Dead from the Neck Up

Brian Solis Writes:

The reality is that most executives don’t use social networks. And, to be honest, most don’t read their own emails. Many won’t ever see this post. Trying to convince decision makers that this is a war fought on the battleground of social networks is in of itself fighting a losing battle. That’s because the future of business isn’t tied to the permeation of Facebook, Twitter, smartphones, tablets or real-time geo-location check-ins. The future of business comes down to relevance and the ability to understand how technology affects decision making and behavior to the point where the recognition of new opportunities and the ability to strategically adapt to them becomes a competitive advantage.

Avoiding Creepiness

Roger Dooley writes:

A new survey of UK social media users showed that nearly half “don’t like having ads targeted to them based on information included in their social media profiles, including activities, interests, and other personal data.” While Google’s motto has been, “Don’t Be Evil,” perhaps a more appropriate one would be, “Don’t Be Creepy!”

The positive spin, I suppose, is that the other half is fine with personalized ads, but this high level of negative sentiment has to be troubling to marketers who are counting on targeting and personalization to improve the effectiveness of their ads. I’ve been advocating personalization via social media and other means lately, and I believe there are ways to reduce the probability that consumers will find targeted pitches creepy instead of appealing.

The Point of Measurement

Jamie Notter writes:

The point of measurement is not to measure - it’s ultimately to make sure what you’re doing contributes to success, right? So where is the part of the measurement process where we connect what we’re measuring to the goals? That, it seems to me, is the real hard work here, so why aren’t we talking about it?

The only reason you measure something, is because it helps you learn. After measuring it, you know more, you understand more deeply, you have some new insight, maybe even you reach a new conclusion. But it’s only in the simplest of situations that a single measurement leads to a conclusion. Most measurement simply provides “data”

Minimum Wage Millionare

I overheard someone claim:

If an 18 year old person works a full-time job at minimum wage, and gets only a 2% raise every year, he will have earned more than one and a quarter million dollars by the time he retires at age 67.

I was skeptical, did the math, and it turns out this is entirely correct:

And yes, the earning power of the dollar decreases over time - but I find it an interesting fact nonetheless.

Depersonalizing the Personal

Alicia Eler shares a quote:

"One of those things that distinguishes Facebook, is there is no obvious decay mechanism for friendships," says Dr. Sam Gosling, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. "We meet many people everyday. Some of the people we meet become close friends, others we never see again, others acquaintances. In normal life, if you don't maintain a friendship it goes away. Facebook leaves a concrete link to that person."

Service Versus Policy

Chris Brogan relates an incident:

In my most recent stay at my favorite hotel in Las Vegas, I needed to order some lunch around 11am Vegas time. I wanted steak and asparagus (or some other suitable green). So, I called room service ...

Chris:	I was hoping to order steak for lunch, but I don’t see that you serve it until 5pm.
Room Service:	Steak and eggs?
Chris:	No, you know, an entree steak.
Room Service:	Right. We don’t serve that til 5pm.
Chris:	Oh. I was really hoping to order it for lunch.
Room Service:	Right, I suppose we COULD do it, but it would take over an hour, because we’re not set up to prepare that yet. We don’t sell that until 5pm.
Chris:	But you sell steak and eggs?
Room Service:	Yes.
Chris:	…

Treating All Customers The Same

From Bruce Temkin:

Customers have different needs, interests, and familiarity with offerings, but companies often turn their back on these differences. While it may sound appealing to deliver a great experience to everyone, it’s an impractical goal for most companies. ...

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking customers are the same if you just look at data about them. To truly understand the nuances across your customer segments, it’s critical that you use qualitative techniques ...

Experiences built to meet everyone’s needs often meets meets no one’s.

Case Study: Blogging v. Traditional Advertising

Andrew Pitre notes:

Just because you can reach 2.8 million people doesn't mean you should. Find shows and publications that cater specifically to your customer base, and don't ever pay for impressions that won't one day convert into paying customers. Not only is it annoying the audience, it isn't helping you achieve your marketing objectives.

Emotional Contagion via Textual Communications

From Bruce Bower:

Facebook users can spread emotions to their online connections just by posting a written message, or status update, that’s positive or negative.

This finding challenges the idea that emotions get passed from one person to another via vocal cues, such as rising or falling tone, or by a listener unconsciously imitating a talker’s body language.

It’s time to rethink how emotional contagion works, since vocal cues and mimicry aren’t needed.

Facebook Defriending Ends in Murder

Alicia Eler reports:

A Tennessee couple who "defriended" Jenelle Potter on Facebook were murdered by her father and another man.

"This is just senseless," said Johnson County Sheriff Mike Reece told Reuters.

"We've had murders, but nothing like this."

Jenelle Potter, 30, is one of those types who you just don't mess with. She is a Facebook fanatic who stays home with her parents and is constantly on Facebook.

PDF May Be Creating More Paperwork Than It Saves

From ReadWrite Web:

In 2008, a UK-based Adobe Acrobat engineer remarked, "I believe in striving to minimize the use of paper, but I do believe that we will probably never reach a position where paper is eliminated from our workplaces." This morning, his predictions were clearly confirmed bya study published by the information professionals organization AIIM.

The study shows that while the exchange of PDF files as e-mail attachments has reduced the volume of paperwork traded between IT professionals, that reduction is not only minimal, but quite possibly made up for. Over three-quarters of IT professionals surveyed say one of the first things they do with a PDF-based invoice... is print it out.

Stop Selling Video As A TV Alternative

From Mark Trefgarne:

Consumers are spending time online, there's no arguing that. But they're still spending time on TV, and no advertiser is going to give up on a proven channel like TV if video presents itself as a lesser alternative. Its time to stop whining about missing brand dollars and start emphasizing what TV doesn't have. Online media sellers need to adopt audience targeting, creative optimization and metrics, and then sell these capabilities to brands. The only way brands will use video to supplement their other buys is if it helps them drive sales, so let's show them how it works.