The globalization of social media: consumer relationships with brands evolve in the digital space

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 28, Issue 6

Hutton G. and Fosdick M.Journal of Advertising Research, December 2011, Vol. 51 Issue: 4, Start page: 564, No of pages: 7

Presents a compilation of findings from a multi-stage universal MarComs global social media study. Social networks are now clearly in the ascendancy compared to other social media forms such as blogs and user groups. Since 2009,they have emerged as the primary way regular internet users stay in contact with each other. Since 2009, official company and brand web sites have typically been losing audiences. We believe this is probably due, in part, to the emergence of social media marketing by brands which is an increasingly pervasive MarComs practice. Globally, 18 percent of users claim to have actively set up an online brand community, arguably the ultimate expression of consumers wishing to control their relationship with brands.Article type: Research paperISSN: 0021-8499Reference: 41AC210

Keywords: Brands, Communities, Marketing, Social media,Social networks, Web sites