Q&A: Heather Cooper, social media manager, Mr Green
Mr Green’s social media manager Heather Cooper discusses the latest trends in social media marketing
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in social media?
A: I was working at a big publishing house in Manhattan when social media ï¬rst gained traction. My ï¬rst campaign was a book signing event I hosted on Second Life in 2007, which allowed readers from around the world to mingle with an author and discuss his book. For me, that was the advent of a new type of marketing where customers could come together in a virtual community to publicly share their sentiments and interact with a brand. I recognised it as a game changer and knew I needed to be a part of it.
Q: How would you sum up Mr Greenâs social media strategy?
A: Customer-centric and fully-integrated. Everything that we do has the goal of entertaining the customer and adding value. We reward their feedback in unexpected ways, which allows us to incorporate an element of delight that is vital to any social strategy. For social media to work, it needs to be fully integrated into the organisation from marketing and publicity to customer support and BI.
Q: What have you learned from other brands inside and outside of egaming?
A: Dare to be different. Paddy Power is a great example. It built a very different voice and content model. Also, be true to your brand. Understand your positioning and run with it. A great example is Geico, an auto insurance company in the US. It’s built its branding and communications around a lovable gecko that everyone wants to be friends with.
Q: What’s hot in social media marketing?
A: The shift to video will continue as the medium evolvesâthink immersive, interactive, spherical. Weâll also continue to see leaps when it comes to granular tracking and intelligent re-targeting.