Thoughts on social media and TV networks from Digital Hollywood

Posted by Arnold Waldstein in Writers on November 14, 2010  |  6 Comments More from this author  |    |  Follow Arnold Waldstein on: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter |

I sat in on a panel on Social TV at Digital Hollywood New York  (ed. November 10 - 12) yesterday. Great discussion with marketing execs from Discovery, Ad Age, TV Guide, Bravo and HBO who talked about how social media impacted their brands.

My takeaways:

- Every TV network has a social media team and agency separate from marketing and advertising. Every launch has a dedicated social media plan. Two years ago, there was nothing. Today, social is a core component of how they do their job.

-In the uber measurement world of TV, not one peep about social media ROI nor any talk of measurement. Blogs. Twitter. Facebook fan pages. Location-based promotions. Commerce companies and media pundits should take a page out of the entertainment company’s book. They know the world has changed and adapted. You don’t need to measure a fans reaction to know that they are important.

-Nielsen Ratings are under attack. Most of the networks find major discrepancies with Nielsen and the input from their fans. Nielsen will either adapt or go away.

-Brand marketers are talking community as a channel…non stop. They understand that their brands are community property and treat them as such.

The content and technology intersections behind connected TV are complex. But on the brand and fan side, social media is today’s reality for launches and brand management.

These execs care about communications and social tools are unquestionably part of what they do. They get that their fans live on social networks and are taking their communications to them.

This article was originally published on SnapShots, Arnold Waldstein's notepad of ideas and images.