The guys at Fluent Simplicity have created the Twitter Brand Index, an impressive collection of links to brands and small/medium size companies that have joined the Twitter Mania.

I anticipate I'm not a big fan of Twitter. I gave it a try here on Adverblog about one year ago, but I soon quitted when I realized my updates weren't interesting for anybody, including myself. Despite the fact my Twitter is discontinued, I keep collecting "followers". But this is another story.

The point of my post is that I don't understand which the added value of Twitter for a brand. What I mean, is that Twitter is cool for personal messaging, to keep in touch with friends or even with blog readers at a personal level, but, if you have a look around, for a brand (or a publication) Twitter is just a duplicate of an RSS feed.

So again, I ask myself (and you): what's the value of Twitter for a brand? It's just a question of feeling cool and up to speed with the 2.0 era? Or there is (or there could be) more? Is there any brand out there using Twitter fully exploiting its conversational potentials or is it just another broadcast channel?

Here's the link to the AdAge twitter / and this is the Forrester's one shown in the images above.

While I agree that most brands don't need twitter accounts it is useful for some, mostly internet brands. Many brands with a site might experience downtimes or problems with their online service, and then twitter is an excellent channel to inform their most web savvy-information-hungry customers very fast.

Also, since twitter followers of a brand will be early adopters that want to know every move about the brand fast, it might also be and excellent way to let the customers join the conversation on new ideas and services it wants to roll out. Brands can do testing of prototypes with this limited target group. The followers will even feel like they're special customers that are closer to the brand then regular people.

But just using twitter to push the content on your blog, that's a no go.

Posted by: frits at August 10, 2008 10:44 PM

Well, one of the two biggest brands in the political category sure gets it. Obama just twittered asking followers to sign up for mobile text so they'll be the first to know about his VP selection--brilliant example of exploiting medium's potential, don't you think?

Posted by: Ad Broad at August 11, 2008 01:06 AM

I guess this comes down to how the brand connects/relates to its consumers, for a brand which always has something fresh to tell , twitter is an awesome tool to connect, eg, a brand like absolut wants to give clubbing updates to NY-ers.....

As always we, the communication professionals need to think harder to crack better ideas .....

Maybe thats whats needed for ingame advertising and mobile advtg as well...

Posted by: Jassim at August 11, 2008 07:52 AM

It's true that Twitter as it is used by consumers does not seem useful for a brand. But the trick is to think outside the box and use it differently. Amazon for example uses it as a book finder. If you twitter them a book title or an ISBN number, they'll immediately answer you with the Amazon price for that book.

Posted by: Buzzing Bees at August 11, 2008 12:58 PM

I personally believe there are a lot of opportunities for brands to use twitter. I have pitched a number of idea to online retail sites and for them twitter is just another channel to drive sales. It's much less intrusive than direct mail or email blasts. Brands like H&R; Block are using Twitter most effectively as a reputation management tool and communication channel. H&R; Block�s Twitter profile, is filled with responses to other comments, concerns or questions about taxes or H&R; Block itself.

Posted by: James at August 11, 2008 02:17 PM

I'd encourage you to take a look at what Zappos and NASA have done with Twitter. Both cases are great examples of how organizations have successfully adopted Twitter.

As far as your question: "what's the value of Twitter for a brand?"

Using Twitter in the way Zappos and NASA do provide layers of transparency and honesty to the brand.

Can that be calculated/quantified?

Probably not.

Are those qualities good for one's brand?

In most cases, absolutely.

Posted by: Tripp Fenderson at August 14, 2008 10:44 AM

I think Twitter is something like what was SMS marketing some years ago, but more interactive and useful for conversation, ideas, ecc. Now is a very niche application, but in the future...
Brands need creativity to choose or create a model of use that fits their needs - if there is one...
SKy Italy uses twits for reminders of TV movie and program, for example.
ciao
gluca

Posted by: gluca at August 23, 2008 03:07 PM