Recently I was asked this question ‘Tell me why Wisma Atria should have a Twitter account’. Wisma Atria is a major mall on Orchard Road, Singapore that has pretty much reinvented itself with a facade change and cool-factor repositioning. A quick check shows that Wisma Atria is already on Twitter although I can’t be sure if that is indeed Wisma’s or a Twitter-squatter. Looks derelict to me (with 4 dubious followers) and 0 tweets.

There are many things that a business can achieve on Twitter and on social media in general, including close interaction with customers, shouting out ads, news and discounts, content distribution and much more. Brand reputation management is also a real possibility if Twitter is set up to alert.

Disclaimer: This post is written as a case study in exploring the possibilities and opportunities that may present themselves for businesses about to engage in social media. No affiliation to Wisma Atria and certainly no malice intended whatsoever although I am certainly open to further discourse and idea-sharing.

So let us focus this discussion on the overall reason why Wisma Atria MUST be on Twitter and how it will help its business and, most importantly, its customers.

Connecting.

Without a doubt, connecting with customers and listening to what they have to say about a brand is becoming an increasingly important concept. Gone are the days when product is THE focal point of a business. Not anymore, says The Customer. The internet in large parts has shift influence over to the consumer. The power to communicate and to retaliate is now in the tweeting fingers of consumers.

Just so we are clear, Twitter and social media are not strategies but only be a component social media tool within your organisation’s total marketing strategy (offline & online).

Despite the consumers’ firm grasp on social media, the possibilities are still endless for businesses to use the same set of social media tools to engage and reach out. There are many advantages to gain, especially market insights and intelligence.

So without further ado, I present..

‘If Wisma Atria is on Twitter…’

Direct Communication

If Wisma Atria is on Twitter, it can communicate directly to its customer at any time, like @rochorbeancurd does. What better way to reach out to customers other than being open, timely and with the injection of a little humanity in a brand’s persona. Especially when CSR (corporate social responsibility) is such the rage these days.

Real-Time Customer Service

If Wisma Atria is easily reached by Twitter, it can resolve customer issues quickly. ‘Just tell Wisma Atria anything on Twitter’ should be a real and implemented concept. Perhaps your customers would like to tweet to you information on that leaky washroom sink, to ask for store directions or to complain about a misleading ad.

Ask this, which one is faster for a savvy and connected customer:

1. Trying to find a customer service counter, 2. Googling for Wisma’s customer service number or 3. A direct tweet to, perhaps, @wismaonline (still available! quick!)

Make it easy and the customer will appreciate it. (Sidenote: Wisma’s online feedback tool is so buried on its website, it is like a treasure hunt!)

These days customers want to know that brands are listening to them. Like @starhubcares.

Identifying Customers and Targeting

If Wisma Atria is on Twitter, it will know that it has a prominent Indonesian clientele/customers who are active on Twitter and can be easily reached for highly-targeted sales or communication campaigns. Wisma can also find out which store is “hot!” in their mall and hype it up. When Twitter’s geo-location feature rolls out fully, it will be really fun to find out which store is really hot in real time as more shoppers are tweeting through mobile internet and sms. There are real business opportunities in that. Point being, the ability to target efficiently and precisely is a huge asset.

Celebrity Spotting

If Wisma was listening on Twitter, it would have known that 2 Indonesian celebrities were hanging out there. Could have easily
been Paris Hilton or Takeshi Kaneshiro. Real good PR opportunity. (but no celebrity stalking, please)

Sales Campaigns and Programs

If Wisma Atria is on Twitter, it can do what @DiscountHunt is doing so well with its info relay service.

And guess what? Wisma’s fans will be happy to tell all their friends all about it.

A More Effective Social Media Approach

If Wisma is on Facebook and NOT on Twitter, it is blasphemy. Your Facebook Fans would like to reach out to you at some point and Twitter is one way to grab your attention. @sakaesushi uses both Facebook and Twitter to great effect.

Facebook and Twitter complement each other:

1. Your campaigns get out in real-time and faster via Twitter to reach YOUR audience (Twitter followers).

2. As long as you have an interesting proposition, you will always have them back to your Facebook Fan Page in no time. And less risk of a Facebook ‘white-elephant’, if you know what I mean.

Competitive Intelligence

If Wisma Atria is on Twitter, it can learn of its competitors and always be one step ahead :)

And much much more…

The possibilities are endless ‘if Wisma Atria is on Twitter…’ and it could be for your business too! All business are people business.

Please share in the comments if you have any interesting ideas on Twitter use for Wisma Atria or for any retail business. Would love to hear what you think.

Find me on Twitter @groovygenie or connect with me on Facebook.