Fully Loded

We had meetings today with two potential clients that sparked me to write this quick posting. The social community is quick to point out how brands should use all the new Web 2.0 social tools to engage with the consumers and create a branded social experience. The community is also quick to point out that content is the key elements that will spell success for the social program.

But today reinforced for me that the social tools we have today and the content we put in them is no different then the website tools we have at our disposal and the content we put in the sites or the outlet for television for commercials. It’s really about the ‘Concept’. The creative minds that develop the ideas that spawn into larger than life programs, ads, websites, social media.

This brought me back to a recent article I read about the 4c’s of community article I read in Ad Age by David Armano of Critical Mass. While I agreed with most of the article I feel it left off one big ‘C’, the Concept.

For those that know me you will know I am fan of 5 and/or 3 points for summaries, goals, etc. It is in that it seemed only fitting that there would be 4c’s(content, context, connectivity and continuity) so that I could add a 5th. My 5th is the ‘Concept’.

With today’s hard to reach consumer the concept is key. Without it’s just technology. Think about it, some of the most successful social ‘marketing’ programs had killer concepts behind them. The technology was just the vehicle to get the concept out. So while you are thinking about developing your social program, hiring a social media/marketing company make sure they can come up with the killer concept or for all you music lovers (I have too get a music shout out in, I live in Austin it’s a city law…..) a killer hook that will bring them back.