The Curious Case of the Cookie: Social Media and Popularity

“Avoid popularity; it has many snares, and no real benefit,” warned William Penn, the noted colonist of Pennsylvania.
 

Should modern markets heed Penn’s advice?

Recruiters have been among the quickest to tap into the potential of social media to transform the way business is conducted.  Using social media, they have managed to transform hiring practices.

Companies have been trying to incorporate social media into their practices as well.  Economists are debating how much these experiments will actually influence sales.

According to a recent company press release, the Guinness World Records honored Oreo as the first brand to attempt – and set – the Guinness World Records® mark for the “Most ‘likes’ on a Facebook post in 24 hours.”

The record attempt began on Tuesday, February 15 at 9 a.m. EST, when the Oreo reached out to its 16 million fans from around the world and invited them to “like” the following post:  “‘Like’ this post to join other Oreo fans around the world in setting a Guinness World Record for most ‘likes’ to a post in 24 hours. Oreo is the world’s favorite cookie, and with your help, it will be the most ‘liked.'”

Guinness World Records, the global authority on record setting, confirmed the record at 9 a.m. ET today as fans around the world tallied a total of 114,619 “likes.”

What does it mean to be so well-liked?  Are there any snares?   What are the real benefits?