Traditional marketing is dying, evolving, whatever you want to call it. But no matter what, it’s clear that social is a huge driver behind the change. We like to say that social is eating traditional marketing.

Social’s impact can be seen in simple additions like Facebook icons being added to every flyer and pamphlet, or hashtags being added to TV commercials. In fact, half of the commercials in the 2013 Super Bowl included a hashtag and in today's marketing, hashtags are the new normal. For many brands, social is creeping into just about every aspect of their marketing, as even full advertising campaigns are being dedicated to social channels.

Want to see it in action? Here’s five times social sharing was the key to non-social marketing campaigns:

Samsung -- Then and Now

To combat the massive launch of Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung created this TV spot, bashing iPhone loving tech critics and Apple enthusiasts for their hypocrisy. But rather than getting actors or celebrities, as Samsung usually likes to do, they turned to earned social--the natural sharing that occurs on social. Despite a tone that’s sure to turn off many viewers, the Samsung TV spot uses their doubters and critics’ real articles, tweets, and Facebook posts to prove that, in hindsight, Samsung was right all along--a powerful message.

BECU -- Share the Love

BECU, Washington State’s biggest credit union, has really happy and loyal members...and their marketing leverages just that. But this campaign isn’t just typical testimonial marketing. BECU harvested the best of what their members are saying on social and turned it into a traditional marketing campaign. This allowed them to prove to the mass TV audience that their members are so pumped about the credit union that they'll organically share their love for the brand with their friends and family on social channels--something most banks can’t say for themselves.

Hampton Inn -- Share Your Weekend Adventures

Hampton Inn wanted to share their customers’ stories, a fairly regular occurrence in TV ads. But it’s 2014, so why not tell the story the same way people in 2014 share their stories? With social media! Using Facebook, Twitter, Vine, and Instagram, they were able to share their customers’ stories and encourage others to do the same--leveraging social (via TV ads) to spark even more social conversation and extend the value of the media buy.

Special K -- Shhhhut Down Fat Talk

In an attempt to empower women, Special K created an in-store experience with real "fat talk"--negative things women actually posted on Facebook and Twitter about themselves--around the store on signs and on the clothes labels. The stunt brought attention to how negative and self-defeating fat talk is, yet so prevalent especially among women. The use of real quotes from social channels clearly impacted the women as many commented things such as, "this is like looking at the inside of my head" and "these are all things I've said." Special K harnassed social's unique ability to capture and understand their consumers' raw and honest feelings--something that is powerful and compelling both online and off.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show and Late Night talk shows have been a staple in American households for the last 60 years or so. It feels about as “traditional media” as it gets. NBC’s decision to name Jimmy Fallon as the newest host was a clear signal that the media institution needed to be reinvented, and proof that social media has made a massive impact on the media business. Fallon’s show follows much of the traditional Tonight Show format, but does it in a digital-, and more specifically, social-centric way. The bits are snackable--short and entertaining, and requiring little to no extra context--ideal for the social world. He even has a weekly segment, Late Night Hashtags, where he starts a hashtag (such as #worstadvice) and encourages viewers to tweet using the hashtag, with the best being read on air. His hashtags trend worldwide just about every time. Using audience-driven social makes for more than a funny bit...it’s brilliant marketing.

Social marketing shouldn’t be in its own silo. Integrated with the whole marketing department and beyond, it has the power and potential to be a very effective and efficient use of marketing dollars.

*This post was originally published on the Inside Social Blog.