Social Should Complement, Not Replace

With Facebook's public stock offering taking center stage on Wall Street last week, the spotlight on social networking and media has intensified. While social may have established itself as a brand-building requirement, its role in the marketing channel mix will continue to be scrutinized and analyzed. And rightfully so. Many marketers have learned the hard way that social media platforms can't yet replace all other marketing channels. Instead of an either or strategy, smart Rainmakers know that social efforts should not represent a stand-alone solution, but rather be an integrated part of a broader strategy that leverages the scale and consistency of paid and owned media. A Facebook brand page, YouTube channel or blog illustrates a brand's willingness to communicate directly with consumers on their terms. That social interaction can help brands build consumer trust, differentiate themselves through emotional connections and leverage the loyalty of dedicated fans. But as we saw

Halloween's Facebook Stalker Dare

Halloween is less than two weeks away, but a social media-enabled interactive video application thrusts  viewers into a scene of a horror movie, where staying alive is much more difficult because the killer knows everything about you given that he has all the information on your own Facebook profile. The horror format is a great showcase for the potential of socially-enabled, seamlessly interactive video as entertainment and new platform or Rainmakers. Takethislollipop.com is an interactive online experience that brings viewers into the narrative via their Facebook profiles and takes "Facebook-stalking” to a literal level. After allowing the site access to your Facebook profile, users click on a blue lollipop to begin their horror experience. A mystery man’s dirty fingernails pound on a keyboard, it becomes clear what’s on the screen: a Facebook profile. Not just any profile, it’s the viewer’s very own. The next reveal arrives --the stalker has found the user’s location and is now looking at driving instructions. Slowly he reaches up and starts caressing the profile picture displayed onscreen. As the spooky soundtrack swells ever higher, he turns his head to face the viewer and a fiendish smile spreads across his face. The stalker is suddenly inside a car, racing down the road after YOU. This isn't the first social media-connected campaign that makes viewers a part of the story, but it's bound to be the scariest just in time for Halloween.