Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’

Over the Christmas holiday I had a chance to read Tom Asacker’s new book, Opportunity Screams: Unlocking Hearts and Minds in Today’s Idea Economy.

Tom is also the author of another one of my favorite books, A Little Less Conversation: Connecting with Customers in a Noisy World. (By the way, if it weren’t for Valeria Maltoni, I would have never found this gem of a book nor met Tom.)

What I like about Tom’s writing—and I am sure you will too—is that he takes the most complex business challenges and marketplace shifts and breaks them down through storytelling and metaphors so that they are easily understandable and digestible. But more importantly, he provides actionable guidance.

But what I like best is that Tom concentrates on the importance of focusing on the customer. An outside-in and customer-centric perspective, if you will. The marketplace has changed (whether B2B, B2C, Non-Profit or other)—forever. Today’s customers are enlightened, empowered and educated. The question is how will you adapt to the shift? Understanding how, when and why ‘opportunity screams’ is your first step.

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• Dear CEO: Your Customers Really Want You To Know Them

Obviously gaming has been a round for a long time. And social gaming isn’t really that new either. But for those marketers that are still not convinced that social media is really relevant to their organization, gaming might be a little tough pill to swallow. And just like social media, whether we like it or not, gaming is a very important element in consumer behavior.

So, is gamification the next word to be added to the marketer’s lexicon? Or is it destined for Buzz Word Bingo? I can hear it now… “We need gamification!” or “Our site has been gamified!”

Okay, I’ll stop…like I said this is serious business. As serious as an Angry Bird flying into FarmVille only to get whacked by a mobster, right?

I’ll be honest with you, I am not a gamer (if you couldn’t gather that already). I have however played Angry Birds on my iPhone and iPad. I am not sure I’ll ever understand the lure of gaming as a consumer (as a marketer, heck yeah!). Is it stress relief to blow up little pigs? Well, sure! Is it social to get a pig from a friend? Of, course! But will I be playing FarmVille or Mafia Wars just to understand that community aspect that exists with gaming? I am not so sure. And yet, I feel like I’d be a failed marketer if I didn’t deeply understanding the draw, the community, the vernacular and the gaming levels in order to best serve clients. Is understanding social media enough to understand gaming? From an ethnography and technology standpoint, I don’t think so. Just like anything social, not understanding these important elements can backfire on a brand. Only understanding social media is how organizations will best understand why the same thing applies to the gaming community.

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Regardless of your position within an organization, if you want to see change you need to institute change. Small steps often lead to big change. You have the ability to encourage others to have the confidence and courage to follow. The one thing that I find helps is arming myself with knowledge. You don’t know what you don’t know, right? One of the things I turn to broaden my knowledge are books. It’s amazing what you can learn at such a minimal cost, if you just put the time and effort into it.

Let’s get to work, shall we?

Social Media:

• Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies – by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
• Social Pollination: Escape the Hype of Social Media and Join the Companies Winning At It – by Monica L. O’Brien
• Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business – by Larry Weber
• The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media – by Paul Gillin
• Blogging for Business: Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care – by Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos
• The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right – by Debbie Weil
• Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment – by Jim Sterne

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If there’s one industry where brands are in inextricable relationships with their customers, it’s the fashion industry.

Today, designers not only have the challenge of creating seasonal designs that create buzz and demand, but they now also need to stay on top of understanding the way fashionistas communicate and how they truly shop (hint: it’s not just about going to the mall any more).

I am far from a fashionista, but I do know that when it comes to social and mobile communications, the fashion industry has come a very long way. I joined my very first social networks (although we didn’t call it social networking back then) dedicated to a design house—Hermès—back in 2004.  There were thousands of women (and men) spending hours of time discussing their passion for Hermès. Everything from scarves to jewelry to perfume to leather goods (like the famous Birkin, originally called Haut à Courroies) to ready-to-wear consumed the daily conversation. We could tell you what year was the ‘Year of the River’ (2005, by the way), what scarf colorways and designs were the most popular for any given year, and the year of each of Jean-Claude Ellena’s perfume releases. Our passion gave us the advantage of knowing more about Hermès than most sales associates.

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As most marketers know by now, this week was a rough one for The Gap as their rebranding efforts were met with a lot of negativity by customers, fans, and marketers alike. The Gap does not stand alone in suffering the lash back of the social web. They now join the ranks of major brands such as Motrin, Tropicana, and Walmart in learning too late that customers and pundits are paying attention and are sharing their viewpoints.

When I say ‘what were they thinking’ I mean that I would truly like to get inside the heads of the marketing decisions makers to understand their thought processes. Or, better yet, to be a fly on the wall to see the social dynamics of the meetings that take place and steer decisions that are made.

Every day my natural marketing curiosity makes me wonder why marketers are not insightful enough to foresee the results of their actions often to the point of detriment where they are in a position of surprise or defense.  The opposite also intrigues me. I am always impressed with marketers that have well thought-out plans that are executed flawlessly and with confidence. Undoubtedly, I think we can and should learn from both.

1. Harvard Business Review: The Gap Logo Debacle: A Half-Brained Mistake

“And now, recognizing the error of its ways, the Gap has decided to get radically open: to let anyone compete to design their logo, via (you guessed it) markets, networks, and communities — which is the way that 90% of design, business, and downright everything should be done in the first place”

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• Is Personal Social Media Experience A Negative For Job Seekers?
• For Hire! Searching for My Next Career Opportunity