Never underestimate the power of social media

We all know that tapping into social media chatter can give great insight into what consumers are saying about a brand, while also opening up an avenue for dialogue. But it’s easy to forget that the online actions of even a few individuals can lead to a story (and brand impact!) far beyond what’s expected.

Coca-Cola strikes social media gold

Some companies are fortunate enough to have enthusiastic, brand-loyal consumers that will go out of their way to promote the company. A perfect example is Coca-Cola, whose sizeable fan page following garnered media coverage in late March. With over 3.3 million fans, Coca-Cola has the second most popular fan page on Facebook—only second to President Barack Obama! Even more interesting is that this fan page wasn’t part of any marketing efforts on Coke’s behalf; the page was created by two individuals without any company-sponsored involvement whatsoever.

Though Coke recently partnered with the creators to manage the site (as mandated by Facebook), company executives were smart enough to realize that if the page felt corporate, they would likely lose fans that were drawn there in the first place. “We don’t necessarily think a fan club should be owned by the company but rather more by the fans,” said Michael Donnelly, Coca-Cola director of worldwide interactive marketing.

The solution? Coke retained the two original creators (or “admins”) of the site to manage it. While it’s evident that Coca-Cola made the right decision by choosing to have minimal involvement with the fan page, I don’t think anyone—even the two fans who created it—could have ever predicted that the site would reach such high-profile status.

Always remember the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared!

Even though some companies have benefited tremendously from social media, negative buzz about your company in the social media space can generate a PR crisis quicker than you’d expect. This week’s Amazon sales ranking fiasco originated from consumer buzz on Twitter. Now, it’s a hot topic in all forms of media, with Tweeters and bloggers referring to it with the term “AmazonFail”. So while companies should remember that a few negative comments online are almost always inevitable, it’s critical to be aware of them and be prepared with a plan of action should they lead to a crisis situation.