Social Research

When a consumer buys from a company, there is not a whole lot the company knows about them personally. They will have their age, gender, geographic location etc. But what happens when research goes beyond this demographic information, and gets personal? More brands are investing in social. Some brands are simply trying to conduct traditional advertising, while others are actually trying to establish a social connection and engagement. As brands get closer and closer to consumers, information is going to change, and so will selling and marketing efforts. 

A great analogy would be the pursuit of young lady by a young gentleman. If all you know is her age, what she looks like, maybe where she works, then you don't know much. But once you start engaging with her socially you began finding out the intricate nuances that make her uniquely her. As you find these things out, you can begin tailoring your pursuit specifically to her and then ultimately make your sales pitch. She may agree to a date, she may not. Whichever the case, she knows that you were not just throwing her the same jargon you throw every girl. Your message was for her and only her. 

I see this happening in the future relationship between brands and people. Note that we aren't talking about companies and people, but brands and people. Brands are becoming the personality of the company like never before. As brands connect with us socially, they will better tailor their efforts towards us. How personal will it get? And how scary is that thought?