Jean Terranova

Social media for social change.

Gradon Tripp is a Boston-based social media, technology, and design professional who recognized that social media enthusiasts are -- uniquely social.  At any given moment he can assemble at least thirty people at coffee house, sandwich shop, or bar simply by posting the request on Twitter.  At least one hundred people attended today's Social Media Breakfast, which was announced exclusively through social media channels.

Tripp and his friends knew they could utilize social media to organize productive, meaningful events, and formed Social Media for Social Change to do precisely that. The first event took place in October and raised over $21,000 for Jane Doe Inc., a coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence.  A hunger relief benefit slated for April 3 in New York should raise twice as much.

Tweetsgiving, a fund-raising project of Epic Change, raised over $10,000 in forty-eight hours through Twitter and social media.

Beth Kanter has raised over $200,000 for Cambodian orphans using her blog and other Web 2.0 tools. 

Additional creative uses of social media for social good:

The GiveList provides ideas and inspiration on how to contribute without spending money (or giving while buying and spending a little less than usual).

Geeks Who Give, a recently formed community of Philadelphia based technicians, organized an event this week.  The admission price: a minimum of 5 non-perishable food items to be donated to Philabundance.

Witness uses video and web-based technologies to expose the world to human rights violations.  To mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they created a video of staff members discussing images that opened their eyes to human rights abuses around the world, and are soliciting video responses from the community.

The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is raising awareness for its cause by having supporters post photographs of themselves beside a sign saying "Hunger is Unacceptable" on flickr.  The site has received over thirty-thousand views to date.

The new media presents exciting opportunities for non-profits, even in (or especially because of) the current economic climate.  It is now so easy to find a great cause, creatively support it, and encourage our friends and communities to do the same.

Social networking and non-profits.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy held a discussion today on how non-profits can raise funds through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools.  A transcript of the discussion, moderated by John Haydon and Chris Garrett, is available here.  Haydon has also written a free e-book on the topic.  Here are some highlights from the discussion:

    How does a non-profit know if supporters are amenable to fund-raising through social media?

The most effective way is to start the conversations. Do a small survey within your organizational network to see who is using social media and how. You might be surprised. Then try some of the networks and see what other organizations and members are doing. Rather than try to draw people to one venue or tool, it is far more efficient to see where people already are and engage them there. Once you have a handle on the current situation then you can do conversations, polls, surveys and tests to gauge reactions and results.

Of all the social networking tools available, which is the most essential for groups -- especially those that are small and have few resources -- to start using now?  

The most essential social networking tool to have is a blog. Treat it as your hub for communicating all your activity, like a cross between a Web site and newsletter. Other social media tools can then feed into that. Twitter is excellent for conversational networking, Linkedin for gaining connections within the business world, and stumbleupon for website traffic.

    How to set up a branded site on Facebook:

[M]ost social media sites should be approached in the same way we would approach a neighbor or friend at a social event. You would never run up and ask someone for money. Trust and connection have to be there first. So, I would do your best to develop a Facebook page that reflects your brand. Then search Facebook for fans using keywords related to your non-profit. Invite these fans to connect with your Facebook page.

To raise funds, Haydon advises non-profits to start a group on Facebook that supporters can then promote on their own pages by using the following tools, most of which have Facebook widgets:
change.org
firstgiving.org
givemeaning.com
uplej.com
twitpay.me
onecause.com

On using Facebook to promote a 5K road race for charity, Chris Garrett advises:   

Create a page for your organization and create short-term campaign-specific groups. BUT do not get too caught up in the tool, think more about how you are growing your connections and getting the word out. Target well connected people and recruit them into advocating for you. Another way to use facebook or any other tool is to get people to keep 5k diaries - how are they training for the event, what tips to they have for each other, what is it all about, how can people help, take part or contribute, then on the day get people to report, post pictures, and afterwards how did it go, did they reach their targets ... lots of content and awareness opportunities, and ways for people to become involved in the "story" which becomes a resource for future events and a snowball effect.

As an example of a non-profit's creative use of social networking for fund-raising, Garrett cites movember.com, which raises money and awareness for men's health by promoting a moustache-wearing campaign during the month of November.

As for the critical information donors expect from non-profits, Garrett explains:

People want to know if you are credible, what the money will be used for (specifics are powerful, and also as important is what the money will NOT used for), and often a sense of urgency (warranted urgency, not fake urgency just to drum up the dollar figure). Essentially you need both the positive ("This money will make a huge difference, x, y and z"), proof (testimonials, case studies, photographs) and also reassuring ("registered organization, secure connection, reliable credit card processor").

While the media platforms are new, the rules of engagement between non-profits and their donors are familiar, and apply equally to the relationships between for-profit companies and their customers.  Be honest, encourage and respond to feedback, champion the efforts of your best supporters.

"Consumer Revolution" - Harvard Business School Marketing Conference 2008.

"Consumer Revolution" - the 2008 Marketing Conference held yesterday at Harvard Business School - examined how companies are responding to changes in consumer behavior through social media and social responsibility.  The discussions led by marketing executives for General Mills, Frito-Lay, and Deloitte Consulting are particularly important to the food industry.  Social media is having a major impact on how the industry giants are developing products, interacting with people, and allocating (incredibly vast) marketing resources.

In the keynote Mark Addicks, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for General Mills, discussed his approach to utilizing new media to build and manage successful brands.  Number one is familiar -- know your brand champion.  New media gives companies critical information on how this person speaks, relates with others, appears and sounds, and what troubles and inspires him. Addicks believes it is essential to know everything conceivable about "brand champions," and even give them an "identity" with a name and a face to encourage clarity and focus.

For example GM's "Fruit by the Foot" was developed for "Josh," an eight-year old straddling the worlds of childhood and adolescence.  During a video-taped interview of an eight-year old and his mother, a boy dutifully agrees that eating more fruit is good for him.  As his mother starts talking, the boy begins playing with an elastic band, stretching it around his ear and his knee, ignoring his mother, and goofing off.  With insights into this duality -- maturity and mischief, GM developed this video, bringing to life how "Fruit by the Foot" might actually excite and inspire "Josh."

Rather than marketing to consumers, GM builds membership for their brands by bringing together people who are passionate about causes and the channels and capabilities they need to convey their message.  GM's Box Tops for Education has raised over $250 million for American schools, and relies on Box Tops Coordinators -- parents, teachers, and members of the community who are passionate about its mission.

On the panel "Marketing Your Socially Responsible Initiative" Scott Bearse of Deloitte Consulting discussed a sustainability study Deloitte is conducting on behalf of the Grocery Manufacturer's Association.  The study was commissioned by eleven top retailers and concludes that (a) baby boomers are the most influenced by sustainability initiatives; and (b) while sustainability is not a primary purchase driver for the majority of consumers, when all things are equal (price, quality), it gives a decisive competitive advantage; and (c) sustainability is a "sticky" concept -- once a consumer commits to a brand for its sustainability initiatives, he is likely to stick with the brand.

According to Jaya Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer for Frito-Lay, sustainability is critical to the transformation of the Frito-Lay brand.  Widely associated with junk food, Frito-Lay's vision is to become the leader in healthy snack foods ("guiltless snacking"), conservation, and preservation.  The company's marketing strategy is to put the consumers in control of participative, playable, and purposeful discourse about the products.  In its Snack Strong Productions campaign, the consumer is no longer the "target," but a participant in the brand.  The company's Crash the Superbowl entices consumers to create advertisements for Doritos by offering a one million dollar reward and the opportunity to have the advertisement aired during the Super Bowl to the winning entry.  People have responded with creative, professional ads that encapsulate the brand far more effectively than the company could have done on its own.

In addition to participative and playable, Frito-Lay wants its brand associated with a serious purpose -- developing healthful snacks sustainably.  The company utilizes solar power in the production and manufacturing of SunChips, and plans to introduce the first biodegradable chip bag into the market by Earth Day 2010.

The lessons food businesses of any size can learn from this conference:

(1)  New media allows companies to learn more about people than ever before.  It is essential to find out who your best customers are, what they care about, what they are complaining about, and how you can help them.

(2)  Social responsibility is essential to the strength of your brand.  Decide on an initiative that is connected with your company's mission, build or find a community surrounding that mission, encourage communication and invite action to support the mission, and champion the people who participate.

December issue of Inc. Magazine - a must read for food entrepreneurs.

The December issue of Inc. is full of great information for food businesses.  Some highlights:

An in depth article about how Jeff Koeze, CEO of a highly profitable cashew business, "runs one of the smartest companies around."  The article includes a list of business resources Koeze recommends.

Businesses struggling to find the right name for their company or brand should check out NameThis. 

YackTrack searches Twitter, Technorati, Google Blogs, and FriendFeed so businesses can monitor what customers are saying about their brands on the web.

Advice from Inc.'s marketing blog:

"Companies such as Burt's Bees, Stonyfield Farm, Monster.com, and Famous Amos Cookies have become successful -- and landed on Oprah's set -- by not only providing unique products or services but offering distinctive customer experiences."  Michele Miller, Marketing Blog.

 

How the Internet can help your food business.

The Internet is helping millions of businesses strengthen connections to their customers and expand their base.  How can your food business take advantage of this phenomenon?

Let's take the example of a company that produces high quality organic dog food, whose customers are bound to share certain values and concerns.  They love their dogs enough to pay a little more for the premium food.  They are concerned about reports of tainted dog food imported from China.  They may be fans of "The Dog Whisperer."  The company discovers these tid-bits by meeting the customers during product demonstrations or by conducting surveys.  The customers talk, and the company listens.

Unfortunately the opportunities for these interactions are limited. There is only so much time and money to spend on in-store demonstrations.  The customers will only tolerate so many interruptions for surveys.

The good news is that the Internet gives the customers the opportunity to keep talking about their beloved pets, and they realize and often hope that companies catering to their pets will drop in and listen. The organic dog food company's best customers might well be among the 35,000 people sharing photographs in the flickr group Dogs! Dogs! Dogs!  Wouldn't the customers love it if the company commented on their photographs, and posted photos of its executives' and employees' dogs?  The company might learn a great deal about its customers and prospects by following "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan on Twitter.  The company could share insights on the subject of canine health on its own blog, and invite its customers to share their own experiences, or it could regularly participate in its customers' blogs on the subject.

The Internet enables businesses to interact with its customers in their own communities and on their own terms.  Decide on two "cyber" places to meet them, go there regularly, and you will see those relationships strengthen and grow.      

Don't let your company get "Motrined."

If you were tuned into Twitter yesterday, the Motrin story is old news and already the subject of numerous blog posts by members of the Twitter community -- Peter Shankman (who appears to have coined the term "Motrined"), Jerimiah Owyang, Laura Fitton, and countless others.  By late afternoon yesterday, many Twitter readers assumed the story would make national news, and today it is the subject of this blog in the New York Times.  Those posts give great re-caps and "lessons learned" from the Motrin story, and are well worth reading.

If you are reading about the Motrin debacle for the first time here, then your company is not paying enough attention to how social media can affect your brand.  Are people talking about you on Twitter?  Have you been recommended in Technorati?  Stumble?  Digg?  Has someone posted a video involving your brand on YouTube, iGoogle, or flickr?

By doing a basic search, I recently discovered two rave reviews about a client's products in the blogosphere.  The client did not know about these reviews, which are so powerful given that (1) they are unsolicited; (2) they are so positive; and (3) they are being spread to the reviewer's loyal base of fans.

The reviews we found in this case were positive -- wonderful news (and not at all surprising)!  What if, instead, the reviews were negative.  Social media enthusiasts telling their friends and communities not to trust your brand.  That is what happened to Motrin.  Because Motrin's company and marketing firm were ignoring social media, the word was spreading much faster than they were able to respond.  What a terrible, easily avoidable place to be.  Don't let that happen to you.  Be proactive -- involve social media in your early stage marketing decisions; (2) monitor your brand's presence in social media circles; (3) incorporate positive feedback into your marketing, and respond quickly to any negative feedback.

Match the Message to the Media.

Yesterday a request was sent on Twitter to rate a potential agenda for social media webinars.  The request included a link to a blog, which included the proposed agenda.  To rate the agenda, you needed to log into the website and post comments on a blank screen, which would have been fine for someone using a PC with a large, flat-screen monitor.  Unfortunately I was viewing the blog from an iPod -- a fairly typical experience for Twitter users.  It was virtually impossible to respond because the agenda (which was lengthy) could not be viewed simultaneously with the blank screen on this device.  In addition it is difficult to post anything at length on its tiny keyboard.

The iPod, mobile phones, and similar devices include applications to access Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and many other social media platforms.  If you post a request or advertisement in these spaces, be sure to know how it will be experienced by someone using such a device.  If you are seeking an opinion, consider posting a survey, where the user can simply click responses rather than using a tiny keyboard to post lengthy text.  If you are capitalizing on social media to build your brand, it is important to seamlessly communicate with these communities.

      

Social Media Marketing ROI.

Today's Boston Social Media Breakfast addressed how to measure ROI for social media marketing.  While urging businesses to measure every aspect of social media marketing strategies that can be measured, Harvard Business School Associate Professor Andrew McAfee insisted: "There is not enough ROI in trying to measure ROI.  It is an intellectually bankrupt exercise."

There is a common perception that, because the most popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are free, social media marketing is also free.  Accounts of the Tiger Woods walk-on-water video going viral are now famous.  Particularly in these economic times, it is appealing to believe you can obtain vast results with minimal resources.

Social media comes with a substantial investment for small business owners -- your time.  To create a video that will "go viral," you must cultivate a network that will care enough to watch, comment on, and forward it to people who are likely to buy your product. 

Building your network requires staying in regular contact (online and by telephone or live conferences), contributing useful information, and supporting members in the community.  These platforms are filled with noise, so it is essential not to add to the clutter.  Apply the same standards of quality that you would to a paid advertising campaign.

To ensure that you are not wasting time, measure everything you possibly can.  Using a metrics tool such as Google Analytics, ascertain traffic sources to your website.  If you are spending time posting to Twitter, can you track increased traffic (and more importantly sales) from twitter?  Does the traffic increase when you attend a networking event?  Is the increase restricted by geography?  If you offer a promotional on the site, add a code or other offer to ensure you are tracking effectiveness.  When I went to Starbucks for my free coffee during election week, no one asked how I had heard about the offer (easily could have been through friends not on Twitter; lots of people were talking about it).

While the value of your time and network does not easily translate to metrics, it is essential to measure everything else to avoid squandering these vital resources.         

   





   

Apple v. Sony.

I just bought an iPodtouch, and absolutely love everything about it.  The Apple store was a mad scene -- kids young and older testing out the products, glued, hooked, while tons of sales reps hopped around chatting about all the cool stuff.  Not quite like the Boston store's opening day, but still a very exciting, fun space filled with sales people who were happy to help.

I also visited the Sony store to check out their competing products.  I was particularly interested in their digital book reader, which was on display in four different colors.  Unlike the Apple store, however, the products were under lock and key.  Without assistance from the sales reps, the customers could only handle the mock-ups.  Posted beside the mock-ups was a coupon offer that had expired two months ago.  The sales rep assumed it would be extended, but he didn't know.  Nor did he offer to show us the actual digital reader, as he was busy helping another customer.  Another sales rep was busy chatting with the security guard about a personal matter.  Not surprisingly, there were not many customers, and certainly no excitement.

Whether your company produces cool electronics, farmstead cheese, or organic baby food, be sure (1) it's phenomenal -- the very best you can do; (2) you and your sales people are as excited about it as the Apple company is about their cool products; and (3) there are no barriers between your product and your prospective customers trying it out.

Boston Food Entrepreneur Events Calendar.

As a member of the Massachusetts Specialty Foods Association (MSFA), I look forward to quarterly newsletters and periodic event notifications throughout the year.  The organization's creative developer Lee Busch recently added something new.  On the right hand side of the home page you will see the events are now posted in a Google Calendar.

Having recently subscribed to a free Google account, I was excited to experiment with the calendar feature.  By clicking on the Google Calendar Widget on the MSFA's website, I incorporated the calendar into my account.  I then added other local events to create a Boston Food Entrepreneur Events Calendar.  The calendar is public, easily integrated into your Google account, and easily shared.  It is now available as a link on the left hand side of our blog, but eventually will be embedded.

So check out Google Calendars, share your events with us, we'll share yours and encourage others to keep on sharing.