CRM - December 2007 - (Page 31)

NO ONE LIKES A TATTLETALE MORE THAN JUST CLICKING Earlier this year, the Resource Interactive iCitizen Motivational Study found that 86 percent of the American adult online population does much more than just consume information. These consumers are what Resource calls iCitizens: Whether passing along links or posting on a message board, consumers are seeking a more intimate relationship with the Web; they enjoy expressing their passion and fostering their expertise online. Many iCitizens have a transparent relationship with the community, which provides a credibility that companies and marketers should envy. By understanding what motivates these iCitizens, marketers can understand how to target them in a collaborative marketing effort. The majority of iCitizens—74 percent—are simply motivated by the desire to be digitally savvy, Rollins says. These individuals want to extend their online experiences to create blogs or other conthan even the manufacturer. Marketers who can access these domains can then offer highly relevant products to people who are already very passionate. The third group is what Resource dubs “change agents.” Seven percent of individuals are influential, driven by the belief that they want to benefit others with their advice and information. Marsha Collier, author of eBay for Dummies and an active contributor to eBay’s marketplace, says she found the online world “totally by accident.” Her career took off when she began helping people understand how to effectively shop and sell on the site. From there, she branched out to writing reviews on products and services. “I won’t write about anything unless I’ve done it myself,” Collier says. After trying a product, Collier only praises those she truly believes work well.“There has to be someone out there that gives people the truth,” she says, and adds jokingly, “I like to sleep well at night.” When inaccurate or offensive content is posted online, it’s extremely rare for people to resolve it in a diplomatic manner, said Jimmy Wales, founder of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, at the DMA’07 in Chicago in October. Most often, he said, a user will go on his “crowdsourced” site and post angry comments; then, the user will delete disagreeable content without openly saying, “I am so-and-so. I believe this information is incorrect. Here’s an article that shares our side of the story.” Soon enough, the line gets put back in; the firm deletes it again; it gets put back in; and so on. In the end, everyone is mad at each other, and out come the lawsuits. A verdict is pending, for example, on whether the 30 anonymous individuals sued by direct marketing firm Quixtar, sister company of Amway Corp., are in fact former Amway “distributors” with an axe to grind. The Ada, Mich.–based Quixtar is seeking more than $25,000 in damages for UGC posted on blogs, online forums, and YouTube videos. At press time, Quixtar had managed to convince authorities to put the accused “under court order not to disparage the company or disclose proprietary information,” according to a report by the Associated Press. “Think about the online world like the real world,” Wales said in Chicago. “People are not anti-commerce—they’re anti-jerks.” Just like the real world, online communities want respect—and respond in kind. Too often, he said, “we think about the horrible things that people might do and design around that.… Let the people police themselves.” Otherwise, Wikipedia would never have achieved such a vast, open society that lives and breathes for the benefit of the community. Community sites such as Wikipedia are not the place for shameless promotion. But Wales advised patience: “Do good work; someone will notice.” When Petco.com incentivized user participation with the prospect of a $100 gift certificate, the company saw reviews multiply eightfold. tent. One user’s prolific tagging can lead others to link to or research products they would not have found otherwise. UGC is often seen as a way to develop meaningful and personal relationships online. Resource found that 16 percent of users reported a desire for collectivism and have found that their social networks extend far beyond physical boundaries. A Google search for “fan club” brings up more than 70,200,000 results. Whether officially sanctioned or amateur fanaticism, these affinity groups bring likeminded people together. Even outside the confines of a club, consumers are talking and sharing. “We’ve seen more than 700 reviews about a 99-cent dog treat,” says Bazaarvoice’s Decker. Even for the most mundane objects—say, a paper clip— Decker believes that there are people out there who work with it to the extent that their extensive experience with the product makes them more knowledgeable www.destinationCRM.com The final 3 percent of iCitizens are motivated by the desire for fame. Perez Hilton, for one, made a name for himself as a celebrity blogger, and now has his own television show on VH1. He’s not alone: Marketers increasingly seek usergenerated content to supplement their own, and are sometimes willing to pay for it. “People will actually be able to make a living out of this,” Rollins says. Once UGC is bought and paid for, though, does it lose its value to other consumers? WHOM TO BELIEVE? The best information providers establish a brand of integrity. Whether it’s eBay feedback or Amazon.com star ratings, other users assess the people they listen to. Some contributors, Rollins says, either can’t write well or have little regard for the benefit to the general public. Regardless, as the community engages in content Darwinism, reviews perceived to be the http://Petco.com http://Amazon.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - December 2007

CRM - December 2007 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity SAP’s Midmarket Design A Shift in SAP’s Growth Strategy: Buy Big to Get Bigger The Buyer Is Your Owner Prime Time for Streaming TV The Word on the Floor Market Focus: Energy/Utilities: Speaking Truth to Power (Companies) The Pulse Required Reading It’s All Coming 2.0gether Power to the People Speak Up! Document Management That's a Breeze Customers Gain Traction With Off-Road Vehicles Getting Connected With Surveys Mobile Data Gets Better Reception Secret of My Success Re:Tooling The Tipping Point Pint of View

CRM - December 2007

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