Social media is a tool – not a destination, said Jeffrey Hayzlett, author and former CMO of Kodak, during the closing keynote at the DMA:2010 Conference & Exhibition on October 13.
The discussion was on the business of social media.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, emphasized that it is a medium “completely focused on participation.”
Yet many marketers have not taken steps to understand what messaging consumers want.
“There are too many [marketing] tactics,” said Gary Vaynerchuck, author of Crush It. “Marketers need to realize that consumers’ bullshit radars are [pretty strong].”
He added that the ability to search conversations through digital platforms, allowing businesses to talk to consumers directly, has presented a tremendous opportunity for marketers that they may be missing out on.
Hayzlett noted that brands must be “radically transparent” to be effective.
Marian Salzman, president of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, said the ability to have “human billboards” will serve brands well by using consumers who are naturally talking about their products.
Twitter’s Dorsey said companies must become better editors “to have a more cohesive narrative of their products and services.”
He also highlighted that social media is no longer an experiment. “[Brands] are getting value from it.”
Though Hayzlett said while he was CMO at Kodak, the company gained value from mining data the company gathered.
“Marketing is about to get harder, with so many more places to [advertise and communicate in],” said Vaynerchuck.
