Monday, 25 May 2009
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Cx3: Grow social capital and go guerrilla
‘Citizen Journalism’, ‘The Conversation’ and ‘The Buzz’. These are 2009 buzzwords that describe mainstream consumer behaviour of interacting with social media, the social media vehicles that interact with each other to carry a voice, and the amplification of the voice by social media influencers.
Powerful stuff if the voice is talking positively about your brand!
Growing social capital enables a brand to more easily and cost-effectively influence via social media networks. Creative guerrilla tactics are becoming increasingly commonplace as brands start to leverage social media and grow their social capital. ‘The buzz’ has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is creativity that attracts the attention of 'citizen journalist'.
The Sony Bravia Balls campaign is a well documented case study as the benchmark for how to successfully use social media on the back of simple guerrilla creativity. This was complimented by the consistently creative Bravia paint explosion on a Glasgow housing estate.
T-mobile’s Liverpool Street flash mob dance campaign is another example of guerrilla marketing generating a social media buzz.
Both of these examples leveraged upon today’s consumer behaviour of recording videos and taking pictures on their mobile phones and sharing these via social media. Both brands listened to the unfolding conversation and encouraged the buzz by feeding consumers with more of what they wanted to hear. As a result, the social capital of both Sony Bravia and T-mobile brands established.
Social media communications are now mainstream and fully integrated into consumer behaviour, and it is this evolved and powerful consumer behaviour that brands need to be aware of and leverage upon. So Brands, what are you waiting for? Venture into the concrete jungle and go guerrilla – your citizens are waiting for you with their mobile phones!
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone sales grow despite market downturn
Cx3 blog entry: Social media heads are round, is yours?
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter flies Hudson plane around the world
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone driving growth in mobile internet usage behaviour
Powerful stuff if the voice is talking positively about your brand!
Growing social capital enables a brand to more easily and cost-effectively influence via social media networks. Creative guerrilla tactics are becoming increasingly commonplace as brands start to leverage social media and grow their social capital. ‘The buzz’ has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is creativity that attracts the attention of 'citizen journalist'.
The Sony Bravia Balls campaign is a well documented case study as the benchmark for how to successfully use social media on the back of simple guerrilla creativity. This was complimented by the consistently creative Bravia paint explosion on a Glasgow housing estate.
T-mobile’s Liverpool Street flash mob dance campaign is another example of guerrilla marketing generating a social media buzz.
Both of these examples leveraged upon today’s consumer behaviour of recording videos and taking pictures on their mobile phones and sharing these via social media. Both brands listened to the unfolding conversation and encouraged the buzz by feeding consumers with more of what they wanted to hear. As a result, the social capital of both Sony Bravia and T-mobile brands established.
Social media communications are now mainstream and fully integrated into consumer behaviour, and it is this evolved and powerful consumer behaviour that brands need to be aware of and leverage upon. So Brands, what are you waiting for? Venture into the concrete jungle and go guerrilla – your citizens are waiting for you with their mobile phones!
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone sales grow despite market downturn
Cx3 blog entry: Social media heads are round, is yours?
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter flies Hudson plane around the world
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone driving growth in mobile internet usage behaviour
Friday, 8 May 2009
Cx3: The conversation prism 2.0
Brian Solis and JESS3 have evolved the conversation prism since its first release in August 2008. The conversation prism 2.0 places brand at the centre of the prism and introduces a workflow rotation of concentric circles assisting in the establishment of rhythmic value-added engagement.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: The Dominos effect - reputation management
Cx3 blog entry: Social media heads are round, is yours?
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Cx3 blog entry: The growth of Twitter
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Cx3: iPhone sales grow despite market downturn
Mobile phone sales have plummeted by a record amount in the first quarter of 2009 as the global financial crisis sapped demand, a research firm said.
The number of phones shipped worldwide in the first three months of the year dropped by 13% to 245 million units from the same period last year.
Strategy Analytics said all of the five biggest mobile phone-makers had drops in sales.
Bucking the trend is Apple's iPhone that had sales of 3.8 million, up from 1.7 million units the previous year - an annual gain of 123%.
"We expect Apple to launch one or more new models in the coming months as it seeks to maintain its breakneck growth rate," Strategy Analytics said.
Strategy Analytics said the previous worst quarter for mobile phone sales was in the third quarter of 2001.
Read the full BBC article: Mobile sales 'in record decline'
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Smartphone market trends
Cx3 blog entry: Google G1 or Apple i-Phone...fight!
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPhone App Store success reported
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone driving growth in mobile internet usage behaviour
The number of phones shipped worldwide in the first three months of the year dropped by 13% to 245 million units from the same period last year.
Strategy Analytics said all of the five biggest mobile phone-makers had drops in sales.
Bucking the trend is Apple's iPhone that had sales of 3.8 million, up from 1.7 million units the previous year - an annual gain of 123%.
"We expect Apple to launch one or more new models in the coming months as it seeks to maintain its breakneck growth rate," Strategy Analytics said.
Strategy Analytics said the previous worst quarter for mobile phone sales was in the third quarter of 2001.
Read the full BBC article: Mobile sales 'in record decline'
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Smartphone market trends
Cx3 blog entry: Google G1 or Apple i-Phone...fight!
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPhone App Store success reported
Cx3 blog entry: iPhone driving growth in mobile internet usage behaviour
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Cx3: The Domino’s effect - reputation management
This week saw Domino’s Pizza’s social media reputation management go into overdrive in order to prevent a global toppling of the Domino’s Pizza brand.
A couple of employees in one of its franchises filmed themselves interfering with food that was supposedly destined for customers - the Domino's videos were then posted on You Tube. The YouTube videos were picked-up by the Good As You blog, which has subsequently become in active conversation with Tim McIntyre - Vice President of Communications at Domino’s pizza.
To further counter the negative impact that the Domino's videos may have on its brand, questions are currently being answered on the Domino’s Twitter site in an attempt to quash concerns from its customers.
It shows that the domino effect (unfortunate, but apt naming) is alive and well with extra cheese on top when the social media conversation goes sour, however, Domino’s Pizza have clearly shown how to leverage social media vehicles in order to manage its brand reputation when damage limitation is required on a global scale.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Social media heads are round, is yours?
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Cx3 blog entry: The growth of Twitter
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Cx3: Beware the Twitter fail whale
Beware the Twitter fail whale - it made me laugh!
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Why follow a Twitter celebrity?
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Cx3 blog entry: The growth of Twitter
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter flies Hudson plane around the world
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Cx3: Social media heads are round, is yours?
“Our heads are round so thoughts can change direction”
This profound quote from French artist and poet Francis Picabia (1879-1953) is an accurate philosophical musing that emphasises how today’s businesses should embrace emerging media and the social media conversation.
The conversation
The conversation vehicles are well known now:
- Micro-blogging
- Blog posting and comments
- Image/Video/Slide sharing
- Social Networking
- Bookmarking
The conversation is a wild and rampant beast, and erstwhile “life is for sharing”, the conversation risks turning into Chinese whispers. If the conversation generated by social media mentions your business, then you need to be involved. Reputation management goes hand-in-hand with the organic nature of the social media conversation – if your company or brand is being talked about, the conversation needs to be listened to, learned from and if necessary acted upon accordingly.
Media monitoring and listening
Media monitoring has been established for well over a century – Durrants was providing press cuttings to the aristocracy as far back as 1880. We live in a different age now, but the same monitoring goals apply, but to a much wider communications universe.
Purposeful campaign marketing and event-based communications will naturally tie into carefully prioritised key messages. Social media monitoring and measurement tools allow these key messages to be ‘listened for’ in the conversation. Companies can evaluate how influential the speaker is and assess the tone of what is being said. The volume of the conversation and the share of voice across the conversation vehicles can be identified and the timeliness mapped against a communications plan.
Learning and acting-upon the conversation
Our heads are round not stuck in the sand. The social media conversational evidence can be humbling when set against business expertise, however, this bitter pill must be swallowed for the greater educational good of understanding people, focusing on preferred communication channels and closer monitoring of a competitive marketplace.
Acting upon and taking part in the conversation as part of reputation management sustains the positive key messages, however, transparency and relevancy are of utmost importance – lie and you’ll be found out and the conversation could work against you. Ultimately, long-term insight generated by the conversation will lead directional change in business thinking and its interactions.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Social Networking World Forum
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Cx3 blog entry: The growth of Twitter
Cx3 blog entry: Facebook, the influential social networking book face
This profound quote from French artist and poet Francis Picabia (1879-1953) is an accurate philosophical musing that emphasises how today’s businesses should embrace emerging media and the social media conversation.
The conversation
The conversation vehicles are well known now:
- Micro-blogging
- Blog posting and comments
- Image/Video/Slide sharing
- Social Networking
- Bookmarking
The conversation is a wild and rampant beast, and erstwhile “life is for sharing”, the conversation risks turning into Chinese whispers. If the conversation generated by social media mentions your business, then you need to be involved. Reputation management goes hand-in-hand with the organic nature of the social media conversation – if your company or brand is being talked about, the conversation needs to be listened to, learned from and if necessary acted upon accordingly.
Media monitoring and listening
Media monitoring has been established for well over a century – Durrants was providing press cuttings to the aristocracy as far back as 1880. We live in a different age now, but the same monitoring goals apply, but to a much wider communications universe.
Purposeful campaign marketing and event-based communications will naturally tie into carefully prioritised key messages. Social media monitoring and measurement tools allow these key messages to be ‘listened for’ in the conversation. Companies can evaluate how influential the speaker is and assess the tone of what is being said. The volume of the conversation and the share of voice across the conversation vehicles can be identified and the timeliness mapped against a communications plan.
Learning and acting-upon the conversation
Our heads are round not stuck in the sand. The social media conversational evidence can be humbling when set against business expertise, however, this bitter pill must be swallowed for the greater educational good of understanding people, focusing on preferred communication channels and closer monitoring of a competitive marketplace.
Acting upon and taking part in the conversation as part of reputation management sustains the positive key messages, however, transparency and relevancy are of utmost importance – lie and you’ll be found out and the conversation could work against you. Ultimately, long-term insight generated by the conversation will lead directional change in business thinking and its interactions.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: How social is your conversation?
Cx3 blog entry: Social Networking World Forum
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Cx3 blog entry: The growth of Twitter
Cx3 blog entry: Facebook, the influential social networking book face
Monday, 16 February 2009
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Cx3: Virgin Atlantic Still Red Hot video
There is a comforting nostalgia projected by the Virgin Atlantic Still Red Hot video. The TV advert created by RKCR celebrates the airline's 25th birthday with classic 1980's references including the yuppie, the mobile brick, the big hair and the Rubik's cube. I'm loving the advert and the return of many fond memories.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: T-mobile Liverpool Street advert
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Cx3: Why follow a Twitter celebrity?
Why not!
Twitter is reaching its populist celebrity-craved audiences now and not just the techy purists. Twitter has different priorities for different people whether business oriented, marketing focused, or pure entertainment, however, there is room for all - an intelligent quip from Stephen Fry or the latest gossip from Phillip Schofield helps the day go by.
Gordon Macmillan seems to be getting a little worked up on the subject with his blog post Why would you follow a Celebrity on Twitter. I say relax and accept Twitter, 'il est arrivé' - as I've said previously, celebrity Twittering is the new Heat magazine.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
Twitter is reaching its populist celebrity-craved audiences now and not just the techy purists. Twitter has different priorities for different people whether business oriented, marketing focused, or pure entertainment, however, there is room for all - an intelligent quip from Stephen Fry or the latest gossip from Phillip Schofield helps the day go by.
Gordon Macmillan seems to be getting a little worked up on the subject with his blog post Why would you follow a Celebrity on Twitter. I say relax and accept Twitter, 'il est arrivé' - as I've said previously, celebrity Twittering is the new Heat magazine.
RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Twitter, Stephen Fry and halibut
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