Crowdsourcing philanthropy

The exclusively Facebook execution of  ”Chase Community Giving” last year (what Kimberly refers to as crowdsourcing), also ties in well with one of our recent blog posts, Four Metrics for Determining the Value of a Facebook Fan, as it relates to avoiding the misleading measure for successful social media marketing by imposing a monetary value on Facebook fans (“To effectively use social media as a marketing tool, marketers must be able to demonstrate the value that a follower base delivers to their clients”).

I’d bet Kimberly Davis would argue that even the possibility of driving financial business in the future captured immeasurable value, not to mention the unquantifiable value of demonstrating thought leadership by diving right in – “Others have stepped into the crowdsource space,” said Davis, “but they’ve done it very gingerly. They’ve put one toe in the water. We put our whole foot and leg.”

A passion to change and engage

Davis stepped into the role of president of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation in 2006, ready to cultivate a “futurist view” of philanthropy. She’s shifted the foundation’s portfolio from broad causes to more focused contributions to education and community development, which she hopes will eventually feed the financial business. And Chase Community Giving has certainly generated plenty of brand awareness among all those Facebook voters.

It was thrilling to read about Davis’ core passion; according to Invisible Children cofounder, Laren Poole:

…She showed up at 6 a.m. and talked to every single volunteer about what they did at the organization. It was so clear that she’s the heartbeat behind the whole thing. She got it in a way that I didn’t expect. “It,” of course, is how to connect corporate philanthropy efforts with a young generation more passionate about grassroots activism…

And this passion has helped her foster a very adventurous view of the new world we find ourselves in (at age 50 to boot). It was downright inspirational to hear someone saying out loud that we should be taking risks – especially from the president where “as a firm we’re in the business of managing risk”. Davis says, “Philanthropy is where we should be taking risks, but there were a lot of questions about the level of transparency needed to run this in an authentic way. Raising the blinds on the entire crowdsourcing process made a few bankers nervous…”

Staying transparent and authentic

In these times of general unrest over financial trust and leadership, Kimberly’s position on transparency and authenticity are not only important for maintaining engagement, but potentially has the power to be a first step in exponentially changing public impression. For me, Kimberly’s understanding of the power of “crowdsourcing”, or engagement leading directly to brand loyalty, is what conversation-centric marketing is all about. To be able to encourage activism on the scale Community Giving did… priceless.

Related articles:

• Feeding the Moral Hunger: Strategic Social Marketing for the Greater Good? (logicaljuice.com)
• The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2010 (fastcompany.com)
• Chase Community Giving Kicks Off Summer 2010 Program (eon.businesswire.com)

Upon entering the store it was clear that the interior had been completely overhauled since my last visit. They did a really nice job. It was as if Firestone decided to tap the modern marketing ethos – facilitate conversation and establish authenticity – as their design inspiration.

Most notably, the counter has been removed. Instead of constructing a three-foot-tall barrier between customers and employees, the new design includes a handful of high tables or stations where interaction and dialogue is intended to take place. This improvement immediately changes the purchasing dynamic for me. I no longer expect the I place order/you tell me what to buy/I buy because I don’t know any better/I leave dynamic. By simply removing the counter and adding the “conversation stations,” the employees feel more like advisors or guides; like they are there to actually help consumers, not simply take their money.

There is a computer at each station but, instead of shielding me from the screen, the employee turns the screen my way so that we share in its viewing as we scroll through product options. It provides a sense of transparency. I don’t feel as though this guy is going to try and sell me the most expensive set of wiper blades, but the wiper blades that best suit my needs.

So in addition to picking up some new wiper blades, my jaunt to Firestone helped to reinforce – through a surprisingly pleasant retail experience – the principles of conversation-centric marketing:

• Offer the consumer more control
• Engage in a conversation
• Be authentic and transparent

FRED:

So Josh, I read an article recapping the 2010 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement. The gist: Consumers will continue to be frugal in 2010, but they are more likely to spend their money on relevant, functional items coming from brands that differentiate and show “meaning” and “authenticity.” Hmm, I wrote that sentence and I’m not sure what it means.

My read of this is that consumers are more and more aware of the “personality” of a brand and are more willing to engage with brands that they can relate to. Now, every marketer who’s done a “brand personality” exercise knows that we try and ascribe human traits to them by asking questions like “If Apple were at a party, what would he be doing?” And consumers are exposed to this as well, just look at the Mac/PC ads.

But what’s different now is that we can actually connect with the brands that we like and directly interact with them. Every time we go on Twitter or Facebook, the voice of a brand sits right next to posts from our friends. And we can talk to them, and they talk back to us. Of course, we know that a real person is writing the words of the brand, but that person represents (or should represent) the personality and voice of the brand. This study is telling us that it is more important than ever for companies to have an authentic presence that allows them to converse with their customers and prospects. Suddenly consumers want to connect with us, so we’d better be there.

JOSH:

I agree with your sentiment. I think customers are quickly demanding even more. Instead of a simple connection, customers want access to brands; and, more and more, they are beginning to demand access. In return, they are willing to promote their affiliation with, sometimes even advocate on behalf of, advertisers. However, customers are only willing to grant this exchange when the access they receive from advertisers rewards them with exclusive information, price points or recognition.

Yes, a brand’s personality is often the hook that allows companies to begin building this engagement. And social media platforms allow companies to demonstrate this personality like never before. But Facebook and Twitter are littered with companies who’ve focused too heavily on brand personality and too little on delivering value and providing customers with exclusivity. Take a look at Aflac on Twitter. Alfac was one of the first big brands to take the plunge and commit to Twitter. The problem, though, is that Aflac hasn’t been able to evolve their Twitter stream from a brand personality bullhorn to a demonstrable reason to buy. The duck might be a great hook, but brand personality is overrated if not coupled with meaningful value.

The key to an effective social media plan is to establish the importance of strategic content. It is the act of creating (or uncovering) and distributing this content that will help you achieve your strategic objectives.

Some of you may cringe at this suggestion, but it’s really about bringing the discipline of marketing and publishing to the seeming randomness of social media:

1. Staying on brand
2. Targeting content
3. Keeping content recent and frequent
4. Building an expectation of value
5. Providing a feedback loop

If you’re a victim of the “what are we going to post today?” syndrome, here are a few tips to get started with strategic content development:

1. Analyze your primary target audience. What value can you bring to them?
2. Audit your content assets. You’ll be surprised by what’s available in-house or from third parties.
3. Recruit contributors. Don’t be too narrow. Interest may come from some very unexpected places.
4. Develop an “editorial” calendar. Create a rollout plan that will provide your audience with relevant and timely content, but will also allow plenty of room for topical postings, following interesting threads or just reveling in the spontaneity of the social environment.

Now that the shine is off social media, isn’t it time to put it to work for your organization?

But here’s the twist… it worked.

Through supporting tweets, Facebook posts and rampant word-of-mouth on the web, this video has attracted well over a million views in just a few weeks. But even more than that, it’s gotten people talking about the brand in a positive way.

“That just? made my day”

“If only all coca cola vending machines were like this one. I love coca cola”

“I was actually clapping during this commercial. ? <3”

So why has Coke succeeded where others have failed? Why are people reacting so strongly in favor of the same type of manufactured event that has been met with disdain so many times before?

The difference is authenticity.

What makes the video generate such joy is seeing people interact with the “Happiness Machine.” Yes, the moment itself is manufactured, but the reactions of the people are genuine.

(Or at least I hope they are… for now, I’m going to let my normally skeptical brain just enjoy the moment.)

What’s also interesting about this particular endeavor is Coke’s ability (knowingly or not) to repurpose an “older” web convention for something new. Using the overplayed convention of a “viral” video, they’ve been able to create an army of brand evangelists and a wave of goodwill.

Not too bad for the price of a video camera, some flowers and an 8-foot sub…

Related articles

• 712,000 Views and Counting for New Coca-Cola Happiness Video (marketingvox.com)
• Viral Friday: Happiness Machine (viralblog.com)
• Coca Cola: Happiness Machine Viral Video? (viralblog.com)

“absolutely brilliant!!!“

“hopelessly dorky”

“creative, fun, and energetic”

“William F. Buckley is rolling in his grave.“

This new admissions video for Yale University is creating quite the buzz around the interwebs by taking a lighthearted musical approach to selling higher education.

And with nearly 300,000 views in two weeks on YouTube alone, it’s amassing quite an audience – and quite a bit of word of mouth.

But amidst the praising of their originality is an unfortunate undercurrent of condemnation. What many seem to be missing, is that this effort is a lot more “Glee” than “High School Musical.”

Produced almost exclusively by Yale students and recent Yale alum, this 17-minute magnum opus to the home of Handsome Dan is at once witty, kitschy, earnest, and entirely self-aware.

Yes, it’s goofy. It’s supposed to be.

A project like this could very easily have been a painful exercise in how NOT to be authentic. But instead of feeling like slick marketing, it’s become something entirely different – an organic extension of the school itself. From showcasing their technical proficiency and creative diversity to providing what at the end of the day is a great deal of information about the school itself, this mini-musical really gives prospective applicants something to sing about.

And, if after 17-minutes (and one dated but funny “Cats” reference), you still don’t get it, you’re probably not who they’re looking to attract in the first place.

We live in a world where everybody can create credible media – from a simple Twitter post to a mini-movie length musical. Further, it is a world where everybody can rebroadcast or promote the stuff they like. Professionals – marketers, writers, artists – have to stop being jealous and start taking advantage of this phenomenon. Now! Advocates, because they actually care, are simply better at making compelling media.

If you need further proof, just check out “Backwards Hall and Oates.”

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.

Will this become standard practice, enlisting celebrities of all stripes to shill for products and companies? It certainly would make coveted celebrity endorsements more affordable, and immediate. And even B, C, D-list celebrities could get in on the action (hello, Kathy Griffin).

How will the FTC monitor and enforce this practice? Check out this bit from section 255.1 (d) of this handy-dandy, recently-published document: “Advertisers are subject to liability…for failing to disclose material connections between themselves and their endorsers. Endorsers also may be liable for statements made in the course of their endorsements.”

So, if the aforementioned Kim K. was specifically paid to tweet that she loves said salads and didn’t disclaim it, both she and Carl’s Jr. could be subject to punishment. But what if, as Kim contends, she was indeed previously paid to be in a Carl’s Jr. commercial… yet, in her Twitter stream, she was simply expressing her sincere love for their salads? Tricky. Complex. Impossible!

Which leads to this question: will commercialization ultimately sully the appeal of social media – regarded as one of the few havens of honesty and authenticity in a marketing-saturated world. I highly doubt it. Consumers are savvy. They can generally distinguish sincerity versus shilling. And honestly: if you’re the sort of person who will start eating Carl’s Jr. salads because Kim says you should, the FTC disclaimer will mean as much as an errant crouton.

And finally, perhaps most importantly, I think I need a name for this practice. When celebrities are willing to post opinions for money via social media, does that make them a Blogsperson… or a Prostitwit?

Big questions, for intriguing times.

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.

Here’s an article about the potential end of “free TV,” as the nation’s top networks contemplate moving to a cable-like pay-TV model to compensate for declining viewership and lost ad revenue.

The lesson for marketers on the road ahead: we’ll have to be flexible, as old rules are cast aside and new opportunities emerge.

I’m struck by today’s images of protesters in Iran, some of which are no doubt captured stealthily via cell phones and smart phones. By actual witnesses and participants… not professional journalists.

The lesson for future marketers: authenticity and immediacy can trump slick and polished.

I’m bemused by this story about teens working to curb their Facebook obsession. Hopefully, they’ll share their advice with their increasingly obsessed parents and grandparents!

The lesson for soothsaying marketers: social media has inserted itself firmly and fixedly into the mainstream. We must embrace this, and leverage its potential.

Indeed, technological and behavioral changes have quickly, profoundly changed how we market products and services. And yet, at the core of all this evolution, consumers still exhibit a fundamental desire for engagement (such as fabulous cable shows like Breaking Bad or Mad Men), truth (from the front lines of Iran or anywhere) and a social connection (online and in real life). These are the timeless tenets of effective marketing. Stick to them, and let’s go boldly into the new decade!

Ahem…after I check my Facebook Live Feed.

“Brand values can be established as a brand identity, but they must believably exist in the mind of the consumer. A brand can’t just say it stands for something and make it so. The consumer will decide, making it more important than ever for a brand to have measures of authenticity that will aid in brand differentiation and consumer engagement.”

–MarketingVOX

Case in point: Purchase College. This premier member of the State University of New York system had what many might consider an enviable situation – it was experiencing very little difficulty in recruiting students.

The challenge was in student retention.

As part of the SUNY system, Purchase College attracted many students expecting a “typical” SUNY experience – something you definitely won’t find at the distinctly different Purchase College. Even internally, Purchase had become a college of two minds, a unique combination of both arts conservatory and liberal arts/sciences mainstay.

In order to get more of the right students to apply and have fewer of the wrong ones enroll, Purchase College needed to start talking about itself in a more authentic and direct way – allowing prospective students to “self-select.”

Through our Mine & Dine and BrandAmp products, Media Logic quickly worked to uncover, identify and create a unified vision. Media Logic provided the necessary forum for leaders from across the campus community to come together and resolve the tension between the school’s “arts” side and its “liberal arts” side.

Under Media Logic’s guidance, Purchase College created a brand that was far more than the sum of its parts. Essential to the branding process were qualitative research, a geo-demographic analysis, predictive modeling and a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan. We were able to determine that Purchase’s ultimate value came not solely from its programs, but from the unique mindset and culture of the students themselves.

The entire campus – from faculty and students to administrators and alumni – embraced the new brand as an authentic reflection of who they really were. It was integrated into all recruitment communications, and guidelines were established to extend it across the entire college.

After the launch of the new brand, applications increased more than 60%. Selectivity was also up 16% (more than 30% for liberal arts), and persistence has risen by 10% and 12%, respectively.

The offense utilizes enormous linemen to form a protective barrier around the quarterback and a giant plow for running backs – keeping the defense at bay.

The defense emphasizes lane discipline, containing the opposing team within a complex matrix of position players to prevent it from advancing up the field.

With all its emphasis on control and discipline, is it any wonder why the NFL can’t quite understand social media? Like a rain-slicked fumble flopping about the red zone turf, the league just can’t seem to get a handle on it.

When the season began in August, Official League Policy dictated that no players, coaches, reporters or even spectators could utilize social media to comment in real time about practices and games. Obviously, this proved impossible to police, potentially illegal and extremely detrimental to media and fan relations – and the league backed down.

Some individual teams set policies forbidding their players and coaches from using social media such as Twitter and Facebook at all. As in, ever. On the field, or off. As their “employers,” this was well within the teams’ rights. But once again, nature found a way (to reference that great football movie, Jurassic Park). Players continued to tweet and post, and most teams decided that it would be impossible and ineffective to punish them.

In the meantime, these organizations and individuals have built enormous followings on popular platforms – the Steelers have a Facebook fan page with more than 400,000 fans, Chad Ochocinco’s Twitter page has more than 369,712 followers. These are fantastic opportunities for “customer outreach” and engagement marketing – yet another feather in the cap of this multi-billion dollar sport that continues to rule the fall/winter airwaves.

Of course, with this many “employees” who have a free agent mentality, there are bound to be negative consequences to their authentic conversation, too – some playful, others regrettable. A Vikings player reportedly tweeted something like “ZZZZZZ boring. Coach talking.” during a team meeting, and found himself doing a few extra laps that day. A Chiefs player recently posted a defamatory remark about gays on his Twitter page, and was banned from the team’s facilities while punishments were considered. He has since been released from the team.

But the communication/brand benefits of social media for the NFL – and really, any organization – clearly far outweigh the risks.

I was able to chat briefly with Sports Illustrated’s NFL columnist Peter King last summer when he was in town to visit Giants’ training camp. Nice, approachable guy. I commended him for being so social media forward (he has over 180,000 Twitter followers), and he laughed. “You know what,” he said, “I have no choice. If I don’t do that, people are going to stop reading my column. It’s just what you have to do.”

Indeed. Like a quarterback down by four points with seconds to go, the NFL just needs to let it fly.

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.