Die Zeit der Manifeste – Manie, Hypie oder Faszination?

Vor ein paar Wochen habe ich in einem Interview mit dem Internet World Magazin von einem Kulturwandel gesprochen, der mit der Evolution des (oder Revolution durch das) Social Web einhergeht. In der Vergangenheit gingen zahlreichen Kulturwandeln tiefgreifende Manifeste voran, die die Ziele und Absichten einer Gesellschaft im Wandel in sich tragen.

Nun ist ein Manifest kein Blog-Post, kein Whitepaper und keine Strategie-Abhandlung. Oder im Social Web Zeitalter dann doch? Manifeste entstehen in schwierigen Zeiten ideologischer und kultureller Umbruchstimmung in der Gesellschaft. Jeder in der Gesellschaft spürt die Umbruchstimmung. Jeder nimmt die Unruhe im Geiste wahr. Kluge Köpfe formulieren die Wünsche sowie die zukünftige Wegbereitung in Thesen. Die Absicht: Der Masse Orientierung und Antworten zu geben.

Der derzeitige Kulturwandel findet in schriftlicher Form eine kreative Energie, die sich in diversen Manifesten niederschlägt – publiziert zumeist von (Social) Web-Experten. Allein im Jahr 2010 sind inzwischen 3! Internet-Manifeste erschienen.

Manie, Hype oder Faszination? Es wirkt fast so, als schafften sich manche (Social) Web Professionals mit einem Internet-Manifest ein Denkmal. Was mit dem Cluetrain Manifest begann, findet euphorische, motivierte Nachahmer, die ebenfalls Manifeste in die soziale Web Diskussion einfließen lassen.

Eine Übersicht…

Cluetrain Manifest
Autoren: Chris Locke, Doc Searls, David Weinberger, Rick Levine
April, 1999

Tom’s Re-imagine Manifesto!
Ten Good Reasons to “Get Up in the Morning”
Autor: Tom Peters
Juli 2005

The Happy at Work Manifesto
Autor: Alexander Kjerulf
Juli 2007

Das Internet-Manifest
Wie Journalismus heute funktioniert. 17 Behauptungen.
Autoren: Zahlreiche Journalisten
September 2009

Slow Media Manifest
Autoren: Sabria David, Jörg Blumtritt und Benedikt Köhler
Januar 2010

Media Manifest
12 Thesen zur künftigen Media-Messung
Autor: David Eicher/Webguerillas
Feburar 2010

Rubicon Manfest
Principles of a REVVOLUTION or, the ad server is dead
Autor: Rubicon Project
Februar 2010

In der Ära des Social Web sprechen alle von Nachhaltigkeit, was das Cluetrain Manifest definitiv bewiesen hat. Und wie sieht es mit den anderen Manifesten aus? Wie denken Social Web Professionals über diese neuen Manifeste? Was bringen solche Manifeste? Welche Art von Manifesten brauchen Unternehmen für die Zukunft? Ein paar akademische Meinungen habe ich vorab schonmal angefragt. Und freue mich auf Eure Kommentare…

Lest selbst…

Prof. Harald Eichsteller, Hochschule der Medien (HdM)
“Ein Manifest symbolisiert, dass das schwelende Gefühl einer großen Gruppe oder Bewegung sich materialisiert, aufgeschrieben und schließlich publiziert wird – ob als Anschlag an einer Kirchentür, als Buch oder im World Wide Web. Nach Luther und Marx haben sich rechtzeitig vor Ende des Jahrtausend führende Köpfe im Cluetrain Manifest zusammengetan, um der Tradition mit 95 Thesen neuen Schwung zu geben – und das wurde dann in immer kürzeren Zeitabschnitten dankbar von einigen aufgegriffen.

Erwähnenswert das 15-thesige Slow Media Manifest, das auf den ersten Blick die Tradition des intellektuellen Anspruchs der Manifestierer der letzten Jahrhunderte fortsetzt und sicherlich das schwelende Gefühl einer beachtlich großen Gruppe im digitalen Alltags-Dschungel Gehetzter widerspiegelt. Das Media-Manifest kommt mit 12 Thesen aus und lehnt sich optisch stark an die historischen Vorbilder an; es bleibt allerdings nicht verborgen, dass es sich um das Akquisitionstool einer Agentur handelt, auch wenn inhaltlich die grundsätzlichen Marketing-Tendenzen des neuen Jahrzehnts trefflich skizziert sind.

Bleiben einige Fragen: Brauchen wir jetzt in immer kürzer werden Abständen ständig neue Internet-Manifeste? Ist es legal, die von Luther und Cluetrain vorgegebene Zahl von fünfundneunzig auf ein Dutzend oder wenig mehr zu reduzieren? Ist ein Manifest nicht immer non-profit? Oder: Ist nach dem Cluetrain Manifest jetzt nicht wieder Ruhe angesagt und wir beschäftigen uns jetzt 100 Jahre mit den Konsequenzen und der Verarbeitung dessen, was da so schwelte, uns alle überrumpelte und wir nun eine ganze Zeitlang brauchen werden, um uns freizustrampeln und unsere eigene Linie zu finden?”

Prof. Dr. Klemens Skibicki, Deutsches Institut für Kommunikation und Recht im Internet (DIKRI)
“Karl Marx und Friedrich Engels beschrieben in ihrem Kommunistischen Manifest 1848 diese Unruhe als „ein Gespenst geht um in Europa…“ Damals konnte zwar jeder den gesellschaftlichen Umbruch der industriellen Revolution mit dem Wachsen der Städte, industrieller Massenproduktionsweisen und dem Entstehen der Arbeiterschicht als einer neuen gesellschaftlichen Schicht sehen und den neuen Geist spüren – die Macht und die Auswirkungen waren jedoch kaum zu überblicken. Jahre später führten die einst verfassten Grundlagen zu neuen Machtorganisationen wie den sozialdemokratischen Parteien und andernorts sogar zu blutigen Revolutionen wie in Russland.

Die Autoren der „95 Thesen des Cluetrain Manifests“ von 1999 waren ihrer Zeit genauso voraus als sie die Basisthese „Märkte sind Gespräche“ formulierten. Geschichtsbewusst drückten sie die Kraft dieser Aussagen durch die Anlehnung der Titelwahl an die 95 Thesen von Martin Luther und das Marx`sche Kommunistische Manifest an – elegant, aber nur für eine kleine Elite verständlich. Ein Jahrzehnt später wird die mächtige Veränderung durch die neuen Kräfte von Facebook, YouTube, Twitter & Co auch von der Masse abseits der Vordenker gespürt. So wie sich bürgerliche Schichten im 19. Jahrhundert sich teilweise durch die neuen Kräfte bedroht fühlten, werden heute langsam alle Branchen erfasst und viele fürchten um ihre Geschäftsmodelle, so dass sie Orientierung und neue Leitlinien für die Social Media Revolution suchen. Diese Suche mündet in der Formulierung solcher Manifeste als Antwortmöglichkeiten – wobei ich unsicher bin, ob den meisten der historische Kontext der Wortwahl geläufig ist ;-)

Die Frage der Notwendigkeit solcher Manifeste zu diesem Zeitpunkt ist für diejenigen, die schon seit Jahren bewusster Teil des Ganzen sind, zu verneinen – das Erwartete ist eingetreten. Die Masse ist aber bekanntlich träge und braucht länger, um die Welt um sie herum zu verstehen – wenn die Formulierungen Ihnen helfen und sie die richtigen Schlüsse für ihr Business ziehen können – warum dann nicht?”

Richard Joerges, Becker.Joerges.agile communication.
“Manifest ist ein großes Wort für große politische Ziele und Programme, vom Kommunistischen Manifest, bis zum Manifest der 2.000 Worte im Prager Frühling. Da mitzuhalten wird für so manches neue so genannte Manifest schwierig. Cluetrain Manifesto, ok. Das schlug ein wie eine Bombe und letztendlich zehrt unser Berufsstand immer noch davon. Aber jede noch so gute neue Idee gleich in ein Manifest packen? Sind Programm, Absichtserklärung, Verhaltenskodex nicht meistens die adäquateren Worte?

Die Bereitschaft im Mitmach-Web, Erfahrungswerte und Vorstellungen via eines Manifestes in ein gemeinsames Verständnis und bestimmte Zielsetzungen mit Blickrichtung Zukunft fließen zu lassen, sind unschätzbare Momente der Kulturentwicklung durch Kommunikation und Diskussion. Jedoch sollten sie angesichts der wachsenden Zahl von Veröffentlichungen nicht überbewertet werden. Gerade bei Ideen, die wichtige Zusammenhänge oft verkürzen oder zugespitzt Außenwirkung und Verbreitung anpeilen, laufen Gefahr, inhaltlicher Breite und qualitative Tiefenschärfe zu vernachlässigen. Einer Idee folgt die nächste, doch an Optionen für eine realitätsnahe Einordnung mangelt es. Häufig folgt prompt die nächste Veröffentlichung zum Thema – auf Kosten fokussierter Aufmerksamkeit.

Bestenfalls bleiben Ideensammlungen hilfreiche Anregungen, um Diskussionen zu fördern und Alltagssituationen einzuschätzen. Zu Manifesten geraten sie dadurch jedoch nicht. Denn auch zuviel Pathos macht manchmal verwechselbar.”

Stefan Pfeiffer, IBM Deutschland
“Derzeit nehme ich sehr viel Negativberichterstattung zum Netz wahr. Es wird gewarnt, gewarnt, gewarnt … Und die positiven Möglichkeiten fallen hinten runter. Ich glaube wir brauchen vor allem Aufklärung und Ausbildung für die Anwender im Umgang mit dem Netz. Im Unternehmen können hier Social Media Guidelines helfen. Nicht im Sinne von Vorschriften sondern Hilfestellung.”

Gerald Hensel, Neue Digitale / Razorfish
“Ich persönlich mag ja Definitionen. Eigentlich könnte man meinen, dass ich deshalb auch Manifeste mag, aber tatsächlich glaube ich, dass es sich hier fast immer um PR-Vehikel dreht. Ausnahmen bestätigen bekanntlich auch hier die Regel: Das Cluetrain Manifesto ist ein inhaltlicher Meilenstein in der Industrie und sollte von jedem gelesen werden. Dass aber Hinz und Kunz 10 unbelegte und normalerweise mässig argumentierte Thesen neu übertiteln und das dann ein Manifest nennen, finde ich eher ziemlich peinlich. ”

Spot On!
Manifeste können initiieren, revolutionieren und zum Umdenken anregen. Ja, ich unterschreibe “Slow Media” – erscheint notwendig ohne Personal Web Manager. Ja, “Cost-Per-Thousand Dialogues” klingt spannend. Doch kommt nicht “Cost-Per-Unique User” zuerst? Ja, Publisher brauchen eine effizientere Vermarktung, aber gleich ein Manifest kreieren und dann als Selbstzweck zu vermarkten? Ich weiß nicht…

Natürlich interessiert mich Eure Meinung! Lasst Eurem Geist freien Lauf zum diesem Thema Manifeste. Vielleicht entsteht ja so ein neues z.B. Social Web Manifest, mit Nachhaltigkeit – welches auch in 10 Jahren noch so glänzt, wie das Cluetrain Manifest heute.

Neurological study: Bad websites causing ‘web-stress’

Bad designed websites and slow loading times are causing ‘web stress’ for internet users. This is the result of a new neurological study by CA in cooperation one of the leading customer experience and consultancy consulting firms Foviance. The study even shows that bad websites have a negative effect on the users health.

During the study, which was conducted at the Glasgow Caledonian University, volunteers (eight women and five men between the age of 25 and 42 years) were wired up to sophisticated neurological and physiological testing equipment (incl. an Electroencephalography cap) which was used to monitor brain wave activity. The volunteers carried out a series of everyday online tasks such as finding and buying a laptop PC and travel insurance. During the test the internet connection was slowed down to increase the stress factor.

With the generated data, CA and Foviance found the two most stressful points of the online sales cycle which caused a high level of ‘web-stress’: search and checkout. Although the volunteers completed the purchase, more than three quarters of customers will abandon the site in reality. And it took the volunteers up to a minute to recover from that ‘web stress’.

This result corresponds with CAs Web Stress Index study. In 2009 CA interviewed 2500 consumers. The key finding was that slow loading websites were a frustrating experience for 92% of the repondents. No wonder that volunteers in the experiment were leaving bad websites, or wanted to call the company’s hotline

“The results of this study sends out a clear message – businesses need to reduce ‘web stress’ and improve the online experience of their customers if they’re going to maximise returns from their web channel” (…) It’s not just about website design or internet connection speeds – the performance of a website is dependent on the performance of the web applications that support it. Businesses need an Application Performance Management (APM)** solution which not only provides real insight into how customers are experiencing their web applications, but will proactively manage the performance and availability of these applications. This translates into better customer service, improved brand loyalty and increased sales.”
Kobi Korsah, Director, EMEA Product Marketing, CA

And Foviance adds…

“Consumers have very high expectations of web applications and web sites – to be always available and instantly responsive. This experiment simulated the experience of underperforming web applications for our volunteers. The results show that when online expectations aren’t met, people quickly become agitated, confused and have to concentrate 50% more than normal. All these problems can be detected and prevented as long as businesses take a proactive approach to measuring the customer’s experience of web applications.”
Catriona Campbell, Director and Founder, Foviance and leading behavioural psychologist

Spot On!
In the summer of 2009, Akamai already revealed that 2 seconds is the new threshold of acceptability for eCommerce websites response times. The study showed that 40% of consumers won’t wait more than 3 seconds for a web page to load before leaving the site. This study by CA and Foviance makes this clear again: Corporations should have a close testing eye on the essential features (loading time for search and checkout) in order not to affect online shopping revenues. Especially if you bear in mind that online retail is predicted to grow to 320 billion EUR in 2011. More information can be found in this video on the CA study.

Lead Generation: Combination of social web tools and email marketing is powerful and cost-effective

All marketers know how much effort and tactical knowledge it needs to generate high quality leads. And everybody tries to find the silver bullet in order not to push too much budgets the wrong way. Finding the right tactics becomes more complex with the rise and importance of the social web.

An annual report by Hubspot “2010 State of Inbound Marketing” has asked 231 marketers, and shows that pull marketing tactics like blogging, search and social media generate cheaper leads than traditional outbound efforts. If companies devote at least one-half of their budget to inbound marketing like social web activities -compared to the same outbound marketing budget spending- they can save up to 60%.

Some more interesting findings…
- The average cost per lead from inbound marketing was significantly less.

- The rate of customer acquisition declines steadily with the rate of blog posting.
- Direct mail is still most cost-effective among outbound strategies. Only 37% generated leads for less than average.
- Social Networking is key! Over 40% of customers using Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and company blogs have generated a customer from that channel
- Businesses rated every inbound channel more important than any outbound channel for lead generation.
- B2B customer acquisition with LinkedIn was most effective. B2C businesses did best with Facebook (7 out of 10 found a new customer using social networks).

Spot On!
Tactics that are not cost-effective are not supported with spending any longer by companies, concludes the report. Inbound tactics get more value share of general lead generation budgets, outbound tactics loose money. It is not surprising that email marketing is still popular as a tactic. The Merkle report “View from the Social Inbox” states that social media hasn’t replaced traditional e-mail among users. 71% of respondents are spending 20 minutes or more weekly with traditional email – 42% of social networkers check their email account four or more times a day.

So, the combination of email marketing and social web tactics seems to be powerful and cost-effective for lead generation.

Do you agree?

Social Micro-Payment: Flattr = Paid Trend mit Zukunft?

Die meisten meiner Follower und Fans werden mitbekommen haben, daß mir die Verwirklichung des Paid Service Gedankens sehr am Herzen liegt. Es wird Zeit, daß sich auch wertvoller Content vermarkten lässt.

Aber bitte nicht die Diskussion um Paid Content, sondern weiterhin zukünftig bei Paid Service bleiben. Was die Verlage nun über Jahre nicht geschafft haben, will nun Peter Sunde schaffen – Gründer von The Pirate Bay. Sein Projekt heißt Flattr.

Flattr ist ein Social Micro-Payment Vision, die bisher noch nicht am Gedankenstart war. Aber sicherlich nicht nur den Micro-Content Anbietern gefallen dürfte…

Flattr läuft in der Beta und man kann sich als Content Anbieter um einen Account bewerben – Email Adresse abgeben genügt. Gleich vorweg: Reich wird man damit nicht!

Wie funktioniert Flattr?
Der Internetnutzer zahlt einen fixen monatlichen Obulus. Wer die Seite eines Content-Anbieters besucht, findet neben den Inhalten einen Flattr-Button. Wenn der Inhalt gefällt, wird geklickt. Am Monatsende werden die Klicks des Nutzers gezählt und der eingespielte Betrag entsprechend dann unter allen Empfängern anteilsmäßig verteilt.

Spot On!
Die Idee klingt gut. Der Teufel steckt in der Umsetzung und die hat es in sich. “Every month the Flattr User pays a small fee.” Wer bezahlt denn da eigentlich? Eine Vorauszahlung für Content, den ich vielleicht gar nicht bekomme oder konsumiere? Soll das eine Art Donation-System sein? Hmmm, ist das ein gangbarer Ansatz?

Und dann mag ich gar nicht ausdenken, wie sich das auf die positiven Kommentare in Blogs und RTs auswirkt. “Hey, ich hab schon bezahlt. Lassen wir das mit dem RT oder Kommentar mal…”

Oder liege ich mit meiner Sichtweise falsch…? Nochmal die Idee ist irgendwie cool, aber auch bis zu Ende gedacht?

Augmented Reality – the future of customer service?

The customer service world around us is changing with the social web, new technologies, and especially mobile apps. The question is how much this is effecting our perspective of the real offline world around us. A new technology is evolving that is beginning to connect the offline and the virtual world from a customer perspective as it will offer some new form of customer service. The term is Augmented Reality (AR).

It is a technology that brings your visual experience and information from the web or networks together, and by doing this enriches daily situations with relevant data from the web – and in more and more cases the information provided will come from the user.

The competition for users and companies has already begun. We have augmented reality browsers like Layar, explaining us instantly which famous buildings are surrounding us. Or, another AR browser named Wikitude that starts to become one of the most-wanted AR browser apps (not only for iPhone users) and gets nominated for one award after another. With wikitude.me shops and service providers of all sorts can already use this cool service to make themselves visible in the offline world by geo-tagging their office or location with simple online entries. If somebody is new in a city, this person can find a laundry or the next wine shop much easier in the future – just by using an AR browser app.

There are products like T-shirts projecting interactive games with AR. Digital cosmetic mirrors where women in cosmetic shops can see in real-time what a new eye-liner or make-up is looking good at them without testing it in reality. Adidas will launch a series of shoes, each printed with an AR code on the tongue which give you access to an interactive game that changes on a montly basis. Is this the customer service of the future?

Now, just imagine what this technology could do for customer service in the future. Wouldn’t it be a positive effect when we get immediate feedback on health information about the food and drinks we consume?

The following short film, called Augmented (Hyper)Reality, shows us a world some time ahead, where augmented reality is part of our daily offline life. We see what the actor sees, from his own perspective, and get to know the oppotunities that AR might offer to our daily life. OK, if we agree to getting networked completely…

The interesting acknowledgement for companies will be the advertising part of the film – although in some way it might be shocking…

Spot On!
The complete overkill seems to be the massive sea of logos flooding our sight in the beginning. Although the above examples might seem an exaggerated view of a futuristic branding scenario, it gives some idea on how the world might change customer care in the future. And you never know if this will be really happening, or not. Today, this all might sound strange to us but just think about how common the use of artifical medical help is for us, or how often we use the navigation system in cars today.

And then, think about the options when combining location based advertising with augmented reality. This opens a complete new world of customer care…

Don’t you think?

News Update – Best of the Day

This news update reads like: Back to the Roots.

Skittles changes their website strategy. Not even a year ago, Skittles has chosen to set up a social media hub website against a traditional website. Last week, the Skittles site has been relaunched and ends their extreme social media outfit – just the small social network logos on top indicate their social media engagement. Nevertheless, the PR effect was and is massive for them. Just the right time to use it for the launch of their new Twitter page…

The iPad drives the media in the world crazy and has ruled the news in the last weeks. Now, a recent study (poll) shows the customer’s buying desire for an Apple tablet both pre- and post iPad keynote. The results show that before the speech there were 26% saying they DON’T want to buy an iPad and after it, the numbers has increased to 52%!

The super bowl season 2010 is over. The winner is the team from the New Orleans Saints – Congrats guys – well done! After the final the first question is: Which TV commercial was the best (see a selection on The Strategy Web YouTube channel). My vote goes to Volkswagen. It’s about a funny game (Every time you see a VW drive by, you punch a friend.), it’s carries cool characters, creates suspense and the company advertizes with the German claim: Das Auto – and not ‘the car’ or ‘the auto’. Isn’t that authentic? Back to the rootes! So, take care when I am standing next to you next time…

Is customer-centric business the future?

In the last 12 years, the credo of my business life was “Customer First!”. It surprises and disappoints me when I experience poor customer service. Or when I hear from unhappy friends, colleagues or relatives telling me stories about how companies treat the centre of their business: customers.

Last week, when I was thinking about how to leverage this to a higher level, I came across a modern business strategy vision by Ranjay Gulati, Harvard Business School professor and author of the book “Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business“. In the following video Gulati tells us how to deliver what customers really want.

Reorienting vs. Reorganizing
Ranjay Gulati sees the fundamental changes appropriate for some movement in company processes. Customers have more information, more choices on products while companies are facing global competition. So, businesses have to think about their business (not only marketing or sales efforts!) and how it operates.

Redefining vs. Reinventing
The analysis of the customer base might show that the website is designed for male while the majority of the users might be female. So, we need to ask questions like “Who are my customers?”, “How do my customers shop?”, or “What do they really want?”.

Gulati explains with the latest success of Best Buy how women and men shop. At that point, he also hints to the upsale opportunity of recommendations.

Success for businesses, he believes, comes from “Inside-Out-Perspective”. Companies don’t have to produce everything themselves but need to make the client happy like Apple with the iPhone. 90% of the inputs are not made by Apple. The same occurs to the apps in the Apple store where Apple basically just orchestrates the customers wishes.

“Make this identity shift. I am not here to sell what I produce – I am here to solve a set of customer problems (…) and actually acting on that!”

How to get to a customer-centric business…
1. Shifting mindset: the intention to solve customer problems.
2. Sense of curiosity and humility: the wish to understand your customers.
3. Make a creative leap: the will to understand their needs.
4. Align the elements in the organization: the motivation to live the customer-centric business.

Spot On!
Interested to get your view on this modern business strategy. Let us know what you think about customer-centric business. Or do you think the social web will be leading us towards this business process anyway?

E-commerce study: automatic recommendations disappointing for most customers

When we go shopping online today, we all get recommendations for additional or interesting products that might be relevant for us. Might be?! Well, a new research by ChoiceStream called 2009 Personalization Survey states that recommendations by e-tailers are still poor. A personalization strategy can be benefitial for businesses but also be an access killer for customers of online shops.

Almost 60% of the internet users were not happy with personal product recommendations on e-commerce sites in 2009. Compared to 2008 (14% less than this year) this negative shopping experience is massively increasing. The reason is obvious. On the one hand, data mining technology is affordable and used by more and more shops (http://www.thestrategyweb.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=9245&message=10although general knowledge on integration is probably low). And on the other hand, customer personalization expectation is increasing – 74% of the respondents notice product recommendations.

“Shoppers notice recommendations more than they have in the past and, in fact, have come to expect them” (…) “For this reason, quality and relevance are under a microscope.” Lori Trahan, vice president of marketing, ChoiceStream.

iTunes, Netflix and Amazon know their personalization business best and seem to have the lead in personalization efforts. The entertainment business (music and big book-stores) comes quite close with their recommendations, but shoe, toy and office supply sites seem to show bad results.

Spot On!
When results go up by almost 15% to the prior year, of shoppers who complain about not getting recommendations, then this should ring e-tailers’ alarm bells. Especially, if we learn from the study that nearly 60% who had spent at least $500 online in the past six months buy something according to recommendation features. Less successful are suggestions on order confirmations, promotional and transactional e-mails.

PS: Testing is important and e-tailers should be doing this in a periodical mode.

Moms access point for engagement? – Social Networks!

If your company sells children (car) seats, diapers, baby buggies or lipstick, when it comes to engaging at-home moms you may think about social networks. At least two recent reports from the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) conducted by BIGresearch as well as another one conducted by Lucid Marketing and analyst Lisa Finn in the US make clear that moms are more likely to be on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter than other moms.

Moms log on almost daily
And moms are using social networks quite often. A Lucid Marketing study states that 80% of Facebooking moms log in at least daily. Even more, 30% of the responding moms login more than five times each day. Also mobile logins are quite popular: About 40% login from smartphones and computers.

The future seems to belong to Facebook. 90% of the moms say the Facebook benefit is that its easy contacting friends/family. 26% mention they like the apps (games and quizzes).

Social web for at-home moms important
- 60% more likely to use Facebook
- 42% more likely to use MySpace
- 16% more likely to use Twitter
- 15% maintain their own blogs

“Retailers who aren’t engaging customers through social media could be missing the boat” (…) “Twitter, Facebook and blogs are becoming increasingly popular with moms as they search for coupons or deals and keep in touch with loved ones. The web provides efficient, convenient ways for brands to stay in front of their most loyal shoppers and attract new ones.”
Mike Gatti, Executive Director, RAMA

Spot on!
Now, the most interesting part for marketers: 64% like ads (or feeling neutral about) on Facebook, says the Lucid Marketing study. Meaning, Facebooking moms are apparently open to get in touch with brands and marketers – if they take their wants and needs into account. The ’social moms’ are getting engaged when they search for exclusive deals (i.e. coupons and discounts). Apart from that, these studies indicate that companies addressing moms could replace old loyalty programs. I am sure, this is a great opportunity. But don’t forget to provide sustainable conversation – moms hate it not to be taken serious in their job at-home.

Can corporate social media engagement replace customer loyalty cards?

We all have our purse full of plastic cards for customer loyaly programs. These won’t make us rich. They make us save money, or get kickbacks from companies and brands if we want. And the philosophy of these programs is clever. Companies have the feeling of being in touch with their clients on a regular basis, making sure customers stay informed about their product offerings.

The customers bottleneck is, well yes, we have to carry multiple plastic cards in a credit card format with us. So, why not leaving these cards behind after 20 years and just make customers fans on Facebook and/or followers on Twitter of brands?

Imagine you go into a store and you’ll see a “Follow us on Facebook or Twitter or on our iPhone app” sign taped to the cash mashine instead of receiving print and plastic to carry home?! – Why not save the trees and oil resources!?

Companies install reward program cards to make us buy more of their products, or more frequently. And companies get more feedback on our buying habits. So, for companies these cards are an essential part of their customer loyalty strategy.

And customers with a big purse are happy. Others don’t want to have all these cards. Thus, these customers are not lsitening to what’s the latest promotion. Now, who of the male world is happy with all these plastic cards making our trouser pockets look like fat kangaroo pouches?

In most cases, these loyalty cards are addressing and being used by an old-economy’s vanity (IMHO), or women. “Look how much companies are interested in having me as their customer”, I heard a woman say the other day.

A recent study by the CMO Council “The Leaders in Loyalty: Feeling the Love from the Loyalty Club” shows the trouble of loyalty programs. 54% of consumers mention that irrelevant messages, low value rewards, and impersonal engagements may decrease their loyalty for brands and their services, and with that their loyalty programs.

And yes, we can understand this fact when our online and offline mailboxes are full of non-personalized, unexhiting and unintersting promotions from company’s so called loyalty programs. Talking of me, these loyalty programs get one chance and I cut those cards into pieces straight away when the company loyalty program fails.

Now, what does this means for loyalty programs when we match these results with the latest survey by MarketingSherpa. The new web generation and prosumers love following brands as they expect savings, learning about specials and sales as the top motivation to friend and/or follow a brand online. If companies are aware of this fact and learn from it, why not replacing the old loyalty card concept then?

The benefit of the fan and follower systemtic is quite obvious…
- You become a fan and/or follower when a brand becomes of interest for YOU as a customer
- You become a fan and/or follower of your favorite brand when YOU are in a purchase process
- You can check status updates on sales, discounts and promotions when YOU need them (not when the company wants to sell more products)

OK, thinking of business intelligence and data mining sales cycle topics, it might become difficult for companies to track purchase processes as good as now. But, isn’t the customer king with the rise of social media? And companies could save money for print mailings and their plastic card production, right?

Spot On!
Some weeks ago, I have thought about Twitter as a sales tool and with this post, I am trying to take this idea a bit further. It shall illustrate how much a company’s sales and customer service strategy gets influenced by a new social web strategy where the customer holds the power of interest in promotions.

So, let us know what you think about the idea that Facebook fan pages, Twitter company accounts or corporate LinkedIn groups could replace loyalty programs in the future? A dream, a vision or a stupid idea?

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