Invoke Live: Social Networking

Invoke Live: Social Networking
Topline Report | July 29, 2010

Table of Contents
Study Design 3
Executive Summary 5
Drivers and modes of social media use 10
Trust in social networking 15
Facebook 17
Twitter 20
The role of brands 21
Smartphones 27
What’s Next 30
Appendix 35
2 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Study Design
Methodology
This study incorporated the Invoke Solutions’ Engage Live research technology, which enables a
dynamic, real-time, moderated discussion with a large, live sample.
Participant Design
Adult males and females evenly distributed across age range from 18 to 50+
Must have more than one active social media account (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc..) OR be
a Facebook account holder with more than 25 friends
Frequently engage in social media related behavior such as:
Log into Facebook, Linked-in or other social networking site
Check for new tweets from people you follow or tweet yourself
Participate in a branded community
Read or comment on a blog
Write their own blog
Expect current level of social media use to grow or remain at current level in the future
Total: n=314
Session Length/Time
60 Minute Live Session: Tuesday, June 15, 2010
60 Minute Open Session: Wednesday, June 16 – June 18, 2010
Background and Objectives
Social Networking is a frequent topic of conversation within the marketing

research community. From online sample sources who recruit from social
networking sites to companies that mine what’s being said about your brand,
it seems that there is no shortage of ways to reach and gather insight from
members of social networks.
But how well do we understand who these people are, how they use social
media, and what role the various social media play in their lives?
Our objectives were to explore:

• The range of activities that users leverage social networking sites for and the
interplay between those sites (Facebook, Twitter, branded community sites,
etc.)
• Their views on the role of brands, products and retailers within the social
networking ecosystem
• The rapidly evolving role of smartphones in increasing awareness and near
instantaneous participation (with those brands, products and retailers)
• The feedback opportunity within these environments
• What’s next in this rapidly changing medium?

Executive Summary
• Participants overwhelmingly indicated that their use of social networking

was about simply staying connected with others
• Some participants even expressed that social networking might be better
than traditional forms of interaction because it:
• removes geographical boundaries
• allows users to decide when and with whom they interact
• allows users to update many people simultaneously
• Participants are spending their social networking time engaged in a range
of activities and in both an information sharing and gathering mode
• Participants tended to have the most trust for content produced by
people they know in social media
• but company content was also trusted by a third of participants
• The critical factors in trusting social media content were the open nature
of the dialog (both positive and negative sentiments expressed) and
quality of content, not longevity of the relationship or the size of the
audience

Executive Summary (cont)
Facebook
• Many of the activities participants indicated they did the most of, and
with the most frequency, were via Facebook, placing it at the epicenter of
social networking activity
• The company itself had the highest unaided awareness and was also
frequently cited as the most influential company in social networking
• However, Facebook’s recent privacy challenges are having an impact on
users perceptions of the company and their services
Twitter
• While “Tweeting” and “Following people on Twitter” ranked lower than
many other social media activities in current use, the company ranked 2nd
only to Facebook in awareness among participants and there appears to
be a growing trend to use Twitter to connect with companies

Role of Brands
• Consumers clearly believe that companies and brands have a significant
role to play in social media and are in many ways re-shaping what Social
Networking is used for
• 65% of participants follow a company or brand via Facebook
• 31% follow a company or brand on Twitter
• 47% indicated they had posted a comment on a company’s Facebook page
• 32% had posted a comment about a company or product on their own
Facebook page
• 32% and 30% shared “new product information” and “information on sales
and deals” respectively with their social network
• Consumers indicated that they expect to be rewarded for their
interactions with companies via “deals” or “coupons”, which are their top
reasons for following a company on Facebook as well as the reward they
expect in response to a company complaint

Smartphones
• While some participants were undecided about the role of cell phones in
their social media activities, many more viewed the ability to access their
social network as a benefit of a smartphone purchase
• Participants who want to access their social network via their cell phone,
want that phone to support roughly the same activities their computer
does now – IM, “Facebooking”, and maybe even a little shopping
What’s Next
• Participants expected both social media’s presence and the number of
people using it to grow in the next 2-5 years and for it to become central
to the way people communicate with one another
• Advertisers are expected to use social media as a tool to specifically target
customers and as a means of engaging in conversations with them on
their terms and when they have demonstrated interest in a particular
brand or service
• Facebook is expected to become even more central to social networking;
only a few could envision a future where Facebook’s role was supplanted
by an un-known new technology
• Some participants expressed concerns about social media depersonalizing
communication, and cited a need for balance

Key Findings

Hyper Social Networkers are actively involved in a
number of social media
• However, Facebook clearly dominates, as most participants used Facebook
as a baseline activity
I have a Facebook account which I actively use 90%

I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on Facebook 65%
I have a Linked-In account which I actively use 26%
I have an account on another social networking website which I actively use 41%
I have a Twitter account which I actively use 35%
I currently follow people on Twitter 40%
I currently follow products or companies on Twitter 31%
I regularly read personal blogs 50%
I read product or company sponsored blogs 39%
I write my own blog 25%
I regularly post comments on blogs 39%
I participate in an online community sponsored by a brand or company 30%
I don't do any of these activities 0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
7) Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:

A basic human desire to be part of the world is driving
social media usage
• Participants overwhelmingly responded that they used social media to just
“stay connected”, with 63% ranking it as their number one reason, again
reinforcing the dominance of Facebook
To stay connected with friends, family or colleagues 63%
To socialize 13%
To be entertained 7%
To gather information 6%
To give feedback/make your opinion known 3%
To make new connections 3%
Another reason 2%
To learn 1%
To share information 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Q) Please rank the reasons WHY you use social media like web sites, blogs or twitter.

Social Networkers are sharing a variety of things to “stay
connected”…
• Participants selected “Just say hi” (80%) and “Family updates” (75%) as the
most frequent things they share
• But more than 30% of respondents indicated they frequently shared nine
different types of information
Q) What kind of things do you most frequently share? Please select all of the following that you share when you communicate.

…and engaging in a range of activities
• Posting personal updates and comments on other people’s Facebook pages
were the most frequently selected ways to communicate
• “I can get the message to my whole friends list at

one time.”
• “Convenience of being able to communicate on
my own time, from my computer or my phone.”
• “It is easier to follow other people and what they
are doing by going to their Facebook page and
commenting there. It helps me stay more
connected and more informed.”
• “All I have to do is read what someone else has to
say and comment on it if I choose. I can say
nothing or a lot depending on how I feel about it.”
• “Many of my friends & family will post status
updates about their life. I would probably not
have heard about this part of their lives (even if I
called them on the phone). It gives me more info
about a person no matter how trivial it may be. It
also is a great way to get the news out to tons of
people without having to call everyone or send an
e-mail & forgetting that you may have left
someone off”
Q) Which way of communicating or connecting do you do most frequently? (Left Pie Chart)
Q) Thinking about the way you communicate or connect most frequently, what are the advantages or benefits of communicating in this way? What
do you like more about this way of connecting than traditional means? (Verbatims)

Social Networking is about a two-way exchange of
information
• On balance, a third of participants indicated that they spent >60% of
their time in social media viewing other people’s content (34%) and
generating or passing along content themselves (31%)
20% - 40% of the time 40% - 60% of the time 60% - 80% of the time More than 80% of the time
Creating and sharing content like Facebook, or blog posts or

23% 24% 22% 9%
tweets
Gathering and viewing content from OTHER PEOPLE have

22% 30% 20% 14%
generated
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Q) How much of the time that you spend in social media (between social networking sites, blogs, twitter) is spent doing each of the following:

Trust runs high in Social Networking, even for
companies and independent bloggers
• Generally, participants trusted information most when it was
generated by friends, or people they know regardless of content
form
• However Facebook posts by companies were either “trusted
completely” or “trusted somewhat” by 41% of respondents and
company blog posts fared nearly as well at 36%
Blog posts by people you know 26% 38% 20% 9% 7%
Posts by friends in Facebook 23% 41% 19% 10% 7%
Friend's twitter stream 12% 33% 35% 11% 9%
Blog post by a brand, product or company 11% 25% 42% 15% 6% Trust completely
Posts by a brand, product or company you follow in Facebook 9% 32% 42% 11% 6% Trust somewhat
Fellow community member comments Neither trust nor

8% 29% 44% 14% 6%
distrust
Distrust somewhat
Brand, product or company comments in online community 8% 22% 51% 14% 6%
Don't trust at all
Brand, product or company twitter streams 6% 20% 48% 16% 8%
Blog posts by independent bloggers 6% 19% 44% 20% 12%
Independent blogger's twitter stream 5% 16% 46% 20% 13%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Q) Speaking of trust, how much do you trust the following sources of information, with 1= Trust completely and 5 = Don't trust at all?

However, trust can easily erode if the quality of the
interaction degrades
• The most important factors in trusting a social media content source
were open nature of dialog, and the quality of comments and
content
• Somewhat surprisingly, few participants rated length of
participation (15%) and number of fellow fans, followers and
participants (12%) as extremely important
The dialog is open to both

37% 27% 21% 8% 8%
positive and negative comments
Quality of the comments and

35% 27% 25% 7% 6%
content
Responsiveness of sponsor or Extremely important

30% 30% 22% 9% 7%
author
Somewhat important
Volume of participation 20% 29% 32% 11% 9% Neither important nor
unimportant
Somewhat
Volume of content 16% 26% 39% 11% 8% unimportant
Not at all important
How long you have been a fan,
15% 27% 34% 10% 13%
follower or participant
Number of people who are fans,

12% 26% 31% 13% 18%
followers or participants
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Q) Please rate how important the following factors are in how much you trust a blog, twitter, Facebook page or community site, with 1 = Extremely
important and 5 = Not at all important
Facebook is clearly the center of the
Social Networking universe…
• 78% of participants mentioned
Facebook when asked what they
think of when someone says
“social networking”
• 94% of participants listed • “facebook, many people think they can't live
without it”
Facebook when asked to name a
• “Of course, facebook, because it 's the largest
social media tool or site and most extensive social network of various
people common themes and interests”
Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:
• “Facebook because many companies use it as
100% an outlet to promote”
90%
90% • “facebook, you can connect more with
80% companies, friends, family, and things you
70% 65% want to get involved with”
60% • “I would say Facebook. It seems to be the most
50% popular one where people can share thoughts,
40% pictures, ideas. Businesses even have
30% Facebook accounts to draw customers”
20% • “facebook, it has a lot of users, also has a lot
10% of tools and games available to keep users
0% occupied and checking in frequently”
I am a fan of at least one product I have a Facebook account which I
or retailer on Facebook actively use
Q) We are here today to talk about SOCIAL NETWORKING. When I say SOCIAL NETWORKING, what do you think of? (1st percentage)
Q) Please list all of the social networking SITES or TOOLS that come to mind now. (2ndt percentage)
Q) What COMPANY would you say is the most influential in the social networking? Why do you say that? (Verbatims)

…and appeals to all age groups
While a quarter of participants age 50+ reported having over 100
Facebook friends, the percentage of participants with 100+ friends grew
as their age declined
• Nearly 2/3 those ages 18-29
• Nearly 1/2 of those ages 30-39
• Over 1/3 of those ages 40-49
Number of Facebook Friends

200+ 100-200 51-100 26-50 More than 100
Age 50+ 9% 16% 36% 39% 25%
Age 45-49 11% 20% 31% 37% 31%
Age 40-44 30% 16% 34% 20% 46%
Age 35-39 17% 33% 35% 15% 50%
Age 30-34 24% 24% 33% 19% 48%
Age 25-29 40% 30% 13% 17% 70%
Age 18-24 38% 38% 13% 13% 76%
Total 24% 24% 29% 23% 48%
Q) Approximately how many friends do you have on Facebook?

Yet Facebook is vulnerable to
privacy concerns
• More than a third of participants
indicated that Facebook’s privacy issues
had changed their opinion of the
company or raised concerns • “my personal information is just that--personal. if i wanted
the world to have my cell number or my email, i would
• Participants frequently cited the have posted it myself”
need for more personal • “I think people assume their personal details will be left
responsibility around information alone by default.”
sharing • “Having to opt-out of having your information distributed
to anyone is terrible.”
• “The issues are raised because people share way too much
on Facebook. It'd be so easy to steal someone's information
or know where they are during the day based on status
updates.”
• “People expect Facebook to protect them, but they need to
do more to protect themselves and not put up things they
shouldn't.”
• “ It should be an issue to some people, maybe they will be
more careful and take the proper precautions when using a
social network or anything else on the web.”
Q) Facebook has recently faced a lot of criticism about both what privacy controls it offers and how easy those controls are understood by members.
Has this changed your opinion about the company or raised concerns about your use of its service? (Left Chart)
Q) What do you think the issues are related to privacy and social media? Why do feel it is an issue for some people? (Verbatims)

Twitter is growing in influence
• 31% of participants mentioned
Twitter when asked what they
think of when someone says • “Twitter. They seem to be the biggest and
social networking hottest @ the moment.”
• “twitter, they are all over tv and other media
• 77% of participants listed Twitter networks”
when asked to name a social • “A toss up between Facebook and Twitter they
both seem to dominate the industry”
media tool or site
• “Twitter has really gotten a lot of attention due
Please select all of the following statements that accurately describe you:
to celebrities.”
45%
40% • “Twitter, because it allows one to track
40%
35% someone through their daily lives.”
35%
31% • “I would have to say Twitter because I see it
30% advertised all of the time.”
25% • “I think it changes pretty quickly. Right now I'd
20% say Twitter because it's getting all kinds of
media exposure. All kinds of celebrities and
15%
companies are using it and make it known
10% they're on there”
5%
0%
I have a Twitter Account I currently follow people on I currently follow products or
which I actively use Twitter companies on Twitter
Q) We are here today to talk about SOCIAL NETWORKING. When I say SOCIAL NETWORKING, what do you think of? (1st percentage)
Q) Please list all of the social networking SITES or TOOLS that come to mind now. (2ndt percentage)
Q) What COMPANY would you say is the most influential in the social networking? Why do you say that? (Verbatims)

Companies and Brands are a significant and acceptable
presence in Social Networking
• A quarter of participants indicated that they spent > 40% of their
social media time gathering or viewing content that a Brand or
Company had generated
• A third of participants shared “new product information” and
“information on sales and deals” with their social network
New product reviews

Less than 20% of the time 20% - 40% of the time 40% - 60% of the time
or information, 32%
60% - 80% of the time More than 80% of the time
53% 22% 12% 11% 3%
Information on sales
or deals, 30%
26%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 23% 25% 27% 29% 31% 33%
Q) How much of the time that you spend in social media (between social networking sites, blogs, twitter) is spent doing each of the following: (Left
chart)
Q) What kind of things do you most frequently share? Please select all of the following that you share when you communicate. (Right Chart)

Social Networkers are interacting with companies in
various ways
• Nearly half of Social Networkers indicated they had posted a comment on
a company’s Facebook page and nearly as many indicated they read a
company blog
• But even companies without a Social Media presence could not hide; A
third of respondents made a brand or product related post on their own
Facebook page
Post a comment on company's Facebook page 47%
Read Blogs 41%
Post comment on your own Facebook page 32%
Update Facebook status 25%
I don't interact w/companies or brands via social networking 24%
Redistribute content links 21%
Send pictures 19%
Interact via other social sites 18%
Tweet 17%
Chat within Facebook 17%
Blog 17%
Distribute original content 13%
Send videos 11%
IM (any instant message vehicle) 10%
Other 9%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Q) Please tell me which of the following ways you communicate with BRANDS or COMPANIES in your social network (Select all that apply)

Social Networkers give mixed reviews on companies’
management of their social presence
• Some companies appear to be responding by giving something in return for
a complaint such as coupons, free shipping or simple problem resolution.
• But those who don’t appear to be paying a price
• “I actually had a really lousy experience at 1 Panera Bread restaurant (they're usually GREAT). I posted
something at THEIR SITE..got a gift certificate”
• “I commented on Nabisco's facebook page about how wonderful the 100 calorie packs are and they sent me a
coupon for a package for free”
• “Had a couple problems with my new dishwasher. I called the 1-800 # and they blew me off so I made contact
through facebook page and they responded and fixed the problem. I guess they didn't want to get a bad
reputation“
• “I comment of the lands end FB page about a slow order and they took care of me by providing me a free
shipping code for my next order”
• I had a horrible sales' experience at Best Buy and have told everyone I can think of about it. Do not plan on
going back to BB and hope to warn others about their misrepresentations to help protect other people. And, no,
Best Buy did not respond. Too big and they just don't care.
• I didn't have good results with either of the things I tried. I wanted to talk to Tide about participating in Loads of
Hope, and all they wanted was my money. I wanted to ask P&G if they were donating truckloads of Dawn to the
Gulf, but got no reply.
Q) Please give me an example of when you have used social media to comment or complain about a company or product. Also, tell me if the
company responded. (Verbatims)
Social networking is changing the way consumers gather
brand and product information…
• While more participants indicated they look for brand or product
information via a search engine or on a company’s website than other
online outlets, those who follow products/companies on Facebook (47%)
and Twitter (62%) leveraged company Facebook pages for info more than
those who don’t
• A quarter of participants who follow a company via Twitter did either a Twitter
search (25%) or added the company of interest to those they follow (28%)
86%
Search engine 88%
91%
81%
Company website 85%
88%
38%
Company Facebook page 47% Total
62%
19% I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on

Company blog 20%
37% Facebook
I currently follow products or companies on
12% Twitter
Follow them on Twitter 12%
28%
10%
Twitter search 11%
25%
3%
Other 2%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Q) When you are looking for information on a brand, product, or company, what tools do you use? (Select all that apply)
…and consumers have conversations with those brands
• While more participants indicated they directed comments to the
suggestion page of a company’s website than any other online
outlet, participants who are also followers of a product/company on
Facebook or Twitter consistently expressed a willingness to leverage
additional online outlets across the board
• from posting on their own page, or the company’s page, to “tweeting”
about it and even blogging
Comment or suggestion page of the brand, 65%
63%
product or company website 68%
37%
Facebook post to your own page 45%
47%
Facebook post on the brand, product or company 32% Total

40%
page 46%
I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on
Facebook
30%
Another method 27% I currently follow products or companies on
19% Twitter
13%
Blog about it 15%
25%
12%
Tweet about it 12%
25%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Q) Similarly, when you have a comment or a complaint to share about a brand, product, or company where do you direct it?
Social Networkers expect something in return
for their interaction with companies
• 60% of participants indicated coupons and discounts would be their primary
motivation for “following” a retailer on Facebook
• A fifth of participants indicated they checked Facebook, blogs, or twitter
streams for deals, pricing or coupons prior to shopping “all the time” or
“frequently”
35%
Motivations for "Following" a Retailer on Facebook 32%
Multi- Primary
30%
select Reason
1 For coupons or discounts 86% 60% 24%
25%
Getting early or exclusive 22%
2 information 58% 16%
20%
The ability to view unbiased 16%
3 feedback 39% 12%
15%
4 To give unbiased feedback 26% 5%

10%
To participate in a particular 5%
5%
5 service or program 26% 4%
6 Another reason 4% 3% 0%
All the time Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
Q) What tools would you like products, brands, companies or individuals to make available on their websites or blogs for you to either follow
them or redistribute their content easily? (Select all that apply)
Q) How often do you check Facebook, Blogs or Twitter feeds for deals, pricing or coupons from companies before shopping?

Smartphones will grow in their influence on
social interaction
• 8% of participants reported that social media access was a “primary
reason” for their current cell phone, but 16% reported it would be a
“primary reason” for their next purchase
• 27% reported that social media access was a “nice bonus” of their
current phone. Again that number grew to 46% when participants
were asked about future mobile purchases
Present phone Next phone
Q) How much of a factor was social media access in selecting your current mobile phone? (choose one)
Q) Thinking about your NEXT mobile phone purchase, how important will social media be in selecting that phone? (choose one)
The willingness to use a mobile phone as social media
platform is heavily impacted by age
• 78% of participants age 50+, and approximately half of participants
ages 35-49 indicated they did not want to use their cell phone for
social media, suggesting that the appeal of mobile access may be
influenced by those who are digital natives vs. digital adopters
• Participants ages 45-49, potentially the parents of younger cell phone
users, were more willing than their older and younger peers to use
their cell phone for social networking
Total, 48%
Age 18-24, 32%
Age 24-29, 28%
I don't use my mobile phone Age 30-34, 31%

for social networking
Age 35-39, 50%
Age 40-44, 59%
Age 45-49, 43%
Age 50+, 78%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Q) Please select which social networking activities you do not currently use on your mobile phone but would be interested in using in the FUTURE.
(Select all that apply)

Many of the same activities are expected to be
delivered via a Smartphone
• Checking and posting updates and posting pictures are the activities
most desirable from a Smartphone
• While still many indicated they would be interested in either buying
directly or receiving “deal” information on their phone
Q) Please select which social networking activities you would BE interested in using your mobile phone to do in the future if you could. (Select all
that apply)

Social media in the future - as monumental as the
invention of the telephone?
• Participants envisioned a range of future possibilities for social
media, but some of the universal expectations were:
• It would grow in popularity and become even more central to the way
people communicate with each other and with companies
• As social media evolves beyond its infancy, the medium will inevitably
become more polished, simpler to use and offer more features all of
which will further ingrain it into the culture
• “we may not need our mailboxes outside our houses anymore”
• “I think it will be big, it will be like the invention of the telephone.”
• “I think social media will become the norm in the next 5 years.”
• “I think it will become more polished like web pages are today. We're just tipping our toes in what can be done in
the future.”
• “It'll probably be the main way the people communicate. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet though.”
• “It will dominate our time and drive our social lives”
• “EVERYONE will be on some kind of social media-it's the latest craze and will become more simplified to use in the
future.”
• “its going to be a great social adventure .however people need to balance it a little”
• “More and more features will be offered on the mobile side - in cell phones, in automobiles, other hand held
devices. Home use will move more to wireless devices and also interface fully with our mobile media.”
Q) Where do you see social media going in the next two to five years?
The medium lends itself to brand-initiated, consumer-
oriented conversation
• Generally, participants expected brands to move more into social media
because increasingly, that is where consumers can more reliably,
continuously and personally be reached vs. other media
• Others cited the opportunity the medium affords for brands to target and
engage niche consumers on their own terms and when they have
demonstrated interest
• “Getting bigger and bigger. Advertisers, I think, are just starting to realize what a great tool it is -- particularly
when you have a very specific target market.”
• “I expect social media to be just as popular for networking with friends and I expect more companies to
communicate with customers on facebook and offer free products/discounts.”
• “I can see purchases being made at great discounts through retailers. Continued ways of staying in touch with
friends through all sorts of portable devices.”
• “It will far surpass any other kind of advertising - print, etc because everyone is online. More and more are
going online to do just about everything. It is becoming easier to go online and with more vehicles to do so. As
the older non-techie Americans die off, and this young crop grows, everyone will be online.”
• “I think it will become more important all the time. Everything moves so fast, if retailers don't keep up with mew
media, they will lose in the marketplace. Look at newspapers and magazines - they're dying, thanks to the
Internet.”
Q) Where do you see social media going in the next two to five years?

Users’ ability to customize their social media world
makes it an ideal forum for brands
• The social networker can decide on what terms, when and to what degree
to engage with brands ( to merely “pull” information or to share their own
feedback/opinion) making those communications ultimately more
effective, impactful and satisfying
• Social media then offers brands the ability to connect (or “push”) with
more personalized offers and tailored information which incorporates
feedback and is more like a dialog with those consumers
• “I see social media becoming more personalized. Via social media companies will be able to promote to people
who like and use their services."
• "Yes it is because it gives consumers more of a medium to let their own voice and opinion be heard."
• "yes social media is a better way for communication as we move toward a global community it's the way people
from one country can communicate with others"
• "It is becoming a better medium because more and more people are using social media and leaving more
traditional media behind"
• "This is a better means of communication because the brands, products and companies post access to special
deals, promotions, discounts and coupons. You don't really see all of those things at once on TV."
• "It allows them to connect with the consumers at a different level and to also give those that are loyal to their
brand advanced notice of things as well as special discounts and offers. It's definitely a good way to promote
brand loyalty."
• "Possibly, because this offers the chance to dialogue in an open way and to interact with the advertisers. To ask
questions, be heard, be taken into account, to be acknowledged. It will help companies to become more
transparent and down-to earth, more approachable"
Q) Is social media a better medium for brands, products and companies to communicate their value to you as a consumer than traditional media?
Why or why not?
However, a few questioned the appropriateness of brand
messaging in “social” media
• A few participants reiterated that their main objective in using social media
was to connect with family and friends and not with companies; evidence
that the reach of brand messaging remains bound by user interest level
• Other concerns centered around responsiveness and the pull nature of
social media vs. the push nature of traditional media; an aspect more
participants cited as a strength of the medium
• “Not really. In social media you have to search for it. In tv ads it is just put in front of you whether you were
looking for it or not.”
• “Not really, because they either ignore what you have to say, or never respond, as to talking to them face to
face, it'd be hard for them to ignore you or not respond.”
• “i don't think so. i don't exclusively look up information about brands from social media anyway.”
• “No. I'd rather hear about these companies and promotions through tv. I use the sites to stay in touch with
friends and family, not for companies and more advertising.”
• “no don't like all the advertising, check their website if interested”
• “social media is not a better medium though beneficial since i don't like to find such information via such means.
i prefer social media for personal interactions, not media driven.”
• “no i use a social network to relax and get away from ads and companies not to be followed there by them too”
• In my personal case, no value as I don't follow or care to follow brands/products/companies via social
networking...get the term "social" networking?
Why or why not?
While others viewed social media as a supplementary
channel for brand information
• Still other participants viewed social media as a supplementary to,
not as an outright replacement for traditional modes of brand
communication
• “Yes and no. Communicating through social media is a great way to sell. but don't lose the fact that face to face
contact w/ customers also helps a relationship grow as well. I hear so often that customer service no longer
exists.”
• “I really Believe That Both ways would help them find more customers”
• “i have mixed feeling about that, cause sometimes they go overboard and run up posts or flood your feeds with
too much updates and their is nothing you can do unless you unfollow or delete them which sucks if you value
them as a company, but then again being in touch with them this way seems more one on one.”
• “it's equal. consumers need to do their homework whenever they want to stay informed, social media is just
another tool”
• “social networking is just an "extra" way to get people be awared of the products offer by companies. It is a
good medium; however, the company will need to do more than posting on facebook and other social
networking sites. Continue with tv ads, circulars, email, mailing, etc”
• “The ideal use for a company would be as a supplement to what already exists. The company should try to
present some kind of "carrot" to ensure repeat visits from consumers.”
• “I don't know if it's better--but it's a must, nowadays. Any buisness which doesn;t use it, is not doing all they can
to reach as many people as possible”
Why or why not?

Appendix

Age
9%
18-24 8%
12%
15%
25-29 18%
22%
15%
30-34 18% Total
21%

35-39 18%
14% Facebook (203)
15% Twitter (97)
40-44 17%
12%
12%
45-49 8%
9%
18%
50+ 13%
9%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Q) Age

Gender
39%
Male 35%
41% Total

Facebook (203)
61% Twitter (97)
Female 65%
59%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Q) Gender

Education
1%
Some high school 1%
2%
High school graduate or 14%

12%
equivalent 10%
32%
Some college, no degree 31% Total
29%

4-year college degree 32%
36% Facebook (203)
Vocational/technical 7%
8% Twitter (97)
school 3%
Graduate or professional 14%

15%
degree 20%
0%
Prefer not to answer 0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Q) What is the highest level of education you have completed?

Income
18%
Under $25,000 16%
11%
26%
$25,000 - $49,999 29%
26%
26% Total
$50,000 - $74,999 21%
24%
Facebook (203)
16%
$75,000 - $99,999 17% I currently follow products or companies on
19% Twitter (97)
12%
$100,000 or more 15%
16%
2%
Prefer not to answer 3%
4%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Q) Which of the following best describes your total annual household income?

Kids in Household
55%
With Kids 61%
70% Total

Facebook (203)
45% Twitter (97)
Without Kids 39%
30%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Q) Kids in Household

Marital status
24%
Single 24%
28%
55%
Married 57%
58%
Total
Living with someone, 12%

13%
not married Facebook (203)
10%
Twitter (97)
8%
Divorced or separated 6%
4%
1%
Widowed 1%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Q) What is your marital status?

Frequency of social networking activity
14%
Hourly 18%
24%
35%
Every few hours 41%
45%
Total
40%
At least once a day I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on
34%
Facebook (203)
28%
Twitter (97)
11%
Every few days 6%
3%
0%
At least once a week 0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Q) Please select how frequently you do at least one of the following:

o Log into Facebook, Linked-in, or other social networking site
o Check for new tweets from people you follow or to tweet yourself
o Participate in a branded online community
o Read or comment on a blog
o Write your own blog

Frequency of Facebook checks for friend updates
12%
Hourly 15%
22%
36%
Every few hours 41%
46% Total
39%
At least once a day 35%
29% Facebook (195)
12% Twitter (87)
Every few days 9%
3%
0%
At least once a week 0%
0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Q) How frequently do you check Facebook for friends' updates or to update your own status?

Number of Facebook friends
0%
1-10 0%
0%
0%
11-25 0%
0%
23% Total
26-50 18%
13%
Facebook (195)
29%
51-100 29% I currently follow products or companies on
31% Twitter (87)
24%
100-200 27%
25%
24%
200+ 27%
31%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Q) Approximately how many friends do you have on Facebook?

Access Mode
61%
Home computer only 55%
42%
8%
Home and Work
6% Total
Computer
2%
Facebook (202)
15% I currently follow products or companies on
One computer plus
18% Twitter (97)
phone
24%
15%
All Access Modes 21%
32%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Q) Access Mode

Active Accounts
10% 10%
Facebook only
Facebook Plus
Non-Facebook
80%
Q) Account types

Social Networking Activity Level
30%
I expect my current level of activity to remain the

same
I expect my current level of activity to decline
I expect my current level of activity to increase

0%
70%
Q) Please select the statement below that most accurately describe your view of future participation with social networking sites (such as Facebook,
Linked-in, Twitter), online communities, or blogs.

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Topline Report | July 29, 2010

2 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Social Networking is a frequent topic of conversation within the marketing

Our objectives were to explore:

4 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

• Participants overwhelmingly indicated that their use of social networking

5 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

6 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

7 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

8 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

9 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

I have a Facebook account which I actively use 90%

10 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

To give feedback/make your opinion known 3%

To make new connections 3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

11 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

12 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

• “I can get the message to my whole friends list at

13 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Creating and sharing content like Facebook, or blog posts or

Gathering and viewing content from OTHER PEOPLE have

14 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Posts by friends in Facebook 23% 41% 19% 10% 7%

Friend's twitter stream 12% 33% 35% 11% 9%

Fellow community member comments Neither trust nor

Blog posts by independent bloggers 6% 19% 44% 20% 12%

Independent blogger's twitter stream 5% 16% 46% 20% 13%

15 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

The dialog is open to both

Quality of the comments and

Responsiveness of sponsor or Extremely important

Number of people who are fans,

17 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Number of Facebook Friends

18 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

19 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

20 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

New product reviews

53% 22% 12% 11% 3%

21 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

22 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

19% I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on

Facebook post on the brand, product or company 32% Total

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

4 To give unbiased feedback 26% 5%

26 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

Age 18-24, 32%

Age 24-29, 28%

I don't use my mobile phone Age 30-34, 31%

Age 40-44, 59%

Age 45-49, 43%

Age 50+, 78%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

28 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

29 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

31 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

34 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

35 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

16% I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

36 © 2010 Invoke Solutions - Confidential

I am a fan of at least one product or retailer on