Timi will share… | Social Business Strategy

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September 12, 2011 • 11:35 pm 0

Links 12-09-11: Social business design must-reads

Brand Marketing Programs made Social By Design
How do you develop marketing programmes that are social by design? This framework articulates something I’ve been trying to do myself, and gave me a more structured approach in creating socially designed marketing programmes.

From traditional business to social business
A must read if you are serious about social business (and not just developing a strategy for social presence and increasing the number of likes.) Good examples of what it means to deliver value!

Filed under: Social / online media analysis, social business, Strategy, User experience, , ,

July 12, 2011 • 12:34 pm 0

Pharmacies can be more social: talking with your customers can be more important than giving answers

I was customer #5 at the neighbourhood pharmacy this morning. I wanted to get a ‘herhalingsrecept’ (repeat prescription) for my brand new and ridiculously expensive medication for treating my high cholesterol levels. I have to shell out my own money first before it can be shouldered by my insurance, and getting the reimbursement requires filling and sending paper forms. Also these days, I have to request medication, even my insulin shots, a week in advance. Otherwise, the pharmacy can’t guarantee availability. So, I dutifully proceeded to the pharmacy at 8 a.m. to make sure I get my repeat prescription. I thought it was strange to not have gotten it right away the last time, but I wrote that off to my forgetfulness and to the pharmacist’s busy schedule.

My turn came up and I explained myself to the pharmacist. I said I wondered why I didn’t get the repeat prescription, and how can I get it. “Then it’s not meant to be ordered again”, the pharmacist knowingly replied.

I gave her a blank look; luckily, my brain was jolted enough from its sleepy state to manage a retort, “But that’s the second time I ordered it. That means the original prescription stated that it’s meant to be used regularly — monthly in my case.”

To which she replied, “Daar ik ga ik geen gesprek voeren,” (“I won’t go into that discussion”).

Ah, the magic words that would compel me to stop asking and accept the facts of life. It was meant to be the end point of a flowchart, the conclusion of a Q&A triage.  Although having grown up with tyrants in government has taught me that silence is argument carried on by other means, I luckily managed to also develop a questioning nature and an ability for indirect resistance. So I skipped the step ‘No discussion’ in the flowchart and created a new flow. I told the pharmacist that my new medication was not meant as a one-off.

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Filed under: Ideas, Social / online media analysis, social business, User experience, , , ,

June 30, 2011 • 2:09 pm 1

Social Business Series 1: Social media behaviours around the world

[Note: Aside from blogging about the impact of social media in society, I also want to popularise the concept of Social Business. I’ve decided to post regularly about a series of topics related to ‘Social Business’, which will be a combination of curated information and reflections about my own experiences as a freelance Social Business Analyst / Strategist. I hope to explore the different aspects of Social Business and help you gain a better understanding on how to optimise social and network productivity in an organisation. In this post, I'd like to give an overview on social media behaviours and underscore the importance of knowing your target audience.]

Social business as a concept and framework is, first and foremost, an acknowledgement of the profound impact of social technologies on our culture, the way we communicate and the way we work. Secondly, it’s a recognition of the potential of social media and networks for consumer engagement, workforce engagement and change / operations management.  Last, but not the least, it is a framework for effecting genuine and holistic transformations in organisations.

Global social media behaviours 2010/2011

Global state of social networking

Know thy customer
The holy grail of social media is – surprise, surprise – not media but social. By social I mean people and the networks they participate in. Before an organisation should even attempt to create a social media campaign or set up account profiles across social web, it should first be clear about its audience and their socialgraphics. This means having an in-depth knowledge of what people do online, where they converge, what they talk about, who they talk to and trust, and how they connect with each other. These are fertile grounds for consumer/user insights, which are fundamental in any online business. If there’s anything that best practices in online and social business have taught us, it’s this: don’t cut corners in project activities aimed at attaining a real understanding of the local market.

But since digital and social technologies are helping us live in increasingly proximity with each other, we must  also complement local knowledge with a global perspective on how consumers use social technologies.

To get you started thinking about Social Business, above are two very relevant infographics on global use and adoption of the social web. The first is a 2011 global snapshot of social media activities in Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific (using the GlobalWebIndex, Comscore and Nielsen). I got this from Michael Brito‘s brilliant blog for his book, “Smart Business,  Social Business”.  (More details in the later part of this post.) The second is from GlobalWebIndex that visualises the global state of social networking in 2011.

While you would naturally have to conduct more local and group-specific research on your target customer’s social and online behaviour, global statistics always come in handy for comparative analysis or as a springboard for deeper investigation. Always be on the look-out for information that shows interesting trends in social network growth, adoption, and engagement that can reveal insights on customers’ relationships and their ever-evolving user behaviour.
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Filed under: campaigns, Digital worlds, Ideas, Philippines, Social / online media analysis, social business, Strategy, User experience, , , , , ,

December 11, 2009 • 9:48 am 0

Some issues we face ‘in the rush to colonise’ augmented reality

Chris Arkenberg gives an extensive overview of some of the major issues emerging “..in the rush to colonize the augmented reality.” Here are a few excerpts from his post ‘Breaking Open the Cloud: Heads in an Augmented World’:

  • Design and usability considerations are critical to ensure a reasonable commonality and longevity of content.
  • Marketing and business plans aside, we have to assume that the emergence of truly compelling and valuable technologies are ultimately in line with the deep evolutionary needs of the human animal.
  • Proper design for human usability is perhaps even more critical in the augmented interface than in a typical screen interface.
  • …(T)he overwhelming amount of data and the need to filter it to some meaningful subset, particularly with respect to spam and advertising. A glance across the current crop of iPhone AR apps reveals many design interface challenges, with piles of annotations all occluding themselves and your view of the world.
  • What types of augmented experiences can reinforce our connection to nature and our role as caretakers?
  • What happens to the commons when there are 500 different augmented versions?
Back in July, I posed similar questions on my post,  ‘Augmented reality: will it also enrich our understanding of the world?’.

We’re living in a time where the most prosperous societies are immersed in digital visual culture. While this immersion has given birth to new ways of seeing the world, it has also been largely transformed into what theorist and filmmaker Guy Debord would refer to as the ‘fascination for the spectacle’ that is constantly being fuelled by a commodified view of the world.

Visual seductions reinforce the public’s ‘pleasure in spectatorship’. The dominance of the visual dimension makes us more likely to see — and look — at the appearance of things, not at their underlying relationships.

If this is one significant context wherein developments in AR take root, I wonder how it will then affect our social and signifying practices. With which eyes will we view our environment, how will we assign meaning and how will we define our experiences of the world? Will augmented reality also augment our understanding of worldviews? Will it enrich meanings in our lives?

If the world becomes our interface, and yet the reality it represents is actually illusory, then what is augmented reality actually resonating, mediating and recreating?

Allow me to wax poetic: unaided and un-augmented by augmented (and virtual) reality technologies and digital technology in general, will we still be able to look deeper in the heart of a flower, tremble at the abyss of poverty, and glimpse the history of a raindrop?

I’m glad that the current crop of conversations on augmented reality not only focus on business or marketing concerns, but also  on users and their experience of the augmented world, the content and accessibility of the augmented worlds being created, and the rationale for such layers of augmentation.  More important that the question of what can be created with augmented reality technologies, is why should it should be developed at all.

Filed under: Digital worlds, Ideas, User experience, , , ,

September 24, 2009 • 9:02 am 0

GoWeb3D apps for Layar Reality Browser

Ah, so this was what my Twitter buddy , @delchoness has been up to. Dave Elchoness is a leading designer and developer of Layar mobile augmented reality and virtual worlds. He’s a co-founder of GoWeb3D. In this video he shows the different apps they’ve done using the Layar Reality Browser. For users (in this case, for US residents/visitors), that means getting the different benefits of the AR medium.

I wonder what he will do next when Layar goes 3D in November? I also look forward to self-publishing capability for AR/ That would be very interesting for both business and individuals. I can imagine location-based games getting a boost from this. Imagine leaving clues / info / messages that only friends or players can access. Of course the issue of how to filter noise and clutter from the message needs to be addressed. I don’t want AR landscape to become like a metropolis full of gigantic billboards.

Filed under: Digital worlds, Ideas, User experience, , ,

September 22, 2009 • 10:26 am 2

16 Top Augmented Reality Business Models (Gary Hayes)

A great article by Gary Hayes that gives a good overview of the current categorisation of the Augmented Reality apps and the potential for business adaptation. There are lots of AR video in the complete post, plus a longer explanation of each model. You can also link to Flickr for a larger version of the AR Business Models chart. I leaned a great deal of it and gave my musings on AR more structure so want to share it with you.

Some excerpts:

But before going onto my list (which is of course non-exhaustive) here are the basic types of Augmented Reality from a slightly technical perspective but which we can apply to commercial and marketing applications. My presentations and paper have much more detail with specific case studies of each.

  1. Surface – The most understandable form of ‘reality that is augmented’ would be screens, floors, walls etc that respond to the touch of people in them providing them with virtual real time information or collaboration
  2. Pattern – The AR system performs simple pattern recognition on a shape, marker (usually on a framed card in the real world scene) or face and replaces it with a static or moving element e.g: a 3D model, info, audio, video stream or loop etc: You view the ‘items’ in the scene with you
  3. Outline – This is where your hand, eye or body outline is picked up and seamlessly ‘merged’ with the virtual elements. Simple example where you can pick up a 3D object that doesn’t exist because the system is tracking your hand outline.
  4. Location – Based on detailed GPS or triangulation location & position/view of the camera/device the AR system can overlay information precisely over buildings or people as you move through real space.
  5. Hologram – Using ‘smoke & spinning mirrors’ literally in some cases, virtual or real items are ‘projected’ into the physical space you are in and can be interactive with based on cameras tracking real world impulses e.g: hand gestures or audio signals

Before the more detailed list I embed my summary flickr chart whose purpose is to try to categorise types of business orientated augmented reality apps so to identify opportunities. The graph places 16 on axes of commercial value (likely revenue or marketing potential) vs adoption (scale of popularity vs a niche, client user base). It is a starting document to aid classification of this emerging commercial sector that I hope you find useful. The AR types, color key linked to each model is suggestive only. (Click on image for enlargement over at my flickr pages)

16 Augmented Reality Business Models

via personalizemedia.com

Posted via web from Timi will share…

Filed under: Digital worlds, Ideas, User experience,

September 22, 2009 • 8:07 am 2

Zugara’s Augmented Reality & Motion Capture Shopping App

via youtube.com

What I find interesting about this app is the use of motion capture to provide a more seamless interaction / experience. The user isn’t tied to the reference point (the paper where AR code’s printed). It’s a more natural way of interacting with the product. I like the social element as well (sharing w/ friends). I wonder how you can improve the emotional interface though. Perhaps the user can get a 360 degrees view of it (view it from the side or back) or store it in a digital closet of sorts. Mixing and matching related products will also be interesting here.

Posted via web from Timi will share…

Filed under: Digital worlds, Ideas, User experience,

September 20, 2009 • 3:48 pm 0

Hitchcock: mobile storyboarding iPhone app

Looks interesting. Wonder how’s this being used in a more coporate set-up (e.g. advertising, online campaigns); how clients react to this kind of storyboarding (in contrast to the more traditional ones)? I can imagine that this works very well  for in-between conversations / consultations. I like the idea of using apps like this which are more sketches than something more formalised or definite. I think this could really be optimised for brainstorming, and on the spot discusions. Similar to making lightweight IAs (information architecture) first and getting basics / issues right before detailing it, then only to have to redo most of it after.

I couldn’t embed a demo of the app itself — you can view it on Cinemek’s YouTube Channel. Below’s anothe video on an interview with Cinemk.

Filed under: Digital worlds, User experience, , , ,

September 3, 2009 • 12:34 am 0

Social networks: from info source to info filters

I’m glad to have re-discovered Lee Bryant (@leebryant) today. Saw on Twitter the announcement that Headshift was acquired by Dachis group where Lee is Co-founder and Director. This jolted my memory back to reboot 9 where he presented ‘Why adaption is not an issue when use ase matters’. He showed the role of online communities in bringing back together the residents of a town devastated by war. With Kozarac.ba he showed that real human needs drive online participation.

In this more recent presentation, he articulates a lot of the things I’ve been mulling on lately concerning the flow and consumption of information as powered by social networks.

Social Networks as Information Filters

View more documents from Lee Bryant.

Slide 26: Info has variable velocity, but tools don’t. This is exactly what’s been bugging me — the crushing feeling of info overload I sometimes get when going through my feeds, tweets and updates.

On one hand, I enjoy this new flow of ideas. I don’t think this ‘flow’ should be read in the same way we read conventional uni-directional communication. New ‘info flow’ springs forth from multiple sources and is real-time. Before I can even read the article that a tweet pointed to, another 10 updates with links to all sorts of interesting content would’ve been served to me already, piling on top of the 200 more updates I have. In this new flow, I don’t think all messages are meant to be read. The currents may sweep something away before you’ve had the chance to read it, but those same currents (via social networks) will find its way back to you. This is pretty hard to get used to especially by those who grew up before the online wave. It’s hard to let go of information. We want to keep tabs, store it, mark it, not forget. We tend to treat info as if it’s not pollinated, remixed, real-time.

However, given that information has variable velocity — it serves different purposes and/or different contexts — the tools that shape and deliver them must adhere to this nature of information. This is why Lee Bryant (@leebryant) posits that “…we need better filters and radars; ambient awareness, intuition, decisions.” Social networks should ideally become our main information filters instead of mere information souces. Bryant emphasises that as information professionals, we should strive to “…build social networks as ‘architecture of participation rather than just create more media consumption”.

Social networks as info filters is something that should be taken into account in discussions on simplying choices for consumers and the need to equip users with decision-making tools, especially the more recent ‘slow communications‘,  and ‘the war on flow’.

Filed under: Digital worlds, Ideas, Social / online media analysis, User experience, , , ,

August 25, 2009 • 10:17 am 0

Fake, by any other name, is fake

I was troubled by MobileCrunch’s report on a PR firm who let their interns/employees write fake product reviews on behalf of their clients. After reading Jeremy Toeman’s warning on general fakery, I’ve also decided to voice my concerns.

What one of the advertising fathers, William Bernbach, said of advertising then still rings true — and even louder –  today: “A great ad campaign will make a bad product fail faster. It will get more people to know it’s bad.” Translated in today’s language: don’t be the evil and deceitful company, because #EpicFail will bring you to justice.

While the greater likelihood of getting caught and exposed to the public is reason enough to not engage in ‘general fakery’ these days, it should not be the compelling reason. Think culture, not tactics. Design ethics, not deceit.

Sure, anyone can use social media tools such as ratings, comments, recommendations and reviews. The functionality is available to both real user and a hired hand. But what’s often disregarded is that using these tools means agreeing to the terms and conditions of transparency, authenticity and trust. Whether you’re a consumer or a PR firm, your message must be truthful, your tactics not dirty. Disclosure is key especially in these times when “…transparency is the new objectivity.”

It’s not just about blogging a review here or leaving a comment there. It’s not about pretending to be a consumer and thinking, ‘I’m telling the truth anyway’.  And no, it’s still not OK even if ‘fake’ is not something new. The fact that it is generally practiced should strengthen our resolve to conduct our business differently. The choices we make as designers, information architects, developers, advertisers, PR firms, and brands all contribute to the development of the ethics of user experience. We should remember that we are in the business of building positive experiences, not frustrations.

For social media to take root and bear fruit, cultural changes have to take place in your organisation. Few companies regard social media not just as a tactical tool, but rather needing a strategic framework. Even less consider it as a cultural cornerstone of their organisation. Strategy and culture are the two (more difficult) areas where your company can excel in social media and distinguish itself from the others who engage in the usual practice of half-truths and muddled messages. These are the areas where you can really sing your praises and breed internal brand champions;  convey your product’s advantages while building a sustainable relationship with your target group.

In other words: the business of social media is the business of transparency, authenticity and trust. It’s the business of designing ethics in user experience. Don’t mistake them for tactics alone. Embracing these principles means rethinking your strategy and examining if your organisation can provide cultural spaces for these values to flourish.

Filed under: Culture, Social / online media analysis, User experience, , , ,

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analyst, poet, dream-dweller. a.k.a. 'delunna'

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