Social Media's Dueling Roles in Marketing

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http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/Demystifying_social_media_2958

The article above discussed the expanding role of social media in marketing. Interestingly, it argues that monitoring (and responding to) what people are saying about a brand are the most important roles of social media. Quashing erroneous reports and dealing with negative publicity that trend viral are of utmost importance in a 24/7 news (or twitter) cycle.  While social media campaigns can be used to drive sales, as we’ve seen successfully with the Ford Fiesta and Old Spice marketing campaigns which went viral and reached millions of potential customers, the primary value proposition for most companies seems to be in the ability to engage immediately with customers and shape the dialogue surrounding a brand or product. Although many marketers may wish to focus on generating pro-active marketing campaigns, significant value lies in social media’s ability to be immediately reactive—a perspective that often seems overlooked or misunderstood by many a marketing department.