Bizzy Strats of Soshy Meedees

Bacardi Uses Facebook to Simulate a Party Experience

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:53:52 -0500

Bacardi Uses Facebook to Simulate a Party Experience:

Another great interactive campaign of the future, but here now.

Condom Ad Disguised as Facebook Friend Request From Your Future Son

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:50:46 -0500

Condom Ad Disguised as Facebook Friend Request From Your Future Son:

I understand that this is a violation of Facebook policy, but it sure is a clever one.

United States: Sharing to the power of 2012 | The Economist

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:04:43 -0500

United States: Sharing to the power of 2012 | The Economist:

A recent Pew study revealed that Facebook users are more than twice as likely to participate in political meetings or rallies. Online sharing is leading directly to offline engagement and activism.

Facebook Fans Vs. Twitter Followers: Which Are More Valuable? - Forbes.com

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:27:53 -0500

Facebook Fans Vs. Twitter Followers: Which Are More Valuable? - Forbes.com:

“Perhaps a successful social media strategy is not about figuring out the monetary value of a Facebook fan vs. a Twitter follower, but instead involves understanding each social channel and the native advantages of both.

A good analysis. It’s best to consider the value of each medium zero when you start. Facebook and Twitter are means of communication that allow you to share content. They aren’t magic bullets.

Are you sure, Ashton?

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:17:38 -0500

Are you sure, Ashton?:

99%Media | Collaboratively Curated for the Movement

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:54:09 -0500

99%Media | Collaboratively Curated for the Movement:

A proprietary “Youtube” site for the OWS movement?

Yoani Sanchez and Castro's Daughter Go Toe-to-Toe on Twitter | Fox News Latino

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:02:15 -0500

Yoani Sanchez and Castro's Daughter Go Toe-to-Toe on Twitter | Fox News Latino:

This is a fascinating dialogue that has erupted. Who do you think is right? Seems pretty clear to me.

Occupy Movement Believes Facebook Censors Them

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:57:14 -0400

Occupy Movement Believes Facebook Censors Them:

So perhaps it’s not Zuckerberg pulling the strings and deleting posts after all…

Trickle-Forward Economics: Scott Harrison's Water-Based Experiment In Viral Philanthropy | Fast Company

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:47:19 -0400

Trickle-Forward Economics: Scott Harrison's Water-Based Experiment In Viral Philanthropy | Fast Company:

Another solid idea from charity: water.

Two new money-making platforms for social content creators | Rafe's Radar - CNET News

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:51:34 -0400

Two new money-making platforms for social content creators | Rafe's Radar - CNET News:

“If you are not paying for it, you’re not the customer; you’re the product being sold.”

Yikes. Interesting post despite the mind-numbing quote in the first sentence.

Heinz to let friends send “Get Well” cans of soup...

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:05:00 -0400

Heinz to let friends send “Get Well” cans of soup via Facebook.

Anybody feel like doing this? It might be fun. This a good way to get people thinking about Heinz. Since when did they start making soup?

Making a case for Rolex to enter the social media fray

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:37:00 -0400

Rolex has been in business since the early 1900’s. Their brand is synonymous with precision, achievement and wealth. To wear a Rolex — to be able to afford a Rolex — is a sign that one has achieved a high level of success.

For years, Rolex has endured with very little advertisement. They have thrived simply because their well-established name evokes a feeling that companies pay millions of dollars for advertising firms to create. Celebrities, artists and athletes are often spotted wearing their favorite model of Rolex, serving as an easy form of product placement and social identification.

During the first few decades of Rolex’ existence it was a simple fact that they were the best watch available for noteworthy, outdoor adventurers.

In 1926, the first waterproof wristwatch the “Oyster” — was worn by a young English swimmer, Mercedes Gleitze as she swam across the English Channel. The swim lasted over 10 hours and the watch remained in perfect working order at the end of it. The triumph led to the concept of the “Testimonee,” adventurous men and women, achievers whose exploits and daring would, in time, become so closely associated with the superiority of the Rolex brand. (Rolex.com)

Launched in 1953, the Submariner was the first watch guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 meters. These watches generated lasting enthusiasm and became known as the watches of achievers. Equipped with an Oyster Perpetual, the expedition led by Sir John Hun, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay was the first to reach the summit of Everest. (Rolex.com)

Over the last few decades that image has been eroded by the nouveau riche and individuals with questionable priorities — at least in the minds of some watch enthusiasts. To Eric Wind, a contributing writer for the popular watch blog, Hodinkee, Rolex seems unwilling to budge from their entrenched way of thinking about advertising the brand. Mr. Wind also says that Rolex has, at least from an outsider’s perspective, been skeptical at best of new methods of advertising that incorporate social media. Add to that the fact that more and more people are seeing the wristwatch as an antiquated method of telling time and you’ve got a real recipe for profits to take a nose-dive.

An argument can be made that as long as Rolex is still selling out of the approximately eight hundred thousand watches they make each year, they don’t have a problem or reason to worry. But look deeper. How will this play out over the next few decades? If legitimately wealthy individuals — Rolex’ primary target audience — begin to believe that Rolex doesn’t hold the elite status that it once did, will their willingness to buy be reduced? Even worse, could their desire to be seen wearing their Rolex be impacted? They could very well shelve their Rolexes, which would dramatically affect the association with the wealthy that the company relies on. Would Rolex begin to lose some of its market-share as a bastion of the luxury watch niche? These are all very real possibilities and should be taken into account by those in control of the marketing dollars. If I were at the helm of determining where these dollars would go, I would firmly posit the solution to Rolex’ continued dominance lies in the ever-expanding frontier of social media and online community building.

Why social media? The strength of social media is the ability to allow users to do something they already do — communicate with each other socially. A community of Rolex owners and enthusiasts already exists. Asking this untapped reservoir of brand advocates to contribute to once restricted conversations could reap tremendous benefits for Rolex as a company and help them propel their image for centuries to come. This is “organizing without organization” as Clay Shirky puts it. Mr. Shirky goes on to say,

“We are living in the middle of a the largest increase in expressive capability in the history of the human race. More people communicate more things to more people than has ever been possible in the past, and the size and speed of this increase, from under one million participants to over one billion in a generation, makes the change unprecedented even considered against the background of previous revolutions in communications tool.” (pg 106)

Does this mean that any company not willing to get on board will be left in the cold? We can’t be sure right now, but that is a very real possibility. More than ever companies must not only sell quality products, they must also manage the conversations that revolve around the products. If there is no attempt to recognize an audience, those audience members may become quickly perturbed or disheartened which could cause a landslide of negative PR for an unsuspecting and unprepared company. It might not be as drastic as leading to Congressional legislation as several long-delayed and grounded flights led to the creation of the Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights, but it could certainly cause harm.

Or the current impression that Rolex is worn by “undesirables” that is tarnishing its gleaming reputation could be compounded rather quickly if Rolex doesn’t seize control of its brand online. This makes me think of the “pro-ana” groups that Clay Shirky discusses in chapter 8. Young girls used YM magazine’s forums to perpetuate destructive, anorexic eating behaviors. The negative effects of freedom in online forums must be scrutinized.

In addition to avoiding negative PR and defecting customers, why else should a company with great brand recognition like Rolex care about what it’s image is like in the blogosphere? There are several reasons:

1. A brand’s identity is rapidly shifting to online versions of itself. It becomes a virtual company. If there is no official website, people suspect the company is not viable. This feeling is quickly being incorporated into social media. A company’s worth can largely be determined by how many Facebook fans they have or how many Twitter followers they have. If no effort is made to probe this new digital arena, Rolex could quickly lose some of its cachet amongst those using these systems. As more and more people, even the über-wealthy, migrate to these platforms Rolex could quickly see their approval rating plummet. This quote from an blog that focuses on PR and social media is particularly relevant:

“While the market for luxury brands is ultimately different than mainstream brands, many of the same rules still apply. As companies are forced to come online because that’s where their customers are going and talking about them, this still applies for higher end brands. Perhaps even more so. Luxury brands need to know what their key influencers and stakeholders are saying about them online, because they really are setting trends. They need to carry out media monitoring just like any other and really need to assess the influence and relevance of the individuals that are talking about them online. Luxury brands thrive on the premise of trend-setters – you want the product because someone very important, or ultimately enviable has it. And this rule still applies online, with the influence that fashion blogs can have for example.” (http://www.simplyzesty.com/advertising-and-marketing/brands/social-media-luxury-brands/)

2. It’s low cost (relatively speaking) and creates a bond between customer and company that has been coveted by marketers for years. Many start-up companies use social media to try and spread the word about their product in a grassroots style that allows them to connect with potential customers. If successful, these small, cash-strapped operations can reach far wider audiences than they would under the old paradigm of having to pay for expensive advertisements in print, radio, or television. Some existing companies, like Garrett Popcorn, whose existence easily pre-dates the spawning of the social media phenomenon have found success in the platform through effective communication with their customers. Garrett Popcorn’s model of “Listen, Learn, and Join” should be implemented as quickly as possible at Rolex. The following passage from The Big Book of Social Media parallels Rolex’ rise to fame and could be used as a framework to build something equally as effective.

“Their [Garrett Popcorn] six decades of storefront presence in Chicago, coupled with a ‘secret recipe’ passed across three generations provides ample fodder for storytelling. It is rare to find someone from Chicago who lacks a Garrett Popcorn story — no matter their current global location. Social media platforms provide a means to connect those stories across time zones, locations, and generations.”

3. Rolex is a naturally social company, just like Garrett Popcorn. People wear Rolex watches to be noticed. If noticed by another Rolex wearer, a conversation instantly sparks up. Why not open an online forum to further encourage these types of conversations? Curating these pre-existing conversations and contributing will help endear the brand to its constituents for years to come.

As far as I can tell, Rolex has been reluctant to enter into the social media fray for reasons that I can only guess. Without having an inside source with the company I’ll never know for sure why they don’t see value in taking what I see as an obvious step towards ensuring future success of the brand. After talking with Eric Wind, a contributor at a popular blog dedicated to covering luxury watches (Hodinkee), it became apparent that Rolex does not see value in social media.

I speculate the reasons could be one or more of the following:

1. Other luxury watch companies don’t have a presence in social media, so why should we? Patek Philip is often times viewed as an even more elite watchmaker and they have also, as of this writing, not used any form of social media to communicate with their customers. Perhaps Rolex is taking their cue from them. I would advise the exact opposite strategy. This provides a window of opportunity to seize potential customers from Patek Philip.

2. It’s only for the young and thus outside of their target market. Who is going to buy Rolex watches 20 years from now? 50 years? The people that are young now. Rolex may very well be shooting themselves in the foot by ignoring the opportunity to snare future customers now.

3. They’re unsure how to translate their brand and brand history to the platform. Rolex history of being worn on the wrists of history’s greatest achievers is rich and storied. If the achievers of today understand the value of interacting with fans via social media channels, why does Rolex not want to tap into this further rich source of potential customers. Take a look at the following statistics of social media users that Rolex features and sponsors as brand advocates.

Twitter/Facebook users that are sponsored by Rolex (Twitter followers, Facebook likes)

Gustavo Dudamel - conductor (Twitter - 48k, Facebook - 375k)
Placido Domingo - singer (Twitter- 1200, Facebook- 8638)
Michael Bublé - singer (Twitter - 418,050, Facebook - 3.8m)
Diana Krall - singer (Twitter - 25k, Facebook - 334,982)
Renee Fleming - singer (Twitter - 7606, Facebook - 14,608)
Rolando Villazón - singer (Facebook - 11,592)
Roger Federer - tennis player (Facebook - 9m +, Proprietary member base on website w/ 328k users)
Ana Ivanovic - tennis player (proprietary fanclub on website)
Justine Henin - tennis player (Twitter - 24k, Facebook - 48k)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - tennis player (Twitter - 12k, Facebook - 172k)

There are various combinations of usage here. Some use a combination of Facebook and Twitter. Some use just one. Some have built proprietary fan clubs on their websites. The proprietary concept is very interesting and could work well with Rolex, especially if one of their concerns is that using Facebook or Twitter could water down their brand. Roger Federer has complete control over the fans that post to his site. He answers questions and communicate directly with his fans. Have you ever received a direct message from an athlete you idolize? For most people the answer is no. But, increasingly, the answer will become yes. This humanizes the athlete and drives home the connection and strengthens the bond between fan (customer) and athlete (brand).

So how do we get there? How do we seamlessly introduce Rolex to the already pulsing world of social media? Read on, dear reader.

1. Acknowledge that social media is not a trend.

Rolex won’t get anywhere until they accept this fact throughout their organization and to the highest level of decision-making. If everyone is not fully on board and wiling to be a brand advocate, the horse will never leave the gate.

Shirky: “In the developed world, the experience of the average twenty-five-year-old is one of substantial overlap between online and offline friends and colleagues. The overlap is so great, in fact, that both the word and the concept of “cyberspace” have fallen into disuse. The internet augments real-world social life rather than providing an alternative to it. Instead of becoming a separate cyberspace, our electronic networks are becoming deeply embedded in real life.”

Understanding this is the key to moving forward. I like what Caterina Fake, one of the founders of Flickr said in Shirky’s book:

“You have to greet the first ten thousand users personally.”

This makes it clear that there has to be a consensus from Rolex that this is the right approach so that this sort of personal involvement can occur. Once everyone is on board you can begin to ask questions that pertain to the type of tools needed to support the groups that will become involved. Two of the most critical questions as laid out by Mr. Shirky:

1. Does the group need to be small or large?
2. Does it need to be short-lived or long-lived?

The answers seem clear. The group will be large, but can be divided into sub-groups quite easily. This sort of decision making should take place at the user level. The groups will definitely need to be long-lived if Rolex aims to continue its already vaunted success.

2. Start a wiki for vintage enthusiasts to validate their Rolexes. Evaluate the conversation and take part it in. Listen for clues as to how to best customize the environment.

Currently Rolex does not validate or service vintage models of their own brand. This is viewed as an obstacle for authentication amongst watch collectors. Rolex offers no assistance or guidance about how to recognize or spot a fake, thus placing the burden of proof on watch enthusiasts. I’m sure that many of them are quite trustworthy and probably incredibly accurate. If Rolex would simply acknowledge this they would remove an obstacle that is currently preventing collective interaction.

Shirky: “When people care enough, they can come together and accomplish things of a scope and longevity that were previously impossible.”

The wiki could largely be run by the watch owners and enthusiasts themselves, with little to no oversight from Rolex. The only thing that Rolex would have to acquiesce to is allowing information out about the watches they have produced in the past. I believe that this information exists and it’s release into the digital world could have very valuable effects for the brand. The community already exists. There are meet ups being organized already where watch enthusiasts come and talk about the watches and display the ones they own — similar to a car show or an antique show. People like to see other versions of the watch brand that they love and own. People that don’t own the watches may be fans, which noting that the company takes pride in it’s owners could encourage them to become owners themselves. Having verification from Rolex on hand would add value to the vintage collector’s claims and further bond customer to company.

3. Harness the power of open source groups and their natural tendency to look out for one another.

While being able to share photos and experiences with watches online is important, Rolex still exists because it sells a tangible product — well-built, long-lasting wristwatches. It would be counterproductive to discourage owners from meeting in the real world to share their experiences. The possibilities of different Meet Up-type groups is endless. Rolex could offer varying levels of entry that recognize levels of exclusivity from novice to seasoned pro.

Recognizing the power of interconnected constituents is crucial. Another example provided by Clay Shirky is that of the software coding language Perl. Perl did not have any formal support mechanism, but instead relied on a community of fellow users to help answer questions and troubleshoot any problems that would arise. Ultimately, the ethos of Perl outlasted the larger, commercial version of the support line because Perl members were willing to look out for each other.

“Perl is a viable programming language today because millions of people woke up today loving Perl and, more important, loving one another in the context of Perl. Members of the community listen to each other’s problems and offer answers as a way of taking care of one another. This is not pure altruism; the person who teaches learns twice, the person who answers questions gets an improved reputation in the community, and the overall pattern of distributed and delayed payback — if I take care you now, someone will take care of me later — is a very practical way of creating the social capital that makes Perl useful in the first place…

…What the open source movement teaches us is that the communal can be at least as durable as the commercial. For any given piece of software, [or wristwatch-ware in our case] the question ‘Do the people who like it take care of each other?’ turns out to be a better predictor of success than ‘What’s the business model?’”

4. Finally, have fun with it.

The possibilities to market Rolex are only limited to the imaginations of the people you hire to do so. I think the idea that Rolex needs to stay above what the commoners are doing is absurd. Maintaining their current level of lack of involvement will only continue to sour the moods of the customers that should be valued most of all.

It’s time for Rolex to get a face lift and recognize that it needs to interact with its customers. It needs to support and build the community that already exists. It needs to understand that it is a purveyor not just of watches, but of media and information associated with its watches. Rolex has a rich history and if it shared just a sliver of its own story with its most ardent supporters, they, in turn, would begin to open up and write new chapters of information. Without innovating and adapting to the technological revolution that is taking place how will Rolex set itself apart from the pack. It needs to create the stories that rival the first woman to swim the English channel. Challenge new Rolex owners to achieve and supersede the adventures that make up Rolex’ history. New leaps in storytelling have to happen now and those stories will be shared online in real time. If it doesn’t allow this and keeps with its current monolithic demeanor, where will it find itself one hundred years from now?

Education and mobile. These two areas are where the VC’s...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:26:00 -0400

Education and mobile. These two areas are where the VC’s are looking to invest. Gear your social media start ups towards these industries.

The 5 Best and 5 Worst Things about Being a Social Media Manager | Social Media Today

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:56:04 -0400

The 5 Best and 5 Worst Things about Being a Social Media Manager | Social Media Today:

Some interesting views from a guy in the business. It’s also encouraging because apparently you don’t have to be that great of a writer to get a social media manager position.

Obama Campaign Takes Jobs Fight to Twitter - NYTimes.com

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:57:27 -0400

Obama Campaign Takes Jobs Fight to Twitter - NYTimes.com:

Will this have any effect on passing the bill? I imagine it could get pretty annoying for those involved- their phones will be going off constantly. But isn’t this the same idea behind writing a letter? The purpose is to goad your representative into action right?

I’ll be keeping track to see if this gets any traction in the mainstream press.

The Onion's Twitter Posts Draw Scrutiny - NYTimes.com

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:22:21 -0400

The Onion's Twitter Posts Draw Scrutiny - NYTimes.com:

This is an interesting discussion for 1st Amendment reasons as well. Seems to fall under the yelling fire in a crowded theater area- not protected speech.

LRA Crisis Tracker | Invisible Children Resolve

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:48:10 -0400

LRA Crisis Tracker | Invisible Children Resolve:

Remember that issue of immediacy we were talking about in class a couple of week’s ago? Here’s a group and website that is using its power for good. Do you think this might discourage violent campaigns in the future?

Privacy for the people: Wall Street protesters use social media app Vibe to communicate anonymously

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:28:10 -0400

Privacy for the people: Wall Street protesters use social media app Vibe to communicate anonymously:

I imagine more applications like this will be popping up. They’re especially useful in repressive countries. No way for the authorities to track you.

A great ad targeted at older/middle-aged folks that...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:24:18 -0400

A great ad targeted at older/middle-aged folks that haven’t bought into the whole social media thing yet. Smart ad.

2011 Toyota Venza Commercial - Social Network (by psc230)

Start Some Good: The Blog: Social Entrepreneurship Book Club: We First

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:33:36 -0400

Start Some Good: The Blog: Social Entrepreneurship Book Club: We First:

This might be a good read for all of us in the class. Matthew, do you know anything about this guy?

startsomegood:

This month, the Social Enterprise Book Club returns to exploring the might of social networks, looking at how brands and consumers can use social media to build a better world. In We First: How Brands & Consumers Use Social Media To Build A Better World, Simon Mainwaring…