Archive for December, 2008

Who Was Listening in 2008: The Results

Posted by Chris Wilson December 30th, 2008

I asked you who was listening in 2008 and here is what you said:

—-

His Pick: Dell

I’m going to find it really hard for anybody to beat Dell. I think Dell has been doing an amazing job of listening, personally, but I know that there are many companies out there. My guess is Chris, that the challenge is going to be, how do you pick them, because as the years go on, and as these channels evolve, you are having more and more companies that are listening and becoming very, very active in that.

Mitch’s Blog: Six Pixels of Separation

His Picks: Comcast, Zappos, IBM, Pizza Hut, and Southwest Airlines

Comcast, for sure. They made the front page of the New York Times with Frank and their @comcastcares Twitter account.

Zappos- CEO Tony Hsieh is on Twitter all the time, along with several hundred other Zappos employees. They also have a YouTube channel, Facebook site. They listen

IBM – I’ve spoken at two conferences with Sandy Carter from IBM and they are doing a stellar job of listening to their B2B audience throughout the social media spectrum

Pizza Hut – their new app lets Facebook fans order pizzas straight from Facebook. That’s listening to their audience, who they are and what they want.

Pletny more- Southwest on Twitter- but suffice to say it is not just Dell.

Alan’s Blog: The Toad Stool

His Pick: Woot

The company does a heckuva lot of listening.

Andy’s Blog: Pow! Right Between The Eyes!

His Pick: Cisco Systems, Graco, Home Depot, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, UPS, Wells Fargo and Wal-Mart

I’m biased, of course, but I feel that the eight brands who spoke at the BlogWell event in October showed that they are truly listening to consumers. Even though though they were there to talk about social media tools and tactics, each and every one said that it starts with listening. That is a remarkable thing to consider.

The brands represented were:

Cisco Systems

Graco

The Home Depot

Intel

Kaiser Permanente

UPS

Wells Fargo

Wal-mart

Michael’s Blog: The Blog Council

His Pick: Fit Fuel and Zappos

Two of the most customer-centric brands I know from great service and ‘big ears:

Fit Fuel

Zappos

Many stories – and not just listening, empathetic too.. key.

Though Fit Fuel is a lot smaller, the companies both have presences in Vegas and the two CEO’s chat — *very* similar passionate service cultures.

Fit Fuel is building the ‘customer handbook’ a la Zappos.

You can follow and chat with Fit Fuel on Twitter to get a better understanding of the CEO’s drive for customer service excellence.

Specifically they’ve built an internal service culture that truly believes in customer is king credo

The principles of the CEO can be viewed here.

Grant’s Blog: One Rock at a Time

Her Pick: Zappos

I agree about Zappos. I love that they don’t charge for returns, and I recently read (in CRM magazine, I think) that after the training period is over, the president offers $2000 to every new employee – to quit! They only want people who buy into their training to stay. Fascinating.

Beth’s Blog: Mingle

His Pick: Dell

I agree about Dell. They listened to me on Twitter and solved my problem. Here’s my short story:

The screen on my Dell Latitude d610 stopped working. I moaned about it on twitter. Some Dell folks heard my cry. @GeoffAtDell found out it was the screen inverter that went bad and sent me to a link for the part on eBay. I bought a new one on for $10. As this photo shows, it worked! Thanks Geoff and all at Dell who listen and solve.

Rob’s Blog: Orangejack

His Pick: iList

iList was listening to Google alerts on craigslist. Lots of crimes and scam stories.

I was listening to Bob Pearson, Dell’s Vice President of Communities and Conversations. This stuck out:

“What we’re finding is that people want to sign up as fans of a topic area where they can learn about deal. Twitter is really like a science project. We should be building a social media alert system so anyone who wants to learn about certain type of deal we can hit across any social media site.”

iList is that system and more.

I would not be so bold as to say that listening “drives” decisions made at iList. However, listening adds to our awareness and our awareness influences our decisions.

As to your question on launch, I would say both. Our board has both channels dialed in clearly.

Rather than speaking for the whole company, I’ll get specific. My favorite place to listen is my Facebook friend feed. Google alerts are great. Obviously the tech blogs are pretty key for anyone in the industry. Twitter is more than a science project to me.

Brad’s Link : iList

His Pick: Big Oil??

The thing that got my attention (whether they mean it or it’s just a gimmick) is the fact that, all of a sudden, all the big oil companies started running ads for alternative fuels and energy. It’s like, within the last six months, they JUST realized that they better start promoting themselves as a “Green” business. Now, let’s see if they actually deliver…

Dave’s Link: WireNames

His Pick: Evernote

Evernote went from a desktop only client to being a multiclient and web-based service. Version 3 of their software was quite a lot different from version 2.2. In some ways it was stronger, in some ways it was weaker.

Dave Enberg has done an incredible job at their forums of calming upset customers and making everybody feel good and secure.

There was a real back-and-forth between customer and Evernote. They didn’t just listen to their customers; they communicated with them.

Ruud’s Link: Search Engine People

His Pick: Southwest Airlines

Southwest airlines have embraced Social Media harmoniously. Their blog “Nuts about Southwest” has awesome videos of behind the scene processes – like Putting a Plane back in sky in 35 minutes, Aircraft Cleaning, How Crabs reach your dinner table in 12 hrs, etc. They are engaging customers by providing entertaining stories (videos, pictures, etc) at the same time providing channels for customer conversation.They proactively listen to Social Media – someone contacted me and thanked me when I blogged about them on my personal blog.

Sandeep’s Blog: VizEdu

—-

What brand didn’t get the mention they deserve?

CATEGORIES: Branding, Marketing, Social Media

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

An Intro to the Video Game Industry and Why it Matters

Posted by Chris Wilson December 30th, 2008

Video Game Industry

Whether you’re a Guitar Hero Rock God, or if the extent of your gaming experience goes about as far as a game of computerized solitaire, it’s time to get to know the video gaming industry and it’s full potential.

Gaming has evolved quite a bit over the decades. The gaming industry of today is far what it was in the days of Pong and Arkanoid, but it’s some of the more recent developments that marketers should take note of.

With advancements in the interactive experience of gaming, previously separate areas of life are now starting to overlap with the gaming world. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are on fire because of the way they bring the culture of the music industry into gaming. Not only can you listen to some of your favorite rock music, but you can become a member of the band and interact with the music experience in ways you never could before. I imagine games embracing Hip/Hop and Rap cultures aren’t far behind.

Nintendo’s Wii Fit is an even better example, as it fuses together activities that were previously thought to be in conflict, video games and physical fitness, and creates a seamless step-by-step program for anyone wanting to improve their physical health.

Things really start to get interesting when you imagine the possibilities for how other sections of life could overlap the gaming industry.

What’s keeping Apple and Nike+ from adding a level of game play to their community for runners?
How long before major food brands like Kraft or Nabisco create a game that mashes the world of cooking with gaming? (featuring branded recipes of course)
Why couldn’t gaming platforms be leveraged as training methods for Do-it-Yourselfers?

We’re moving closer and closer towards a connected way of life. Only the brands that understand this will survive, and you can be certain that gaming will play a large role in that life.

A Short History

So you want to get to know the video game industry? Start with this video by Kyle Downes, which artfully presents a short visual history of video games.

(Via: PSFK)

A few more facts and figures about the gaming industry:

CNBC gives their account of how the video game industry went from Pong and PacMan to a $27.5 billion industry.
Video game advertising alone has a projected value at $1 to $2 billion.
Gaming isn’t just for teens. 50% of American men and women play video games.
The struggling music industry places bets on gaming.

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Branding, Innovation, Marketing, Miscellaneous

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

Myth of the Christmas Pickle

Posted by Chris Wilson December 24th, 2008

Christmas Pickle

You don’t have to look any further than the Christmas pickle if you want a seasonal example of how the evolution of myths and stories around a brand, can drive word of mouth, and in this case has create some unusual family traditions.

Legend has it, that after the tree is completely decorated, the pickle ornament was hung by parents deep in the branches of the Christmas tree where only the most observant of the children could find it. The first child to find the pickle would receive a special treat or extra present.

There are numerous variations on this myth. Some say it is of German origin, others Bavarian-American. But regardless of where the story originated or how the story is told, it’s the ongoing evolution of the story and the mysterious details that keeps it alive and well.

And as the Firehouse agency in Dallas has exhibited, take a folk tradition and mix it with popular culture, and you get something hilariously bizarre. (Thanks Zack)

(Click to watch The Carol of the Christmas Pickle)

Merry Christmas Peelers!

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Branding, Marketing, Miscellaneous

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

The Power of Myth

Posted by Chris Wilson December 23rd, 2008

While we’re on the subject of myths and storytelling, here’s a video by the authors of Conversational Capital on the power of myths.

(Click to watch The Power of Myth video)

I find their descriptions of myths to be great examples of how storytelling can play a very powerful part of what a brand means to consumers, helping them identify, but also how different versions and fragments of brand stories mix together to form a much larger picture.

I think we are going to increasingly see this complex dynamic of brands evolving out of multifaceted parts and pieces. With so many people, from so many different backgrounds and with different interests connecting and meshing with the world around them, the days of the one-dimensional brand are over.

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Branding, Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

Asics Brand Story Told with Origami Paper

Posted by Chris Wilson December 23rd, 2008

(Click to watch video)

In Conversational Capital, Bertrand Cesvet, Tony Babinski and Eric Alper describe myths (or stories) as,

narratives that become part of the very fabric of a consumption experience because they provide important clues as to what that experience is supposed to mean to us.

What’s your story?

—-

Via: Brandflakesforbreakfast

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Branding, Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

Spotting the Death of a Trend

Posted by Chris Wilson December 22nd, 2008

Final Chapter for Uggs boots, end of a trend

Just a quick trip to the mall or local grocery store and you will see them. In fact, this year, they can be seen just everywhere, and they are signaling the final phase of a trend that started in the early 2000’s.

The “they” I’m talking about is the late adopters to the Uggs boots fashion trend. They are typically middle aged (and older) women who are finally embracing the trend, which has reached a comfortable level of social acceptance and proliferation.

I predict that by this time next year, these boots will have taken a sharp decline. This means that all the copycat brands that have, in recent months, started producing their own take on the Ugg style, hoping to cash in on the trend, will be forced to find another trend to ripoff. And it also means that the Uggs brand, should be searching for their next hook of relevance.

The art of spotting trends early and take action, as I’ve covered before, is a vital part of putting your company ahead of the competition. But the ability to spot the death of a trend can be just as valuable, because an accurate and early recognition of a trend that’s reaching it’s peak, can provide a time table for strategic planning and action.

How many chapters are in your brand’s story?

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Design, Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

RELATED POSTS: My Brand Timeline

See You at the Movies

Posted by Chris Wilson December 10th, 2008

Holiday Movie Goers

The annual holiday season movie madness is in full swing as Hollywood places it’s last bets before the years end. Right now it’s a head to head race between Four Christmases, Twilight and the family favorite, Bolt.

This year more than just Hollywood is hoping for large movie goer turnout during the holidays. In November, Ad Age reported that retailers JCPenney, Gap, Macy’s and others were withdrawing a large portion of their ad spend from television to move their 30-second spots to, you guessed it, the big screen.

With the rise in consumers skipping ads with Tivo and DVR, or even watching their favorite programs on sites like Hulu, the retailers moved their messages to a place where they could actually get some decent “ad penetration” (I hate that term). Or more simply, “we’ll get them where they have little choice but to watch our ads.”

Compare that to this attempted idea that Philips had for the movies, and Tim Manners describes in his book, Relevance:

A grand total of one advertiser, Philips Electronics, seems to understand what really makes us happy. Philips wanted to buy all the available ad time at movie theaters in Minneapolis and Boston and take credit for not using it to advertise its products. They thought it would be cool to give us a little break and simply run a short message letting us know that they were sponsoring the cinema silence–a moment of Happiness, if you will. Unfortunately, Screenvision, the company that sold the screen time at theaters, thought that Philips was making a mockery of movie theater ads and nixed the idea.

Philips has succeeded elsewhere, however. At a cost of $2 million, it sponsored an entire episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes. But instead of using its media buy to run its ads, Philips donated the minutes back to the viewers so that they could enjoy longer news segments. More recently, Philips sponsored a cut in the commercial time on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, from seven minutes to just one minute. According to an article by Karlene Lukovitz in the New York Times, it paid off for them: The newscast “saw an eight percent ratings lift and generated 9,400 grateful e-mail messages over three days.”

The significance of this strategy by Philips Electronics, which the brand aptly called its “sense and simplicity” campaign, was all the more striking because Philips is in a category, consumer electronics, that is almost always marketed as cool, trendy, and “must have.” As Eric Plaskonos of Philips explained in the Times, the Philips strategy is instead premised on reducing the amount of clutter in people’s lives rather than just pitching their products.

The nexus of happiness and relevance is easily located by brands like Philips that realize their marketing strategy is about our lives and not just their products.

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Innovation, Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

My First Gift This Year and the TOMS Integrated Timeline

Posted by Chris Wilson December 9th, 2008

Ethiopian Scarf Toms Shoes

I’m a fan of TOMS. It’s no secret.

I’ve talked about the company misssion, product design, awards won, and even given my analysis of the company’s continuing journey toward a lifetime of relevance.

A few days back I received a small package containing the scarf pictured above along with a letter from the company’s founder, Blake Mycoskie. The letter told a micro-version of the TOMS story and thanked me for being one of their best customers. The letter then went on to explain the enclosed scarf, which Blake was sending as an early holiday present (my first this year), which was “handcrafted in Ethiopia.”

Uncoincidentally, Ethiopia are the location for the next big shoe drop. TOMS has made it their holiday goal to give “30,000 pairs of shoes in Ethiopian villages where” my scarf was made.

A day later I received one of the coolest catalogs I’ve seen in a while, from TOMS. The whole thing was filled with stories about who they are, who they help, how they began and what they’re planning.

About that same time I came across this circulating YouTube video:

And then a post by Blake on The Huffington Post, further promoting the holiday goal to help Ethiopia.

Wow.

The timed roll out of these interactions was clearly strategically implemented, but I’m in awe of the lack of complexity to the whole thing. And yet, each touchpoint brought me one step closer to contributing to the cause.

There is a clear focus on the issue at hand and that’s it. No bells and whistles or futuristic pipe dreams about what could happen when all the stars align. The message is simple,

For every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for one.

Focus on what matters.

CATEGORIES: Advertising, Events, Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

A Pure Word of Mouth Story: “I Will Tell Your Name”

Posted by Chris Wilson December 3rd, 2008

Indian Man, I will tell your name, word of mouth

On Sunday I heard a story that presented the clearest, purest picture of what word of mouth looks like. With the help of Google, I was able to track down a similar version of the story to share with you:

The missionary introduced himself and said, “I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they matured.”

But this missionary had developed a process which would arrest progressive blindness. So people came to him and he performed his operation, and they would leave realizing that they would have become blind, but now they were going to be able to see for the rest of their lives.

He said that they never said, “Thank you,” because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, “I will tell your name.” Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blindness.

Excerpt taken from First Congregational Church.

(Photo credit: Elishams)

CATEGORIES: Marketing

READ:View Comments

Make a Comment

Permalink | Trackback

Why Black Friday Should be a Tailgating Party with Fans

Posted by Chris Wilson December 1st, 2008

Best Buy on Black Friday

As early as Eight o’clock on Thursday night, Best Buy’s extremist of customers started lining up outside of their stores in preparation for the store’s Black Friday 5 A.M. opening. You could find many of the crazed crowd wrapped up in heavy blankets, in sleeping bags and pitched tents on the storefront sidewalk.

Since my wife and I have been looking around for a new TV to replace our 28 year old tube (Evidently Dillards sold some good TV’s back in the day.), some of our relatives jokingly thought I should go out there and wait with the crowd in hopes of getting an awesome deal. They even said they would bring me out some leftovers for dinner.

That got me thinking. Why wasn’t there anyone from Best Buy out there taking care of these people, no matter how crazy they are?

The whole thing is already a lot like waiting in line for the concert tickets of the year or a tailgating party before the big game. The only thing missing is the local radio station blaring tunes for the crowd and broadcasting live on location. Throw in a couple of vendors selling turkey legs, hot chocolate, t-shirts and memorabilia you’re all set for a Black Friday celebration.

The typical Black Friday strategy is to create the illusion of scarcity by offering certain items at largely discounted prices. This, in turn, drives traffic to the store. In theory this should work. After all, I’m more likely to buy something impulsively once I’m in the store.

The only problem with this is that all the retailers are using exactly the same strategy. Really I think it comes down to a word of mouth problem. With everyone is screaming the same message (HUGE DISCOUNTS), in the same way (TV ads, Newspaper ads, flyers, emails) then who are consumers going to listen to?

The answer: People they trust. And where are consumers before Black Friday? They are with friends and family talking about any and everything, and I’m sure shopping plans for the following day will be thrown into the mix somewhere. In my families case, we were talking about the line that had already started to form outside of Best Buy.

This is where my question to Best Buy comes in. What better way to get people talking even more than by embracing these extreme customers that are drawing attention to your store, by throwing a Black Friday tailgating party?

Here are some ideas on how you can turn a boring pre-Black Friday line into a tailgating party:

Hire a DJ spinning the newest music releases. Throw in some Christmas tracks here or there.
Pull in a huge Best Buy bus with wide screen HD plasma TV’s on the side.
Have a gaming tournament.
Hand out fleece Best Buy blankets and sweatshirts to the crowd.
Serve Thanksgiving turkey legs and hot cocoa.
Draw a crowd and spark the curiosity of passerbys.

At the very least it would show customers that you care.

—

What do you think?

Could an organized event like this possibly even prevent a tragedy like what happened at Wal-Mart?