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'Content is currency in a noisy environment' - GE head of global programming Katrina Craigwell

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

September 23, 2014 | 3 min read

Being a B2B company is not an excuse for being boring on social, stated Katrina Craigwell, head of global programming of General Electric (GE) at Social Media Week London.

Katrina Craigwell General Electric

At the event, Craigwell claimed the GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt's mantra was that "B2B does not mean boring to boring".

Craigwell said: "We're a big company, but we make technology that serves humans. There are things we make that our customers are interested in - that's the opportunity for engagement."

Describing its social effort as "geeks looking to talk to other geeks", she suggested that all platforms must have a reason for being used.

"Every one of the platforms we use have to have a unique proposition to make it as useful as possible."

GE aims to live up to this by using a multitude of platforms, with the firm's Instagram account showing images of factories around the world, including one based in the Alps.

But it is not only picture based channels used. One experiment saw GE use Soundcloud to show the sound of GE machines, leading to over 160 million media impressions.

Craigwell said: "That was an interesting experience for us. It's not a platform we'd usually use but it helped us reach the music audience."

However, she did not suggest that brands just jump on the bandwagon to use new platforms. She concluded: "Content is currency in a noisy environment, but we risk falling into a machine of just doing content for contents sake.

"The most important thing is who we are at GE. Having that identity has allowed us to do things that are real for the brand. The trouble is when you try to do something trendy - it might not resonate with the audience."

Overall, Craigwell finally commented that if you love an idea, that love will shine through in its execution.

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