Planning a Successful Social Web Future

November 4, 2013

Given the stunningly quick growth of the social web, companies are wise to examine emerging networks and their adoption by various shopper groups.

Although Facebook is overwhelmingly the most used site among shoppers on the social web, younger patrons are tapping into many newer platforms. Top among these are Instagram, Vine, SnapChat and Tumblr — all of which put a premium on quick communication and visuals.

The Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council of North America probed how customers currently use and plan to use the social web in the near future. These findings are published in Part 8 of Untangling the Social Web, a new study that can be downloaded for free at www.ccrrc.org.

Those surveyed report using sites like Tumblr and Instagram and claim they wield significant influence on their buying decisions. And while Vine and SnapChat only have a small percentage of users today, they may have the greatest influence over the next five years.

The message for companies is clear: if you want to communicate with the shoppers of tomorrow you’ll need strategies that engage a wider range of social networks.

Michael Sansolo
Research Director
Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council of North America
www.MichaelSansolo.com