Fully cognitive this title will bring a rash of spam, I fling caution to the wind…. So here’s the thing, research suggests that engaging with social media produces oxytocin, the hormone produced when you fall in love. Oxytocin creates feeling of love, trust and generosity.

BUT, here’s where it get interesting for marketers, social networking actually increases the levels of oxytocin in our blood.

I’m guessing that Health Canada is not going to look kindly on our using oxytocin in scratch and sniff in direct response print material, but I am curious on how marketers can use social networking to increase purchases, donations and engagement in brand.

It’s not news that purchasing (and donating) decisions are not all made intellectually. Many are made because of the purchaser has seen pleasing images of the product. Consider this comment I read recently in a blog: “If it doesn’t taste good, why buy it?” The author pointed out that advertising impacted people’s choices. I’m old enough to see that. Suddenly yams, which my grandmother excluded from our diets because they were the food of the poor, are beginning to crowd the potato market. Kale, often a staple in regions of high poverty, is showing up on high priced menus.

What happened?

Suddenly the palates of North Americans woke to the wonder of yams and kale? I don’t think so. But advertising and placement tweaked our taste buds into associating these foods with pleasure, find dining and image. Savvy marketers understand their audience and carefully craft their message to address their unique audience needs.

Wonder Bread, in the 50’s, appealed to new technology (made from batter not dough) and body strength: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiX8UKClaPM . In 2010, they played up the winter games AND the + factor of adding whole wheat while retaining the (guilty?) pleasure of white bread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqverHrP8L4&feature=related . Same product, new audience, updated approach… because they understood their product, their audience and today’s culture.

Traditional advertising, like the Wonder Bread commercials, are well executed and the marketing knowledge is well researched. But social networks and digital is still a space of discovery. While some select marketers have gained measurable success, we have not fully realized the potential of the internet, web sales or brand equity in social spaces.

I’m looking for your ideas on how social networking impacted your marketing.

To read the full article on the power of oxycotin go to http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/147/doctor-love.html?page=0%2C0