Facebook and Twitter challenge for direct marketing channel - Net.Matters - February 2010

In our second article focusing on social networking, more brands are looking to Facebook and Twitter to launch new products and increase brand awareness.  As reported in February's New Media Age, the likes of Unilever, O2 and IKEA have launched new products via Facebook and Twitter since December last year.  O2 offered free SIM cards via Facebook (data on the success of the campaign is not yet available), IKEA launched their iPhone app for the 2010 catalogue via Twitter and reported over 300,000 downloads, whilst Marmite are waiting to see if there is sufficient interest in their new cereal bar, currently promoted on Facebook .

Although it is too early to establish the success of campaigns via social networking sites, marketeers are optimistic and extol the virtues of prominent brands being able to engage directly with their customers. 

O2's senior online marketing manager, Anton Colton was quoted as saying:  “Social networks are a key channel for O2 Pay & Go.  We like the way Facebook lets us build two-way engagement with our prospective customers on their terms.  In a crowded market, innovation is key.  This is the first time we've tried sampling ads on Facebook but we're confident they will work well both for us and for people responding to the ads.”

Major brands are looking to reach their target audience in a direct and innovative way.  Virgin Media, Carlsberg and Vodafone are amongst the big names shifting budget to Facebook.  Analysts believe for the present time, it's more of a ‘suck it and see' situation, rather than Google's dominance being put to the test.  In reality, advertising budget will still be spread across all channels rather than be reallocated to either Facebook or Twitter.

Data from Nielsen demonstrates which social networking sites are the best to use depending on which age group you want to reach.  Here, in the UK, data recorded for December 2009 showed that Facebook still has a firm grip across all age groups with just over 23 million users visiting per month and continues to be the place on the web to get in touch.  YouTube comes in next with 17 million users.  Twitter comes in at a lowly 3.4 million users - but the percentage growth for 2008-09 is staggering across all the age groups: