Social media is a key aspect to this and UK brands already have guidelines from CAP and the industry self-regulatory body, the Portman Group. Social’s popularity with consumers presents a number of challenges for brand owners and a key component is preventing under age consumers from accessing such content.

Brand websites have long been covered by this but the scope extends to include social channels, blogs, email, MMS and Twitter. The Portman Group’s “Digital Marketing Guidelines” clearly stipulate that:

”Over 18 age confirmation details can be provided by third parties. However, the onus is on the drinks company to ensure that the third party has appropriate procedures in place to obtain this information.”

Restricting under-18s access to branded social networking content would seem like a simple element to deliver but the reality is that adherence requires some effort.

Facebook is an ideal channel for the sector because age controls are built into the brand page settings. The one issue to consider is geographical variations. A UK over -18 page is fine but if you have significant US traffic (and this data is easily obtainable) then consider a US page. The UK page can then be set-up to only be accessible to UK residents aged 18+ (and the US page, 21+).

YouTube is a more difficult channel to crack. As far as the ASA is concerned, it is within the scope of the respective codes. Setting up filters isn’t an easy process. The tools aren’t built into the standard channel settings though are available to commercial partners. This is an element that regulators should be pushing back to Google to address given the popularity of the site.

Twitter is even more vague. It’s terms of service contain a statement regarding binding contracts which is taken as a reference to over 18s (who in the US are the only people who can form a binding contract). Yet this is far too opaque for those registering. Who reads the terms and conditions anyway? A wordy legal statement is hardly a concrete solution to the issue. And why no age capture at registration?

For alcohol brands it means a presence here requires much greater care. The lack of age capture when registering means that brand messaging could be seen by under-18s. It also means that the size of this audience is an unknown. Research has always suggested that Twitter was popular with older consumers but recent data contradicts this.

Brand owners should consider using Twitter solely for corporate messaging as this offers some respite (as the code allows for corporate sites to avoid age verification, the same rationale could be used here if the messaging is trade/stakeholder focused). This is important because the code and the responsible marketing pact stipulate that advertising should only be shown on channels where 70% of the audience are over 18. Twitter is the big unknown.

The guidelines are clear and there is no excuse for non-compliance. Brand owners should avoid entering each new channel without considering their ability to control who sees their communications. Whilst ignorance is no defence if challenged, the regulators should also be pushing the site owners to ensure that minors are categorized and that advertisers can control whether these audiences are exposed to advertising and social messages. We’ve been through the process of reviewing all social channels for a drinks client. Our takeout? It’s complex, inconsistent and marketers must tread carefully.

At the beginning of the campaign, 1,438 people had ‘liked’ Michelin’s recently launched Facebook page, so working with Michelin’s in-house social media team, and atime-frame of just a two and a half weeks to deliver the extra 1,562 ‘likes’ (eek!), we got our thinking caps straight on.

Our Facebook competition had to incite buzz and get people to really connect with the brand, capitalising on motor racing fans’ passion for the sport – and passion they certainly have! We tapped into the motorsport community’s opinions and loyalty to their beloved circuits by asking entrants to vote for their favourite three out of nine circuits, but – and here comes the magic – in order to enter they first had to ‘like’ the page!

Now, we know that nothing ensures entries to a competition more than an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime prize – so that is what we offered. Our winner, selected at random at the end of the competition, won VIP tickets to the BTCC events at the circuits they nominated!

To ensure the competition was also visible outside of the Facebook community, we contacted key online media, inviting readers to put forward their arguments and help decide which the best BTCC track is once and for all.

And the best track voted for by fans of the Michelin Facebook page was… Brands Hatch, narrowly edging out Silverstone to take the top spot.  More than 730 people entered the competition, and at the height of the campaign more than 1,400 people were ‘talking about this’, creating real buzz and engagement with fans.

The campaign delivered strong coverage within the motorsport and motoring media – Badger GP, Touring Cars.net, Road, Racing and Waiting and RMA Club, but most importantly we smashed our target of 3,000 likes, achieving a massive 4,024 in total! Target achieved!

Social media has come a very long way from computer geeks sitting in darkened rooms – it’s current, it’s ever-changing, it’s cutting edge. Basically it’s sexy!

I’m an unashamed lover of social media, and I think it all stems from being a very impatient person – I’m all about the instant gratification. Putting out a press release, or organising a press trip, and waiting weeks or even months for coverage can sometimes feel like a lifetime to me!

But, apart from speed, what else makes me love social media?

• It works in real time
• It facilitates dialogue not monologue
• It’s much more ‘real’
• You can share almost anything
• You become part of a community (or several!)

Now don’t get me wrong. I still believe traditional media remains a powerful weapon in our PR arsenal but I think it’s only a matter of time before social media will begin to take over. With newspapers and magazines folding left, right and centre, more and more people are turning to social networks first to get news.

And let’s not forget bloggers are the new rock stars with incredible numbers of dedicated followers and subscribers – these days a well placed blog mention can have more impact than a meatier piece of print coverage!

The magic of engaging with people in social media is that people view brands differently via social media than they do through traditional PR and marketing! I am quick to ‘like’ a brand on Facebook to get their news/updates and will happily interact with them – something that you can’t do via traditional media. Consumers will actively reach out to brands online and I think that’s where the true value of social media lies – people are willing to get involved with brand dialogue and, therefore, develop more of a personal affinity with a certain company or product as a result.

Since I’ve been at Seal I have worked on some great social media campaigns but there’s one coming up that I’m particularly looking forward to, for our client Enjoy Staffordshire. Dubbed the ‘Right Royal Treasure Hunt’ we are going to give away 60 tickets to some of Staffordshire’s best-loved attractions via a social media treasure hunt to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The competition is going to combine all of the things I love most about social media, so you can see why I’m excited! Watch this space for more information over the next couple of months and who knows, you might end up winning a ticket to AltonTowers…

When it comes to social media, our belief is that the consumer is king.

But how have we come to that conclusion?

We would like to share our knowledge of the phenomenon that is social media, and show how it can support your business through capturing and holding the attention of the most important person in your audience – the consumer.

Over the next 12 months, we will be hosting a series of workshops to showcase our expertise in this area and we would love for you to come along!

We will present consumer research and insight on social media in several different workshops, each of which will be relevant to different sectors, such as alcohol, consumer automotive, utilities and tourism.

Keep an eye on our website and social media channels on how to sign up to the first event in June closer to the time!

There’s definitely some interesting ideas here such as the “Premium Display Canvas” and “Shuffle Box”  (both from Yahoo) and Doubleclick’s “Picture Frame”. These ideas offer lots of potential for engagement but what’s the next step for consumers? If you can view a video of a new phone, check out the colour options, features and specs all within the ad, will these ads encourage purchases? And what do these ads mean for brand websites where purchasing isn’t an option? Is display going to make the leap into generating meaningful actions from consumers? Or are we simply going to get better quality (or more annoying if you’re not a fan) distractions?