creating digital dialogs, a social media overview october 16, 2007

Creating digital dialogs, a social media overviewOctober 16, 2007

two truths

1: The way we communicatewith each other is changing

Ear Eye

The U.S. Audience

• 90 million have participated in online groups

• 57 million have reada blog

• 50 million have created content online

• 44 percent have contributed thoughts and files to the online world

• 36 million have downloaded music or video

• 33 million have reviewed or rated something

• 12 million have createda blog

•6million use RSS

Source: Pew Internet& American Life

Tweens

Source:IG Trendcentral

• 88 percent have been online in thepast month

•75 percent regularly usea computer

•38 percent own an MP3 player and 34percent bought and downloadeda songin the past month

•31 percent send or receive email onadaily basis

•29 percent owna cell phone

Millenials

•Will outnumber baby boomers and Gen-X'ersby 2010

•80 percent use social networking sites

•76 percent instant message

•71 percent regularly participate in blogs

•55 percent visit MySpace daily

•44 percent use web to compare prices

•16 percent use podcasts and RSS

•18-to-21-year-olds, Forrester ResearchSource: Pew Internet& American Life

“Reliance and trust in nontraditional sources— meaning everyday people,their friends, their networks, the network they've created around them—hasa much greater influence on their behaviors than traditional advertising.'’

-Jack McKenzie, Millennials Strategy Group

“A safe assumption is that when today’s children and teenagers reachadulthood, they’re not going to be tolerant of media that’s one-way,that’s not interactive.”

-Steve Outing, Senior Editor Poynter Institute for Media Studies

48 percent of younger users say they learn about new entertainment throughcommunity, review and video sharing sites and blogs—only 25 percent say theylearn about new entertainment through television.

-Media Screen

Active GenX and Trailing Boomers

Source: Universal McCann

•60 percent instant message

•54 percent regularly participate in blogs

•37 percent use web to compare prices

•19 percent use social networking sites

•12 percent use RSS

•9 percent use podcasts

2: The way we communicatewith our customers is not changing.

“The Computer asa Communication Device,” Licklider& Taylor, 1968

So how doIstart the conversation?

Social media=anything witha feedback loop

About:Who:

MeMySpace, Facebook

About:Who:

TopicNYTimes.com,Craig’s List

About:Who:

BrandReebok Run Easy,Pontiac Underground

About:Who:

ProductAmazon, Netflix,Match, Yub

7 principles forsocial media design

Empower personalitiesTap motivationEnable feedbackMaster moderationDon’t talk to yourselfGeek outHave integrity

thoughts onthe future

life streaming

bio media

immersive environments

Microsoft Home of the Future, Greg Gilbert, The Seattle Times, 2006

a few examples

MORE THOUGHTS ON WHERE IT’S ALL GOING

Monologue is dying or dead“In the 20th Century, wedid monologue marketing.We did most–ifnotall–

of the talking. And weexpected the consumer tolisten. Now, we’ve movedtoa dialogue. Consumerswant to be heard. In fact,they will not tolerate notbeing heard.”

- John Hayes, CMO,American Express

“We are moving fromtechnology push toconsumer pull…frompush marketing to co-creation…from ideamanufacturing toconsumer experiences.”

- Keith Pardy, SVPStrategic Marketing,Nokia

“ Agencies are evolving too slowly. They are holdingonto the past andtrying to rationalize it.”

- Jerri DeVard, SVP Marketing, Citigroup

“Agencies need to get more integrated, collapsestructures and go digital.”

- Jim Stengel, GMO, P&G

MORE THOUGHTS ON WHERE IT’S ALL GOING

Why the big shift?The 50-year-old traffic light is out at the intersection ofCulture, Media and CommerceNewer audiences less about polish, more about honesty

Traditional limitations of choice (brand/product choices,buying venues, product/pricing data) are gone

Balance of power shifting away from marketersControl the brand? As if.

Customers purchasing based on testimony of other customers, lessbecause of us

And they’re reinterpreting and representing your brand

Massive shiftsTheir voices can be asloud as our own

Because 1)theNet is the firstplace peoplelook, and 2)search lurrrvesconversations!

Massive shiftsThe more consumers can find open,honest dialogue abouta brand, the more yourfinely-honed message can sound self-serving,inauthentic, and untrustworthy.

Ouch.

What does this mean for clients?As prospective customers become ever more distractedand interrupted, intrusive methods are tuned out

Gains are incremental at best

Security– everyone’s– is often about proving sustainablevalue to the org

Corporate risk aversion runs high

You tend with what you know works

So, new media: should we invest? Where? Who knowswhere this is all going?

Everyone winscan show innovation, forwardthinking, demo new reach vehicles

can more fully engage markets, havecustomers become advocates, extend brandwithout increasing marketing spend

SNIFFING AROUND

Client management teams will ask…Should we “be” on MySpace?

Should we opena presence on Second Life?

Do we needa “Facebook strategy?”

What’s this “conversational marketing” stuff?

MOTIVATING THEM TO TRY

Five ways to empower your clientBe their Tony Robbins

Help marketers reposition themselves asbetween company and

customer

Help them use new channels to truly understandcustomer desires, not to merely validate theirexisting strategy

Help them shift from monologue to dialogue

Help them create internal alignment

EMPOWER YOUR CLIENT

Shifting monologue to dialogueKnow the available channels (they change quarterly)

As Pull becomes more interesting, be where yourprospects look for you- SEO important

Dedicate resources to community management

Predetermine your action boundaries

Listen via automated tools

Engage with NEXT customers, not just current ones

ADDLED ADVOCACY DEPARTMENT

“Block my message? Oh no you don’t.”“Learn how to get past the filters yourcustomers have deployed.”

Turning off TiVo fast-forwardfunctionality

Tracking down opt-outs throughaffiliated credit bureaus

Are we building relationships yet?

SHAMELESS SELF-INTEREST DEPARTMENT

That’s some tasty Kool-AidJune 2007: “The‘Aeropanel’ offersa unique and

advertisingformat in anuncluttered,relaxed andcomfortableenvironment.”

Yeah…it was.

®

EMPOWER YOUR CLIENT

Create internal alignmentArm marketers with knowledge of trends, case studies

Show examples of low$ investment, high buzz/WOMvalue

Make sure they have brand and message benchmarks tostart with

What are you coming to the party with?

Market needs something to react to before dialogue can begin

Presenta strategy to engage customer base withoutpandering to them

No MySpace for MySpace’s sake

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Watch the boundariesSet and stick to brand boundaries

When conversation is clearly crossing the line,fearlessly engage detractors in honest dialogue

If talk is within the boundaries, leave it alone!Control issues implya lack of confidence.

Fear ain’t sexy.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

CautionsDO have an authentic presence, but DON’T push messages

DON’T jump in with the same old approach (FB bannerbuys, phony PR blogs, self-interest)– backlash is loud

DON’T underestimate this shift

Make sure you havea dialogue capability

DO use the new channels to increase your own value

DON’T think that everyone necessarily wantsa“conversation” with their brands

FUTURESHOCK

What’s in store?

Is that really YOU? Are you who you say you are?

Others’ public opinions of you and your actions,saved forever and subscribable

Your online behavior, posts, comments, all of it,easily found, forever-and subscribable

Parting thoughtsExciting, scary, significant time to be in thisbusiness!Witnessinga massive social transformation andempowerment

More venues and tools to communicate value than ever

There are no experts yet

Lots of opportunities for innovative thinking

Inertia’sa powerful thing.Status quo= go nowhere.

Dip your clients’ toes In- the water’s fine.

LAURA PORTO STOCKWELL

VP, INTERACTIVE STRATEGIST

PUBLICIS IN THE WEST

http://digitaldialogs.com

ERIC WEAVER

PRESIDENT

BRAND DIALOGUE

http://branddialogue.com

http

://branddialogue.co

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