Kribaby

I can haz Easy Button for the Internet?

I was over at bub.licio.us reading Brian's post on dataportability.org.  Google, Plaxo and Facebook are joining up with dataportability.org, which is a service that allows your data to move around the internet with you, without reinputting it for every new site you join.  Like how IE or Firefox remember your password, but on crack.  Got me thinking.

What are the new consumer (ie. user) value propositions on the internet?  There are millions of sites that allow you to do virtually anything from making your own McLovin ID (I just saw this on Shoemoney and couldn't resist including it) to researching Vanilla Ice to online banking to online stalking (errr - social netowrking??).

You really can do anything.  So where is the internet going next.  I say take a lesson from mature industries.  Simplification.

I work for a Consumer Goods company.  Big, powerful innovation comes from products that make life easier.  Laundry detergent with fabric softener built in, swiffering instead of sweeping - products that simplify processes provide real value.

I think that the same can be said about banking.  Make money management easier to understand, access and manage.

Thinking of how industries mature on a complexity scale I think often looks like this (OK I can't draw but I made this in paint):

The point is that as industries evolve in their early stages they become more and more complex, to the point that they become difficult to navigate.  At this point innovation that becomes meaningful provides simplicity.

In Consumer Goods there is a lot of documentation on the Paradox of Choice (an interesting book) - when people have too many choices they get confused and frustrated and often choose nothing.

I think that breakthrough innovation on the web, and in Social Media in particular will come from simplifying user experiences.  I can't count the number of Social Networking, Blogging/Live Blogging, Photo, User Generated News sites, etc that I am on.  I actually have a file to remember my user IDs and passwords (since I also have 5 different email addresses).

The dataportability.org news is a step in the right direction.  Make my online life easier to manage.  I wanna get more out of the time I spend online.  I don't want to have to find my friends on 80 different websites.  I can haz Easy Button?

Resolutions - Not because of the New Year, just because

Resolutions.  Things to change.  Do better.  Do more of.  Do less of. Quit. Start. Stop. Begin.

Numero uno for me.  Be a better blogger.  I have been bad.  I haven't written in far too long.  Today I ask myself why?  Do I have nothing to say?  Do I not enjoy writing?

As I reviewed the 7 blog post drafts that I have saved it is clear that neither of these is the problem.  The problem is that I approach blogging as I would approach writing a major report.  I want to put together a clear, researched, well thought out post that combines multiple angles and is probably to long and boring for anyone to want to read.

And there is the fear.  Will I sound stupid?  What if I say something wrong?  Am I boring???

The more I read blogs, the more I realize that it isn't about perfection - it's about average people, with average writing skills writing about things that interest them.  And THAT is my resolution.

FUBAR - A Story About Facebook

omFUBAR.  Facebook Unleashes Beacon Advertising Rampage.

This week Facebook Unleashed its Beacon Advertising Rampage.  Facebook violated its users.  It treated them improperly.  It abused them.

Facebook launched its new targeted advertising platform, Beacon, which uses information from users activities (both on the site AND on the rest of the Internet) to advertise to other users.  One Facebook user reported a live-feed message that went out over facebook about a shoe purchase he made (Womens Easy Spirit shoes from Zappos), which were actually purchased by his mother, from the same computer he was on Facebook with earlier that day.

The idea behind Beacon probably isn't bad - create a platform where you can see what your friends are buying/watching/listening to as a way to make the advertising more relevant.  Marketing can be beneficial for people, when they get the right message, in the right place, at the right time.  At Blogworld a speaker (sorry can't remember who) used this example - If I go for a walk in the forest, I don't want billboards screaming at me, but after 30 min I would probably be pretty happy to have someone offer to sell me a bottle of water.  Beacon would be like broadcasting the voice of my friend (without their knowledge) through the forest saying "I just bought Evian - you should too".

I love marketing.  I think that if you do a great job as a marketer, consumers will want to hear your message (You'll be the guy with the water bottle).  With the loyal user base and depth of user data that Facebook has, they could create breakthroughs in targeted advertising and permission based marketing. 

Facebook violated their users privacy, and put the sweet cold cash from advertisers first.  The worst part is that the traffic generated by these users is the only reason that Facebook can earn ad revenue.  And most people like facebook because (unlike Myspace) it isn't full of obnoxious ads and sexual predators.  Facebook should better understand their users and what they like about Facebook, and find a way to earn revenue within that framework.  The users generate the advertising opportunity, and the user needs should come first.

Interestingly enough, TYPEPAD is listed on this blog post as an advertiser in Beacon.

Blog World Expo - Hot Topic - Three Dirty Letters

I'm at Blog World Expo right now and there are lots of interesting conversations happening.  Today is the Executive and Entrepreneur track, and I've primarily been in the executive sessions.  Lots of discussions about blogging and social media as a part of the marketing mix.

Hot Topic - ROI.  Three little letters.  This is probably one of the bigger issues facing those who want advertisers to buy in to "Interactive" media.  Measurement continues to be one of the bigger barriers, and I haven't really heard any great answers as to how to handle this.

My thoughts:

Social Media and on line marketing are huge and unavoidable.  On line media consumption will continue to grow, and offline media consumption (magazines and TV) will continue to decline.

If ROI is a barrier, then TEST AND LEARN.  Stop complaining that you don't know exactly what you will get.  Spend a small amount.  Test.  Try different things.  Compare.  Do some good analysis.  This is EVEN BETTER then some company giving you ROI data because it is specific to your business.

The quote of the screen now says "You have 2 choices.  Join the conversation.....or procrastinate and then join the conversation later on anyway......".  Well put.

I will probably write more later - very thought provoking and intriguing.

The Power of the People

My morning started with reading an interesting article from Seth Godin – Joanne is Coming! 

First, props to Seth for knowing someone in

Toronto

(being from

Toronto

and now living in the Middle of

America

I get a little nostalgic).

Second, the point: the POWER of new media, word of mouth and the voice of customers.  The post is about how restaurants used to know who the food critics were and go out of their way to make everything perfect when the critic was in the restaurant.  Now the rules have changed.

Then: Restaurant reviews were done by food critics or experts at what made food and a restaurant good.

Now: People look to Zagat (based on opinions of thousands), online blogs, reviews, forums, recommendations from friends and local listings where people vote for the “Best of”.

It isn’t just important to impress that one person or influencer who will write a review in a big name paper (although that still matters).  It is just as important to be sure that every customer has a great experience, because any one of them (and certainly many of them collectively) can have just as big of a voice, if not bigger than that one critic.  And isn’t this more honest anyways?  Would you rather know that thousands of normal people, just like you loved a restaurant instead of one critic?

The world is a changing.  Everyone now has a voice.  Think about it.  If you are shopping for a new camera, you go online and see what other normal people like you said about the camera – check out the star rating at BestBuy.com, look up a review on CNET, scope out a few forums. 

The power of the internet and user generated reviews forces more honesty in marketing.  The naked truth about how good your company/product/service is will be broadcast, by thousands of people, all over the net.  The only way to survive this is to actually have a great company/product/service.

Then: People would tell 5 – 10 people in their social circle about their experience with a company.

Now: People can reach thousands. Quickly.  Easily. On the internet. With reviews. On their blogs.

It makes me think about how I allocate $ and resources.  Lots of money spent on great marketing can’t overcome having an average product.

I am NOT a Photographer

I AM

I am lots of things.  Marketer, Daughter, Canadian, Female, Blond (well, dyed), Fun, 28, Single...the list could go on forever.

I AM NOT

One thing I am not is a Photographer.  Seriously.  Then I started working at Photrade.  Talking to photographers.  Sounding like an idiot.  So, I thought, I should try to take some good pictures.  Maybe I'll feel like less of a fraud (not that I ever claimed to be a photographer).

So, out I went, with my Canon Powershot in hand - and seriously - look at the results.

This makes me believe that ANYONE can be a photographer (OK, if you are a photographer please don't kill me for saying that).  So, my photos are now posted on Photrade and hey - someone might even buy some.  I have some empty frames that I have been DYING to fill, so I think I'll order some prints of the flower series......

Anyways, the point (if I can say I have one other than bragging about my pictures), is that ANYONE can take really great photos.  Ah the joys of technology.  Anywho, Photrade is invite only, but I do have a few invites hangin out in my back pocket, waiting for a rainy day.  So, if you post a comment I'll share the the love back and hook you up with an invite.  Limited # though

Photrade.com - Exclusive Beta Test LIVE today

In all of my free time (as if) I work on marketing a GREAT and AMAZING and WONDERFUL website www.Photrade.com.  We have the most ways to make money from your photos of ANY site on the net.  Seriously.  That is our claim to fame.  And the bonus is that its true.  The most ways to monetize your photos.  And you don't have to be a photographer (I certainly am not).  You just have to have photos that you like to share or post on your blog.  Yup.  Thats it.  For real.

What does the site do???  Think Photo Sharing PLUS Stock Photography PLUS ad revenue (in my simple terms).  Details can be found on the site or on the photrade blog (which I also have the pleasure of writing).

Photrade.com is currently in an exclusive Beta test, and we have a limited number of invites that we have released to current Photraders and other special people we love.  If you are interested in checking out the site shoot me an email and I might be able to hook you up with an invite.  This is why I'm hot.

Sooo....if you have any feedback on the site, how to make it better, how to market it better, or just how I can be a better overall person, let me know :)

Me at the sweet Brooks and Dunn Concert (and no, I don't even like country music - I just thought it would be fun).

Making Food Porn

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (an advocate for nutrition and health) has called the Hardees’ line of Thickburgers (which have 1400 calories)“Food Porn”.  Seriously.  Food Porn. 

The new Hardees’ breakfast burrito has 920 calories and 60 grams of fat (about half a day’s calories and about a full day’s fat).  Yummm (in a sarcastic and disgusted way). Hardees also makes a 1,100 calorie salad that provides you with a day and a half worth of fat (83 grams of fat baby)…..reminds me of those Bud Light commercials.

This is a brand that knows their customers and creates and markets products that they will love.  Hardees’ doesn’t apologize or make excuses for their product – they are proud of it.  Their customers probably don’t care about the fat content and want a good, greasy, filling, manly breakfast.  Those of us who want to vomit at the mere thought of consuming the new breakfast Fatsicle are clearly not in their target market anyways.  I think that Hardees is officially the anti-Subway.

Spell Check "Blog"

I love that on Wordpress, the word blog comes up as incorrectly spelled when I'm writing in my blog.  You would think that they could do something about that.  Seriously.  According to the spell checker, I may be looking for the words "bog", "log" or "Blag" (what is a blag?).  Interestingly, "Blag" is not an identified word on Typepad spellcheck.  According to dictionary.com a Blag is British slang for a robbery.  Why is that in their dictionary instead of Blg?

On Typepad (a slightly smarter spell checker) blog appears to be in the dictionary, however "blogger" is not.  Replacement options for "blogger" include - "logger", "flogger", "blocker" and "bigger".

So - keep on Flogging on your Blag.

Spending where people trust.....

I was reading an interesting post this morning at Church of the Customer about a new Neilson Study that shows that word of mouth is the best way to reach consumers.

The chart below shows the forms of media most "trusted" by consumers.  Its amazing how big of a role recommendations play in the purchase decision.  Importantly, the only REAL way to get good word-of-mouth and recommendations is to have a great product, that people love and want to talk about.  What you can then do from a marketing perspective is ENABLE people to talk about it.  How do you make it easy for people to talk about how great you are?

What would be interesting would be to compare how companies SPEND their advertising dollars vs. the mediums that drive customers to purchase.  With so many marketing dollars still going towards advertising, you have to wonder when companies will shift their dollars towards the mediums that people CARE about.

Do you spend your marketing dollars on the mediums that people trust?