The Society of Digital Agencies Report | Volume 2_ 2013

The SoDA Report (Volume 2, 2013) from SoDA

May 2013 Social Media Report: Facebook Pages in Canada

Top 10 Ways To Improve Digital Experiences

Before jumping in with fixes, companies must determine the best opportunities
To find improvement opportunities that will have the biggest impact on the customer experience and business metrics, companies need to start their digital improvement projects by analyzing web and app analytics, operational data, and multiple forms of customer research.

Great digital experiences don’t happen By accident - They must Be actively designed
Firms need to take a rigorous approach to digital improvement projects. This
means learning -- and then sticking to -- a user-centered design process that includes research, analysis, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Digital teams that need help in this area can tap into a variety of external research and design agencies.

Digital experience improvement projects must support established Business objectives
To maximize digital budgets and ensure ongoing funding, companies need to deliver web, mobile, and tablet touch-points that align with core brand attributes and support business objectives such as cost savings, revenue generation, and loyalty building. Key to this work: creating a unified customer experience.

Relentlessly Relevant Brands And Building Positive Customer Sentiment

Coinciding with the release of Millward Brown's BrandZ Ranking of the “100 Most Valuable Global Brands”, Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ Director, explains why a ruthless attention to relevance will boost a brand's strength.

Brands that build positive customer sentiment by being 'meaningfully different' from the competition are able to capture five times more volume, command a 13% price premium, and are four times more likely to grow their value share than those that don't, according to research from Millward Brown.

Being meaningfully different is what gives a brand its relevance in the eyes of consumers. It involves delivering a brand promise that meets their expectations and needs, being unique in a positive way, and staying ahead of the curve in setting trends. Brands that can do this are more appealing, and generate the greatest contribution to driving current and future sales.

Such ruthless attention to becoming - and staying - relevant to consumers is evident in the results of some of the Most Valuable Global Brands in this year's BrandZ Top100 ranking.

Apple is still the number one brand, despite a big drop in share price and rumours that it isn't innovating fast enough, which slowed its value growth to 1%. Brand is Apple's secret weapon. It remains deeply relevant to its fan base, and the 'love' that this California-based technology giant generates keeps it in the top spot with a strong brand contribution.

Even when the financial performance of a company takes a deep dive, if it has, like Apple, a high brand contribution- the proportion of value generated by the brand's ability to create loyalty - the business can still boom. Based on the opinions of existing and potential customers, brand contribution is less volatile than investor sentiment: Apple's brand contribution, for example, is still 18% greater than that of its nearest rival in the smartphone market, Samsung, which grew its brand value by 51% on the previous year.

Luxury brands Gucci and Burberry also both showed an increase in brand contribution, having comprehensively met the needs of consumers who are ready to spend on luxuries again, but spend wisely by investing in classic pieces.

Gucci has revamped outlets to enhance the consumer experience, while, recognising that consumers are often researching online before they buy, also building a strong online presence. It also announced its first mobile app, further increasing the brand's accessibility. Gucci increased in value by 48%. Burberry excels at emphasising its heritage and developing compelling and authentic brand stories. It has also made a huge investment in building its brand over the last year, expanding into new products, categories and territories, and merging in-store and digital retail capabilities.

Strong, relevant brands also help companies bounce back from reputational damage. Toyota has overtaken BMW to become the world's most valuable car brand once again, increasing its value by 12%, after its brand helped it recover from a number of product recall crises. The Toyota brand is very clearly defined from a consumer perspective - people believe it offers them something that other car brands don't. It is incredibly trusted, and considered to provide excellent value. A positive consumer experience has built a core of loyal customers who recommend the brand to others; this is what helps brands maintain their strength in the face of adversity.

Brands need to continually renew themselves to remain in contention over a number of years. The enduring success of IBM, which is the most valuable B2B brand in the world, is testament to a leadership philosophy that has always been based on being meaningfully different. The brand has enjoyed many golden moments - from developing artificial intelligence in 1956, to creating the industry standard for personal computing in the eighties - but it has never stood still. It continually reinvents itself to stay relevant to the needs of the day, and its 'Smarter Planet' positioning is in perfect harmony with the spirit of the time. IBM achieved an 80% revenue increase in 2012 from its SmartCloud solution, which combines the trend for cloud computing with the need of its business clients to innovate as well as cut costs.

Google, which has leapfrogged IBM to become the second most valuable brand in the world across all categories, keeps diversifying its platforms - extending its brand into new services and products to increase its relevance to consumers. It has grown from just a search engine to become an integrated provider of news, social media (Google+) and communications (Gmail).

A deeply relevant brand is a strong brand - and a strong brand is a valuable asset to a business, as a source of sustainable competitive advantage and value growth. It's no coincidence that the brands which rose furthest up the BrandZ Top 100 ranking this year, including Prada (63% value increase), Zara (60%), Gucci (48%) and Amazon (34%), all scored higher than average on the attributes of 'meaningful' and 'different'. They all strive to understand consumers' needs, and constantly refocus and reinvent themselves to stay relevant and set themselves apart from the competition.

Article by Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ Director, Millward Brown
Access the full report here

♔ SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [GB_V90]

GE and Volvo share their Twitter hashtag strategies – Digiday

Honda has earned the Best Use of Pinterest award for their #pintermission campaign that gave pinners $500 to actually make the stuff they pin - Ragan

NIVEA has created an interactive YouTube video of a couple on a disastrous date that fans can share on Facebook and Twitter - Adverblog

Ford explains how they're asking fans to help create a social campaign for their Fiesta Movement - Forbes

Burberry is letting their fans tweet #madefor to see their new personalization feature from London Fashion Week - BrandChannel

The U.S. Army is sharing their social media handbook, including the "Do and Don't" checklist for Facebook and Twitter – B2C

Pizza Hut came to the rescue for #LastMinuteLovers on Twitter who needed a gift for Valentine's Day - Examiner

Macy's is promoting National Heart Health Month by giving to the American Heart Association through their social media sites - Businesswire

Pantene asked their fans to tweet #WantThatHair while celebrities walked down the red carpet during this year's Academy Awards to get tips on how to achieve their style - DailyMake

Taco Bell announced their Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco on Twitter with a Vine video - WebproNews

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

GOODBUZZ ADDS PAID MEDIA SERVICES AND SUPPORT

Tuesday, Feb. 19th, 2013 EST | Toronto, Ontario

Since 2008, Social media agency Goodbuzz Inc. (“Goodbuzz”) has primarily focused on earned and owned media, but the company feels that - as the lines between paid, earned, and owned Facebook media are becoming blurred, it’s time to expand its offerings.

Goodbuzz Inc. today announced that it is offering support for companies who plan to pay for advertising on Facebook and other social media sites.

Goodbuzz is mainly known for its strategic and creative work with owned and earned media.  The company has worked with many notable brands ranging from the PGA’s Rickie Fowler, Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Martin Lindstrom, to Swiss Chalet, Molson, and the Conservative Party of Canada.  With this new service offering, Goodbuzz feels that it is uniquely positioned to optimize paid social advertising for Canadian brands.   

The company notes that this new service will help marketers deal with the convergence between owned, paid, and earned media on Facebook and other sites — such as when Facebook asks a brand to promote posts instead of just simply buying an ad.   Goodbuzz will also provide support for planning and purchasing advertising on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, and many others.

Goodbuzz continue to successfully compete head-to-head against general media agencies because of its unique positioning, expertise, and a more evolved approach to social engagement. 

If your brand is interested in taking paid social media to the next level we guarantee results. If you have any questions or would like to understand how Goodbuzz can work with your brand to achieve higher ROI on social platforms – contact President, Andrew Giles today.

Goodbuzz Rated Top Kred 1% Influencer

♔ SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [GB_V89]

Quiksilver's Director of Internet Marketing, George Weetman, talks about how they achieved their viral social media successes -  iMedia Connection

Target made their fans' tweets about everyday products into a tongue-in-cheek fashion show for their "Everyday Collection." - Brandchannel

Budweiser is asking their Twitter followers to name the new baby Clydesdale who starred in their Super Bowl ad -  Adweek

Kraft Foods has launched their #DinnerNotArt campaign which allows fans to create digital noodle art that will become real noodle donations to Feeding America -  Direct Marketing News

Honda is highlighting six inventors with live tweet chats, interviews posted to Facebook, and Pinterest boards dedicated to new innovations -  House of Japan

Audi talks about their social media strategy during the Super Bowl that led to a very timely and engaging tweet -  Outspoken Media

Planters is launching a Facebook app that will let their fans send sexy Valentine's Day e-cards to their friends featuring their mascot, Mr. Peanut -  Daily Markets

GE is transforming the Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" memes into Thomas Edison one liners -  Contently

Several brands showed their agility during the Super Bowl blackout and earned tons of fan engagement, including Oreo, Tide, and Jim Beam -  Digiday

Frito-Lay consumers can vote for the next Lay's flavor created by their social media fans' top crowdsourced recipes -  ABC News

Walgreens talks about how they use Facebook and mobile apps to keep their brand relevant for younger audiences -  Ragan

State Farm, Chobani, and Wells Fargo are highlighted for using their social media platforms as a means to provide excellent customer service -  Business 2 Community

Gillette is asking women to participate in their social experiment to see if stubble is a turn off for kissing and to share their thoughts on social media -  ClickZ

Arby's has launched their "Fan of the Week" campaign in celebration of reaching 2,000,000 Facebook fans -  RestaurantNews.com

Diet Coke has hired pop singer Taylor Swift as their "program ambassador" to bring in more social media engagement from her huge fan base -  Ad Age

Wrangler made a series of interactive artworks featuring their new collection sharable on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest -  Adverblog

LYSOL explains how Facebook has proven to be cost effective - Ad Age

Each Monday, AT&T is re-airing their own version of a Vampire Diaries episode on Facebook featuring fans' tweets and the best scenes voted by viewers on social media - PSFK

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

♔ INCORPORATING GAME MECHANICS INTO TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

Gamification is the use of game-thinking and game mechanics in order to engage users, improve and enhance the user engagement, experience, ROI, data quality, timeliness, and learning.  Early examples of gamification are based on giving reward points to people who share experiences on location-based platforms such as Facebook's "Place" feature, Foursquare, and Gowalla. Some of the techniques include achievement "badges" or “levels”, leaderboards, a progress bar or any other visual meter to indicate how close people are to completing a task, virtual currency systems for awarding, redeeming, trading, gifting, and otherwise exchanging points challenges between users embedding small casual games within other activities. 

Transmedia storytelling is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies, and is not to be confused with traditional sequels or adaptations.  From a production standpoint, it involves creating unique content that engages an audience using various techniques to permeate their daily lives.  In order to achieve this engagement, stories need to developed across multiple forms of media in order to deliver unique (co-dependent) pieces of content in each channel.  Importantly, these pieces of content are linked together (overtly or subtly) in narrative synchronization with each other.  Transmedia storytelling most importantly uses different medias (at what they are best at) to each tell only one part of a larger interrelated narrative.

 Integrating Game Mechanics into Your Story

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

♔ SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [GB_V88]

Esurance is holding a contest on their Facebook page for a chance to be their social media correspondent at SXSW - International Business Times

American Airlines is announcing their new branding which includes tablets for flight attendants with the hashtag #newAmerican - Web Ink Now

Dodge has created a Dodge Dart registry that lets fans ask friends and family on Facebook and Twitter to fund their purchase - Examiner

Kraft Foods is kicking off their new Facebook campaign for their Capri Sun brand that gives moms daily tips for keeping their kids active - MediaPost

The Coca-Cola Company is making a social game out of their Super Bowl ad on Facebook that asks fans to help decide which of three teams will reach a Coca-Cola bottle first - Ad Age

Stacey Howe, head of digital brand marketing for New Balance, explains their "scalpels approach versus a shotgun approach" to social media - Digiday

Papa Johns is offering a free pizza to all of their fans who correctly guess the outcome of the Super Bowl's coin toss on their Facebook page - Facebook

EMC explains the social component to their members' experience that rewards members with badges for their engagement - BtoB Online

Ciroc Vodka talks about how their content distinguishes them from a crowded market - Digiday

Roxy is asking their fans to share how they challenge themselves to live a unique life using #ROXYDARES for a chance to win a trip with professional athletes - Roxy Blog

NOTE:  FOR MORE ARTICLES AND POSTS FROM THE LAST WEEK PLEASE VISIT US ON TWITTER @GOODBUZZ.  IF YOU HAVE INFO, ARTICLES, CASE STUDIES, OR OTHER EXAMPLES OF (TTL) PARTICIPATORY MARKETING BLISS - PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EITHER POST VIA FACEBOOK OR SEND VIA E-MAIL AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU. ;) PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU FIND A DEAD LINK (AS THEY WERE ALL LIVE AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING)

EMAIL US  | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER  | BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK