Social Media

Social media is an imperative public relations and marketing tool for companies to utilize in their business practices. It allows companies to have more of a relationship with their customers and acts as another means of information. However, since it cannot be regulated, users are free to post what they please about the company, whether it is good, bad or ugly. Social media is developing rapidly and there are new platforms daily, making it necessary for companies to not only be familiar with those platforms, but also know how to reach the consumer through them.

This paper explores the concept of social media and its users with a case study of Coca-Cola’s web presence. Two of the most recent social media campaigns, Expedition 206 and 24-Hour Session with Maroon 5 will be examined. Questions that will be answered throughout the paper will identify the effects social media has, if companies can reach their audiences effectively through social media, and what will make social media better by research on best practices.

Social media marketing helps a company form a relationship and connect with their audience. Tools such as Twitter, Facebook, various blog sites and Foursquare are used to fuse a connection. It is then up to the company to ensure that a relationship develops. Social media is widespread and it is imperative to remain ahead of the competition. Coca-Cola’s competitors, Pepsi Co., Nestlé and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group all have a presence on social media sites and engage in social media marketing. Coca-Cola is a market leader in the carbonated beverage industry not only in numbers, but also with their presence on social media. Companies in any industry can study their social media presence and interaction and form their own social media guidelines based on Coca-Cola’s current presence. The company’s presence on social media engages fans and followers while also allowing Coca-Cola to be a part of the conversation. Whether a user is new to social media or has...