Archive for February, 2009
Not a shocker, folks: Facebook is forever
By Bob Sullivan, The Red Tape Chroicles
I know a computer science professor who runs the same Facebook experiment every semester. He invites his students to stand up in front of the room and show everyone their Facebook page on the big screen. No one has ever taken him up on the offer.
Why? They’re embarrassed, of course.
Moments later, the irony sinks in. Every one of them seems happy to share all those funny photographs, witty Wall postings and status updates with everyone on the planet. They just don’t want to do it in public, in person.
Facebook puts a lot of people in a lot of twisted situations, including those who try to rationalize their use of the site (Want to be safer on Facebook? There are tips below).
Studies show that about two-thirds of Americans say they care a great deal about their privacy, yet fewer than 10 percent ever do anything about it, such as destroy a store loyalty card or browse the Web with an anonymizing tool.
So it is with Facebook. This week, a dust-up — no, a tornado — hit the service when users found out about a subtle change to Facebook’s terms of service. A blogger at the Consumerist Web site posted the change, noting that Facebook now asserts the right to “copy, publish, store, retain,” anything you contribute, and that the firm’s rights to your material survive “any termination of your use of the Facebook Service.”
In other words, whatever you put on Facebook cannot be deleted. Even closing your account, removing all your pictures, and “de-friending” your friends doesn’t get your data back from the Facebook.
Everyone seems shocked by the idea that Facebook is forever, but that’s nothing new. In fact, I believe Facebook deserves some kudos for finally fessing up and including this concept in its terms of service. I’m thrilled that people are now discussing this issue.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Ethics, Facebook, Opinions on February 20th, 2009
Other aspects of the Facebook phenomenon
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
Over the years we’ve compiled a large database of contacts who did not respond to our attempts to engage them regarding our services. Last month we decided to try and connect with these, “not viables”, through the social media site, Facebook. We weren’t expecting much. However, much to our surprise, 98.2% of those business contacts, those who already had Facebook pages, people who wouldn’t return an e-mail or a voicemail, accepted our invitation to be “friends”; thereby allowing us access to intimate details about their lives, families, and friends.
To be clear; we didn’t, and still don’t, try to hide the fact that we’re marketers; it’s right there on our Facebook page under the “Info” tab. We were, and still are, stunned by the positive response to our invitations. Why would they do that? Why invite us into their private worlds when they wouldn’t, otherwise, give us the time of day?
Maybe people just automatically respond to a “friend” request. There’s a likelihood that the branding process we initiated with our repeated attempts to contact them achieved enough of a familiarity where that person felt they probably knew us. I suspect that there’s no easy answer. However, Facebook has succeeded in creating a positive experience which, in turn, breeds trust. Another key driver may be the need, particularly when times are tough, to feel good about ourselves. Membership in a community and the accumulation of lots of friends, who without fail will post positive comments about our pictures, and musings, is a way to do that.
Speaking of which; we’ve yet to see a negative comment from, or directed to, any of the hundreds of people who are now in our circle of “friends”. This attests to the power of “Social Proof” which means we determine what is correct by what other people think is correct. The downside is that, as Walter Lippman put it, “Where all are thinking alike, no one is thinking very much.”
Posted by Tom Polanski in Ethics, Opinions on February 18th, 2009
Increase ROI & build brand equity by cultivating good relationships
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
eBrand Media has always been a proponent of relationship management. This is done in a number of ways; give and get clarity, stay away from presenting yet another emotional “dog and pony show”, target your offer based on expressed preferences, and give something valuable to the recipient for free. If you’re using social media, personalize your homepage, and be willing to accept the possibility that you may have to give more than you get back.
The giving away of something is of critical importance. This invokes what is known as the reciprocity rule. It’s deeply ingrained in all of us. Society was built on it. I do something for you, I give you something, and the unspoken agreement is that you’ll reciprocate. E-mail is a great way to create, cultivate, and manage relationships with clients, and customers.
Sending an e-mail is so cheap you might as well send e-mail to every as often as possible, right? Besides the ROI is so good at the beginning why wouldn’t you, correct? Dead wrong, say, Arthur Middleton Hughes and Arthur Sweetser. Hughes is senior strategist and Sweetser chief marketing officer at e-Dialog, an e-mail service provider that was acquired last year by e-commerce technology provider GSI Commerce Inc.
They argue that bombarding consumers with e-mail blasts is akin to hunting, in that the marketer is setting traps, hoping to capture new customers. Instead, marketers should adopt a strategy more analogous to farming, cultivating their best customers by sending them relevant e-mails and using e-mails to build a relationship. At one major retailer an e-Dialog analysis found that 1% of the customers on the list accounted for 50% of the revenue from e-mail marketing, Sweetser says. But the retailer was not marketing to those customers differently. And that’s not atypical, he says. “Maybe 10% of our e-commerce retailers have messaging tailor to prior purchase and loyal customers,” Sweetser says.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Growing a Business, Marketing on February 17th, 2009
E-commerce salaries hold steady in 2009
A vice president of e-commerce in the U.S. can expect a salary of $155,700, with salaries ranging from $110,200 to $203,400, unchanged from a year ago, says the latest Guide to Online and Interactive Marketing Salaries from executive search firm Crandall Associates.
A director of e-commerce can expect an average salary of $105,900, with a low of $85,700 and a high of $142,300, Crandall reports. Directors of e-commerce who have been on the job for 1 to 3 years can expect a range of $78,500 to $89,900; those with 4 to 7 years experience, $92,300 to $118,700; and those with more than 7 years, $120,400 to $142,500.
A vice president of online marketing with 1 to 3 years experience earns $98,000 to $109,200, Crandall reports; while those with 4 to 7 years take in $108,200 to $128,900 and those with more than 7 years, $131,500 to $158,500. The highest reported salary in that position was $176,100.
This is the second year that Crandall, an executive search firm specializing in direct marketing since 1973, has published the Guide to Online and Interactive Marketing Salaries. It has published the National Salary Guide to Direct and Interactive Marketing, which covers direct marketing and catalogs, since 1980.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Advertising, Careers, Marketing on February 16th, 2009
Bi-lingual Hispanics Live With Ease in Both Worlds
By Tom Polanski, EVP, eBrand Media and eBrand Interactive
According to a recent Ipsos U.S. Hispanic Omnibus study, U.S. Hispanics, regardless of whether their language preference at home is English (43%), or Spanish (52%), are turning to either language to meet their needs. When Hispanics turn on their televisions over half of them are tuning into an English language program.
Younger viewers are not the dominating presence in front of the English language small screen. Hispanics, aged 18-34, are actually less likely (54%) than older Hispanics, aged 55+, to prefer English language television (61%). And:
52% of Hispanics aged 35-54 prefer English language television.
45% percent of Hispanics with children in the household say that they prefer Spanish language television.
63% of Hispanic households without children are highly likely to prefer English television
80% of College educated Hispanics prefer English language television
Mixing languages does not complicate the lives of United States Hispanics who are living with ease in both worlds – one that is in English and the other that is in Spanish, concludes the report.
Posted by Tom Polanski in Marketing to Hispanics on February 16th, 2009