Core Insights - The report emphasizes the importance of a "social-first" approach in brand building, which is not just a channel strategy but a comprehensive method for brand development that integrates into cultural consumer decision-making [4][7] - By 2025, more brands are expected to adopt this paradigm shift, recognizing the need to engage with decentralized influence and co-create with consumer communities [4][7] Group 1: Definition and Importance - A "social-first" brand is defined as a business engine that drives brand strategy, product development, and customer engagement, utilizing data signals from social communities to integrate into culture [11] - The significance of a social-first strategy lies in its ability to unlock multiple brand advantages, including brand association, relevance, affinity, differentiation, and growth potential [13] Group 2: Key Transformations for Brands - Transformation 1: Brands must view social-first brand building as a new marketing model, focusing on insights from online communities and customizing services accordingly [26] - Transformation 2: Social intelligence should be a key driver for business, providing comprehensive cultural analysis and real-time insights into opportunities [45][52] - Transformation 3: Brands need to reshape their communication strategies to adapt to evolving cultural trends, ensuring clarity in strategy and unique perspectives [63][66] Group 3: Planning and Execution - Transformation 4: The planning cycle for brands must adapt to cultural frequency changes, allowing for flexibility and real-time responses to cultural trends [86][89] - Transformation 5: A social-first transformation should drive omnichannel influence, blurring the lines between online and offline experiences to create a cohesive brand experience [105][106] Group 4: Case Studies and Examples - Successful examples of social-first brands include e.l.f. Cosmetics, which achieved a 38% compound annual growth rate over four years by leveraging social media-centric marketing strategies [35] - The report highlights McDonald's "WcDonald's" campaign, which effectively engaged the anime community through a culturally relevant strategy [110]