Tagged: new

Ford = Social Media Win!

By Kevin Spidel

A few months ago I was contacted by Ford to create a video of why I should be given one of their new cars to drive  for 6 months. At first, I was thinking this was another big company trying to capitalize on social media leaders’ networks. I wrongly opted to skip making the video.

That was dumb.

A few weeks went by and I started noticing all my friends in social media (professional and hobbyists) begin posting their videos for Ford. These are people I trust. I was surprised that they were falling for such a scam. It was me that was being naive.

Nearly all of the top 100 people that Ford awarded cars to I know through the web and my work. I missed out.

Being upset at myself for missing out on the fun (and the free car) I started following this social media campaign closer. Today there was another write up: http://mashable.com/2009/05/18/ford-social-media

This article showcases the best data to date on a successful social media campaign by a large company.
Here is a winning video submission from one of my colleagues / friends.

This video captures true authentic word of mouth marketing, not paid shrills.  Participants are enthusiastic about an opportunity to drive a new car and are rewarded for marketing Ford online.

This is a solid example of how and why Ford is winning on the social media game.

The Evolution of Data & Marketing

By Kevin Spidel

This weekend we were told RSS feeds are dead and Semantic search engines will kill Google.  Awesome technology… but is it game changing?

Remember the days when market data was just phone lists, snail mail addresses, magazine subscriptions, etc? I have spent 10 years working with voter files and effectively getting campaign messages to voters. Trend data and cross tabs are very similar to traditional direct marketing. This type of information is still extremely important in marketing, but acquiring this information is now more accessible and accurate… or is it?

Semantic data from the social web is data exchanged from user input (conversational, personal, and experiential.) This data can be searched, collected, categorized, and targeted.  This is what Activating WOM is all about.  The trick is in understanding what data is relevant and accurate.

As the web evolves, users range in their evolution– some are quick to jump on the newest technology, some stay tight to their Google Readers or Bookmarks until they start to feel behind the curve. It is important to stay abreast of the new technology while not allowing your focus to shift away from traditional online communication.

In online marketing, culture is king. Not technology. Understanding who, why, and what people do online is critical to authentically engaging and empowering brand advocates.

Here is a reflective exercise:

What are your online morning rituals?  How do you get your information?  How has that changed in the last 6 months?

Here is my order in the morning:

  1. Check twitter DM’s and mentions
  2. Facebook notifications and inbox
  3. SMS and Voicemail
  4. Email
  5. Top 5 blogs in order: 1 – TechCrunch 2 – NY Times 3 – Drudge Report 4 – Mashable 5 – Digg

6 months ago it was:

  1. Facebook notifications and inbox
  2. Check twitter DM’s and mentions
  3. Google Reader
  4. Email
  5. Voicemail & SMS

A change in priority and a step away from aggregation may be a sign that RSS dying; however, it is important to understand that I am one of those who moves fast to new technology. We can not discredit that RSS and aggregation tools like Google Reader are still very important information sources for many online consumers.

What are your morning informational rituals?