Social Media News

Connected Brands Index published

The world's biggest companies are failing to use social media to build consumer relationships, according to a new study.

For the first Connected Brands Index, digital marketing agency iCrossing looked at the online performance of the top ten businesses in the Interbrand Best Global Brands 2009. They were, in order, Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft, GE, Nokia, McDonald's, Google, Toyota, Intel and Disney.

Each brand was then ranked against five criteria – visible, useful, usable, desirable and engaged – before an overall connected score was assigned. Across the group, the average connected rating was 4.83 out of ten but just three companies received more than half marks – Google, Disney and Intel.

Social media engagement lacking

The worst performing criteria for the world's top brands was the engaged metric. This took into account corporate presence and engagement with consumers across social networking portals such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Since the average engaged rating was just 2.11 out of ten and only Google got a score of more than five, the study clearly demonstrated that major brands are failing to make the most of social media opportunities.

Adam Lavelle, chief strategy officer at iCrossing, underlined the message for big business. "Brands know they need to connect with consumers across new media channels but the brutal fact is few are doing it well," he said. "Connectedness is an approach to marketing within networks that focuses on audiences not targets, dialogues not shouting, and building trust that lasts."

There are various ways that companies can engage directly with consumers via social media. A classic example is Domino's Pizza's riposte to a damaging YouTube clip posted by two employees at a branch in North Carolina. Responding to widespread condemnation on social media sites, the company rapidly posted an apology on YouTube and created a Twitter account to respond directly to customer concerns.