The Media is NOT the Message

by Steve Fodor

In reviewing a recent issue of Business-To-Business magazine, I was struck by the fact that just about every feature article covered how various marketers are utilizing social media in their marketing mix.

Wow, just think how much things have changed in just the last two or three years! There are so many new media venues for creating a dialogue about your brand with customers and prospects. What’s even more exciting is that these new marketing venues are still evolving.

But, then I was struck by one other article in this same issue. The title of the article, sandwiched between all the other articles explaining new uses of social media, was: “Emotional marketing triggers right response.” It was refreshing (to me, anyway) to read about how critical message tone is in marketing communications. Brands, after all, are like people. You like people because of how they act. How they treat you. Their personalities. Their shared empathy with you. And people associate themselves with brands the same way they associate with people they like and respect.

Tone in marketing communications is what expresses your brand’s personality. And though all the new and emerging social media venues can and do create more personal dialogues and relationships with customers, you must always manage the tone of your marketing communications.

All the new media options today present tremendous opportunities to reach out to more people, create new relationships and expand the reach and exposure for your brand. But regardless of how many new media options there are, or how cost-efficient they are, the media is not the message in creating brand loyalty. If your brand message lacks the right attitude or tone, more media just makes more noise.

Flickr Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nate/