How Social Media Helped Cisco Shave $100,000+ Off a Product Launch
As early as 2008, networking giant Cisco was well along in its social media evolution. Back then you could find the company on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Yet something was missing: the hard business case for social media. Like most companies, Cisco knew it was benefiting from social media, but it couldn't prove it.
The launch of a new router using only social media would provide the proof Cisco's marketers were seeking.
The results surprised even the social media enthusiasts. With this single project, the company shaved six figures off its launch expenses and set a new precedent for future product launches.
“It was classified as one of the top five launches in company history,” said LaSandra Brill, senior manager, global social media at Cisco. “It was the crossing the chasm point for us in the adoption phase of social media, and helped us get over the hump of internal acceptance.”
Cisco Social Media Stats:
- Web site: www.cisco.com
- Blogs: 22 external, 475,000 views/quarter
- Twitter: 108 Cisco feeds with 2 million followers
- Facebook: 79 groups with 100,000 fans
- YouTube: 300+ channels, 2,000+ videos, 4 million views
- Second Life: 150,000 visitors, 50+ events
- Flickr: 300+ photos, 400,000 views
Social Media Launch Highlights
- 9,000 people attended the social media product launch event—90 times more attendees than in the past
- Saved 42,000 gallons of gas
- Nearly 3 times as many press articles as with traditional outreach ...
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