SocialButterfly

The Social Round-Up

Thursday, February 18th, 2010 | The Bulletin | No Comments

I’ve called these round-ups by different names, but the concept is the same–share some of the recent links, resources and info I’ve been reading about social change, social marketing and social media. Now that I’ve finally switched my RSS reader from Bloglines to Google Reader, I find myself there a lot more–even more so than Twitter (gasp). Thus, let’s get on with the show.

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Social Change

• Industry Forecast: Philanthropy and Social Investing: Blueprint 2010–The great Lucy Bernholz, through her company Blueprint Research & Design and in partnership with Stanford’s Social Innovation Review, recently released “the first ever independent annual industry analysis for philanthropy and social investing.” According to readers, the forecast is full of insights and revelations regarding the business of giving.
• What the World Needs Now–This is a bit of a softer piece, but Mitch Joel of Six Pixels Apart does a great job of inspiring by listing eight areas we should be focusing on and thinking about as we work to change our world for the better. Note: The first item he mentions is that the world needs a “mindshift” — and then points to the happenings in behavioral economics for added insight.
• 5 Ideas Worth Spreading from TED–Nathaniel Whittemore of Change.org’s Social Entrepreneurship Blog is the envy of us all as he got to attend the TED 2010 Conference. If you want to do social change, look at what some of the top thinkers of our time are doing, why they are doing it and how it may influence your own work. From this list, the one that stood out to me was the idea that we need to change our relationship with food. Another, was how Nathaniel describes the moment when Bill Gates spent 18 full minutes publicly sharing his views on climate change.

Social Marketing

• Design Thinking and Behavior Change: The term “design thinking” is everywhere–is anyone else noticing this? So, it comes to no surprise that design thinking meets behavior change thanks to social marketeer Craig Lefebvre who recently put together this helpful 17-slide presentation. Skimming through it alone will get the juices flowing about how disciplines can criss-cross, leading to effective change.
• Authenticity in Corporate Social Responsibility–I know, you’re thinking “CSR is not social marketing.” And you’re right–Social marketing is bigger. However, I include it here because I see CSR as a rising opportunity for social marketing, and Geoff touches on the reason why–authenticity. More companies want to be more intentional and take CSR from something to throw money at to a sustainable, organization-centric value that has impact. Yes, I know “it depends,” but we’ve been keeping the treasures of social marketing in the realms of “just health” for too long. Why couldn’t we take the framework of social marketing and the lessons we’ve learned and apply it to CSR? We can. If it helps, don’t call it CSR. Instead, think of it as more people wanting to do business better.

Social Media and Communications

• 5 Terms that Signify the Future of Mobile Marketing–Ogilvy PR’s Rohit Bhargava shares the five concepts that he thinks will move mobile forward in 2010.
• Buzz vs. Facebook vs. MySpace vs Twitter–Jeremiah Owyang does it again and offers a strong breakdown of these four platforms. It’s the perfect chart that you can pass along to colleagues who want quick yet extensive information on how these platforms relate.
• Can E-Readers and Tablets Save the News?–Not only does this article feature a Missouri J-School Professor (woot-woot!), but the article is deeper than the title suggests. At the heart of it, it talks about online content and digital publishing. Being an e-book reader myself and seeing the expanding number of communication platforms (hello Google Buzz), this article is worth the time to take in and meditate on the value of content and the future role of content vetting and control (via consumers, publishers or media producers).

What about you? What good info have you read lately? Please provide the link in the comments so we can all check it out. Also–if you’re in love with your Google Reader like me, here’s my public profile. Let’s connect.

flickr credit: Benimoto

Tags: authenticity, behavior, buzz, corporate social responsibility, CSR, design thinking, E-Readers, facebook, Google Reader, Mobile Marketing, philanthropy, RSS, RSS reader, social change, social communications, social investing, Social Marketing, Social Media, social platforms, Tablets, TED, twitter

Questions to Prevent Awareness Fever

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | Social Marketing | 28 Comments

They know about us, who cares if they don’t buy? Would any company ever say this?? Hey, we spent $5M, and made $1M–but at least more people know about us–look at all the awareness we got. No, they would not. Better phrased, they would not be satisfied with that answer. They’d want more information. They’d look at the whole product cycle–from development, to placement, to price, to promotion and beyond.

So, why, fellow health marketing and do-gooders do we settle with “awareness-building?” To be frank, every time I’m in a meeting and I hear the word awareness, my skin crawls. Awareness is great–but there’s a time and place for it. I’m aware of Ritz crackers, but I buy Wheat Thins. I’m aware of Powerade, but I buy Gatorade. There are times I might know about your cause–but I won’t donate. Other times I might know you need help, but I won’t volunteer. I know exercise is healthy, yet I’m still sitting here typing this blog post. There is a reason to these behaviors and decisions. There are motivations, barriers, incentives, costs, and more.

If our friends in the private sector won’t settle, we shouldn’t either. Thus, in the comments, let’s suggest questions to ask when awareness fever strikes our next meeting. Ready, Set, Go.

Questions to Prevent Awareness Fever

1. How do we turn awareness into action? submitted by Holly Grande
2. How do we measure awareness? submitted by Holly Grande
3. What does awareness mean for the campaign? submitted by Holly Grande
4. So, what do we want people to do with all that awareness? submitted by Mike Newton-Ward
5. Why do you want to increase awareness in the first place? submitted by Steve Radick
6. Why does the general public need to know what your division/branch/organization is doing? submitted by Steve Radick
7. Why should people care? submitted by Steve Radick
8. When did awareness change anything? submitted by Craig Lefebvre
9. How can we move people towards action? submitted Fard Johnmar
10. What are you really offering people that’s new in exchange for the change you want in their routine? submitted by Peter Mitchell
11. How are you so sure people don’t know this already? submitted by Peter Mitchell
12. Are people seeking out this kind of information? submitted by Peter Mitchell
13. Wouldn’t it be better to offer people something they already want? submitted by Peter Mitchell
14. who is already aware, and what they need in order to move them along to the next stage on the path to taking action? submitted by Nedra Weinreich
15. Is awareness given, but no action taken? submitted by Christiane Lellig
16. Is awareness of the sender’s problem necessary for audience to take an intended action? submitted by Christiane Lellig
17. Once we raise awareness in the room, what ACTIONS are the people in the room going to take in their lives? If we can’t answer the question, START OVER with a new plan. submitted by Mike Domitrz
18. Your turn. Yes, you–the person nodding their head who’s frustrated with this very same thing. I know you’re out there. (I’ll update this list below with your questions and give you some link love.)

flickr credit: Leo Reynolds

Tags: approach, awareness, awareness-building, campaign, challenge, communications, education, prevention, pro-active, strategy

The Pollyanna Principles for Social Change

Sunday, January 24th, 2010 | Changeblogging: NP, activism, social change +, Social Marketing | 3 Comments

Have you ever been frustrated about the impact of your efforts? I have–even when we’ve been successful, if not especially then.

For example, you may reach the number of donors you set out to reach, but still feel disconnected. You could have a bigger list of e-newsletter subscribers, but still question if what you’re doing is achieving the change you want. You can change the life of one person and wonder how you can change the life of another.

This is why I turned to social marketing. Social marketing is something you address, plan and implement at the strategic level. If you are considering how social marketing applies during materials development or media placement, you’ve missed the boat and instead are floating on driftwood. We need to think bigger and longer.

This weekend, I found someone online who I feel understands where I’m coming from: Hildy Gottlieb. After about five years of consulting, Hildy and her partner felt frustrated. They saw themselves doing great work and achieving the mission set before them, but then noticing their work wasn’t aiming for extraordinary community change.  She explains best in the video below (minutes 4-6 is where it hit home with me, as I feel social marketing can help create the change she describes).

If you are working on community-based change or social change in general, Hildy outlines six Pollyanna Principles to guide your efforts:

The Ends

1. We accomplish what we hold ourselves accountable for.
2. Each and every one of us is creating the future, every day, whether we do so consciously or not.

The Means

1. Everyone and everything is interconnected interdependent, whether we acknowledge that or not.
2. “Being the change we want to see” means walking the talk of our values.
3. Strengths build upon our strengths, not our weaknesses.
4. Individuals will go where systems lead them.

I like these principles because they aren’t media focused–they are value focused. What about you–can you relate to the frustration Hildy or I describe?

Bonus: If community-based change interests you, I recommend looking up the name Doug McKenzie-Mohr.

flickr photo credit: khoraxis

Tags: frustration, good, Hildy Gottlieb, non-profit, Pollyanna Principles, social change, social good, Social Marketing, strategy, value, value thinking

Oh! The Places We’ll Go

Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Changeblogging: NP, activism, social change +, Conferences and Events | No Comments

In case you haven’t heard, 2010 is going to be big–HUGE. Full of wonder, discovery, ideas and action. If you are looking to stretch your horizons this year, I’ve recently updated the “Events” tab up above just for you.

This page offers a listing of 40+ interesting conferences, events, observances and programs to keep you up to date in the world of social marketing and related areas of social change, social innovation, non-profits, and tech. From events like the World Economic Forum, to conferences like the 20th Anniversary of the Social Marketing in Public Health Conference to observances like World Day of Social Justice and Twitter chats like #4change, #hcsm, #SocEntChat and more–it’s shaping to be a powerful year.

The calendar will be continuously updated as the year goes on, so check back often as we have “Watch List” including the NIH mHealth Conference, Mobile Tech 4 Social Change and others. Oh the places we will go in 2010–may we enjoy the ride!

flickr photo credit: ForestForTrees

Tags: 2010, calendar, change, conferences, events, good, leadership, mobile, networking, observance, Public Health, social, social change, social good, social innovation, Twitter chat

Nuggets of Social Change–Round 2

Monday, December 21st, 2009 | Changeblogging: NP, activism, social change +, The Bulletin | 1 Comment

Perhaps it’s the time of year, but has anyone else noticed that more people are churning out more good content? Many different items I come across deserve its own post, however, then it’s on to the next good nugget I find. Thus, I’m going to do these round-ups every once and awhile as I don’t want you to miss out on all the good information.

• Have a cause or issue that you’re passionate about? If so, you will love this article by Michael Silberman on the Huffington Post. In it, Michael shares lessons learned when it comes to digital organizing from the 350 days movement–what he terms the “most widespread day of political action in history.” I personally like how Michael emphasizes the importance of mission over technology, and how he creatively shows the importance of creative storytelling by effectively telling the 350 days story to us.
• Are you or your clients curious about the latest and great in customer relationship management models? Web Strategist Jeremiah Owyang recently wrote up an in-depth post that gives an overview of 31 different CRM companies that are worth a look through.
• Recently, I touched upon how online contests and competitions were growing in popularity–seems it’s still growing. Pepsi recently announced that they were going to fore go Superbowl ads, and instead, create a micro-site slash giving competition called the “Pepsi Refresh Project.” Beth Kanter shared her thoughts about Pepsi’s move following the Chase Bank fund-raising issue as well.
• Twitter is the Oxford Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year. However, another contender could have been the word innovation. Look at Time Magazine’s list of the “Top 50 Inventions of 2009″. Or, check out Popular Mechanics list of “The Best 50 Inventions in the Past 50 Years.” (Guess Santa isn’t the only one making his list and checking it twice this time of year.)
• Social marketeers: Are you looking to connect with colleagues? Try one of these three upcoming social marketing conferences summed up nicely by Craig Lefebvre. A conference of sorts that I also look forward to debuting is BIBA, presented by Peter Corbett’s iStrategy Labs. BIBA looks to gather big minds with big ideas to make big actions.
• Because it’s worth mentioning again, did you get a chance to read Philip Kotler’s and Nancy Lee’s article in Stanford’s Innovation Review about Corporate Social Marketing?

A Social Shoutout

Not only are good news items coming up, but I’ve also expanded my RSS reader with some blogs I encourage you to get to know:

Social Herder: If you don’t know Will Robinson, you might want to. Will writes on all things social entrepreneurship, non-profits and general do-goodery. You can catch Will at his blog, on Twitter, or at his current gig with Ogilvy PR.

Justice for All: If you are interested in a mash-up of human rights, social enterprise, democracy and law, then you’ll appreciate the enthusiasm of Northwestern senior Akhila Koliset. Not only do I share an interest in advocating human rights with Akhila, but I continue to be inspired by her passion and the voice with which she writes. You can tell she loves to be inspired as much as she is inspiring–just check out her reading list!

What We Give: You’ve probably heard of this one, but if not, you should. Larry Blumenthal is the director of social media strategy at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and adds much value back to the marketplace through both his blog and on his Twitter stream where he talks about how social media is changing philanthropy.

What about you? Any newly discovered blogs or colleagues you’d like to give a social shoutout to?

PS: Often, these “nuggets” are shared sooner through my Twitter account. If you’re on Twitter, let’s connect @socialbttrfly.

Tags: action, BIBA, conference, customer relationship management, events, good, ideas, information, innovation, inspiration, inventions, Justice for All, movement, news, online organizing, Pepsi, Peter Corbett, social, social change, social good, Social Marketing, SocialHerder, twitter, What We Give

Making Behavior Fun, Popular and Easy

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 | Social Marketing, Social Media, Web Communications, campaigns | 8 Comments

If you know social marketing extraordinaire Nancy Lee, then you have heard this saying. Recently, on the social marketing listserv, some dialogue has been shared in response to Nancy Lee and Philip Kotler’s article in Stanford’s Innovation Review titled “Best of Breed,” which looks at corporate social marketing. This could be its own post, but alas, I want to focus on the message of being fun, popular and easy.

Why? Because whether it’s social marketing or corporate social marketing, you are still working to effectively change or influence behavior for good–and an effective way to do so is making your desired behavior fun, popular and easy–which is exactly what started bubbling through on the social marketing list serv as others started sharing some of their favorite fun, popular and easy social marketing initiatives. Enjoy–and when you find yourself running around ragged, ask yourself: Is anyone having fun? Is this easy for people? and go from there.

The Piano Staircase

To encourage passerbyers to take the stairs rather then the escalator (and thus promote physical activity), this group turned the stairs into a piano–whenever you stepped on a stair a different sound would echo–in effect, making taking stairs more exciting than an everyday escalator. I can’t find the source, but it apparently had a 60% success rate. Who’s behind it? Volkswagon. Apparently, Volkswagon has been trying out some experimental marketing based around “The Fun Theory” to see if they could create desired behaviors if the action was made fun. You can read more about the piano staircase and other initiatives such as the recycling arcade and more at TheFunTheory.com.

The Pink Glove Dance

You may have seen this one already, as it’s been circling the blogosphere for a while. But, it’s an example of everyday people–hospital employees–finding a way to make their job fun while communicating a message–that you aren’t alone when taking steps to prevent breast cancer, like getting a mammogram.

Musical Hand Sanitizer

Aas part of Volkswagon’s initiative, they are hosting an awards program on the best “fun” applications for healthy and good behaviors. One entry was a University who had installed hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of germs during the flu season. They found few students using them. Thus, they adopted the fun theory and installed some sounds. Each time someone went for hand sanitizer, a funny noise was created. Results? With the sounds included, students were seven times more likely to use the germ-reducing resource.

Pedestrian TV Traffic Light

In this example, you get some free entertainment while waiting to cross the street. Instead of staring at a red outline of a person wishing it to change with your desired mind control, this traffic light shows TV clips–vidoes from YouTube, funny clips from TV shows, etc. This way, the hope is that you’ll actually wait until it’s safe to cross the street.

Make Your Watermark

Design you own bottle at the vending machine. Granted, I know bottles and paint on bottles isn’t good for the environment. But if you can’t quite get that change initiated, then check out what this group did. To encourage people to buy water over sugary pop or juices form the vending machine, they enabled it so people can design their own water bottle from the vending machine at the point-of-purchase. Now that’s easy, and fun!

Fun, Popular and Easy…Online?

More examples are found on the FunTheory.com Web site mentioned earlier, and I have to admit–it’s fun just looking through them. But, my mind started going: How can you make your online and social media communications fun, popular and easy to help you achieve your behavior change mission? Now, that’s a weighty question. Then, I started thinking about what is it in a Web or social media behavior change initiative that makes it fun, popular and easy:

• FUN: Community-based, drive accountability of others through accountability, collaborative in nature
• Example: Certain online communities help training for a 5k easier by focusing on accountability or making the desired behavior fun by making it social. Other communities, such as the Sister to Sister Foundation’s online community focusing on healthy behaviors for heart health amongst women. These type of communities make healthy behaviors fun by creating accountabilty and making the behavior social.

• POPULAR: Driven by influencers and respected peers in the community or content area the desired behavior resides.
• Example: AIDS.gov video-storytelling. AIDS.gov encouraged state officials to create their video on why its important to get tested for HIV. Another example? HHS’ flu PSA contest. Not only was this driven and announced by the HHS Secretary herself, but it was also supported and promoted by all of HHS’ agencies. And it’s winner–come on, who’s more popular than a rapping doctor?

• EASY: This may be the most important when it comes to the online arena. Because, for people to use the technology combined with the messages, etc., the technology must first work. It must incorporate usability best practices, be accessible and depending on your audience, address literacy issues, including technology literacy. You technology could be great, but if it’s too complicated and no one uses it, it’s just techology.
• Example: Most recently, AIDS.gov hosted the “Face AIDS” campaign asking people to join in. The effort involved a few steps, but AIDS.gov made it easy and fun by creating a collective flickr account to display all the images. Here’s a thought: Some social media is easy to adopt. one click and your a fan, one click and you are a follower. One click, and you’ve downloaded a healthy recipe book. One click and you have a mobile app to track your physical fitness. How can your organization leverage these easy tools for behavior change?

What about you? What are some of your favorite fun, popular and easy social marketing efforts? Any of those take place online?

Tags: AIDS.gov, behavior, behavior change, collaboration, community, easy, fun, good, innovation, Nancy Lee, Philip Kotler, Piano Staircase, Pink Glove Dance, popular, social, social good, social marketing listserv, social media for social good, Stanford, The Fun Theory, Volkswagon

Healthy People 2020: Help Improve the Health of Our Nation

Monday, December 7th, 2009 | Public Health, Social Marketing | No Comments

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting us to submit our comments and suggestions as part of the collaborative process for Healthy People 2020. Every 10 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leverages scientific insights and lessons learned from the past decade, along with knowledge of new and emerging issues, data, trends, and innovations to set the nation’s health priorities.

• If you care about your community’s health, our waters and our forests, then you can submit public comments to the current draft objectives on the Healthy People Public Comment Page.
• If you care about nutrition, obesity and physical activity, then you can submit public comments to the current draft objectives on the Healthy People Public Comment Page.
• If you care about chronic diseases, including prevention, treatment and cures, submit public comments to the current draft objectives on the Healthy People Public Comment Page.
• If you care about these and many other issues, then you can make a difference by submitting a comment to the Healthy People 2020 objectives.

Submit a Public Comment

Your participation will shape Healthy People 2020 and the nation’s health agenda. Since public comments go on the record, you will have contributed to setting our nation’s health objectives.

• Submit a public comment to the current draft objectives on the Healthy People Public Comment Page.
• Grab a Web badge to show you care about the Healthy People 2020 process.

Stay Involved and Informed

For more information and to stay updated:

• Subscribe to the Healthy People listserv for the latest information on Healthy People 2020 and to receive e-mail notices of related news, events, publications, and more!
• Join the Healthy People Consortium to become an active supporter of Healthy People.

More About Healthy People

Since 1979, Healthy People has set and monitored national health objectives to meet a broad range of health needs, encourage collaborations across sectors, guide individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of our prevention activity. The Healthy People process aims to be inclusive and its strength is directly tied to collaboration.

Since its inception, Healthy People has become a broad-based, public engagement initiative with thousands of citizens helping to shape it at every step along the way. Drawing on the expertise of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020, public input and a Federal Interagency Workgroup, Healthy People 2020 will provide a framework to address risk factors and determinants of health and the diseases and conditions that affect our communities–and in effect move us toward a healthier nation.

Disclosure: ODPHP is a client that I work with at iQ Solutions. However, I genuinely feel that Healthy People 2020 plays an important role in setting our Nation’s health agenda and even contributed comments myself, especially when it comes to chronic diseases and health communications.

Tags: care, chronic disease, government, government health, health, health agenda, health communications, health policy, healthier nation, healthy, Healthy People 2020, Healthy People Consortium, public engagement, Public Health, United States

How a “Place” Strategy Can Change the World: Meet ColaLife

Monday, November 30th, 2009 | Changeblogging: NP, activism, social change +, Public Health, Social Marketing, campaigns | 2 Comments

Not too long ago, we talked about the importance of social products as part of the marketing mix. For review, the marketing mix is made up of the four p’s: product, price, promotion, and place. In the world of social marketing and social change initiatives, the “promotion p” has been stealing the spotlight for quite a while. This is why I want to highlight this amazingly wonderful place social marketing strategy–Meet ColaLife.

ColaLife, is a non-profit that is lobbying Coca-Cola to leverage its worldwide distribution channels to provide social products that help sustain life and improve public health. How exactly? –With some creative packaging in the form of “Aidpods.” With the help of these aidpods, Cola Life hopes to help achieve the following three goals:

1. Reduce child mortality in developing countries (= UN Millennium Development Goal #4)
2. Improve maternal health (= UN Millennium Development Goal #5)
3. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases (= UN Millennium Development Goal #6)

You can read more about the organization’s aims and objectives, but overall, I think the idea is brilliant. At just about any public health conference I’ve been to, someone always references Coca-Cola as having the classic place (distribution) marketing strategy. Now, that same strategy can actually be leveraged to make a difference. There’s just one hitch…

Coca-Cola, or a similiar corporate organization, has to sign on first. ColaLife has already had a successful trial of the program in Tanzania, and currently it’s focusing on spreading awareness of the project and gaining influence by talking with stakeholders and reviewing the strategy and overall plan. If interested, here’s five ways we can help:

1. Follow @colalife on Twitter.
2. Become a fan of the initiative on Facebook.
3. Create your own aidpod.
4. Watch the potential of this project by viewing ColaLife’s online videos.
5. Donate.

Take away: This is one example of using a place strategy to do social marketing and in effect, create social change for the better. Thought: What distribution channels currently exist in your community that can be leveraged for social good?

Tags: aidpod, aidpods, Coca Cola, Cola Life, ColaLife, developing countries, distribution, distribution channels, Marketing, marketing mix, packaging, place, place marketing strategy, Public Health, social good, UN Millunnium Development Goal

Knowledge + Attitude = Action?

Thursday, November 19th, 2009 | Social Marketing | 2 Comments

This was the equation at the center of one of Thursday’s New York Times Articles titled: How Understanding the Human Mind Might Save the World from CO2. The article shared insights gained from the Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference this past week in Washington D.C., and wouldn’t you know–highlighted social marketing as a potential solution to leading the climate change movement forward.

I believe the main message from the article is best summed up by one of the quotes from researcher Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr:

“Social psychologists have now known for four decades that the relationship between people’s attitudes and knowledge and behavior is scant at best,” said McKenzie-Mohr. “Yet campaigns remain heavily focused on brochures, flyers and other means of disseminating information…I could just as easily call this presentation ‘beyond brochures.”

Beyond brochures. Beyond promotion. Beyond. The article elaborated by pointing to research that knowledge and how we feel about something (attitude) do not always line up with action. So what’s the solution? The article, McKenzine-Mohr and the field of social marketing says: look at the barriers to the desired behavior change. Even simpler, look and study behavior. Even better, look at policy.

McKenzie-Mohr is a leader in what is referred to as community-based social marketing. A specific practice of social marketing that works to address sustainable practices such as recycling, waste water reduction, transportation and other green-related challenges.

I’ve been a fan of McKenzie-Mohr’s research since my grad school days as his research is what initially gave me the hope that social marketing can provide a framework to follow and help us discover lasting solutions to some of our world’s greatest problems–beyond those affecting public health. This week I was further inspired that social marketing has wider implications outside of “public health” by Craig Lefebvre’s recent post that applied social marketing to financial literacy and education.

Key Take-Aways:

1. Social marketing can be applied to world issues beyond just public health such as the environment, financial literacy, poverty and other challenges.
2. To create “change” or build a movement, look and study behavior change–not your PSA impressions.
3. Better yet, consider where policy falls into the equation.

flickr photo credit: doozzle

Tags: attitude, behavior, climate change, community based social marketing, Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr, financial literacy, knowledge, policy, Social Marketing, solutions

Mr. Roboto is…a Social Marketeer?

Monday, November 16th, 2009 | Education and Resources | No Comments

Yes, you heard correctly. Who ever thought you’d hear the word “robot” used in the same sentence of “social marketing?”  Julia Snow of SocialMarketingEast did.

Using online technology xtranormal, Snow created three YouTube tutorials about social marketing–each lasting about a minute and a half–featuring robots. The idea is for anyone to create their own videos or to submit questions that can be addressed in future tutorials.

Below, you can follow part one of the robots explaining what social marketing is and how it’s different from traditional marketing. Part two gives a simplified look at the exchange theory. In part three, the robots discuss segmentation.

We talk about making our communications innovative, unique and creative; thus, I like how Snow and SocialMarketingEast are doing just that. With the help of robots, perhaps we can better brand integrates these social marketing as a field, as well as educate others about its potential.

*Special thanks to the National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC) for featuring these videos in its latest e-bulletin. You can sign-up for the bulletin at the bottom left of NSMC’s home page.

Tags: communications, creative, Julia Snow, National Social Marketing Centre, robot, Social Marketing, SocialMarketingEast, storytelling, tutorial, Video, YouTube