Monthly Archives: February 2010
While it seems that consumer confidence is starting to turn around, reaching its highest level in almost a year and a half, President Obama’s recent State of the Union address, signals that the poor economy and job instability are still priorities to many Americans.
A few weeks ago, we decided to ask our Critical Mass ShopTalk research community who represent a broad demographic of consumers across the United States, what they will be spending more and less on in 2010, including both time and money. What we heard from them was both expected and surprising.
Consumers talked about spending more time on hobbies and interests, with family and friends and of course the resolution favorite, exercising. What’s interesting, though, is that a large number of consumers also talked about spending less time worrying or focusing on things beyond their control, like the economy or the job market. Many seem intent on living in the present and enjoying what they have today. While our community is mindful of the poor economy and the fact that saving and scrimping are ever-present goals and challenges, many want to worry less about the uncertain future and instead concentrate on the present.
The word cloud below captures the key words consumers used when asked what they will spend their time on in 2010.
Other activities that consumers say they won’t be spending as much time on in 2010 include TV and the internet, most notably social networking sites. Consumers talked about devising strategies to limit their time in these arenas so that they can spend more time outdoors or engaging in more active and/or quality pursuits with their families. While these are admirable goals, I’m not sure how much people will be sticking to this. If they really want to stress and worry less, I think TV and Facebook provide great distractions from the everyday pressures of life. I’m looking forward to seeing whether our consumers stick to this goal.
Edelman recently posted the results of a study they did on consumer trust. The study claims that “The number of people who view their friends and peers as credible sources of information about a company dropped by almost half, from 45% to 25%, since 2008.” Is social media just a passing fad?
Definitely not. While the article brings up an interesting topic, I believe that Michael Bush’s primary intent was to stir up some controversy, rather than claim there has been an official shift in online consumer behavior. Before we abandon everything we know about social, ask yourself 2 questions…
Is what they are saying true?
I’m not sold on the methodology. Based on the way the data is displayed in the article, it’s easy to criticize the survey technique. The wording is relatively biased and appears to focus on advertising, in general. As an alternative, the research could offer more credibility if consumers were asked who they trusted most for purchasing advice or recommendations.
What does it mean for social media marketers?
Survey details aside, the article surfaces the very important topic of relevancy and timing in social media marketing. In order to solve for this problem, marketers must craft solutions to address:
- Consumers experience a tremendous amount of digital litter online. Most content offered is just noise, and often doesn’t meet consumer’s exact point of need.
- Social Media is not a retail medium. It’s about building relationships. Over time, these relationships establish trust, engagement and ultimately advocacy, which definitely impacts the bottom line for brands.
- Consumers are first, brands and branded messaging will always be second. Consumers use social media to socialize with their friends, family and peers. If they want to engage with brands, it will be on their terms.
- Content is no longer “king” – relevancy is. Consumers have been taught that if they sound-off questions, someone will answer. By choosing to be active in social media, brands can offer solutions as a trusted source to weigh-in on those direct consumer questions.
If you’re active in social media, I wouldn’t get too hot and bothered over the study results. PR agencies are great at generating buzz, so kudos to them for stirring the pot. Now, take it a step further. Go beyond the buzz, and focus on developing long-lasting, sincere relationships with your fans online.
We all know how important navigation is on a website. In fact, the core to any effective site is making sure visitors can find what they are looking for, and find it quickly.
Whether they come to search for products, services, or simply contact information, the reality is that if your customers can’t find what they came for, they leave. If that happens, all your hard work to develop a website was in vain.
Over the years web developers have finessed and improved navigation systems and continue to make advancements.
We’ve been following three new navigational trends that we think will change the way the industry traditionally builds navigation systems and how users interact with them.
Here’s what’s on our radar:
Megamenus
Example: www.festoolusa.com
These are becoming more and more common. Instead of having to click several navigation items to find deeper content, Megamenus bring all the content right up front. When users click on a primary navigation item it expands in-page to show deeper content options along with corresponding visual details and information. Users are able to quickly and easily absorb the information and identify different categories without ever leaving the home page. Megamenus essentially solve the problem of limited space on the home page and provide more room for content, from information, to images, to prices.
Clickless Navigation
Example: www.dontclick.it
Amazingly, users can now navigate an entire site without ever having to click their mouse. This new and exciting way to interact with content has a major ‘cool factor,’ too. So what replaces the click? By moving your mouse over a navigation item, you trigger the next level of information to appear. It’s simple to use but a bit of a challenge to stop your natural tendency to click your mouse all the time. The one downside is that currently Clickless Navigation does not meet the W3Cs accessibility standards, which ensure websites support people with disabilities.
Visual/Spatial Navigation
Example: www.whitevoid.com/portfolio.html
Imagine a website where the primary and secondary navigation (typically found at the top and side of a site) are completely eliminated. In their place you’ll see visual icons that act as a means to navigate through products and/or experiences. Once you click an icon a new layer of icon options and deeper content appear, however, the previous icons are still exposed in the background. All the icon layers remain accessible on your screen page, making it easy to find your way around the complete site. This style of navigation is highly product-centric and quite often doesn’t need Flash. But it’s a significant break in current standards, which means it could take users a significant time to accept it.
So what do these trends mean to you?
Navigation as we know it is changing but it’s still too early to determine whether Clickless or Visual will be adopted by users to become viable, commercial options. Because both are big shifts from how average users navigate websites, it will take time for them to understand and become comfortable with these new systems. Megamenus, on the other hand, are gaining traction with businesses and consumers alike due to their simplicity and ease-of-use.
Bloggers have been abuzz about the necessity of transparency in business for longer than the word “tweet” has been commonplace. Transparency, for a list of terrific reasons, is being touted as a win-win for businesses and consumers alike. Because major corporations are using the same networks as the Joe Nine-to-Fives of the world, openness allows for new 
scenarios that are both challenges and opportunities. Opting to live in glass houses gives way to what The Cluetrain Manifesto terms The End of Business as Usual and leads to a new level of connectedness, accountability, documentation and the overhanging threat of being caught and called out in a mistake or a lie.
Just as Mark Zuckerburg recently said, “public is the new social norm” and transparency doesn’t end with business. Personal lives are often conducted under the watchful eye of social media, which allows friends and followers to know a user’s status and location. As Community Moderators, Jessi and I have been tasked with living and breathing social media. Our lives are as increasingly transparent as the emerging media dictate they should be. With the mainstreaming of location-based applications, that’s pretty see-through. Every move is documented and made available to whomever we deem worthy.
Checking in on Four Square is somewhere between a habit and a nervous tick for me. As I sat down to meet an ex at a Chicago loop watering hole, I checked in as per usual. My roommates, who aren’t enormous fans of this character, had text messaged asking where I was. When I failed to answer, which I will now admit was on purpose, they referred to my last check-in on Four Square and saw that not only had I checked-in, so had my ex. At which point, I received the following text message: “Busted. You and Ryan both checked in at Emerald Loop.” Busted indeed.
Inspired by my own text-message lashing, Jessi and I will walk through the elements of transparency to demonstrate the benefits to those who properly employ it and the risks to those who fail to realize its effects. I will be taking on transparency in one’s personal life using my own failed attempt and Jessi will be talking about it from a business POV.
Element 1: Connectedness
- Personal: Being linked to friends, colleagues and clients in the social sphere provides more robust real-life connections as well as insights into shared connections and interests. Friends influence each other’s information consumption, and by being connected to the interesting and intelligent, people can be exposed to news, posts and technology that wouldn’t have been on their radar otherwise. Before adding contacts exercise caution, applying privacy settings with the “significant other’s parent” rule: if you would be comfortable sharing your stockpile of photos or posts with a significant other’s parent, allow contacts to view it. If not, keep it private.
- Professional: Businesses have the obligation when entering the social space to connect to users in that space. Friending, fanning, favoriting and more become a crucial element to build relationships within this space. That information is public and so companies must be aware that these connections will be examined and become meaningful to a potential customer. If a business does not follow anyone then they risk gaining the image of being egotistical or oblivious. This is a social space and businesses must treat it as such.
Element 2: Accountability
- Personal: Be yourself. Be honest. Friends will become disinterested or stop following entirely if a user comes across as corporate, dishonest, or negative (sarcastic negativity is a different thing entirely). If a user is pretending not to hear text message alerts, but checks in on Foursquare, his friends will take note and get feisty. However, if users are honest, speak in a human tone of voice and hold their tongues if they don’t have anything nice to say, they will be seen as a trustworthy source of information.
- Professional: For some businesses this is a dangerous category. The fast pace and high expectations to maintain that pace will surface early when entering any social media platform. Set a realistic expectation up front with the community so if answers take time or further research is necessary, the community is aware and knows that you are not avoiding them. If a business creates a platform then they must acknowledge the activity that happens there—and engage.
Element 3: Always on the record
- Personal: Please see professional.
- Professional: “What you say can and will be used against you.” Didn’t TV teach you this already?
Whether the context is personal or professional, it’s important to remember that with social media, comes transparency, and ultimately, responsibility. Friends, colleagues and business associates have more ways than ever to listen, keep tabs on you, engage with you, and hold you accountable. If you forget this, you may well end up like me…getting busted!
Lots of talk this week about customer experience and it’s impact on stock price. Bruce Temkin and Jon Picoult both tackled this topic by comparing stock price performance with Forrester’s Customer Experience Index. I’ve got religion on this one. I’m a believer.
Steve Reubel firmly believes that Facebook will be the next Google. He makes a good case for it: they provide a social experience that is more elegant and organized than any other social offering out there. On the other hand, Google Buzz leaves a lot to be desired. Jeremiah Owyang helps us cut through the buzz – errr… hype with his hand social network matrix. On a related note, Facebook wants to be your one true login.
Admap brought together a few respected planners and former-planners to discuss the future of planning. I like what Will Collin, founding partner of Naked Communications, had to say about it: “I think the planner’s job is to hold the strategic line and be true to what is at the heart.”
And well, well, well… what sort of interestingness is Google up to? Google is gearing up to offer ‘ultra high-speed’ broadband in several small test markets throughout the US. I’d love to be a fly-on-the-wall in the executive boardrooms of Verizon, Comcast and AT&T (my client) to listen in on their initial reactions to this move.
Sites of the Week
Skittles re-designed its website when they realized that social media isn’t all rainbows. Adweek and Fast Company weigh in on Skittles’ experiment with social media.
Business Week published a special report on the Value of Design this past week. A couple of choice articles to check out include The Role of Design in Business and Why Design Matters.
Frontline recently aired a new documentary called Digital Nation that “explores what it means to be human in an entirely new world — a digital world”. They’ve created a companion web site containing tons of raw footage and rough cuts.
The lack of Flash support in the new iPad has spun up a bunch of conversation about HTML5 and how great it will be for mobile. While we’re on the topic, Vanessa Miemis has created an impressive round-up of various iPad perspectives.
Finally – in honor of Super Bowl XLIV – Fast Company dissects the new Super Bowl logo. They say that it’s “mean and bold, befitting of the nation’s manliest past time.
Sites of the Week
