Servant of Chaos -

Creative is Back – Conversational Topics with Responsys’ @simonoz

Age of Conversation, Creativity, Customer Experience, Innovation, Social Media

As I sat bleary eyed in the audience at the Ad:Tech Sydney breakfast briefing this morning, three words sailed over the heads of the audience and slapped me awake – “creative is back”.

He said it again for added impact – creative is back.

The speaker, Responsys’ Simon O’Day, was part of a panel focusing on email marketing – but his interest was broader. He was talking lifecycle marketing, multi-channel and data.

I caught up with him after the panel for a quick conversation and to get a greater sense of what he was hinting at. Here are some of the themes we discussed:

Creative is back: there is a clear opportunity but also a challenge in the years ahead – after all, we are now all receiving vast amounts of email every day. The opportunity and challenge is to invest in creative and bring it into the heart of our campaigns and use that to cut through.

Data drives insights: there is a vast amount of data now at our fingertips – but rather than delivering insights, most marketers are drowning. Increasingly we need to look to technology to help us sift through the information that is available to us. My view was that we needed some creative partnering to take place – between the marketing teams, agencies and companies like Responsys. To make this data work for us all, we need the deep expertise and the maturity to collaborate. Of course, that’s easier said than done!

Data is everywhere: We have our mailing lists and our databases – and that is all goodness. But social networks are now delivering additional data points that can deliver fantastic insights – as long as you know where to look. We should be looking for these opportunities beyond our own organisations – and tapping into the networks of value that already exist.

Imagine a world of 100% plus open rates: This is where it got interesting. As we spoke, Simon became more and more animated. He explained that hidden deep within the data – what Responsys call “profile extensions” – is information that allows you to engage people in a highly relevant way. The way I understood this was that a new piece of data – like a status update or a change in profile information (whether in your system or on Facebook or Twitter etc) could trigger an engagement – like an SMS alert, an email or an @ message. And because it was highly targeted and relevant, it generates 100%+ open rates.

So what we are seeing, really, are micro-segmentation capabilities that are based on people’s behaviours rather than demographic or other forms of segmentation. It’s pretty exciting – slightly spooky – but also the way of the future.

So what do you think? Is this deep level of targeting, when coupled with a focus on permission a way for us to deal with email overload? Is this a new way of understanding trust or is it going in the opposite direction? You tell me.

Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week

5 Must-Read Posts

It’s been a busy fortnight (I love using that work even if it’s a little archaic these days).

In fact, the first couple of months of the year have flown by – and to be honest, I am feeling a little nostalgic for the time when January was a “slow month” and we could take some time to think and plan before rushing into project action.

But no matter how busy you are, you’ll want to read these gems from last week. There’s only five. It will be your best investment for the week!

Stowe Boyd shares this conversation between Fast Company writer, Linda Tischler and Roger Martin, author of The Design of Business. It’s a great read and plays to the type of thinking I love – Why Companies Need Futurists, Not Analysts.
Just because much of social media is free, it doesn’t mean it is cheap. My buddy, Drew McLellan has produced a Social Media Strategy Workbook that you can download for free. But putting your strategy into action will tax your brain.
Do we still believe in civic responsibility? Should we? Danielle Chiaverini asks some challenging questions.
A lot of times – especially in social media – we talk about “just doing it”. This has appeal for those who have a vested interest in “talkability” – after all, you need a reason to share, right? But Valeria Maltoni asks, what’s the value of thinking in a do culture.
The team at Zeus Jones have put together this great presentation that just shares “what’s on our minds at the moment”. I love the simplicity of that concept – and the fact that they are sharing ideas that are bourn out of their work with their clients.

Are You the Agent of Your Own Change?

Conferences, Innovation, Vibewire

Have you ever made a deep change in your life? Did you look at the status quo and decide you didn’t like the shape, smell or grind that defined your life? If so – did you have the courage to change? Did you make that u-turn?

At the recent fastBREAK event – Vibewire’s co-production with the Powerhouse Museum, five speakers explored this topic. My favourite was this one story by Phil Gomes. He explains how he was able to turn his interest and passion for bikes and cycling into a job as an online editor with SBS Cycling Central.

It wasn’t easy – or even quick. But Phil makes the point – “be the agent of your own change”.

Infographic: Pin It to Win It

Infographics

Just when you think there can’t possibly be ANOTHER social network to add to the crowded list – along comes Pinterest. Not only has Pinterest been able to garner an audience – it’s one of the fastest growing social networking sites in history, generating 11.7 million visits in the month of January.

My view is that this growth has been spurred on largely through integration with the Facebook Open Graph (Pinterest was one of the first 60 partners). The strategic alignment of platforms like this will see new entrants having to take sides in what will become a war of ecosystems – Google v Facebook. It will make for interesting times – and certainly lead to consolidation over the coming year.

But coming back to Pinterest – we can certainly expect to see an increasing use by brands hoping to share in the massive volume of click through traffic that the site generates. The cool thing for brands and for businesses is that they will need to focus on topics not products or risk having their pinboards deleted. That means that – perhaps – brands will start to understand the nature of “adjacent conversations” and the power that they lend to your social media marketing efforts.

Note: Before you get too excited about Pinterest, take a quick look at an alternative view – the RISKS of using Pinterest.

MDG Advertising has created this neat infographic to highlight some of the more salient facts and figures.

Report: Outlook for Australian Social Business

Facts & Figures, Social Media, The Social Way

In the fast-moving world of social media, technology and marketing, you can be excused for feeling like you are being “left behind”. There’s always another new site, social network or mobile app to assess, figure out or show off to your friends and colleagues.

Now, the majority of these come from the US – but we are seeing more of these innovative startups appearing on the local Australian scene (take for example the recent launch of Roamz).

But startups are one thing. Adopting these innovations and using them in your business is quite another.

So a couple of months back I asked for input to a survey on the BUSINESS practice of social media. I wanted to know what people were thinking and what they were doing. I wanted to understand the ROADBLOCKS and the challenges as well as the opportunities that were emerging – specifically in an Australian context.

And now the results are in – and make for fascinating reading. The use of social media appeared far more widespread than I had expected – with a change in focus and a deeper commitment in terms of budget and resources. Moreover, this commitment cuts across all business sectors and sizes – it’s not just the small business owner who is investing in social business … the pattern is repeating right up to the largest national and global enterprises.

The real challenge is seems is twofold:

Addressing the perception gap – the difference between what and how brands use social media and the expectations that their customers have
Demonstrating value – we clearly need to find metrics that work for our businesses. Note that this does not seem to be a roadblock to investment!

You can download the analysis and the results here. The first 100 downloads are available at a 50% discount – only $49 (use discount code socialway).

I plan on repeating this survey each six months – to map this challenging and fast changing space. Keep up-to-date by subscribing to the Social Way newsletter.

You Owe the Companies Nothing

Authenticity, Community, Creativity

Stan Johnson shares this great rant from Banksy on advertising and advertisers in our society. It’s a little Cluetrain-esq with a more activist angle.

Take a read.

Does he make a fair point? I’m interested to know your point of view … not because it’s inflammatory or because I have a vested interest. How does it make you feel as a CREATOR of content and a CONSUMER of advertising? How do you reconcile this spectrum – or is there even a need? Do we owe companies nothing – or is there some silent, complicit contract or is is a fabrication?

Join Me at Internet Show Melbourne

Conferences

Every now and then, a conference comes along that I’d really like to attend. For me, these conferences aren’t JUST packed full of great speakers – it’s also about the audience. I try to think through WHO will attend, what they will bring to the conference and the potential topics that we could discuss during the event, at ad hoc tweetups and so on.

With that in mind, the upcoming Internet Show in Melbourne is about as promising a conference as we get this side of the shadow of SXSW. It’s two days of jam-packed action – lots of panels, some speed networking – and of course, great speakers like the firebrand, Rob Campbell (always NSFW but essential nonetheless) and Eaon Pritchard (founder of twelevision who promises not to make an exhibition of himself). Check out the full program here.

I am also participating in the event as a speaker. I’ll be talking about SAP’s Premier Customer Network, the power of closed communities and what it means to put a business social network to work.

If you want to come along to the conference, use the voucher code NZDY when you register online at www.internetshow.com.au to get a special rate. For registration assistance, call +61 2 9021 8807.

I hope to see you there!

It’s Not About the Logo. It’s About the Experience

Branding, Videos

When you work day-in, day-out in, on or for a business, it’s easy to get caught up. After all, every working moment you are absorbing the brand experience, drinking the kool-aid, deflecting and spouting management-speak and trying that little bit harder to humanise the brand.

But what you end up with is the inside-out view.

And what we really need … what we crave, fear and yearn for is the opposite. The outside-in view is always a jolt to the system – because it impacts what we believe. It throws our own reality into our faces.

It’s why I love this video. Dozens of logos are shown to a five year old and her response is recorded. It’s classic outside-in.

But the thing that really stands out for me is not which brands she recognises. It’s that the ONLY logos she recognises are those that she can associate with an experience – an experience that she can recall and articulate.

THAT is what we should be working towards. It’s not about the logo. We need to make all that we do about the EXPERIENCE. That way your expensive design work will stand in reference for something. And that’s worth paying for.

How to Rock an Audience

Conferences

When I studied theatre, I fell in love with the practice of directing. I loved doing the research – the dramaturgy – into the play or performance pieces we were studying. I was fascinated with the potential and challenge of interpretation. But most of all, I was captivated by the process of performance – of what it took to coach, cajole, push and nurture people through the process in such a way that they would connect and wow the audience.

Over the next few months, I am giving a number of workshops and presentations at various conferences (you can see my list over at Plancast – and don’t forget, you can book me to speak too) – and this means I have to turn this directorial focus around onto myself. This is easier said than done – especially when you work virtually (ie alone) most of the time.

Over the years, I have learned some tricks to get around this challenge:

Learn your lines – this one is a challenge for me, as I have always had a problem with learning scripts (I was a much better director than actor). But when you are presenting, you cannot get away from learning your lines. Sites like CuePrompter can help you keep your key story on track.
Rehearse – after you have learned your lines, you then need to think about what’s going to happen in front of an audience. How will you sync slides? Is there music or video?
Rehearse some more – we used to say that the difference between amateurs and professionals is that amateurs rehearse until they get it right, professionals rehearse until they can’t get it wrong. I have heard that some people will go through their presentation 40 times before going in front of an audience.
Record your presentation – setup a webcam or a video camera and present to it. Then sit back and watch it an hour or so later. Make sure there is a solid narrative through your performance. Look for ways to improve that flow

Now, these tips are all about preparation BEFORE you step in front of a room full of people. What can you do when you are in front of an audience? Here are some great tips from the rocking Tara Hunt.

How to Rock an Audience: from stage fright to stage presence

View more presentations from Tara Hunt

Take a look through Tara’s deck. Is there something that resonates with you? How do you feel about the Hero’s Journey? How do you apply that to your own presentations? Has this worked for you? Or even better – who have you seen who does this well? Share a video link, please!