Denuology: The Observation and Observations of Denuo. » tharris

CES 2011: Trends, Implications for Marketers

tharris — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:52:20 +0000

Co-authored with @bbhlabs, we identified 3 key trends at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show and what they mean for marketers:

TV’s 3rd dimension is actually sociability
Syncing is giving way to sharing
Narcissism isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged

Media Daily News featured the article, which can be found here.

Gamification

tharris — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:11:15 +0000

“Life is a videogame.”

The electronic voice of Joshua, a rogue AI in the movie classic Wargames, has been echoing in my head for over 25 years. Even though ol’ Joshy never said that in the movie, it used to amuse me to “hear” it said as I noticed a mechanic in life that paralleled the experiences I was having in front of my computer or console. I’ve never escaped the feeling (or the voice), and the current excitement over gamification — of products, of marketing, of life — is a welcome addition to the dialogue around innovation. If you’re one of our clients, you’ve perhaps rolled your eyes while I went on about gamification. If you’re one of my friends, you definitely have. Eye-rolling is for spouses and art-school contrarians.

Finally we have respected game designers like Carnegie Mellon prof Jesse Schell talking about it, companies like BunchBall (who add game mechanics to just about any website you like) applying it, and conferences springing up about the topic.

Sure, there are folks out there preaching caution. There are those saying be SUPER careful to be artful about the application of game mechanics to non-game efforts (well, duh).

It’s one thing to get caught up in the purely tactical elements that gamification represents and think that’s all you need — quests, badges, incentives, leaderboards, and, of course — TRAYSURE, but it’s another to adopt the mindset that seeks the overriding principle needed for gamifying anything: FUN. In the marketing world, I’ve heard people say “marketers don’t buy fun.” Great, thanks, Buzzkill McGee. I get it — they want impact, engagement, effectiveness. But they’re forgetting that fun* leads to those things, when used in the right way. We’ve written about fun before (and the dangers of ignoring it), and now it’s time to get serious.

Stop thinking that fun is frivolous. It is not.

Fun is motivating. Ask any 4-year-old.

Fun is productive. Ask anyone who has ever played a sport ever.

Fun is addictive. Ask anyone who has played a “casual” game on their phone. Again. And again. And again…

Now consider what we’re trying to do with marketing– to get people motivated to do something we want them to– something that is productive for our business. And then get them to do it again.

Huh.

There’s a ton to explore on this topic (and we are, so stay tuned) — we’ve already seen the effects of applying game mechanics to individual marketing campaigns, to every loyalty program in existence and to tons of sites where you might not think “game” at first glance. Can it get in the way? Of course — but made optional, scalable or just so downright right, it can be a profound tool in the marketer’s toolbox. Consider adding game design to the marketing skillset — and treat it like creativity, flexibility, tenacity and the other must-haves in the superpower set. Applying what we’ve learned from games to things such as the effectiveness of advertising creative, the tracking of marketing efforts and the brand itself is interesting. If it’s also fun, then it gets very interesting.

*For those of you that want to argue about whether game grinding is fun, social gaming is fun, or what constitutes a “real” game, the author humbly requests that you go and pound sand.

Being Human: Community Management Demystified

tharris — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:53:31 +0000

So BRAND walks into a bar… (no, this is not a joke). What happens when “bar” equals “community hub?”

I’ve found the reactions of marketers to the need for serious thought and planning around community-management to be both surprising and fascinating. After all, community management– like so many of the concepts that come onto our professional radar in a rush of “why haven’t you considered this before”– isn’t a new concept. We could go all the way back to early human communities and examine counselors, religious figures and even the town drunk for clues about how to keep people happy, engaged and contributing to a greater good (or evil).

While I was pinch-hitting (permanently) as community-manager for a game a few years ago, I was alerted to the presence of an ultra-secret society by a friend of mine in the gaming space. My friend had employed a community-manager for their MMO, and was ranting and raving about how specialized and great this person was. So I connected with her on the phone and was indoctrinated into the very real underground of games community managers– a digirati/illuminati community who trade best practices, pass each other job opportunities and preserve their Order. They actually vet new job opportunities for companies that want to employ one of them and weigh in on whether the company is worthy to have one of them work for it.

Serious stuff.

For brands that want to better serve their current communities (most brands have one/some whether by design or accident), it’s a little less intimidating than my holier-than-thou nerd experience. A pretty consistent skill set has emerged that marketers can use to figure out whether they have the right person/people managing the interactions of their communities. In fact, even without experience, we’ve seen new community managers have great success as long as they are equal parts copywriter, addict, and friend:

1) Copywriter – Since we’re talking specifically about online communities here, be they within an owned site, run in partnership with another company or administrated via Facebook/Twitter/Myface/Facespace you need someone who can capture the voice of the brand– but more specifically the voice of the product, experience or effort itself. Not every community is formed around a brand, nor should it always be. And a common misstep is to attempt community around something no one cares about (sometimes that’s your brand). Don’t get me wrong- I believe every brand has an opportunity to create community, but often you need a hook, a common interest with your consumers, or a common cause. Brands fall into the trap of thinking they need to create long-term, meaningful relationships when flings are every bit as useful when approached correctly.

2) Addict - There are plenty of successful community managers out there that aren’t necessarily gifted writers, but if not, they are prolific. Call it addiction, call it maniacal enthusiasm, but excellence in community management requires a level of dedication that borders on unhealthy. Now, whole companies are forming around the idea that you can productize and factoryize community management. And those companies are making money, and there are many brands using them. It’s efficient. It’s sensible. I say there’s no substitution for the addict in this world. I’ve seen good community management folks in multiple organizations get nervous ticks from responding so much to consumers in a brand community, but the resulting dividends of goodwill and forgiveness (which is sooo key) are unmistakable and lead to that coveted outcome all brands lust after– advocacy.

3) Friend – They say friends should be gracious, compassionate and above all– good listeners (ok, no one says that- I just made it up, but it’s my post…). These same attributes separate great community managers from the rest. It’s easy– and incredibly dangerous– to become defensive in an online community (or any community, for that matter). Approaching the community in the role of the friend and sticking to that mindset casts the community manager as the heart and soul of the community itself. Couple this heart part with someone who really understands (or even creates) the voice of the brand, and you have an indispensable spokesperson that community members can’t get enough of.

There’s something magical about accessibility to something/someone you really love or admire. Actually, even if you don’t love or admire them, if they’re famous, you still get a tingle. So every brand can win. The key with Community Management is making the brand truly human– which requires putting the right humans in charge of it. The test for whether you’ve done that or not is pretty simple– when BRAND walks into the bar, does everyone light up and say “BRAAAAND!”

Confessions of a Digital Hoarder

tharris — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:34:27 +0000

I knew I was late to the game on Hoarders, A&E’s “look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis,” so I watched it over the weekend. I was smirking as the show came up and the initial interviews with the subjects began. Initial shots of their homes revealed stacked up boxes, stuffed animals, guns in open cases, and– in one home– a computer tucked away down a meandering walk-lane made of detritus. I happened to have my laptop open and glanced at my screen.

And then I became afraid.

Throughout the rest of the show I looked back at my desktop, wandered through my e-mail, explored my file system. By the time the sad tales of Guns McGee and Catsenyucky Plushtoys were over, I had taken the first step (admission) in the 12-Step Program. What I didn’t know was how deep down the rabbit-hole I’d gone. Evidently, there are 5 Levels to Compulsive Hoarding. Levels 1-3 are relatively minor, without a need for direct intervention by those who might take things away from you. Levels 4 and the big nasty Level 5 mean you need professional help and the cops/fire department/lawyers may be coming. I’m not cool with those last two levels, so I need to figure out where I am on the scale. After some searching, it turns out that digital hoarding is a thing. But “its’ not a currently recognized subtype of compulsive hoarding by the DSM.” (wikipedia). Well, I recognize it (in me), and you may need to do the same before it’s too late.

Take the Denuo Digital Hoarder Quiz– it may be time to make some changes…

(give yourself 1 point for every item that you answer “yes” to)

I have more than 150 messages in my current e-mail inbox.
My desktop has more than 15 icons on it.
I never delete– I only file.
I “own” music, games or movies (i.e., any of that is saved to my hard drive).
I compulsively bookmark.
I play social games (Farmville, Ninja Warz, Sorority Life).
I compare others’ Friends (or Followers, or LinkedIn connections) tallies to mine.
I’d rather buy a new drive than delete files.
I play Massively Multiplayer Online games and love “loot.”
I put things in my Recycle Bin/Trash… but I never empty it.
I download things to “look at later.”
I make lists of websites to go to.
I have received a warning from my company’s systems administrator about my e-mail storage use being too high for company policy.
I only use 25% or less of my smartphone apps on a regular basis.
My voicemail box is regularly full.

If you scored 0-3 points, you are a Level 1 Digital Hoarder. No special actions need be taken, but watch it– you’re on the edge.
If you scored 4-6 points, you are a Level 2 Digital Hoarder. Take a long look at your file system and inbox, then drag some stuff into the Recycle Bin. Hit Empty. Ahhh…
If you scored 7-10 points, you are a Level 3 Digital Hoarder. It’s affecting your relationship with your machine, certainly– and maybe your peers.
If you scored 11-13 points, you are a Level 4 Digital Hoarder. We may have to talk.
If you scored 14 or 15 points, you are a Level 5 Digital Hoarder. Cry for help right now.

I know, I know– some of these things seem completely innocuous. Many of the telltale signs do, so this just helps you catch yourself early– before it’s too late. And no, I’m not ending with my score… but we may have to talk.