SOCIAL MEDIA


FIRST AND


FUNNIEST WINS


Social media give companies an easy way of reaching legions of customers in a focused way. But what are the IP pitfalls for using this method of marketing, and can it ever rival traditional advertising? TBO investigates.


O


n June 24, 2014, millions of people around the world tuned in to watch Uruguay play Italy in the first round of the football


World Cup in Brazil. Te match’s final score will be forgotten by many of those viewers, as the game’s most memorable moment came when Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez bit Italian opponent Giorgio Chiellini during play.


Football fans and companies alike reacted instantly on Twitter. Bud Light tweeted a snap of a man biting off a beer cap with the caption “relax, they’re twist off”, while Snickers posted a picture of its chocolate bar with the words “more satisfying than Italian”.


By being first and funniest, companies can instantly make their brand highly visible to a large number of consumers by reacting to world events on social media platforms, all the while developing the brand’s identity. But with the ease of posting, sharing and adapting, how can companies deal with IP infringement on social media? And can this platform ever be more powerful for brands than traditional ways of advertising?


Three billion-strong


According to estimates by the United Nations’ telecommunication agency, by the end of 2014 the number of internet users will pass three billion.


Many of those will be using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to share interesting


14 Trademarks & Brands Online Volume 3, Issue 3 www.trademarksandbrandsonline.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44