Social Media Strategy - US vs Europe

Very interesting article today care of PFSK regarding why Social Media campaigns fail. According to a study by Brand Science Institute, a German think tank, 81% of European companies lack a clear social media strategy. The expectations on social media are unrealistic with demands that campaign prove out an ROI in 12 months and the confusion that social media=viral.

The US is head in many respects but the situation isn't great here either. According to a study reported in Mediapost, 78% of firms are using social media but only 41% have a strategy. So better but not great.

As a digital veteran, this feels so much like the first wave of digital - the growth of online advertising. Initial excitement, lots of trial and error, followed by confusion and tons of questioning. The difference between US and Europe is a temporal one. The report from Europe feels like the discussions around social media in the US a year ago, with many experimenting in a highly questioning climate.  Out of this a few a believers emerge, e.g. Starbucks and Dell, who use social media in a disciplined way and turn it into a highly competitive weapon.

It will be interesting to see if in a year the climate around social media in Europe mirrors the current climate in the US and who will emerge as the social media champions.

Adam Turinas