May issue 2011

By | Business | Opinion | Speaker's Corner | Published 13 years ago

 According to Babar Khan Javed, the CBO of Sociality360 (a growing social media company based in Karachi) marketing managers are quickly realising there is a new, escalating priority in the world of business: getting closer to prime customers. Indeed it is reflected in major changes made to marketing strategy in terms of customer research and corporate communication in this region: MNCs now seek to reach out to customers via social media in an endeavour to augment shopper advocacy.


According to Babar Khan Javed, the CBO of Sociality360 (a growing social media company based in Karachi) marketing managers are quickly realising there is a new, escalating priority in the world of business: getting closer to prime customers. Indeed it is reflected in major changes made to marketing strategy in terms of customer research and corporate communication in this region: MNCs now seek to reach out to customers via social media in an endeavour to augment shopper advocacy.

When it comes to attaining interaction, over 46% of respondents showed interest in giving detailed feedback and suggestions for a brand they already knew well and loved, with nearly 60% insisting on feedback from the company about all essential comments, whether on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

In terms of influencing spending behaviour and frequency, a recommendation from a friend or family member can do wonders, according to a whopping 55% of respondents. The remaining respondents said they prefer consulting highly specialised sites such as Apple Core (applecore.cc) and Enterakt (enterakt.com).
With every “like” on a Facebook page or “tweet” on twitter, the influence and endorsement can be felt across a community, sending a message of approval for the key interest group to either consider or try the product.

We advise all business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies to take advantage of this somewhat free, easy-to-use and undoubtedly effective new medium to maximise reach and connect with key users. Social media campaigns designed by Sociality360 and other media agencies in Pakistan have begun to reap generous rewards from the online community with programmes gathering key insights, product refinement knowledge and free, willing PR managers. For the first time, companies and agencies can work side my side to engage with customers and receive instant qualitative feedback, all of which comes from emotionally motivated consumers to share their experiences.

The above post is an excerpt from the author’s working dissertation on social media insights.