On the occasion of Social Media Day 2022, Saurabh Chandekar, Founder of Aaiba Design Studio, in an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, speaks about how Social Media empowers marketing and how brands have modified their communication approach to leverage the medium. He underlines the role of Social in Aaiba Design Studio’s media mix and highlights how its celebrating the day. Read on.
Social Media Day is celebrated each year to recognise the impact that social media has had on communications around the world. So how has Social Media impacted your business and your communication approach?
Social media does not grow your business but it certainly helps in improving the credentials and credibility factors of a brand. According to the patterns that I have noticed in the past, I have recognized that Indian consumers have a very personal-driven approach. To them, it matters who is running the show rather than what is sold in the long run.
Relations and the trust factor are born organically that way. So social media is a good platform to portray the primary message of the business but it is imperative that a brand is consistent in delivering its message and not disappointing their audience.
How are you celebrating the Day? What are your thoughts on moment marketing of commemorative days?
We are not doing anything in particular, as we celebrate social media every day. Its role has been quite significant for our business.
Commemorative days are good opportunities for brands to increase their visibility online. Also, these days help us to step back and look at things more objectively. On the societal front, these trends and days are helping improve society for the better.
People are held responsible for their actions, attitudes have changed, accountability is visible, and an immense amount of awareness is created through such campaigns, it is refreshing to see. These commemorative days are a great toolkit for brand managers to put forth their brands’ value and support.
List three strong ways Social Media empowers marketing. What role does it play in your Media mix? By how much is the pie for Social media in a Brands’ marketing mix increasing? By what percentage has your social media marketing budget grown over the past?
Social Media is ever-changing and opportunities are vast. Brands are always trying to swim through this plethora of opportunities to look for the right ones that fit their message. Social media is not one-size-fits-all rather it has a more targeted approach.
We have not allotted a separate budget for social media but we are believers in keeping our approach clean and transparent and word of mouth is the best tool in my opinion. Your work should speak for itself basically and the rest will follow. Brands should always be sensitive about the statements they make and the messages they give. Doing something just for a short-term impact can be harmful to society and create unrest.
On the budget part, we have seen brands roll out campaigns over the years so it is fair to say that the social media marketing budget has grown over the last few years.
How important is it for every marketing and brand and other vertical teams to be given L&D help on learning digital marketing (and social media as a part of it, of course)? What initiatives does your company undertake on this count?
This is subjective and depends on the requirements of the particular brand. It is however important for brands to understand the behaviors of their audience, identify their target audience, and curate marketing strategies keeping them in the center.
One of the biggest pros of social media marketing is this – targeted approach and interaction with their audience.
It is a great platform to communicate with so many people from different backgrounds and a great platform to showcase your art.
What should small businesses know about Social Media marketing?
I have a very unpopular opinion on this. Social media is the best for small businesses however I do strongly believe that such new businesses should establish themselves on the ground first, build up some credibility and then explore the gifts of social media.
Testimonials from clients, positive ratings on delivery, etc serve as good founding stones for an effective social media presence. Consumers are brand conscious and such testimonials help create a positive outlook for such small businesses in their minds. It is important to have an offline presence as strong as the online picture that is created in the minds of the audience- this is a whole ecosystem built on the bifurcation of brand image.
Why do Influencers matter today? How can Influencers help with the last-mile delivery of a Brand campaign? Along with focused reach, what other strengths do they bring to the marketing?
Influencers definitely help build brand awareness but to be influenced by such a brand representative depends on the consumer and how much they allow themselves to get influenced by social media.
Brand awareness is also impactful only if the influencer is a very famous celebrity who has the customer’s attention. Brands should recognize influencers that are just scamming them under the pretext of promising traction. These days anyone can be an influencer but identifying a reliable one should be the brand’s job.
Fake news and unidentified promotions are an important issue. How do you ensure you keep such elements out of your social media plans and activations?
It is the responsibility of brand consultants to educate brands on the fake scams and promotions that are becoming more and more evident these days. It is not necessary that an influencer with more than 1 million followers is reliable, these days following lists are filled with bots. It is imperative to check the brand/influencer market credibility before exploring with them
Social media endorsements or positive conversations are becoming more important for buy decisions by consumers, and today, even for holistic PR agencies with digital DNAs, good social media conversations are as important as, if not more important than, a positive story by a top traditional media person (which gets amplified on their digital presence). How do you see this growth impacting digital marketing in the future?
Social media platforms if used with the right intent and in the right way can be used for a lot of purposes. To educate people, to initiate a movement for the right causes, to clarify false notions, etc. Social media is more like a family now and people going forward would lean more towards it to get answers, know things and make decisions.
