The Future of Social Marketing

In 2008 if you aren’t participating in Social Marketing in some facet, then you are severely in need of help. The marketing landscape is ever changing and increasingly difficult to navigate, but Social Networking is here to stay… and has been for a while.

What’s still to be determined however, is the role that marketers will play moving forward. Unfortunately a lot of marketers are uneducated about the rules and etiquette associated with conducting themselves in a Social Marketing environment, and sort of ruin it for everyone.

Remember when you were a kid and your mom always used to say “honesty is the best policy”, well that little piece of wisdom is also true when marketing in a web 2.0 world. Lying, deceiving, or concealing information from smart net citizens is a bad move and could do some serious damage to your brand.

So instead of risking it… If you’re not really sure, hire someone who is (like me, or some other social marketing consultant). It will pay off in the long run and ensure the long term success of social marketing.

Menage a Trois Anybody?

It’s really too bad that more wineries aren’t doing this sort of marketing. The microsite “Flirt With It” allows you to send an e-card to a friend. The e-cards are sort of witty and fun including one that says “Congratulations on your baby, Please don’t make me hold it”.

This campaign is effective on a couple of different levels. Firstly, it connects with a younger demographic, something that a lot of Wineries shy away from. They like to be distinguished and classy, by appearing stuffy… But stuffy isn’t $12 a bottle.

The other thing I thought this campaign did really well is address the multi-grape blend. This wine (appropriately named Menage a Trois) is actually a combination of three different grapes, which a lot of wine drinkers snub their noses at.

So good for you Folie & Deux for managing to be hip, witty, and edgy all at once.