The Specialness of Jeff Pulver and his 140 Characters Conference

From a podium recently, I heard someone lament the fact that his email address was announced to a crowd of about 800.

The show wasn’t the 140 Characters Conference http://nyc2011.140conf.com/ and the speaker wasn’t Jeff Pulver, who not only gives his contact information, he gives his soul – and countless hugs in a community that is quite extraordinary and grows everyday.

Having followed the community from afar (not recommended, by the way), I was introduced to Jeff by my friend Hank Wasiak (@hankwasiak), who has passion, friendship and inclusiveness in common with Jeff.

As a result of Hank’s recommendation, Jeff asked me to speak at the recently held conference at the 92^nd Street Y in New York City. But this post isn’t about me (if you choose to, you can view my talk here /jeffhasen/video-of-my-140-characters-conference-talk-on.)

Regrettably, other commitments kept me from hearing and seeing some of the presentations over the two days, but what I experienced was unique, touching, and inspiring.

Jeff is a master curator so mentioning just a few of the talks doesn’t do the event or the community members justice.

But here’s some of what I’ll remember:

The Ladies of Lupus on Twitter who eloquently and passionately told us of the struggles with the disease, but also the power of one person reaching out to another in the middle of the night just to say on Twitter, “I’m here for you”.

Then there is Alon Nir, the funny and caring Israeli who receives prayers via @thekotel on Twitter from all over the world and for no cost places them between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. http://www.tweetyourprayers.info/.

“Who needs a business plan?” Alon asked from the stage. “Just don’t monetize.”

Instead, he said, “create meaning and affect change.”

Over the two days, I heard of the real-time web’s effect on struggling villages, the people rising up in Tunisia and Cairo, and of the changes to news coverage and what Dan Gillmor (@dangillmor) called the 14,400-second news cycle.

To sum up the experience, I’ll remember a particular tweet that Alon shared.

“Selfless deeds inspire me,” she wrote. “Now I’m in a soup kitchen helping and so is my boyfriend.”

Words, thanks to Jeff Pulver, to not only remember but to live by.

Media Weighs In on Moments of Trust Survey Results

Mobile Marketer and sister online publication Mobile Commerce Daily covered the Moments of Trust survey findings. Reporter Rimma Kats asked me where I see the megaphone effect going in the next year.

“For 2012, I foresee richer and faster Moments of Trust experiences being sent to Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other channels,” I told her. “Devices are more capable – more photos are taken now by phone than dedicated camera and video usage on mobile is on the rise.

Rimma’s take on the results are included in her story - http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/06/17/consumers-increasingly-use-mobile-to-voice-in-store-experiences-survey

Video of My 140 Characters Conference Talk on Mobile and Moments of Trust

Highly enjoyable talk today at Jeff Pulver's 140 Characters Conference where I unveiled new proprietary research on mobile's influence on Moments of Trust. The data is in the preceding post.

The video is here: 

My Proprietary Research On Influence of Mobile and Social on "Moments of Trust"

Mobile devices have become megaphones for a large portion of users with more than 40 percent telling those in their social networks about negative or positive experiences with brands, according to new research I commissioned and unveil today at Jeff Pulver’s stirring 140 Characters Conference http://nyc2011.140conf.com/.

In a representative national survey of feature phone and smartphone owners, 46 percent reported that they communicated with friends, family and their social network following a positive in-store experience. In addition, 40 percent say they used their phone in a retail location to detail a negative interaction.

For more than 10 years, I have been a frequent analyst and commentator on what I call  “Moments of Trust”, consumer touch points with brands that influence trial, sales and loyalty. Mobile certainly now factors into the dynamic.

Of those who used their devices to communicate brand experiences, 18 percent used Facebook; 8 percent employed Twitter; and 32 percent communicated via text message.

In other findings: 

·      10 percent said that they had heard from a brand following a post about a retail interaction

·      35 percent said they would want to hear from a store or brand after a negative experience

·      34 percent said they had seen a post from someone in their network

·      48 percent said they would be influenced by a post

What does this all mean? 

In my view, nothing has changed while everything has changed. Since day one of commerce, it has been critical to serve the customer. That is, of course, still true today. What is dramatically different is the consumer’s ability to broadcast his or her experiences and to influence consideration and purchase patterns.

Traditional Media Spend Is Anything But Traditional

It’s a relative no-brainer to chalk up an 18.5 percent drop in traditional media spend in 2009 to the recession that put a chokehold on the great majority of budgets.

There was a 2.1 percent increase in 2010 to $127.2 billion, likely going in the positive direction because more marketing dollars were allocated as the nation came out of the worst of the financial abyss.

But what are we to make of eMarketer’s forecasted 0.9 percent drop this year in spend with directories, magazines, newspapers, outdoor, radio and television, not to mention the seesaw nature of the estimated spend over the next four years – up 2.2 percent in 2012, down 0.6 percent in 2013, up 0.9 percent in 2014 and down 0.1 percent to $129.1 billion in 2015?

Should we be surprised at all the uncertainty, given the rapid and constant changes in technology and the migration of consumers to the Internet and mobile, among other distractions?

I look at these and other issues in my new iMedia Connection post http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2011/06/14/traditional-media-spend-is-anything-but-traditional/

"Kinecting" With Microsoft

Steve Clayton is the first to tell you that he is Microsoft’s director of storytelling, not director of spin.

I was struck by Steve’s candor during a 30-minute presentation at an IABC Seattle meeting.

He said his job is often to convince people that Microsoft isn’t “boring”.

And that his job would become irrelevant if everyone understood Microsoft – and that he doesn’t see that happening.

And that the Xbox controller is a "barrier". Conversely "by waving at a TV with Kinnect, one billion more people can experience technology".

As background, Steve works with teams across Microsoft to highlight work of product groups, Microsoft Research, incubation teams and individuals–all with the aim of providing an insider’s view of Microsoft and showing people what’s next in technology.

Steve spends time with the company’s developers, researchers, ethnographers, sociologists, cinematographers–and even race-car drivers–and highlights their work through speaking engagements and the Next at Microsoft website. http://blogs.technet.com/b/next/

One of Steve’s main assignments is to provide daily content for the site, which he says has seen days with 100,000 page views.

Of course, he isn’t going direct to the masses.

To provide the biggest impact, Steve is attempting to sway 50 bloggers and media members “because they can influence 50 million or 500 million”.

Steve is on Twitter @stevecla.

How Much Is a Word Worth?

Normally, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. Not here where words are worth a thousand pictures.

More Relevant Than A Groupon Offer

I'm still shaking my head over the eyelash enhancement offer I received recently from Groupon.

Of course, the more relevant the deal, the more likely a consumer is going to consider and perhaps purchase.

Mobile Marketer asked me about mobile and Father's Day. The most successful brands will have already engaged with consumers and enticed them to join a loyalty club, I said in the piece that posted today

“Through CRM, brands are using mobile to bring the most relevant information and offer possible,” I told Mobile Marketer. “The opt-in nature of SMS marketing builds in trust between the consumer and brands – and marketers will be rewarded by sending only compelling, relevant content to consumers.”

The full article is here - http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/strategy/10126.html

Will iMessage Kill Off SMS?

On a day when a high-profile columnist declared the death of text messaging with the coming of Apple’s iMessage, an interview I did with SmartBrief focused on the strength of SMS marketing programs.

In the morning on the daily SmartBrief blog, the headline read SMS is still mobile’s secret weapon. http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/06/06/sms-is-still-mobiles-secret-weapon/

For that story, I told reporter Adam Mazmanian that text messaging provides marketers with reach. It hardly is an end-all for marketers, therefore the need for more engaging tactics such as mobile web, apps, QR codes, and MMS.

Then, after the Apple announcements, MG Siegler wrote on Techcrunch that Apple’s new instant messaging program called iMessage will spell the end of SMS. http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/06/apple-imessages/

“As one of the core new features highlighted today in iOS 5, iMessages has one purpose: to kill SMS,” Siegler wrote. “That is, traditional carrier-controlled text messages. iMessages will do this by replacing SMS with a service that Apple is in control of across all of their iOS devices. And here’s the real death blow: iMessages will be completely free.

“Sure, you can argue that iMessages is limited due to the iOS requirement. But as Apple announced today, there are over 200 million iOS devices out there now. That’s a lot. Like Blackberry Messenger before it, Apple now has the strength to create their own device-to-device messaging application. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. And considering what a colossal rip-off SMS is, I can’t help but love this move.  It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for.”

There are many reasons why Siegler wrote this piece – as link bait (of course, I fell for it), to drive comments (there were 72 three hours after the piece posted as well as over 900 tweets), or perhaps because he thinks like a tech reporter, not a typical mobile subscriber who texts daily (over 70 percent of the more than 300 million mobile users in the U.S. use SMS).

iMessage simply won’t kill SMS because Apple has it as part of a closed system – you can only message if you have an iOS device and the person you are reaching out to is an Apple consumer.

If not, no go.

It’s a message Siegler fails to get. 

We're Under Internet Security Attack - Or We Aren't

I’m a veteran of the Internet security wars but admittedly have as many questions and fears as anyone about what to take seriously and how to fight back.

Like many computer users, I’ve gotten myself into trouble with malware, viruses and worms emanating from some faraway land – or down the block. Who really knows?

But unlike many others, I spent hundreds of hours in my former agency days in a strategic marketing and PR role for Symantec.

In 2003 and 2004, we practiced a measured response to the Internet threats. While other companies marched out headlines of worldwide takedowns and impending doom, Symantec chose in most cases to stay away from hype.

Which brings us to today when, if you believe the headlines, my Macs are under attack, malicious code is coming to my smartphones, and my Yahoo and Hotmail accounts are in the crosshairs.

So whom do we believe?

Michael Horowitz of Computerworld says the recent news stories are overblown.

“As is typical of the mainstream media covering computer topics, most of those interviewed were self-serving” Horowitz wrote. “People and companies that make a living defending computer systems, saying how bad things are and thus implying how necessary their services are. We've seen this before.”

According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report, in 2010, attackers unleashed more than 286 million distinct malicious programs, an average of more than nine new threats every second of every day. These threats impact multiple areas of the IT infrastructure with a 93 percent increase in Web-based attacks, 42 percent more mobile vulnerabilities, and 6,253 new vulnerabilities including 14 zero-day vulnerabilities – those that strike so suddenly that companies have no time to play defense.

"It's very hard to completely vet everything," Symantec Corp. Chief Executive Officer Enrique Salem told Bloomberg this week

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2011/tc2011062_947631.htm. "It's early in mobile security."

Glenn Fleishman, one of the most respected Apple watchers, weighed in on the Mac Defender malware attack. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015198201_ptmacc04.html

“Mac users have the wrong idea about malware. I know I did. We tend to think of viruses as software that installs itself on our computers when we visit malicious Web pages in the Internet's back alleys, like porn and pirated software sites. Or of worms that infect remotely by scanning for vulnerable systems. And we think only Windows systems are affected.

“Some of that is true. But we're most vulnerable in our minds, not our operating systems.

“The Mac Defender malware should put to rest those assumptions and be a wake-up call for a change in attitude. It was for Apple.”

Whether consumers will ever heed warnings is very much in doubt. Even in the aftermath of stories on computer viruses and worms hit the covers of Newsweek and Time, millions ignored the headlines or were oblivious.

Experience tells me that it often takes a personal experience  -- a debilitating attack -- to convince a computer user to take preventative action intended to prevent a next time.

(Article first published as We're Under Internet Security Attack - Or We Aren't on Technorati.)

Why Mobile Marketers Can't Ignore Baby Boomers

The so-called technology divide is a myth, and so is the belief that, when it comes to mobile, we should baby the Boomers.

I’ve written several times about personal experiences that fly in the face of the idea that people over 40 are luddites, incapable and uninterested in using personal technology. My mother-in-law (definitely NOT a digital native) is a shining example. At age 80 she uses a Kindle. And she even mastered Windows 7 in an afternoon. And then there’s my older brother (by just a few years). He isn’t the earliest adopter in the family, but he is nipping at my heels when it comes to phones, tablets and routers.

At Mary Furlong’s recent Boomer Summit in San Francisco, we heard from several organizations that are moving their members (mostly Boomers) to mobile. Why? Because they know that their constituents’ continued success and happiness are linked to their ability to understand and use mobile.

One organization that stands out is AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), a U.S.-based nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. As a social welfare organization, as well as the largest membership organization for people 50+ in the U.S., AARP is leading a revolution in the way people view and live life. And now that mission includes enhancing the quality of life through mobile, a focus I applaud.

During the summit I was on a panel with Mike Lee, AARP Senior Advisor, Digital Strategy, who proudly walked us through the organization’s mobile application, which handily works on a $75 Android tablet on sale at drugstores. The first AARP app was available for Apple’s wireless devices (iPhone and iPad).

The expanded strategy has mass-market appeal and reach.

Like every organization, AARP’s motivation to go mobile involves more than an interest in serving its members. It also has to reduce massive print costs, a business objective it can best (and most effectively) achieve using mobile. AARP positions its app as a way to “save money, stay informed and share favorite content with your friends.” And what better way to share (and spread the word) than mobile?

There are 80 million Boomers in the U.S. alone – and they represent a huge and untapped opportunity. eMarketer suggests that this digitally-savvy generation, who are between 47 and 65 years old, “spend more time and money online than any other demographic.” Full stop. eMarketer further estimates that more than 86 percent  of Boomers have a mobile phone. By 2012, more than 25 million Boomers will be accessing the Internet via their mobile device. Believing that your mobile programs should only cater to the 40-and-below crowd is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

(Read the rest of my MSearchgroove post here - http://www.mobilegroove.com/why-mobile-marketers-must-include-boomers-in-the-mix/)

About The Time The Rodent Was On The Flight

I'm privileged to be asked to speak often. As we near mid-year, I recall one of my most memorable panels - the IABC Seattle event when Paul McElroy, Managing Director of Strategic and Corporate Communications for Alaska Airlines, spoke of how he proactively used Twitter when an unwanted passenger came aboard a flight.

<p>IABC Seattle 2011 - Panel: "From Social Media to Storytelling: What's Working to be Heard" from IABCSeattle on Vimeo.</p>

Top CMOs On Twitter List

I'm honored and humbled to again be named one of the top CMOs on Twitter.

http://www.smmmagazine.com/exclusives/top-cmos-on-twitter/

I hardly have the answers. When asked, I offer simple advice -- bring a perspective to Twitter. Tell your followers what something means to you and to them.

Refrain from wasting people's time with the mundane. We all have ruined commutes because of traffic lights on the blink.

I learn way more on Twitter than I teach. For me, anyway, It's well worth the effort.

Griping In Social Times

As mentioned yesterday, my 140 Characters Conference talk in New York June 16 features discussion of whether consumers gripe more about positive or negative retail experiences.

The New York Times gave an extended look at an app called Gripe, one that claims to "make people more powerful in the real world" through the dissemination of their praise or criticism via Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/technology/29digi.html

Gripe says it acts as the "Better Business Bureau" in the Twitter age.

Nothing like offering low expectations.

I'm going to try the app that has been around for more than a year. I know no one who has. Have you?

Maybe we'll end up on on Gripe's top influencer list - http://www.gri.pe/users/top. More than that, let's see if our gripes and praise change anything in the brand/consumer dynamic.

Revisiting Seattle Social Media Club Talk on Combining Mobile & Social

If you judge engagement purely on the number of tweets, the recent discussion of social and mobile at a Seattle Social Media Club event was a success.

I was honored to share the stage with Dan Anderson, Emerging Media Manager for T-Mobile USA (@dananderson); Paul Booth, Digital Marketing Manager, Web and Mobile, for the North America subsidiary of Microsoft (@paulboo); and Wyatt Lewin, Online Communities Coordinator at HTC (@wylew).

Much of the talk is captured here.

Remembering Summer

Seattleites like me have made whining about the weather a daily activity. Multiple times a day, actually, given our devices, connectivity and impatience.

Since we have another one of those Memorial Day weekend disappointments, it’s time for the archives – and a preview of the July 4th destination.

Sharing The Positives We Encounter

There are differing opinions on whether consumers are more likely to share a positive or a negative customer service experience. I tell both but relay my positive encounters about twice as much as the negative ones.

We’ll explore this June 16 at @jeffpulver’s 140 Characters Conference http://nyc2011.140conf.com/

Paying Price For Customer Service

During the recession, shortsighted businesses competed on price rather than level of customer service. It turns out that the consumer noticed and in big numbers is reacting now by taking his or her business elsewhere.

According to the American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer, 78 percent of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience. Further, three in five Americans (59 percent) would try a new brand or company for a better service experience. Most surprising and disturbing is the finding that consumers are willing to pay a premium for a good interaction.

According to the study, seven in ten Americans (70 percent) are willing to spend an average of 13 percent more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. This is up substantially from 2010, when six in ten Americans (58 percent) said they would spend an average of 9 percent more with companies that deliver great service.

As to whether “help” is enough, two in five (42 percent) said companies are helpful but don’t do anything extra to keep their business. Also, one in five (22%) think companies take their business for granted.

The survey is generally in line with global findings from Accenture which reported earlier this year that satisfaction with customer service has decreased since 2009 in each of 11 characteristics measured. Also, 64 percent of consumers have switched companies in the past year due to poor customer service. Accenture findings point to a high level of distrust. Only one in four respondents say they trust the companies with which they do business, according to the survey.

Missing from the survey is detail on what consumers do with their mistrust? Do they use their mobile phones to get on social networks or text when companies fail at so-called “Moments of Trust”? Do individual tweets, blog posts and Facebook postings influence sales and loyalty? I’ve commissioned a study and will release the findings in June when I speak on the subject at Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference in New York. (Article first published as Paying The Price For Customer Service on Technorati)

Getting Close To Legends

I’ve got the number 470 on my mind tonight.

Huh, you wonder? It’s not only the number of years since the saying “you’re known by the company you keep” was first uttered (according to Wiki answers), it is the number of times I smiled today since I got web close to legends Jeff Pulver and Craig Newmark.

Jeff graciously has given us his 140 Character Conference speakers a spot on his highly read blog http://140conf.com/blog. My turn was today http://bit.ly/kY3hKS. Hours later, I shared the page with Craig, the founder of Craigslist. http://bit.ly/j24HW9. I encourage you to read Craig’s post about giving voiceless people a voice.

And, if you’re so inclined, please read my preview of the new Moments of Trust presentation set for June 16.

I also suggest you smile 470 times before bed. I had my reason – I’m sure you have yours.

Mobile Wallet With Offers? That's Smart

Like many baby boomers, I have a love/not-ready-to-try-it relationship with technology. Personal technology is as much a part of my lifestyle as golf was earlier in life (talk about love/hate). Not only am I fascinated by the advances, I’m an eager participant with two smartphones, a Kindle, an iPad and two MacBooks.

If you think I’m “all in,” I’d have to say, “not quite.” You see, when it comes to my money and the technological products around it, I’m as careful as a crossing monitor. To this day I have always walked into a bank, waited in line and walked out with my deposit record delivered to me by a teller. So you now want me to adopt a behavior that has me bumping or scanning my money into my account?

On a panel at this month’s Boomer Summit in San Francisco, Intuit’s Omar Green made a case for me to be “smarter.” Intuit’s director of strategic mobile initiatives said his company is building a mobile wallet that guides you to the optimum purchase. Green spoke of a scenario where the wallet advises you on which credit card to use to get maximum return and the times when you should cash in loyalty points and save your money. That is a compelling concept for me, assuming I can get past the reluctance to hand to Intuit or anyone else details of my arrangements with American Express, the retailer in the mall and the like.

But unlike the ATM where I save time (admittedly no small thing) but nothing else, I conceivably would receive real monetary rewards from a “smart” mobile wallet. Are we ready?

In a KPMG study, U.S. respondents who said they were comfortable using their mobile devices for financial transactions grew only to 16 percent, a 6 percent increase from the last survey. Respondents not comfortable with such usage declined to 55 percent, an 11 percent drop from the last survey. Among all U.S. respondents who have not conducted banking through a mobile device, 52 percent cited security and privacy as the primary reason. Consistent with many technology advances, younger consumers are more likely to participate at least in the early days.

Why might a “smart” mobile wallet work? According to the Yankee Group, 73 percent of mobile subscribers want an offer. I’m in that category. So Intuit and the thousands of others chasing this opportunity have a shot. I’m willing to take a look. But the convincing stage has just begun.

(Post first appeared on Intuit Network http://network.intuit.com/2011/05/11/a-smart-mobile-wallet/)