Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of people using the internet as a source of information, and it has become quite clear that ‘digital media’ is the future, which leaves one wondering whether or not it has come to bridge the gap between Brand managers and consumers. This blog was inspired by an analysis which I was conducting on Safaricom (A Kenyan mobile operator) so most of my examples will be based on my findings.
Well let’s have a little comparison between the two (traditional media & digital media) when referring to traditional media I’m referring to:
• Radio
• TV
• Newspaper
• Magazines
In order to provide feedback (about a particular product or make a complaint) using traditional media one had to write a letter which would take ages before it would get to the desired destination, by the time the letter arrived, it would probably be too late. Or a faster way would be to make a phone call which would turn out to be expensive as most of the time, it went through to a customer care line, and there would be a huge number of people calling in and you’d find a person holding for long time.
While with digital media all you have to do is log on to a particular website, and write whatever it is you would like to write there or simply log onto any social network, visit the company page and simply post your comment, which I would say that it turns out to be cheaper and also much more convenient as people use the internet on a daily basis.
The screen shot is an illustration of Safaricom’s facebook wall, from it we can see the interaction between their customers and the company itself.
Digital media has also opened up a platform for “Brand managers” to interact with their consumers at an extremely low cost by means of conducting online surveys whereby brand managers receive instant feedback from consumers without even having to leave the office.
I guess it is safe to say that unlike traditional media, digital media has opened up a platform whereby brand managers can monitor the performance of their particular product and also interact with their consumers, which also gives them an opportunity to closely get to know what kind of market they are serving, and also know how best to reach out to them.
