"Social media is no longer an experiment. It has arrived as an important media category deserving of a major role in marketing plans targeting mainstream and leading consumers alike. Social media is powerful because users are blurring the distinction between they relate to friends and brands, creating powerful new opportunities for brands to create uniquely close relationships with those how buy them.The era of consuming is over. The era of sharing had begun in earnest. Social media is the new mainstream."
Source: OgivlyOne: Frands: Friends, Brands and Social Media in China
Reccommended summer reading for colleagues and practitioners who want to know more about the marketing of the future. Frand is a brand in the friends list of the social networking site. Increasingly important to have your brands in such lists:
How else do Chinese consumers (and for all intents and purposes all consumers) interact with their Frands? According to the above report:
- 71% are watching commercials on video sharing sites
- 51% are downloading branded applications to their phones
- 33% post product or brand reviews
- 21% are making and sharing videos about products or brands.
