Twitter, in collaboration with Publicis, realized a study through which they try to assess how online chat about brands can help sell or promote their products.
Of course, Twitter would like to empirically prove to potential advertisers and brands that discussion on the platform drives sales these days. Such studies are just one of the many signs that the platform uses as a way to shout “I can make you a lot of money, please listen to me!” Being mean to Twitter aside, fellow social media site Publicis appears to benefit greatly in the same way. Firms like Publicis are built around the premise of providing brands with marketing action plans and such. In such a fast-paced technological world, where competition feels almost instantaneous, wouldn’t it be nice to have a company that takes care of all that pesky modernization for you? Well, Publicis would have you believe so; I mean hey, if Wendy’s Twitter account was a massive PR success, then maybe an entire firm dedicated to such results can do better.
Our marketing prodigies surveyed approximately 9,600 consumers who regularly use social media across the US, UK, India and Mexico. These are generally considered to be countries with high consumer populations, as well as those with extensive use of social media. The study, titled #LetsTalkShop (ugh), attempts to envision social media as the evolution of review sites. Why would anyone rely on anonymous, lengthy Yelp reviews when friends and close acquaintances can also vouch for a product? 92% of survey participants stated that they actively keep an eye out for comments about certain brands and products on social media. Furthermore, brand image can also be greatly influenced by such platforms: 68% of the sample population felt that their opinions change about certain brands after witnessing or eliciting online discourse about them.
What I find a little amusing about the report is how the data that does not support the social media position is unsuccessfully accommodated. For example, 35% of the population state that social media opinions are more important than review sites, 44% argue the opposite, and 21% agree that both are equally important. That seems like a clear win for review sites, right? Well, the data is presented in such a way that the 35% and 21% are framed together in yellow boxes, while the 44% is pushed to the side in a gray box, trying to visually merge the thoughtless individuals with society. media ones. As if no one would catch them in the cover; then again, who knows with social media?
Finally, while this may seem like an obvious enough point to make, it’s still important: Twitter and Publicis conclude that positive discourse is more memorable than negative discussion. Twitter is a pretty negative space as it is, what with the neo-Nazis and anti-vaxxers running around. A brand can do very well on the platform if it creates positive experiences and a healthy self-image for users.
Read more: Twitter tests new ‘Alt Text’ accessibility feature that helps blind users understand tweets
