Twitter is Not a Strategy

September 22, 2014
In this thoughtful but heavy-going business guide, Doctoroff (What Chinese Want), Asia Pacific CEO for J. Walter Thompson, argues that while social media may be useful for attracting customers, it is no substitute for traditional marketing. He cites the wide array of digital channels now available as a potential source of confusion for customers, stating that traditionally minded marketers who “master the timeless rules of brand building” are the ones guaranteed to generate customer loyalty. Doctoroff’s four-part system rests on the proposition that mastery of ideas and executions will win a business higher profits and greater customer loyalty. The four individual elements of this system are insight into consumers; “the brand idea”; the idea for “engagement” or execution; and a plan for carrying out the engagement idea. Doctoroff counsels business people to consider the universals of human behavior, and points to Lego, Google, Nike, and Apple as companies that got their brand ideas right. He defines engagement ideas as “creative expressions of the brand idea” and explores the consumer’s “journey,” from the initial encounter with the product or service to the purchase. A spot-on premise and nuggets of fresh wisdom sprinkled throughout do not offset Doctoroff’s dense material. Readers will find this a tough read despite its solid suggestions.