Exploiting the new wave of

empowered online users

Hugh Wallace

Head of Interactive Media, Oxfam

29 November 2006

What is Oxjam?

A month of music events raising money for Oxfam

Community fundraising model – Oxfam doesn't put on the events, members of the public do

Oxfam supplies the tools to enable them to do so

Main Oxjam website:www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam Information and news about Oxjam

'Backstage' area for people to add their events, and tools to help them run, promote and fundraise

Search facility for users to find out what events were happening near them

User-generated reports and reviews from events that had taken place

Oxjam on myspace: www.myspace.com/oxjam Central presence on myspace

Information and news about Oxjam

Web-based tools for users to download

Community hub for event organisers to keep up-to-date and get support – genuine network of 'friends'

Created a buzz – visible record of how widespread the events were getting

Why myspace?

Its size: already a well-established social network in the UK with a large, active user base

Existing community of musicians linked up via myspace music

Brought together tools (video and music players, blogs) in one place

Hype

Myspace friends

Saw early benefit of allowing users to co-ordinate regional hubs and hook up with other people in their area

Empowered users and allowed them to take ownership of communicating and promoting their events

Support network – easy to find someone else in a similar situation and ask questions

Online Successes

Massive flow of traffic to the Oxjam website

Satisfied customers – 85% of those involved rated myspace as very useful or useful

Huge 'word of mouth' effect via myspace friends network, and uptake from websites such as nme.com

Local events meant local press and PR – 100s of websites talking about Oxjam events

Embodies Oxfam's brand values of empowerment and inclusivity

And some challenges...

Many versions of the Oxfam logo and Oxjam identity visible online

And some challenges...

Many versions of the Oxfam logo and Oxjam identity visible online

Loss of control over what people say and who they connect with meant potential of negative associations

Too exclusive? Held more appeal to particular audience types

However...

Close working with Oxjam network of friends meant it was possible to put baseline rules in place

People's desire to make it their own and get creative is actually a real success

Paradigm shift – you can't be active in these spaces and not be prepared to accept some risks

Why did it work?

Strong proposition in the first instance – critical to any development in web 2.0

Used a social network with strong ties to music and an existing community base

Gave users a sense of ownership – genuinely empowering model

Embraced the medium – didn't get heavy handed and accepted the potential risks

What we’ve learned

Quality is far more important than quantity – a large

volume of friends doesn’t actually mean anything

It’s easy to get people interested, but far trickier to

keep them engaged

Managing a community needs to be budgeted for

and resourced – don’t enter social network spaces

without considering this

Take steps to broaden appeal

Thank You