Why is there so much interest in tools such as Facebook and Twitter? From a marketing point of view, these tools are vehicles to communicate with consumers and enhance branding on the web. Prime examples are Nokia’s Fan page on Facebook and Dell Computer’s multiple Twitter accounts.
Can the same Web 2.0 based marketing techniques apply to branding a city or region? Let’s find out.
Using The 2008 Global Cities Index from Foreign Policy Magazine, the top 10 cities in terms of business activity were examined based on their presence of the two social networking platforms. The selected cities were 1. New York, 2. Tokyo, 3. Paris, 4. London, 5. Hong Kong, 6. Singapore, 7. Seoul, 8. Shanghai, 9. Beijing, 10. Amsterdam
Findings:
- Of the 10 cities, three cities (i.e., Paris, London, Amsterdam) have a Facebook Fan Page
- Of the 10 cities, seven cities (i.e., New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing) do not have a Facebook Fan Page
Given the power of online social networks, one has to wonder what is taking cities so long to buy into the benefits?
- Is it a question of money?
- Is it a question of time?
- Is it a question of awareness? (i.e., the benefits having fan pages)
Research for this blog post led to some interesting finding in terms of cities / towns that have embraced social network platforms such as Facebook.
1. It was difficult to identify the official pages from pages created by citizens. The set of criteria that were used to identify the city’s official page were:
a) Complete contact information
b) Wide Reach (number of members, fans and followers)
c) Link on the page to the city’s official website
2. Two very good examples that were found: Coventry City (U.K.) and City and County of San Francisco
Coventry City - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41296119424
The local government of Coventry City created a Facebook group with the objective of communicating with citizens regarding a new civic centre. The group was an avenue to consult with stakeholders in which they used discussion boards and the wall as sounding boards. The image below presents a sample of posts made to the discussion board asking the question, “What you dislike about the city centre?”
City and County of San Francisco - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/sanfrancisco?v=info&viewas=1244463797
The City and County of San Francisco’s presence on Facebook can seen through a fan page. The fan page is an extension of the city and county’s website. Fans can easily access information from the local government via wall postings, photographs and video clips on YouTube. In addition to being an information tool, the page can be viewed as a branding vehicle based on the many scenic photos placed on the page and events that are promoted. Below is a screenshot of what is offered in terms of photos on the page.
Final Thoughts
- A Facebook Fan Page is a logical extention to a city’s or region’s official website
- Social network applications are excellent avenues to reach individuals within the 24 to 54 age bracket
- Some cities have yet to realize the possibilities that social network tools offer to communicate with its citizens.
