PARTICIPATORY MEDIA AND BRAND UTILITY

“The next stage of brand advertising is going to be in the realm of 'branded utility, creating something that people need.  For the same budget and energy as we expend on current forms of advertising, we could be making something more tangible, useful, relevant, and reusable that plays a more integral part in the consumer's life”.  Benjamin Palmer

What does your brand extend user’s that makes their lives easier?  Wasn’t that the promise of technology?   Savvy brands today recognize the power of Branded Utility - giving people something they actually need without demanding an immediate return. Think:  Any gadget, widget, app, or gizmo that extends real, tangible, value (and seamlessly integrates into existing platforms).

The underlying principle of good advertising is interaction, so start by identifying the unique characteristics and advantages of your brand.  Then place your brand (as the chief protagonist) in a storyline, game, or event that allows it to emerge as the hero (and helper).   A participatory vehicle that makes your brand more relevant, entertaining, and participatory for users.  Above all - useful. 

Nike+ platform is a phenomenal example.  It integrates iPod, iTunes and Nike sensors to provide detailed (individual or collaborative) training and workout information and online community to further motivate.  Moreover, Nike sponsors and encourages users to organize weekend events in their local. This approach puts brands into the centre of people’s lives, at an appropriate moment, earning those brands attention and engagement.

This is all part of a larger paradigm shift in how brands engage consumers. Brands are less willing to pay media owners for the right to interrupt the audience that the media owner has aggregated. They know that with the right content and the right approach they can create their own audience – where quality is much more important than quantity.

- -

Goodbuzz™ creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. We focus on developing "branded utility" - moving away from interruptive 'push' models towards more meaningful ways of connecting.  From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz™ links social media efforts to business outcomes.

LEGO, AND THE ART OF STAYING RELEVANT - SOCIAL MEDIA

Brands like Lego are highly dependent on brand communities.  Understandably, as ‘sense of community’ is one of the major tenants of self-definition. Moreover, belonging to the "group" can give meaning and association (as well as emotional safety, a sense of belonging, and identification.  LEGO learned along the way that these social constructs hold more brand-building potency than any other form of communication. 

Long before the LEGO company's official website went live in 1995, the group noticed that hundreds of sites, created by LEGO fans all over the world, were already live. Most sites paid tribute to the brand and expressed values the company just wouldn't have been able to claim themselves with such credibility. LEGO didn't really know how to take the situation. The company's culture had, until 1995, been focused on preventing anyone using its brand name. This attitude helped the company survive through the eighties when hundreds, if not thousands, of competitors tried to imitate the well-known plastic bricks. On one hand, the sites that were popping up on the web were misusing the brand's identity and name. On the other hand, they gave LEGO a type of positive exposure that the brand could never communicate itself.  By the late nineties, this exposure had helped LEGO attain cult status among teenagers who proclaimed their admiration.  In Japan, for example, the brand even became such a hit that the product could even be purchased in the hottest clothing stores.

LEGO had such potent brand spirit that its consumers adopted the badge as their own - forming brand communities that provide permanent testimonial to the excellence of these brands.  LEGO consumers have assumed stewardship of the brand, and as such do a great deal of the communication work for them as part of an extended brand community.

Staying Relevant

Lego Group has been smart about keeping its brand relevant among kids, as potential distractions have increased substantially since the Lego building blocks hit the market more than 60 years ago. The company has attached the Lego brand to a variety of popular, critically acclaimed video games based on the "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones" and "Batman" franchises. There's even an iPhone app called Lego Photo for making digital pictures colorful and blocky.

Lego has also recently added a bit of technological wizardry to drive foot traffic into its stores. The toy manufacturer is setting up augmented reality stations in its more than 50 shops worldwide. Customers can pull a Lego package off the shelf, hold it in front of the Digital Box kiosk and see an animation on the screen of the completed Lego project overlaid on the box in their hands. A camera interfaces with the screen to pull off the augmented reality trick and it seems to be an effective way of using high-tech gizmos to wow mall shoppers into buying a thoroughly low-tech construction kit.

As we’ve mentioned many times recently, augmented reality is one of the more popular technologies recently, and now even Lego boxes are getting the augmented reality treatment. The boxes were created by the Danish toy company and augmented reality experts.   Users simply  hold up the LEGO box and the QR code will activate the augmented reality feature, showing you a 3D model of the Lego kit inside. If you twist and turn the box around, the 3D image twists and turns accordingly too, allowing you to see how it’ll look like from all angles.   

Watch a video of Lego’s AR effort or check out the supporting website.

- - -

SOCIAL MEDIA'S DYNAMIC IMPACT

Social media is a significant game changer not seen since the heady days when the Internet itself burst into the public consciousness (1997-98) changing virtually every business practice as a result.  Social media is no different.

• How search will merge real-time social media;
• How many industries, like the music business, are re-engineering itself to be a social business, with sites like DIY Musician providing examples of new distribution systems sans the record labels;
• How consumer-electronics companies like Samsung are building social-media capabilities into their products, which then become the focus for their ad campaigns;
• How direct marketing is merging with social media: social e-mail marketing;
• How the media business is being driven by social media; Clay Shirky weighing in on the new media environment;
• How crowdsourcing is making its way into product development so that even P&G recently noted that 35% of new products came from customers and partners;
• How sales and CRM and are all becoming organized along a newer paradigm called The Social Enterprise: A Case For Disruptive Transformation; 
• How everything seems to be colliding and converging into or with Facebook -- the poster child of the social-media revolution.

“There is no market force or variable today like Social Media and it is radically transforming consumer engagement, while challenging and changing every conventional business model and practice. It’s time to embrace the concept of a "many:many" marketing platform where the audience are active participants in the marketing mix.”

Razorfish - Brand Experience Report (2009)

Publicis-owned digital agency, “Razorfish” released its annual (2009) Brand Experience Report called “FEED”. Traditionally this report focused almost exclusively on charting how consumer behavior adapts to advances in Internet technology and web services. This year however, the report also explores how consumers interact with brands online.

The report answers questions like - what does the future hold for brands when everything is just a click away? If consumers really are in control, what can we learn from their interaction with brands today? The goal is to offer a snapshot of relevant online consumers who have broadband, spent $150 online in the previous 6 months, visit community/social media sites regularly, and consume digital media.

Some interesting facts from the report: 25% of those surveyed followed a brand on Twitter, and 40% are fans of brands on Facebook. The report provides rationale and reference to support the proof point that digital drives sales.

Read or Download the Report here.

- - -

THE NEXT 5,000 DAYS OF THE WEB - TED PARTNER SERIES

MASTERING FACEBOOK MODERATION

As simple as people find the Facebook interface and as powerful as its feature set, it’s amazing how many brands only seem to recognize a portion of the platforms potential.  Though we freely admit that messing it up can be easy to do. Knowing what is best practice it seems is always easier than consistently delivering it.  With that in mind, here are some of the lessons learned along the way.

Post Frequency - Be aware of what content you would like users to see from your brand and how frequently you are posting.  Remember, your fans may be passionate about your brand, but that might not mean they want their Facebook News Feed flooded with updates at the top of every hour. Keep in mind that a user’s News Feed is live and real time information.

Posts are also more effective during the week when people are typically checking Facebook (in the morning, just before or after lunch and in the evening). Create a schedule just like you would for any media.  Note that Post frequency can also vary depending on the industry your brand is a part of. For example, a news brand may post more frequently than a restaurant. The users are expecting more posts from a news organization than their restaurant.

Post Type  - Make effective use of multimedia and dynamic wall posts and apps for heightened engagement. Not only do multi-media posts present engaging content, they also provide key viral discovery components. That’s where the Facebook “share” function comes into play, which is automatically included on every wall post using the Facebook “links” app. Utilizing Facebook’s video, audio and image posts allows users to share with friends via news feeds and notifications, which helps spread the word and keeps them coming back for repeat visits.

URLs  - URLs should be short and easy to type. Making them that way increases the chance that a visitor will click on them. However, public URL shorteners don't include your brand in the URL, and some services like bit.ly allow the general public to see your brand's traffic!

URL shorteners are Internet tools used to shorten longer URL links. These shorteners are typically used to accommodate character space and are more aesthetically pleasing. Another way brands utilize these shorteners is use it to track the analytics of a link. These shorteners allow users to view how many times the link has been clicked and redirected, and where the link is being shared. Several online services offer to shorten your URL for free but do not give the links or pages credibility.

Building an Audience - Driving traffic to your page is key to building your audience. Facebook ads can amp up the amount of visitors you have to your page increasing the likelihood they will connect with your page. Promoting Facebook exclusive offers is another way to attract users to your page.

If applicable, cross-promote with other associated official fan pages to give credibility to your page. For example, if you have an official company page and have offerings in other pages, make sure you link them to main page for user reference and vice-versa. That way, users who are connected to one page have the opportunity to see the other pages and connect with it too.

Page Information - Fill out your page information as completely as possible within the Info tab and the blurb box underneath the profile image. This helps your page surface when users conduct a Facebook search for your company.  Focus the brand’s social presence. Too many separate company pages can lead to over-fragmentation, which can be confusing for users trying to find accurate information.

Engagement - Updates should ideally be posted when most people are checking their Facebook accounts. Vitrue research shows that posts are more effective during the week when people are typically checking Facebook (first thing in the morning, just before or after lunch and in the evening).

Brands should aim to post updates 2-3 times a day to keep content fresh on their wall. A brand who posts infrequently will have stale content which will not encourage users to return to a page. A brand who posts too much may annoy their audience, which may result in their social connections opting out of your company’s updates.

Posts should solicit as much engagement and participation as possible. The best ways to engage your audience are by asking questions in your updates, posting relevant content that the audience will comment on and share. Fan comments are more desirable than “likes” because they require more of a time investment from the user. Also when a fan comments, it gets broadcasted to their friends through their news feeds.  Remember, users are on your page to interact with your brand, so try to respond to user comments and wall posts in a timely fashion. They will appreciate the attention and might tell their friends about the experience.

Moderate fan posts and comments for obscenity and spam as it relates to your company’s social media policy. Moderation allows for a safe environment for all ages. However, some brands are more accepting of certain language based on their brand personality.

It's also best to use a branded URL shortener to give your links credibility and assurance that the link will redirect to a relevant page. Another benefit of using certain branded URL shorteners is that they protect against making your links analytics public. For example, if you add a "+" to the end of any bit.ly link, you can make the analytics public.

Since social media is a more informal landscape than traditional media, the brand communication should be more personal too. Balance promotional offers with conversation.

Remember - The space is intended to allow for two-way communication -- don’t simply use social media as a push medium for promotions.  The entire exercise is intended to be participatory.

- - - - - - - - 

Need some help getting started?  Maybe you’d like Goodbuzz to moderate your social platforms?  How can we help you?  E-mail Andrew Giles or join the discussion on Facebook.