Some companies are inherently connected to today’s online society though their product. Cisco launched a new router, Aggregated Services Router, recently with the help of social media. Everything about Cisco’s product and mission involves online communication and interactivity. Even their website promotes connection over the internet; their slogan is “the human network”. Videos illustrating the benefits of the product show the viewer in short effective clips how Cisco products can improve your everyday communication and business. Companies know that this is where technology is moving. World wide communication is evolving to video and audio live streaming: Cisco is here to offer that.
As a company that provides the technology for other companies to move forward, Cisco understood that social media would be an important tool in marketing their newest product. In “How Social Media Helped Cisco Shave $100,000+ Off a Product Launch” written by Casey Hibbard, Cisco’s decision to announce and market their product solely through social media is analyzed. The company saved 6 figures from their launch budget by making this decision. Let’s see if it was an effective switch.
The old releases would require executives from businesses around the world to be flown in for a conference, attend conferences about the new product and see some demonstrations. Instead of doing all of this Cisco created a Second Life event. This is a program that many companies are beginning to use to have virtual conferences or to have ways to get their employees to interact. Besides their Second Life program Cisco also used Facebook, video conferencing, a mobile format, blogs and an online forum. All of these formats are online and convenient for users. Business employees do not need to visit other cities all the information they were going to receive is available online in a user friendly format.
Cisco’s use of the new social media works with its audience and product. The audience is interested in these avenues and Cisco has given them a way to access it through their product. This is a great example of a company using their product seamlessly with web 2.0. Cisco offers their videos in other places than on their website. The Youtube channel features videos of commercials, their chairman and CEO John Chambers, their products and events or news. This medium appropriately connects the target audience to their product. With such a perfect coupling, it makes sense that social media was effective for them.
my feet don't want to go to sleep 