Fernanda Romano from Euro RSCG Worldwide will be speaking at the Social Media World Forum Asia on the 23rd Sept, and we caught up to ask her a few questions pre-event on her tips and tricks using social media after recent work with the Dulux Lets Colour Project.

•             From your experience, if you had to recommend one tip for using social media what would it be?

> Make sure you listen first, understand what people are saying, so you can tailor your activities to actual consumer needs and not to what you think they may need.

•             We have seen your recent work with the Dulux Lets Colour Project, how important is it to integrate social media and what benefits does this bring?

> The use of social media for the Let’s Colour Project is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, we are implementing the company’s mission of  “adding colour to people’s lives” with this project and we wanted it to be real, we are walking the talk. The best way for something to be real and seen as real is if the brand doesn’t need to brag about it, because people already know, people are already talking about it.  The second reason is that the Let’s Colour Project is based on an invitation, the invitation to colour. Thus, it can’t and it shouldn’t only happen when we promote events, it must take a life of its own, it is a movement and a movement only happens if loads of people join in. Through social media we can make sure more and more people learn about how fantastic it is to live with colour, how it lifts one’s mood, how it brings grey spaces some happiness. And they’ll learn it not from us preaching it, but through the stories told by people how have participated in events, who have painted their houses and surroundings and, hopefully, they’ll do it themselves.

•             Creativity and engagement – how important is it and where should you be looking for inspiration?

> I think there are different questions here. It is always good to do creative and interesting things so you can start the conversation, start the engagement. But, in social media, I daresay relevance is more important than creativity. Of course, you need the social objects that will spark interest, that will generate social waves – that app your friends tell you about and you also what to have, the stunt someone filmed in the street, the crazy guy who put an iPad in a blender – but if it stops there, then you get a wave of commentary and that’s it. This is NOT social media strategy. This is great. This is cool. This is a media strategy. Now, if you really want engagement, you need to create relevant content, talk to people, listen, learn, give back. That is engagement and this is generates builds fans for brands.

•             How do you see the use of social media within campaigns changing over the next few years?

> I believe the use of social media is only going to increase. At the same time, it will get more difficult, as people learn to filter excessive content from brands. In fact, the biggest change I believe is going to happen is that social media won’t be used “within campaigns”, social media will drive any campaign.

•             What should we expect from your talk next month at SMWF asia?

> Fun. No pre-packaged-social-media-guru BS as I really don’t believe in that and, hopefully, inspiration.

•             Which other areas do you think will grow over the next couple of years?- Got anything exciting coming up?

> Location, location, location. The next wave of communication and brand creation and building is all about location. This is what will make the “virtual” and “real” worlds come together and it will be lots of fun.

Fernanda Romano, Global Creative Director, Digital and Experiential, Euro RSCG Worldwide will be presenting on day two at 10.50 – “The New Creativity: Social Media” at the Social Media World Forum Asia.