It’s all about the experience

Microsoft. Sony. Nintendo. Each one offers powerful brand experiences through their gaming divisions. What makes console entertainment so powerful that the XBox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U combined account for 40.5 million consoles sold to date? Their community.

Entertainment is: Unique & Personal
There’s more to games than just button mashing to see what happens next. The soundtracks and special effects of games is, frankly, incredible. Mario, Sonic, Link they all have iconic theme music throughout their games. The Halo franchise’s music is balanced for action and awe. I still count Blizzard as one of the best cut-scene creators out there for their special effects and rendering. All of that builds upon the stories and creates unique experiences for each player.

The customizability of characters, weaponry, vehicles, and more has never been better. Being able to create a character, weapon and vehicle to your preferences is a gratifying experiences and a staple in most character-centered games now. I still consider Fallout: New Vegas my favorite customizable game, for its characters and weapons. There’s also an influx of “sandbox” and “open-world” games where there is no set path or plot you’re required to follow. You’re free to make of the game what you will, which allows for incredible feats of engineering, story crafting, and engagement.

And with the help of fundraising websites Kickstarter, Indiegogo and even GoFundMe one-person developers, and small indie companies are now capable of reaching out directly to the community to help fund and support smaller scale games. Steam’s Greenlight section is another method where gamers can learn about up and coming projects, and see alpha builds and sometimes obtain early access. The ability to see behind the curtain is a rewarding experience for many gamers.

Entertainment is: Long-lasting & Memorable
We are still a society built on the traditions of story telling. A well-written story, or fully developed character creates long-lasting connections. Taking the time to build up an experience users can watch develop and grow through their actions is why brands like GTA, Mass Effect, Fable and Dragon Age resonate with so many players.

Voice chatting with your team during a mission is integral for some games and allows human connections, regardless of actual distance. From local co-op (playing on the same console) to multiplayer (generally online), the experience of playing with friends or strangers either cooperatively or against each other in games has resulted in long-lasting experiences and resulted in entirely new ways for games to be experienced.

And, with resources like Twitch and other live-streaming services, we’re now capable of sharing our experiences with others, in real-time. It’s an incredibly bold move for games and consoles to allow and incorporate such abilities into their products. But, it allows for their audience to endorse, market, and promote games as never before. I’d rather not admit to just how large my gaming library is because of Let’s Players, live-streams, and community suggestions, but it’s allowed me to experience a greater diversity of content than I would have on my own.

Experiences are incredibly powerful and create long-lasting connections to brands. Building those connections, creating communities and leveraging experiences are what makes impactful brands capable of creating the good and surviving the bad.

What brands are memorable for you? Which ones have created emotional connections, provided unique experiences?

Thin-Slicing the Customer Experience

“I know there’s a problem. I just can’t tell exactly what it is.” Have you ever said this to yourself as you and your colleagues were working through a tough customer-experience challenge?

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, the author did a great job of showcasing research that reveals the incredible agility of our unconscious minds. His storyline is fairly simple. Humans make instinctive observations and associations in milliseconds. These observations, coined “thin-slicing” by psychologists in the early 1990s, have the power to inform rapid decision making. The second part of what Blink addresses is the danger of over thinking those immediate feelings and reactions. By trying too hard to explain or reconstruct the details, we do ourselves a disservice by distorting reality. Or, worse, we come to the wrong conclusions – and in turn, make bad decisions using built-up arguments to justify our thinking.

The concept of thin-slicing offers useful insight into the nuances of customer experience and areas for brand innovation. Extending this concept to journey mapping, we can see that a rapid, holistic view of customer touchpoints has a lot of merit. We need to pay attention to our first reactions – those moments when our instinct, gut, intuition – whatever you want to call it – tells us there is a problem.

One simple technique to help get to the heart of customer experience problems is the use of rapid word associations. As you sort through the finer touchpoints of the customer journey, don’t overthink or try to explain what is happening in that touchpoint. Just jot down a word or two that captures a key attribute of that experience. By accumulating impressions, patterns and themes begin to emerge.

Blink mentions a practice for handling this, which can be easily applied to the journey-mapping process. Have team members assign one or two words to a touchpoint, but without explaining what they are trying to say. Then, come back to those words as a group to see if there any themes or patterns that jump off the page. More often than not, key observations can be captured with tremendous clarity – and, surprisingly, with great accuracy.

In the field, we recommend that you be prepared to jot down immediate reactions at all times. Keep a paper journal with you, or use the notepad app on your phone. When you investigate a touchpoint, write down the first few words that jump into your mind. Then, take a few pictures if you can or draw a rough sketch that describes the problem without using any words. If you want, think of a solution right on the spot, describe it without any attention to what you can or can’t do. Focus on the intent, not the specifics. When you return to the office, put your notes into the journey map. Over time, you may find that by thin-slicing touchpoints, you get a deeper, richer view of the customer experience and inspiration for innovative, high-impact solutions.

As with any technique for gathering information and generating insights, applying the thin-slicing idea to journey mapping requires care. How teams are designed, facilitated and engaged does matter. Done incorrectly, you run the risk of introducing bias. That may lead to false assumptions about what is really happening to customers and how to create a better experience.

Done well, however, thin-slicing is a useful tool to unlock powerful insights that serve as the fuel for experience innovation – and, ultimately, more opportunities to win in the marketplace.

Political logos: The good. The bad. And the confusing.

What can I possibly add to the chorus of people (designers and non-designers alike) currently discussing the 2016 presidential candidate logos?

I’ll start by saying how much I love that so many people are talking about logos. On the subway yesterday, I overheard a grandmother say, “I would have gone with a serif for my logo, it’s just so much more friendly.” It made me smile that she actually knew the difference between serif and sans serif and could express the associated personalities of each. And, I appreciate that so many people are talking about the purpose of a logo and what it communicates. With that said, I find it unfortunate that the dialogue is often so mean spirited. It seems that logo bashing has become a sport these days and political logos just intensify online snarkiness — which I will do my best to avoid.

In the context of this particular competitive set, I believe that Hillary Clinton’s “H” is the most successful logo. Is it as inspirational and graceful as President Obama’s iconic “O”? No, but it does an impressive job of doing what a logo is meant to do. It clearly connotes an idea (Progression! Moving forward!) and is memorable in its bold simplicity. In addition, the absence of a waving flag or military star is unexpected. Designed by Michael Bierut at Pentagram, this logo clearly stands out in the crowded, boisterous world of politics. In my opinion, it will stand the test of time.

The other three logos are what you’d expect both visually and conceptually, with varying degrees of success.

I certainly give Rand Paul credit for the subtle “torch” in his logo and the lack of the usual red, white and blue. And, I appreciate the bold decision to go with “RAND” to convey that he’s approachable and just one of the guys. I personally would have avoided the heavy italic font that looks too much like a moving company’s logo from the 1970s.

Marco Rubio’s logo has some nice features and some real problems. The all-lowercase type is both modern and friendly, but the small American map dotting the “i” is really unfortunate. Not only does it look amateurish, but it also doesn’t translate at all in smaller applications. And, what about Hawaii and Alaska? I’m pretty sure they still get to vote, right?

That brings us to Ted Cruz and what appears to be an American flag on fire. The symbolism of this icon left me scratching my head. The most conservative of the group, I do think it was the right decision to go with a classic serif and an all-American color palette. Both of these elements clearly reinforce traditional values.

With the 2016 presidential campaign just getting started, I’m excited to see even more logos join the race. Who knows? Maybe the best is yet to come.

Apple Watch Next big thing or Tim Cook’s folly?

As Tenet Partner’s IT director, and as someone who has been involved with Apple in many capacities over the past 30 years, I can’t help but be amused by all the negative and often snarky predictions for the new Apple Watch.

As with any new Apple product, until it has been in the market for a year or more, no one can predict what role it will play in users day-to-day lives. However, the key to grasping its potential lies in the understanding that while Apple creates brilliantly engineered and beautifully designed devices, it’s the imagination and talent of third party developers that really make these devices “The next big thing”.

When the iPhone first shipped in 2007, we tech types were thrilled to have a phone with a real web browser, visual voice mail, standards based email, an iPod, and a handful of useful productivity apps. Moreover, all this goodness came wrapped in a sleek package with an brilliant touch based OS and a gorgeous display. As a groundbreaking phone, this was obviously going to be a very successful product, but the real revolution wouldn’t begin until Apple opened up the iPhone to third party developers.

When the app store eventually opened, I would check in every few days to see what new apps were available. Within a few weeks the trickle of apps became a stream, which in turn became a firehose. Who in those early days could have imagined today’s ecosystem of apps and accessories, and the sheer scope of the functionality now offered by this diminutive device. While ostensibly a “phone” it is more accurately understood as a connected and sensor-rich pocket computer, and a darn powerful one at that.

One example; my nephew, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, is on call a few nights a month for cardiac emergencies potentially requiring emergency stents. When he gets a call he can quickly log-in with his iPhone and review the patient’s EKG, transmitted live from the ambulance, as both he and the patient make their way to the hospital. By the time he arrives he knows exactly what he’s dealing with and is ready to scrub in. This one tool significantly reduces the time from heart attack to repair, a critical factor in preserving life and preventing damage. Again, who could have imagined?

When the iPad was announced many confidently stated it was a device too far, just an overgrown iPod, and sure to be a flop. While tablet sales in general have slumped of late, they have carved out a vital role in our connected world. In a few short years iPads have replaced the 30 pound chart cases carried by nearly all airline pilots. They can also be found showing Frozen in the back of the family mini-van, used for data collection at scientific field stations and are replacing hard bound (and often out of date) books in classrooms around the world. Outfitted with a host of accessories and specialized software they can also be found on stage, in hospitals, offices, laboratories, museums, factories, etc., replacing existing tools, or creating new ones that none of us could have conceived of a few short years ago.

As a guy who grew up with Dick Tracy and his wrist phone, I’m naturally predisposed towards the Apple Watch. Most of my technical colleagues at Tenet Partners are as well, but what about the mass market? Could the naysayers predictions of an impending flop be accurate? I can’t begin to guess how the Apple Watch will evolve, but as with previous offerings, Apple has delivered to us an innovative and beautiful, yet relatively blank slate. Once smart developers around the world (and right here at Tenet Partners) dive in and make it their own, I’m pretty sure this could indeed be “the next big thing”.

Bud Light – The Importance of Understanding Potential Minefields in your Messaging

Bud Light recently ran in to some trouble with its “Up for Whatever” campaign. The issue highlights the importance of not getting too carried away when running a lighthearted and whimsical campaign that you could inadvertently become offensive or insensitive with. The campaign encourages people to be open-minded and go with the flow when it comes to a fun night out. They should realize that this could be dangerous water when promoting an alcoholic beverage. While not promoting irresponsible behavior, it is a fine line when you are promoting beer while telling people to be “Up for whatever”.

The controversy came when they put a tagline on their bottles that read, “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night”. I don’t think that any reasonable person would look at that line and not have some concerns. Yet this same line allegedly went through five layers of approvals. This is astounding.

Anyone in a leadership position for such a prominent brand should be saying to himself, “I like this campaign, but we need to be careful that we don’t get carried away and go too far”. Apparently, that filter was not in place for the team at Bud Light.

As could be expected, the social media universe caught fire where users accused Bud Light of promoting a “rape culture”. I won’t go that far, I doubt that they consciously did that. However, at a minimum, they are guilty of horrible judgement and insensitivity. This episode highlights the need to have a filter in place and not get carried away. Communicators need to understand their product and intended message have the potential for creating a horrible misinterpretation if not communicated clearly and in proper context. The dangers in this campaign are clearly that alcohol consumption and bad decisions sometimes go hand in hand. With this message, they need to understand that there is a fine line between harmless fun and irresponsible behavior. Removing the word “no” from your vocabulary and consuming alcohol is a disaster waiting to happen.

The 2015 Top 100 Most Powerful Brands The Way Forward

Brands are boldly moving forward. This momentum is the strongest since the recession, thanks to significant investments in business model innovation, digital and brand. Corporate leadership is looking to deliver growth by reshaping customer experiences. Our Top 100 report shows these leaders are outpacing their peers.

The macro trends that are driving change are fairly concentrated – industry lines blurring, digital convergence, and the emergence of fast-moving disruptors. Together, these trends are altering consumer behavior, delivering new experiences and driving value through innovation. In some industries, the fast pace of change is overwhelming management teams.

To seize on the opportunity this presents, leaders are reframing the marketing function to have greater influence on operations and shape customer experience, digital transformation and design of organizational culture. Success today requires a broader, more holistic view of the customer. A human-centered philosophy can translate into a common language that unites the various disciplines of business to ensure the enterprise is future-ready for the opportunities ahead.

2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the CoreBrand Index, a rich data set covering 1000 companies. This represents a milestone in Tenet’s mission of enabling leaders to create value in one of the most critical assets for any organization: its brand and reputation. With eyes to the future, we see exciting times ahead for those pacesetters who successfully wrap their business strategy and brand experience around their customers’ needs and aspirations.

Coca-Cola Tops Tenet’s Most Powerful Brands List

The Coca-Cola Company retains its #1 position for the 8th consecutive year on Tenet Partners’ Top 100 Most Powerful Brands 2015 List. How long can this iconic brand hold onto its leadership position?

This week, Tenet Partners launched the 8th edition of our Top 100 Most Powerful Brands Report, and Coca-Cola once again occupies the #1 position since the inception of this report. Congratulations to a brand that has been able to maintain momentum, especially in today’s very challenging and competitive beverage environment. Coca-Cola is seeing consumers seek healthier alternatives to soda and orange juice – two of Coke’s core staples – as well as more experiential brand engagements.

Tenet’s Top 100 Most Powerful Brands Report indicates that those brands who drive value through innovation and collaboration to create more engaging customer experiences tend to be the winners in not only capturing the hearts and loyalty of consumers, but of investors too. So what does the future hold for Coca-Cola? How long will Coke be able to remain at the top of our Top 100 list before Apple, Google, Amazon or even some other yet to be launched brand dethrones it? Coke must look ahead while keeping an eye on those brands that are right on its heels.

Surely Coca-Cola, either through collaboration Fit Family Challenge or through the acquisition of such “better for you” brands such as Vitamin Water, Honest Tea, Smart Water, Fuze and Odwalla understands that soda and orange juice will not sustain its future. But is Coke driving enough innovation to maintain or even increase its momentum knowing that consumers are seeking products and experiences that will complement their healthy lifestyles? I doubt that the Coke mini-can touting less sugar and calories is the solution. However, Coke Life, the recent “fist bump” modification to its iconic ribbon and its Ekocycle collaboration with will.i.am are certainly ways in which the brand is starting to engage with its consumers through relevant messages and heightened brand experiences.

One thing that Coca-Cola has proven is that it certainly “gets it” when it comes to understanding the concept of customer experience. Whether through Coke’s classic contour-shaped bottle, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, or through its corporate and individual brand promotions and sponsorships, Coca-Cola often times exemplifies good, even great customer experiences. This was proven by their “Share a Coke” campaign which helped to increase previously lagging sales by 2.5% last summer.

Moving forward, Coca-Cola will not only need to rely strongly on continued acquisitions, collaboration and innovation that are relevant for its consumers and investors, but to also retain its overall BrandPower Coca-Cola strength and its leadership position.

Improving C-Suite Decisions Tapping the Power of CoreBrand Analytics

Since 1990, Tenet Partners℠ CoreBrand Analytics has set the standard for reliable corporate reputation data and insight. 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of Tenet Partners CoreBrand® Index, a rich data set based on rigorous research conducted annually among 10,000 Opinion Elites. This landmark study on corporate reputation assesses the health and trajectory of 1,000 companies across nearly 50 industries.

Tapping insights from this unique body of work, Tenet Partners recently released its annual study examining 2015’s Top 100 Most Powerful Brands. Beyond a mere ranking that highlights the biggest risers and steepest decliners, this study sheds valuable light on emerging macro trends that impact the corporate brand — one of a companies most precious assets. We uncover how some of 2015’s Most Powerful Brands embrace innovation, collaboration and customer experience to drive success.

Tenet Partners has built its CoreBrand Analytics practice to empower the C-Suite with quantitative information and measurement tools needed to understand their brand’s performance, the competitive environment they operate in and prescriptive guidance to drive success.

Here are 5 important and actionable reasons why Tenet’s CoreBrand Analytics can help your C-Suite improve its decision-making:

1. LEGITIMIZES INVESTMENTS
With custom insight drawn from our CoreBrand Analytics ROI model, questions about brand-building change from whether to invest to how much. Companies that understand the importance and value of investments can strategically build customer-centric experiences with confidence.

2. PROVIDES AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE
By measuring the impact of brand building, leadership can evaluate the quality of overall brand management without depending on biased opinion or personal perspective. Measurement and metrics add science to the art of creative brand building. Results of CoreBrand Analytics allow marketers to quantitatively track performance of initiatives, course correct as necessary and report progress to the C-suite with hard evidence.

3. CREATES ACCOUNTABILITY
Having a quantitative, enterprise-wide measure of impact means that leadership can be evaluated on their stewardship and management of the brand asset over the long term. Metrics are often incorporated into corporate scorecards and can factor into performance assessment and rewards systems.

4. ALIGNS LEADERSHIP
Because the results of brand management can be tracked in detail over time, it is possible to thoroughly analyze the effort. This enables senior managers to work together for the optimum total return on investment, throughout the entire company.

5. IDENTIFIES GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Understanding the components of brand value gives dimension to the upside potential to advance a business, not only through geographical growth but also through product innovation, service development and strategic alliances.

I welcome the opportunity to start a conversation about how Tenet can put CoreBrand Analytics to work for your organization, please reach out to me at smakadok@tenetpartners.com.

Download Tenet Partners 2015 Top 100 Most Powerful Brands report.

How to build a better customer experience in the Internet of Things

“The Internet is running out of IP addresses.”

This was the blunt assessment of my networking lab professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology ten years ago. It turns out that the largest network of all — the capital-I Internet — was never designed to accommodate the sheer volume of devices logging onto it. In the early 80s when the internet protocol was developed, no one considered an Internet of billions of devices for a network that was used only by higher education and government. They almost certainly didn’t conceive of a network that would require addresses for household appliances. Why would my thermostat, security system or bottle of prescription medication need to be connected to the Internet?

But my, those wheels of progress do turn quickly! The future has arrived, bringing with the “Internet of Things” — a universe of devices with all the software, sensors and network connections that promise to make our lives better, but what kind of experience is this providing? What can companies do to bridge gaps between these technologies and people who have yet to adopt them?

Surprise and delight with the power of data
“Knowledge is power” or so the saying goes. In the era of the Internet of Things — where devices collect data every hour of every day — that statement couldn’t be truer. One company that is uniquely positioned to rise to the challenge of understanding all this data is Google.

Ranked as number 15 on Tenet’s Top 100 Most Powerful Brands of 2015, Google is an old pro in the tech industry for gathering reams of information and turning it into something useful. Just look at their main product: their search engine dominates the market to such an extent that the company name is used as a verb. But now, Google has turned its attention outside of the World Wide Web.

With Google’s acquisition of Nest — known for its self-programmable thermostat — the search giant did more than buy a company that manufactures amazing temperature controls. They purchased permission to enter our homes and help themselves to the “data cookie jar”. Google can now, unintrusively, collect data on our behavior as we go about our daily business. Combined with the aforementioned expertise in understanding that data, this acquisition is a natural fit that has endless possibilities.

Think about self-monitored home security systems. Such systems could learn your daily movements, monitor your Google Calendar to determine when you’ll be away and connect to your Android device to send notifications in the event suspicious activity near your home is detected. Taking that to the next level, it’s easy to imagine a self-securing home, one that locks itself as you leave for work in the morning. Perhaps the system could unlock the door for your teenager who once again misplaced their key or open the garage in order to accept that Amazon Prime package. These are just some examples of how the Internet of Things can delight customers and, potentially, win over those reluctant to embrace it.

What about customers who are uncertain of allowing data to be gathered about them in order to make this magic happen?

Maintain trust through transparency
In the age of domestic surveillance, drones, and customer data breaches, the idea of an Internet of Things collecting personal data can feel intrusive for many late-adopters. Yes, these new technologies open up the possibilities for an improved life, but at what cost? Customers will — quite rightly — have questions they want answered, such as:

  • How much information is being collected?
  • What are they doing with the information?
  • Are they selling my personal data to others?
  • Is this all safe and secure?

These questions are real and need to be addressed so as to make it easy for customers to adopt new ways. The path that companies can take to get ahead of any negative perceptions is through the often neglected, but always recommended, principle of transparency.

Companies specializing in the Internet of Things must always be clear about what these technologies are doing for their customers, and what those customers are providing in exchange. By setting easy-to-understand expectations early, customers won’t be unpleasantly surprised later. Privacy and personal data are understandably, sensitive topics for consumers, so invest the time and effort to foster trust with your organization and your connected devices.

Trust is an important aspect of your communication, but it shouldn’t end there. An overall engagement strategy, or lack thereof, can have a lasting impact in the faith customers have in your company and its devices.

Read the full article on Branding Magazine.

Why B2B Brands Should Embrace Social Media

Social media is, without question, the epitome of how digital has transformed the way we communicate. With broad reach and instant effect, social networks have grown to afford their users a tremendous amount of power. This can be seen in how social media users can influence, both positively and negatively, the public perception of a brand. In an attempt to shape the narrative, companies across all industries were quick to embrace social networking, with one glaring exception—businesses whose customers are other businesses.

Save for business-oriented social networks such as LinkedIn, many B2B companies hold the misconception that social media isn’t an appropriate or necessary space they need to occupy. But the truth is, the impact of social media reaches wide and deep for every organization, no matter of the customers. Social media provides its users instant and free access to some of the largest audiences in the world. As such, it’s a key instrument in any marketer’s toolkit.

Still not convinced that your organization should move beyond LinkedIn? Here are four more reasons why your B2B brand should embrace social.

1. Social media can boost your B2B brand awareness
Commercial real estate giant CBRE is a great example of a B2B company taking full advantage of Instagram as a photo-sharing site. Filled with images of commercial buildings and photographs of urban skylines, the CBRE Instagram account was slow to attract a following. But in the two years it’s been online, CBRE has managed to amass over 5,100 followers. With an average of 150 likes per posting, it’s a following that also shows regular engagement.

CBRE isn’t the only B2B business to leverage the social to build awareness. Global shipping giant Maersk Line also maintains a healthy Instagram following, using photos of container ships and transport vehicles to illustrate how the goods we purchase traverse the oceans before they reach our stores. Beyond Instagram, General Electric uses Pinterest—wrongly perceived as a network for sharing recipes and fashion—to highlight how their company’s innovations “move, power, build and cure the world.”

By bringing your B2B brand to the attention of your audience, you increase your B2B brand exposure and draw sustained attention to it in a unique and interesting way.

2. Social serves as an avenue to promote thought leadership
Social media gives you a public stage from which you can share knowledge with a broader public. For businesses, this represents an avenue to distribute an organization’s latest thoughts or ideas, important company updates and positive press.

For example, Cisco, the company known for its networking devices, is networking with hundreds of thousands on their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. Using hashtags such as #InsideInnovation and #InternetOfEverything, Cisco distributes thought leadership pieces, website content and videos to an audience that—through likes and follows—they know are receptive to their brand and the messages they promote.

With the exception of Facebook, the organic social reach of these promotions are only as limited as the number of people interested in your message, and how often they log into the network of their choice. And not to be minimized, we need to look at the potential to extend your reach through social sharing and paid promotion.

3. Social provides an opportunity for brand engagement
B2B marketers must remember that they’re not just targeting a faceless business entity with their communications. Rather, what they’re looking to do is to engage with people who are, in some way, attached to a business. These are human beings with emotions, looking for the partner who will make their jobs easier and will set them up for success. Companies that offer business services, such as logistics or software as a service, are well positioned to use social media for brand engagement in this manner.

One such example is Salesforce, whose Twitter account also doubles as a platform for customers and employees to engage with the brand. When an individual tweets using the @salesforce handle, it’s likely to receive a response from the marketers supporting the Salesforce corporate account. Positive or negative, there is an open dialog between the brand and its clients.

This type of two-way relationship represents the quintessential B2B brand engagement that social media offers to businesses.

4. Social may have an effect on your SEO
There is still some debate on this, but many search marketers believe that social signals—likes, retweets, follows or other audience interactions with your social posts—are a ranking factor in search engine optimization. Google representatives have denied that they use social signals as a ranking factor, but webmasters are quick to point out that data curated by social networks remains too rich to ignore. Social signals have the potential to illustrate the popularity and trustworthiness in a particular social media user or piece of content. Thus, it’s somewhat unbelievable that the world’s largest search engine has said they place no special value towards this data—and I myself remain a skeptic.

Every brand has, at one point, struggled when taking the leap into social media. It takes time and effort to build an audience, craft compelling content, and find a voice in a wider community made up of millions. But the B2B brands that I’ve mentioned as examples above prove that, done right, social media can make up a rewarding part of your marketing toolkit. If you’re still not convinced, or unsure where to start, I’d invite you to learn more about Tenet’s digital marketing capabilities and our thoughts on the connected customer. After all, your business isn’t just marketing to other businesses—you’re marketing to human beings like yourself, all hustling to connect with one another in an ever-changing digital landscape.

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