I have always been an early adopter when it comes to media and technology and early in my career spent 4 years working at Best Buy. So it was exciting to attend the Minnesota High Tech Association Annual Spring Conference to hear Keynote speaker Scott Durchslag, SVP of Digital and Marketing and President of BestBuy.com and e-commerce. Despite the company’s challenges in the past year, they have had a lot of exciting things going on.
Last November we published an academic paper called Best Buy Strategic Management Analysis as part of the Executive MBA Program at The University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. (I’ll be Graduating in May). Being a person who loves the process of discovery and learning, it was fascinating to uncover companies and brands they own, observe how the Board of Directors and Dick Schulz, the founder and former CEO interacted as he was making attempts to buy back the company.
It was intriguing to learn what has evolved over the past few months and hear how everything is unfolding. Best Buy has a new initiative called Renew Blue which was presented at their shareholder meeting in November. Based on MBA learning, and the information Durchslag presented, it felt like they are facing a revolutionary change which is a rare, dramatic transformation that shifts mindsets and culture in the business.
I have a unique background that blends Marketing, Social Media, Digital and Project Management (IT and Business), so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see that early the same morning a press release was posted saying “Best Buy to Sell its Stake in European Business to Carphone Warehouse.” I understand why they did it and think leadership made a good call based on the research done in the assessment we published. Best Buy is using a mindset of “Test, innovate and learn” which is good because it encourages people to take risk and become part of creating a new culture. And Innovation is more important now than ever, so it is definitely going to remain on my radar.
I would love to hear your thoughts! Please share below.
The innovative #Hashtag started on Twitter and is now being used across multiple social media platforms. I have seen people asking about it on Facebook and thought this might be helpful.
#Hashtag defined: A word proceeded with the [ # ] symbol, which is used as a keyword or topic in a Tweet. It helps categorize words or phrases so users can follow a stream. It can also be used to search for others who use the same hashtags.
. Information about using #hashtags on Twitter:
The symbol [ # ] before a keyword or phrase, with no spaces. These hashtags are then categorized, which makes them easier to find in the search function.
Click on a #hashtag word in any message and you will see the most recent tweets using that hashtag.
Hashtags can be included within the 140 space limit (Best practice only 2-3 hashtags per tweet.)
Hashtag words become popular & can be Trending Topics.
Hashtags are also used at conferences, on live video streams or at a large presentation during Q&A.
Some groups facilitate moderated conversation at set times, using hashtags to discuss topics of interest or share best practices.
If another tweeter searches for a hashtag you have listed, they may follow you!
Live Stream example: Every Sunday the Oprah Winfrey Network ( @OWNTV ) channel has a program called #SuperSoulSunday and viewers can go to http://tweetchat.com then enter the hashtag to see what everyone is talking about in real-time. Below is a response I received from the OWN Network.
If you have any other tips, please share them below!!
Transparency, it’s an interesting concept. How much about ourselves and our lives should we share online, in public, with another human being and as leaders?
The truth is there is no answer because it is a decision we must seek individually. The most important person in the world that we ought to be transparent with, is ourselves.
Recently I found myself re-watching the movie; “Eat, Pray, Love,” based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert and there is a quote in the movie that rings true for all of us.
It discusses how the Physics of the Quest is a force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity and it goes something like this:
“If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.“
So what are your thoughts and feelings about transparency online? I really want to hear from you so please, share below what this means for you and let’s talk!
21 days to happiness: My story and 3 things I am thankful for:
Today the NAACP, Move-On.Org and Changeforcolor.Org have teamed up to declare social media #Millionhoodies #Hoodiesup day, an online demonstration to encourage people in to post a million pictures wearing a hoodie to honor Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen killed by a neighborhood watch man George Zimmerman, after he was told by a 911 operator, to stop following Trayvon.
The dialogue in the media and online is controversial. Some have mistakenly categorized Trayvon’s death as an issue about black and white, but I assure you it has to do with far more. This tragic event, for many people in this country, is about perception, bias, race, judgement, assumptions, our history as a country, a flawed legal system, the media and more.
In 1983, one of my best friends was brutally murdered and her killer served just 5 years. It left us all asking; “Why?” So many years later I think of her regularly and the death of Trayvon Martin last month has stirred emotions for me as a result of that loss. But also because I am a parent of a kid just like Trayvon. Yes, I will repeat. I am a parent of a child just like Trayvon.
Think about that for a minute and let it soak in and then put yourself in my shoes for just ten seconds. I must have productive and honest conversations about the ugly realities of race and judgement with my son because he is biracial and I want him to embrace all facets of his multiculturalism. I also think it is important he is aware that there are some people who are not color-blind and there are logical arguments that the best approach is to have dialogue about it. The sad and ugly truth is that in our country social and racial injustice happen every day.
Think about the sound of anxiety in your child’s voice when an issue about race suddenly becomes real for them. And then at another time, how would you respond when your child shares fear of getting shot because of their skin color and what they have seen in the media?
I reach out to communities who understand my reality. They provide insight about having these conversations regarding perception and judgement in teachable, healthy and productive ways. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t get angry, sad or frustrated sometimes. What we live, we teach, so I focus on what I can control, which are my responses and faith that integrity wins out every time. I try to keep the following speech front of mind, because it’s how I want to interact with every person I meet.
“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There are people who don’t know how to have complicated conversations like the one I am discussing. As you can see from an interview I gave a while back with my friend Amy Bowllan, a blogger at The School Library Journal in a series called; “Writers Against Racism,” there is a dysfunctional old school of thought that implies “If we don’t name it, it can’t exist.” It is unjust, but it happens and every day the social undertones that go unspoken and are often misunderstood. As a parent and a compassionate human being, I am sad and shaken to the core about what happened to Trayvon.
We have had ongoing, complicated conversations in our family about the ugly realities of prejudice and racism. Through those discussions and having a strong support network, I emphasize that there is power in choices. We work towards being living examples of what is right and what is possible. The only way to plant seeds of hope and peace is to open conversation.
I believe that silence condones approval, which is what drove me to write this post. As part of this movement, they are asking we change our profile pictures on Twitter and Facebook using description hashtags #hoodiesup and #millionhoodies (instructions below) so it can be tracked via social media monitoring tools. Here is how you can make a difference.
Initially, I watched this out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised. Seriously? MC Hammer? Stanford? It should’t be surprising that he is an eloquent speaker. He has spent several years as an ordained minister and that comes through in a way that is really genuine here. My response? Can’t Touch This. (okay, bad pun, I know.) Watch it, you just may like it and get some new perspectives.
My friend, Amy Bowllan is an Emmy award winning journalist and a blogger for The School Library Journal. Recently, she has been doing a series of blog posts called : WAR: Writers Against Racism on Bowllans Blog. Amy addresses some very good questions about how can we use literature to combat the effects of racism and promote tolerance. Recently she featured me as one of the writers titled in her article called:Writers Against Racism: Kakie Fitzsimmons
Amy asked writers the following three questions:
Briefly describe the impact racism had on you as a young person.
Has your personal experience of racism impacted your professional work as a writer?
In what way can literature be used to combat the effects of racism and promote tolerance?
It got me to thinking, “How could we take literature in this medium and ask the same question about social media?”
I want to hear your thoughts and insight below. Thanks for joining me in this conversation, I look forward to your responses.
A while back I had the opportunity to hear Scott Thomas ( @simplescott ) at an event held by MIMA (The Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.) Scott was the media design director for the Obama campaign and he worked with a talented team of innovators who made it work. The campaign was groundbreaking because it was the first time in history that a campaign was approached as a brand that tied in the marketing communications component as well.
The Obama website, was designed to be a consistent face of the campaign. They engaged people in registration and participation, sent out regular team emails for those who registered on the site. They made the user experience and bringing groups together easy. In the end there were more than 150,000 planned events by the public. The site had 1.5Million+ visitors and raised more than $6 Million U.S. dollars
Their approach shifted away from the traditional “about us, how can we make you love us“ campaign model and focused on “how does what we are doing going to influence lives?“ That is how the new face of advertising is supposed to work.
They learned how to listen to internet chatter and leveraged search engine optimization (SEO), bought pay-per-click advertising with sponsors. They participated in other platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and more.
One perfect example that fascinated me, was being on Twitter during the debates while watching the live stream. I was blown away because I knew I was watching history in a way we had never seen before and it was happening right in front me. Every time McCain said a number or fact was wrong, within seconds I would see a fact check pop up and was amazed at how they were able respond so quickly. I was in awe.
I asked Scott Thomas about it and he described managing the changes in the campaign like “building an airplane while in flight.” Interesting illustration.
What did I learn? It seems they weren’t afraid to make changes when something didn’t work right. They learned from their mistakes and were given the freedom to be innovative. They were trusted for their business judgement. When it comes to social media, I think this is a message that the corporate world will eventually embrace. I believe they are starting to catch on, slowly and we are moving in the right direction. What do you think? Read the rest of this entry »
Electronic retailer giant Best Buy is creating a customer service team, @Twelpforce, that will listen to the chatter on Twitter and respond to questions people may have about electronics. It appears as though they are using the hashtag #twelpforce.
Why is that so cool? Because they are creating personal service and expertise that is authentic and transparent which is what social media is all about. The report came out on Bloomberg on July 2nd in an article called Best Buy Uses Twitter to Create Sales, Service Team (Update1)
CMO Barry Judge (@bestbuycmo) alluded to this on his blog in a post titled Bringing Dream Support To Life In The Customer Experience. where he is quoted as saying “I think what you will notice, in the next several months, is a renewed commitment to making our customers’ happy; unparalleled support to make technology work the way it should; and advertising that gets at the heart of our brand. Let me know. I am always listening and I want to know how we are tracking.”
I worked at Best Buy in the late 80′s and even back then, I remember Dick Schultz (the company founder and former CEO) talking about HTDV transitions in 2009. (Yes, they were talking about it back then). I say kudos to Mr. Judge and the rest of his team for continuing with the legacy of a forward thinking Mr. Schultz. Let’s hope more companies are quick to follow suit and embrace social media as a marketing tool.
Back in May, I listened to Christopher Lowerspeak about online reputation management at The Social Media Breakfast in St. Paul. Chris is the Owner and Director of Media And Communications for Sterling Cross. I covered much of this information in an earlier post called “Does Your Brand Own it’s Online Reputation. The issue of crisis communications planning was mentioned in that post, but not in depth. It is critical and not enough companies are paying atttention. We have seen cases where companies have lost billions of dollars in revenue, legal expenses and more as a result of not having a plan in place.
According to KRC research regarding the recovery process of reputation management:
91% of global executives believe their brand can recover
On average, recovery takes 3-5 years
Only 48% of companies are prepared for reputation damage
48%? That number had me stunned. The old model (pre web 2.0) of crisis communication planning involved planning for crisis, addressing negative groundswell, providing a crisis response, public relations and assessment/monitoring. Social media demands we engage in a conversation
How: Strategy and Response: When complaints are made, timing is crucual. The immediate course of action involves checking sources and facts to determine credibility of the concern.
Where to respond: Respond on the same sites where the complaints occur. If it happens to be on someones blog, address the issue and respond on that blog, then turn around and post the response on your own site as well.
When to respond: Timing is everything and waiting to put a plan in place when a crisis occurs is the wrong approach. 24 hours is a long time on the internet and slow responce can result in billions of dollars in losses, legal expenses and brand reputation.
Escalation: Although it won’t always be the first plan of action, you may need to involve your legal team or bring in a team who understands 1st amendment law because issues on the internet are not always clear or concise. Cease and desist orders to force removal of your intellectual property may need to be drawn up. Harassment, defamation of character or online bullying or copyright laws may apply.
In conclusion, Lower provided the following information about the planning process and the reality for online reputation management:
Crisis communication planning post 2.0 process: Check the facts – is the source legitimate?
Determine impact
Bring together trusted counsel
Understand your detractor & their motivation
Decide right response – be sincere, that you care about quality of what you are doing
Host the conversation – give audience a forum
Best Defense is a good offense (fill the sandbags before the flood)
Conversation happening whether you like it or not
Not good enough be present online engage
Transparency & authenticity rule the net and will always be found out and called
True customer service means responding that you care about what you are doing through providing thoughtful timely response
Get a community manager. Hire someone to be the online face of your brand
I recently attended a forum on Social Media where I listened to Christopher Lower, Owner and Director of Media And Communications for Sterling Cross, and Greg Swan, Digital Strategy Manager at Weber Shandwick. Below is a recap of my take-aways from that discussion.
2008 business study in social media by Cone noted the following:
60% in America use social media
93% of online social media users believe companies should have social interactive presence
85% of those people believe companies need both social media presence and interaction with customers online
56% of users feel stronger connection and better served by companies when they can interact with them in the social media space
This same study also found that there is narrow lineation between control and credibility when it comes to social media. Success for brands online depends on being aware of and having the right dialogue between those lines.
89% of people read online reviews prior to purchasing. 43% most of the time. 22% all of the time.
83% of people take advice of a friend over Consumer Reports and reviews
75% trust review of a product and service in a magazine
63% trust review by a known expert
52% rely on customer reviews prior to purchase
Bottom line? Consumers typically don’t trust individually, but they do collectively. Companies need to have tools in place to retain their online reputation management. Consider putting your own rating system in place for your consumers. Think about how people review online and who reviews online.
Those “Critics” will include items such as:
Post ratings and reviews of products and services
Comments on someone else’s blog
Contribute or edit articles on wikis
Think for a moment about all of the review platforms out there. Wiki alone has over 150 that they consider “mainstream review sites.” These mainstream sites receive their status by having more than 100,000 active users. If consumers trust groups when it comes to their purchases, imagine the impact a negative review can have for a brand.
Does your company “own” its online corporate identity? According to Weber Shandwick’s 2009 “Risky Business: Reputations Online,”
7 out of 10 global executives fear for their corporate reputations as online risk continues to gain momentum.
66% of global executives are not aware of or turning a blind eye to what their employees are saying about them online.
34% across the globe know of an employee who posted something negative online about their company
In 2008, Motrin released a comercial focusing on backaches moms get from carrying their children in “baby slings” with the idea tat taking Motrin would alleviate their pain. Furthermore, it was trying to say carrying your baby using the sling was a fashion statement.
This ad outraged moms across the globe and became headlines in mainstream media. USA Today’s storyline read “Offended moms get tweet revenge over Motrin ads.”In addition, it was listed among Ad Age’s controversial stories of the year. The hashtag #motrinmoms was created on Twitter. There were groups put on Facebook to boycott the product and responses to the ad posted on YouTube.
This negativity exploded on the internet for three days before Motrin pulled the ad and apologized to customers. The company was not monitoring the internet chatter during this 3 day time frame. They emailed an apology to mom bloggers, a copy of which can be found on this blog.
I am the Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare. I have responsibility for the Motrin Brand, and am responding to concerns about recent advertising on our website. I am, myself, a mom of 3 daughters.
We certainly did not mean to offend moms through our advertising. Instead, we had intended to demonstrate genuine sympathy and appreciation for all that parents do for their babies. We believe deeply that moms know best and we sincerely apologize for disappointing you. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and will take swift action with regard to this ad. We are in process of removing it from our website. It will take longer, unfortunately, for it to be removed from magazine print as it is currently on newstands and in distribution.
The email was then followed up by posting an apology on their website which read as follows:
With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you. On behalf of McNeil Consumer Healthcare and all of us who work on the Motrin Brand, please accept our sincere apology. We have heard your complaints about the ad that was featured on our website. We are parents ourselves and take feedback from moms very seriously. We are in the process of removing this ad from all media. It will, unfortunately, take a bit of time to remove it from our magazine advertising, as it is on newsstands and in distribution. Thank you for your feedback. Its very important to us.”
Sincerely,
Kathy Widmer
Vice President of Marketing
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Critics said it did not make an impact and Seth Godin is quoted on his blog saying; “This isn’t a honest note from a real person. It’s the carefully crafted non-statement of a committee. What an opportunity to get personal and connected and build bridges…”
What can we learn from this case study?
Brands need to monitor social media chatter. If the company had people doing this, they could have caught it and responded sooner.
Response time to crisis communication in social media is critical. Sources say it should be handled within 24 hours.
Brands have to talk with their consumers in social media in a way that is personal and says, “We hear you.”
The use of social media presents brands with opportunities to redeem themselves quickly and build bridges with the public
Hey corporate america, we in social media have some things to share. If you are going to play in digital space, we need you to understand that the key is providing value to your consumers through function. Start thinking about how you can pull your clients together to be a resource for one another. How can you engage your customers? The signs are everywhere telling us there is a new model that mass marketing hasn’t adopted yet. There are issues in advertising that are preventing agencies from working the way they should.
What are the cracks in the media model?
Assembly line thinking – In this model, there are repeatable processes in place. The problem are the cracks in the machines. Using social media as a marketing tool heavily depends on finding a niche. The agency machine was built around communications to the masses
Silos – As long as I have worked in Corporate America this has been an ongoing conversation that says “We need to breakdown silos.” Silos in organizations are occur because so many departments are created and no one is talking to one another. The result is that collaboration doesn’t happen, meetings do
Large Scale Production - This is the old model that says “Appeal to the masses”. a 1-way flow of marketing information to the masses. In todays economy, most are not sure if it is right, but at the end of the day, money needs to be made so companies fall back on “business as usual. The question organizations need to ask is whether or not they are using the right production model. There is a fear of moving forward because there is no consistent historical data to prove what works and what doesn’t in social media.
Change is happening. “Craig is the new David and Goliath is in trouble” Craigslist has changed the mix. There is nothing sexy about how they look or behave. Why should consumers pay traditional publications like the New York Times or StarTribune, when they can do the same thing in a functional tool like Craigslist?
So what is the new reality?
The new copywriters and art directors now have competition and it is everyone.
When people are the message it is more real because they are passionate about issues and that shines through
They are moving from passive consumption to active participation
We have different mindsets
Customer service sucks, Twitter works
Have you ever spent 30 minutes responding to someone online? That is COMPLETE ENGAGEMENT and corporations should be moving in that direction. Imagine the power and impact brands can have if they do it right. Would you rather have thousands of fully engaged users? Or millions of users who are not? So, according to David, “The future of advertising is BEHAVIOR and companies need to embrace it. Surprise customers by adding value, not cramming messages down their throat. That is the key to moving from WTF to FTW“
Translation?
The “What” in WTF is the fact that the old advertising agency model is broken.
The FTW means it is time to start embracing a new model and taking risks to do things differently
Next week I will attend the Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis St. Paul. I learned about the event thanks to Rick Mahn, Social Media Strategist. Rick writes & consults on social media and it’s impact on the enterprise, exploring how it can be used to build relationships with customers or employees. The meeting will be at Allianz in Golden Valley, MN and the following items will be on the agenda:
What do you need to think about to build “Brand You?” It doesn’t matter what industry you belong or aspire to, everyone has a brand. Being able to define and convey your unique brand will become necessary skills as the explosive growth of the social web continues. The alternative is to be lost in the digital shuffle. Far from being complicated, there are simple lessons that can be applied immediately to get started. Tools, tips and common sense techniques will be explored to help harness your brand now and well into the future.
Holly Iverson, of Holly Marie Photography, will be taking free avatar photos of attendees. Holly has a BFA from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN.
Mykl is a Senior Interactive Designer at Allianz Life and self-proclaimed social media junkie. Mykl web sites and social media strategies and runs the Minneapolis chapter of TechKaraoke and blogs at http://myklroventine.com
2. What Matters with Twitter, an in-depth look at 2 Million Tweets by Scott Pete
These days it seems that the Twitter metric given the most attention is Follower Count. But is that what really matters? In this presentation, we will explore how Twitter is being used by a group of 300 “Tweeters” over the past 5 months, to build their personal brand and/or support their business. This hand selected group includes 100 high volume users, 50 thought leading businesses, as well as 250 authors/speakers, business coaches, and marketers.
Scott Pete is part of the sales team at August Ash, Inc. – a Minneapolis Internet Marketing and Web Development firm. He has over 20 years of experience working within marketing agencies, end user environments, and as a freelance consultant in the Internet Marketing space. He specializes in the innovative application of technology to drive business results. His Web site is http://scottpete.com
3. The Scoop on Skimmer by representatives of Fallon, TBA
Skimmer is an Adobe® AIR™ desktop application designed to streamline, beautify, and enhance the experience of participating in your most frequently used social networking activities. It improves upon your day-to-day interaction with multiple social networks, removing distractions and providing a rich experience that is particularly suited to multimedia content.
I will be sure to give a recap and share what I take away from the meeting in a future post. Feel free to leave any questions, thoughts or comments you would like me to ask or share at this meeting. Feel free to follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kakief
Over the past several years, I have obtained working knowledge and education about social media and online marketing. I have talked with people who are excited, indifferent, irritated, confused or intimidated by it. We still have a lot to learn because the complexities of technology are moving so quickly. The opportunities for innovation are endless but the definition (or explanation of) ”interactive marketing” or “social media” do not have to be overwhelming.
I have always been an early adopter when it comes to media and technology and early in my career spent 4 years working at Best Buy. So it was exciting to attend the Minnesota High Tech Association Annual Spring Conference to hear Keynote speaker Scott Durchslag, SVP of Digital and Marketing and President of BestBuy.com and e-commerce. Despite the company’s challenges in the past year, they have had a lot of exciting things going on.
The truth is there is no answer because it is a decision we must seek individually. The most important person in the world that we ought to be transparent with, is ourselves.
