social reef
TRANSCRIPT
The Social Reef An Industry PerspectiveStoryboard #2By Jeremiah Owyang
Image used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardlow/340763653/ /
The social web industry is a lot like living reef.
Both are complex ecosystems that undergo constant change.
Let’s explore the ecosystem…
Key players
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Fish : People
Fish : People
• Fish are like people, users, or consumers.
• The come in many different colors, sizes and species.
• Collectively, they band together and form communities.
• Species: Over 6.77 billion varieties and counting
Image taken by aj-click used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/23045224@N04/2845087243/
Fishermen : Brands
Fishermen : Brands
• Brands are like fishermen, they are constantly seeking fish.
• They try many different tactics to reach fish, some are successful and many not.
• As brands come, some fish are scared away, while others are attracted.
• Species: Dell, P&G, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Ford.
The incumbents
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CMS : Rocks
CMS : Rocks
• Content Management Systems (CMS) are like rocks, a stable web publishing system powering brand websites.
• These slower moving web systems will struggle with adapting to the social web.
• As a result, these systems are developing social features –or will soon acquire them.
• Species: Vignette, Interwoven, Documentum, Fatwire, Percussion
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CRM : Octopus
CRM : Octopus
• Customer Relationship Systems (CRM) are like octopuses, they’re reaching to multiple systems to grab data.
• Soon, they will develop features to enable brands to better find prospects, market, and support communities.
• Expect to see more partnership between CRM systems and social networks and community platforms.
• Species: Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and Rightnow.
Image taken by aj-click used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/hodgers/14015562/
Brand Monitoring : Jellyfish
Brand Monitoring : Jellyfish
• Brand monitoring firms are like jellyfish, they rapidly absorb information.
• These firms are quickly tying with CMS systems, or developing their own features.
• Brands need these firms to find fish.• Species: Nielsen BuzzMetrics, TNS
Cymfony, Dow Jones Insight, J.D. Power & Associates, Visible Technologies, and Radian 6.
The challengers
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Social Networks : Kelp Forest
Social Networks : Kelp Forest
• Social Networks are like kelp forests, a rapidly changing haven for communities to assemble.
• These ever-wavering communities are thriving with customers –yet are fragile and young.
• As a result, brands try to fish –often unsuccessfully in these forests.
• Species: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn
Image taken by aj-click used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardlow/340761832/
Community Platforms : Coral
Community Platforms : Coral
• Community Platforms are like coral, which allow any brand to have their own social network.
• These living organisms attract customers, bringing them closer to brands, soon they will be tightly integrated with CMS systems (rocks).
• A shakeout is due in this overcrowded space of over 100 players.
• Species: Jive, Telligent, Mzinga, Awareness, Liveworld, Lithium, Leverage, Kickapps, Pluck
Image taken by aj-click used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/orcmid/2892448369/
Applications : Anemones
Applications : Anemones
• Applications are like anemones, ever-moving with limitless varieties.
• These applications are depending on social networks (kelp), but will soon extend to community platforms (coral) and cms (rock).
• People and applications are dependent on each other.
• Species: Slide, RockYou, Widgetbox, Gigya, Clearspring, and Newsgator.
External Factors
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Venture Capital : Algae
Venture Capital : Algae
• Venture Capital is like algae, injecting needed resources into the ecosystem for growth.
• Venture capital fuel social networks, applications, community platforms –even during a recession.
• Venture capital influences deals, partnerships, and vendor strategy.
• Species: August, Benchmark, Allegis, Scale, and Garage.
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Detractors: Pollution
Detractors : Pollution
• Detractors are like water pollution, they clog up the system and someone has to clean it up.
• Wherever communities thrive, detractors infiltrate.
• As a result, the system is forever trying to expel the unwanted.
• Species: Trolls, Spammers, Hackers.
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A-Listers : Blowfish
A-Listers : Blowfish
• A-Listers are like blowfish, as they vie for others attention, yet inflate when defensive.
• These influencers are essential for new technology adoption –yet many tools are never adopted mainstream.
• Approach with caution, many cause indigestion if consumed.
• Species: Although few in numbers, they are easily identified with distinguishable marks
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Recession : Low Tide
Recession : Low Tide
• The recession is like a low tide, forcing innovation and bringing the ecosystem closer.
• Consumers have increased their adoption of social technologies: they connect to each other, learn from one another, and some have…more time.
• As a result, it will force innovation with fewer resources and more competitors.
Image taken by aj-click used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentbat/455884449/
Industry Analyst : Marine Biologist
Industry Analyst : Marine Biologist
• Industry analysts are like marine biologists, who examine, identify, and analyze the ecosystem.
• Industry analysts who cover the ever-changing social reef struggle to keep up with this nascent industry.
• As a result, they resort to slideshows filled with colorful pictures to explain what they do to their friends and family.
• Species: Forrester, Gartner, IDC, eMarketer, Compete, and Comscore.
Summary
• The social web is an ever-changing space –perhaps the fastest changing industry the world has ever seen.
• Despite the attention and growth, it struggles with monetization, privacy, and cultural boundaries.
• Expect this space to continue to innovate rapidly over the next few years.
• Eventually, this industry will mature, as these communication tools become ubiquitous
Come fish with me.
Jeremiah Owyang
web-strategist.com/blog
@jowyang
Photos used with creative commons attribution license.
Image used with Attribution as directed by Creative Commons by t6mdm :http://www.flickr.com/photos/t6mdm/3363444387/