Survey: Social media use by Canadian organizations
By Adnews Staff
According to a survey conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of software company SAS Canada, 90% of Canadian organizations use social media tools to some extent. Sixteen percent of respondents said social media is the most important means for their organization to engage the public about their brand, while 31% said it plays a major role and 43% said it plays a limited role. Ten percent of respondents reported not using social media tools. Twenty-one percent of public sector executives called social media their most important means of public engagement, compared to 14% of private sector executives. Finance and banking are the most enthusiastic sectors, with 28% calling social media the most important means of communicating with the public, while 21% of advertising, media, and communication companies said the same. Construction, manufacturing, real estate and legal executives were most likely to call social media activities a waste of time. "Consumers are now, more than ever, keeping a close eye on our brands as they continue to engage with social media channels at unprecedented rates," said Lori Bieda, a consultant at SAS. "With corporate trust at the lowest it's been in several years, consumers are relying on social media and their social networks to shape their buying decisions, making social media a powerful medium that businesses can't ignore."