Twitter/X Metapurpose Strategy
It will be useful to review the strategy sections of this website to re-familiarize yourself with important background information.
Part One: A Blueprint For The Digital Society
Our last case study explored the application of our MetaPurpose brand strategy to the tangible world of Bud Light. Our focus centered on physical products and services and shared social engagements with consumers and their families in their day-to-day, lived-in environments.
We now leave this tangible world behind and turn our attention to a fundamentally different and, arguably, more exciting case study—the application of our MetaPurpose Brand strategy to our future digital society.
In the planned transformation of Twitter into X, we see nothing less than a blueprint for social engagement in the emerging digital extension of our present physical reality.
Despite anticipated shifts in brand strategy for this digital society, certain cornerstones that underpin successful brands will remain firmly in place. Of particular note is the need for a solid analytic foundation providing a rational basis for brand positioning and activation strategies.
Brands that weather the test of time recognize the pitfalls of decisions without a structured framework that aligns with core strengths and resonates with target audiences —rendering outcomes vulnerable to unbacked ideas and influences.
To set the branding stage for our digital future, let's begin this case study by revisiting the analytic framework used for our tangible world, the Social Engagement Brand Spectrum (SEBS), .
As we shift onto a digital stage, we need a transition to its digital mirror, the Digital Engagement Brand Spectrum (DEBS), providing the analytic framework for brand decisions and activation strategies in the digital realm.
Now, by mapping Twitter's current offering onto each of the four DEBS domains, we can assess how Twitter enables social engagement in the digital world.
In the Interface Platform domain, Twitter's sole focus is to provide users with rapid microblogging capabilities. Their platform is not designed for a seamless user interface to meet users' diverse daily needs.
In the Neighborhood Networks domain, Twitter's system provides a moderately strong sense of belonging by allowing users to foster connections with groups that share common interests and ideas via hashtags and trending topics.
A primary strength of Twitter lies within the Community Connections domain, serving as a global platform where users from diverse backgrounds converge, expressing opinions and engaging in dynamic discussions, debates, news, and societal issues.
In the Cyber-Society domain, Twitter is even more powerful, providing a global microphone for cultural exchange and disseminating personal ideas, news, and viewpoints that help shape societal norms and identity.
Gen X users, along with a smaller proportion of Baby Boomers and older Millennials, were the catalysts behind Twitter's rapid early expansion. They comprise over two-thirds of Twitter's users today, their loyalty underscored by the alignment between Twitter's offerings and their social engagement needs.
Twitter's Interface Platform caters to these users as a mechanism for quick and efficient communication and essential updates. As a user group mainly born in the pre and early-digital era, they lean towards Twitter for its basic yet efficient functionalities.
In the Neighborhood Networks domain, these users engage digitally but much less than the younger generations we will analyze next. They form online communities mostly limited to known circles where they can comfortably partake in discussions and opinion sharing. They have a much stronger affinity for tangible, real-world interactions.
Twitter's Community Connections domain, on the other hand, has more appeal to these users since they were the pioneers of the internet era with a keen interest in joining digital communities. Yet, they show less engagement in global trend dialogues or online activism than younger generations we will analyze next.
Within the Cyber-Society domain, these users follow societal and cultural happenings but demonstrate a much more reserved approach toward voicing opinions or actively participating in extensive societal campaigns.
Gen Z, the digital natives, have an entirely different engagement profile. Their high engagement across all domains of the DEBS framework highlights their integrated relationship with social media platforms.
In the Interface Platform domain, Twitter does not currently meet Gen Z's needs. They don't want 'just communications' but instead a holistic tool that integrates seamlessly into their lives, a versatile and agile platform offering a wide range of capabilities and features that address their diverse daily needs.
In the Neighborhood Networks domain, Gen Z's engagement is high. They are avid creators and participants in online neighborhoods, utilizing Twitter for entertainment, dialogue, and staying ahead of trends.
This generation most fully leverages Twitter's strengths in the Community Connections domain. Gen Z is highly active in community-building and discourse on global issues. They don't just 'use' Twitter; they engage, connect, and drive conversations.
Twitter's Cyber-Society domain also sees a high level of Gen Z engagement. More than any generation before them, Gen Z uses Twitter to voice their support for societal causes, engage with like-minded individuals, and make an impact. This reflects their desire to use platforms like Twitter as tools and spaces for socialization, self-expression, and activism.
While X's vision of an "everything app" closes the Interface Platform gap, providing a versatile and agile platform that integrates seamlessly into the lives of Millennials and Gen Z, it also presents a significant challenge.
It requires careful, strategic planning to balance adding new features with preserving the community-oriented aspects that made Twitter popular. Preserving these strengths while rebranding is critical, risking the alienation of existing users if not handled delicately.
However, we see the potential for 'X' to be much more than an "everything" app. Instead, we see the cornerstone of the digital society, effectively intertwining physical and digital identities, setting the stage for users to navigate and interact with the world and, in turn, defining how the world engages with them in a digital landscape.
In the landscape of the digital society ecosystem, we believe the potential for 'X' is best interpreted through a mathematical lens.
The function of 'X' is a blueprint for leadership in the digital society, setting the stage for digital neighborhoods, communities, and societies to take root, seamlessly integrating users' physical and digital identities in a digital ecosystem.
Join us for Part Two of this 'X' case study, where we outline a digital ecosystem brand activation plan.