Facebook and IBM have joined forces to help marketers deliver tailored marketing capabilities that–get ready for the most overused and cliche tag line of 2015–“reach the right people at the right time with the right message” on the most widely used social network. Was it coincidence or a planned event that IBM made this announcement while my team and I attended their World of Watson Conference in Brooklyn? Part of me would like to think it was the latter.
IBM and Facebook announced a partnership that will enhance both company’s products. The deal, made between the social network and IBM Commerce—the division of the tech giant focused on analytics and marketing tools–will integrate IBM’s data with social data from Facebook, providing clients with a more complex view of consumers to inform targeted campaigns.
The partnership is strategic and is the latest in a series of efforts to bridge the divide between social and enterprise solutions. As a pioneer in the technology game, IBM must evolve to stay up-to-date with industry trends. The rising popularity in mobile and digital media marketing has compelled corporations like IBM to develop ways to stay relevant in the marketplace by integrating with popular platforms and systems. In addition to incorporating Facebook intelligence and activation into IBM’s toolbox, the partnership includes opportunities for Facebook employees to participate in IBM Commerce THINKLab—a consulting offering to support clients develop digital marketing strategies. Buddying up to younger outfits like Facebook and Twitter keeps IBM’s offerings fresh, while also allowing the social networks to enter into enterprise marketing territory.
It’s no secret that CMOs are turning to data to inform and drive campaigns. Technology giants have awoken to the opportunities that such executive interests present, and are iterating on tools as pressure for specificity increases. Traditional tools and first generation social media listening platforms could pick up on specific brand mentions or distill aggregate demographic information. But that information just doesn’t cut it anymore. New tools based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning allow for the integration of first-party and third-party unstructured behavioral data are more valuable to customers and data giants by providing a holistic view of the target audience. Next generation audience insights tools like People Pattern aggregate structured and unstructured data collected from across digital platforms and sources to predict interest-based segments. Today’s consumers demand personalization, and marketers are scrambling to meet the demand. Interest-based messaging enables companies to connect with customers in relevant ways that bring value with each touch.
The partnership between IBM and Facebook is the first step in a relationship reflecting greater changes in an evolving space. Targeted, data-driven, efforts have become a staple to every campaign. Old school analytics that count the number of Facebook fans or track brand mentions no longer provide conclusions comprehensive enough to take action and inform effective campaigns. By incorporating deeper digitally-derived demographic and psychographic insights with customer information and purchase history, enterprise corporations will have the ability to personalize advertisements and communications on an unprecedented level.
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