“Please design a logo for me. With pie charts.” - Ask a Designer 2

The following is e-mail correspondence between the new business manager and a designer (David Thorne
) at an ad agency. 

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From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Monday 16 November 2009 2.19pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Logo Design



Hello David,

I would like to catch up as I am working on a really exciting project at the moment and need a logo designed. Basically something representing peer-to-peer networking. I have to have something to show prospective clients this week so would you be able to pull something together in the next few days? I will also need a couple of pie charts done for a 1 page website. If deal goes ahead there will be some good money in it for you.

Simon

From: David Thorne


Date: Monday 16 November 2009 3.52pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Logo Design

Dear Simon,

Disregarding the fact that you have still not paid me for work I completed earlier this year despite several assertions that you would do so, I would be delighted to spend my free time creating logos and pie charts for you based on further vague promises of future possible payment. Please find attached pie chart as requested and let me know of any changes required.

Regards, David.

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Monday 16 November 2009 4.11pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Logo Design


Is that supposed to be a fucking joke? I told you the previous projects did not go ahead. I invested a lot more time and energy in those projects than you did. If you put as much energy into the projects as you do being a dickhead you would be a lot more successful.

From: David Thorne


Date: Monday 16 November 2009 5.27pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Dear Simon,

You are correct and I apologize. Your last project was actually both commercially viable and original. Unfortunately the part that was commercially viable was not original, and the part that was original was not commercially viable.  I would no doubt find your ideas more 'cutting edge' and original if I had traveled forward in time from the 1950's but as it stands, your ideas for technology based projects that have already been put into application by other people several years before you thought of them fail to generate the enthusiasm they possibly deserve. Having said that though, if I had traveled forward in time, my time machine would probably put your peer to peer networking technology to shame as not only would it have commercial viability, but also an awesome logo and accompanying pie charts.

Regardless, I have, as requested, attached a logo that represents not only the peer to peer networking project you are currently working on, but working with you in general.

Regards, David.

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 11.07am


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



You just crossed the line. You have no idea about the potential this project has. The technology allows users to network peer to peer, add contacts, share information and is potentially worth many millions of dollars and your short sightedness just cost you any chance of being involved.

From: David Thorne


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 1.36pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Dear Simon,

So you have invented Twitter. Congratulations. This is where that time machine would definitely have come in quite handy.  When I was about twelve, I read that time slows down when approaching the speed of light so I constructed a time machine by securing my father's portable generator to the back of my mini-bike with rope and attaching the drive belt to the back wheel. Unfortunately, instead of traveling through time and finding myself in the future, I traveled about fifty meters along the footpath at 200mph before finding myself in a bush. When asked by the nurse filling out the hospital accident report, "Cause of accident?" - I stated 'time travel attempt'. She wrote down 'stupidity'.

If I did have a working time machine, the first thing I would do is go back four days and tell myself to read the warning on the hair removal cream packaging where it recommends not using on sensitive areas. I would then travel several months back to warn myself against agreeing to do copious amounts of design work for an old man wielding the business plan equivalent of a retarded child poking itself in the eye with a spoon, before finally traveling back to 1982 and explaining to myself the long term photographic repercussions of going to the hairdresser and asking for a haircut exactly like Simon LeBon's the day before a large family gathering. 

Regards, David.

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 3.29pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



You really are a fucking idiot and have no idea what you are talking about. The project I am working on will be more successful than twitter within a year. When I sell the project for 40 million dollars I will ignore any emails from you begging to be a part of it and will send you a postcard from my yacht. Ciao.

From: David Thorne


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 3.58pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.10pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Anyone else would be able to see the opportunity I am presenting but not you. You have to be a fucking smart arse about it. All I was asking for was a logo and a few pie charts, which would have taken you a few fucking hours.

From: David Thorne


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.25pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Dear Simon,

Actually, you were asking me to design a logotype, which would have taken me a few hours and fifteen years experience. For free. With pie charts. Usually when people don't ask me to design them a logo, pie charts or website, I, in return, do not ask them to paint my apartment, drive me to the airport, represent me in court or whatever it is they do for a living. Unfortunately though, as your business model consists entirely of "Facebook is cool, I am going to make a website just like that", this non exchange of free services has no foundation as you offer nothing of which I wont ask for. 

Regards, David

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 4.43pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



What the fuck is your point? 
Are you going to do the logo and charts for me or not?

From: David Thorne


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.02pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design

From: Simon Edhouse

Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.13pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Do not ever email me again!

From: David Thorne


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.19pm


To: Simon Edhouse


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Ok. Good luck with your project. If you need anything let me know.

Regards, David

From: Simon Edhouse


Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009 5.27pm


To: David Thorne


Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Logo Design



Get fucked.

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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.  Visit Goodbuzz Inc.

Social Media Case Studies [July-GB_V2.0]

Wheat Thins responded to a fan's Twitter message by surprising her with a truckload of their crackers as part of the Kraft brand's new social media campaign, "The Crunch is Calling." >> Social Fresh

To explore fans' interest in location-based services, Discovery's TLC recently began using Foursquare, which people can use to officially check in and earn badges themed after their TV shows. >> 1to1 Media

Fisher-Price, Estee Lauder, and Target are all featured in an article about some awesome things brands are doing to connect with moms through social media. >> Social Media Today

In an interview with Advertising Age, JetBlue's SVP of marketing, Marty St. George, speaks about managing Twitter feeds and using social media for direct communication with customers. >> Advertising Age 

Domino's is proving that their pizzas don't need photo retouching to look appetizing with its "Real Beauty" campaign, which includes an online component that asks people to send in unedited photos of their pizzas. >> Brandweek

Hyundai will post unscripted video responses from test-drivers of the new 2011 Sonata to their Facebook page as part of a new integrated marketing campaign. >> PR Newswire 

Jeffrey Liedel, chief information officer for GM's OnStar, talks about using Twitter, Facebook, and blogs as support tools and explains how their communications department monitors social media. >> Forbes

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Looking for the top social media campaigns from around the world? Visit Goodbuzz Inc.

THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF BRANDING

1. EXPANSION - The power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope.
2. CONTRACTION - A brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus.
3. PUBLICITY - The birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising.
4. ADVERTISING - Once born, a brand needs advertising to stay healthy.
5. THE WORD - A brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.
6. CREDENTIALS - The crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity
7. QUALITY - Quality is important, but brands are not built on quality alone.
8. CATEGORY - A leading brand should promote the cateogry, not the brand.
9. NAME - In the long run a brand is nothing more than a name.
10. EXTENSIONS - The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything.
11. FELLOWSHIP - In order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands.
12. THE GENERIC - One of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.
13. THE COMPANY - Brands are brands. Companies are companies. There is a difference.
14. SUB-BRANDS - What branding builds, subbranding can destroy.
15. SIBLINGS - There is a time and a place to launch a second brand.
16. SHAPE - A brand's logotype should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes.
17. COLOUR - A brand should use a color that is the opposite of its major competitor's.
18. BORDERS - There are no barriers to global branding. A brand should know no borders.
19. CONSISTENCY - A brand is not built overnight. Success is measured in decades, not years.
20. CHANGE - Brands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully.
21. MORTALITY - No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution.
22. SINGULARITY - The most important aspect of a brand is its single-mindedness.

  The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding are by Al Reis.

 

Why not to ask a "Designer" for a favour

The following is e-mail correspondence between an "account person" and a "designer" at a London (UK) agency.


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From: Shannon Walkley


Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am

To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster
- Hi, I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon. 
This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. Missing on Harper Street and my phone number. Thanks, Shan.



From: David Thorne

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am

To: Shannon Walkley

Subject: Re: Poster


- Dear Shannon, 

That is shocking news. 
Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy. 

Regards, David. 


From: Shannon Walkley

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am

To: David Thorne

Subject: Re: Re: Poster
- Yeah ok thanks. BTW, I know you don’t like cats but I am really worried about mine! I have to leave at 1pm today.

From: David Thorne

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am

To: Shannon Walkley

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-Dear Shannon, 

I never said I don’t like cats. Attached poster as requested. 

Regards, David. 


From: Shannon Walkley

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am

To: David Thorne

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-Yeah,.. that’s not what I was looking for at all. It looks like a movie, and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David Thorne

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am

To: Shannon Walkley

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-Dear Shannon,

It’s a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.

Regards, David. 


From: Shannon Walkley

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am

To: David Thorne

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-That’s just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.

From: David Thorne

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am

To: Shannon Walkley

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-Dear Shannon,

Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. Really, I don’t come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window do I? I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.

Regards, David.



From: Shannon Walkley

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am

To: David Thorne

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-This is worse than the other one!  For crying out loud.  Can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing Missy off it? I just want it to say “Lost”.


From: David Thorne

Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am

To: Shannon Walkley

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster



From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
-Yeah,.. can you do the poster or not?!  I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it were your cat I would help you. Thanks.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww
-Dear Shannon,
I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean feces, I wouldn't have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go. In any case, I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww
-That’s not even my cat. Where did you get that picture? Seriously, that cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat!

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww
-I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?" you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.  I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww
-Please just use the photo I gave you!

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
-I didn’t say there was a reward!! I don’t have $2000 dollars. Why did you even put that there? Apart from that it is perfect. Can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
-David, can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it!

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
-Fine. That will have to do!
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Socializing the “Cristiano Ronaldo” Brand

World Cup Team Portugal player Cristiano Ronaldo pulls it all together on his new website, which integrates his own Twitter updates with those from his fans.

The site features photos of Ronaldo in action and his dialogue with his 6 million fans on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace.

Facebook

Is Social Media Marketing starting to feel like a full-time Job? Let us handle it!

Is Social Media Marketing starting to feel like a full time Job? Let us handle it!

Are you finding that there are just never enough hours in the day?  Are you trying to optimize and integrate multiple social activities with a single point of update?  

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s understandable.  The good news is we can help.  

Goodbuzz can tailor social moderation to meet your budget and needs.  Contact us today to get started.   

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Social Media Case Studies [June-GB_V1.0]

Kodak's Thomas Hoehn led a recent conference discussion on how social media enhanced the launch of their new video camera. He also covered how companies can use social channels to correct false information and rumors.  - BtoB 

ExxonMobil launched a blog called "Perspectives" in which Ken Cohen writes about the BP oil spill as well as his company's feelings on the issues and policies affecting the energy industry.  - Perspectives 

Dave Parsons mentions Morton's The Steakhouse in an article about using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels to their full advantage as part of a successful marketing strategy.  - DMNews 

MTV is looking for its first 'TJ', or "Twitter Jockey", who will engage with audiences and act as a liaison between viewers and network executives.  - USA TODAY 

In The New York Times' "In Transit" blog, Allison Busacca writes about TripAdvisor's new Facebook feature that allows fans to combine the site's reader reviews with advice from their Facebook friends.  - The New York Times 

From promoted trends on Twitter to a promotional Facebook app, Disney Pixar has been relying heavily on social media to get people excited about Toy Story 3. - Direct Traffic Media 

RIM has added a social taskbar to BlackBerry.com which allows viewers to share pages and follow the company on multiple networks. - BerryReview 

In a YouTube video titled "Gatorade Mission Control," PepsiCo offers a tour of how they monitor and engage with the brand's fans using social networks.  - YouTube

Kenny Rowe, E-Commerce Manager at ExOfficio, shared his four favourite types of social media content that drive engagement at our recent BlogWell event.  - Vimeo 

ExOfficio: Content is King, presented by Kenny Rowe from GasPedal on Vimeo.

Tiffany & Co's iPhone app for engagement rings

Beware the lure of the sparkle. Tiffany & Co.’s iPhone app for engagement rings has been carefully engineered to usher unwitting commitment-phobic grooms through the daunting process of selecting an engagement ring.  The app allows you to customize the ring of your (or your fiancé’s) dreams and view it at actual size. For husbands to be clueless as to their better half's ring size place one of her existing rings on the phone and it will automatically size it for you. No kidding.

 Once you’ve selected some ring options, they can be shared via e-mail, text message, Facebook and Twitter — a great option for getting feedback from friends and family members if done discreetly. Good luck getting out of it this time. ;)

Purchasing an engagement ring can apparently be an intimidating process, and while Tiffany & Co.’s iPhone app is clearly designed to drive customers to stores, it makes the whole experience significantly less daunting by providing a wealth of pertinent information, options, and prices. You can even book a one-on-one diamond consultation.  Don’t say we didn’t warn you.  Check out the video overview below.

TWENTY QUESTIONS TO ENSURE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES ARE ON TRACK

Every social media engagement typically starts with some kind of audit or assessment, and can include varying degrees of formality and scope.   Social Media agency ZaaZ put together this framework of questions to help get focused and on track.

1. Have you formalized the goals, KPIs, and reporting for your social media activities?  This gives us a sense of the degree to which social media efforts are aligned with the business, as well as the current state of listening, analysis, and reporting.

2. Do you know who’s talking about you online, what they’re saying, and the scope of their influence?   Most (though not all) companies I’ve worked with have a general sense of what’s being said about them online. Typically, the past year, this sense is mainly anecdotal. In the next year I expect to see much more systematic, sophisticated, and analytical listening. But if you’re not there yet, you’re not alone.

3. How effectively are you able to respond?  Yes, this begs the question of whether a business is responding at all. For those who are, the question of degree of effectiveness can be a stumper. The real question here is: How do you know how effective you are (see #1)?

4. What technology tools are you using to monitor social media activity around your brand / product / service?  People really are surprisingly resourceful when it comes to using free tools to listen online. Even for businesses without a sophisticated listening platform in place, a conversation about the tools they’re using tells us a lot about what they care about and are (or aren’t yet) able to measure.

5. Which groups and individuals are informally involved in social media activities?  Once you start walking around asking people, the variety here can be surprising. Typically corporate social media efforts emerge out of PR, Marketing, or Customer Service. But ad hoc efforts are very common, and there’s usually something important driving them. Building out a strong program requires accommodating, supporting, and enabling ad hoc efforts.

6. Whose job description includes it, and who has overall responsibility?  As you might guess, the answer here last year was very often “nobody.” Next year we’ll see a shift toward the guerilla social media people formalizing their roles and management recognizing the need for coordination and leadership. And yes, this question can set off turf wars. Tread lightly.

7. Have you defined a corporate policy for engaging with customers through social media?  If not, better get on it. Talking early to legal / brand / compliance, especially in regulated industries, always saves frustration later.

8. In what third-party venues do you have a presence?  This always yields surprises. “None…. Well, oh yeah, I guess we do have the Facebook thingie. And someone in marketing has been posting our ads to YouTube.” Or: “Marketing is in charge of our Twitter accounts. Except for the ones they use in customer service. And Dale down in R&D is a total Twitter fanatic.”

9. How well are those efforts coordinated?  Yes, more question-begging. Most often, efforts across social networks, blogs, and media sharing sites are not coordinated. Maybe, just maybe, they should be.

10. What is your brand’s online personality?  This one is a great conversation starter. It’s really about understanding how to show up in social media (hint: not with offers, and not with campaign messages). This topic is really about starting to think about how the people representing the brand should show up in social settings—authentically, as people, but as people not only representing but also enacting the brand and its character. I like to use the example of our client NAU. They make sustainably-developed clothing, and they blog not about their clothing products but about sustainability, outdoor recreation, and social action—the passions that are at the emotional core of their brand. A while back they posted, for example, a video of people moving an entire Portland, OR household by bicycle. Awesome. You want to subscribe, to follow, to befriend them.

11. How consistently do your social media efforts embody the character of the brand?   This is really a question about governance. How organized are you? Do you have a system in place to manage customer interaction across touch points? Is the system in use?

12. Where do your customers spend time online? What content do they create?  Market research typically tells us a lot about where customers spend time online. What it typically doesn’t tell us is very much about what they’re doing—So 40% of your customers check Facebook daily. That’s good to know, but to really drive action, you need to understand whether they’re there socially, professionally, or both. Whether they’re using it to market their services, keep in touch with Granny (oh yes, Granny is definitely on there), or what. They’re on Twitter, good—but what are they talking about? Whom are they following?

13. What are their preferred information sources, and how do they consume them?  What’s the information ecosystem your customers tap? Who are the influencers? What do they read? Blogs, newspapers, Digg? Are they looking at web pages, RSS feeds? Are they reading on mobile? Are they sharing things they find? Which things? With whom?

14. Where are their relationships?  Whom do your customers interact with online? Through what channels—IM, email, blog post commentary, Flickr photostreams? On social networks? Twitter? Do they use different channels for different kinds of relationships? Which ones, and what kinds?

15. What are you doing to enable customer participation on your own properties?  Do you have an email contact form buried in your footer? Or a p2p support forum? Corporate blogs? Can customers comment? Review? Rate? Can they interact with each other? Create content and add it? Suggest or vet ideas? Do they have a stake in your next version? What value can they create for each other, and how can you enable it?

16. How does your organization interact with customers online?  Can your customers contact you? How? Simply being reachable is a great first step. The next step is to proactively engage customers who need support, to reach out to your customers for feedback and ideas, and to create opportunities for customer collective intelligence to create business intelligence.

17. How do you capture business intelligence from those conversations?  Social media listening has a major difference from behavioral web analytics: It’s a two-way conversation, and it’s not just about what people do. It’s also about what they say, and how they feel.

18. What is the process for making your business intelligence actionable?  Intelligence is useless without action. But the challenges in actionablizing (ha!) business intelligence are often really substantial. How do you get the right bits and pieces to the people who can take action? This question is really about escalation, delegation, roles and responsibilities, and workflow. To make the most of what you know, you need definition around how you’re going to do something about it, who’s responsible, and how success gets measured and reported.

19. Have you monetized the value of your social media efforts?  Social media ROI is one thing, and monetized estimates of the impact of social media activities are another. ROI is great, and showing ROI in social media is absolutely possible to do. The problem is that a large portion of the payoff in social media happens over the long term and is measured in, for example, lifetime customer value and word of mouth—neither of which show up on your quarterly balance sheets.

20. Estimated the financial impact on lifetime customer value or word of mouth?  We do have a very advanced approach to this, but it’s a subject for another post. Essentially the idea is to be really smart about some monetized estimates of the value of certain measurable activities, then validate and refine those estimates over time.

Naturally, we don’t typically get these questions answered by sitting down with the marketing people for an hour and just asking. We basically never ask these questions in these words. A huge part of the assessment is getting time in conversation with the right people in the first place, and talking with them about their jobs, their goals, satisfactions, and frustrations. We use a combination of interviewing approaches including contextual inquiry and appreciative inquiry, and a fair amount of intuition and sneaking around. In other words, it’s not a mechanical process.

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 Looking for the top social media campaigns from around the world?  It’s easier then you think.  Visit Goodbuzz Inc.