Comments on: The Nutella conundrum: why measuring brand popularity is such a tough nut to crack

By: And our first act as fan page president: hit the beach | SMI

And our first act as fan page president: hit the beach | SMI — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:29:55 +0000

[...] Nutella’s grassroots popularity for you. Back in June we wrote a story called “The Nutella Conundrum” that questioned the way brands normally rate their social media performance. Why was Nutella [...]

By: Move over Lady Gaga, Starbucks first brand to 10 million fans | SMI

Move over Lady Gaga, Starbucks first brand to 10 million fans | SMI — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:47:33 +0000

[...] in the next few hours, according to the social media measurement website Famecount. And, since the last time we looked in early June, Starbucks has grown by a whopping 2.5 [...]

By: This Week In Brand Strategy & Advertising - PSFK

This Week In Brand Strategy & Advertising - PSFK — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:12:31 +0000

[...] Why Measuring Brand Popularity Is a Tough Nut To Crack [...]

By: Nigel Hollis

Nigel Hollis — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:06:16 +0000

I did an analysis of the number of fans on Facebook compared to the BrandZ equity data that powers Millward Brown’s Top 100 Most Valuable Brands Ranking. Sure enough Starbucks had the most fans (Coca-Cola being a close runner up). Within its category the best predictor of how many fans a brand will have is how many people are Bonded to it (have strong affection for it). However, there are also a number of strong niche players which also attract a strong following, e.g. Red Bull. I would suggest Nutella falls into the latter category.
See here for more detail: http://www.mb-blog.com/index.php/2010/01/25/why-big-is-beautiful-in-the-world-of-social-media/
Why do social media rankings not correlate with the rankings of brand value? Because the value of a fan differs dramatically from category to category and so does the importance of a strong brand. Coca-Cola relies on its brand for around 50% of earnings, GE far less.

By: Social Media Influence

Social Media Influence — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:37:18 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Michelle, and nicely put. We too are baffled. Oftentimes, there is as much passion on a fan-built site as there is on the branded, corporate page. The Nutella paradox is one we point to often. A lot of brands would love such fervent fans who take the time to build such a vibrant community. Nutella gets high marks in our book, but then we’re a bit biased. Have you ever tried a Nutella calzone? ‘Nuff said.

By: Michelle C

Michelle C — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:53:24 +0000

Interesting, I hadn’t heard of Famecount yet. There are new metric solutions every day that are interesting and fun, but it is the methodology that is the most interesting when looking at the online reputation of a company.
Popularity might not necessarily equate to “big sales”, but that might not be the primary goal of certain brands’ online strategies. I would be interested to know why, though, Famecount deducts points for groups that are not “official” groups. Many groups and conversations online are unsponsored, but that is what can help spread word of mouth – natural, organic conversations that aren’t sponsored, that come directly from fans..