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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Some Telecom Reports & Numbers

Subscribers (Aug 2008) -

  • Mobile: 305.24 Million
  • Broadband: 4.73 Million
  • Wireline: 38.63 Million
  • Teledensity: 29.83%

Policy Related Reports

Lists: Short Code Services in India

Earlier Reports

Courtesy – Media Nama & IAMAI

Posted by at 12:21 PM 0 comments

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Tell a Friend – Leverage Word of Mouth Marketing

This is not an advertisement, and by no means I would like to make my blog “ad friendly”. I would like to share what I discovered this weekend. Tell-a-friend: - it impressed me with its simple approach of leveraging a word of mouth marketing tool to share the content not only through email but also with your IM  (MSN, Google talk, yahoo) buddies, on your Blogs, Twitter and so on, without leaving or directing away from the actual site. I have integrated it with my blog and you can notice the same at the end of each post. 

Some more information about Tell-a-Friend for a recommended use:

Tell-a-Friend makes it possible for your site visitors to share your content with their friends without directing them away from your site. Tell-a-Friend synchs with their IM, email in the context of the content they're sharing without those tedious pop-up forms that require manual input.

Where can I use it?

The Tell-a-Friend widget works just about any place online:

  • Product Pages - replaces the traditional "Email a friend" link to spread the word on products/brands/sites.
  • Search Results - pairing the Tell-a-Friend widget button with each listed item will entice users to pass on information like cheap airfare deals, great discount offers, etc...
  • News Items - news items usually have tools to share, print and bookmark. Adding the Tell-a-Friend widget adds a more comprehensive set of options to enable interactions while keeping visitors ON your website.
  • Blog Posts - word-of-mouth is the best way to direct traffic to your blogs and Tell-a-Friend is the best way to encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
  • Get the word out - make time sensitive announcements contests, events and offers to spread the word instantly.

What can I customize?

You can customize Tell-a-Friend in any way you like. Change color, size, included features, channels and outbound messaging. Imagine your users sharing professional looking, formatted messages that carry your branding without being caught by spam filters.

What about the analytics?

Your Tell-a-Friend account includes all the referral activity for your site; the latest trends and effectiveness of referrals. Information on all the activities is available and can be used with reward programs or promotional offers.

What's the cost?

The Tell-a-Friend widget is completely free and hosted by Amazon EC2, so you know it's scalable.

Try it this weekend. You can get further details by clicking here

Posted by at 12:17 AM 0 comments

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Google, Social Networks, And The Future Of Search

DJ Francis articulated a nice article on at Social Media Today. Following is his article :

Would advertisers pay more to reach you rather than your mother? How much are your clicks worth?

These are the questions posed by Heather Green in a recent BusinessWeek article: Making Social Networks Profitable. Green lays out intriguing possible scenarios in which Google could redefine advertising through social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

It represents either trivial speculation or one of the more profound changes in modern advertising and PR.

I’ve developed one theory about Google’s possible plans. It seems to make sense given Google’s track record and recent trends. But really, I’d love to hear from you - whether you think this theory is guaranteed to come to fruition, completely bunk, or just so-so.

But first, let’s examine influence ranking and then go through how Google could use this to revolutionize search and social networks.

The Problem of Influence

Google has a patent pending on technology for ranking the most influential people on social networking sites. Take a moment for the implication of this to sink in.

While intriguing, this prospect and Green’s article start with some questionable assumptions. For instance, what is influence?

Two ideas are particularly tenuous. “Well-connected chums make you particularly influential. The tracking system also would follow how frequently people post things on each other’s sites.” However, we all know from personal experience that just because a person is vocal and has a lot of friends on MySpace does not mean they are influential. Quantity of friends and frequency of interactions are not specifically markers of influence.

Her third and final idea of influence - that of getting your friends to click on articles or videos you send - may be worthwhile. Unlike quantity or frequency of social networking activity, your friends’ clicks do indicate their trust. However, as an advertiser, I would be less interested in clicks and more in the resulting purchases. It’s an incomplete metric at least.

(Just before I was about to hit “publish” on this piece, I saw Joe Marchese’s excellent piece critiquing Green’s take on influence and the use of measuring it at all: Google To Decode Social Networks. It’s a must-read if you’re interested in influence ranking - especially the last paragraph.)

What’s The Use?

Green hypothesizes that Google could identify the most influential members of groups and both sharpen and expand advertiser’s targeting. She believes they will better target with the same old display ads they’ve been using.

I respectfully disagree.

The hypothesis of sharpened and expanded targeting is hardly a departure from Google’s current practice. Sure, social networkers tolerate banner ads now, but this makes the ads more invasive and especially abuses the most influential (”[Nike] could work with Google to plop an interactive free-throw game on the profile pages of the community influencers”).

This course of action would set off twin firestorms from privacy advocates and those concerned about social networking monetization (they aren’t getting paid by Nike, after all). Plus, it’s not really an advancement. Google tends to make bold leaps, not timid advances into an area they already dominate.

Maybe there are other ways Google can use social network information.

Google Today

So how could Google use a patent that ranks influential people (assuming they can) on social networking sites?

I started sketching out at a very basic level what Google does. This is what I came up with. Primarily, Google organizes and prioritizes information on websites and display ads.

  • Google parses information about websites:

User provides search terms + Google provides search algorithm = SERP

  • Google parses information about search terms:

User provides search terms + Google provides ad serving mechanism = AdWords

Google Tomorrow

This is how the system currently works. But if the next step moves forward as Green describes, the user will tacitly provide social networking profile information rather than a search term. So the equation becomes:

User provides social networking profile info + ? = ?

What would Google provide and what do they hope to achieve?

Well, it seems likely that they will provide some tool to sort data - in this case to determine an influence ranking. If Green is correct about their patent filing, the equation becomes:

User provides social networking profile info + Google provides influence ranking/search algorithm = ?

And what could they serve up? I think it’s going to be experiences.

User provides social networking profile info + Google provides influence ranking/search algorithm = Real-life experiences

Experiences?

Right now, Google dominates the web. They have the most robust search and ad serving capabilities. Since 99% of their revenue is derived from advertising, where can they go but into the real world? How else can they provide something worthwhile for their advertising partners?

Imagine this:

I’m walking in my neighborhood, chatting on my new Gphone. At the same time, Mastercard is sponsoring a concert featuring my favorite band just a few blocks over. All of a sudden, I get an ad on my phone with information about the concert and a digital coupon if I can bring along two more friends. I use Google to locate a couple of my friends in the area and we head to the show.

In this scenario:

  • I win: I get to see my favorite band and get a cheaper ticket to the show.
  • Mastercard wins: By delivering uber-targeted messages, they get more brand exposure (along with the residual effect of pleasing the influentials). Plus, they don’t get charged for ad impressions that don’t result in a ticket purchase.
  • Google wins: They rake in the money for all of the ads served.

This advertising scenario takes the best of what Google does (parse and deliver information) with what advertisers want (targeted messages and accountability) resulting in a very pleased customer.

Influentials could be rewarded by the discounted tickets I described or a number of other ways. Perhaps initial messages go out to them a week ahead of time to build buzz. Maybe their ad reception radius is larger.

Think of all the information contained in a social networking profile. You’ve got location (ad: the store you just passed is having a sale!), alma mater (ad: another Stanford alum is sitting at the bar!), favorite books (ad: Borders is having a Nabokov sale!), and much, much more.

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems possible, if not likely, that Google would take a giant leap to extend their reach. What do you think? Am I totally off-base? Feel free to leave your comments below.

Posted by at 11:40 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Human Rubiks Cube

Human actions are diverse to the extreme. So, too, are the motives and the causes which drive them. But, behavioral scientists have found that certain types of Actions, Behaviors and Conducts tend to cluster together around certain Types of Temperament, Styles of Behavior and other aspects of human character. This means that if one tends to habitually do certain things, or behave in certain ways, then closely allied Actions, Behaviors and Conducts can be expected.

Of course, nothing about human actions or behaviors is ever certain. But, that’s precisely why we can benefit by knowing just a little bit more about what to expect, and how one might better respond to another. For example, a person who tends to be very analytical, which is a good thing, may also be one who suffers from Paralysis By Analysis, which may often not be a good thing. So, one who must rely on the analytical powers and interests of another may be required to insist that some type of a decision be made, and that such a decision be made by a certain date.

The demands and requirements of human interactions and interdependencies make the recognition of a person’s character a very important necessity. What one both chooses, and refuses, to do provides important indications and inclinations of a person’s character. Our character thus becomes a matter of choices – and over time we become our choices. This is why a hierarchy of values, or ethics, which governs our choices largely influences, if not determines one’s morality.

Courtesy – Tom Nies, Perfect CEM

Posted by at 10:06 PM 0 comments

Monday, September 29, 2008

(UPDATED) 130 Social Media Marketing Examples From Major Brands

With the huge number of response that I have received for the last post, I would echo my appreciation (in addition to all) towards Peter Kim who is to be credited of undertaking the enormous task of building this list.

Peter was kind enough to provide me the link for readers coming to my site, to dig deeper into 200+ examples of companies using the strong mean of social media marketing. You can view the examples on Peter’s Blog. I am sure no one will miss it.

Additionally I would take this opportunity to reemphasis the importance of social media marketing. I am confident that sooner or later it will force to transform the way we (marketers) develop or build our strategy(s) or plan(s). Power of social media marketing is much like the power of internet is enormous and inevitable. Organizations across the globe will have to imbibe this mean of marketing sooner or later. Having no social media marketing plan is just not the case anymore. I am sure this will be an enormous task and please do not think it is cheap or one of activity. Social Media is on its own growth trajectory and with its deeper penetration; it will evolve itself into something we could not imagine however we would all create.

One such example of evolution among the list is of Kryptonite, one of the leading manufacturers of bicycle locks. This company has immensely evolved its social media marketing from creating its own blog - www.unbreakable-bonds.blogspot.com to its presence at facebook, twitter and plurk. Another example is Cincom – Newsletter, Twitter, Blog, YouTube, Flickr, and so on. They are virtually building an entire social media ecosystem for themselves.

Is it that what we thought of fun time has emerged as business time. My friend at Twitter ­ - Jobblogs gave me a new phrase - “Social CRM”. Hence I can safely assume that we are talking serious. This is no more only about interacting with people from our “community” but also our customers. Listening, reacting, understanding, information, knowledge and so on are few attributes that you can expect to gain from this.

I am sure that social media much like the evolution of Google, yahoo and so on, could not have been imagined to evolve into something this big. I am not an expert on the topic of “theories” but as a layman I do see some similarities of social media to the fusion theory? According to Think Quest fusion theory – “The energy that comes from the process relies on the joining, or "fusing," of two atoms to form a new molecule. When this larger, relatively unstable molecule splits apart, it releases energy.” The energy and evolution of social media, internet, Google, and so on seems to be taking the same trajectory. We made it, we use it and now we cannot survive without it.

However I would like advise when people ask me questions like is this one of activity, is it cheap, can we have pockets within an organization using it, is there any “quick & dirty” option, and so on. My response to all this is a big NO. Honestly I wish being a marketer that all the response to the above could have been yes, but then that is where I would stretch my argument toward a term “evolution”. If you cannot evolve it then I would recommend do not start it. As mentioned, this is like fusion, when you will start and getting atoms or people joining then this can easily be uncontrollable without an evolution plan and/or strategy and/or organization buying. The list of organizations is one example of its inevitable importance and emergence. You like it or not, you will have to do it.

Looking forward to your valuable feedbacks on the “fusion theory of social marketing”.

Posted by at 9:17 PM 0 comments

Sunday, September 28, 2008

130 Social Media Marketing Examples From Major Brands

Peter Kim at Social Computing Magazine, has taken an enormous task in highlighting some of the interesting Social Media Marketing initiatives taken by company’s across the world. Peters’ Finding:-

For example, applying game mechanics to understand participation, thinking about users vs. customers, and deconstructing ego traps in PR campaigns.  This analysis makes me wonder if social media marketing matters and if so, does it scale.

As a result, I thought it would be useful to compile some of my background research on these topics.  As always with any social media endeavor, I'd appreciate any help in curating this list by providing more details and submitting additional cases.

Total brands listed: 131

Examples of companies using and being used by social media marketing:

Courtesy – Social Computing Magazine

Posted by at 9:51 PM 7 comments

Friday, September 26, 2008

How to Build Your Cross-Channel Selling

With Social Networking

Attaining the optimal mix of product selection, pricing, content in catalogs and collateral, and the tailoring of guided selling and navigation within multi-channel management strategies is too important to leave to just trial and error. Lacking frameworks to define the optimal mix of resources, anecdotal data instead of actual results often define the mix of resources across channels. Tapping into the immediate feedback social networking can provide, there isn't the need to just rely on anecdotal data anymore. You can find out what's working and why, quickly.

Cross-channel shoppers spend more, tend to be more loyal, and purchase more from companies that get cross-channel selling as close to optimal as possible.

Cross-Channel Shoppers Are King

With so much at stake from being able to attract and retain cross-channel shoppers, the need for optimizing content, applications, pricing and product selection is crucial. Several studies have highlighted how much more profitable it is to attract cross-channel shoppers than being only focused on just a single channel for a given type of customer.

  • Getting the optimal mix of guided selling, content and catalogs is critical. Customers who rely on multiple channels are 70% more likely to purchase from dealers, or in the case of retailers, their stores, and 110% are more likely to purchase from a retailer's catalog. The IBM study, "Integrated Multi-Channel Retailing (IMCR): A Roadmap to the Future," quantifies how cross-channel shoppers are catalysts of increased sales growth over time.
  • Cross-channel shoppers are the heavy spenders online, from catalogs and in stores. Studies by AMR Research, DoubleClick and many others all support the fact that cross-channel shoppers consistently spend 50 percent or more than a single channel shopper. Another study showed that cross-channel shoppers spend 70% more than those that rely on just a single channel.
  • The long-term effects of being more optimally aligned with cross-channel shoppers' needs are most evident in the area of loyalty. Studies from McKinsey & Company state that only 15% of loyalty is gained from perceived product quality and promotional strategies, leaving 85% to the actual purchasing and post-sales purchasing experiences of customers.
  • Cross-shopping consumables lead to selling workgroup printers for one printer manufacturer. Based on positive experiences with cross-channel shopping in consumables, one printer manufacturer is finding that repeat printer customers now routinely purchase replacement printers online, and only visit channel partners to see the larger, more expensive workgroup models.

With so much at stake in selling to cross-shoppers, companies need to get beyond trial and error and define a

framework that will make optimizing them possible.

Optimizing Channels Using Value Curves and Social Networking Feedback

W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne in "Creating New Market Space," an article published by Harvard Business Review in January 1999, define the concept of value curve where the key elements of product, service and delivery were compared. The following graphic created by Kim and Mauborgne of Bloomberg's value curve is shown below. The seven categories below the value curve include those attributes most critical to customers who rely on multiple channels for information. The financial information services value curve Kim and Mauborgne published is shown below.

Bloomberg's Value Curve

Retailers and other companies that are heavily dependent on multi-channel strategies are using the framework to measure how each of their channels measures up to key elements of product, service and delivery. Accessibility, added-value services during the shopping process, browsing, convenience and pricing are listed along the bottom of the graphic. Next, each channel is graphed according to their relative strengths and weaknesses on each factor. The value curve is a scorecard of how existing multi-channel strategies are performing.

Social Networking: The New Catalyst for More Profitable Cross-Channel Selling

There's just not enough time anymore to wait and see if your

mix of applications, content, catalogs, pricing and service is optimal every ninety days. It needs to be a daily take on performance, and with social networking, that's possible without being obnoxious or intruding to your customers.

Consider the following approaches in which companies are using social networking to gain insights into how they can achieve higher levels of cross-channel optimization:

  • Starbucks is a leader in this area with two popular social-networking initiatives including MyStarBucksIdea.com and their very active participation on Twitter with @starbucks. Based on the data they have, they can easily define their value curve and takes steps to create more of an optimal mix for enabling cross-channel shopping.
  • Dell has embraced Twitter and has the potential to understand how they could chart the feedback they are getting to define the value curve for their multi-channel efforts. You can find the Social brand Index compiled by Jonathan Kash on his blog Fluent Simplicity and a listing of Dell employees and departments on Twitter there as well.
  • A pet-food manufacturer is using its blogs to post web-based surveys that continually ask customers their expectations versus experiences online, in-store and with printed and online catalogs and changing product mix by segment accordingly. A student of mine is the operations director for this company, and she has successfully built a value curve for each income segment of her customer base, leading to a major shift in online pricing and product strategies.

Bottom line: Striving to get real-time feedback on how cross-channel shoppers' expectations versus experiences measure-up is one of the most valuable insights any company can get. Optimizing cross-channel experiences can now be done with real-time data based on listening to customers using social networking.

Courtesy - Louis Columbus, Expert Access

Posted by at 11:03 PM 0 comments
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