8o% of brand executives to use social media for brand building

While brand awareness is the key brand management objective for brand marketers in 2010, most corporate brand executives believe they are better served by online communications and traditional PR activities to reach consumers according to a new survey.

The research conducted by KRC Research for MiresBall, in the 2010 State of the Brand Report, indicates that more than two-thirds of surveyed brand marketers (68%) say online communications, is key for generating awareness and brand loyalty among consumers, citing their own websites as the main vehicle for reaching consumers and building loyalty.

While 52% of brand executives say social media provides an opportunity to build brand awareness amongst customers previously unreachable, opinions are divided on the marketing effect of social media: 35% say social media is making it easier to create customer loyalty, and 30% disagree that building customer loyalty has become easier because of social networking.

The report says that many brand leaders are still struggling with social media . According to John Ball, Principal and Creative Director, MiresBall, “Social media could be the next frontier for brand communications since nearly 80 percent of brand leaders expect to use it in their brand building activities in the next two years, but for now, marketers are struggling to figure it out,”