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?

Now Live on Twitter…
Interviews with CEOs and Question of the Week contest to win cupcakes!

Ad Lounge approached me and asked the most interesting question..

“We have a charity event coming up in June, is there any way we can use Twitter to get people’s attention? We are on Twitter but not totally active.”

The event is Art from the Unexpected, where 20 agency and brand leaders are tasked with creating an original art piece and take 1 minute to present the concept on 16th June, where a Silent Auction and Fundraising Gala will take place to raise money for SKETCH.

Art from the Unexpected Video

So we put the bees in the bonnet!
These are the 2 ideas we proposed – and both are in full swing right now, live on Twitter!

Twitter Live Interviews
Up close and personal, live interviews give us a change to take a glimpse into these mavens’ “Eureka” moment, unexpected and untold personal stories, the inspiration behind their creativity, and more. Trina Boos, Founder at Ad Lounge, has done an amazing job in getting the leaders on board, preparing questions, interviewing, reporting….all in record time.

Twitter is perfect as it offers:
- a whole new dimension to real time conversations
- a rare opportunity for everyone to get up close and personal with these leaders
- a “behind the scene” way to engage attendees or potential attendees about this worthy event
- a way to schedule one-on-one time with these busy CEOs…we got their full attention!
- a venue for leaders to tell their own stories
- a means to complement Ad Lounge’s other in-person interview activities

This initiative is totally tied into Ad Lounge’s social “ecosystem”, where transcripts are posted on the Ad Lounge Blog and shared through their Facebook group.

Our second interviewee David Feldt shares his lessons learned from his first Live Twitter interview.

Today’s experience was exhilarating – being able to have a live exchange, asking and answering questions live at 140 characters a time.

I’ve been using Twitter for over two years and I feel very comfortable using Twitter for listening, sharing, commenting and debating.  However, today’s experience provided some interesting insights that I thought I would share.

Upcoming interviews include:
14 May 10 am- Jacquelyn Corbett Cyrs, Espresso
20 May 10 am – Geoffrey Roche, Lowe Roche
21 May 9:30 am – Dave Stevens, MySpace
25 May 10 am – Mia Wedgbury, High Road Communications
26 May 3 pm – Lee Lefever, Commoncraft
27 May 11:30 am – Frank Palmer, DDB Canada
(More TBC)

Question of the Week Contest – Win Gourmet Cupcakes
This idea was devised to meet several objectives of Ad Lounge, both short term (for the event) and long term. The Cupcake prize has always been on Trina’s mind – and we agree it is deliciously attractive!

- Get members and brand more active on Twitter
- Raise awareness for “Art from the Unexpected”
- Promote the fact that Ad Lounge is “in the know” and has great insights about the industry to share.

Taking into account logistics and resources, we have decided on a Question of the Week contest where questions are posted on Twitter and the first person who tweet the right answer will receive a dozen gourmet cupcakes delivered to the office.

Again, this initiative fits well into Ad Lounge’s social ecosystem, where information and news are shared with members via Facebook’s weekly Digital Dig and their blog.

It is all extremely exciting and we’ve received some great feedback!
Please follow @adlounge #adlounge #artunexpected
and let me know what you think!

You probably know individuals who are active and influential in the Social Media space.
What is so special about these people?
What can companies learn from these Social Media mavens?

It is relatively easy to figure out why some individuals take to Social Media like fish to water. They are comfortable in communicating in the digital world. They have a passion for conversations, express strong opinions, are good listeners, enjoys sharing and respect others’ points of view. Many, as I have observed, are avid readers and learners and thrive on dialogues to enhance their life.

Can these personal traits be applied to a company? What can organizations learn from these Social Media residents?

Here are a few checkpoints to see if your company already has a headstart in the land of Social Media:

Checkpoint #1 : You have a community culture
A company culture is akin to a person’s personality. It embraces values and practices that are shared by all employees. Culture is never accidental; it is carefully planned, built and nurtured. A community-based culture is where employees don’t just see their daily activities as a job; rather, it is in tune with their belief and even their own personal lifestyle.

One of the strongest community cultures I have recently encountered recently is Lulelemon, a Canada-based international yoga-inspired clothing company that went public in 2007. 

The company’s manifesto includes a long list of statements that range from their product philosophy (“lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.“)  to what seems like personal goals (“Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.“) and tongue-in-cheek green living advice (“Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.”).

And the “community” is not limited to those who are on the payroll. The ambassador program is extended to individuals in their store communities who “embody the lululemon lifestyle and live our culture”.You will find free yoga lessons at their stores over the weekends, advice on finding suitable yoga classes in your neighbourhood, and more.

So, guess what kind of employees they would attract? And what kind of dialogues would happen between these employees and Lululemon’s customers?

I had the pleasure of experiencing this infectious culture on Twitter.  Their tweets showcase a communication style that beautifully weaves together announcements, polls, solicitation for feedback, customer services, encouragement, chats and more. Energetic and personal are two words that came to mind. In fact, why not follow @lululemon and see it for yourself? (NOTE: I am not a lululemon employee or ambassador, I am not a regular customer, I don’t even live the “lululemon life”. And I certainly am not being paid/bribed/sweet-talked to blog about them. You can always unfollow or even block @lululemon if you feel that my advice is a bad one! Also, there are obviously many Lululemon representatives behind the tweets so you are not tweeting with their CEO. ).

The take-away here is – if your company already has a community mindset that includes customers as part of your bigger family, Social Media is simply a technology that allows you to more effectively build, maintain and nurture these ties.

Checkpoint #2: You are hyper-responsive
Being responsive to customers is a golden rule. This is especially true for Social Media where communications happen, and are expected to happen, at warp speed. I heard a delightful story where a customer was holding for the call centre when she decided to tweet with the company – and had the problem resolved almost instantly (while still on hold). In this case, perhaps the call centre simply isn’t set up to handle the volume of calls, or maybe Twitter has been used to fill in what’s missing in their customer service area. Regardless of the channel, customers appreciate responsiveness.

I recently provided a social media strategy for a client, including a guideline on how often they should check their various Social Media points.  We concluded that Facebook, Blog and MySpace are good options but Twitter is not because they simply do not have enough manpower to manage good dialogues on Twitter.

So, if your company focuses on responsiveness AND you have a solid plan to maintain this on Social Media…go for it!

Checkpoint #3 : You understand that customer feedback is more than a statistical exercise
Surveys and focus groups are great stuff but with Social Media you have a brand new way to discover your customer’s sentiments.  Customer feedback is no longer a “ask, answer and tabulate” exercise; it is a way of living with your eyes peeled and ears open 24/7.  On a simple level, it allows you to “eavesdrop”  and see what customers are saying about you behind your back. On a more strategic level, it calls for a revamp of the company’s operation to handle a constant stream of feedback, a far cry from running a survey every 3-6 months.

If your company already has a customer feedback loop in place, good for you. With the help of various Social Media auditing tools, you are likely already ahead of your competitors.

Checkpoint #4 : You have a clear mission
In an old post “influencers and Innovations”, I mentioned how activists are potent influencers becaus:

• They have a defined cause
• They operate in organized groups
• They are infectiously enthusiastic
• They are vocal
• They are extremely creative in getting their opinions heard

The same can be said about Non-profits groups or Charities, in my opinion. Many are beginning to embrace Social Media as new ways to promote, connect and communicate.

Our client Mobile Jam Fest is an amazing example of promoting creativity, make positive changes and connect people on the Social Media platform. Working with them, we have learned a lot the explosive power of passion + mission + technology.

Another good example is Twestival that brings together the Twitter community for an evening of fun and to raise money and awareness for charity: water.

If you are a non-profit group, your mission can be greatly augmented by the use of the right Social Media tools, whether to spread your message or to attract volunteers.

For companies who are well-posed for using Social Media,
I recommend you spend some time on exploring the possibilities.

As always, look forward to your feedback!