In one of the blog responses earlier last month Bert M Ohnemüller of BMO mentioned that the point of sales can be a great opportunity to invite your shoppers into your community by building a bridge to Social Media – So, I decided to do some research into this topic and find out if shopper marketing and social media are a right fit and here are my findings:

There are many definitions of Social Media available but the definition by Ray Jones is the most relevant definition related to Shopper Marketing, Ray Jones defines Social media as "Social media essentially is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online."

Conversations – Social Networking platforms like Facebook, Bebo, and Linked in etc allow conversations among members and this unique ability blends positively with Shopper Marketing.

Participation – is another attribute of Social Media that is relevant for Shopper Marketing. Brands can participate in conversations and find out what their customers want. This presents an opportunity for brands to gather insightful shopper insights. Macy’s uses polls on their Facebook fan page to get shopper insights.

Promotion – Social Network platforms can be an excellent extension for promoting brands within communities beyond stores. Facebook has 350 million plus members from all over the world – Brands can take advantage of Facebook as a platform to extend promotions to shoppers and engage them innovatively. Red bull promotes their brand of beverages, events, athletes and special promotions through online games.

Andy Murray of Saatchi & Saatchi X speaks about creating an authentic participation process using technology and social media allows brands to engage with shoppers beyond stores and extends the shopper experience in virtual communities using viral marketing techniques and message delivery within communities on the web by participating on the social web.

Social media however, is in a nascent stage but social media has obvious advantages in terms of reaching out to sheer

numbers and global reach can give your brand an opportunity to listen and engage with your shoppers and considering your customers spend at least 45 – 60 minutes per day accessing various social media related platforms online – We reckon shopper marketing and social media can go a long way together.

These are our views on Shopper marketing and Social Media’s co existence – we would like to know your opinions and views on this topic – Have you integrated social media as a strategy within shopper marketing plans for your clients? If not, would you include social media within core shopper marketing strategies?