Social Media & Brand Communication on the Net: New Reality in Social Relationships

No technical Innovation has Welt as changed as this in its recent history Internet. And a lot has happened since its development.

The triumphant advance of the Internet

It is not too long ago that the scientist Tim Berners-Lee at the CERN nuclear research center in Geneva developed the page description language HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and the associated transfer protocol HTTP (web server) for a new PC user interface (web browser) and thus the initial data exchange has brought its most powerful application on the Internet: the World Wide Web. Quite in Sinn future open-source applications, he presented his invention, which dates back to around 1990, to science and Economy available without monetary claims. Otherwise one can well imagine that he would probably become one of the richest People the world would have become. At the Frankfurt Book Fair, the news magazine Der Spiegel its public online presence on October 25, 1994. At that time one of the first in Germany.13 By the end of 2012, around 230 million Internet domains had been registered worldwide - this corresponds to around 120.000 new domain registrations per day.

The team of authors Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls and David Weinberger already gave a visionary description of the fundamental paradigm shift, the triumph of the World Wide Web, in a blog in 1999 at the height of the New Economy: »The Cluetrain Manifesto. 95 theses for the new corporate culture in the digital age.« The number of theses was based on the 95 theses of the reformer Martin Luther, which he pinned to the portal of the Castle Church in Wittenberg in 1517. Levine et al. call for a new relationship and language between business and customers. The Internet ushered in an age of dialogue, allowing customers for the first time to eye level to communicate with people in the company.

The Cluetrain Manifesto

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Also from today Perspektive It is worth taking a look at the 95 theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto. Seven selected statements are intended to make it clear how up-to-date these are:

• "Markets are conversations." (1st thesis)
• “The people in the networked markets have found that they get much better information and more support from each other than from the dealers and salespeople. So much for entrepreneurial rhetoric about the added value of their goods. «(11th thesis)
•  “In just a few years, the now homogenized› voice ‹of business life - the sound of mission statements and company brochures - will sound as artificial and artificial as the language at the French court in the 18th century.
• “Brand loyalty is the corporate version of a relationship. But the separation is coming - and soon. In networked markets, relationships are terminated and renegotiated with breathtaking speed. "(30th thesis)
• “You want us to pay? Then you'd better pay us your attention. "(78th thesis)
• “When we are not your“ target group ”, many of us are your employees. We'd rather talk to friends online than check the time clock. That would make your name known faster than any fancy website. But you tell us that talking to the market is a matter of marketing. "(86th thesis)
• “We wake up and connect with each other. We observe. But we will not wait. "(95th thesis)

A few years after the publication of the Cluetrain Manifesto by Levine et al. was a Term coined, which was long considered a synonym for the change caused by the Internet and progress in general: »Web 2.0« or the addition »2.0«. First published in 2003 by Eric Knorr, editor-in-chief of the American IDG magazine InfoWorld Article Published "2004 - The Year of Web Services", the catchphrase Web 2.0 achieved its worldwide breakthrough with the conference of the same name from 2005 by the organizer and publisher Tim O'Reilly and his article "What is Web 2.0" in September 2005.

The social web

Numerous publications have since appeared on this phenomenon and its effects on people, brands and the media. In science, the term “social web” has established itself instead of “web 2.0”, which means the following: According to Ebersbach et al. (2011, p. 35) from:

»(In the sense of the WWW) web-based applications that enable people to exchange information, build relationships and maintain them Communication and support collaborative collaboration in a social or community context, as well as the data that is generated and the relationships between people who use these applications. "

In essence, it is about new communication and benefit potential. They arise from the networking of people and their collaborative work through the World Wide Web. An early description of this development can be found in the volume Der, published in 1996 Ascent the network society of Manuel Castells. The brands Amazon, Apple and Google already mentioned in this book recognized the new design options on the web, such as independent creation, sharing and evaluation, early on and took advantage of them in their further expansion strategy. Founded on February 4, 2004, the social network Facebook and the video sharing community YouTube, launched on February 14, 2005, should continue to stimulate this trend.

The share economy - »rent instead of buy«

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"My house, my car, my boat" - many will still remember the Sparkasse commercial. Broadcast in the spring of 2008, it marked a high point, which with the looming global economic crisis in autumn 2008 and from today's perspective is not without a certain comedy. The status symbols of yore seem to have lost their radiance. How could this happen? Was it people's doubts about the global banking and financial system or even the question of how social is the social market economy? The latter cannot and should not be discussed further here. The triumphant advance of the social web has undoubtedly brought about a new understanding of transparency and a new culture of sharing, which have contributed to the current change in values. Topics and discussions that were previously reserved for 1: 1 conversations are now often negotiated in public on social media. A decisive change can be seen in the fact that today it is less about owning and more about using it. Away from ownership, towards temporary availability. Towards more little pleasures that I can afford here and now. Accelerated digitization spiegelt is also reflected in the trend towards accelerated consumption:

More and more often we need a new kick, a new consumer experience - and that is now just a click away. "The desire for property" has brought companies like Apple with its iTunes media platform fantastic returns over the years. Today it is foreseeable that many of these closed systems (so-called walled gardens) are no longer up-to-date and that flat-rate providers such as Spotify or Watchever will take their place. Why? Quite simply because they make a huge selection of music or films available at attractive conditions. Your customers can use them when they want, where they want and, above all, with which device they want. Apple also responded and launched the iTunes Radio music streaming service in June 2013.

The driver of the next few years

Renting instead of buying will be a major driver in the coming years. Hardly one Industry will be able to avoid it. The development is by no means limited to digital goods: Sharing platforms and services of all kinds are currently experiencing a real boom. Disregarded as a niche just a few years ago, three percent of the German population use CarSharing. According to the German CarSharing Association, around 343 vehicles are available on demand in 6.700 German cities and communities. A CarSharing car can replace six to ten normal cars. In addition to aspects such as protecting the environment and resources, CarSharing offers the advantage of almost constant availability, billing to the minute and many new forms of use (parking service at the airport, minibuses, hourly packages). More and more people are enthusiastic about such models. For example, when we need to lend each other tools. Because the entire service life of a drill is just 13 minutes.20 Certainly one reason why hardware stores now also have a comprehensive range of technical equipment for rent on site and via Online offer portals.

On the occasion of the high-tech trade fair CeBIT, the Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media eV (BITKOM) published a study on the share economy. Accordingly, the social web creates a culture of sharing, in which 83 percent of all Internet users contribute. In the age group of 14 to 29 year olds even 97 percent. Internet users prefer to share links (57 percent), their own photos (44 percent), experiences with products and services (44 percent), their own texts (29 percent) and their own videos (15 percent). Sharing services such as bike sharing (9 percent), file sharing sites (9 percent), car sharing (3 percent) and couch surfing (2 percent) are used most frequently. Couchsurfing - what was that again? The term describes online platforms and housing offers from private individuals who offer members of the community free accommodation. Commercial providers have also discovered this new business area for themselves: Airbnb, founded in San Francisco in 2008, claims to be the world's best-known and largest community marketplace for the brokerage of paid, private accommodation. In numbers, that means more than ten million booked nights in 192 countries and 33.000 cities.

Experience unforgettable stories

One essential aspect is often neglected in such considerations. It's not just about the issue of availability instead of purchase. No. For many people, an invaluable added value in the culture of sharing is that they experience unforgettable stories. For some people, it's less about the 50 euros they can collect from a couple from the Middle East for a private overnight stay and more about getting to know both of them personally. Experiences and assessments from first Hand to experience. Driving a convertible for fifteen minutes on the first warm sunny day in March – a great feeling and a lot of fun that only cost 4,35 euros.

Or the first, probably unforgettable, ride in an electric car – already a reality for many CarSharing users. All experiences and topics that people in their circle of friends and acquaintances like to share online and offline. A collective movement also contributed to the »Allgemeine Deutsche Arbeiterverein« being founded in Leipzig in 1863 – the birth of social democracy. What once began as a movement celebrated its 2013th anniversary in May 150, the SPD. Likewise, the digital Revolution new social and networked thinking, social upheavals and even new parties in Germany for a short time, such as the Pirate Party.

In any case, the share economy has great potential for new business and service models. Brands and brand managers should therefore not only adapt to the culture of sharing, but also use it in the sense of a long-term successful businessBrand help shape In an interview on http://www.lets-share.de The Swiss trend researcher Karin Frick even sees the high point of the share economy as “when we need something new, we first ask where we can borrow, share or swap what we want. We only buy when we can't find someone to share with us. "

Brand communication in networked communities: getting all employees on board

The social web is not hype and not a passing phenomenon. The market value of the 30 most valuable social media brands speaks for this. German companies are also living this trend: most of them are already using social platforms. »Trust is the beginning of everything« was the slogan of a large German bank. Certainly, this statement should be so fast don't change anything, but no brand, no matter how strong, usually enjoys such a high level of trust as your own Family, own friends and acquaintances. Many studies have shown recommendations from the personal network and online reviews from consumers to practice have the greatest influence on the purchase decision.

Trust in brands is always strongest when they keep what they promise. Only then do they even have the chance to become an accepted and, in the best case, popular we brand. These favorite brands are liked, commented on and, of course, gladly recommended by consumers online. This should be active and free of charge referral marketing Objective be of any brand: the Customer or potential customer becomes a credible advocate, multiplier and even a defender of the brand and its messages.

When asked: How many colleagues does he have in his Team available to run the social media activities at Audi AG," Hans-Peter Kleebinder, Head of Social Media, replied during his presentation at the W&V Future Days specialist event: "Eight permanent employees. In principle, however, it is all 63.000 Employees of Audi AG worldwide.«

uniebook and YouTube

uniebook is considered the social network par excellence. Founded in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, the world's largest online community has experienced an unbroken trend in recent years growth of registrations. This shows that when people are online, they spend most of their time on social media networks. But what is a facebook-Worth a Like? The TU Darmstadt investigated this much-discussed question in a study. Accordingly, 300 “likes” mean 6 cents more Turnover for an online retailer. The recommendations apparently take away the initial uncertainty. The purchase probability increases by 22 percent.

YouTube is the synonym for »video watching« on the net. Since it was launched on February 14, 2005, what is by far the largest video platform in the world has been delivering new record numbers. As early as October 2006, the then completely loss-making social community (and positioned without a clear business model) was taken over by Google for 1,65 billion US dollars. Today's value of $24 billion leaves not only that critic from once silent. In one month, German Internet and mobile phone users alone consume an average of 175 videos or 1.271 minutes of video content. That's the equivalent of around five online videos with a running time of 42 minutes per day. The use of online videos offers many opportunities and advantages for companies and brands. Above all, complex content and messages can be conveyed in an emotional and attention-grabbing way. Online videos reach large masses, can have viral effects30 and drive traffic to corporate websites. The mere integration of a video into a website (including suitable keywords or tags) increases the chance of being listed on one of the first pages in the Google search engine by a factor of 50. By the way, after Google, YouTube is the second largest search platform in the world. Most large and internationally active brands are now represented on YouTube in the form of a so-called brand channel.

The audio-visualization of communication - Red Bull or how brands become media brands

Who does not know it - the legendary jump by Felix Baumgartner. A world record is not only the height of fall of 39 kilometers, but also the breakthrough of the sound barrier with a speed of 1.342 kilometers per hour in the Guinness Book of Records. The Red Bull brand was also spurred on by this: Almost every television station worldwide reported on the spectacle. The global media coverage should therefore have been worth several hundred million euros. The main video was viewed over 32 million times on YouTube alone. All of the Red Bull videos from Baumgartner's jump together received around 67 million views.

So it's no wonder that Red Bull has for years seen itself less as a drinks manufacturer than as a media company and, for example, has a network of correspondents in 160 countries. The Red Bull Media House covers all channels: from classic TV to print and social media. Especially the audiovisual media in connection with event reporting have an exposed position in the media mix of the Company a. With Servus TV, Red Bull operates its own private television station with a full program in German-speaking countries. And for those who just can't get enough of the world of experience of »Hiring Wings«, Red Bull Web TV is a comprehensive online video program available anytime and anywhere (network access required). Red Bull is a primus inter pares and not only a role model with its social web activities, but also a benchmark for almost all seven attributes of a we brand. Nevertheless, a critical discussion should not be missing. Red Bull, as the initiator, sponsor and marketer of extreme sports, is moving in a border area that undoubtedly offers many (positioning) opportunities, but also enormous risks and thus involves increased social responsibility. There is no need for a 50 million euro project budget like Baumgartner's leap, even with manageable means a targeted content marketing strategy can achieve a lot. Almost every brand has exciting content and stories. The key question is rather: How do these have to be prepared in order to captivate?

Krones - B2B marketing with social media

The least should Company Krones to be a household name. But most have the products in their hands more or less every day. The medium-sized company from Neutraubling in the Upper Palatinate is the world market leader in the manufacture of facilities for filling and packaging beverages and liquid foods in PET and glass bottles and beverage cans. As for many highly specialized B2B companies, there is a major challenge in the international Marketing-Communication and especially in the national recruitment of qualified personnel. Krones AG recognized the potential of the social web early on and has since developed into a benchmark in this area for many B2B companies. A comprehensive web TV service was launched on the Krones website back in the summer of 2008. On February 9, 2010, YouTube joined in the form of a so-called brand channel.

By June 2013, Krones AG had achieved around 1 million video views there. The individual videos are clicked on an average of over 1.000 times. As a reminder: Krones is not a lifestyle brand like Coca-Cola or Red Bull, just a manufacturer that supplies the global beverage industry with filling systems. Anyone who thinks that a machine manufacturer's videos can only be "conservative" should take a look at Krones' YouTube channel. One focus is on the authentic portrayal of people, their personal stories, which they connect with their employer. The Facebook-The presence of Krones shows how products and services that are supposed to be less emotional can very well be presented in an eye-catching way. Over 120.000 users have access to the Krones profile on Facebook connected via the "Like" button. Many albums, pictures and videos invite you to discover the world of Krones. There are sections like QuizSpiele, a Career– and a trainee blog. And - it's human! It's less about technical achievements and more about letting people who see themselves as part of the global Krones community have their say.

This fits if the Facebook-The Krones editorial team said goodbye to the weekend with a picture of colleagues toasting. On the Facebook-Page of Krones are current Jobs to find that via sharing button in own facebooknetwork can be posted and forwarded. The Success of the subjectebook- or the entire social web commitment of Krones AG is reflected not only in a lively community that actively contributes comments, but also in the fact that Krones is one of the top 100 employers in the field of engineering for graduates & Young Professionals counts in Germany. Krones shares 81st place with companies such as Microsoft, Miele, Sony and Unilever.

Brand management and trends in the social web - the connection between people, brands and media

In times of ever shorter innovation and market cycles, the changed framework conditions caused by the social web represent a major challenge for brands and those responsible for brands. The spreading digitization and networking are both - a phenomenon and a driver - in a rapidly changing world of media and communication. In order to be successful in the long term, brands have to initiate offers that, on the one hand, link the different digital channels across platforms and, on the other hand, ensure continuous dialogue with stakeholders. Only those who think and act in a network can benefit from the changed recipient and consumer habits in the long term.

Particular attention is paid to videos: over 90 percent of the data volume on the Internet now consists of video files. That alone doesn't say much, but it is an indicator. Online video or moving image in all its forms is inexorably becoming the central medium of Information and communication of people and brands. Everyone will make video. Video screens will be everywhere, whether in the headrest of a taxi, in the queue, as an instruction manual in the vacuum cleaner, on t-shirts or as an interactive application in sales rooms. Huge glass fronts will transform into multimedia projection surfaces when you touch them. At home, roller blinds and shutters are relics of bygone days: one click is all it takes for the smartphone to control whether a window should be completely darkened or whether the sunset over the sea can peak into your living room. Just like the audio visualization of the Society progresses, the audiovisual staging of brands will also progress inexorably.

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