“App-vertisments” Engage Consumers, Creating “Social Brand Advocates”
NEW YORK – Buddy Media today released a new white paper entitled What Advertisers Need to Know About Branded Social Media Applications, which describes the development of branded social media applications, or “app-vertising”, and how companies can use this new form of advertising to build brands and drive sales.
“Over half a billion people worldwide regularly visit social networks,” said Michael Lazerow, CEO of Buddy Media. “And as we describe in the white paper, branded social media applications are the perfect way for brands to advertise on social networks, in that they provide deep levels of engagement, can be shared with others on the network and provide clear metrics on their success.”
What Makes a Successful App-vertisment?
Through its experience building successful app-vertisements for brands such as New Balance, InStyle and Anheuser-Busch, and from data culled from its BuddyBrain analytics tool, which provides advertisers and brand managers with accurate and accountable data on their social media app-vertising campaigns, Buddy Media has determined that there are five key factors that determine whether an app will break-out or go bust, which they classify as:
* Super Social Invites
* Status
* Visibility
* User Identify
* Benchmarks and Milestones
Applications which address these five factors have a much greater chance of creating “social brand loyalty” — the intense adoption of, commitment to and interaction with a brand in a social network. Such loyal social brand advocates do not just engage in a conversation with the company about their brand, but embrace the brand, and share their brand enthusiasm with others on their social network.
“Just as it is unreasonable to expect poorly conceived and executed Internet banner or keyword ads to work, so is it unreasonable to expect poorly conceived and executed branded social media applications to work,” said Lazerow. “However, when properly constructed, branded social media applications don’t just reinforce brand messages, but also engage consumers with the brand, evoke consumer emotion and provide measurable results.”
“Given this, and the fact that more and more people — from college students to grandmothers, high-level executives to blue collar workers — are spending time on social networks, using branded social media applications as part of one’s overall marketing strategy is no longer just an option for major brands– it is a necessity.”
About Buddy Media
In today’s social media world, every brand needs a Buddy. Buddy Media develops and promotes social app-vertising campaigns that increase engagement and interaction between people and brands. Some of the world’s largest brands, including AmEx, New Balance and Anheuser Busch, work with Buddy Media to create social brand loyalty. Based in NYC, Buddy Media is a privately held company backed by Softbank, European Founders Fund and GreyCroft partners amongst other investors.
