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Social Media Mistakes Are Symptoms of Flawed Brand Strategies

Esteban Contreras — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:26:49 +0000

Tragedy is a human reality and we'll never be able to avoid it. People and nations may minimize it for long periods of time, but tragedy is a part of life on this Earth unfortunately. We all experience it at some point, no matter who we are, where we're from or how we go about our daily lives.

This week we saw tragedy strike in an unlikely setting when two explosions detonated in quick succession near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

We learned that news spread faster than ever. Most of our Facebook and Twitter feeds were covered with photos and videos within minutes. We watched raw footage alongside news anchors and bloggers, trying to process what was happening in real-time.

Whenever something like this happens we learn about our online friends; we can immediately tell which ones are prone to make jokes and which ones are capable of empathy and respect.

Because we've grown accustomed to "LIKE," follow and subscribe to brands on social media, we also learn about how companies communicate amidst tragic world events.

On the day of the Bostom Marathon, most companies showed their respect by going quiet on social channels. These companies acknowledged that their promotions, sales and campaigns could wait a few days due to the circumstances.

Some, like the New York Yankees, decided to go above and beyond to show support. Others shared insightful thoughts and the meaning of the Marathon and Boston to their company.

Some companies, such as Virgin America and AirBnB, decided to add value in a time of need, providing utility in a manner that was relevant and timely. Their efforts seemed genuine and I will assume that those who received some form of help from them will remember it for quite some time.

A few companies probably forgot about their automated campaigns, as Foursquare did with this unfortunate automated email.

I wish the story ended here, with the good and the not-so-good, but there's always at least one company out there that goes too far and way too soon... In this case, that brand was food site and mobile app Epicurious.

Epicurious showed not only insensitivity, but also a complete lack of empathy, maturity, and common sense. The company tweeted these somewhat subtle self-serving messages the morning after the bombing. The tweets were deleted and an apology was soon posted, but screenshots will preserve the tweets until the end of time.

It's no longer 2009 folks.

Companies tweeting such senseless things shouldn't fire agencies or team members. Oh no, I think this is a deeper issue than that. Such tweets are but a symptom of a greater problem that lies beneath a company's drumbeat of social media content.

At best, Epicurious had a strategic issue. Perhaps social media was a bit of an afterthought there or perhaps the focus was on engagement for the sake of engagement; impressions for the sake of impressions. Perhaps someone was sick or someone took over without permission, and the right guidance simply wasn't there. Regardless of what happened, the strategy is clearly one to revisit.

Without giving social media the importance it deserves, a company's social media team(s) will certainly be more likely to fail publicly. Recognized brands ranging from Chrysler to Kenneth Cole have embarrassed themselves time and time again on social media.

I'd like to give Epicurious the benefit of a doubt and hope this really was just a mistake and not a complete lack of leadership, a lack of cohesiveness, and strategic planning.

I'm speaking as someone who has had the responsibility of guarding, protecting and representing a brand in a public forum, and I've always believed that a brand is always a tweet away from disaster. This is what leads me to question whether mistakes like this can continue to be called "mistakes."

Mistakes like this display symptoms of a flawed social media strategy, one where public communications with the entire world, including those who spends their days and nights on sites like 4Chan, Imgur, Wikipedia and Reddit, continue to take a backseat.

More than a social media strategy flaw, this could also go as far as being a flawed overall brand strategy.

Brands like American Apparel purposefully generate strong emotions - as they did with their purposefully insensitive "Sandy Sale" offers - but they do so in a way that's calculated and consistent. Their worldview is set and some will find it offensive while others will find it funny. Is American Apparel's approach and worldview flawed? Only time will tell, but at least it's clear.

But what about Epicurious' worldview? I mean, seriously, what does breakfast energy have to do with a bombing at a marathon? This makes me wonder... How do they view their users and customers? How do they view themselves and the world at large?

I personally think there is not excuse sometimes. If you're communicating publicly, you need to be accountable. There should be no place for leveraging a tragedy for the sake of attention and reach.

It's 2013 and it's time to act like it. If brands keep tweeting stuff like this, they're going to generate hundreds of thousands of tweets, but they're not going to be pretty.

Is it ok to make "mistakes" and apologize 20 minutes later?

All brands need to take social media seriously. This is not a choice anymore. Brands don't dismiss the press, they don't dismiss traditional advertising channels, and I doubt they intend on dismissing customers. By dismissing social media, they're dismissing all of the above.

Social media "mistakes" may not affect a company in the long-term (and they most likely won't) but is that a risk you want to take?

Let's hope next time there's a tragedy, brands won't make the mistakes they've made in the past. When in doubt, think about this: If you're not going to add value (to your audience), it's best to say absolutely nothing.

Tragedy will always be around us, but hopefully the brands around us will stop trying to leverage such tragedies for their own benefit. A tragedy leaves no room for anyone to benefit, at least not while the Internet is watching.

CMAD and The Gift of Community Management

Esteban Contreras — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:30:19 +0000

When I first joined Samsung USA as a Social Media Manager, my role was both strategic and tactical in nature. While my mind was constantly concerned with how to scale efforts and enhance engagement, growth, sentiment, impressions, etc., community management was very much a part of my day-to-day job. I lived in constant hybrid mode; consistently thinking about the future of Samsung's approach to social media while also being concerned with how Samsung should "behave" and "speak" online each day. The job had its perks and its exciting and nervewracking moments, few moments were as rewarding as some of the interactions I had with Samsung fans (and former critics!).

As a Samsung Social Media Manager, I communicated with the brand's customers and potential customers on a daily basis. Back in 2010, jobs like "social media manager" and "community manager" were still somewhat new and many people seemed shocked to learn that companies actually paid employees to tweet and respond to messages on Facebook. I must say that it was a privilege to be in a role that allowed me to act as a synapse between people in the outside world and people within Samsung's internal walls. It was truly an honor to be the first (or one of the first) to be 100% dedicated to Samsung's growing presence in the increasingly social web.

My role at Samsung evolved over the years to become something much more strategically aligned with driving towards broader marketing and digital goals, but I continued to interact with social media users who were passionate about Samsung, and even now, months after leaving Samsung, I still enjoy having conversations online with Samsung fans. I am one of them and it's amazing to think that former customers are now part of my life, even if just through 140 character messages, Facebook status updates, and Google+ comments.

There is something about community management that is special and those who have done it likely have likely benefited greatly from it, sometimes without even realizing this. Community managers are learning to master a collection of valuable skills that would've traditionally been associated with marketing, customer service, IT, PR and corporate communications professionals. The best community managers are gifted with unique abilities that can make a meaningful difference in building a brand and satisfying customers in a way that advertising, sales and traditional customer care efforts often cannot, and I believe that community managers will become increasingly important as the world realizes the value of lightweight interactions with consumers on social networks. Reach, frequency, and creative work may not mean as much to a customer as interactions that solve problems, show attentiveness, acknowledge issues, and create an emotional connection beyond a temporary 30 second spot or YouTube video. Social networks are in many ways an informal setting and that is not the kind of setting that businesses have ever been a part of in the past.

Community managers can make things more personal. When someone wants to reach out to Samsung on Twitter, they don't just reach out to @SamsungTweets - they can also reach out to @SamsungJessica or @SamsungCarla. Sure, many community manager interactions with consumers consist of one single exchange of messages, similar to "single-serving friends" as described in the movie Fight Club, but such short interactions may make a big difference. Some social conversations can lead to a permanent shift in how a consumer views a company, and believe it or not, sometimes these interactions can result in new friendships (I say this speaking from experience). While there are many customer-facing jobs out there, community managers can build relationships with customers, both as individuals and on behalf of their brands, and they can also enable relationships among members of online communities.

Social media's benefit for companies is becoming evident. There are still skeptics out there, and that's a good thing, but the fact is that some of the world's leading companies are not only getting a return on their investments, but also increasingly investing in all things social. More companies than ever before are active in social networks and many of them have become experts in listening to consumers and interacting with them in real-time. Many are now accustomed to responding within minutes - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and they are consistently optimizing the way they create and curate content, the way they filter, moderate, collaborate, and respond to incoming messages, and the way they measure and report on all this.

As companies evolve their social media efforts, they must not forget about the importance of the role of the community manager. Community managers are the voice of the company and they are attuned to consumer sentiment in a way that deserves not only appreciation, but also respect and celebration.

On January 28th, 2013, I will join others all over the world to celebrate Community Manager Appreciation Day. My gift to community managers is that on CMAD I will make my book SOCIAL STATE available at no cost to anyone who wants to read it. My hope is that the book will help and inspire community managers and aspiring community managers.

For the 24 hours of CMAD, SOCIAL STATE will be available for *FREE* in the following digital storefronts:

Amazon Kindle http://bit.ly/socialstateamazon
Apple iBooks http://bit.ly/socialstateibooks
Barnes & Noble Nook http://bit.ly/socialstatenook
Vook (ideal for international readers) http://bit.ly/socialstatevook

In closing, I'm excited to see the role of community managers grow in scope, maturity, creativity, and overall value. Some of today's community managers will become tomorrow's business leaders, and they will play an essential role in how companies of all sizes think about and interact with consumers.

Join the #CMAD movement as we thank community managers for the role they play online and offline.

Cheers!

ps. Check out this Facebook event to remind yourself about this one-time sale on CMAD.

In 2013, Choose Your Role Wisely

Esteban Contreras — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:57:20 +0000

There are 1 billion people all over the world sharing their lives on Facebook, and that's only one of many services enabling and dictating how we connect, how we learn, and how we act.

All in public.

At its core, social media is about people. As we change, it changes with us. However, the very nature of social technologies is affecting us.

Everything we know is being re-imagined.

Will we become more or less “human” as we embark on a one-way trip to socially aware devices, websites and companies?

Will the “Internet of Everything” become the “Internet of Us?” And what will we look like, talk like, and feel like when it does?

All of us have a role in the development of the “Social State.”

In 2013, choose your role wisely.

SOCIAL STATE (the book)

Available Now:

Amazon Kindle http://bit.ly/socialstateamazon
Barnes & Noble Nook http://bit.ly/socialstatenook
Apple iBooks http://bit.ly/socialstateibooks
Vook http://bit.ly/socialstatevook

Learn more:

http://www.socialstatebook.com/

The Naked Brand Creator Jeff Rosenblum Talks About the Future of Advertising

Esteban Contreras — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:22:40 +0000

Jeff Rosenblum is the co-founder of Questus and the creator of The Naked Brand, a documentary about the future of the advertising industry. The documentary shows how the industry can help save the planet one small step at a time, and features business and marketing leaders like Kevin Plank, Tony Hsieh, Alex Bogusky and B. Bonin Bough.

I interviewed Jeff for my book SOCIAL STATE, and below I've included the content included in the book, as well as the rest of our conversation. In this Q&A, Jeff shares about the origins of The Naked Brand, as well as the industry's evolving role, corporate transparency, and much more.

“We had no idea that we would discover this amazing story that the advertising industry can help save the world.”

Social Nerdia: The Naked Brand is a documentary about how advertising needs to evolve. What’s the story?

Jeff Rosenblum: The funny thing is that we never set out to specifically make a documentary. We simply started out with an observation. We realized that consumer communication has gone through a complete revolution over the past decade. Search, mobile and social technologies have made brands completely transparent, and simultaneously, ad avoidance technology has completely disrupted the marketing industry. So, we set out to create a brief video discussing the revolution that is going to take place in the world of advertising. We had no idea where it would take us, and we certainly didn’t think it’d turn into a documentary including some of the most important and influential executives in the world. And, we had no idea that we would discover this amazing story that the advertising industry can help save the world.

Social Nerdia: Why and how should leading brands celebrate and empower consumers?

JR: Consumers are already empowered. Advertising campaigns no longer create brands. Rather, a brand is created through the totality of an experience, and perceptions of that brand are based largely upon the way consumers communicate with each other. Rather than trying to manipulate their social image, businesses should focus inwardly - create great products, provide excellent services, diminish the negative effect that the business has on the environment, and treat employees with respect. Subsequently, consumers will admire the corporate values and carry the brand message forward. The fundamental discovery in the film is that a brand identity is based upon its behavior rather than its advertising message. This doesn’t preclude a company from doing powerful and exciting things through social media. But many brands focus first on leveraging social media to empower consumers before considering corporate behavior, and that is extremely inefficient.

Social Nerdia: What are examples of a recent agency execution that demonstrates otherwise?

JR: There are a lot of great brands that are creating inventive, successful ads. Chipotle’s “Back to the Start” is an incredible advertisement. Red Bull’s initiative to support Felix Baumgartner’s jump from outer space is an unprecedented project, and I think, an example of the newest definition of advertising. The ironic part is that when brands actually focus less on advertising they create the opportunity to develop a world class ad, because those ads are based on reality, and it’s simply the role of the agency to develop a creative, emotional layer that sits on top of that real world story. The other thing you’ll notice is that the creative canvas has fundamentally expanded. We’re no longer limited to a 30 second TV spot, or a full-page print ad, or an 350*250 banner ad. Great brands create immersive platforms. When brands have a great story to tell and can do it in an unprecedented way, consumers want to immerse themselves in that content and spread the story in a way better than paid media ever could.

Social Nerdia: Can social media help rebuild lost trust?

JR: Sure, social media can rebuild trust, but it can also break down trust. Social media really just provides a lens to corporate behavior. So the real focus for brands should be on internal behavior that gets consumers to say what the brand wants said on social media. Ad gimmicks in the social space won’t have any real meaning in the long-term. Social communication will happen whether a brand participates or not, so it’s the brand’s job to create something worth advocating.

Social Nerdia: Companies like Pepsi have made bold moves with "social good" campaigns like Pepsi Refresh, and we can all agree on the win-win benefits of this approach. However, is there a danger in corporations having so much power that they start taking over the responsibilities of other organizations, such as non-profits, churches and government begin? And what's the danger in jumping on bandwagons only for the sake of profit?

JR: I don’t think there’s any danger for corporations getting involved in social good. You can never have too many people participating in making the world a better place. I think the only danger for corporations is when they start doing it for solely altruistic reasons. Then it just becomes a short-lived marketing trend, and brands will move on as soon as they see a new shiny object. One of the important messages within the film is that when brands do things that move the planet forward, they make more money. Those are the stories that consumers want to share, and when consumers share a story it becomes a de facto ad platform. As long as corporations can be more responsible for the planet and find a way to build their brands and generate profits, I see absolutely no downside.

Social Nerdia: Alex Bogusky is an example of someone who drove change in the ad industry and then left when he didn't see enough impact in terms of meaningful business transformation. What can ad executives and CMOs learn from Alex and his new venture Common?

JR: There’s a lot to learn from Alex Bogusky, who was instrumental in constructing the story behind The Naked Brand. Specifically, I love his philosophy on corporate transparency. “Transparency,” he says, “is not a choice. It’s going to happen. The only choice is: does it happen to you, or do you participate in it? And when it happens to you, it has proven to be really ugly.” What we can learn from Common is their dedication to transparency. For example, in the spirit of community and being transparent, they broadcasted their board meetings on the web with real time streaming. Regardless of whether the information was positive or negative, they decided to share it. I don’t think that’s going to make or break the Common brand, but it is an important demonstration of transparency. And that’s extremely powerful.

Social Nerdia: If today's hot startups were to become tomorrow's big corporations, what would you recommend they do in the next few years in order to make the world a better place?

JR: I think the most important thing we need in corporate America is powerful leadership. If you consider some of the most important brands, whether or not they’re in the film – Apple, Amazon, Under Armour, Patagonia, Chipotle, Virgin America – all of these brands have powerful leadership teams that are willing to take risks and break down the silos that exist within their organization. Their marketing, operations, customer service, and product development are all in close communication with one another. They realize that it’s the totality of the consumer experience and the synergy created through interdepartmental communication that creates a breakthrough brand, not simply a great advertising department. And that’s pretty easy for a small start-up to do. Many of them are conceived around a ping-pong table doubling as a conference room. But as many of them grow up and gain responsibility, it becomes easier to be siloed. The breakthrough brands are the ones that fight against the natural pull toward boundaries and corporate silos and continue to focus on the needs of the consumer. Apple is now the most valuable company in the world. According to the Steve Jobs biography, every single Monday he got key leaders of his team together for a meeting. That’s extremely hard to do, of course, because everyone is busy, and adding one more meeting to the calendar is difficult. But it proves is that even giant corporations – when they’re committed to breaking down the silos – can act like a start up, and the returns are unprecedented.

Social Nerdia: What advice would you give to young advertising professionals who want to drive meaningful change?

JR: Take risks. Have a good time. Break the rules. Be positive and supportive of your teammates. But don’t accept anything but their absolute best. Remember there’s going to be a revolution that takes place in the world of advertising. You can be a part of that revolution, or you can watch from the sidelines. The choice is yours.

Ekaterina Walter Talks About Her Book "Think Like Zuck"

Esteban Contreras — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:02:30 +0000

Ekaterina Walter is the author of "Think Like Zuck" and a Social Innovator for Intel. I've been fortunate to know Ekaterina for several years and I must say Ekaterina is the real deal not only as an author, thought leader, speaker, and strategist, but also as a practitioner driving change at one of the world's most recognized brands.

In this Q&A, Ekaterina talks about her exciting first book (out today!), why she wrote it, the publishing process, and much more.

“Zuck has a clear long-term vision of where he wants to take his company and he is executing on that vision.”

Social Nerdia: Who should read “Think Like Zuck”? What should a reader expect to get from the book?

Ekaterina Walter: Anyone who has a passion for innovation and disruption. Those who have an entrepreneurial streak, whether they are an intrapreneur (a person who drives change within a large company) or an entrepreneur (someone who owns his/her own business). And just anyone who wants to learn from other successful leaders.

Packed with examples of Facebook’s success principles in action - as well as those of Zappos, TOMS, Threadless, Dyson, and other companies — Think Like Zuck gives you the inspiration, knowledge, and insight to make your own mark in the world; to build a business that makes a difference, and to lead your organization to long-term profitability and growth.

Social Nerdia: Why did you write "Think Like Zuck"?

EW: I wanted to share the mentality and behavior of successful people, the lessons I learned on my own journey, and insights from the brands that have made it.

In my experience within large companies, and in my mentoring of a number of start-ups, I observed and experienced a number of things that successful people, as well as companies, did well and also the mistakes they made (that includes my own experiences and my own mistakes, by the way). I’ve also worked closely with Facebook for over four years and watched them grow as a company. Beyond that I interviewed other great young leaders like Jake, who started Threadless, and Ricky who started Connected Ventures (Vimeo, CollegeHumor.com among others), who now run large and well-known companies. And then there are just plain average people who I worked with who may not have been heads of companies, but were some of the most amazing leaders that I have ever had privilege working with. I wanted to share that knowledge with others.

Social Nerdia:  What was the process of taking the book from idea to bookshelves?

EW: It’s pretty involved. First you have to agree on the idea for the book with your publisher. Then you have to do research, interviews, and ideation for different parts of the book. Then you write and review the manuscript with your editor, ensuring you get an outside perspective on your content. Once you polish your content, a copywriter needs to review for extra grammar issues and the flow. And then there is the book’s layout, cover, and final touches on everything. You have to leave time to get the praise for the book and the foreword if you want to include those as well. And the real work starts – promotion of the book. LOL.

Social Nerdia:  What makes Mark Zuckerberg such a unique leader?

EW: Long-term strategic outlook and the courage to stand up to the pressures (both internal and external) that would veer him away from his vision. For example, everyone was saying NewsFeed was a bad idea (when it first came out) and now it is the feature we can’t live without. People were saying Facebook becoming a platform was not the right strategic and business decision, but now 24.3% of the top 10,000 websites in the world have some form of official Facebook integration on their home pages.

It isn’t easy to withstand that pressure, especially when you are in your early twenties. It is even harder to walk away from a billion dollar buy-out offer. But Zuck has a clear long-term vision of where he wants to take his company and he is executing on that vision.

Social Nerdia:  How have you leveraged your own "Zuck" lessons learned at Intel?

EW: Intel is naturally a culture of innovation. Risk-taking is encouraged. Our philosophy is that failure is just a stepping stone to something greater. My management encourages creativity and gives us freedom to dream and innovate. They trust that we will do a great job and they empower us to paint the blank canvas. We have a clear vision of where we want to be and hire great people who fit within our culture. We partner smartly. Just like in any organization there are ways to improve, but I wouldn’t have been able to help lead social business transformation within the company in the past four years if the above wasn’t true.

Social Nerdia:  What inspires you, and what concerns you about the current state of social media?

EW: What inspires me is the adoption of social listening, engagement, and response by more and more brands. That’s the right direction. What concerns me is the influx of tools that is becoming harder and harder to sort out and the huge amounts of data that marketers don’t know how to analyze yet.

Social Nerdia:  What should marketers do in 2013 to help their companies leapfrog competitors?

EW: Listen even more intently. Engage communities even more passionately. Respond even faster. Delight with better customer service. Focus on fundamentals. And break through the noise with outstanding content.

 Social Nerdia: What advice would you give to young marketers seeking to follow in your footsteps?

EW: Take risks – try out new things. Show initiative – if there is a gap, bridge it. If there is an unhappy customer – help address the issue. Constantly improve. And keep on learning. No one is a guru; if you are passionate about what you do you will find the way to break through. Remember, sometimes curiosity and naiveté trump experience. Don’t be afraid to ask “why?” and “why not?,” and keep an open mind.

Social Media: Transforming Our Lives, For Better or Worse

Esteban Contreras — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 20:25:15 +0000

Note: This is an excerpt from my new book SOCIAL STATE.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”

– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In 2012, Facebook reached a milestone: 1 billion active users. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world.

In an age where couples meet, date, and announce everything from marriage to pregnancy and divorce on Facebook, it is clear that social media has had a meaningful impact on how modern connected human beings live their lives. Facebook has become the de facto platform for sharing life’s most meaningful milestones. It is where our announcements become official, and where we celebrate our biggest accomplishments.

As if changing our relationship status publicly was not enough, most U.S. children born these days are having a digital birth. According to a study by AVG, nearly a quarter of children are first “born online,” thanks to their parents’ baby scan uploads to social media profiles. Today, on average, U.S. newborns have been “Liked,” “Retweeted,” and “Shared” since their mother reached her sixth month of pregnancy.

We already have too many photos stored inside our smartphones, digital cameras, laptops, email accounts, and external hard drives. The amount of disk space required to store a lifetime of photos seems to be outgrowing the abilities of our devices. Can you imagine how much more will be required to store the photos of a generation whose lives are being documented on a moment-to-moment basis? Will tomorrow’s tweens embrace our social media addiction, taking it to a whole new level by sharing their every action and thought seamlessly, involuntarily, and automatically with strangers, acquaintances, and friends alike? Or will they rebel against our ways and set out to create small, micro-communities where they can easily control how and when they are exposed to an outside world?

Before we think about the future, let’s consider how “old” the most popular social media sites are today:

LinkedIn: Born May 2003 - Almost ten years old
Facebook: Born February 2004 - Almost nine years old
YouTube: Born February 2005 - Almost eight years old
Twitter: Born March 2006 - Almost seven years old
VK: Born September 2006 - Over six years old
Tumblr: Born April 2007 - Almost six years old
Sina Weibo: Born August 2009 - Over three years old
Pinterest: Born March 2010 - Almost three years old
Instagram: Born October 2010 - Over two years old
Google+: Born June 2011 - One year and a half years old

It’s hard to imagine life without many of these web sites.

For an annual cost of $0, these social networks allow us to share our lives instantly, effortlessly, and with a whole lot of metadata. When aggregated, this paints a picture of who we are, what we like, and how we live our lives.

If someone wanted to go through our every social interaction online to create a comprehensive profile of our identity, it wouldn’t be difficult. They could compose a map displaying where we’ve been (whether we have actively “checked in” or not), what we’ve said (or agreed with), who we care about (and despise), and what we think about.

Our life, or at least the digital version of it, exists as rows and columns in massive databases somewhere in a “cloud” of computers that we will never see, hear or reboot. We simply know that our information is recorded somewhere in the mysterious global network we know as the Internet and that as long as we click “refresh” on our browsers, everything will be ok. And yet, this means that we do not fully have control or ownership over some of the most memorable recordings of ourselves.

The fact is that social media is both exciting AND scary.

From the early days of the World Wide Web, the Internet has consistently created both new opportunities and risks. The web allowed for an integration of life and technology, and social media represents an era in which Internet users have opted to reveal their true identities as they interact with the world around them. A more “open and connected” web, as Mark Zuckerberg likes to say, brings a whole new set of excitement and creepiness into an already complex digital landscape.

Get SOCIAL STATE on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks and Vook.

Mashable's Sharon Feder and the Story of #GivingTuesday

Esteban Contreras — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:31:17 +0000

Sharon Feder is the Chief Operating Officer at Mashable, a "leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation." Sharon started as an Editorial Assistant in 2008 and is now responsible for the company’s business operations including sales, marketing, community and human resources.

I've witnessed Mashable's rise over the years, from a personal blog to a "one-stop-shop social media hub," and I have great admiration for the team's ability to grow and evolve while taking a stand for all things "social good."

In this Q&A, Sharon tells the story behind #GivingTuesday, and shares her thoughts on some of the most memorable trends and stories of 2012.

“We now have more than 2,000 partner organizations and companies planning activations around #GivingTuesday with their respective communities.”

Social Nerdia: What's the story behind #GivingTuesday?

Sharon Feder: Henry Timms, the Deputy Executive Director of New York's 92nd Street Y approached me and others with this great idea that he had started thinking about during last year's holiday season: We have a day for giving thanks, two days for getting deals. Why shouldn't there be a day for giving back?

The idea is simple: Why not create a structured day that encourages corporations, individuals and families to give back in a way that's meaningful to them, whether through volunteerism or donation. We started to recruit partners, participants and social media ambassadors and quickly saw online communities embracing and taking ownership of #givingtuesday and turning it into a movement.

We now have more than 2,000 partner organizations and companies planning activations around #GivingTuesday with their respective communities.

Social Nerdia: Mashable has done a lot to encourage "social good" over the last few years. What does contributing to the world mean to the Mashable team?

SF: A few years ago Mashable's CEO and Founder Pete Cashmore donated his birthday to Charity:Water to raise money to build a well in Ethiopia. His efforts were successful and we were all moved by what our community was able to achieve.

We realized we have a powerful platform that can inform and create positive change. As a result, we've become more involved over the years in covering innovations in social good, we've partnered with organizations like 92Y, UNFoundation and others to host our annual Social Good Summit, as well as become involved in initiatives like #GivingTuesday.

We truly feel that technology has the ability to solve global problems and make this world a better place.

Social Nerdia: What did you think about how companies leveraged social media this Black Friday?

SF: I was more focused on the general shift to online this Black Friday. For the first time ever, Black Friday online sales topped $1 billion. Brands like Amazon were smart to push big deals on Black Friday and also smart to push their customers to their price check app.

Social Nerdia: You've been Mashable's COO for almost a year now. What were some of the news stories and events of the year that you will remember as highlights?

SF: This truly has been an incredible year with big trends, shifts in consumer behavior and lots of global events. It's been incredible to see visual sharing networks like Pinterest and Instagram take off and to see people increasingly valuing and sharing beautiful photos and images. Additionally, to see such a big shift to mobile and the rise of big data. All of these trends and more inspired the new Mashable, which launched in beta two weeks ago and will be launching to the public soon.

I think the biggest story for me this year was Sandy. It personally affected me, my family and the neighborhood I grew up in: Rockaway, Queens. Experiencing the storm and a week of blackout in NYC was one thing, but now seeing the power of social media in sharing the stories of those affected by the storm and organizing the grassroots efforts to recover and rebuild are another.

Social Nerdia: What advice would you give to young professionals who want to drive meaningful change in the world by leveraging social media?

SF: I'd say go for it! And #GivingTuesday could be the perfect day to start. You have the drive and the tools. It's time to make something happen!

Cosmin Ghiurau Talks About The Real Likes of Social Media

Esteban Contreras — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 07:31:14 +0000

Cosmin Ghiurau is the Social Media Marketing Director at Radio Shack, leading social media strategy for a retail corporation with over 34,000 employees and 6,000 retail locations globally. I had the honor of working with Cosmin for several years while he led Samsung Mobile USA’s social media marketing, envisioning and executing a strategic foundation for what ultimately became one of the largest communities in social media (reaching millions of fans on Facebook and Twitter). Cosmin is well aware that social media is about much more than likes and follows, and he’s authentically committed to nurturing actual relationships with fans and followers.

In this interview, Cosmin shares his thoughts on 'real likes,' socially shareable content, and driving enterprise results.

“If there isn’t a solid plan in place for a brand to maintain that ‘like’ of a consumer and transition that choice into a long-term relationship that evolves into a commitment, then it's a wasted effort.”

Social Nerdia: I've always appreciated your focus on having a strong foundation for everything. How important is this when leading social media marketing efforts?

Cosmin Ghiurau: First of all thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts and perspective on social media and how it applies to business. I’ve always had the mantra that having a strong foundation both personally and professionally is critical to balancing the impact of my efforts. Since being a practitioner of social media before it even had this label, I’ve gone through the phases of early adopter, influencer, and advocate. Now, applying these key learnings and experience to large brands I’ve been a personal witness of what can propel success.

Social Nerdia:  What's the secret to driving results in all things social?

CG: If I had the answer for instant results within social it would be a different conversation. There isn’t a key secret. It is a continuous effort to listen, learn, and take action. One item I emphasize from a leadership standpoint is making sure whenever you approach social media, it is starts with an end objective or goal. Is it driving fan acquisition? Is it driving lead generation? Is it driving awareness? Each one of these objectives should be measurable and meaningful. Then craft the tactics around these objectives to make sure there is a true purpose.   

Social Nerdia: Brands should be past counting likes these days but social media has only recently started to become a CEO-level agenda. What do you mean when you talk about 'real likes?'

CG: I love using the term ‘real like’ because the term ‘like’ for a brand can mean everything, but in reality it will mean nothing. If there isn’t a solid plan in place for a brand to maintain that ‘like’ of a consumer and transition that choice into a long-term relationship that evolves into a commitment, then it's a wasted effort. The ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ is step one, the reality of the ‘like’ is the next step. What is the purpose of greeting someone and getting a response back if there is not continued dialogue between both? To me this is the purity of social media. This means not only having an authentic relationship, but nurturing that relationship on an ongoing basis.  

Social Nerdia: Thinking about the marketplace today... Do you think consumers are satisfied with the way brands are participating in social media today?

CG: I’ll be honest. Consumers are satisfied with brands that get it. There are many brands that have a dedicated budget and resources along with an integrated strategy to place social at the center of their efforts. They realize that social media is not only a siloed channel but something that needs to be threaded through the organization. These are the types of brands that consumers resonate with. Then there are the knock-off brands that try to emulate their competition instead of being true to who they are as a brand and who their customers are.

Social Nerdia: What do you think will be essential in the next year as big brands prepare to scale their social media marketing and customer service?

CG: The key is making sure there is a balance in their social media efforts. Depending on the lifecycle of the social media practice at a company or brand, there should always be a healthy mix of paid media along with compelling content and personal communication to produce that deeper relationship. The rise of visual social media with what I call “socially shareable” content will be critical going forward. Another trend that cannot be denied is the shift away from desktop social to mobile social. There will and should be a stronger emphasis in all social media strategy toward mobile social. Strategies should not start with; “How can we grow to 1 million likes and lead the conversation on Twitter” but the strategy should begin with; “How do we capture our customer on their mobile device and provide them a social experience that results in an ongoing conversation”.   

Social Nerdia: What does social media mean for RadioShack?

CG: Currently social media at RadioShack is at a place where scaling our efforts is our next step in overall strategy. The rich history, legacy and brand association within the marketplace allows us to be a retailer that consumers can discover innovative products in the retail experience. Once they discover us, they realize the selection and value RadioShack provides. We also have a strong presence on most social channels and emerging channels such as Pinterest, and Instagram. Within social media we have adopted a “tinkerer” attitude to be in the conversation where our customers engage and be there to help support and recommend solutions similar to our experience within our stores.  

Social Nerdia: What advice would you give to aspiring social media marketers?

CG: My main advice is to make sure you always start with the end goal in mind first. Don’t get caught up by the success of other brands and their social efforts. Learn from them. Adapt to your audience, customer, and community. Deliver them a world-class experience and make sure you have the results benchmarked to showcase where there is need for improvement and when to celebrate the successes.

Guy Kawasaki on Content, Market Research and the Democratization of Entrepreneurship

Esteban Contreras — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:12:20 +0000

Guy Kawasaki is the author of What the Plus!, Enchantment, and nine other books. He is also the co-founder of Alltop.com, an “online magazine rack” of popular topics on the web, an advisor to multiple startups, and Apple's former chief evangelist.

From Reality Check (my personal favorite among Guy's books) to his near-omnipresent approach to social media, Guy's work has always inspired me. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Guy during my Samsung years (not too long ago). Guy's emails, always brief and insightful, were definitely some of the best ones I ever received from a Samsung fan.

I recently had a chance to catch up with him: In this interview, Guy shares his thoughts on Google+, creating valuable content, startups, Silicon Valley, his upcoming book (APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur), and more!

"Build something that you want to use. Prototype your product or service as quickly as you can. Don't write a business plan, create a pitch, or craft a financial forecast. Get it out there."

Social Nerdia: You've been a big supporter of Google+. Now that Google's social layer is over a year old, what do you think Google needs to focus on to take it to the next level?

Guy Kawasaki: This is a marathon, not a sprint. Google needs to just keep chugging ahead, feature by feature. It took Macintosh twenty-years to get where it's at today. I'm not saying it will take that long, but one year is about one fifth of the event. Having said this, I wish that I could share posts from other products and use a "Tweetdeck" of Google+. If you want to see my Google+ evangelism in action, please check out: http://eepurl.com/n1auX

Social Nerdia: From AllTop to your personal social media presence, your name is often associated with high quality content. What is the key to consistently creating and curating valuable content over a long period of time?

GK: I operate under what I call the NPR Model. NPR provides great content year in and year out. Several times a year it runs a fundraising telethon. Nobody likes these, but you tolerate them because of the quality of NPR's content.

Social media is a means to an end for me: to tap into the wisdom of the crowd and to promote products to my followers. I am willing to spend enormous amounts of time to find high-quality content to earn the right to do this.

Social Nerdia: You advise or invest in multiple startups, including USTREAM, Paper.li, SlideShare and StumbleUpon. What's your favorite part about working with startups?

GK: I love seeing how entrepreneurs solve problems and make people more creative and productive. This love started with Macintosh and continues to this day.

Social Nerdia: Silicon Valley has been a source of technological innovation for many years. How has it changed since your days at Stanford and how do you think its role in the tech industry will change in the next decade?

GK: If anything, it's gotten more innovative because the costs of starting a company are so much lower than before. Costs are so low that venture capitalists are less necessary because sites like Indiegogo can provide seed capital. I love the democratization of entrepreneurship as a mega trend.

Social Nerdia: As a husband, father, blogger, author, venture capitalist, speaker, advisor, hockey enthusiast, and so much more... you keep yourself quite busy. How do you prioritize opportunities and what do you like to do when you simply need to take some time off?

GK: Your question implies that I do prioritize things well. It's not clear that I do. The secret to my success is that I am willing to grind it out. There are plenty of people who are smarter than me. There are not so many who are willing to grind it out like me.

Social Nerdia: You've written over 10 fantastic books and people seem to frequently ask you about your "next book." What's your process for deciding when and how to write a new book?

GK: It's eleven, but who's counting. :-) My next book is called APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur -- How to Succeed in Self-Publishing. The one before this was What the Plus!. I write a new book when something interests me or a publisher offers me a huge advance. Either condition works.

Social Nerdia: What advice would you give to people who aspire to change the world?

GK: Build something that you want to use. Prototype your product or service as quickly as you can. Don't write a business plan, create a pitch, or craft a financial forecast. Get it out there. See if people will really use it. For God' sake, don't do market research.

Onward: Why I Moved to Canada and Joined NYC Startup Sprinklr

Esteban Contreras — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 07:15:25 +0000

I'm glad, grateful, and relieved to say that I am now officially a Canadian permanent resident... and I will be joining one of my favorite startups in the world: NYC-based Sprinklr.

I'm writing this from my new home in New Westminster, BC, Canada. I've only been here a few days, but I already feel part of the tech and marketing community. This is probably because I've been connecting (online and offline) with great people from the Vancity area for a few years. From independent consultants and photographers to event organizers and startup founders, the Vancouver community has not only drawn me to this incredible place, but it has also welcomed me with open arms.

Let me provide some background…

I landed in Canada about a week ago. It was a move that my wife and I had discussed on-and-off for many years because we've always romanticized about the idea of moving (or at least retiring) in the Canadian West Coast. Vancouver is a beautiful place that aspires to be the greenest city in the world by 2020 and it consistently gets included in lists of the best cities to live in. The Vancouver metropolitan area is often referred to as Hollywood North (because of the film industry it has fostered), it has given birth to brands like Lululemon and startups like Flickr, and it also acts as home base for companies like Telus and EA Sports Canada. Silicon Valley is quite aways south, but Vancouver is both in the same time zone and entrepreneurial mindset as the Bay Area. No wonder Vancity often attracts tech heavyweight visitors, from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to 500 Startups founder Dave McClure.

Half hour away from downtown Vancouver is New Westminster, an area that my wife and I found very appealing not only for its more affordable living (compared to Vancouver), but also for the buzz the area seems to get: Some even claim New West is envisioned to some day become something along the lines of what Brooklyn is to New York City today. I like the sound of that.

Brooklyn - and the entire New York Metro area - is one of my favorite places on Earth. I had the incredible privilege of living in Jersey City, NJ, only minutes from New York City, and Brooklyn for that matter, up until last week.

My move to Jersey City was due to an opportunity to join Samsung in 2009. My first interaction with Samsung came about six months after this blog was launched: I interviewed Samsung's Director of Digital Engagement Matt Moller (as well as former Samsung Director of eCommerce Keith Swiderski) live on my then-weekly podcast "The Social Nerdia Show!" - You can read and listen here.

It was an absolute honor to work at Samsung, one of the world's top 20 brands and the biggest technology company in the world. As Social Media Marketing Manager, I led the brand's U.S. social media strategy, execution, management, measurement, and between us… quite a bit more :)

Hired as the first Samsung team member to focus entirely on social media, I was able to work with incredibly smart and talented people who gave me the opportunity to lead major efforts such as the integration of social technologies and gamification into broader marketing campaigns and Samsung.com and Samsung's buzzworthy sponsorship activations at SXSW Interactive.

In the past few years I've seen Samsung go from completely absent in social media to having one of the strongest brand presences on Earth thanks to dozens of teams working in tandem around the world - we all had a common mission, and we all were passionate fans of Samsung ourselves. More importantly, I was fortunate to be part of the Samsung family and legacy during a key part of its history, one in which Samsung became a leader and innovator in multiple categories such as mobile and home appliances.

Samsung used to be a manufacturer that did not have much of a relationship with consumers, but today Samsung is a brand people love. There I said it. People love Samsung. The digital + social teams at Samsung have ensured that the company would be able to effectively communicate and engage directly with consumers, customers, critics, influencers and advocates - on a daily basis. I believe I was part of a pioneering era at Samsung, a time in which we ventured into uncharted territory and made some sense of the rapidly changing digital landscape, even amidst meaningful and worldwide economic concerns.

Getting back to Canada..

Moving to Canada was somewhat of a simple process for me because my wife is Canadian. While we were told that the application for a permanent residency could take up to a year, the process only took a few months. I'm glad, grateful - and relieved - to say that I am now officially a Canadian permanent resident.

I say "relieved" because for the past decade I had been in the U.S. as a non-immigrant from Guatemala - first as a student at SMU and then as an H1B visa holder. As my dependent, my wife had limited opportunities, and I had some limitations as well - not to mention the countless times I was asked very strange and even awkward questions at U.S. airports every time I returned from any other country. When it came time for us to decide between pursuing the U.S. green card process, which would've taken seven plus years and some financial investment, we decided to move to Canada instead. It wasn't easy to leave, not by any means, especially because of family and friends in NJ and NYC. The last few months have been full of questions, fear, and uncertainty, but it was well worth it looking back. While I am 100% grateful with the United States and the companies that welcomed me into their teams, I do wish the process was not so… complex. A Google search of keywords like "H1B" and "green card process" will return thousands of results, and dozens of forums in which you'll find endless threads of questions and answers about the immigration process, as discussed and debated by people from all over the world that contribute their talent, intelligence and passion to American society.

If you want to learn more about the immigration topic, I recommend Vivek Wadhwa's research and opinion pieces as a starting point.

I do think everything happens for a reason and I'm glad we live in a day and age in which it is possible to work from virtually anywhere, and stay in close communication with my ex-colleagues, friends, and family (including the most creative advertising Art Director in NYC, IMHO). The social web will also allow me to stay in touch with Samsung's incredible customers and fellow fans.

Anyways, after making the decision that Vancouver was the place for us, my wife and I started making plans to make a coast-to-coast international move. We sold most of our earthly possessions on Craigslist, connected and re-connected with people in British Columbia, and re-prioritized our life. In a matter of weeks we made big decisions that will help us get our priorities in line: My wife is going back school to pursue a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience, and I will be joining one of my favorite startups in the world: NYC-based Sprinklr.

I've known and have worked with the Sprinklr team for a few years. I heard about the company while on a call with a Forrester analyst a few years ago and my first interaction with Sprinklr was filling out a form on sprinklr.com, followed by a call with Ragy Thomas, the company's CEO and founder, the next day.

After demoing Sprinklr's SaaS Platform, and thoroughly testing it against a plethora of other options in the market, we decided to select Sprinklr for Samsung USA social media management and measurement. Within months most of our U.S. and Canada marketing and customer support teams were using the tool. Today, Sprinklr has been rolled out all over the world by Samsung and its agencies, a testament to the company's ability to help large brands scale. Other great brands like Virgin America, Dell and Cisco have similar stories, and it demonstrates that Sprinklr is 100% focused on enterprise-grade solutions for customer-centric companies that truly want to lead in all things social.

I'm thrilled about joining the Sprinklr team. I will be able to leverage my knowledge, experience and passion to help large brands start, optimize and scale their social media efforts, while helping Sprinklr grow and evolve in what is clearly an exciting space in the tech industry today.

I say "exciting" not only because social media continues to be a hot topic, but because I truly believe that social will eventually become absolutely essential to how brands do business. Companies have relied on advertising, emails and call centers to connect with consumers for a long time, but that is simply not enough these days. Moving forward, publishing and listening to social media conversations will not be enough either.

Brands need to deliver fantastic customer experiences. It should be a priority, not just in paper and in commercials, but in every single thing a brand does. This is easier said than done, of course.

Social media strategies need to go beyond decks and siloed executions to a much more meaningful, integrated, and scalable approach to relating with, well, real people. Yes, a solid social media strategy must be set and then skillfully executed - but it must also be carefully envisioned, widely understood, thoroughly tested, rigorously analyzed, thoughtfully optimized and effectively scaled. More importantly, it must be something actual human beings will relate to, engage with, and something they'll find valuable or enjoyable enough that they'll want to share with the people they care about.

Successfully scaling social across teams, functions, divisions and geographies is challenging, no matter what industry you're in, but it's an important part of cultivating long-term relationships with customers, potential customers, and the public overall. Actual company-customer relationships require fantastic customer experiences - there's simply no short-cut in this day and age. Everyone is informed and everyone is a skeptic; brands are no longer just the stories they tell, but the stories they create across all touchpoints.

Again, easier said than done.

The bottom line is this: Sprinklr's philosophy and vision is all about helping enterprises scale social to deliver excellent customer experiences - constantly, consistently, seamlessly.

It's a noble cause.

So what about Social Nerdia?

Well, exploring the present and future of consumer / customer / user experiences has always been at the center of what this blog is all about. Social Nerdia will continue to bring you interviews and opinion pieces (hopefully good ones) about the present and future of the convergence of technology, marketing and social media. You can be sure of that.

If you'd like to learn more about my thoughts on how the digital landscape is changing - as well as why I'm confident that Sprinklr is well positioned to help brands take their social media efforts to the next level - feel free to contact me at socialnerdia(at)gmail.com or connect with me all over the social web by visiting estebancontreras.com.

And if you think you'd like to join Sprinklr yourself, check out the careers page here.