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The social media sphere is an increasingly noisy place, especially for brands. But hiding somewhere in the static, some companies are sending strong signals that reach their customers in innovative ways. The Social Business Index from Dachis Group provides a (free) real-time ranking of more than 30,000 global brands based on their social performance. Every week we're taking a tally of who's getting heard, what they're saying and why it matters.
The brands in the top twenty this week are starting to shuffle. While National Amusements remains at No. 1, News Corp. moved up a rank to No. 2 and knocked Google back to No. 3. The other interesting detail to note is Apple's climb. Just a few weeks ago, the Cupertino, California, company was nowhere to be seen, and now it's in the top ten. But this week, we're more interested in what's happening further down the list. Nintendo and Volkswagen, while two very different companies, are doing a great job pulling the heart strings of their customers. In an attempt to keep things fresh and interesting, we've also spotted some good strategies coming from Harley-Davidson.
Good news for all nostalgic boys and girls born in the 80s: Nintendo is attempting a turnaround. After getting pummeled in the press last year for its inaction when faced with a declining market share the Japanese gaming company is using social media to start talking directly to its customers. As the brand rose 25 spots in the ranks this week to No. 77, Nintendo's new strategy seems to be working. A week ago, the company's president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime took to YouTube to let everyone know about some upcoming changes to Nintendo products and new games that will soon come out. It's nearly 12-minutes long, boring at times but inevitably a good effort. Elsewhere, there are signs that Nintendo is refocusing on its Wii strategy. The break in updates, apparently, is a good thing when it comes to social media. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Dachis analyst Ellen Reynolds told us, "and Wii fans are ecstatic to know that Nintendo is finally bringing them a piece of the action."