With over 1.88 million SMBs in Australia, technology can be used as a competitive differentiator for SMBs competing in the global economy, and the right technology is key to survival. Having worked with SMBs extensively in the past, I know firsthand that SMBs have the greatest technology needs, but are often restricted by limited budgets and a lack of access to IT know-how.  This is a fantastic initiative by Dell that provides a useful resource to help Australian SMBs make the right technology purchase for their business.

I am delighted to be part of this initiative as the IT Expert. Keep an eye out for the monthly articles as they are both educational and informative.

Website:
www.dell.com.au/sb360

First Articles:
Does Social Networking pose a threat to your business?
Boost your business with online technologies

Bio: Pedro da Palma Rosa

To promote the Sydney Running Festival, Blackmores asked Bullseye to design a site that helped runners get the best out of their experience on race day.

We came up with various tools that helped runners achieve their best no matter what their level of fitness. There were training tips, recommended runs, split calculators, even a personalised training program that catered for everyone, from first timers to the more experienced athlete. The training program was custom built for an individuals level of fitness. A number of ‘Challenges’ were introduced during the 8 week lead up to the run, including training sessions and organising running groups to meet up. You could even go round the whole course without leaving your armchair with a web cam which was condensed into a 5 minute timeline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOwHMbOjh_I
This video brought the experience and flavour of the event to life online way before the big day.

Over 7,000 ‘Challenges’ were taken over the 8 week training program: The site was so successful after the event that we continued the ‘Challenge’ and re-tailored the training program to incorporate not just runs but walks and bike rides. Individuals can track and view the best walks or runs at a glance within Google maps. This fitted perfectly with the brand strategy to become part of the bigger ‘B Your Best’ movement within Blackmores set of sites.

The site is specifically targeted at an individuals level of fitness and a particular stage of life. From weight to pregnancy we developed interactive tools to help you ‘B your best’ this jump page was aimed at all Australians and was deliberately designed to become a rallying call for everyone to take the ‘challenge’ and strive to be fitter.

Another way we promoted the brand value of ‘Be your best’ for Blackmores was to keeep people motivated in preparing for the event and to continue to engage with them once they completed the run. Runners who participated in the Running Festival were able to see themselves cross the finish line by entering their bib number or name. They could also forward their very own ‘moment of glory’ to family and friends.
http://www.byourbest.com/Finish/  We also suggested people share their experience by tagging their pictures with ‘BSRF08’ which was then streamed onto the official Blackmore’s site for all to share in true Web 2.0 fashion. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/BSRF08/show/

Kevin Ferry our creative Director summed the whole event up by saying: ‘It’s amazing the web, yes I know we all talk about the fancy websites, cool interfaces, and slick animation etc. but for me nothing beats it when real people from real communities come together and contribute via the web; that’s what happened last week at the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, one of the best.”’ Visit the site

The study is titled  “Digital Life Index Study”  and highlights how the internet influences shopping behaviours, making particular comparisons between the UK, Germany and France.

4 key insights of the study were:-

Digital Influence:

The Internet is by far the most important medium in the lives of European consumers — but companies are underinvesting in that influence.

Behavioural Framework: Consumer use of the Internet falls into five distinct classes of behaviours.

Research, Communication, Commerce are the 3 more established behaviours.
In the expanding web 2.0 environment Consumer Generated Content is rapidly rising in importance.
The 5th behaviour is consuming Internet content on Mobile devices.
Smart marketers will clearly understand the mix of behaviours that is most critical to their business — and formulate integrated campaigns to address that mix.

Consumers use the Internet in different ways to make different decisions.

The differences are driven by the impact of the decision on their lives and the range of available choices. e.g. Buying commoditised items like airline tickets are made with less consultation with online consumers than choices that have higher personal impact such as healthcare, or major electronic purchases.

Consumers see the clear benefits of the Internet to their lives, but they still have strong concerns that need to be addressed.

Clearly consumers recognise the value of the internet as a medium, but are also voicing concerns over internet safety.

Simply, the rules have changed. And there are many traps for unsuspecting organisations.

Increased bandwidth, combined with a critical mass of users, means that organisations who do not carefully consider the pros and cons of Web 2.0’s increased flexibility risk digging a nice big hole for themselves.

Mistaking Web 2.0 as a technological issue can also lead to many dead ends. Technology is often the easy bit. Web 2.0 is merely a facilitator, albeit a powerful one, allowing for more meaningful interaction with your target audience. Think of it as a focus group on steroids—super honest but occasionally aggressive and capable of hurting you.

So why exactly is Web 2.0 different from the same old web, or Web 1.0? Wikipedia says that Web 2.0 is “…a perceived or proposed second generation of Internet-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users.”

Let’s not get bogged down in jargon. Web 2.0 is different because it turns the traditional broadcast model—which we have known and loved for its predictability since the first headline was carved in stone—upside down and inside out.

For users and consumers of product, Web 2.0 brings us a step closer to the original promise of the Internet as a multi-directional, amorphous hub of interactivity and commerce. For most of the Internet’s history so far the web has just been a convenient, more up to date extension of the traditional publisher-consumer model, where an organiser publishes content for its audience.

While still keeping jargon at bay, I can say that the old way of creating websites suited the traditional publisher-consumer model to a tee. Content was difficult and time-consuming to produce, and inflexible because web content was inextricably tied to the form of the site.

This shift in building websites separates content and form, allowing users to upload web content without complicated code; now anyone can easily create web content.

Therefore Web 2.0 subverts the traditional broadcast model, and chaos reigns. Now anybody can be a publisher and find an audience, and consumers have more clout through blogs, forums and ratings sites; influential Web 2.0 sites include social networking site MySpace, interactive broadcasting site YouTube and file sharing site BitTorrent.

Power to the consumer

If there is one theme that marketing professionals need to keep most front of mind, it is ‘power to the consumer’.

The business-customer relationship has irretrievably changed. Customers now have an outlet they didn’t have before and it’s much more public than a letter of complaint.

Big business knows they cannot control it, hardly a comfortable realisation, yet how they respond to this lack of control is most important. Some businesses view it as a threat, but forward thinking businesses recognise the new online opportunities available and have embraced feedback forums and blogs.

These forward-thinking organisations stand to gain the most; their clients appreciate the goodwill in being open and available, and appreciate being valued by an organisation that actually listens. For the organisation itself, while it is dangerous to bank on a certain amount of business growth from embracing Web 2.0 systems, a closer relationship with clients can be most productive and provide direction for future products and services.

Never before has such quantitative and qualitative customer analysis been available, but the value depends on how it is mined.

A focus group on steroids

Smart organisations are realising that Web 2.0 provides access to the largest and most diverse focus group ever. Manufacturers can more easily obtain feedback from their customers and turn that around into new designs and new products even faster than before, particularly online.

Not only is this focus group available at all times, it is more forthright. Focus groups are known for being inaccurate due to participants ‘need to please’, but Web 2.0 allows for a vast amount of response which is timelier.

Such feedback will produce extremes of view, so organisations need to make careful use of that feedback. Chasing an authoritative voice is an easily committed mistake. You won’t get one with a group this size. A larger sample is somewhat grittier, yet by looking to the middle and focussing on the majority view, an organisation can get a feel for their audience in a more valuable way than with traditional means.

Traps

There are several traps waiting for organisations that approach Web 2.0 in the wrong way, all of which have more to do with the internal governance of Web 2.0 than the actual implications of the technology itself. Here are five common traps which can hold progress back:

Trap 1. It’s not about the technology:

The biggest mistake a business can make is thinking Web 2.0 is a technology issue. In actual fact it is a business process issue and an online governance issue, working with existing technology.

Remember that the technology is merely a facilitator for an interaction amongst people. The real issue is a growing expectation that all organisations should be available and responsive.

The technology has been around since the web’s early days, but with greater broadband penetration combined with the critical mass of users, the interactive nature of the net is finally being realised. What has to change is the way business interacts with its customers and uses technology to deliver advantages.

Trap 2. Don’t create, syndicate:

Syndicated content is a key part of Web 2.0, and widespread syndication has altered user expectations: a huge variety of websites now collate syndicated content, such as news headlines, weather and entertainment from other sites for a small fee. These are a cost effective way of adding richness to data, translating to a richer experience for consumers and in many cases are now considered a minimum standard by your potential and existing customers.

Collating syndicated content adds value for consumers and gives visitors a reason to stay on your site. In some cases business will be wasting money by creating their own content, when they can collate cheaply.

An obvious example is to take a street map from Google Maps and use a pin for the location of your business, along with other information such as parking, public transport information, nearby bars etc.; it is a basic yet valuable example of ‘mash-ups’.

Trap 3. Anticipate problems:

Businesses who fail to recognise Web 2.0’s consumer clout can be in for a nasty surprise. Disgruntled customers can go to surprising lengths to discredit you, and Web 2.0 makes it easier for them to spread the word, whether it is via blogs, forums or even their own site.

The rule that a satisfied customer will tell two people about your business, yet a disgruntled customer will tell ten seems quaint in these Web 2.0 days. If only it ended at a nasty letter and some bad referrals at the tennis club.

Web 2.0 is potentially an eye on the business at all times. If this sounds far fetched, consider the example of a U.S. cable company whose reputation was severely tarnished when a disgruntled customer videoed one of its employees sleeping on the job and broadcast it on YouTube.

Companies need to anticipate problems and have procedures in place to contact disgruntled customers and diffuse situations. At times these customers will be most unreasonable, and the criticism undeserved, but the power for their message to reach a wide audience has to be respected.

Trap 4. Monitor at all times:

Okay, so your company has started a forum or blog and it has been well received, but a common trap is failing to monitor and keep up to date. Business needs to plan how they will support these functions.

At present there is no magical technology that can automatically keep web pages relevant or which can update and monitor blogs. They have to be done and to be taken seriously; the damage to credibility from a stalled blog (depending on your industry, even a week of no activity can count as ‘stalled’) can be worse than not starting one in the first place.

If a blog has not been updated for six months then your credibility is damaged. If forums are not moderated they can get out of control and become a breeding ground for non-constructive criticism.

Trap 5. Misjudging ROI:

In many cases business needs to forget ROI when it comes to certain aspects of Web 2.0. What they get back by participating is goodwill. That’s not to say there won’t be benefits in terms of customer retention and new sales opportunities, but it’s a mistake to bank on a certain level of increased sales.

Businesses are now expected to be more available and responsive. While there is a cost to interacting with customers, it is hard to put a price on goodwill. Focussing purely on ROI can lead to a kind of paralysis where nothing gets done, and invite customers to look elsewhere.

In the end

Some things never change: organisations always want to know what is going through the minds of their public; and consumers favour organisations which can anticipate their needs. It is apt that Web 2.0 can facilitate this awareness both ways.

Theresa Cunnington is a Senior Usability Consultant with Bullseye – Theresa has been active in the usability field since 1994 and is a passionate advocate for creating useful, usable and engaging user experiences.

Vuru.com takes personalization to the degree where it provides customised daily supplement pill packs sent out as several months supply. They have created several starter pack formats linked to lifestyles, but you can also completely personalize your own.  Great for people who are taking several different supplements.  The site also contains a Vitamin Concierge, which is free for consumers that take 15 or more pills per day. 

And now we can add Customised Tea to the list of personalised products, (although it’s currently only available to US and Canadian consumers).  Known as Design a Tea, the company provides the ability for consumers to select a base tea to start with (Black,Oolong, Green, or Rooibos), and then add 1 or 2 flavours from the more than 40 available. The final step involves selecting the tea format (loose or bagged).  A personalised message can be included on the packaging if the product is being purchased as a gift. Pricing starts at USD $4.75 for 10 bags or 22g of loose tea.   And if the choices are too overwhelming, there is an assortment of pre-designed blends.

Complicated communication channels as media became more fragmented and diverse.

• - There’ve never been more communication channels available and yet we are
• - So obsessed with the channel (the how)
• - And have lost focus on the Content (the what)

“The step that precedes action is Engagement”

 US Stats – in 3 years time

• US$6.9 billion will be spend on marketing and social Networking site.
• US$2.9 billion mobile marketing
• US$7.1 billion online video
• Search will triple to $25 billion.

 Consumer Shift

We’re not spending enough time developing interesting , attractive content.

• 98% brand messages are not effective.
• Brands now need to participate rather than enforcing themselves on it.
• The average consumer is exposed to 2,904 messages each day.
• Of those 2905, they pay attention 279
• Of those 123 are from Read, Listen or Watch
• 30 of those are disliked, and of the 83 that are left
• Only 55 are liked and remembered. .which is a 98% attrition.

By not focusing enough on the what, we have allowed consumers to view what we do as pollution

I also liked this quote which suggested that ROI really stands for “Removal Of Imagination”

We still operate by pushing messages at our consumers rather than pulling them toward great ideas.

• TV commercials lost to DVR zapping

The Big brand idea is greater than any cool ad and that idea should govern everything we do in all media channels.

He suggested that by 2010, 18% of ads would be screened out.

He then showed the this years Superbowl ads.

And commented that whilst these were great one-off ads, where’s the big brand idea?  At a cost of ~ $2.4 mm all they got was 60 seconds.

Big idea – an idea that’s big enough to drive a brand’s behaviour and language across all channels.

- I got the feeling he was talking about the Brand promise rather than an individual campaign idea.

• It should be Media agnostic – can be executed across all consumer touch points.
• Proprietary and unique – it is based on a truth about the business and its core customer.
• It would sound disingenuous when another brand has said it before.

JETBLUE case study

• The big idea “Bringing humanity back to travel”
• Which drove out every function and experience that was delivered to their audience.
• They used the “JetBlue” storyboard which was like a cockpit with webcams to record consumer stories
• Airline horror stories is a very engaging topic that people like to talk about .. so this tapped into the positives and the consumers embraced it

5 lessons

1. Shut up & listen – Start with the consumer. A big brand idea can’t be created in isolation of the consumer.
   85% jetblue consumers – will recommend jetblue a friend.
2. It has to start at the top – The big brand idea has to be embraced by the CEO because it has to drive all facets of the business.
3. Everyone in the company is a marketer – Everyone in the business has to be accountable for delivering the brand promise.
   (“invertise before advertise” which I thought was a great quote and refers to making sure your employees understand the big idea before the general public)
4. Do as you say! Mass collaboration enabled through technology
5. Insulates you from operations e.g. Feb 14, 2007 – Jetblue Disrupt most flights – 17,000 flights were cancelled.
   but despite this disaster consumers forgave JetBlue due to their loyal fan base, and the transparency with which they handled the crisis.

Conclusions

Media is becoming more complex but marketing is not – focus on some basic principles.

• Start with finding the unique role your brand plays in your customer lives
• New media is very important but don’t let it become the shiny object.
• Be rigorous and relentless in driving the idea in every single thing you do.
• Try zagging when everyone else is ziggling. – Know what your competitors are doing, but don’t be afraid to be different.  Create something that is unique. And make sure the content is superb.

How does your website rate?

– Jason.