I have been watching the Land Rover campaign and their claimed success on Twitter.com. There are opinions on both sides as how this type of promotion is met by users of the platform. Many are claiming it a raging success some, myself included, feel like it was an ill conceived idea and even one blogger was not so sure. One of the best articles discussing the campaign was by JD Rucker at Drivingsales.com.
Social media and social networking are great ways for companies and individuals to build a brand and develop a following. The thing that is often overlooked is it is an engagement tool not a way just to get the word out. Sure you can advertise using social media, companies and marketers do it everyday. The question that I would have to ask myself before subjecting my twitter followers, who have made a conscience decision to follow me, to me sending links to promote a brand is “How does that apply to me?” or “Do I really find value in this?” and I would have to answer that question first before recommending content, not just for a little bit of payola.
Nowhere did I see Land Rover participating in the #lrny tag party. They missed a golden opportunity to connect with others and build lasting relationship for their efforts. The sad truth is it is doubtful that many if any of the people tweeting about the campaign went to the show or for that fact even been inside of a Land Rover. It completely detracts from the credibility of the campaign. Now if it were about an Infiniti G37, a car in the reach of many, it would of possibly been better received.