Communication in the Digital Economy

Week 1: 10 February 2014

Introduction: Disruption, Discontinuity and Change

Robin Croft

Reader in Marketing

Outline

Personal journey

Old and new

Why is it important? What is different? It's about people, right?

What about business? Summary: social media marketing yourself

Digital Communication in the news

Sony to sell Vaio laptop division Bill Gates steps down from Microsoft Facebook is 10 years old Tech firms release US surveillance requests

Apple's iWatch more rumours

Personal Journey

Myspace 2006? YouTube 2008? Facebook So... a voyage of discovery

Virtual anthropology Netnography Robert Kozinets 2010

Old and new #1: self

20th century business

21st century thinking

Market segmentation
Audiences characterized by similar beliefs, backgrounds, education, etc. Demographic 'certainties' built into strategic planning Mass markets served by mass marketing

Individuality
Confusion, schizophrenia Different roles, different lives Celebrating diversity Fragile selves

I am not a target market

Old and new #2: money

20th century business

21st century thinking Sharing Communities, exchange Reciprocity, gift-giving Performing Informing

Money Selling, marketing Revenue streams Monetization Microsoft / Windows

Google / Android

Old and new #4: access

20th century business

21st century thinking Easy-to-use hardware and editing software Instant access to a global audience Creative, anarchic Low cost, no cost platforms

IT departments and web Technology democratized Skills gaps High cost of AV production Restricted access to hardware and software High cost of media access

Old and new #5: time

20th century business

21st century thinking Synchronous Do it now, say it now Global audience Empowered consumers Vocal critics but also vocal advocates Brand owners and mass media not believable

Asynchronous Manage media time Control events Craft the message Restrict access

Old and new #6: strategy

20th century business

21st century thinking Trusting Empowering Creative Tactical, flexible Disruptive

Management, leadership Strategy Planned Controlled Vision Experience, expectations

Highly measurable

Old and new #7: space

20th century business

21st century thinking Mobile smart phones and tablets Evolutionary dynamics 24/7 connectivity Light devices, portable computing Wearable computing Cloud storage

Fixed computers PCs, laptops Wired connections Hard drives Contact lists

Email, telephony

Old and new #8: audiences

20th century business

21st century thinking Pull Citizen journalists Narrowcasting Dialectic (two way) Interactive

Push Specialist communicators Broadcasting Didactic (one way) Controlled, static Corporate Reasoned

Democratic
Opinionated Communities of trust

Audiences

Old and new #9: knowledge

20th century business

21st century thinking Wisdom of the crowd Social learning Eye witnesses Experiential expertise Dialectic learning

Expertise Branded knowledge Encyclopedias Journals, books Newspapers, TV

Democratizing knowlege

Old and new #10: listening

20th century business

21st century thinking Listening Real time information Projective research (real 'benefits', likes and dislikes) Customer engagement Client focus

Talking Market research CRM systems Benchmarking Segmentation, targeting and positioning

Old and new #11: voices

20th century business

21st century thinking Multiple devices Synch or asynch Text, voice, video, symbols Multi-tasking Open-ended conversations Do you want to talk?

Telephony Synchronous Voice Stop-what-you're-doing Get to the point

Call us now!

What have I missed?

Tumblr

Instagram
Pinterest Snapchat Foursquare MySpace RenRen and Baidu Orkut The list goes on...

Pause to reflect

What have we learned?

Personal journey What have we learned? Why is it important?

What is different?

Why is it important?

Wikinomics Audiences
o o o o o

Co-creators

Young, educated, connected

Opinionated, impatient Distrustful

Global

Why is it important?

Wikinomics Audiences
o o o o o

Co-creators

Young, educated, connected

Opinionated, impatient Distrustful

Global

What is different?

Need for dialogue, conversation

o

Talking, listening, responding Need for openness and honesty Citizen journalists Lots of it

We're all connected in the information age

o o

Virtual word-of-mouth
o o

Plenty of positives as well as negatives

What is the same?

Need to engage with an audience Need to tell a good story, to engage

Stories that inform, educate, amuse

Things you need to share

Rise of social media clutter

Does mobile change everything?

SMS and email is sooo yesterday What is a PC or laptop for? Pictures often tell a story better Immediate opinions Phone as a payment device
o o

Engagement device
Information system

It's about people, right?

Twiter and Facebook

Empowered audiences Vocal advocates

However... in political marketing

o o o

European elections, 2009 UK parliamentary elections 2010

Welsh referendum 2011

What about business?

Technology companies, B2B

o o

Oracle, Intel, Cisco Other large component manufacturers Promote thought leadership Enhance visibility Improve internal communication

Social media usage

o o o

Social media marketing yourself

Protecting your privacy Building your brand Having something interesting to say Informing yourself Building your network

Blurring boundaries
artists producers now networks public work audiences consumers then networking private play

personal
physical

impersonal
virtual

Conclusion

Not an option
o

Customers talk, whether you like it or not

Get it right and...

o o

Low cost, highly effective publicity

Customers become vocal advocates Everyone is still learning

However...
o