Noesium | Integrative Digital Thinking

Sometime during the dotcom heydays, we were reminded that
Content is King.

It’s still the case.

In the digital world, breakthroughs and advancements are often accredited to technology or design.  But quicker speed, enhanced utilities or visual experience (the How) are essentially vehicles for delivering content (the What).

Let’s take a look at Web 2.0 from this perspective. It is not all about “social” and “technology”; it is an unprecedented way to share content – or, stories, a term I prefer. Consequently, to “do social media” successfully, you really need to have some great stories to share.

I have expressed various times before that Non-Profit organizations have a leg up because they almost always have great content to share, such as inspiring personal stories or pictures of events.

On the other hand, companies who sell products or services don’t always succeed in delivering fetching stories. Telling people functions and features of your products is hardly a story; even celebrity endorsements or user testimonials don’t really fetch attention (remember, consumers are smart, very smart).

We all need to seek and produce our own stories, drawing from our history, our present, our future, our beliefs, our daily life, our networks, and more.

Do you or your company have alluring stories?
What stories have made a lasting impression on you?

In yesterday’s post, I quoted “seniors don’t know technology” as an example of
“presumptions vs facts”

What if you have done your homework, tested your hypothesis, and are indeed
trying to sell high-tech solutions to low-tech users?

I would like to share an excellent success story from Dragon’s Den.  Pointerware (formerly SoftShell Computers) produces an easy-to-use computer interface designed to help seniors communicate online and has earned the dragon’s praises and money. 

Here’s the story in their own words, an updated video, and their blog on where Pointware has gone from the den to the market.

A client of MaRs, the team’s CBC appearance and product have attracted plenty of positive feedback including how the product has helped seniors reconnect to their families. Users also request for versions in other languages, more games, etc.

What I love about Dragon’s Den is that you can really look at the show from different angles. Some may tune in to laugh at people (not recommended!), many get to learn about the reality of product design, product marketing, securing investments, business models, pitching, and more.

This particular episode caught my attention because of 5 things:

- It reminded me of my own experience in designing transparent technology that meets user’s needs.
It is a great testament of how technology, when done right, can benefit anyone – even those who may immediately jump out as the most profitable segment.

- Innovation can mean a step back to the basics! An ultra-simple touch screen like Pointware’s is hardly 21^st century and in fact seems to go against the trend of more content, more functions and more bandwidth. But the team has their facts right – delivering a just right product experience to fit a clearly identified need for a tightly defined segment.

- Testing, Testing. Pointware knows who really calls the shot – the end users. “With big fonts, touch-screen, voicemail, and no computer abstractions such as files, folders or double clicks, the product has been tested with residents in 10 Ontario seniors centres and nursing homes over the past eight months, as well as with seniors living on their own.”

- Forget about marketing stunts, facts sell. Hazel Brunt, the 83-year old who helped demonstrate and pitch the product, is not your everyday “spokesperson”. She is neither a celebrity nor a hire – she honestly and enthusiastically represents the single most important element in the whole picture – the consumers.

- Note the process. Concept –> Concept testing –> Improvements –> Prototyping –> Prototype testing –> Improvements –> Final product –> Deployment . Of course, this is just a snapshot of bringing a product concept to live from a development standpoint, with market research, financing, marketing communication, and more as integrated parts of the process. The thing is, it is never about “we are ingenious, buy us!” but lots of research and hardwork to find that sweetspot between what you build and what the market desires.

As a proud Canadian, I wish Pointware the best of luck in
growing into an even bigger, stronger company.

As for tech enthusiasts, startup entrepreneurs, product designers and marketing professionals,
what are your take-aways from this story?

It’s human nature to simultaneously seek new experiences while falling back
into the comfort zone of familiarity especially during times of uncertainty and distress.

You don’t have to be in the food business to put this knowledge to good use.

Health and financial triggers aside, there is a reason why comfort food has made a comeback to consumers during this economic downturn. It’s because comfort food never fails to make us feel good, secured and satisfied.

Wikipedia describes comfort food as “informal foods that are emotionally significant to a person or group of people.” As a species that has long past the hunter/gathering lifestyle, we still fundamentally look for the “feel good” anchors, both as individuals and as a group.

How does this relate to companies which sell, say, shoes. Like Zappos?

The famous online retailer does not sell anything extraordinary; shoes and accessories are easy to find. They aren’t the exclusive dealer of any brand, nor do they do Nike-styled design innovations. In fact, the retail industry is hugely competitive, from luxury to discount brands. And to buy shoes – something you really should try on first – over the internet? Even hardcore ecommerce consumers may think twice.

So why the success? Here’s a great summary for those who may not be familiar with the Zappos story.

The key Zappos ingredients include:

-          Superior shoe business knowledge

-          Great supply chain, business process, and retail policy

-          The right people and culture that grows with the company

-          Customer-service obsessed

What it REALLY matters is how these translate into the consumer experience.

-          Superior shoe business knowledge = “They help me make decisions. They know their stuff!”

-          Great supply chain, business process and retail policy = “I get what I want quickly, and can change my mind!”

-          The right people and culture that grows with the company = “I feel special, these people treat me well”

-          Customer-service obsessed = “I can rely on real people to help me beyond click and pay”

These are the comfort food factors that apply regardless of the nature of your business. While Zappos has invested a lot of time and money into the business modelling, technology, talent recruitment etc., any company of any size can benefit from understanding and identifying the core values of their offerings.

It does not matter if your business evolves and grows, or you venture into new market arenas – at the end of the day you need those who sustain your businesses to feel good, secured and satisfied whenever they interact with and think of you.

Can you describe how your customers feel every time they interact with you?

Twitter down + Facebook sluggish = Golden Opportunity

This is a great time for companies to test their customer communication strategy:

Is it silo-ed, channel-dependent? Or is it an ecosystem that can withstand technology hiccups?

By now I am sure many of you, including non-Twitter users, are aware of the “Twitter down” incident. Compounded by the sluggishness of Facebook, picking up the phone or instant messaging (rather Web 1.0, some may say) suddenly seems, gasp, much faster ways to get hold of and talk with people.

While this may cause minor inconvenience for individuals, what’s the impact on companies who use Twitter for, say, customer support? What about organizations who are in the midst of a time-sensitive Facebook-based initiative?

To me, this is a golden opportunity to test if a company’s communication strategy is sustainable, whether it has a social communication ecosystem that supports conversations and relationships across different platforms, and whether the strategy is over-dependent on a specific technology.

As mentioned in my previous post:

Twitter may be replaced, but the open information AND social network model it has created will live on.

Look at Mashable, the grand central of all things Social Media and itself a great Social Media model. Fans simply continue the usual discussions on its blog or flock to Mashable’s Facebook page. Twitter refugees (a term coined by Peter Cashmore) are still communicating and networking happily.

Hacking and technology failures do happen and will happen again.

Do you have a sustainable strategy?

Do you offer an ecosystem for fail-proof communication and
relationship management with your customers?

There are some phases that I automatically ignore in
marketing messages or company descriptions, like
“We are the friendliest place in town!”, “Our customers are our friends” or “You can rely on us”

Why? Because it instantly raises my suspicion “Why do you have to stress that? Are you really friendly? Can I really trust you?”. And frankly as a customer I do not want to be told that who I should trust.

I am sure some businesses do say it with all honesty. Unfortunately, they have gone about it the wrong way.

But show me what you have – your products and services and their benefits – and let me decide if there is anything in for me. If I decide there are good values, I will go for it. I will tell you if I like and trust you; and if I do, I will tell my friends too.

The implication here is, it is better to provide facts that customers need to know and help them make the decision.

In this age of prosumerism, customers will educate themselves before making a decision.
Why not own the honour of being the best decision making helper?

You have worked so hard to launch that awareness campaign. Customers flooding in.

Now what?

I have a weak spot for ingenious commercials; they got my attention.  I hugely admire creative minds behind campaigns and frequently check out hot campaigns and award winners. I am utterly impressed with stories where X number of sales is generated through Y weeks of running a successful campaign.

That’s probably the professional part of my brain working.

But on a daily basis, I am also just like any good old consumers out there, carefully deciding where to spend my hard-earned money, who deserves my loyalty, and what to recommend to friends and family.

In fact, I typically describe the Customer Experience Journey in 5 steps, including Awareness, Inquiry, Acquisition, Interaction and Support.

My conclusion is, what got people notice, buy and use a product/service in the first place has nothing to do with how they later feel as a customer. And how they feel is really what counts.

As a customer, I feel good, I stay; I feel bad, I leave.

So let’s do a reality check:

what’s your company’s budget on designing and executing campaigns
versus that spent on operating and improving your customer support system?

In the past few years, many companies have made the mental transition
from  pre-contemplation ( “Social what?”)
to contemplation (“yes, this Social Media thing is worth investigating”).

It is at this stage that a common sentiment surfaces: Fear.

A big part of this fear comes from the misconception that Social Media is all about “chatting on Social Network”, ignoring the fact that Social Media is way, way more than that. Having said that, regardless of a company’s intended purpose on the Social Web, conversations will happen between the employees and the customers. All in all, an uncomfortable and unconventional territory for many organization.

In my discussions with various organizations, a common fear is “What if employees say the wrong thing?” and by that, they mean:

1. Erroneous or confidential information about the company or its products, services, etc.

2. Chit chats that are too personal, too far from the “approved message”…too human

The first fear is real.
Social web or not, employees owe it to their customers to provide absolutely correct information, and to their employers for being legal, ethical and frankly mature about what can or cannot be shared with the public.

Here’s an excellent list of Social Media Policy.

The second fear is harder to pin down.
When exactly does a conversation cross the line from professional friendliness to over-sharing?  Does the context or channel make a difference e.g. are we all more casual on Twitter?  What are the rules when it comes to interacting with those from different cultures?

There are a few no-brainers, good social grace practice that everyone should already be aware of (hopefully). One should not talk about religion, sex, politics (unless your company is in these fields and in that case, according to the policy). Racist and sexist remarks are absolutely intolerable, so is badmouthing or gossiping in any form or shape.

Do you think it is possible to compile a list of no-nos?

Can you help?

You have built a kickass new web application
What’s standing between your users and that one-click to sign up?

Understanding. Trust. Perceived value.

There is a price one pays for being “in the know” in the digital industry – I feel tempted and obliged to check out new stuff and give each one at least a quick glance.

Over time, I have subconsciously developed a “3 minutes’ test” to separate applications into 3 categories: must sign up now, may check again later, useless.   I am sure you all have a similar kind of time and sanity management.

Recently AllTop, the much discussed new web application by Guy Kawasaki, caught my attention.  Here’s my experience:

1. Heard about it on Twitter

2. Tweeted that I would try it out

3. Guy Kawasaki sent a thank you tweet including a reminder on customization

4. I took 30 seconds to review what AllTop was then signed up, taking in the fact that the interface had a clean and professional look-and-feel

5. I took 1 minute to familiarize myself with the platform

6. I spent a few minutes to go through the reading lists, picked a bunch of things, and set up my first AllTop

The user experience is what I call “well proportioned” – the largest amount of time is dedicated to “benefits” that I can instantly enjoy (i.e. building my reading lists); the least amount of time is spent on figuring out what AllTop is or how to work it.   And of course, there is a brand bias in the beginning, knowing AllTop is from a very reputable expert.

In other words, in 3 minutes, I understand what AllTop is about, what it can do for me, and I trust that I will receive value after I sign up.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many applications.  Let’s take a look at the descriptions of 3 popular Twitter browsers – Tweetdeck, Twhirl and Seesmic

Tweetdeck
“TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what’s happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter, Facebook and more. TweetDeck shows you everything you want to see at once, so you can stay organised and up to date.”

Twhirl
“Twhirl is a social software desktop client, based on the Adobe AIR platform.  Some of the Twhirl’s features are…(a list of tech-heavy terms and links to other social media applications and platforms)”

Seesmic
“Follow your friends on Twitter and Facebook in one central place.”

I use and really like Tweetdeck. I have also used Twhirl.  However, neither would have passed my 3 minutes’ test had I not already known what they can do for me via my reliable resources and networks.  Seesmic  has done a better job. I especially like that Seesmic provides additional information for different target user groups:

- Casual Users and Friends: Check out the activities of your friends and family and see what they are up to in Facebook and Twitter in one single stream.

- Listeners: Manage what you want the world to say to you through searches and userlists.

- Influencers: Make an impact on others by easily sharing links, images and messages. Pass along other information that will benefit your friends and followers.

- Person Brands and Businesses: Manage your brand (both personal and business) and hear what people are saying about you. Quickly respond to users, stay engaged, and strengthen your community.

Now, 3 isn’t really a crowd yet and likely people may spare some time to compare these 3 browsers, especially with the right incentives (e.g. a business need to learn and use Twitter). But with the proliferation of new applications, the place will get crowded extremely quickly, and what stands between a lurker and a registered user are simply 3 things:

• I don’t get what this does
• I don’t get what this can do for me
• I don’t trust this

10 years ago I helped develop a broadband software rental service and a Video on Demand trial for Bell Canada and NBTel respectively. These concept were extremely innovative then, and the major challenge during our consumer research was, surprisingly, not about users interacting with the technology (thanks to great user-centric design, both scored very high), but to explain what these products meant in the first place. One of the things I did was to stop explaining and simply asked users to describe what they experienced in their own words. The exercise paid off.

What I really wanted to share here is, I am constantly excited about new applications particularly those who help me and my clients in this social information page. And it is very disappointing to see great products gone to waste because they did not pass the 3 minutes’ user decision test of understanding, trust and perceived values.

For new product developers, designers and marketers, here are my 3 quick suggestions:

1.  Provide a clear, concise “what is this thing and what can this do for you” right up front

2.  Design a non-intimidating user interface and navigation

3.  Give people reasons to trust you

Do you have similar observations to share?

Did you stop using the phone when Email became available?
Does sharing on Facebook mean you no longer get together with friends?

People engagement has never been limited to a specific space or technology. As much as Web 2.0/Social Media is the new darling, Web 1.0 (“basic” websites), email, phone, face-to-face event or even print like direct mail are still alive and kicking.  People pick and choose, mix and match different ways at different times to meet their varying needs.

Social Media has added an interesting ingredient to the mix, namely “Social”. Sharing experiences via chats, links, photos, videos, peer recommendations, personal referrals, status updates (I-am-doing/thinking/attending) etc. are all part of social activities.

This all contribute to what I call a Social Communication Ecosystem – a mindset and approach that is fundamental in today’s business communication.

Social Communication Ecosystem

Most importantly, this is here to stay. “Social” and “Communication” are human traits; we do it with or without technology. As digital technology evolves, we see more and more technology-enabled and technology-enhanced social communication. This will remain front and centre in our life as society beings, now and in the future.

So what does it mean to your organization?

In the next few posts, I will explore the implications of
this Social Communication Ecosystem
and its effects on how companies think, plan and do.

……Coming up Next  : Balancing Siloes vs Ecosystem

Web 2.0, oh you hyperactive child who refuses to slow down or keep still!
Want to grow up to be a nice and strong Web 3.0?
Talk to your folks, Web 1.0 can teach you much about
the importance of user experience

I have been having a lot of deja vu moments:

Web 1.0 – “Are you on the Internet yet?”
Web 2.0 – “Are you on Twitter/Facebook yet?”

Web 1.0 – “Do you have an email address?”
Web 2.0 – “Do you have a Twitter/Facebook account?”

Web 1.0 – “Just find me at <website>”
Web 2.0 – “Just find me at <Web 2.0>”

Web 1.0 – ” We need content for our web pages”
Web 2.0 – “We need content for our blog/twitter/Facebook”

Web 1.0 – “Marketing needs to get on that Internet thing”
Web 2.o- “Marketing needs to get on that Web 2.0 thing”

Both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 are big waves that have transformed our communication culture on a global level. For those who want to join the game, or to be ahead of the game, it makes sense to do a 20/20 and find out “What did we learn from Web 1.o that can be applied to achieve a better Web 2.0?”

Step 1: Understand the Adoption Lifecycle
Here’s the pattern:

Technology –> Early Adoption –> Word of Mouth –> Mass Adoption –> Call for Improvements –> Improvements –>  Cultural Integration

Both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 start as technological breakthroughs. Early adopters are typically those in the technology industry and/or those who have vested interests (such as marketing through emerging media). The noise finally reaches the rest of the world who, up till this point, operate quite happily within their comfort zone. Through media and influencers, awareness builds up and the crowds think “hey, this is new and neat and I want to try it out”.

Mass adoption then results in a call for improvements, taking the pioneers out of a technology-driven approach  into a user- and business-centric mindset:

• How can we make this technology valuable and appealing to users and businesses?
• What needs to be improved so we can move to the next level (commercialization or monetization)?
• How do we collect, filter, analyse and understand user/company feedback in order to improve?
• How can we stand out and survive as the must-have technology?

Web 2.0 is at the “improvement” milestone. One of the most talked-about cases is Facebook. More than 1.7 million is revolting against the redesign by joining the “Petition Against the New Facebook” group. Facebook has issued a statement that welcomes continuous feedback. Facebook has also been gradually building itself as both a personal and business destination, offering pages, widgets, privacy settings and more for people to manage their multiple lives in (so Facebook hopes) a single Web 2.0 space.

Step 2: Place User Experience as #1 on To-improve List
Weeding out the bad from the good, building the good to be the best. How do we know what needs to improve? What are the priorities?

In previous posts, I talked about 3 things that drive adoption of innovations, one of which is technology transparency.

Innovations that target everyday consumers must be delivered in such a way that users do not see the technology – they only experience the benefits.

For mass adoption, there is no doubt that new technology must offer a simple, walk-up-and-use experience. Users don’t care about codes or backend complexity;  they want to enjoy the benefits.

Note that users are willing to pay for good values and good experiences.

Granted, Web 2.0 is more complex than Web 1.0, in terms of concept, technology, design and speed of development. Yet none of these is an excuse to keep throwing new stuff against the wall and hope some may stick.

Take Twitter for example.  It is a tremendously valuable platform for both personal and professional purposes. Yet it is also notoriously difficult to understand (concept) and confusing to use (function and interface). New applications such as Tweetdeck and Twhirl, neither owned by Twitter, came to the rescue.

While there is still much room for improvements, tweeting has came a long way from the original experience. I eagerly wait for the next generation of tweet applications.

Better user experience/usability has greatly helped Web 1.o to
grow into an integral part of our daily life.

Web 2.0, now it’s your turn.