Web 2.0 Meets Marketing 101

Posted by Adam Peck on 13 May 2009 | 0 Comments

Tags: social media

The RFP started out just like any other.

“The Current Network is searching for a full service ad agency partner…who also lives social media.”

Only, this RFP wasn’t on double-spaced pieces of paper. Or even in an email. This was a post on Twitter.

“Reply @jkretch by Monday 8pm PST. Only requirements are to include your agency name, and what you could bring as Current’s partner. We’ll choose 5 to receive the RFP.”

Within hours, Jordan Kretchmer, VP of Brand for The Current Network, was inundated with 140-character messages from agencies ready to become that social media strategic partner. Within a few days, he had whittled down his short list.

You can read his actual thread here.

Imagine that. Kretchmer was able to find a social media partner using—wait for it—social media.

What seems like another chapter in the social media success story is also a lesson in marketing 101.

To truly understand the product, it pays to actually use it.

Like Kretchmer, we understand the role of social media and have incorporated it as a new channel in programs we’re developing with our clients. So it was important for us to have our own blog, optimize it for SEO, market it with outbound email, and drive inbound traffic with posts to Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Digg, to name a few.

It works offline too. After purchasing a Flavia machine for our office, we became huge fans and produced an in-house video.

Flavia loved it… and soon became our client. With real, hands-on experience at your disposal, you’re more likely to understand the product and unlock the core messages that will truly resonate with the user.

As it turns out, chat rooms are a lot like chai lattes.

So as we continue to help our clients use social media to strengthen their relationships and get valuable feedback from their customers, we’re doing the same thing ourselves.

We’re also enjoying a cup of great coffee along the way.