These slides are based on the article: "What Trump Understands About Using Social Media to Drive Attention" by Barbara Bickart, Susan Fournier, & Martin Nisenholtz. As part of a school project, my team presents the main findings of the article. Also, we present our own ways on how brands can utilize the Trump approach effectively.

1. The ‘Trump Approach’ to Social Media

2. “What Trump Understands About Using Social
Media to Drive Attention”
By Barbara Bickart, Susan Fournier, and Martin Nisenholtz
March 01, 2017

3. Point#1:Bigseedmarketingtrumpsviralmarketing
Why and what’s the difference?
Peoplereached
Days passed
Big Seed Campaign Viral Marketing Campaign
Big seed is more reliable:
A viral campaign is unpredictable and relies heavily on influencer coverage for success

4. HowTrumpusedBigSeed
19M 18M 5M
Used his huge social media following:
Paired with offline coverage, it helped him beat his competition

5. Point#2:Attention-grabbingcontentisrequired
How is Trump’s content compelling
Without provocative content – Trump is not big seed:
Trump’s content amplifies his message
Creates a divide through
controversial subjects
Encourages misquotingTrump calls out people
of with mass followings

6. Point#3:Rawpresentationof self createsbonds
He is a character
Creates one-to-one relationships
‘Authenticity matters’ – People believe they know the real Trump
Reveals personal feelings Unfiltered Spontaneous

7. Point#4:Weightherisksandreturnsof beingauthentic/provocative
Trump had nothing to lose and it was cost effective:
But provocative messages ”polarize, alienate and enflame” - creates division.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Chris Christie
Lindsey Graham
Jeb Bush
Donald Trump
US$ TV ad spend per vote
- 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00
Hilary Clinton
Donald Trump
Total US$ TV ad spend (in Millions) -
Presidential Election
Trump’s return – Less ad spend Trump’s risk – hurts brand image

8. Point#4:Weightherisksandreturnsof beingauthentic/provocative
You don’t have to be provocative:
You can build relationships by sharing personal information
Other examples of brands that utilized provocation for the Big Seed
Mark Cuban Kim K, Kanye West Elon Musk

9. How can brands use the Trump approach?

10. Don’twaittogoviral–Buildorganicsocialmedia
The bigger the seed – the more effective the ‘Big-Seed’:
Stay active on the right platforms, keep communication appropriate in each platform
Grow the right
platforms for your brand
Stay active – conversate
1 on 1 with your
customers
Spread your messages
appropriately in each
platform

11. Don’twaittogoviral–Payforsocialmediaads
If you are a smaller brand – you will need to pay for higher reach:
Use your digital ad spend wisely, and don’t be over promotional
Align your digital ad
spend with your
marketing objectives
Reach your target
audience
Be wary of being over
promotional

12. Don’twaittogoviral–Assessresults
Predict the future reach of your next social media promotions
Calculate the
reproduction rate of
each campaign
Analyze the results of
multiple campaigns
Predict the reproduction
rate of other campaigns
-
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
20,000,000
Favourites
Retweets
Peoplereached
Days passed

13. Findyourownuniquecontroversy
Controversy doesn’t have to be divisive or political:
Find unique ways to spread your message and get people talking
Look for opportunities to
create conversations in
Twitter
Allow room for
interpretation
Get both sides talking

14. Buildanauthentic‘person’onTwitter
Express your brand as a person:
Find unique ways to personalize your brand, and speak to people, especially on Twitter.
Be unfiltered 1 on 1 communicationLess promotion