Will Facebook Graph Search turns us more authentic?

A Different Incentive For Sharing

by Adam Cahill (Adage)

One of the real turn-offs about social media in general – and Facebook in particular – is that sharing has become so selfish.

As I think lots of us feel as we thumb down through the feed, the pictures we see and the clever quips we read bear very little resemblance to life as it's actually lived.

Because, of course, the feed doesn't present life as it's actually lived. It presents a version of life that we imagine others will look upon favorably. A life in which us Gen X-ers lovingly and one-thousand percent engagingly create crafts with our children on a Saturday afternoon, and one in which the Millenials apparently only eat appetizers that have been sculpted into museum-ready formats.

In the context that's come to dominate Facebook, sharing is no longer a word that suggests I'm doing something for you. When I share, it's only about you in that it's about what I think you're going to think of me.

And that's why I'm actually optimistic about how Graph Search could change Facebook (and by extension all social spaces) for the better, creating a new rationale for sharing that truly is about you.

If I'm interpreting Facebook's teaser video about Graph Search correctly than you should be able to do a search like "books my friends have read in the last year."

Now if you're a friend of mine and you did that search today (assuming Graph Search was up and running) you'd see nothing from me, even though I'd be happy to give you a recommendation.

Looking for a great novel? Try Capital, by John Lanchester. Kind of reminded of Bonfire of the Vanities in that it captures the essence of a city (London as opposed to New York) at a moment in time by bringing to life a sprawling cast of characters into one coherent, fascinating story.

Maybe you're a work friend and want some inspiration for the office? Well you should read The Art of the Pitch by Peter Coughter. It'll change the way you present for the better if you do what the man says.

My point is that even though I love these books, I wouldn't share that on Facebook today because I'm censoring myself.

The first thought I have is, what would people think if I posted this? That I'm pretentious? A snob? The kind of person who wants the filtered, curated version of my life to say "this guys is well-read?"

It's all too exhausting, to think about the me I want you to see, and so I just don't share it all.

But with Graph Search what I can see is a new rationale for sharing. One that is much more authentic. Much more human. One that actually is about you.

You see, if I thought that my friends were likely to turn to Graph Search as a way to get book recommendations, I actually would take the time to go and Like the books I'd recommend. Might even write up a little synopsis and review while I'm at it.

I wouldn't feel self-conscious about it, either, because my motivation would actually be to help, not promote myself.

If we all started to share (at least some of the time) with the notion of helping our friends find an answer they're looking for, that would certainly make Facebook a more authentically human environment than it is today.

It would be a place I'd want to spend more time, and contribute more of myself to. Which for Facebook makes it the best kind of product development possible: one that is commercially attractive, and also helps people get more out of the service than they did before.

Engage With the Superfans

Most of Your Fans Are Dormant, but Active Ones Can Spread a Message Virally
By: Riley Gibson(adage)

Brands work hard to accumulate fans and connect with a large fan base on Facebook, but studies reveal that only a tiny fraction of those fans are engaging with the product. This is discouraging news. And it raises the question: What should a brand do next?

Brands should be focusing on identifying and activating their top advocates on Facebook, the superfans. These are a powerful species, masters of spreading content virally to households around the globe. Brand evangelists with a fervor, they can motivate into action even those who are typically dormant.

Here are the most important tips for getting the most our of your brand's superfans :

Reward loyalty. Superfans are a brand's most loyal fans. Most brands understand the importance of rewarding repeat customers, and this principle holds true on Facebook. Just as a store might reward loyal customers with early access to sales, brands should reward superfans. Surprising superfans with discount codes or branded SWAG delights them, making them more likely to continue coming back and spreading their viral word about a brand.

Make it mutual. Building a two-way, genuine relationship with superfans can be just as effective at driving repeat engagement as physical rewards. Just as regulars at a restaurant are more likely to return if the manager greets them by name or comes over to their table to say hi, superfans will be more likely to return if a brand acknowledges their repeat presence and constantly engages with them. Brands should go out of their way to build relationships with superfans by responding to their comments, answering their questions immediately and liking or commenting on the content they share.

Ask for their help. Superfans represent a brand's most passionate, dedicated customers, so brands should dedicate extra effort to finding out what these customers like. Invite superfans into experiences where they can openly share ideas and feedback to make the brand better. Most superfans will feel honored by the invitation and eager to help shape the future of a brand they love.

I'm not suggesting that brands ignore the rest of their fans, just that they pay more attention to their superfans. For every dollar or minute a brand dedicates to Facebook, the brand will receive more back from superfans than the average fan. So treat them accordingly.

Data Is Great, But You Need to Learn When to Ignore It

Who can resist the temptation of real-time marketing performance data? I can't. Whether we've posted a video on YouTube or started to promote a Facebook page, it's hard to stop clicking the refresh button throughout the day to watch the number of "views" and "likes" increase.

I love digging into the analytics on our agency website to see the most popular search engine terms, the page view trends, the top traffic referrers and the amount of time visitors are spending on the site. I'm intrigued by the new suite of metrics that Facebook has introduced, and I enjoy the process of optimizing online ads based on the sites, sizes and creative executions that perform best.

It's not surprising that most people in the marketing business feel the same way: after all, we live in a society that loves to keep score. From the time we're old enough to comprehend the merits of earning a gold star, we're conditioned to want instant, quantified validation of our success. But as marketers, it's possible that our obsession with data has become counterproductive.

Simply put, the fact that one can measure something doesn't mean that one should, and the fact that something is quantifiable doesn't necessarily make it paramount to something that isn't. Yet most marketers seem determined to measure anything and everything, regardless of the utility of the data, and some are so obsessed with KPIs that they unwittingly (or worse, wittingly) compromise the real-world impact of their marketing activities in order to move the needles on their performance dashboards.

I realize I'm not introducing a new perspective; others have voiced similar concerns about the perils of data obsession. Unfortunately, those of us who are proponents of balancing quantitative and qualitative measurement—that is, seeing the trees and the forest—have generally been unsuccessful at converting analytics enthusiasts. So while I may not be suggesting an entirely new paradigm, I hope to frame this point-of-view in a way that inspires the non-believers to reevaluate their position.

To that end, consider the following metaphor: optimizing marketing activities based entirely or even predominantly on quantitative measures is a Ponzi scheme. Expanding on that theme, metrics such as "Likes," "Views," "Shares," "CTR" and "Page views," are "paper wealth" that may or may not be backed by actual currency of tangible value such as increased awareness, affinity, purchase intent or sales. And the more paper wealth one creates, the more "schemes" one must implement to meet inflated prior-year benchmarks. While this approach may enable agencies and marketing managers to create impressive charts and graphs for a few months or even a few years, eventually the "investors" (CMOs, CEOs, and actual investors) are going to come looking for their money. And when that day comes, no Excel document or pie chart will be an acceptable proxy—nor should it be.

Admittedly, this matter isn't black and white. But while there's a broad spectrum of gray area within which "paper value" translates into tangible value at varying exchange rates, I'm making a mutually exclusive distinction between the two in an effort to streamline my argument. And my argument is this: I'd rather have 10,000 views of a branded video that increases purchase intent than a million views of a video that simply makes people laugh; I'd rather have a .02 CTR on a banner ad that drives highly qualified and motivated traffic to my site than a 2.0 CTR on a banner ad that tricks disinterested consumers to my site; I'd rather have 25 thoughtful comments on a Facebook status update that's related to my brand than 250 comments on an update about the various reasons to bemoan Mondays.

To be clear, I understand how EdgeRank and search engines work, and why, consequently, some amount of "gaming the system" may be required to ensure a brand's message is seen; we're all at the mercy of algorithms, and Google and Facebook have inspired many of the manipulations marketers have deployed in their efforts to garner impressions and promote consumer actions.

Furthermore, because I believe brands should behave like humans (not corporations) when using social media, I support efforts to connect with consumers by initiating conversations about current events, pop culture and other topics not directly related to an advertisers product or service. I'm simply suggesting that marketers have to understand the cause of the numbers they hold so dearly. After all, if people are spending less time on a website that's recently been redesigned, it may be because the new architecture has made it easier for them to find what they're looking for.

Of course, there are many reasons and ways to tip the digital scales in a brand's favor. But marketers who get caught up in "gaming the system" end up competing for first prize in a contest that only rewards them with "paper value." In much the same way that Bernie Madoff borrowed money from one investor to pay dividends to another, they end up borrowing equity from one place to represent it in another. And like borrowed money, "borrowed interest" is not a brand's to keep

written by Mike Wolfsohn on AdAge

Why Marketer Love for QR Codes Is Not Shared by Consumers

Quick-response codes are everywhere these days, even the soccer field. This fall, a squad of London footballers shaved the back of their heads in the design as a promotional stunt. But consumers are not nearly as excited about QR codes as marketers are.

The codes are a great idea in theory. They let marketers make all sorts of media -- print, billboards, even packaging -- clickable and interactive. When scanned with a special app downloaded to a smartphone, QR codes can call up links, text messages or videos. They can spark e-commerce or generate a lead.

But in practice, while QR codes are affixed to everything from rental cars to Bratz dolls, only 5% of Americans who own mobile phones actually used the 2-D barcodes in the three months ending July 2011, according to Forrester Research. And those 14 million early adopters tended to be young, affluent and male.

Experts cite three reasons that QR codes haven't caught on. First, people are confused about how to scan them. Two, there's little uniformity among the apps required to read them. Last, some who have tried the technology were dissuaded by codes that offer little useful information or simply redirect the user to the company's website.

None of this deters marketers, who seem to be slapping the codes on products for all age groups and demographics.

"QR codes are definitely everywhere," said Kelli Robertson, director-strategy for digital agencyAKQA.

The QR phenomenon is "another instance of shiny-object syndrome," said Melissa Parrish, Forrester's senior analyst-social and mobile marketing. "Something becomes trendy or sexy, and marketers feel they have to jump onboard to position themselves as innovative and make sure they don't fall behind."

Car-rental outfit Enterprise pasted QR codes on the driver-side windows of 1 million of its North American vehicles so passersby can get more information about the automaker.

JC Penney put the codes on holiday tags so that gift-givers could include a recorded greeting on the box -- one of many QR-code programs from the retailer.

QRblaster.com, which generates codes, published a list of the worst campaigns of the year. It included marketers and publishers with unreadable or obscured codes. Some were offered in areas with no internet access, which means a scan cannot load anything to the phone. Red Bull put QR codes on the subway, and United Airlines had them on in-flight magazines read primarily far outside cell-service range.

In a well-meaning misstep, MillerCoors partnered with Seattle bars and restaurants over the holidays so that patrons who had imbibed a bit too much could snap a QR code to get a cab. The effort assumed that revelers still had enough dexterity to aim a phone and get a clear shot.

"Marketers fall in love with tools and forget the reality of how they're used," said Ms. Robertson at AKQA.

The appeal to marketers is clear. Implementing the codes is far less expensive than developing a proprietary app. They offer the ability to measure consumer activity and can provide shoppers with information, freeing up salespeople and increasing productivity.

But what's the risk of the many QR codes that are unhelpful, don't work or are so complicated that it would be easier to enter a URL?

"If you are not paying off [the QR scan] with content that's rewarding or valuable, then the experience falls flat and consumers won't use it again," Ms. Robertson said.

Despite low usage, marketers are staying loyal to QR codes.

Home Depot, for example, put QR codes on plants this spring so that customers could learn more about the items and which go best together.

A spokeswoman for the home-improvement retailer acknowledged that adoption has been slow, but the company continued to test the technology on artificial Christmas trees and lights.

"I haven't found any brands that have totally scrapped the codes," said Ms. Parrish at Forrester.

Education may also be an answer. Last spring, Macy's did national TV ads on its QR codes, and shoppers who scanned them got informational videos from clothing designers. The initiative exceeded expectations and got positive customer feedback, according to a spokeswoman. Use of the codes tripled after Macy's tweaked the content and offered shorter videos in the fall.

written by: Kunur Patel  on AdAge Digital

Ten Issues Marketers Should Have on Their 2012 Agenda

Capture the Power of Personalization; Respect Privacy 
Mobile devices and social media have brought the ability to target ads to epic levels. But targeting brings challenges, such as ensuring privacy. The industry has formed the Digital Advertising Alliance and synergized its mandate with the work of the National Advertising Review Council. This self-regulatory program promotes display of the Advertising Icon to signify use of online behavioral advertising and adherence to our core principles. More than 350 companies have implemented the program, and the icon has been displayed online more than 3 trillion times.

Agree to Universal Standards of Brand Valuation
A crucial missing element of marketing is the value of the brands that we work so hard to create and strengthen. We need generally accepted brand valuation standards that can be applied across the industry. The ANA is collaborating with the 4A's, Advertising Research Foundation, Marketing Accountability Standards Board and our brand-valuation partners at Interbrand, Core Brand and Millward Brown have begun an effort to address this.

Advance Digital and Cross-Platform Measurement 
The ANA, 4A's and Interactive Advertising Bureau have come together to improve cross-platform comparability through enhanced digital metrics and standards. We have announced five principles of digital measurement, which represent the foundation of 3MS -- Making Measurement Make Sense -- and a five-part measurement framework. The working group is now tackling Phase 2, which includes launching a pilot of the "viewable impression"; establishing a measurement governance body; and advancing GRP reporting requirements and a new classification system.

Ensure Integration Across Expanding Media Platforms
Interactive TV is one of the newest and most dynamic opportunities for marketers. BrightLine's 300-plus campaigns prove that marketers are leveraging interactive TV to raise the effectiveness of traditional-TV investments while advancing digital goals. Nationally scaled ITV has the potential to create another caliber of integrated advertising. The ANA will work with Canoe Ventures to enable programming networks to enhance content and advertising, and to energize them with interactivity.

Improve Processes With Efficiencies
There is a simple way to replace antiquated processes: common asset coding. Ad-ID produces an identifying code for each advertising asset, helps manage workflow, improve supply chain operations, and increases productivity and cost savings. Most important, it provides a foundation for industry-wide measurement across media platforms. Endorsed by all major trade groups and used by more than 700 brands, Ad-ID makes it easy to streamline the supply chain.

Optimize the Agency-Client Relationship 
Two steps have been taken to close the chasm between brands and agencies. On the procurement front, a task force will work on the gaps in understanding, knowledge and value with clients, client marketing groups and external agencies. Agency search has also become a hot-button topic. With the 4A's, we developed the Agency Search Principles and Best Practices white paper to improve the process for client marketers and agency leaders.

Develop 21st-Century Marketing Skills 
Constant changes in marketing and advances in technology make professional development a necessity. But most marketing organizations -- and I suspect agencies and media companies—lack comprehensive long-term strategies to enhance performance and capability. It takes money, time and commitment to elevate the skills of our most important asset: our people.

Focus on Sustainability 
As a major public force, marketing has a broader societal obligation than facilitating commerce. Within and beyond our commercial campaigns, we are committed to addressing an array of social issues that touch the health, safety and well-being of our citizens and country. The ANA has formed a task force to establish guidelines for businesses to make the marketing supply chain more sustainable.

Prove the Value of Marketing 
Our industry consistently, aggressively addresses government efforts that threaten our freedoms. This year, our partners came together to create the Global Insights Study, which shows that marketing accounts for nearly 20 million U.S. jobs and $5.8 trillion in economic output. We will continue to communicate this data to congressional leaders to thwart all efforts to tax advertising or deny full deductibility of expenses.

Stop ICANN's Proposed Domain Program 
The organization responsible for coordinating the technical management of this internet system is scheduled to launch a top-level domain expansion in January. A coalition of more than 100 marketers and trade associations opposes this plan. Its justification is flawed and its cost excessive. It will hurt consumers and damage brand equity. We urge the entire brand community to demand that ICANN suspend this program.

By: Bob Liodice on AdAge

Top 10 Viral Advertising Campaigns of 2011 by AdAge

1 - Volkswagen: The Force
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
Launch date: Feb. 3
Views: 62.7 million
 

2 - T-Mobile: Royal Wedding
Agency: Saatchi&Saatchi, London
Launch Date: April 12
Views: 28.4 million

3 - Apple: "Introducing iPhone"

Agency: TBWA Media Arts Lab

Launch date: Oct 5

Views: 27.8 million

 4 - Fiat: "Life is best when driven"

Agency: Doner

Lauch date: Sept. 12 

Views: 27.4 million 

5 - Dirt Devil: "You Know When It's the Devil"
Launch date: April 29
Views: 26.4 million

6 - Old Spice: "New Old Spice Guy Fabio"
Agency: Wieden&Kennedy Portland
Launch date: July 14
Views: 26.3 million

7 - Chrysler: "Imported From Detroit"
Agency: Wieden&Kennedy Portland
Launch date: Feb. 6
Views: 22.3 million

8 - Google: "The Web is What You Make of It"

Agency; Google Creative Lab

Launch date: May 2

Views: 21.2 million

9 - Adidas: "All In"

Agency: Sid Lee

Launch date: May 1

Views: 19.9 million

10 - Old Spice: "Old Spice Man is Back"

Agency: Wielden&Kennedy, Portland

Launch date: Jan. 20

Views: 18.6 million

Digital Storytelling: What Can Porn and Paula Deen Teach Us?

Meet your new executive producer: the audience.


Ninety-six percent of homes in the U.S. own a television. Yet, viewers are anything but couch potatoes. They not only control their media like never before, but they are a part of the action, either on-screen in the show or on-line—chatting, posting and poking about it.

The future of media turns out to be a return to the past. Think back to an age before mass media and subsequent fragmentation; we had one thing that we could rely on: the story.

We are inherently social animals. Even when we didn't have 140 character limitations and Skype, people communicated with each other far and wide along trade routes. We did it through storytelling—an endless telling and retelling of well-known stories—in a folk or oral tradition where the audiences were very much active participants in the narrative. There was no community without communication. No communication without community.

And that's where we find ourselves today. Only now, digital records that oral history. People are telling and re-telling the stories they find most compelling and valuable to them, constantly changing and commenting on them to suit their needs. Just think of all the celebrity faux-pas remix videos on YouTube. Think "The X Factor" auditions. Think improv in free Rap. Folk is rampant.

It means that we need brand stories that are not just compelling, but alive. Stories that are as dynamic as they are timeless, changing to greet contemporary audiences, and constantly being reinvented for and by new viewers. Like folklore, brands must tell stories that are colored by the audience, its participation, and its re-telling of the story. Simply, we must let go. And brand architecture and communications must be designed to nurture the age of freedom storytelling.




Pornography's digital story

The pornography industry is a great example of this folk revival. From wall paintings in Pompeii to 16th century books to VHS, porn is an industry that has adapted marvelously to new technologies and media innovations. And in more recent times, to digital. It draws on a basic, limited repertoire of timeless plot-lines, so to speak, but uses digital to make these stories alive for the audience. In other words, more social, living, and current than ever – despite the fact most watch home alone.


A big part of pornography's social dimension is to do with piracy. The media industry abhors piracy. Music, television, and gaming have invested millions in digital rights management, trying to shut it all down. Format innovations like HD DVD are driven by rights management issues more than story-telling.


The porn industry saw differently. In the 90s, it recognized that there was no stopping the free flow of content (fact: today, pornography constitutes an estimated 35% of all peer-to-peer sharing). Instead, this industry embraced piracy, made content easy to grab, and more content got shared. Why?


Because the creators viewed pirated content as sampling, not theft. Or maybe they just lost the DRM battle soonest! Either way, they realized that even with a free sample, an audience might still be enticed to pay for the full experience if you added enough extra value and convenience — especially if that experience was enhanced with social tools and deeper engagement. Ten years before networks like Twitter and Facebook existed, the porn industry set about creating closer connections and communities with its audience. They set up live video and live chat functionalities. They even got their stars to blog. In an age of free and on-demand, the more alive pornography became, it commanded a price tag.


Another force—the powerful rise of user generated content-- prompted pornography to move even faster to embrace digital folk. Porn became the new karaoke as user-generated content blurred the lines among recipient, participant, and content creator. And it was free. It became the jumping-off point for something else: niche-interest communities.


These content distributors sniffed out niche online audiences, feeding them custom content. As they fed and fed off these communities, they linked them to each other. One sub-interest led to another. Less about long tail; and more about long nose: sniff out small audiences, get fed, aggregate and feed them again. Critical mass media was born. It is in this highly inventive interplay of content and distribution strategies (or what we at Digitas dub "audience design") that the porn industry perhaps has most to teach us.


And then Paula…


That said, conservative-minded marketers (and I am one) should not despair. Pornography is not the only example you can lean on when crafting your own digital storytelling. For example, we used a lot of the same elements when creating "The Real Women of Philadelphia" campaign with Kraft and Eqal: social sharing, user-generated content, and niche communities. And at the heart of this program was the story of Paula Deen, the queen of home cooking.


Paula embodied the spirit of folk tradition and classic storytelling. She kicked off the campaign with videos and tweets that encouraged viewers to participate. She focused on the "how", with videos on how to set up your kitchen, how to put on your make-up for the camera, and more. Her voice encouraged home cooks across the country to submit their own recipe videos online.

And Paula didn't stop there. She began discussing the submissions on her blog on the Real Women site, and on social channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. She didn't talk at these women; she bonded with them. The viewers weren't expected to sit back and merely; they received a personal invitation to participate—comment, share, and submit. This digital storytelling created a community, with 12,000 recipe videos and 25+ million views. It's also a community that spent money. Kraft's sales of Philadelphia Cream Cheese experienced their first big sales lift in five years.

Now there's a digital story that's compelling to everyone.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Beeching is Worldwide Chief Creative Strategy Office for Digitas, responsible for its creative product and strategic planning. As the founder of The Third Act:, Digitas' content development unit, Mark is also charged with creating and driving the company's content strategy globally.

via Adage