Andrew Lark

Online social networks | Everywhere and nowhere | Economist.com

Interesting piece on the value of social networks... The Economist, in short, says...

So it is entirely conceivable that social networking, like web-mail, will never make oodles of money. That, however, in no way detracts from its enormous utility. Social networking has made explicit the connections between people, so that a thriving ecosystem of small programs can exploit this “social graph” to enable friends to interact via games, greetings, video clips and so on...

... The problem with today's social networks is that they are often closed to the outside web. The big networks have decided to be “open” toward independent programmers, to encourage them to write fun new software for them. But they are reluctant to become equally open towards their users, because the networks' lofty valuations depend on maximising their page views—so they maintain a tight grip on their users' information, to ensure that they keep coming back. As a result, avid internet users often maintain separate accounts on several social networks, instant-messaging services, photo-sharing and blogging sites, and usually cannot even send simple messages from one to the other. They must invite the same friends to each service separately. It is a drag.

 

Online social networks | Everywhere and nowhere | Economist.com

on our graffiti campaign

Jeremiah just posted a case study on the Facebook-Graffiti campaign. His summary:

Unlike most marketing campaigns that deploy heavy ads, fake viral videos, or message bombardment, this campaign let go to gain more. Overall, this is a successful campaign as they turned the action over to the community, let them take charge, decide on the winners, all under the context of the regeneration campaign. The campaign moved the active community from Facebook closer to the branded Microsite, closer to the corporate website, migrating users in an opt-in manner that lead to hundreds of comments was clever. Well done.

Whine...

So I want to use my ATT calling card.  The number provided by the operator doesn't work.  The url on the back of their calling card leads to a dead page.  A search on the term "direct access number" - the language they use on the back of their card - yields a stupid, "tell us more about yourself" page.  Web incompetence at its finest.  Back to Skype.

Pimping My Dell M1330

I'm really enjoying my Dell M1330.  Love the form factor and design.  Given I'm recommending it to all kinds of folks, here's how to pimp it out for trips...

1. Dell Travel Adapter.  This really small adapter enables you to run power to the unit from the socket or, clip in the "lighter" adapter for those long AA flights.  Am also thinking about getting the long-life battery but haven't really needed it so far.  BTW - even though the M1330 has a hexagonal plug, the round ones fit as well...
2. Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse.  I find this is really handy on long trips.  Although, the M1330 has a pretty large palm rest so I'm using it much less than when I traveled with my Dell D420.
3. Jawbone Headset.  When on the move it works great with my Crackberry.  When in the hotel it is real handy for Skype calls.  Perfect sound.
4. Shure Headset.  Frankly I don't like these as much as the Bose but they are much more portable and deliver pretty good sound.  For long trips I'll typically burn a couple of DVDs to disk and watch them on the flight.
5. Zune player.  I really like the Zune interface and the player is great.  I've got a black 8gb version.
6. USB port. I still carry one but rarely use it now.  My M1330 has plenty of ports and the SD reader means I just plug my Camera card in.
7. I'm a bag junkie. At the moment I've got a Dell backpack which is pretty good and also a small Tumi briefcase.  I found I needed something bigger than both to lug my Mac around - not necessary with an M1330.

I'll post what I've got to pimp my m1330 out on the desktop...

Technorati Tags: Dell,Laptop

Measuring The Big Story

Cleaning out my inbox and came across an email from one of our team on measuring strategic media coverage... In short, based on studying the impact of certain news articles on business results and in stock price you standardize on a definition of stories that have the most impact -- call them "Top Stories".  The performance of these stories then flow into core business metrics... A definition of a Top Story might include that it is proactively driven media coverage — in a strategic outlet — designed to change perception with target audience.  And they might contain the elements below:

• Proactive
• On Theme
• On Target 
• On Message
• Third-Party Validated
• Company spokesperson
• OTS reach
• Images

Having a simple but powerful metric in an executive scorecard enforces PR as a key component in the business success mix.  I really like the idea of this particular metric.

Are you working or using anything similar?

Technorati Tags: PR,PR Measurement,Marketing Measurement

Apple's Secret Approach

One of my team send me this piece on Apple's "secret" approach to launches and their effectiveness.  The naivety of Journalists with regard to how a business works is at times, beyond compare.

As a consumer company, surprises work for Apple.  Shock and awe offsets the need for Proctor and Gamble-like media buys,  Use that approach where your customers are businesses of any size and you are likely to get slapped around.  First, they actually plan technology deployments.  Second, they look to a broad range of influencers throughout the purchase cycle - if you don't have them lined-up, you don't sell.

There is a third and more important point that applies to all markets.  Apple's approach works only if you aren't interested in any kind of conversation with the market.  I'd rather see a conversation with the market take place at every stage of a product's evolution.

I'd take issue with the use of research looking at ketchup as a foundation for any good strategy for launching a $1,000+ device. The reporter actually recognizes this and then suggests the research was referencing Apple all along.  What crap.  At the end of the day, we know the average consumer will look and learn a multitude of times before buying - and consult a variety of sources.  Don't think I've ever done that for ketchup.  Have done it for computers and nearly every other major purchase I've made.

At the end of the day, Apple's approach works because they are the only player in their hyper-proprietary market.  They, well, surprise their fan base much in the same way that a rock band surprises its fans.  The echo and resonance occurs within that chamber.  For iPhone and iPod, it's a good sized chamber - we know that drove Motorola nuts.  I'm guessing its the same for Nokia.  For the rest of it though, is it really working?

The rest of the technology sector is so hyper competitive and multi-market, other approaches are needed.  And, oh yeah, we're increasingly looking beyond traditional media as a distribution vehicle for those announcements...