The second of the before-the-conversation principles discussed in the UMSL Department of Communication’s course on the use of social media in public relations involves setting objectives.
Li and Bernoff (2011) defined five major types of social media objectives: listening, talking, energizing, supporting, and embracing. To that list, this UMSL course adds “building.”
Each of those types of objective are discussed in detail in class — including primary ways to measure progress against them — and recent cases help illustrate two of them.
The listening objective is evident in this case involving M&M’s and other food and beverage industry brands.
The energizing objective is central to this case describing how Taco Bell built excitement and sales for its Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos. (A complementary version of that case is available here.)
Reference
Li, C., & Bernoff, J. (2011). Groundswell: Winning in a world transformed by social technologies; expanded and revised edition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
