaccurate user model. The industry assumes moms are using their iPhones for entertainment or as a tool to distract their child—assumptions seemingly founded on gender stereotypes. Moms actually use the iPhone to stay connected to important people and find solutions to their daily needs. As a result, there is a great opportunity for businesses to better address moms and ultimately harness the buying power of this market. Show less

Flash forward to the present, and after two years with the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) and having watched approximately 4,200 direct response television advertisements, monitored 4,000 web/e-mail marketing campaigns and even witnessed the birth of cell phone advertising, I have a confession to make. Although Brandweek magazine called me the “Infomercial Queen” the truth is, like the wizard, I’m nothing amazing. I’m simply just an every day girl behind the curtain, or in… Show more

Flash forward to the present, and after two years with the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) and having watched approximately 4,200 direct response television advertisements, monitored 4,000 web/e-mail marketing campaigns and even witnessed the birth of cell phone advertising, I have a confession to make. Although Brandweek magazine called me the “Infomercial Queen” the truth is, like the wizard, I’m nothing amazing. I’m simply just an every day girl behind the curtain, or in front of a television set and computer, pedestrian in every way. Like everyone else, I’m just a normal consumer, but an observant one, who in two magical years with ERSP has learned several very important lessons about the direct response industry. Show less