How Social Media is Changing Brand Building

I have to agree with my classmates who bring up the notion of technological advances. This time five years ago we weren't experiencing so much brand outreach and advertisement via social networks. Think of this - every partnered channel on YouTube plays an advertisement before a video. Company's have Tumblr accounts, Google+ pages, Facebook fan pages, Twitter accounts to release news and information, connections on LinkedIn, and multiple blogging platforms that speak of their brand and product. Channels on Twitch.tv, own3d, or GOMtv all play advertisements to reap in revenue while streaming their respected games. For instance I was watched a video from the team Evil Geniuses and EG.DeMusliM (Ben Baker) voiced how he made $180.00 off advertisements while streaming his practice for StarCraft 2. Yes, I'm aware I'm part of a minimal (if any) audience of StarCraft 2 in the class (you should read my blog if you want to know anything about eSports! - self promotion), but company's are paying to be placed as ads for thousands and thousands of streamers on one single channel. Just to add to this .. lets say BMW was paying for ads on Twitch.tv during the LoL World Finals. Each time they played an ad over 300,000 people saw it. Brand perception may rise or drop thus causing a rise in brand experience (hopefully). As somebody stated before this comment, they are linked, but they do not coordinate as closely with one another at all levels. We may think highly of BMW, but not all of us can go out and buy a 2012 BMW M5. 

Companies have it easier these days with the use of all the social media platforms. Its definitely not required to spend the big bucks on advertisements (even though they do) because its way easier to just put your name out there on Facebook or Twitter. Brand perception and brand experience are related. However, how you think of a certain brand and the experience you have with it can be completely different. For example, I think very highly of certain car brands, like Bugatti, but obviously could never afford one. Yet, I still think very highly of it and continue to research them and put their name out there. If brands don't have a good perception or experiences, then thats very detrimental to their company.

I think companies can build their brand via social media platforms but i believe that it would only be effective in the 18-30ish demographic. Since our generation is young and is influenced easily by all of the social medias, an ad camapign would do well over fb, twitter, etc.  Not to mention, we all spend wayyy too much time on our computers wasting time.  Depending on whom you are friends with and what companies you follow, you are exposed to a lot of advertisments.  

I think that Brand Equity is a combination of brand perception and brand experience. People always have their own opinions on companies especially if they are following them on Twitter or "liked" their page on Facebook. People can also see what people have experienced with brands on their facebook pages. So I believe that Brand Equity is a very broad thing expecially now with all of the different social media platforms and all of the people on the internet.

With such an advancement in technology and the volume of people who are constantly on their phones or their computers, its much easier to build a brand through social media platforms these days. I think years back, it was necessary to have those flashy signs and those engaging radio advertisements because that's all people had to lean on to hear things. Now, its as simple as putting your name out there through Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, you name it!; instead of spending way too much money on a simple billboard. With widespread use of all these social media sites, its easy for the name to get out there and for it to be resarched. Even if consumers dont know much about the brand, they will most likely hear about it from friends and then go onto research it.

Building a brand does not require a multi-million dollar budget, flashy TV ads, nor does it require good looking celebrity endorsements. Of course, all of those things can play a great role in helping a company attain the brand that they want to be known for, but at the end of the day there is more required than just that. A company needs to diversify and have a marketing strategy that requires many different media type. This is the same reason why a company can not build their brand solely via facebook, twitter, or any other social media platform. With that said, social media is a great way to make many impressions on consumers at some what of a low cost. For example, if a company were to tweet an advertisement, and said something along the lines of retweet this to enter to a chance to win. It is more than likely going to be retweeted by a lot of twitterers, and will make a lot of impressions on the consumer. 

Brand Equity is a combination of both Brand Perception and Brand Experience. Brand Equity has to do with what lies in the minds of the consumer about a certain brand. Perception, or how you feel about a certain brand/ company, can be affected directly or indirectly by the Brand Experience, or how you and your friends have experienced the brand. I feel like perception and experience are related, therefore I feel like Brand Equity is both of them , and not just one or the other. 

It can be very effective to brand you product through social media sites. Actually in todays world it may almost be necessary. Now that there is such a heavy focus for consumers on these sites it could be very easy to use social media platforms to build brand equity. Since consumers are on these sites constantly and in some cases the best advertising is online. Thus brand equity can be established with a lower cost than on national television or with expensive celebrities.

As for what brand equity really is I would say it truly is a combination of brand perception and brand experience. Both of these play roles in the way people think about a product. If someone has a great experience with the product and they perceive it to be a positive product that will build brand equity with that consumer. Then in order to build equity with all consumers a brand must position itself so that consumers perceive it in a positive fashion while maintaining good feedback from customers who experience the product. That is what will keep the perception strong.

I completely agree with the article that social media versus traditional media brings an emotional connection for consumers. Consumers are able to communicate directly with the brand. They are able to contribute to the brand strategy through comments, likes, and shares. I follow Meijer on Facebook and they always post fun questions that I can't help put comment on. What are you being for Halloween? What are you serving at your football tailgate this week? Commenting and reading others responses makes me feel connected to not only the company but also the other Meijer consumers. You will not see me step foot in a Wal-Mart! Also, social media allows companies to show their commitment to the community that a 30 second commercial or billboard can't show. In every company I consider working for, I look to see if they have a value related to giving back to the community. I feel like my fellow peers do the same. Now, companies can not only say they have a commitment to the community but can actually show how they have invested in the community through status updates, pictures, and videos. Companies and consimers can utlize social media to give back to the community together.

Branding yourself through social media is a very effective and inexpensive form of advertising if it is done right. The social media platforms themselves are free, the only cost you will incur is the cost of your time that is put into getting your brands name out there. You can effectively tweet at influencial people with millions of followers to retweet you and your brand or share your facebook, twitter, and blog posts on highly followed facebook pages where that information will be seen to help increase followers and committed parties. By following such steps you could increase your vivibility and brand recognition with little money spent. 

Brand Equity is a combination of both Brand Perception and Brand Experience. The value you put on a certain brand will be based on what you have seen or heard about a product and if you know nothing about it you will look it up to see what others have said or heard about it. This perception is built off the trust you have in credible sources that are knowledgable, sure there may be some bad apples in the mix online but if you do enough research majority doesn't usually lie. What you experience with a product is something that will have more meaning than any perception, if you have a bad experience you won't like it or refer it and vice versa if it's a positive experience. In the end they both have a substantial impact on your feelings towards a product and a brand, which is why it is important for companies to keep a great system over the entire product cycle. 

I could not agree more with the fact that companies are using more social media methods for their adverstiment purposes. With the increasing costs of commercial advertisments, social media has become a more cost effective source for many major corporations. Today, almost all companies have a facebook and twitter page. Social media sites have become a good way for companies to release information to the public about their products. Rather than spending millions of dollars on commercials, many companies can create youtube videos to demonstrate their products and hwo they are used. Not only is social media a very cost-effective but its accessibility to the public has made it a very important source of advertisment for all companies.

I think that building a brand does not require multi-million dollar budgets, flashy TV ads and a good looking celeb when you are promoting something through social media platforms.  Social media branding is basically free and it can be seen my millions upon millions of people on a daily basis.

Brand equity is the familiarity of a brand name in any given marketplace.

It is a combination of both brand perception and brand experience, Seeing other people use a brand and like the brand will shape your perception as well as experience, if you already have knowledge of the particular subject. 

Brand Equity is both brand perception and brand experience.  People who have experience with the brand will form perceptions based on satisfaction.  People who have no experience with a brand may turn to social media to conduct research, and form an educated opinion.  For example, many people have probably never driven a Ferrari, but they still perceive the brand as quality.  People who have driven one will use their own physical experiences over perceptions to express their feelings.  For smaller, less known companies, social media platforms are a great starting block for building a brand.  It is important to get the brand image right from the start, rather than trying to reshape it later down the line.

Brand Equity is both brand perception and the experience. Good equity keeps consumers loyal to a certain brand. It is no secret that social media platforms have a huge impact on our society now. To make a brand more known to our generation, a company would be smart to reach us through social media platforms. I think this has changed the industry for the better. You do not need multi-million dollar budgets to use social media to make it successful to build brand equity. Creativity will reach people my age, and you do not need any money to be creative.

Brand Equity is both Brand Perception and Experience. It is the experience that will lead to a positive or negative perception of a brand. Through interaction on social media you can create a new experience for the customers. During our first meeting at Novi some of the students explained how companies interacted with them through twitter. This is a new form of interaction that creates experiences with customers in a way that was not available before. Also, social media can create a perception of a brand in a positive aspect. McDonalds created a blog focused on the positive work that McDonalds has done and is continuing to do. McDonalds previous image as a fast food chain that increases obesity in America is changing due to the extra effort they seem to be taking to "help the world." Vice versa perception can also shape the experience. A company that has a bad image on the media will have to work harder to satisfy customers because they are fighting against a biased crowd. 

Brand equity is very important for a company and just as the article has stated social media will not create the company brand equity by itself. However, it has become a big tool that can give a positive brand perception and brand experience and thus must be taken care of by the company. 

Considering the way my generation views social media, I think it is very probable that people create their brand perception via social media. If building your brand is all about who you are and what you do, then I believe that social media is for sure building your brand. When someone uploads a picture of them doing an activity they enjoy, they are in fact building their brand.  This can be a dangerous thing though in that there are many ways in which you can easily tarnish your brand. If you make a bold statement that not every person agrees with, you could easily upset your brand image.  This is something we must be very cautious of in this generation because a lot of people are getting themselves into trouble with social media and the way they are harming their brand image.

This article definitely allowed me to gain even more insight on how companies use social media to create their brand. I believe that social media can be used to create the brand experience-- by giving free giveaways and other promotions and also the brand perception-- the example of correcting a negative image. The way that social media is better than celebrity endorsements and commercials is it allows the consumer to actually connect with the product instead of just seeing displays of the product. Brands are now realizing that social media is a much better technique and the charts included in the article tell us just that. 

Our generation (1990-2010) will be raised around advanced technology and improved social media. Therefore, building a brand on FB, Twitter and other social media platforms is a smart idea to attract more consumers. Brand equity is defined as "all of the distinguishing qualities of a commercial brand that results in personal commitment to and demand for the brand" (dictionary.com). Brand perception and brand experience are both very important things to think about when building a brand. Companies strategize expanding their brand name by creating Facebook pages, allowing customer service via Twitter, etc. In Forrester, they make a great point that by linking social media with the brand marketing can help build a trust/connection between the consumer and brand. "59% of online consumers are active on social networking sites at least weekly, and one-third of online users have become a fan of a company or brand via social platforms like Facebook and Twitter" (Stokes, 2012). The majority of consumers today are using online social media sites to promote their brand, offer new deals and allow consumers to interact with the company. 

Brand Equity is definitely a combination of both brand perception & brand experience. A brand can be built using social media platforms however this isn't the only method that should be used when building an identity for a brand. This is clearly stated in the Forrester WhitePaper. The most useful phrase from this article refers to a "brand compass". It's a great image to keep in mind while developing the brand and social strategies.

Since I worked at SymphonyIRI, a market research firm, I'm naturally more skeptical of data and how it is gathered; however if there was ever a doubt as to why this class is important figures 3-1 & 3-2 (page 5 of Forrester WhitePaper) will explain it's importance. The orange boxes are what we, as students, should be working towards to grow our personal brand and stand out from others.

It still amazes me that social media has become such a defining factor in a companies brand.  The wall between a consumer and the product is now banished thanks to social media.  It has really revolutionaed the reletionship between the consumer and the product, I believe for the better.  Many of the graphs show how marketers and companies are now building their networking around social media because of the success it has shown.  It's such an easy way to build a brand and attract consumers. There's no need to spend millions on advertising when you can take the direct route to the consumer through social media.  I think those that are in denial with how large the world wide web has grown will have to realize soon that social media is going to be the future not only for personal brands but for company brands as well.

Social Media I think is becoming the way to build a brand more rapidly. Right now it's sweeping the nation and it's only continuing to grow. I do think that she was correct however in saying that social media can't reach critical mass in the same way that paid broadcast media can. With the paid bradcast media, that is exactly what they are paid to do is to reach people. Social media however is free and it still reaches a large mass of people. I think that social media should be incorporated because it can be beneficial with no cost.

I also think that it is both the Brand Perception and the Brand Experience. How you percieve a brand or company is not always the same as how you have experienced the brand and vice versa. I think that you yourself may have a different opinion, and friends can also be very influential in making that decision. Therefore, I think it changes depending on the situation and what the Brand or Company is.   

Social media has changed the way people and companies are building and endorsing brands. Instead of spending millions of money to have celebrity promoted ads or TV commercials, social media has created a free way to build a brand name. That being said, it makes it easy for almost anyone to do so creating a different type of competition. Social media can enhance brand perception as well as brand experience. Brand perception and experience, in my opinion, can equally be influenced by social media. Being able to promote your brand effectively using Facebook, Twitter, or blogs can increase that brand's social image. By actively engaging users by coupons, give-a-ways, etc. can create a postive brand experience to internet users. 

The most impressive point of the article is the importance of integrating social strategy into the overall brand strategy to effectively contribute to a successful branding effort. However, the extent of integration may vary from different levels of budgets and brands. For example, the startups and small businesses may spend all marketing budget on social strategy, as Jamie commented, social strategy is all they have! However, for those big names, social strategy may be just a supporter.

As I learnt in ADV843, the strategic brand communication, the brand equity “consists of the marketing effects uniquely attributable to a brand. That is, brand equity explains why different outcomes result from the marketing of a branded product or service than if it were not branded.” The main two sources of brand equity are brand awareness and brand image. In all, regardless of new media or traditional media, both of them should focus on how to increase brand awareness and narrow the gap between the image companies want and the image that consumers actually see.

Questions regarding Forrester’s report:

In “brand building strategy must dictate social strategy” part, the characteristics of remarkable, unmistakable, and essential are very similar. How to further distinguish these three?

When I hear brand equity, I like to think of it as a culmination of perception, experience, interaction, and a whole number of things. Anyone that thinks that Brand Equity is just a one track term has become behind the times. I imagine brand equity as more of a brand atmosphere, encapsulating it's consumers and letting them see, experience, and interact with the brand space. And this idea of brand equity, or atmosphere, is ever-growing.

As we can see in the Forrester article, Social Media is top of mind for most growing business and individuals, and creating their own niche in that space is their main goal. When you ask, "can you build a brand on FB, twitter, etc," the answer is yes. If a brand can be broken by failing to utilize these social networks, a brand can also be made, supported, and become successful using these very same channels. It's all about connection to the customer in today's not-so-face-to-face world. Memorable content online is the grandchild of what once was a memorable pitch or sales person at the door. And a brand always needs to be in control of it's image, equity, and atmosphere online. While commercials, print ads, and the occasional billboard can influence customers, bad experiences with a brand spread like wildfire online, and it's the brand's job to put it out. So, to summarize, brands can be built online, but they can also be destroyed without a proper understanding of their brand equity.

The speed of spreading of a company or a product is incrediblely quick and amazing. There is no doubt about it. I can see the ads everywhere on any sites and sometimes the ads just pop up when I enter a new page. In nowadays, it is a smart way and a best way to communicate and advertise a product through the socical netwroks.  People such as the customers, clients and other readers can say something whenever they want to and it is easy to do it now. Thus, many people use and see the social networks as the main marketing and PR tools.

Social Media is changing each and every year. With that being said, it's revolutionizing brands and the way in which areas of business are carried. Companies are finding it more powerful to launch ad campaigns via YouTube, create company pages on Facebook, create Twitter accounts to release news and information, and truly connect with their consumers on somewhat of a more personal basis. "A social strategy is only as good as the brand strategy that guides it. Brands must lead the consumer with a clear vision of who they are and what they stand for, while grounding all social engagement in that vision." Engagement with the consumers not only offers customer service at a higher level, but brings in a new public for their company.

"General Motor’s more transparent and experiential way of connecting successfully shifted the company’s overall reputation from a negative to a positive one." Well, how did GM obtain this? "Social allows marketers to segment mass-reach campaigns with mass-customized communications around fans’ passion points."

Within the piece posted there are bountiful points made pertaining to brand. Whether you're increasing the positive image of your brand or encompassing a brand message within all employees, branding is an important feature of 2012, social marketing, and growth. For example, my company FedEx, instills the notion of "PRIDE - Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence." While our slogan is "make every FedEx experience outstanding," my manager loves to drill into our head that we're responsible in bringing the customer back for future services with our attitude, handling their business, and reassuring all problems are solved.

In my opinion, Brand Equity is more about brand perception and "brand association." That is to say, customers not only have ability to aware company's brand, but automatically to conect certain product to your brand. Therefore, with higher brand equity, the company will much easier to get connection with cutomers (or Target market.) 

The key of devloping high brand equity is depanding on the customers' ability of "brand association." Cutomers have more ability to conect a certain product  to your brand that means you will get a chance to get higher brand euity. For example, when people talk about smart phones, people think about Apple company ( iPhone). But, how to get brand association? I think to provide good "brand experiences" to customers is an important step. Therefore, I agree with the brand euity is combination of both brand perception and brand experience.

In the new media era, I think it is not necessary to spend lots of money doing traditional advertising. Instead, applying social media as company's advertising platform is a better choice. By using social media doing advertising, not only save money, but also easy to reach and connect to customers. To be honest, I think its much easier to build on a brand on social media comapring to tradtion media right now. Because most of people are more rely on socical media than traditional media (esp for young generations). Since the key of builing brand equity is more about "customer-oriented" (meet customers' needs, develop the customer's ability of brand association...), why not using a advertising platform which is more acceptable by target customers?  

I don't think it comes as any surprise that social media has turned the world of brand building upside down. It is a combination of both Brand Perception and Brand experience that have drastically altered, even over the past five years alone. Previous to this adjustment, I could walk into a Starbucks, order a coffee, chat with the barista, and continue on my way. Now, I can intereact with Starbucks on the international.corporate level, through seeing their posts and tweets. It completely personalizes their brand, and makes me feel infintely more connected to them. Just today I saw a Facebook post of a cup of coffee in front of a beatiful fall-colored tree. It gives me something in common with Starbucks (enjoying the fall colors) and creates a connection to them, which is incredibly smart marketing.

The way that brands are able to build their image has changed forever already. Creating a global brand is no longer limited to only people who can afford a giant advertising budget. Social media and the Internet have in effect evened the playing field to many extents. Because today it is easier than ever before to reach millions of people with a uniform message anyone with the proper knowledge of new marketing techniques can reach just as many people as a million dollar television commercial. This change will surly lead to many marketers to develop new strategies that achieve the same result as million dollar ads at a fraction of the cost using platforms such as twitter, facebook, flicker, and just about any other form of social media you could think of.

Social Media is changing how brand equity, perception and experience are all being defined. It is incredibly hard today to find a company that is not somehow associated with a social media site. I know personally, that when I go to find information on a company I look for their Twitter or blogs about them.

I think certain companies can build a brand solely on social media platforms. A lot will depend on the target market and the product. A product that is marketed for a younger age group, or is directly related to social media will do well with a brand equity that is based on social media. The majority of companies however will most likely benefit most by using a stragety that integrates social media into their marketing plan. Brand equity is more a combination of brand perception and experience then either directly. Brand experience will shape your view of a brands equity more than your perception will, but if you have never had an experience with a company you will base your views on your brand perception of the company. In the end both play a role, albeit differently, in forming a brand's equity. 

I think Brand Equity is the ultimate favorable views and emotions consumers have toward a certain brand. It is built through a cummulation of marketing efforts for that brand - from product packaging to the buying experiences, to the advertising message or social media interactions. All these are translated into different brand associations later on as they think of the brand. Therefore, to maintain a strong brand equity, I think it's favorable that consumers have as many positve brand associations from different touchpoints as possible. I believe that's the notion of integrated marketing communications. Every new additional media (e.g. the addition of social media) will help build that extra connection and relationships between consumers and brand if done correctly. This is not to say that Social Media alone cannot build brand equity. Amazon, Google or any online interprises would be examples of brand equity built using internet media because that's the major touchpoints consumers have with the brand. However, think of this: would you remember a brand that you see both on TV and through social media or the one with social media alone, given that they both have the same social media score? When all things equal, frequency does matters.

Of course you can brand yourself using your social media, and actually, that is one of the easiest ways to get the job done. Branding yourself on Twitter, Facebook, your Blog and other social media realms require you to maintain a consistent and persistance voice. Grabbing your audience's attention and allowing them to learn more about yourself is going to help you mold your brand right before your consumers, readers and audience's eyes. "Brand Perception", or how you percieve a certain brand or company, is going to differ from the way someone else might see that same brand. Whether a good or bad experience shapes how you or another sees a brand is "Brand Experience". A combination of both is what is going to shape the brand of a company or individual becuase it is all part of the interaction with the brand. From social media sites to experience in a store, your brand depends on all areas of interaction. Through digital, personal or even word-of-mouth, the reputation of your brand depends on the way the audience is viewing your brand. You can help your brand by being consistent and persistant on the way you interact and speak to your consumers. You can also create a brand experience that is going to change the way consumers see your brand, hopefully for the better. And of course, as stated previously, you will want to brand yourself on social media platforms, since we are a part of the social media revolution. The various outlets at which a given audience member can view a company's or individual's brand is almost endless. So make sure that you are being consistent throughout the all the ways you are interacting - therefore keeping the brand image that you want to obtain.

Brand equity is a very difficult thing for companies to build and maintain. To me, brand equity is the value of a brand that is driven by the consumer's emotional connection and perceptions of that brand. With that being said, it is virtually impossible to build a brand solely using social media alone. Social media facilitates communication among other things, however, brand equity is the complete perception of the brand. Social media can play a crucial role in connecting the consumer and company. Social media's role is more of strengthening the communication between the two parties, and creating value through the emotional connection. I believe that the rise in social media has allowed every company and brand the opportunity to build brand equity with their consumers by giving them the ability to build meaningful relationships. In terms of brand equity, I believe that social media is just one facet in building a strong brand.

I read this and appreciated all of the examples used, but I had a hard time relating to the experiences of Coca-Cola, GM and McDonald's as they are all huge, billion dollar corporations.  I work for a 50-million dollar a year food service company and so my perspective on brand building is completely different.  We do not have an advertising budget and so to me Social Media is everything.  My company has recently broken into the retail market and in the last 3 years have successfully added retailers like Sam's Club, Costco and Meijer to our distribution list.  We build our brand with Facebook and email interaction generated from our website.  I comment and respond to every post and message I get.  We give out coupons to those in areas that go to the store and purchase our product.  If we have fans outside of our retail reach, we send them t-shirts and pencils.  This has generating a ton of likes and shares of our Facebook page and people comment they are now fans because of the customer service they can see or hear about from their friends.  So the "free" social media brand building I am currently engaged in, is truly priceless to my company and all of our consumers/fans.  

How to build your Brand Perception can be done in numerous way, but which way is the best depends on your style of business and what type of market you are trying to promote your brand to. If you are a company that markets toward the older generation than the use of Social Media may not be your best route, in the article it states that the older generation has trouble with how to use social media. So they might be better off using a celebrity endorsement. But on the other hand if you’re trying to build your brand up to the younger generation than the use of Social Media is become more and more mandatory. So it all depend on whom you are marketing for and whom you are trying to reach. Who knows what the future will have to offer but it seems like Social Media is here to stay!

I think it really all depends on your marketing goals, sure you can use social media to promote yourself to a certain extent but I don't think it has the ability and credibility yet to have the trust of companies.  Not long ago GM dumped facebook from their marketing plans because they weren't seeing the results they wanted from it. Yet yesterday facebook hit one billion active monthly users.  Something doesn't add up their since you would think being able to reach one billion people arguable for cheap/free in some cases isn't being used more by companys and TV and other ways are still better options.

I think you can absolutely build a brand on FB, Twitter and other social media outlets. These social media outlets can serve as free advertising. My boss at State of Fitness uses every social media outlet he can to build his local gym. He has a blog, a website, clothing and he can promote all of it via social media. Brand equity to me is the value of each brand. Nike has brand equity because Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world. The perception of Nike to me is that they make good clothing that lasts me a long time, they have people who are successful that serve as endorsers and they advertise using tv and all other forms of social media. I feel that brand equity encompasses all of the above. So if you have a successful business, chances are that you are utilizing social media and have an good grasp on promoting your brand.

I definitely think that you can build a brand on FB, Twitter and other social media platforms! Some brands are built virally. Someone with a great deal of influence on their networks shares a brand and gradually it builds--word of mouth is the greatest advertisement in social media. Examples of brands that have been virally built are Muggle Hustle, which began on Twitter, and #whatshouldwecallme, which has spawned several spinoffs and even had an iconic look to it. Other brands need a much more strategic approach and involve a great deal of promoting. Some brands exist solely online, making social media platforms really the best way to build the brands.

I believe in the impact of social media. New media changed everything for the small companies and new brands. Now everything is easier. Such as facebook lets new brands to build awareness and show the products and services via visual elements. Twitter is another important tool for social media platforms. Relevant tweets and efficient hashtags make the target audience to see new brands. Thus brand equity can be perfectly shared with potential costumers via social media. 

Well, I believe brand perception and brand experience work together to establish brand equity. I mean a person or group have to have a good perception of a brand and a good experience of the brand for the brand to have any credibility. Like it says in the article the ways to build a brand and establish a relationship with the consumer is to 1) Build a relationship. 2) Differentiate through an emotional connection and 3) Nature to loyal fans. Supposedly, if thesse three things are not done the brand has no equity because it has no relationship with the consumer. It takes a person's perception and experience to really validate if a brand is worth buying, because if one person does not like a particular brand, that may ruin a brand's image entirely. Especially, considering how fast the word spreads around. But with the help of social media a brand can build equity. The article states that "Social engagement is necessary but not sufficient for brand building" and I find that very hard to believe because if 59% of online consumers are on social networking sites that gives a particular brand the chance to engage with those who are on social networking sites most of time. That way consumers can become fans of whatever brand is being put out there and establish a fanbase for that brand, thus giving that brand validity.

Perception and experience are not mutually exclusive when it comes to building a brand, in my opinion. Each influences the other, and they work together to leave an impression on the customer's mind. To build brand equity, a business or organization must employ strategic tactics to ensure the customer's perception and experience are reflective of the image they want to their brand to portray. No longer is it necessary to subscribe to traditional methods for building a brand, as evidenced by Scott's book about the new rules of marketing and PR. He described how he avoided such high-ticket campaigns as are typical in promoting a new book, and instead let social media speak for his book -- about social media -- and therefore, his brand. He engaged readers, supporters and enthusiasts for his message and his brand through channels that were and are virtually free. His approach could be a case study in itself about the power of building a brand, and brand equity, through the use of social media. As social media becomes increasingly omnipresent, it may well reach a point where it becomes unthinkable to do so without it.

The article helps explains how marketers can use social media to serve their brand building. It states three ways it can do this including building a relationship of trust, differentiating through an emotional connection and nurturing loyal fans. I loved that all of these solely dealt with the customer and building a strong, nurturing relationship with them. The articles proves that marketers are now looking at social media as a way to generate positive brand images in they of the customer. In turn, this can generate positive word-of-mouth, a strong assest for any brand.

Brand equity (as defined by Wikipedia) is “a phrase used in the marketing industry which describes the value of having a well-known brand name, based on the idea that the owner of a well-known brand name can generate more money from products with that brand name than from products with a less well-known name, as consumers believe that a product with a well-known name is better than products with less well-known names.” This is an important concept for marketers to understand and the use of social media to create this brand equity is growing exponentially. Because of social media’s vast reach and wide use, it can be easy to place a small advertisement or send out a tweet that thousands of users will see. Just having your brand’s name visible can create that equity with a customer. The combination of a “Brand Perception” and a “Brand Experience” are factors in a customer’s thought process. The perception comes first and it is important as a marketer to build that positive perception of your brand. Next would be the experience, when and if a customer does purchase your item or use your service will it be an experience that engages them to continue to use the product? This leads to “Brand Loyalty”. These aspects of marketing must be utilized through social media. It is a constantly use medium for so many consumers and the more information about your brand the consumer sees, the better chance they will have a sense of brand equity.

Google has launched, "Wildfire" to innovate and integrate Social Media Marketing.

I believe that building a brand can definitely be done by just using Facebook, blogging and Twitter.  On a small business standpoint, by using these social media resources, you can advertise your brand within your network of people, and those people can reshare your information to their network of people, thus causing the small business' reputation to explode with much less efforts (and money).  On a larger business scale, Twitter, Facebook and blogging can be used as a great way to interact with consumers on a personal level, helping build a sense of relationship that keeps various audiences engaged in the company and thus, become more loyal to the company overall.  When used effectively, all these social media platforms are almost as good, if not better than traditional forms of bulilding brand equity.

To me, brand equity is definitely a combination of brand perception and brand experience.  Our preconceptions of the brand combined with our past, current, and future interactions with the brand determines not only what the brand means to us, but also how we project it to our networks (whether it is through social media or tradition WOM).  Therefore it is critical for companies to integrate a level of brand equity through social media.  Social media allows for easier access to consumers at all times of the day, no matter where they are. If companies use this to their advantage, they have a better chance of engaging with their market on personal levels, enhancing their future experiences with the brand, and therefore increasing their brand equity.

Surely a do think a brand from FB and twitter is not enough but some times it work for a small business. For example, one of the Chinese restaurant in Lansing build a blog and @ many of my friends for the trail. After trying that, we do think it is good and we creat a good WOM. I think it is a combination of both the twitter can help to build both when comments were underneath and creat solid evidents for WOM and brand perception.