Communispace's Collaborative Social Media Marketing

I found the Communispace case-study to be really interesting as this company has managed to take a pure social media tool and connect it into old world marketing practices. So often companies are based on social media alone, while Communispace uses is to enhance an already existing service. Two points I want to focus on are the what makes Communispace so successful and a great irony I found in COmmunispace's choice for future products.

Communispace was so successful because it initially possessed first mover advantage, but due to the low cost of entry into their market they had to survive based on their product quality. Their product was the communities that they formed and sold to companies. These communities were not unusual, yet theirs were the highest of quality. The groups were invitation only, and really engaged the members. By only inviting people to allow them in members felt valued, and the duration of their work really connected them to the service they provided. These communities became like special clubs that only a few were allowed into, and once one was in they didn't want to go. Also the communities were formed by people specifically outlined by the companies who were true users of whatever they were improving on or would use. Overall these dedicated members created dedicated groups that offered better results than any other group  feedback system in the industry. Thanks to all of this Communispace had to barely incentivize their members to keep them working for them.

The part of this case-study I enjoyed the most was the cliffhanger at the end where we aren't told what course of action Communispace took. I believe that they should have expanded as their networks were already set up, yet they were not being used to their fullest potential. I thought it was highly ironic for a company that does market research and brand image work to not use their network of customers to help them decide whether they should venture into the WOM branch of services. I think with such a low risk of testing out a WOM campaign in a network that Communispace is very good at operating they should definitely have tried it. Their market hold in the service they sold was solid, they had scale to absorb the small cost of trying WOM, so they should've gone for it.

I'd really like to know what you think Communispace should have done. Should they have expanded into WOM and why or why not?

Peace, Love, and Social Media.

Mass Markets, Mass Marketers

This week I chose to read "How to Develop a Social CRM Strategy" and "Case Study of Virsuas" because I figured they would offer some insight into leveraging social media to improve a business. The readings had some great guidelines that lead to the best social media experience possible. The two best guidelines I read were about availability as a company and data and intellectual property rights. Also I think that one guideline that was missing should be about the customer base a company is dealing with, because some customers simply just won't participate.
I believe that most important thing a company should remember when dealing with social media is their availability. A company should never be over engaging. A company needs to serve as a safety valve for customers, only being there when needed. As an outlet the company needs to only reach out when it is deemed critically necessary, in response to slander, lies, or false claims.
The most interesting guideline pertained to data ownership and intellectual property made through social media. I imagine as the popularity of social media continues to rise and more collaborative creation is done there will be a precedent setting legal ruling that firmly establishes who owns what in a social media environment. I also find it odd that the data which really helps so many social media functions to work actually belongs to the customer.
Finally I think that if a customer base is unlikely to respond to social media, then a company should avoid it. Certain companies also simply aren't right for social media. Imagine if the company I buy my tissues from was on social media, what benefit would I really gain from that?

Overall this was an interesting reading, I would give it a 8/10.

I'm interested to hear what companies you all think would be best suited and worst suited for having a social media outlet?

Peace, love, and social media.

The Davids Against Goliath

This week I read "Collaborative Minds" to delve deeper into how mass movements in media, tech, and consumer products industries are reshaping the terrain. The reading contained a lot, but what fascinated me was the attitudes of several different types of company. The three types of company I saw were represented by the telecommunications companies, IBM, and new companies like Skype. Each company has a different attitude regarding their standing amongst the collaborative masses.

The best way I can describe the telecomm companies in this section is childish and egocentric. The telecommunication companies are upset by their falling numbers as other media sources emerge that are bringing content more consistently into our lives. The telecomm companies used to be the sole guardians of all things media, but now as YouTube and other similar media sources have emerged they wish to stem the flow of their content in an effort to make up losses, ruin the internet, and bring suffering on their customers. Have the telecommunications companies failed to realize that they can and will be cut out? If they really want to play the snotty, scorned child they will certainly fall to the agile likes of the media giants.

IBM on the other hand has taken a stance opposite of the telecomms as they have adopted collaborative development and action despite their "old school" roots that limits many companies. IBM has been able to move its rheumatoid structure to adapt. IBM definitely has realized the power of the masses, and has actually harnessed it to benefit their bottom line.

Skype and other new companies are fortunate to have business plan flexibility which allows them to search for what people will pay for after they have consistent clients operating on their platform. I'm not entirely sure if I would prefer to be operating in Skype or IBM's position, both seem to have nearly unlimited possibilities, but Skype cannot wait forever to find a way to make a buck. IBM also lacks the freedom to almost entirely create a whole new market, service, and business plan. Despite all that I would hate to be the telecomms who will eventually have to buckle to the new media outlets or disappear entirely.

In the past months Comcast has been given the edge in the net neutrality, but once customer's have to pay more to get their old service quality something will have to change. Overall what will be the tipping point with these old entrenched companies who refuse to adapt and keep up with our media needs? Will Google begin providing us with internet? Will telecomms improve their services? What comes next?

I'd rate this reading 9/10

Peace, love, and social media.

Patagonia and Me

After reading the Twitterville articles about positive and negative experiences with companies, I immediately thought of my positive experience with Patagonia over the past week.

For the last months I had planned on buying another cold weather top for the school year, and last week I picked out a vest online from Patagonia. On Thursday I had no class, but a big exam to study for so I wanted to quickly run into the city to grab my vest. My only problem was that I didn't want to waste my time going there if they didn't have it in stock. I ventured to Twitter and found the Patagonia store Boston has an independent Twitter account that lists sales, new items, and store hours. I read their tweets about the week's hours, got their phone number and planned my trip so that I would arrive as they opened at 10 AM. Before I left my dorm room I called the store and found out they had my item in stock, and they even reserved it for me. All in all it took me one hour and fifteen minutes round trip from Walsh Hall to Patagonia, leaving me with plenty of time to spare.

I was so pleased with Patagonia not because they gave me a killer deal on my vest, but because they made my shopping experience so concise and quick. By using Twitter companies can alter and ease the traditional customer experience so that it suits the customer. I really appreciate Patagonia just being there. Surely I could have looked through their website for some in-store availability option, but nothing beats someone confirming it in person. My next step is to reach out to the Best Buy Twitter account to get suggestions on the best TV for a college house full of 12 guys.

I'd like to know if people find business with social media to be more appealing just because they are there and some what useful, or because they can occasionally provide a big deal?

Peace, love, and social media