Slicing and Dicing A List of Social Media Marketing Examples

Since starting a list of social media marketing examples, I’ve seen some great work to frame content for specific uses:

By technology/media type

By country

  • Australia: former colleague Steven Noble has bookmarked many examples
  • Canada: David Jones has set up a wiki
  • Germany:  Benedikt Köhler has blogged a list
  • Malaysia:  A table at GreyReview
  • United Kingdom:  John Welsh has blogged a list

By industry

  • Haven’t seen any yet…
If you are maintaining or know of a segmented list, please let me know and I’ll link to you here.

A ninety second business trip

Carlos Whittaker is one of the earliest people on my social graph.  I was inspired by a video on his blog last week called My Day In 90 Seconds.

Earlier this week, I applied the concept to a business trip.  Video embedded below.

[Click here if you can't see the video.]
Here's what's happening:

Sunday:  Left the house at 4:30 am, unseasonably warm 62 degrees.  Time check from the BBC World Service.  Up the parking ramp, past the 9/11 Memorial.  Checking in with Delta.  Fly to Atlanta, big plane.  Connecting to Austin, little plane.  Welcome to Texas!  Driving on Congress Street, Traffic by Ben Cyllus on radio.  Lunch at Whole Foods world headquarters.  Drop bags at hotel and go get hair cut at Birds.  Dinner at Freebirds and caught Obama on 60 Minutes.

Monday:  Breakfast at Austin Java, then over to the office.  View from the 22nd floor balcony.

Tuesday:  Jet to JFK.  VH1 classic.  Arrive in the new T5.  Cab it to the W.

Wednesday:  Cross street to the Waldorf=Astoria and up to PR Week panel.  Taxi to Marine Air Terminal and Delta Shuttle – exit, aft.  Back to car, sit in rush hour, and return home again, 7:00 pm and 30 degrees.

I learned how to use iMovie on the ATL-AUS flight and pieced this together in about 30 minutes.  Filmed all of the segments using a loaned Nokia N95.  You can see the first day standalone in 90 seconds, too.

If you get similarly inspired, let me know!

Ego Trap: Social Media Ranking Tools

It seems like a new ego trap gets sprung every month.  This time, it's social media ranking tools.

What's an ego trap? In a nutshell, social technologies use game mechanics to get users hooked on participation.  People often get addicted to ego-stroking system feedback, until they can temper their usage (addiction?) in terms of utility vs. serendipity.  Self-promotion lies at the root of ego traps.

I don't think ego traps are inherently "bad."  However, I believe that individuals should be fully aware of the implications when participating – particularly what they're trying to accomplish and why.  Honesty with one's own ego is the key.

Some people are panicking after submitting their Twitter username and password to a site called Twitterank, which will "determine how worthy of a person you are in Twitterverse," while potentially stealing your password in the process.  Clearly an ego trap in action.  Why?

  • There's no practical use of the service except for stroking one's ego. 

[Okay, I know the other posts had longer lists, but this one is just too obvious.]

Similar social media ranking tools include egoSurf, Twitter Grader, twInfluence, and [the now defunct] TweeterBoard.

Ranking tools are great when they're used for fun.  Be smart and don't give out your password to random sites.

BTW if you want to see if your favorite Tweeter got caught in the Twitterank ego trap, visit http://new.twitterank.com/?u=[username]

Previously:

PR Week: The Next Digital Era

PRWeek - The Next Conference
Next week, I'll be in New York to attend PR Week's "The Next Conference," described as a one-day summit on the most important trends in PR.  Edelman has invited me to participate and I'll be moderating a panel called "The Next Digital Era," which includes Steve Rubel from Edelman Digital, Mark Donovan from comScore, and Tom Arrix from Facebook.

The panel description:

"A sneak peek at the digital trends and tools that will reshape our industry, from the 'movers and shapers' who are already changing the game.  How social networks like Facebook will transform your marketing and communication strategies, what's really happening with mobile, and why search will change the way you manage your company's reputation."

The panelists have been asked these questions and I'd like to get your take on the issues:
  1. What's next for the communications industry?
  2. What's the biggest development in the social media space that affects all organizations? 
  3. What's the most underreported trend in the business world that you think deserves more attention? 

So here's the deal – I can register a couple people for the conference as guests.  If you're interested and available to attend (it's in New York at the Waldorf=Astoria, Wednesday 19 November), please leave a comment in response to one or more of the questions (I'd prefer one great answer vs. three tepid ones).  Best answers will receive my comps as a reward.

Thanks!

Update (11/17): Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  I'll post again to highlight all of the insightful comments and have offered the passes to Steve and Jeremy.

About Peter Kim

Now:

Peter Kim

I am Chief Strategy Officer and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research. My coverage focuses on customer experience management (including relationship management, social networks, content optimization and publishing, advocacy, and analytics) as well as marketing service providers (including agencies and consultancies), and innovation agenda items (including social business, omnichannel, and global digital trends).

I’m also a public speaker and have participated in industry conferences including SXSW and Web 2.0 Expo, events in North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and audiences ranging from 20 to 2,000. To learn more including videos and slide decks, visit the speaking section.

I’ve been quoted by a wide range of media outlets including the CBS Evening News, CNBC, CNN, NPR, The Economist, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. To see videos and read full-text articles, visit the press section.

You can connect with me by phone at +1 415 475-9785 or email via contact [at] being peter kim dot com. For specific requests, you can use the contact form.

My short form writing happens on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. In 2012, I co-authored the book Social Business By Design. To learn more, visit the writing section.

I’ve worked with clients including:

  • [Consumer Products] The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Coty, The Estée Lauder Companies, GE Appliances, Godrej Group, Heinz, L’Oreal, Pepsi, USPS, VF
  • [Financial Services] Alberta Treasury, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Citibank, Citizens Bank, Discover, Fidelity Investments, Harland, Legg Mason, MasterCard, Merrill Lynch, NelNet, T Rowe Price, TIAA-CREF, TurboTax
  • [Healthcare] Johnson & Johnson, Philips Healthcare, Trinity Health, Wellpoint
  • [High Tech] Apple, Dell, Freescale Semiconductor, HP, IBM/Lotus, Microsoft, Sony, Verisign
  • [Manufacturing/B2B] BMW, Boeing, Raytheon, UPS
  • [Information & Professional Services]  Aspen Marketing, Boston Consulting Group, Brodeur, Dentsu, Harte-Hanks, McKinsey & Company,  Merkle, Omniture, Ryan Partnership, Sapient, SAS
  • [Media & Infocomm] Conde Nast, Cox, Forbes, Google, Lexis-Nexis, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, TNS, Twitter
  • [Retail/Restaurant] Best Buy, Eddie Bauer, Home Depot, Pizza Hut, Target, Yum! Brands
  • [Telecom]  AT&T, Nokia, Rogers, Verizon
  • [Travel]  AAA, Intercontinental Hotels, MGM Resorts
  • [Utilities] Alabama Gas, California ISO, Consolidated Edison, Southern Company

Earlier:

Former Chief Strategy Officer at Dachis Group, where I built a multi-million dollar business advisory practice from scratch and led the company to a successful exit upon acquisition by Sprinklr.

Previously I was an analyst at Forrester Research in Boston, focusing on the intersection of social technology and marketing strategy.  I won internal awards for Best Research and Top Keynote, publishing 36 research documents and highly rated for client speeches, advisory and workshops.

Before that, I ran international marketing operations at PUMA AG, managing the budget, contracts, and building an in-house agency. I was also head of global digital marketing, building online stores in the US and Europe, launching and localizing 20+ websites for six continents, and formulating a master digital brand architecture.

Even earlier, I was part of the strategy network at Razorfish and a research analyst at Coopers & Lybrand focusing on the energy industry.

Education:
I earned an English degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.

Digesting Boston’s Social Media Breakfast #9


#smb9, Cambridge.
Flickr: stevegarfield

Yesterday, I had social media for breakfast with a group of Bostonians.  I shared thoughts on "starting community programs with a reluctant executive" along with Jamie Pappas from EMC and David Alston from Radian6.

I presented some slides.  But instead of just reposting them, I thought I’d give you all of the raw content instead, by section.

What is community?
To see where this thinking started in my head, read this post.

Does it scale?
To see where this thinking started in my head, read this post.

Can we allow it?
To see where this thinking started, read this post.

Can we make money?
To see where this thinking started, read this post.

Other references
For some of the things that were mentioned off-hand…

You can see the Twitter stream from before, during, and after by searching for #smb9. Photos of us taking Q&A are in Steve Garfield’s photostream.

Thanks Bob!

Ego Trap: Influencer Lists

I’ve been thinking about how ego traps operate in social media – which could also be called hero marketing (credit Seth Godin for suggesting the term).  Social media focuses on individuals.  Self-promotion lies at the root of ego traps, usually inclusive of helping and promoting others.

I don’t think ego traps are inherently "bad."  However, I believe that individuals should be fully aware of the implications when participating in a hero marketing scheme – particularly what they’re trying to accomplish and why.  Honesty with one’s own ego is the key.

There’s some chatter going on about "50 of the most powerful and influential women in social media."

Influencer lists are ego traps in action.  Why?

  • The list host seeks credibility as an authority, in order to win more business.
  • Those included on the list legitimize the host by linking back to the list.
  • Those left off the list (and/or their friends) legitimize the list by linking to it.

(To Ron Hudson’s credit, he comments on the digg story, "…digg this story so that they are discovered by more people. Keep in mind, you will also be contributing to my own popularity as well. With that in mind, digg or digg not.")  Other influencer lists include people on Twitter, marketing bloggers, or the Silicon Alley 100.

Influencer lists are great for discovering new voices and recognizing well-done work.  Let’s just be aware of and honest about what everyone seeks in the process.

Previously – Ego Trap: Industry Awards

Defining Social Media Marketing

I don’t like the Wikipedia definition of social media marketing, because it focuses too much on search and does not touch on corporate marketing or integration.  So let’s try a new definition by thinking through the phrase "social media marketing," backwards:

  • Marketing. A business function which exists to drive sales, by matching (sometimes generating) consumer need to company solutions, i.e. promotion that makes consumers aware of features and benefits, a product that fulfills a purpose, a price that the consumer is willing to pay, and a place where the solution can be obtained.
  • Media. The plural of medium, a container or channel used to deliver content to individuals.
  • Social. More accurately, socializing – interaction between individuals.  Call and response, idea and feedback.

Producing a definition of social media marketing:

"Interaction between individuals in [digital] delivery channels, exchanging content related to consumer needs and company solutions."

That’s theory.  In practice, things start to break down and few marketers are operate in the conversational nirvana promised by social media evangelists.  Why?

  • Media + Marketing. Inefficient traditional marketing, one-way delivery of sales messages.
  • Social + Marketing. Unscalable marketing programs, limited by employee participation (when allowed) and uncontrollable community evangelism.
  • Social + Media. Breaks when marketing content comes into play. Individuals interact by phone too, but dislike being dialed by telemarketers.

So social media marketing can be more precisely defined as:

"Interaction between a company and individual via [digital] delivery channels, intended to share commercial content that will lead to a sale and/or be passed along to others."

What am I missing here?  This sounds pretty much like traditional marketing to me.

Digesting The Austin Social Media Breakfast


Rudy’s Country Store, Austin.

Earlier this week, I had social media for breakfast with a group of Austinites.  I served up the topic of "does social media marketing matter," with ingredients including scalability and interaction.

Here’s what some attendees had to say:

  • "In a sense, [social media] owns you, and requires that you be authentic…" – Jon Lebkowsky
  • "…the session had a chaotic feel to it [which] might be expected, given the protean nature of corporate social media at this point" – Tim Walker
  • "…a burning issue that is often misunderstood by entrepreneurs, but the buzz-words of Social Media can create some confusion that needs clarification." – Fred Castaneda
  • "Peter Kim generally isn’t afraid to stir things up, and today was no exception." – Bryan Person
  • " …it’s really the spirit behind the technology that is most profound." – Mike Chapman

You can see the Twitter stream from before, during, and after by searching for #smbaustin.  Photos of me doing a karate chop and more are in the LiveWorld photostream.

Thanks Bryan and Amie!

234 Social Media Marketing Examples


234 examples, visualized. Created using http://wordle.net/

A month ago, I published a list of social media marketing examples.  At the time, the list started with 131 brands that were involved in social media to some extent.  (Sometimes not by their own choice.)

A month later, the list has added over 100 new brands due to the contributions of 81 community members.

Some interesting things happened along the way.  Dion Hincliffe from Social Computing Magazine requested permission to republish the list, no problem.  Almost 200 other bloggers have found the list helpful and I hope you do as well.  Unfortunately, I also stumbled across a few cases of plagiarism – two that were coincidentally blamed on "assistants" blogging whose work had not been checked.  (Really?  Maybe I need to get a blogging assistant, too.  But I’ll be sure to equip that person with a copy of the MLA.)

As my way of saying thanks, here’s a search engine shout-out to give credit where credit is due to everyone who has contributed to the list (either directly or through prior art):

Jeremiah Owyang, Mashable, Forrester, Mack Collier, Social Brand Index, Gavin Heaton, Philippe Deltenre, zeroinfluencer, Bruce Eric Anderson, Nick Ayres, Jeff Glasson, Luke, Mike, Robin Seidner, Tom Shea, Ed Nicholson, Stefan Halley, Tom Hoehn, Debbie Weil,  Marta Kagan, Paull Young, Kevin, Paul Fabretti, Nick Huhn, dominic, Michael Pranikoff, Kyle Flaherty, Ed Terpenning, Chi-chi Ekweozor, Lisa, David Bressler, C.B. Whittemore, Torley, David Jones, Keith De La Rue, Sean Lew, Tom Cummings, Donna Tocci, Adam Singer, Yianni Garcia, Matt Cronin, Stephen Manning, Jim Dietzel, Clayton, Mike, Kira Wampler, Woody Meachum, Lee Aase, Toby Bloomberg, Adam Denison, Colleen Gatlin, Davezilla, Gina, Marcos Fargas, Marianne Richmond, Kevin Barenblat, Dan Entin, Bruce Ertmann, Sean Moffitt, Elana Bowman, Dan, Andrew, James O’Connor, Herve Kabla, Sachin Agarwal, Lou Cuming, Danny Urguia, Kathrin Lohmann, Rafa, John Galpin, Ken Kaplan, Kathy Mandelstein, BJ Cook, John Welsh, Nils Koenig, James Finnen, Miko, Yvonne DiVita, Juny Lee, Massimo Cavazzini, and Gunther Lie.

But seriously…234.  Do you think that’s it?

Being: Peter Kim