Walter Adamson

HP+ Managing the HP fallout will take more than PR

In a huge week of IT industry news HP dropping the Touchpad was one of the biggest tsunamis. Especially since it came with news that HP will sell off its PC division.

Is that what you heard?

Well you may have it wrong. HP is mounting a PR war to counter that interpretation, which might seem futile to outsiders, but if you're an insider how could you do anything else?

But it will take more than PR to convince people otherwise, HP is going to have to go into overdrive with a new HP+!

People like Michael Dell heard the wrong version, according to this tweet:

 

HP's UK head of their PCG Group clarified things in The Guardian:

There have been a number of incorrect stories saying that HP is quitting the PC business. Let me be absolutely clear in saying that at no stage has HP said it is quitting the PC business. Three options are being investigated, and whether the company is spun off, sold or kept in the HP portfolio.

There. That's crystal clear, right? Michael Dell's interpretation, admittedly acting with self-interest, isn't far off is it? And if self-interest needs to be taken out of the equation then we'd have to heavily discount all the HP spin.

It's a touchy subject. HP's PR machine, through Bill Wohl who rightly describes himself as a "seasoned Chief Communications Officer for HP" took offence to this tweet via @rwang0 and @timbo2002.

But isn't that a seriously reasonable tweet?

From my observations Bill Wohl does a good job, and his Twitter stream is eclectic. I like a lot of his references. But he's really pulling the belt too tight to call a rational observation "wrong" and even "inappropriate".

As soon as he did that he just ran up the flag of PR mumbo jumbo and asked people to salute, which they won't these days.

Just Google it - this sentiment is out there everywhere. @rwang0 and @timbo2002 are no duds! Even this article which Bill Wohl praised for its positive take on the Autonomy acquisition had this to say "...effectively putting the PC business on the market". There's even a coherent argument by Bill Sydner at Infoworld postulating the HP breakup "The sharks are circling HP -- can anyone save it? "

If you are going to telegraph your punches then you better have an alternative strategy to surprise the attackers! Otherwise they are going to be all over you - like on UFC - ground and pound!

The question is how to come to grips with the sentiment and contribute and participate in where it is headed?

It's a very difficult position to be in, witness Nokia's self-initiated implosion when they forecast the end of their Symbian platform. Sales weren't supposed to drop like a stone, but they did. HP could be facing similar prospects in its PSG Division. It's frightening, considering that Nokia have lost 75% of their Western European smartphone sales in few months since making their ill-fated announcement - and Nokia want to stay in the business!! (See Why Europe Is So Critical to Nokia in Smartphones by Tomi Ahonen)

And the best way is for HP to be as decisive as they were in killing the Touchpad. Otherwise it is going to be a long hard haul to nowhere for the HP PR team.

HP should also get real about WebOS which is as dead as a dodo.

How do you think that HP can best handle the social media over PSG

Please comment below.

Walter @adamson
http://xeesm.com/walter

GM and social media - a new day and a "new GM"

Connie Burke, Communications Manager of Social Media at GM, gave a good interview in CIO Zone and explained something of GM's commitment to social media and the impact it's having on staff and customers.

In a nutshell my take was that there were two main themes, one about monitoring, and one about reaching out to help people and place GM in a favourable front-of-mind when it came to a purchasing decision. That "meeting people" aspect wasn't focused on just those interested in an immediate transaction but in building the relationship in advance. Social media is allowing an "amazing exponential growth of meeting people," said Connie.

Regarding social media at GM other than sales & marketing Connie said that "some months ago", their customer service dept began scouring Twitter, Facebook and some targeted blogs to look for questions, concerns, etc.

In fact, we have at least 6 reps dedicated to doing just that (you can follow them on Twitter: @GMCustomerSvc).

While not every issue can be solved, I believe they are moving the needle and making every effort to ensure that our customers are in the GM family for life.

She described this social media activity as "most certainly a new day and a 'new GM' in many respects, and the power of social media is recognized by senior leaders".

For example you can follow the president of North America, Mark Reuss, on Twitter: @GMDudeinNA

Connie also said that their various brand Facebook fan pages are also another good source to go to with common issues or questions since "We monitor that very closely".

Probably nothing earth-shattering here but a good example of grass roots and also deep corporate engagement with social business.

By the way Connie describes herself in her Twitter bio as "Proud GMer, Part-time Chicagoan, Mom of two fabulous chefs, Travel junkie, Fitness expert, Just kidding, I'm lazy and full of excuses." That's giving things a human face!

http://xeesm.com/walter

Have you had any direct experience of GM's social media efforts?

How do you think that they rate compared to Ford?

Related articles by Zemanta

• GM shares the social love (thoughtgadgets.com)
• GM Customer Service Tops on Twitter (fastlane.gmblogs.com)

Starbucks, ask a simple question get 10,000 answers!

It's astounding that when Starbucks asked on Facebook "How long is your drink order?" they had nearly 2,000 answers per hour for the first 5 hours, and about the same number of "Likes". It only represents about 0.1% of their amazing fan base of 12 million on Facebook, but even so what a instant and huge resource for research.

You'd have to say (as we have been saying for a while) that the days of most "market research" groups are severely numbered. It's a bit like the disruptive shift of cloud into the computing landscape, social media is a disruptive shift for market research. It has to be this way - bad news for all but the most agile MR firms - because while Starbucks has a relationship with its customers through social media any marketing agency can only have a transaction.

I don't know what Starbucks would make out of the answers, perhaps some ideas of improving service or product selection. Or perhaps they just did it for fun to engage with their fan base.

I'm a bit dull, I just order a "latte", others ordered " double chocolate chip mocha frappucino, double blended.. EXTRA chocolate!","A grande, soy, decaf, sugar-free vanilla, no-foam latte", "venti caramel frap with mocha and whip cream and extra extra caramel on top and on the bottom and all over", "White chocolate carmel frappachino extra shot with whip cream"... !!!

While I was skimming the comments a few impressions formed in my mind. The first was people don't go to Starbucks for coffee!! The second, and a powerful image, was that Starbucks is one big diabetes-generating machine relentlessly doling out sugar and calories. And the third, a peripheral one, is that while working in a good coffee shop would be something that I would do if needed, I certainly wouldn't want to work at Starbucks, because of the previous point.

What impressions come to you when you read the comments?

What do you think people go to Starbucks for if it is not the coffee?

http://xeesm.com/walter

Related articles by Zemanta

• Starbucks Reaches 10 Million Milestone On Facebook (penn-olson.com)
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Facebook out-tweets Twitter in sharing content

Mashable's post "Starbucks Cards Can Now be Managed via Facebook" is worth reading but what I really noticed was that it was shared on Facebook nearly 4 times more than it was re-tweeted, and nearly 200 times more than it was Buzzed on Google.

 That surprised me, the effort of doing any of them is about the same. I would have always thought that Retweets were where gravity took the "instant sharer", but no.

Why not? Not sure, but perhaps because people feel that their network quality is now better on Facebook? 

What do you think?

http:/xeesm.com/walter

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• 26 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed (e1evation.com)

Aussie businesses fear using, fear not using social media

According to the inaugural 2010 Social Media Business Benchmarking Survey, conducted by market analyst Nielsen on behalf of specialist social network developer Community Engine, half of all Australian businesses believe they will lose touch with customers if they do not use social media.

However there is also a business risk as fear of losing control sill ranks high, as does fear of abuse directed towards the brand or service. Measuring return on investment was nominated as a key barrier by 28% of organisations polled. Achieving senior management buy-in was also still challenging – particularly in large organisations. 

But the real kicker as far as I am concerned is that half of all Australian businesses believe they will lose touch with customers if they do not use social media.

Since social media fundamentally changes the way that people interact and the way organisations do business then is there any choice if you are in a competitive market? 

The issues raised can and have been solved, and we see a survey this week for example which says that Microsoft is the most social media-savvy company in the US, with IBM, one of its rivals, ranked #49. Microsoft has achieved huge internal culture change, and robust processes, and build a whole new way to relate to not only customers but also partners.

Solving the challenges of security, senior management buy-in, brand protection, brand strategy, closed versus open communities etc are nothing new. That's not to say that we don't learn new things each day, but the fundamental processes and principles can be learnt today. For example our Social Media Academy specifically teaches business managers and consultants these processes as part of a 32 hour curriculum Social Media Academy Certified Consultant (SMCC).

Does it matter if we wait, and can it really add value? 

Well yes, it matters! If you wait you not only risk losing touch with current and potential customers, but your more social media-savvy competitors will be racing ahead. They'll very quickly know more about your customers than you do, because what you know are facts and information in your CRM system. 

What your competitors will know are the people who comprise your customers, what they are thinking, what they are saying, what's on their mind at work, and at home. And from all that they'll build a social business relationship. At that point you've lost! 

In terms of shareholder value, well, in the recent transaction where Amazon bought the online shoe retailer Zappos analysts said that about $500m of the AU$1 billion paid was goodwill entirely for the social media savvy of Zappos. That's a key to the asset and culture which Amazon bought. Zappos built that internal capability and asset from scratch, it's all gain to shareholders. 

Businesses now have the opportunity to use social media to establish a long-term strategic asset, rather than short-term marketing campaigns, being the customer relationship, loyalty, and referrer value. There's no mystery. There are business processes. It's about the will to act, and 2010 is the year to act!

http://xeesm.com/walter

The Reverse Elevator Pitch

I liked this from Maria Umbach, VP and Chief Marketing Officer of individual products for Guardian Life Insurance Company of America:

It's not what you say inside the elevator [to somebody about what you do] but it's about what they say about you after you have left the elevator - she calls this the Reverse Elevator Pitch.

I might also call it the "Residual Elevator Pitch" since it is was is left after you leave the conversation - but reverse is simpler. Maria talks about innovating around language as an aspect of engaging customers. An important topic.

Also important to website design and digital engagement, for Software as a Service companies for example. How to use the right language for the right customers at the right time for the right purpose of their engagement.

http://xeesm.com/walter

| 09.09.27 | Ramblings in social spaces and places

Where I've been this week in the social web's places and spaces:

• For Linkedin members, MarketingProfs Group, a great discussion on Facebook versus Linkedin but really about your personal versus business identity online:

Linkedin, eclipsing Plaxo at every turn, has become the repository of the history, the flesh and bones of a brand, how it was built, why it was built, what is being done with it today. Such "background", or "backstory" cannot be ignored. It forms the essential character of the brand. But it cannot tell you why you should care about it. Facebook is where you meet a brand in human terms ... says Boyd Jentzsch in a fabulous post.

• Facebook's Louise Clements gave the marketers at an Internet Marketing Conference in Vancouver, Canada, advice to avoid thinking about campaigns and flights all together when using these platforms. Instead you should develop a CONVERSATIONAL CALENDAR.
• In Social Media Marketing Beyond Facebook & Twitter the article says that for "brands" "five out of 10 social media tools evaluated in the study are being used by more than 50 percent of brands and retailers, with the Facebook Fan Page topping the list with an 86 percent adoption rate".
• More ...  How free social media beat the recruitment consultants to death
• Bing is now the fastest growing search engine!
• The End of Email: "99.5% of emails are a waste of bandwidth" says Axel Schultze. 
• If you are interested in the evolution of the mobile phone and telephony business in Japan then I suggest that you read this interview with one of the world's most successful telephony/Internet entrepreneurs - Dr Sachio Semmoto (also a former Professor at the Haas School of Business). Oddly enough Semmoto-san has 3 entries in Linkedin each of which is either false or inactive.
• I'm still getting the gist of Gist - one of Paul Allen's investments - $6.75 million so far.
• US: More than 75% of people judge others solely based on the material online, and believe that you can make a reliable assessment of a person from this.
• Wendy Soucie reports on new research by Adrienne Corn which examines social media and identity.The results are encouraging in that 73% of those surveyed feel their social media profiles accurately reflect their identity: who they are, values and personality.

Because your brand is already out there

As Scoopdog said:

 "Just because you don’t have a strategy for the “Next new thing” does not mean that your brand will not be out there living, growing and evolving. It just means you are not aware and certainly not in control."  

Business who don't feel that they are ready are wrestling with themselves, instead of asking themselves "where are my customers discussing our business today, and with whom?". 

Where that is - in the social media's spaces and places - is where you need to be.

For more on brands and branding: From my brand or your brand to everyone’s brand

| 09.09.13 | Ramblings in social spaces and places

Where I've been this week in the social web's places and spaces:

• For Linkedin members, SaaSblogs Software as a Service Group, the discussion rages over the question "SaaS & XaaS: What Makes Up A Service - Part 2?",  latest poke:

SaaS and many ISVs have made the transition – however difficult that might be. But when it came to marketing the product – they are still selling it as a technology – even if they see it as embodying special expertise for their market and not as a service.

• Also for Linkedin members Why do so many marketing professionals not know how to use linked in properly? caught my eye.
• Facebook is king of the social networks, but the New York Times claims there is a Facebook exodus. If you have nearly 300m members and 5% churn then that is a lot of people who potentially want to broadcast their "bad news" story about FB. From a social media strategy perspective it makes no difference whether they exit or not.
• Signed up for the Black Diamond continuing education program of the Social Media Academy. It's an exciting professional program, and I'm looking forward to participating with the other Certified consultants and business managers.
• Is your brand taking advantage of some of Twitter''s lesser-known marketing opportunities? iMedia has a good set of examples.
• Read that J.C. Penney Co., the third-largest US department-store chain, bought ads on Facebook to draw users to its own page (as US back-to-school shopping got under way). Said Nick Bomersbach, vice president of the retailer’s jcp.com. J.C. Penney’s Facebook page went from having about 22,000 "fans" to almost 500,000.
• Forrester Research says that Australians spent $23b online in 2008, with estimated growth of 9% annually to $32b by 2012. eBay's Deborah Sharkey quoted statistics from the Australian Payments and Clearing Association indicating that 43% of the $23b spent online in 2008 went overseas, reported David Trewern from the Australian Online Retailer conference.
• Telstra announced the closing of its original blog Now We Are Talking "After a review of where we were headed with our online communications and how best to engage with important stakeholders like you, we have decided to close our nowwearetalking website and develop a new, more engaging, interactive site under the main telstra.com umbrella".

A Follower isn't a Duckling

When I watched @thebrandbuilder Olivier Blanchard's vid Everyone on Twitter is a community manager it really opened my eyes to the meaning of follower.

Olivier has reframed the perception of followers, and also what a great concept that "everyone is a community manager" - that in itself causes reflection on the current mental models we have of ourselves and others in social media.

Anyway you can watch the vid and get the whole story.

My version, is that the word "follower" is a misnomer, and are not "things to collect", nor your ducklings following blindly on instinct. In fact followers have made some choice and usually it is not about looking for a cult leader either.

Other than those using an automatic follower-generator tool the folk who choose to follow you are actively creating their own Twitter experience, based on what matters to them.

So what a Follower truly is, is a patron and a potential advisor/and or promoter.

In this sense followers are very important social assets.

Viewing them in this way helps frame thinking about social media strategies, and how to treat these connections in the right way and how to communicate with them in the right language and with the right respect.

If you follow the Network Contribution Participation (NCP) model of social media analysis this new viewpoint adds to the network analysis phase of your thinking.

In summary, think of everyone as a community manager, and followers as patrons.

Thanks @thebrandbuilder.