Last week, Social Media Club Boston hosted an event titled “Integrating Social Media Across the Big Brand: The Harmony of Cross-Channel Marketing,” a panel discussion that looks at the ways that big brands are integrating social media across channels.  The event featured a panel discussion on the benefits and challenges of cross-channel social media integration between social media and marketing practitioners.

Panelists included Sean Corcoran of Forrester Research (@SeanCor), Mike Spataro of Visible Technologies (@mikespataro), Mike Proulx of Hill Holiday (@McProulx), and Terry Lozoff of Street Attack (@TerryLozoff), among others.

Mike Spataro made an interesting analogy during the panel saying that, “social media is A1 sauce, not the steak.  Social media is a supplement, not a substitute.” (Thanks to Elicia Basoli for taking notes!)  I think this is very true.  Social media is a great way to help get your message out there and drum up a following for your company, brand, product, or whatever you may be marketing, however, it is not the foundation of a successful media campaign.  To be sure, it is a great addition, but I think Sean Corcoran’s POST (People, Objectives, Strategy, Technology) methodology used at Forrester is a good way to see how social media fits into your campaign.

The event was hosted by Hill Holiday and a recap may be found on their blog.  You can also check out the highlights via Twitter #SMCBoston.