The expansion of the “real world” using virtual computer-generated imagery is by no means a new idea – this once was the stuff of science fiction. Now, with developments in imaging, location-based applications and mobile data transfer, augmented reality has become a hot topic among marketers as brands struggle to cope with changing media and marketing rules. Augmented reality combines the real and the virtual to create a 3D interactive environment that appears in real-time. In the next year, there are predictions of great strides in augmented reality – Juniper Research has predicted $2 million in spending on AR in 2010, and growing to $714 million by 2014.
There are several different tracks of augmented reality currently being used or in development, but the retailer’s main concerns should be the use of AR in annotation and visualization.
Annotation: Annotate objects and environments with information: these could be public annotations whereby information was drawn from public databases, or private whereby private notes could be attached to objects and environments. For example, a mobile could display information about the products on the shelves as the user walks through a store.
Visualization: Visualization can be used to preview objects in the real world or to gain x-ray vision into real objects using a database containing information about the structure of the object. For example, a user could preview on their computer how different glasses would look on their face (this has been done, Ray-ban).
Likely the most authentic augmented reality experience would come from the use of a see-through HMD, much like the stereotypical virtual reality goggles but instead these are transparent in that the real world can still be seen with superimposed virtual objects and environments. This is not a very feasible format for marketers – instead the best way of building an augmented reality marketing piece would be to use a monitor-based configuration to be viewed in the browser or, better yet, go mobile. Mobile phones are increasingly intuitive and the GPS and imaging capabilities of modern phones is particularly conducive to augmented reality applications.
Augmented reality marketing campaigns have been employed lately by a number of big brands and while many of these approaches are no more than gimmicks, there are many viable uses for augmented reality that should make retailers sit up and pay attention. A few notable examples of augmented reality include the Esquire AR edition which included extra content when certain pages were captured by one’s webcam, Adidas shoes has introduced a new line of shoes that will double as game controllers, as well as more functional uses such as that by US Postal Service that allows users to compare the size of the object they want to send with boxes available.
The challenge here is weeding out the gimmicky uses of this technology to find pertinent, practical uses that could genuinely save consumers time and energy, and coincidentally shortening the sales cycle. Augmented reality allows the user to see the real world with with virtual objects superimposed upon it, which enhances the user’s perception of and interaction with the real world. Virtual objects can be made to display information that cannot directly be detected by the senses and this information can be made to help with real world tasks and aiding in the pre-shopping experience.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Social media is not new to the big brands of carbonated beverages – Pepsi and Coca-Cola have both been participating on social networking and media sites for quite a while. In matching announcements recently, both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have declared that they are going to spend less on traditional media and advertising outlets, instead opting to spend the big bucks on social media campaigns. It turns out, however, that they have been trying to connect with consumers for a while and we either were not listening or did not liked what we heard.
The Pepsi [Social Media] Challenge
Pepsi has not had luck thus far using social media to expand their brand reach online in both Canadian and American spheres. The Pepsi AMP iPhone App was a distasteful mess, leaving many people wondering: What were they thinking?! The application “Before You Score” was created as a tool to help men get women, not very classy and not as funny as was intended. In Canada, an initiative to get fans to use a Pepsi-approved cheer at the hockey events was another near miss that has left them enough negative response to dismiss any positive results that might have been achieved.
Now, Pepsi is opting to drop their usual Super Bowl commercial campaign in favour of the Pepsi Refresh Project, a $20 million dollar campaign that is pretty much the Pepsi version of Google’s Project 10^100. Muy original. The campaign was launched yesterday, but apparently already there have been problems with submission forms and buzz on Facebook about problems with the idea submission website. And while they say they want to refresh the world, what they really mean is that the ideas must benefit a community or neighbourhood in the United States.
Don’t Go To Them, Coca-Cola Will Come To You
And, mirroring the announcement from Pepsi, Coca-Cola will be turning their attention to social networks by turning focus from their campaign sites to their social networking and media presences online. The Coca-Cola Facebook page is wildly popular already (over 4 million fans), likely due to the fact that the fan page was not created by the Coca-Cola company at all. It was created and maintained by two fans of the soda, and when Facebook instituted rules about branded names only being used by the brands that owned them, Coca-Cola teamed up with the two guys who built the page, a bold and savvy move as they are truly allowing the fans to take ownership of the brand here. Their main strategy will be to put an end to the multitude of campaign websites and to divert these to social channels online. Coca-Cola’s interactive marketing manager Prinz Pinakatt explains that they ”would like to place [their] activities and brands where people are, rather than dragging them to our platform.”
Let The Soda Pop Social Media War Begin
Sometimes social media succeeds because of luck, sometimes because of a solid strategy that is well thought out and researched. Either way it seems to me that the Soda Kings have a long way to go. While Pepsi will likely generate some positive online buzz, not to mention offline buzz as the grants are distributed and put into action, I don’t think it is wise to drop something as important as their Super Bowl commercial. I would like to see a Super Bowl commercial that is made from a great number of user-generated videos in a huge contest – it would make a stunning collage of American culture. They could save on the cost of paying Britney Spears this way. Coca-Cola, on the other hand, are forgetting that social media users are fickle and could just as easily change their mind about Facebook in 2011. While too many campaign sites are unnecessary, it would be to invest their time (personal, human time) in connecting with consumers on their own websites as well as Facebook.
Heck, they can’t all be Dr. Pepper.
Popularity: 100% [?]
Last week Foursquare changed how they tag locations and this means it is available everywhere in Canada. According to their website:
You can use foursquare anywhere in the world! Check-in at the Statue of Liberty in NYC, the Golden Gate bridge in SF, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpu or the Arch de Triumph in Paris! Back in the day, we were limited to select cities, but now you can check-in anywhere you please!
Back in November, Pete Cashmore proposed that “the Twitter of 2010 is Foursquare”. A location-based real-time social network, this mobile service includes a Foursquare API for third party developers as well as Foursquare for Business, which allows local businesses to offer deals via the service. Users “check-in” when they arrive and can vie for top number of check-ins for specific locations to become “mayor” of that location.
There are similar sites: Gowalla is more a geo-game site, Brightkite, Loopt and Google Latitude. Gowalla is sligthly different, allowing a sort of virtual geo-caching game between users, and would likely stand apart from this group. Foursquare does dominate however and combined with the API and business solution, will likely not be threatened by the mild competition.
For Business This Means…
Location-based social networking should be very attractive to brands and businesses – this adds social value to the brick and mortar locations that are visited each day by mobile users. The value of being represented here is much more tangible and easier to understand than with regards to many other aspects of the social web, in addition participating is much easier to comprehend. The confusion that has arisen in the participation of many retailers using Twitter for example should not be as pronounced in this case. Foursquare has a viable service to offer businesses – you arrive at a location and check-in. Based on this check-in, you can connect with every arrival by offering them deals, making friends with people who check-in, helping them after their check-in.
Here are some examples of how easily this is applied:
- Check-in at a pizza place 5 times, on 6th check-in get a free pizza
- The natural competition to be mayor for a hot new club
- A promotional “rally” where individuals must check-in at all locations, could be organized by all businesses involved to promote themselves > complete rally and get gift card to be used at those locations (ie. London Ontario Richmond Row)
For Users This Means… Much More
Okay, so this is great for businesses. But why is Foursquare important to users? Quite simple. In any discussion of social networking online you will hear talk of the social graph – for example the social connections and webs that are interwoven on Facebook. Imagine if you could take this social graph and embed into onto a moving, real-time map of the world. This is Foursquare. See the social graph move around their geographic area, and connect with people AND locations.
Popularity: 69% [?]
Both Google and Facebook revealed today, to the shock and titillation of many online observers, that they are now offering their own url shortening services. Goo.gl and Fb.me respectively will be used for Google products and on Facebook to shorten links. Fb.me is already being seeing on Twitter.
Bit.ly has responded by unveiling their Pro service today, which is already in beta for many larger online publishers such as the Huffington Post, The New York imes, The Onion, TechCrunch, to name a few. So does Bit.ly have much to worry about now? I think that TechCrunch said it well following their post about Bit.ly being fu.kd, Goo.gl and Fb.me can suck.it.
Bit.ly accounts for one third of the links on Twitter and while fb.me and goo.gl will of course gain some of the market share, I think this will just be as a result of more people using url shorteners rather than because they will stop using bit.ly.
The statistics offered on Bit.ly and now enhanced in the new Pro accounts, leaves bit.ly with very little to worry about from this new competition. Furthermore, both url shorteners are limited to their own platforms, bit.ly integrates easily with many applications. It seems very premature to speak of Bit.ly’s demise, especially when they are gearing up for growth with some of the biggest names in online publishing.
Popularity: 58% [?]
Social media was invented for communication between people – those looking to market their products were not the end user these tools are designed for. Mark Zuckerberg and his associates did not come up with Facebook thinking “Gee, how can we assist big brands in selling their wares?” and Twitter was not conceived to allow brands to blast their products in real time to potential customers. Yes, it is clearly the assumption that where people will go, marketers will follow, but to what end? This continuous chase has some coming earlier, some coming later to the table – each saying “Me too! Me Too!” often forgetting the element that brings sustainability to a brand – are you really connecting with your consumers?
Retail brands, for example, could potentially create accounts, populate them with tools to help shoppers browse products and announce deals and yes, they might come into the store and buy some products. But do they feel better about having engaged with your brand online? Was it really more efficient than other ways of pre-shopping and have you enhanced your customers’ experiential satisfaction? And here is the big question: Will they follow you, fan you, or friend you again? Will they seek you out because you are a brand that they want to be associated with? Or will they allow you to engage them once and engage only if marketing dollars are spent getting their attention?
Your audience must be at the center of your interactions within social media networks – connect with them, engage with them. And make sure they leave with that fuzzy feeling that will have them coming back again based on previous positive experiences. And, as opposed to many other channels, social media could leave marketers with a fuzzy feeling too. Do not require social media users to imagine spending money on your products and services and focus instead on your relationships, you could inadvertently have customers who will loyally return again and again, turning their noses up at other brands.
Here is a simple illustration of what I mean using retail brands on Twitter. Now, as a disclaimer, these brands have come to the table at different times, which does account for some of the difference. On the other hand they are all using different approaches and as a result are seeing entirely different effects.
Safeway http://twitter.com/Safeway
- A few tweets about savings available each day
- 0 following, 197 followers
Future Shop Canada http://twitter.com/fs_connect
- Frequent tweets about tech news and FS blog posts, as well as more personal interactions with Twitter users interested in FS products
- 949 following, 1120 followers
Best Buy Twelpforce http://twitter.com/twelpforce
- Primarily of customer interaction and customer service – watch Twitter to find Twitterers asking questions about products, answer questions, assist after the purchase
- 2152 following, 14906 followers
Zappos http://twitter.com/zappos
- Account “owned” by CEO – personable tweets, interaction with people on a one to one basis
- 395707 following, 1546338 followers
A few lessons about social media from these examples:
- It is easier to like people than it is to like a faceless company – give your brand a face (Zappos) or many faces (Best Buy) and provide them with opportunities for conversation
- Leverage your other assets in social media such as your blog (Future Shop).
- Corporations should never consider themselves too important to follow their customers – if you can’t be loyal to them, why should they be loyal to you? (Safeway)
Popularity: 65% [?]
Canadians are participating on Twitter. In 2007 a According to Twitter stats in 2008 Canadians accounted for 7% of traffic. Checking Alexa.com today reveals their figure of 2.5% – Alexa ratings however are known to be flawed, but we do know that Twitter usage in Canada is not near close to that of our American brethren despite similar technologies and technological interest. And a Sysomos study released in June 2009 indicates that Twitter usage by country indicates 5.69% of Twitter accounts belong to Canadians. This data was compiled by indexing 11.5 million Twitter accounts and recording country of origin.
The question begs however – how many of these accounts are actively being used…?
Mobile Provider & “The Green Monster”
Twitter adoption in Canada has been largely stunted by mobile provider reluctance to allow users to participate at a reasonable cost – and while there is the possibility of communications via Twitter on the web, believe it or not real life experiences are much more inspiring. Data plans in Canada are not within the price range of the average mobile user, and SMS can get very expensive as well. Bell higher ups have stated that a Twitter update is not the same as personal message – it’s just not the same thing. I don’t see the difference – the networks have grown but if you offer an unlimited plan it appears that you cannot distinguish between what it is used for. Hmm… doesn’t this sound familiar (p2p throttling).
My solution: There are lots of Canadian companies (retailers especially) that want to make use of social media but they either find too few Canadians or too few Canadians find them. Why not work out a deal with mobile providers – you receive Tweets from Retailer A you get Twitter credits, get Tweets from retailers A & B get even more mobile credits. Mobile companies make money, retailers market, and consumer gets Twitter with daily updates from the retailers they are following. Everyone is happy! Je rêve en couleur…
Twitter Frustration
While this is not restricted to Canadians alone, many first-time Twitter users feel frustrated when they join Twitter because they do not understand how it works or what it is for. In my discussions with people about Twitter (non-Twitter users or users with non-active accounts) there are some misunderstandings about the real value of participation there. Here are some of the opinions from people in the marketing industry as well as those would use Twitter primarily for personal communication:
- tweet about mundane daily happenings as they happen
- tweet ads on regular basis with no dedicated interaction
- tweeting about TV shows
While these have their time and their place, the real value of Twitter is the real-time communication that is made possible for the organization of communities in spreading knowledge. The valuable local content on Twitter in Canada is not as pronounced. If I tweet about an accident in the city I live in as I drove by, people would hear about it but the news would not spread quickly enough to be of help to more than a handful of people (this is a random guess). While the tech community in London Ontario has long embraced Twitter it seems that the supply of local “early adopters” will have to run out and my mom won’t be using Twitter anytime soon without some real incentive. This local, pertinent content is one of the real powers of Twitter – averting hazards, finding great local sales, hearing about a great rock show – and until mobile providers make this more accessible, Canadians will likely be slow to adopt Twitter as a tool for every day living and communication quickly with friends, families and people within and without their networks. The more people on Twitter in your region, the more valuable it becomes as a tool and this is where our frustration with the mundane will be relieved.
In America, It Trickled Up… In Canada, It Trickles Down
In the United States, Twitter growth was much quicker and it was not until later that offline retailers really took advantage of Twitter. Online only companies have been using it since the beginning. But, in the United States, the companies went to where the people where. In Canada, on the other hand, there is still not a very large user base and the value of Twitter is not as pronounced as in the country to the south. Retailers are encouraging Canadians to join Twitter in exchange for valuable savings – many retailers such as Future Shop, Sears, Sobeys and Safeway, among others, are using contests and other incentives to compel people to join and follow their brands.
Will Twitter Move Forward in Canada?
While I think the Twitter model is bound to change, it could become a very valuable tool for disseminating local content and real-time communication to our larger networks. As well, it could become a very valuable tool for marketers. Many companies will find their niche audiences here – Canadian retailers like Future Shop are poised to speak to the early adopters of Canada – those most apt to buy the new phone, the newest netbook and the latest in gaming technology. Herein lies the power of Twitter and social networking – you can connect with your tribe and your tribe can connect with you. Labelled and mapped into the social graph, these tribes are to identifiable and social media marketers can find their audience in those most apt to be interested in what they have to offer, connecting with their customers and increasing brand engagement.
What do you think the future holds for Twitter in Canada?
Popularity: 67% [?]
Steve Cunningham of Polar Unlimited posted recently on Mashable with a list of Top 5 Must-Read Social Media Books – it was a great post and defines the books in terms of major lessons to be learned from each. Here is the list of books but read the post on Mashable for the full scoop.
- Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
- The Whuffie Factor by Tara Hunt
- Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel
- Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuck
- The New Community Rules by Tamar Weinberg
It is a great reading list for 2010, but to be honest I will likely read more than that next year. So I will add 5 more books to my social media reading list in the new year. I am interested now in the needs of a very professional company and must employ social media within very strict confines while still fostering communication between vendors, clients and potential clients. I will base the rest of my reading list on these needs as the above list covers much of the basics.
6. The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right by Debbie Weil
7. Facebook Cookbook: Building Applications to Grow Your Facebook Empire by Jay Goldmann (this is more for development, but it is social media development)
8. Email Marketing By the Numbers: How to Use the World’s Greatest Marketing Tool to Take Any Organization to the Next Level by Chris Baggott and Ali Sales
9. SocialCorp: Social Media Goes Corporate by Joel Postman
10. Building Social Web Applications: Establishing Community at the Heart of Your Site by Gavin Bell
What I am reading right now? Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business by Erik Qualman and Winning Results with Google Adwords by Andrew Goodman (bought it at SES Toronto… forgot all about it until recently).
What is on your social media reading list for 2010?
Popularity: 60% [?]
Let’s face it, the past decade has not been so great for this “uniquely New York” drugstore and Duane Reade had to do some heavy damage control. Now, equipped with a new attitude towards customer service, Duane Reade is building a community around its’ brand. If you track their interactions with customers on social channels over the past few months, you see a pattern of relationship building efforts in line with the Duane Reade “Prescription For Change”, as they call it.
Recent developments in the Duane Reade digital marketing plan that have come to my attention:
Twitter @DR_DuaneReade
Tweets by Brian, Duane Reade uses Twitter to interact with their customer base, aiming to enhance their customer service and of course spreading the news about new Duane Reade products, and posting links to their weekly online flyer. In the spirit of their customer-centric new vision, tweets about Duane Reade on the site are responded to in the hopes of resolution or help.
Duane Reade has a new Facebook account, and their participation here is again much as on Twitter. They represent themselves on both social networks to be accessible in more places online. They are listening to consumers and they are acting on what they are hearing.
HardOrSoftNY.com
Duane Reade is asking New Yorkers if they like them hard or soft – cookies that is. I am sure the sexual innuendo was intended. This poll is being plugged online and in their print promotions. This is a good start in the right direction. I think this a good beginning project for a brand relatively new to more social forms of marketing.
Online Flyer
Available in both Flash and HTML, Duane Reade is now featuring all their promotional print materials on their website, including new publications like the Duane Reader. This means that those who opt out of getting flyers to reduce paper waste, or those who plain old don’t get them, can still access them anytime. In addition, and this is the best part, and accessible version of the flyer is available that can be printed on a braille printer or read by a screen reader.
Duane Reade has not just upgraded their digital marketing strategy. Thirty of their 250 stores have been revamped in the new branded look that will become trademark of the new Duane Reade. Fresh and healthy food is being made available in-store, and in a few locations on-site physicians are there to treat minor ailments and provide recommendations.
But as they say, for Duane Reade, it’s in the bag. Their locations, perhaps not ideal for most companies, are in prime locations that will ensure their survival over the years. If they stick to their plan to revamp, re-brand and resolve, this New York staple will win back the hearts of New Yorkers.
Now, in my opinion…
Wall Street’s Sad Panda should ONLY carry the Duane Reade bag. The Duane Reade bag is likely their biggest brand asset – there was a New York Times article devoted to the joys of getting a Duane Reade bag. They should leverage their reusable bag – it has a mythos that is achieved after years and years.
Popularity: 60% [?]
Email marketing is an important component of a robust digital marketing strategy, but what about the daily emails we send each day as we interact with clients, vendors, suppliers. Every person in your company is sending emails and the real estate at the bottom of those emails is important because someone is already looking.
A study in 2004 showed that a person in business will send 34 emails daily and receives 99 emails daily (which are likely responded to) – I would suspect that it has tripled since 2004. At least for myself that is the experience. Either way, the point is: We send and receive a lot of emails.
One thing that strikes me is that few companies engage in real signature branding, which is a missed opportunity to increase engagement with people you are doing business with, and turn loyal clients into referring clients by reminding them of your brand on a regular basis by including links to your website or if possible, links to the latest blog posts of press releases. If signature design can be managed centrally by the marketing or sales team, it becomes possible for once mundane daily back and forth to turn into a branded experience which can be updated to keep them interested.
In email marketing, it can be hard to simply get them to read the email. If you already have people who are guaranteed to read your emails it is important to remind them of what more you can do for them. This makes the email signature valuable real estate.
Ideas for engaging others in your email signature:
- Include a link to your website
- Include links to your blog or, better yet, the latest posts and update these
- Or a link to your latest white paper
- Link to a feedback form
- Have a question – link to a place where they can answer
- Include your logo and use some color too
Popularity: 49% [?]
Paying for web notoriety is nothing new – not so long ago backlinks were the web currency of choice. We know one thing for sure: if it helps draw attention, marketers will find a way to exploit it. So it is not surprising that if you have the budget, you can buy all the online friends your company needs to give the appearance of renown. Besides the fact that the true value of social networks for marketers lies in easing communication between consumers and brands, and that the best return comes from better customer service and increased brand loyalty and reach, it appears that the point has been missed on some even more basic levels.
Let us consult our what I learned in kindergarten primer.
- Quality friends can’t be bought. Real friends will like you for who you are. If they don’t they are not really your friends.
- Friends won’t stick around if you don’t give back to the relationship. You can’t expect someone to invest in a friendship with you if all you do is say hi once and then maybe ask them some favours.
- Don’t do all the talking – you need to show an interest in your friends. Listen to what they are saying and remember it.
- Best friends are hard to come by but when you do you have a friend for life. Not all friends are created equal and best friends should always come first.
- Your friends have a lot to teach you – each of them have different ideas and experiences to share. Not everything is learned in a didactic environment, much of what you learn in life is from those around you. Appreciate that.
While buying friends might seem like a great investment, the companies that succeed in integrating social networking with their marketing initiatives did not do so by buying friends. They engage consumers, giving them opportunities to share as well as to learn. The key is to remember that authenticity cannot be faked, it requires investment and insight; and real friends cannot be bought, they are won from engaging them through sharing and discovery.
Popularity: 57% [?]
