ANA Digital & Social Media 2012

Summary
Discusses headline findings from the ANA's 2012 Digital and Social Media Survey and summarises presentations from American Licorice, the confectionery manufacturer, and Outfit7, the app company, on successful uses of social media. The ANA's research found that 70% of its members are now using new media to engage customers, but 62% of that group feel that the inability to measure the impact of digital was "a top concern". American Licorice used social media to compete on equal terms with rival brands with far bigger main media budgets, and managed to establish larger Facebook and Twitter fanbases. In the market of San Diego, it found that social media was more effective than TV at raising unaided brand awareness. Outfit7 describes the viral success it has found with its apps that feature animated cartoon animals. As a digital start up, it focuses on the principle of delivering instantaneous fun to consumers.

Summary
Describes the viral success of an online video by Corning, a global glass manufacturer that wanted to reposition itself away from its historical association with Pyrex glass cookware, a brand it sold 15 years ago. 'A Day Made of Glass… Made Possible by Corning' - which offers an engaging view of how the company's glass technologies and products could improve consumers' lives in the future - is nearing 20m views on YouTube. This success has been achieved despite Corning breaking several conventions of online video, namely: length (the film is over five minutes long), branding (the corporate logo is consistently present) and sector (only videos from B2C brands usually generate substantial sharing). The video's unexpected consumer traction required a multi-lingual response strategy from the company in order to answer the many queries it generated from fascinated viewers all around the world. Corning has since followed up with a second video, including an even longer 'unpacked' version with accompanying commentary.

Summary
Describes the launch and development of Smirnoff vodka's 'Nightlife' initiative, a global campaign driven by social media and experiential, night-clubbing events. Speaking at the ANA's Digital and Social Media Conference, Michelle Klein of Diageo said she wanted a campaign that went beyond 'click and share' to immerse consumers in the brand and actually drive sales. The 2010 launch saw consumers in 50 countries voting for their favourite local nightclub via social media, culminating in 14 national winners hosting an event featuring the best elements of their club in another country. In partnership with MTV networks, it generated 1.8 bn media impressions. In 2011, the campaign took a celebrity-led approach by creating a dance competition judged by Madonna. The 2012 campaign involves RFID-enabled wristbands to automatically post partygoers’ activities to a digital diary on Facebook during a specific night in November.

Summary
Pete Blackshaw, Nestlé's global head of digital and social media, discusses how the principles of the company's longstanding 'Brand Building the Nestlé Way’ program is being applied to digital and social channels. Speaking to an ANA conference, he describes how a number of the program's 'core success factors' translate into new-media opportunities. In this context, he also lists the key issues he faces as a global digital marketer in a decentralised company, such as: global vs local; gatekeeper vs enabler; and ROI vs intuition.