Cisco have been piloting a social media strategy around its new Unified Computing System. The broad approach is to use social media channels to test-run messaging and potential feedback, then use that feedback to tailor the message to different stakeholders before the formal launch.

The FT blog states, “By the time the Unified Computing System launched, Cisco had drummed up considerable interest in the new product. It had had more than 53,000 interactions with customers, and honed its message to near perfection. “It’s about anticipating the issue, getting feedback from customers, then adjusting our message,” said Ms Gibson.

“All this advance work paid off, says Ms Gibson. Upon the official launch, the UCS was met with wide applause. The new product attracted enormous media attention, and 98 per cent of the stories were positive, according to the company.

“Ms Gibson says the effort was a success, and Cisco will be incorporating the strategy in the future. “The idea of using social media for market conditioning is going to inform our launches going forward,” she said.”

The FT’s major thrust here is that the value of social media marketing here has come from its proactivity; using social media tools as a kind of giant, virtual market research panel.