THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING ON A BRAND

The era of social networking is right before our eyes, have we made the best of it? if not, now is the time to act on making it a useful media, or even an internet-powered strategic business tool.

Nowadays social networking has become a part of our daily lives. Not a day goes by without accessing Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkedln, etc. Who doesn't have a Facebook account? Old and young, even kids; rich businessmen to streetside hawkers. The point is that every social group is in this social network. Having said this, is society aware of the power of these social networks as a tool for supporting their brands?

Social networks are now more than a media for friendship,- they are a profitable business landscape. There are many giant brand owners who use social networks to facilitate their business: Starbucks, Sour Sally, Walls (Magnum), Coca-Cola, and BlackBerry, to name just a few.

Let's examine one successful brand that inevitably profits from utilizing social networks; Starbucks. Simply a coffee product that everyone can find anywhere, Starbucks has built a world-wide business empire and become a prominent global brand. Many people are of the opinion that their coffee is not cheap. By spending a small handful of Rupiah in change, a person could enjoy a tasty cup of coffee, but it takes several Rupiah notes to afford a cup of Starbucks. How could that be? Starbucks definitely has a strong brand platform with the power to stick in the global mind. But the fact is, Starbucks is inevitably practicing the trend of social network marketing to reinforce its business empire. Just check out their website, presenting everything related to their products in an informative and interesting way. Next, Starbucks also has their own Twitter and Facebook to reach their global fans. This has made them globally popular in an easy, fast and effective way.

There are reasons why social networks can empower a brand. Firstly, the need for social networking is a basic human need. Humans are biologically configured to socialize; hence humans are social beings that can not live alone. Secondly, the rapid and easy spread of social networks has made them a main engine to build a brand. Social media is combining aspects of the virtual world; online products and services, such as blog, discussion forum, email, and website. Anything communicated through it will have a special effect because of its technology- based development, and 'interactive mode’ that delivers texts, images, pictures, and audio-visuals in a manner which is unrestricted and directly accessible.

Finally, it remains to be said that to build a powerful brand is not only about social networks. The brand should differentiate itself amidst tight competition. To differentiate is to discover the essence / soul of the brand and then apply and translate this into attractive visuals.

After that, it is communicated and channeled through social networks (as one of the tools) that will speed up and support the brand's marketing through the fast-lane.