GM and FaceBook: A Lesson in Marketing

Todd Bailey

Todd Bailey is Vice President of Digital Strategy at WebiMax, a leading SEO company with 500+ clients and 150+ employees as well as Lead Contributor at SEOservices.com

Todd Bailey has written 21 articles for WebKnowHow.

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Recently, Facebook has been making news.  No, it's not regarding the IPO (directly).  It's not about Zuckerberg's choice in garb.  It has to do with the General Motors and Facebook breakup.  It's a real-to-life and educative lesson for business owners:  online marketing is not black and white; make your campaign unique to your brand and respective consumers.

Let's use some of-late events to illustrate the lesson.

Google Penguin

The Penguin has arrived; yet, it's speculated only about 5% of pages were hit; so, why all the Google hoopla?  Well, the hysteria centers upon online philosophy; it seems those who previously relied heavily on particular tactics were penalized and/or suffered a loss in search engine 'rank.'  I think the story is bigger because it's forcing brands, Web masters, and 'online marketers' to refocus online strategies.  It's forcing more people to put the 'marketing' into online marketing.

Why Not Facebook?

If you take a gander at the numbers, advertising on Facebook would appear to be pretty appealing.  The social media giant gushes about the number of account holders (somewhere around 850 million users worldwide).  So, why not use Facebook, GM?  GM's reason for the ad dismissal is due to a reported lack of impressive return on the $10 million investment.

Wow!  $10 million dollars GM had invested into FB advertising!  That's a lot of money; you mean GM's marketers couldn't generate any consumer intrigue with the monies invested?    Hmmm… is it a Facebook thing or is it a GM thing?  Maybe it's just a GM using Facebook thing.  It didn't work for the former, plain and simple.  Could it work using another approach or work for another brand entirely?  It's highly likely.

If you take away anything from the breakup, realize that online initiatives involve many factors, making each account and approach unique.  Don't follow the endeavors of others; rather, situate endeavors sensibly into existing marketing plans.

Back to Consumers

Online marketing is not a magic formula allowing for the removal of traditional marketing sentiments, especially when it comes to the consumer.  Marketing needs to focus on the consumer at all times.  Marketing introduces a solution to a consumer's need.  I think that is an apt definition of the process; so, adhering to it, one cannot subtract the consumer from the equation.  It's all about the consumer.  Even though Facebook offers 850 million potential consumers, GM believes its consumers are not buying there.  It's an interesting exception to witness; and, the ability to create a unique campaign led by the notion of attending to targeted consumers is a great lesson to learn.