Co-Creation

Original Content, Emotional Connections and Great Experiences

Co-Creating the story with truly original content and  emotional connections…

Each of the following images offer examples of original content. Within each example, the potential for marketers to co-create wonderful social media experiences is extraordinary. Communication will move across social platforms effortlessly, but people will have social filters in place, to remove the noise, and to ensure they don’t miss the moments that matter most.

Metwit | Real-time weather from real-peoplePinterest | The level of Disney related pins continues to grow

YouTube | Personal brands are accountable for the greatest volume of video views and sharing.  Discovery is so exciting and a key trigger of emotional sharing.

72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute [YouTube]

The future of social media will be motivated by original content, our curiosity and the excitement of discovery. We will filter for relevance, invest with privacy and share only the content that we have emotional connections to.

With social filters in place, traditional digital ad strategy will not work, and ideal connections will not be due to chance, or smart re-targeting. Brands must learn the importance of responding to the content that we think is great!

 Social Viewing is for REAL…Real-Time and Real-People

While Social Media teams remain challenged,  trying to define policy and protocol for interaction, the affability of brands is in question. It is time for brands to define strong connections, create resourceful content, embrace original content and support co-creation. Keep in mind…People are defining who they are, through what they share.

Enable data to focus direction and authentic reactions…

Now that you have our attention, be careful not to control dialogues. It’s easy for brands to slip into the role of moderator or lecturer often leading to “transmit-mode” and a negative experience.

A final thought: When people invest precious time and attention connecting with a brand… an authentic response IS now required.

How to Be “Social” A lesson from MINI Canada on Facebook

MINI Canada has just over 73,000 likes, and a very significant number of people are interacting with their content on Facebook.

“Their” Redefined

MINI Canada enables people to play a stronger role in the way they connect on Facebook.  Allow me to offer one quick and most favorite example…

Recently, MINI Canada shared an image that was added to their page. The post was a huge delight to folks who love MINI.   The image was liked, commented on,  and shared, but also tagged.  Yes, tagged, people began to tag a specific MINI within the image as their own. The unexpected result, a fun and enduring way to seed personal connections to MINI.

Through a social strategy designed to nurture sharing and response, MINI Canada has established the key return of social media…emotional connections.

 

“Original” Advantages…

Friends of MINI Canada are likely to seek out future posts, considering MINI Canada as a source of fun.

Facebook fans will also be more likely to interact, to share, and to trust MINI Canada’s content.  Although it may be rather difficult to determine immediate and clear metrics, it is terribly easy to define an emotional return on MINI Canada’s social strategy.

Christoph Hurni took the photo on August 29, 2004 in Wassen, Canton of Uri, CH

A Cycle-of-Courtesy

MINI Canada has also encouraged a reciprocal process within Facebook.  By creating an environment that celebrates authenticity and appreciation, MINI Canada has set high standards for how people should interact within Facebook.

Following-up…Taking Responsibility

MINI Canada was able to request more details from the original source, asking KI RK, to identify the original source of the image so that they could offer proper credit.  MINI Canada’s actions maintain accountability.   At the same time, they learned a bit more about KI RK. He loves to search for MINI images.  KI RK could be a great source (e.g. archeologist) of original content in the future.

  • It would be great to give props to the photograph since it has been taking FB by storm! I just thought it was cool and wanted to share! … KI RK
  • I’m a Google image RAT! I found it by just looking at different images of Minis…KI RK

Teen Girls Love To Discover, Collect and Share

Teen Girls are defining who they are…by what they collect and share.

Discovering and sharing online is turning into new social occasions for young Millennials and inspiring a sense of connectedness. Today young “Millennial” girls are not interested in watching TV content on a large screen.  They prefer a more modern device, a tablet, smartphone and if completely necessary, a PC. To these girls even Facebook is a bit, well…old fashioned.

Discover and Share

Passion and Interest

Hopes and Dreams

Emotional connections within content hubs are very strong, and teen girls are very emotional.  The ability to share their excitement for what they love often defines who they are.

Of course every girl wants to be unique, so collections are likely to suggest a great deal of original content.  Discovering the next trend is a sense of self expression, and yes, quietly boosts self-esteem for girls.

Avid Curators

Being a teenager encourages independence. These young Millennials are learning to trust their decisions and sometimes just trying to figure out who they are.  Perhaps being avid curators helps them to make sense of it all.  Now, imagine if brands could capture and expand on this excitement while exploring collaborative prototyping.

Involving young Millennials in the creative process, could have an enormous effect on what may, just be…next.

Source: TechCrunch and The 2012 mobileYouth report

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Emotion, Expression and Experiences

What Social Media Should Be…Collaborative

Creating Meaningful Experiences: “Starry Night” Van Gogh and Vrellis

“Starry Night” Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh was not limited by the confines of his surroundings when he created Starry Night in 1889. His gift allowed him to envision and express a very different reality from what he was living. More than one hundred years later, Van Gogh’s night sky, swirling clouds, and a bright crescent moon still invite us to escape, while the stars miraculously continue to intrigue, leaving it difficult to return to our reality.

Now, Greek Artist, Petros Vrellis has made returning to reality even more difficult.  His work enables our natural emotions to truly connect with Starry Night, to move elements of the painting and to co-create a personal interpretation.  Through Vrellis’ work and our imagination, the painting is given new, and thoroughly interactive life. The animation reacts to touch, also prompting a musical response, made possible with openframeworks.

True, Vincent Van Gogh and Petros Vrellis were not thinking of Starry Night as  an analogy for better marketing, but the emotional connections that we form from interacting with the painting offers a lesson.

The idea of “Original”

Through Petros’ Starry Night we are involved, and have the ability to co-create our Original Starry Night.  The experience is empowering and reflects a very personal journey.  The lesson…companies should identify opportunities to involve people in the process.  Co-creating unique styles and original substance will certainly produce more meaningful experiences and support lasting connections.

Recent examples: Pinterest and Metwit

Starbucks enables People-to-People and Celebrates Connections!

We are defining “social” value by what we share and the role we play within the creative process

Starbucks‘ Cup Magic app integrates augmented reality within your cup or eGift.

For Starbucks, enabling people to connect with those that matter most is an ideal transition from traditional marketing.

An ideal example…

The magic of love is sent and received as virtual Valentine’s Day messages.  Once the limited edition Valentine’s Day cups  are scanned the cups come to life with visual effects.

People  are involved in the process and these immersive experiences are certain to trigger emotional connections for Starbucks.

The ROI of Social Media and “Tebowing”

With so much talk about the ROI of Social Media, we think it is important to remind everyone that ROI may not have to be entirely based on immediate revenue.  The goal of social media…should not be thought of exclusively as a marketing strategy. Social media should be thought of as means for creating an ecosystem.  Functional marketing nurtures knowledge, stimuli and supports co-creation. Our approach suggests that messages and content must be authentic, filled with conviction and extremely flexible within all surroundings.  If integrated properly, everything else will naturally fall into place.

How Social is Sports?

We talk about social media in sports as the ultimate opportunity for connecting. Enabling fans via social, mobile and location supports fans’ emotional attachment, moving the experience from a “THE Game” to an “OUR Game” occasion.

Tim Tebow is making an impact on the football field for the Denver Broncos, of the National Football League.  However, an even larger impact is his influence in social media through “Tebowing”.  Tebowing is Tim’s humbling gesture, kneeling on one knee as evidence to his faith.  The act of Tebowing has compelled a strong reaction through social media. On 12, December, the Global Language Monitor officially accepted the term within the English language.  Just months after the phrase was created following a miracle win in October.

With Authenticity, Conviction and Flexibility, Tim Tebow has the world’s attention…

Tebowing: The act of ‘taking a knee’ in prayerful reflection oblivious to your surroundings

A completely crowdsourced Tumblr blog has been created to enable people to share their personal interpretation of Tebowing.  Fans are able to purchase items with proceeds supporting local Denver Charities.  The site has daily submissions of touching images from around the world.  @Tebowing has almost 3,000 followers and each of the Facebook pages associated with Tim Tebow continue to grow.

The Denver Broncos have an opportunity to do more than simply engage within social media. Adopting an approach that moves beyond marketing.  By enabling the fan’s natural connection to Tebowing, the Broncos can create awareness and inspire emotional connections, at the same time, supporting donations for local charities and forming true connections.

The difference between engage and connect is in how you – Listen – Prepare –Respond and then Adapt

Perhaps the ideal return of social media is collaborative dialogues, the co-creation of messages (earned media for you traditional folks), content and strategy for what is now, and what may be next.

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Global Trend Report | Focus 2012

This trend report has been created to help you prepare for, and bring about, a very different approach to business in 2012.  Moving beyond advertising and marketing, we suggest a collaborative business design, one empowered simply by the ability to create sustainable connections.

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Video Inspires a Cycle-of-Courtesy via @TEDTalks

We often use the term Cycle-of-Courtesy for describing a reciprocal process within social media.  In this talk TED’s Chris Anderson shares his thoughts for how web video is creating and inspiring the ideal conditions for innovation.

These conditions create intense levels of understanding and connection. Advantages grow from collective ideas, not individual agendas, or predetermined direction.

Chris Anderson  “Web video is driving Crowd Accelerated Innovation”

Original and inventive ideas come to life, they are set into motion via a Cycle-Of-Courtesy.   The benefits of these powerful ideas and connections is still, yet to be discovered.  But, we do know that it remains important not to disrupt the natural process of discovery and sharing.  Within collective innovation, this natural process establishes the intention of ideas and a course for innovation.

“A new Cycle-of-Courtesy has developed; where people, compelled to share ideas and experiences with others, has become a common and expected task. It’s as if they feel it’s their duty…informing others is simply a natural part of the reciprocal process”

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So, We Don’t Want to Engage with Brands via Social Media

I have been curious to learn how much our Digital Life has developed during the last year. The TNS Digital Life study of 2010 offered a comprehensive view across 46 markets and helped companies prepare for what was ahead. This week TNS released their 2011 Digital Life results.  The report reflects the Digital Life of 72,000 people across 60 countries and the findings are extraordinary.

Of course I am anxious to dive into all the data!

What was interesting? Everything…

Allow me to start with “Engage”

Our lack of excitement for engaging with brands via social media is rather interesting and I wanted to share a few thoughts.

TNS discovered that 57% of people in mature markets are simply not interested in engaging with brands via social media.  Folks in the UK [61%] and in the US [60%] are particularly disenchanted with brands via social media. This may not be surprising, but at the same time, people are increasingly creating “original” content and are anxious to talk about brands with anyone located within reach of their social voice.

  • 57% of people in developed markets do not want to engage with brands via social media
  • 47 % of global digital consumers now comment about brands online

Authenticity and Conviction

This is a time of discovery for brands. A journey that should soon help them understand, the idea of social media engagement was not designed to pick up where traditional marketing left off.  Even more compelling, high levels of engagement do not lead to influence or true connections.  Using social media as a form of engagement without trying to nurture a real connection is ridiculous.

Take into account why people are using social media. To communicate, to interact and to share.  Every social act comes with the anticipation that it will offer relevance to someone.  A good deed has been done, a smile has been shared and in each, a response is simply the best!

For brands the purpose of social media is to communicate, understand people, and how they see your offerings. Social media should also support collaboration, but to do so requires a very different mindset and almost humble positioning.

Within social media brands have an entirely different role.  Brands must have and express an authentic persona; offer services, resources and position (enable) people strategically within every endeavor. Simply engaging with people is not enough, brands have to form connections. Identify emotional triggers, begin a conversation and respond with conviction.  Co-creating and extending the brand experience is the essence of social media success.

How? People are creating original content, at the same time brand messages must be unique. Celebrating what people are naturally doing, or co-creating even branded-content, supports emotional ties.  Within the dynamics of this approach, people are positioned as the vital element. If conditions are right, people will reward brands with a mention on their Facebook page, Twitter feed or their most important circle!

The data also supports our suggestion that brands enable people-to-people connections. Supporting these connections will encourage a brand’s social mission.  

  • 47% of people comment about brands online

TNS’ Digital Life  also reports that people are open to talking about brands via social networks and are often excited to share their opinions.

  • Among those commenting, 46% of the reasons for writing comments is to HELP! 

We refer to this process as a Cycle-of-Courtesy.  People are compelled to share ideas and experiences with others. This has become a common and expected task within the most trusted of social groups. It’s as if “they feel it’s their duty…informing others is simply a natural part of the reciprocal process”.

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Life In A Day| Truly Emotional…Completely Original via @YouTube

Monumental…

Google has released the final version of Life In A Day via YouTube.  In an inspiring example of co-creation, thousands of people from 192 countries, uploaded 4,500 hours of life to YouTube on July 24, 2010.

The film’s executive producer Ridley Scott and director by Kevin Macdonald have captured a global moment in time…life as it was on July 24th.

 

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