Next Results for articles with tag 'twitter' (23 total)
01/27/2010 10:15:30 AM 
With Twittergate last July, a number of sensitive documents were "stolen" including one that defined the company's mission which is "to be the pulse of the planet".
Judging by some of the latest data, the brand is some ways away from this mission and from capitalizing on its potentially giant valuation-
40% of accounts have never sent a Tweet
80% of Twitter users have Tweeted fewer than 10 times
Only 17% of accounts sent a Tweet in December 2009
It's obvious that you don't need to send Tweets to be able to experience and enjoy Twitter, but it certainly adds another layer of engagement.
Perhaps developers can take the API and create dumbed down clients that encourage more participation, but I would suggest Twitter now needs to start communicating.
Given that Square has the same founder and this is a brand that's currently not just generating buzz, but it's also using web celebs/angel investors, like Kevin Rose to tell a deeper story (240k views on YouTube), it would be smart for Twitter to do the same.
I am not suggesting a multi-million dollar ad campaign, but some content that helps dimensionalize the power and fun of Twitter to a broader audience.
Posted by Ed Cotton
12/16/2009 05:12:26 PM
Taking a look at the technology list and its surprising to see Google Wave topping the list and the Palm Pre come in at no6.
While both these products generated conversation, they can hardly be called massive successes. It goes to show that although we are trying to get our brands talked about and that's the goal of communication, that alone is no guarantee of success.
Google Wave has the potential to be very interesting, but it has a number of hurdles to overcome. People don't really know how to use it and there don't seem to be many folks with accounts. Perhaps if it becomes integrated into Gmail, it will have more success. When the team demoed the product it looked very exciting, but people were let down by the real experience because they didn't know how to use it and none of their friends had accounts.
The Palm Pre got out of the gate fast, but never built on the early momentum. This was mainly due to the stiff competition from Apple and more recently various Android offerings.
Net- Volume of conversation isn't a bad thing, it's just no guarantee of success. The product has to transcend the hype and deliver something that is highly competitive and differentiating. It suggests there's a need for finesse and nuance when planning these resulting conversations.
What do you want people to talk about? How you encouraging them to do that? Where are they doing it? How can you learn and refine as you go-making sure you guide the conversation.
Posted by Ed Cotton
11/02/2009 10:32:48 AM (1)
(1) The reality that logos can be purchased for $5 and ads can be sourced from the crowd, should be sending a giant reality check through the halls of branding and communication agencies worldwide.
Of course, it's easy to sit in the ivory tower and talk about how the logos and ads we design and make are so much better than the ones created by the crowd and stock illustrators, but no one maybe listening.
The industry can no longer take it for granted that it's the only game in town and that there a legions of willing clients eager to pay top dollar for its services.
There are probably way more, but here are 4 implications for this to start the conversation rolling.
1. Competition is Everywhere- we need to get over this. We need to be able to communicate what makes us different and why we are better than everyone else. Proof, proof and more proof.
2. Effectiveness Awards Need to Be Visible- While everyone in the industry may be aware of The Effies, not all of corporate America is. More could be done here and the same for the design awards.
3. What's Your Value Add?- You make ads and your help companies with their identity, but what else do you do? Is there anything about how you get to ads or design that makes the results better and can you prove this?
4. What Do You Make?- Being typecast as the guys and girls who makes ads and logos is a very dangerous place to be, it places you right in the competitive firing line. The world is going to belong to make things, those who make powerful intellectual leaps and bring new ideas to the world. The communication industry needs to be here, creating powerful ideas that make meaning. Instead of ads and logos, think cultures, products, applications, ideas and intellectual property.
Posted by Ed Cotton
10/30/2009 10:31:38 AM
The organizers did an incredible job of bring 140 speakers to LA who represented the broad ecosystem of Twitter's world-those present included; Hollywood social media managers, CMOs, poker players, sportswriters, small business owners, VCs, authors, publishers, musicians, educators, politicians and more.
Here are 10 learnings that I took away from the experience.
1. Twitter encompasses way more than the marketing and branding world- 'in the bubble" we tend to think of the environment being populated by a few brands and thousands of social marketing "experts". The truth is, it's way bigger than that.
2. Humanity matters. Twitter is loved by individuals who get the chance to be the broadcasters of their own personality, ideas, fears, loves, interests, etc. institutions, companies and brands have a tough time, if they can't bring an individual personality to the table. It's was clear from many of the conference speakers, that brands struggle with voice; some of this is an internal battle for control with individuals battling out to be the "one". In the end, brands might need several accounts to cover the various aspects of their activity and personalities, they just need to make sure they know who is doing what.
3. Twitter provides the opportunity to bring three dimensions to people, experiences, companies and brands that previously were one dimensional. Poker players now Tweet from the table because it gives their fans access to how they are thinking and feeling, material they just wouldn't find even in vertical "Poker media". MSNBC used Twitter to bring a conventional White House documentary to life, by Tweeting in real time, viewers got to see through Twitter what really was going on in the White House.
4. Welcome to "Twitter-Time". Kodak' charismatic CEO suggested that corporate America needs to get "real time" fast. The real-time web is starting to provide tactical opportunities that need to be grasped, fast. Without a flexible infrastructure and a willingness to bend the rules, companies and brands will miss out on many of these opportunities.
5. Twitter Crowds are Powerful: Twitter followers have the power to make a difference, they give to causes when asked, they are are receptive audience and market for the products that individuals and brands create and they are a fantastic listening lab/research tool for anyone who wants an answer or is looking for direction. They are so powerful, they can easily displace the middlemen in a number of businesses, watch out agents!
6. Brand Wars Will Take Place on Twitter: The marketing person in charge of Bing's launch on Twitter gave an interesting account of how she "faced off" as one of Google's major Tweeters who seemed to be trying hard to disrupt the launch. I can only believe we are going to see more of this type of thing as brands engage in hand-to-hand combat via Twitter.
7. There's A War for Control: The incumbents aren't going to let control slip from their hands very easily. The sports leagues have been trying hard to impose rules on the who, what and when of Tweeting. Clearly they have media contracts to protect and enforce. The same might be true for the Hollywood studios who are going to try and control what "talent" can and can't do on Twitter.
8. Twitterintegration is Easy: It seems like that we are going to see Twitter as an integrated entity into many parts of our media experience; from concert viewing, to sports journalism and political coverage, this looks like something that's here to stay.
9. It's the Intern, Stupid: While many companies have highly paid employees and even outside consultants trying to solve the social media and Twitter problem, many of the companies that are achieving the most success, (Virgin America especially) have an intern at the helm. Smart, young folks who get the brands they are working for and get the channel.
10. It takes Imagination: Twitter's 140 characters seem limiting, so people often default to re-Tweeting and/or just posting links. There's clearly a lot more that can be done and the possibilities seem limitless. I don't think we've really scratched the surface of the creative possibilities of this medium. At the conference, the Managing Editor of Entertainment Weekly, mentioned a True Blood competition they ran to find the best treatment for a missing episode, the winning "team" performed their treatment on Twitter.
Posted by Ed Cotton
07/21/2009 11:22:47 AM (1)
(1) If hundreds of brands start to realize the amazing potential of the space, we could start to see something very interesting happening.
If Twitter truly becomes the "pulse of the planet", then brands will have the opportunity to continually listen to the pulse and respond to its needs.
Could we see a situation where people start using Twitter to get brands to bid for their custom?
If a person wants to fly from SFO to Paris, do several airlines provide that person with real-time pricing if they are prepared to book on the spot?
If a person asks the crowd for a recommendation for a digital camera- do brands and retailers respond with suggestions and pricing offers?
Twitter could become the commercial pulse.
If this happens Twitter could have a chance to make money, perhaps twice- by charging brands to be on the medium and also by getting a slice of the transaction.
I am sure there are lots of things standing in the way of this development, not least consumer resistance and wear-out because of the multiple contacts they start having with brands.
However, if it's done right and the consumer emerges as a winner because they're in control and because they get deals, it could happen.
It's obvious to see that the ramifications could be considerable, with marketers radically changing their departments and their spending plans as a start.
Posted by Ed Cotton
06/30/2009 10:36:11 AM (1)
(1) Kevin Kelly has spent some time thinking about this, as is his style and sets the magical number of 1,000 which he believes are the number of fans required to support an artist. He defines them as true fans, which is probably not the same as Facebook fans or Twitter followers.
"Other than aim for a blockbuster hit, what can an artist do to escape the long tail?
One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:
A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.
A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans."
While most consumer brands aren't artists, there are clearly some opportunities for brands who can find their niche super fan bases in social media and then offer up unique products and services that are limited only to those super-fans. It's a new way to think about limited edition. We are already thinking about brands as media, so brands as artists, is yet another lens to use.
Posted by Ed Cotton
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Articles for tag twitter (23 total).