At the recent Shopper Insights in Action (SIA) conference, held in Chicago, Mary Rodgers, director/marketing communications for Cuisinart and Waring, offered social media insights in her presentation, “The Power of Social Media: Driving Shoppers to Retail, from First Point of Contact to Point of Sale."

Rodgers focused on Cuisinart’s utilization of social media to drive retail growth and delved into the company’s activities on Facebook, Twitter, retailer websites, blogs and viral video.

“Traditional marketing focuses on what brands attempt to portray to consumers. Social media allows consumers to tell brands about themselves, while simultaneously increasing brand awareness by promoting interaction and a sense of community,” said Rodgers, at the event.

She emphasized the importance of focusing on the right social media outlets for your business as well as the importance of understanding new technologies. By doing so, a brand remains fresh and top-of-mind, which can increase exposure and retail sales, Rodgers said.

For example, when Facebook introduced the “recommend” button, Cuisinart immediately implemented it to all online product presence controlled by the company. The “recommend” button allows consumers to instantly post their affinity for a particular product, story or other item to their Facebook page, Rodgers noted.

The conference, organized by The Institute for International Research (IIR), is dedicated to understanding consumer behavior, the shopping environment and the correlation that exists between them.