Twitter's soaring popularity in 2009 essentially turned many brand marketers into California gold rush prospectors -- they weren't too concerned with finding gold, but they knew they needed a spot along the river (or on Twitter). A year later, brands are beginning to understand Twitter's power and use it for a variety of marketing purposes.
In the early stages of Twitter marketing, brands primarily used the platform for customer service and buzz measurement. Now, brands and agencies are using their tweets to spread content and reward consumers with contests and other promotions.
For a recent Coca-Cola campaign, digital agency Sapient Interactive built informational widgets, but designed them with the clear intent that they be shared and passed along via Twitter, according to Adweek.
In another example, dessert chain Tasti D-Lite is using Twitter to reward brand advocates who help create buzz, rather than just as a tool for measuring consumer opinion. Twitter is the point of entry for the brand's loyalty program, and consumers can earn rewards points for tweeting about their Tasti D-Lite purchases.
