The "socialization" of marketing

Francois Rüf from Microsoft presented a "social" approach for companies in four phases at the Executive Circle Summit.FROM CHRISTOPH OGGENFUSS*Whether we like it or not, private and business matters are moving ever closer together. The now massive Internet penetration and the spread of smartphones are the drivers of this development. The proverbial "nine to five" workday has long since ceased to exist for most of us. On the one hand, we work longer hours anyway, and on the other, the time pattern is more like a patchwork than a strict separation of business vs. private life. The daily commute, for example, is a symbol of this task hopping. Quickly answering a private text message, checking the business e-mails, making a private call and consulting the online news in between - and all this via smartphone. "Social" - neither hype nor bubble but reality.For critics of the "social" phenomenon, Facebook's poor stock market start a few months ago was an obvious confirmation of the completely irrational overvaluation of this service and the underlying business model. It was also grist to the mill of all those who knew that the house of cards would soon collapse.Now, however, the reality today is clearly different. Not only has Facebook's stock price recovered perfectly, but the market valuations of Linkedin and Twitter are also rising steadily.The lived reality of consumers presents itself as follows:- 1.2 billion posts are circulated per day on Facebook and Twitter alone- 57% of the purchasing process is already completed before a company is contacted- 20% of social media users expect an answer to their inquiry within an hour- 44% of consumers complain via social mediaThese remarkable facts were presented and commented on by Francois Rüf at the beginning of December 2013 on the occasion of Microsoft's Executive Circle Summit in Zurich.It is thus not difficult to see that this change in consumer behavior will massively influence and change marketing, sales and service. That is, conversation via social media is increasingly influencing the buying process more than traditional tactics of sales and marketing."Social" is omnipresent: opportunity and danger at the same timeWith platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Xing, Linkedin and many others, social networks have penetrated deeply into our private and business lives. Sometimes too deeply, and then it's not always easy to withdraw. We are becoming increasingly aware of this danger.But what does this fact mean for individual companies from a consumer perspective? Standing aside or ignoring are neither viable options - what approaches are available?Social approach with four phasesFrancois Rüf from Microsoft recommends a specific approach here. In his opinion, social must be viewed against the backdrop of the business objectives and industry specifics must also be adequately taken into account. A social approach does not require a "jump start" but should be understood as an evolutionary process along a defined roadmap. He describes this path with four phases:1. Monitor: Social listening (e.g., by means of sentiment analysis) as a suitable start initiative2. Respond: Establish contacts with the important "social influencers "3. Amplify: Amplify positive signals, posts communicatively4. Lead: Establish a managed process with appropriate KPI's."Socialization" has already begunThe "socialization" of marketing has long since begun on the consumer side. It is therefore high time for companies to ask themselves what opportunities "social" offers in the areas of marketing, sales and service and how this can strengthen their competitive position in the long term. "Social" is not a department but a transversal initiative within the company and at the end of the day it must also deliver a viable business case.