The Digital Fence

Digital brings the best, digital brings the worst. Looking at storms that came on music and movies, in peer-to-peer downloading, while others tried to impose DRM, no one did the real comparison between positive effects or negative ones, on macro economics keys. Some say it could have save jobs, or created ones. Others complain about unability to move and accept such shift for employees. What we can say, for sure, is stay on facts and figures, about rise of digital behaviours, in our daily lives.

• innovation is “adding something”, in use, behaviours that is waited, wished (or not), or that change the way we do, or think about things
• digital brought us things we accepted (useful), others we didn’t (not relavant or too early): and that’s life, innovation is a cycle and it’s not an automatic process, it’s a part of mystery and seduction
• digital is often (and unfortunately) first lived like a threat than an opportunity: because lots of industries built their business model and structured it on brick-and-mortar models, and the speed how they move is too slow (when if/they decide to…)
• digital is a change of DNA for things and services, before it could be possible on humans (!);

Traditional moves and behaviours

Meanwhile digital could transform everything, old skills and industries are trying to understand what is going to change in their value chain, how they are going to manage it, and if they have interest or no, to move anything toward digital world. We all know it’s easier not to do anything vs doing something we can’t understand/afford: risk doesn’t pay first but often in a long shift. Some shareholders can’t (don’t) want such a time. But for such actors, it can be really dangerous: letting door open to new comers, that have fresh and bright ideas and can burst the value to their interests. Innovating, not too early, but not too late. Music, in its former shape, that at the time invested in distribution a lot, has been completely disorganized by the digital fact. Video and movies, trying to bring some sense in the go-between with “DRM” and “piracy”, live a real revolution of mobility, in the “anytime, anywhere, any device” triple A social move. Books finally, after being the first thing that has been shifted to digital (remember pdf forms, long time ago…), is the last stuff to come: but longer than it seems, because of the market. Those who are in the market, I mean customers, do they really need now digital books? what for? for all books formats? on which devices? answers to come, while Amazon Kindle’s DRM just been cracked…

Then digital entered the dance

We are digital. We live digital. DNA is digital. So what?
While all these things happen, did we identify what are the changes in uses we can trust, replicate and appreciate, those we can say they are innovation. Some of them for sure, but none of all…You, tomorrow, forget about all your digital devices and try to imagine your life without. Is it better or worse? Which value, attention pay you to such innovation, how do you evaluate it, what is your level of frustration? In a way, I can say I’m a geek, but not for tech, but because I’m curious, discovering new things, trying always the big picture. Enjoying innovation and design. I just ordered a new device called “chumby“. Really interested in this new kind of “all-in-one” device, portable, mobile, always wired stuff. Will it serve me, do I need it. Of course or probably, no…But it opens my mind to new ways of thinking, giving chance to brain to solve and consider differently problems and solutions. IDEO company manages this really brightly. They know how to forget what they know and start again. Discovering, being pushed and engaged with technologies. Does it need to have sense in a short term result? No. Because it’s a mindset quest. Something that disturbs our comfortable life. Something unavoidable, valuable. The ability and duty to search for more, bursting borders and conformism. And that is sufficient, for me, to move mountains and stay motivated…

What did the web and UGC?

Now we can communicate (!). More and more, between us. And that changed all. Digital period means digital behaviors and shifts from a single way communication to multi actors communities. I’ve already described how social web changed us here among several opinions in the blogosphere. Web drove modern retail to innovate, or even to think about it: some achieved, some still search. For customer’s choice, happiness and service. And UGC opened discussion and creation for everyone, by everyone. Entering in, blowing frontiers out of the limits, making anyone a anonymous speaker, creator, for web window. Do we leverage now the infinite power of digital? Look at such interactive facts that are now so natural, that we learnt to live with?

Potential escape and actors: the next value chains?

Companies, Customers and Communities: the three “C” model, where every actor has a clever role to play. Customers may take advantage of digital opportunities, by the way they probably do it yet. Because in using communities and social web, they have a large advantage in sharing and grabbing information: quick and reliable, they know how to handle. Because they are part of communities, they play a role in moderation for others new customers.

Companies must learn to play with them, not with an eye on the pocket wallet, but with a big ear, to listen what is all about and what cares for a customer: to be understood. There’s probably a concrete frustration, with the fact that disruptive innovation (from Innovator’s Dilemma by C. Christensen) could not exist: we need firms that take risk to deliver and to jump into unknown pleasures. Disruptive means invisible profits, unknown markets and needs, and uncertainty about ROI. It needs a lot of motivation to shift, for a big company, from comfortable situation to darkness. In a way, that’s nowadays our goal to convince companies to jump into 2.0 behaviors. But one thing I’m sure about, is that the revolution must be lead with all of three actors: companies, customers and communities. They are all aware about what’s going on, and can all find their tomorrow needs. Even if it’s only whispered, digital era comes with next generation Y and Z, and boost companies process, behaviors and customers needs facing their choices: going or not, refuse or go ahead, with something sometimes strange, sometimes crazy, but not boring. Shifts have to come in the next value chains for companies, and time is running out, need to change and transform their business, while they are sometimes blind with disruptive effects. Or do we want to live in a dork world, fearing of progress to come, without trying to capture the large opportunities it brings? Never mind about judge anyone, but enlightning what is already there…

Modern life is a zapping: how social web participates to such a revolution?

Zapping was yesterday a concrete behavior, linked to our tv use. Jumping from channel to channel, an eye on remote control, the other on printed tv magazine, phenomena that exploded with arrival of satellite and cable tv, with several and diversified channels. With profusion, we had no choice to pay less attention to “carpe diem” instant, in the benefit of being champions of “more”. Last development fury and for VOD programs, prove that there is another level we just passed: holding time. The way we manage our relations is becoming a accurate exercise between, real friends, “interest” friends, randomized friends and others we could live without.
And I must admit, profusion of social web, lead to some equal behavior with so called “friends” encountered on social networks. There are even tools (machines!) to make work for you, in adding contacts you’ll never know…A kind of action, to feel someone important and being secured? not sure. Before social web, who, while reading this paper, had 2.000 real  friends? who could manage with such? Yet, I didn’t find anyone, even if it was his job, with these characteristics…;-)

If social web brought ability for anyone of us to write, talk or read anything in various topics, it exists because of some who invest lots of time, to share best of the web. And if free model blew ever else model yet, it doesn’t mean that there is no value, and attention to be stared in such situation. Keeping attention and sustaining speach and sharing, doesn’t match with zapping mates, who collect friends and contacts as stickers. Some said, we can’t handle with more than 150 contacts, in a interesting and regular relationship. I know it’s really easy to have a huge audience, that can hear what you say, but is “hear” sufficient to hold a relation, that could be wealthy for everyone?

We, in fact are caught in a “hub” of information, encounterings, meetings, accelerated by technology, and in this context, high is the power of media to confuse ourself in an ocean of true/false conversations. We just have now to learn again to sort, make our mind of real kind of life, real values, real sense. Storm for the twirling RSS, won’t make us blind or deaf, if we make the effort of reflection, to value information, content and where it comes from: even if trust is an essential enlightening skill to cope with too much information, we usually and formerly now, don’t try to evaluate. 2.0 is the best way to viral any information (rumour or hoax), for free and for…fake too. Confronted with this, even if tools have risen so much, more than we can sometimes handle, man must control machine and channels: obligation is done to stare and watch what kind of receiver we want to be. Zapping is so light, too light for attention anyone must have, to warm sender, and to be a accurate receiver.

My parents did have a job for their life, I’ve myself had 5 until now, and my children are on the way to do several ones at a time…Time is running out and emergency to make the point and use the compass again to reborn and take time to think at where we go and what we do: give value, sense and aim to who we meet, and social places like blogs are great examples to give a new direction to argumentation. That’s what I try to do, for passion and attention to others, others we often can’t see for hedonism, egoism or unattention. And that’s not why there is too much networks, that we must waste relationship by zapping too fast, while there is relevant information to listen. Machine and techs not for what they ARE, but for what they DO. And fortunately we have brain and emotion, yet…

Life in Blue is more beautiful: Blue Ocean Strategy, exploring the PMS Matrix, to navigate safely

I couldn’t resist, at this point, to explore too, the Blue Ocean Strategy, and his famous book, added by prestigious community. Running the book like a novel, staring at methods, and looking at guilty people, like a polar story. Guess, now, that everybody could be guilty, guilty not moving and staying in Red mindset competition…We have all had some behaviors we recognize in that book, and the minus we stand after being exposed with these lines, is to be clever enough, to go further. I had to analyze more the PMS matrix, that drives us on the road of portfolios scorecard, like BCG famous portfolio one. I discovered, a cute adaptation (freely inspired, and freely to be shared with anyone wants to use it!), adding some concepts I found between the lines, helping more understanding and uses of that matrix. These opinions are my point of view and don’t engage in any case Blue Ocean Strategy famous authors.

Blue Ocean book, identified 3 groups, in therefore portfolio: Pioneers, Migrators and Settlers. They obviously have each of them, own components, keys and point of interests. As I did, I would like to make a nice looking graph, that could be “at-a-glance” be understood, as value oriented, but guided by two axes as seen: size of market/customers and growth expectations for one way, and competition, stated by type of purpose (products/services). I hope that’s really in the fidelity lines from the book, but ore illustrated, giving to readers and managers, a straight picture to take decisions.

Settlers, are the most present, and represent the worst value, but also often, take place in Red Ocean, because of reinforced competition, sharing wealth with several customers. But we also underline that, the innovation is low, near “me-too” competition, blinding potential customers for choosing solution. To end, expectation for value is low and ability to grow toward Blue zones is near zero level. No customers will like neither recognize any innovation, and will consider products in this portfolio, as basic ones, without any original shape. The problem, as I showed in my graph is not really size of markets, or customers target, but really ability to run “out of the box”, to reach an original position, with a high revenue level, in a niche market. This can be realized with, light organization, light process and industry, or customized solutions. And the ability to adapt fast forward, to new need/function, identified in bulk of customers. Be a fast mover, with a competitive advantage, and temporary entry barrier, could jump you to Blue niche.

Migrators, are just like dilemma activities in BCG portfolio, in the way they can swap to any category, according with the wind blows…They can be strong potential, if you know how to lead them. But they can quickly fall into Red side too, because they’re only value driven, despite innovation value driven. Then, it’s a threat to move too slow, and without any competitive shielding barrier, they have no chance to survive and maintain the revenue expectation, sustainably.
I identified another population, that may be interesting, but too much focused on following than innovation: attracted by bulk, and built on mass models, they think on innovation, but as followers. They believe that market is large enough to bring enough value and revenue for several competitors, but don’t see that they only late the moment where they will be in Red Oceans twirl: scarcity of demand, fall of innovation, loss of fidelity from customers, while they would have sized them, for mass game. The only thing to do for them: jump out of the box and create from scratch the kill app, keeping and capitalizing on their huge base of customers. After the rain, the sun…

Then the stars…Pioneers. They bring what we call “unprecedent value”, while they really create something new, able to seduce consumers, and lead them to new needs, or new ways to feed them. Having a real step forward from “competitors” (we called them like that to understand as they’re is no relevant competition yet there…), they create value innovation, recognized and valuable by the customers. Pioneers have “all-in-one” in their behaviors: growth expectation, critical size of market, and innovation advantage on products/services, a “me-only” situation, the whole combination makes high margins expectations, for a period of time. Danger can come from niches innovations, if they have too high costs structure, that could not be tolerated anymore, in losing customers.

It’s, as we could wait from, a useful tool, to manage and care for moves in the portfolio. It can now be monitored, in appreciate the scales for each company, in the two axis, considering at which level red or blue begins, or which size of market/growt expectation, for the horizontal one. It’s important to analyze so, the sector and market, where you traditionaly compete, to know which keys and values, must be measured, and which sensibility it must have to make this matrix relevant and valuable.

Social networks: trying to get head out of confusion…

It happened to be our daily life now, living with “social” behaviors and encounters. Last time I was for my MBA program, at HEC session for “social networks” in companies, I understood two things (at least!), starting the session:
- seems to move in companies, while social networks could be a solution for change (tip: my session was on “transform your business”, and I was supposed to get keys to do it)
- nothing was really new: a stone in the window…while discovering, “social networks” had nothing to see with social web in fact, considering they were  1) there since a long time  2) in fact in DNA for any organization   3) drawing the informal patterns, representing not authority (anything to see with organization charts), but “how companies do things…”

I had the idea to write something that could exorcise me (!), and making another building tool in the forest of social web.

First idea: I was not fool and out of the subject, while sharing ideas with excellent speaker, Marco Tortoriello, at the end of the session. What we always call “social networks”, is in fact  “informal networks” into companies. We obviously see that social web can improve a lot these understandings of such apps, but quicky I realize that web (already said several times, seems to be true), is just a tool. It gave us kind of “power” to save time (and time is important we’ll see further) in social graphs, and simplified a lot, sharing, finding information, find experts…and answers (an old post of last year reminds me about “instant search” that now burst…threat for search majors…)

Second idea: more your company is large and full of complicated graphs and organization, the more you’ll have to listen and be careful of informal situations. Anything you can consider as futile or useless can be your best weapon to understand others and pass through several steps more easily tomorrow. That is to say, spend time for “nothing” is really important if you want to get the “codes”, no one will ever give you. Public companies complicate the game with some political ladders too…

Third idea: as you could be disappointed, nothing to see with web in fact, in the fact that web is only a way (tool) to achieve your goals and maybe save times for networking more, fast and better. But nothing more. I always see people staring at web as the next thing that will resolve all their problems. Some in the history already did this this with totems and others idols…

Last idea: nothing is more important than listening and spending time (no waste at all!), to look, understand, and then act. Lots of unfortunate situation, seems driven to death, by urgency. There’s no much time than take time.

Maybe you’ll find gems in unknown territories: has anybody ask for reputation, those who do, don’t have any in fact. But those who live in silence and whispering minds, are the wisdom cell. Reputation and power are rewards, and reality show us that true ones, are long to get, are not “self-told to the world”!
Practically, don’t avoid anything: take care of every moment, from lift trips to small talks at coffee breaks, from sport sessions, to transportation random meetings. Any opportunity is real to empower yourself, reinforce your track record and perception, learning all small things to save time (and tears!).

How 2.0 may help “crossing the chasm”?

Considering that famous book by G. Moore, that en-lighted the real chasm threat in launching new products or services, and achieve them to the next step for huge mass markets, I’m wondering, how could 2.0 could help, improve, support the chasm tomorrow and changes driven by interactivity. According to need of a launch session for new products and services, while these products or services can be sometimes not really ready to be launched, boosted by urgent, economics, and competitive goals (!), we saw it can exist a chasm that even good ideas don’t cross…Targeting a mass market requires talent, good product, and innovation advance to make the difference. But if innovation is a lifestyle for geeks and early adopters, shifting the trial to a mass success needs. Fortunately, geeks and EA are awesome levers to get empowerment for news things to be hugely used. And where can one find geeks and EA, most of the time? Yes, on social web.

We all have the opportunity to see how social sharing and participation can have changed relation mindsets, providing warming contacts, experts advising, communities rising and breakthrough boundaries and time. See how a novel, buzz or information can be built or denied in few seconds, or participate now to empower politics polls and decisions (mentioned that with last Obama’s victory with bulk social web virality). Necessary, but not the only thing to be done. New products/services have to be launched in an accurate, scheduled and secret plan. Too quick sometimes, making the idea real, but keeping bugs for the end users…Look at how cars models, can be back at fixing stations, few moments after their beginning of life…Microsoft products? Found lots of reasons to launch them, and thousands of users not really happy with new releases. I think business cycles now gear up. Innovation cycle, in some sectors can be so short, we mix several phases in one, already thinking to the next step. That’s probably why now, time is a strategic value, and all that can keep us from wasting it, is key. 2.0 and social web can help a lot to “cross” and have quick feedbacks on launch, polls, ideas, improvements, tests and corrections. And usually, addicted people to social web are particularly clever about new things and like to give you, for free, new ways of thinking. Meaning that, if you built a community, to worry about your launches, they will know how to handle it, and will cope with competitors that won’t miss to be cruel. But if you don’t, your products will go on an invisible of ocean, with potential users, who wait like sharks for new food, question is how they will “digest” the straight venue and what they are going to say about success or lead to die?

Chasm might be deep, chasm might be short, but chasm is a strong reality. Imagine you’re subjected to a judgement step, and more you prepare before, more product or service has a chance to succeed. If you want to give chances to survive, well organize first launch as if you were driven in front of the bulk scene: products/services prepared to be understood by many of the target, will get more chances to mass market, than fashion ones, excluding if you’re dealing on a niche market. We saw that maybe target of 2.0 is a new valuable field to get audience, advises and early tests for new services or products. But how can 2.0 helps this to increase the chances to cross the bridge (build one)? On the chasm.

I think it’s in listening and working with early users that you can do it, and social boards, like betas, experts panels and communities gear up the way information turns. The more you listen, the quicker you work with it, the greater chances you’ll have to correct, evaluate misfits, features, quality problems for bulk success. And social web for sure makes you saving time for that, if you can spend some time to build a network and give it news regularly. Each part of the market has its own behaviors: innovators are pure tech lovers, early adopters next, may feel there’s a real use for the innovation in field, and early majority, that’s the main problem, has to be guided by other early majority members, which wait for a main change in their life, because of the innovation. And if this brand new thing doesn’t ensure them, with entourage for done a good tip and be sure they will have all kinds of support, customer care and so long, there’s no chance for tech to be adopted, by mass early majority. And then may enter web 2.0 power: linking people, advises and take the role of customer care…While we saw that innovators/geeks prowl on social networks, no need to be clever to think that they will give all their advises and share their experience to ensure and make a better sale than you…they know the product, they know bugs (!), they can guide you to adopt it by several “old good rules”…And while trust is an essential rule for communities leaders, looking at the most influencers can be really relevant, giving them samples to test and keeping eyes on back timeline. That’s how it goes, that’s now how advertising stands place, while buzz is exploding. Ignoring power of social leaders is like ignoring power of www community As I already said, “customers are the best sellers for a brand”, and to go further, “social leaders are strong guides to burst your brand and your products”, crossing the chasm, convincing early (sleeping?) majority to come and buy.

Social & Business: growing reality

Interesting conference about social exploring all projects for both social and growth development in companies. Accurate and appropriate initiative for HEC business school, that has scheduled and organized the conference on its campus, with several main players from MNC’s.
Obviously a daily mindset I hope for huge companies, that want to “empower” their pyramide of business, and involve themselves by sending back wealth from richest markets to poorest targets, to give up with breakdown between rich and poor…in our final dream of “one world”. Giant building site, isn’t it?
Talking about project, resources saving, medecine equity, media involvement in taking care of desert zones, balancing between students, scientists, experts and executives, two days to make a kick-off for energies, social, resources threats in our planet.

For example, water…
Taking care for rain to come (if we stare at power of only nature in bringing water!), there’s lots of wasted water that stand to be used in an endless cycle. “Water is a local problem”, yes, but rain is everywhere…The main problem is how can we bring them from zones that are near water sources to ones that don’t have any or not really much?
Water can be a source of medical troubles too, not because of quality but underlining that it’s sometimes a rare resource, and too few is a real danger, for some populations.
Seas? well what do we stand to use water from seas, to generate human resources? WaterPyramide, good initiative for bottom of the pyramide people to provide water and energy with a huge plastic pyramide, that transform hot sun effects into  droplets by steam effect…. and then into water…Cute? The main problem from BOP markets, comes from price adaptation…Some say that “it’s not a problem of money, nor of public aids too”. But from production to end user consumer, it seems to be an ongoing value chain, adding costs…to consumer affordability. Freeness? look at the freeness model all around the world (web?), free creates value…Shoul water be free? it is, but no balanced supplied on each spot of the planet…Who has to pay for the pipes, the transportation? Should everybody has to move to “water supplied zones” only…?

…A sample in these amazing two days, for next steps, see further sessions and web site: http://www.socialbusinessconference.org

Good initiative of business school, corps and NGO Corporate Social Responsabilities mindsetting to work much better together, and formerly starting to cope with this serious threat, that could be the next economic war. Long life to such involvements and innovations.

HR 2.0: Talents manage their careers alone while corps are blind

At this point of my career, I’ve used so many times help of HR resources, to find gold members for my several teams, pay attention to them, pay them (!), training, coaching…and fire them!
At-a-glance, the daily lifetime of nowadays corps, with bunch of tasks, questions, answers, chilled by M&A and crisis waves…I must admit that, HR teams, whose we know for often hard jobs for hard times, are quite all the time, considered as suppliers more than strategic units, to serve corps strategies, find bests resources and keep them by their side. And I don’t really know, in fact, what came first:
- bored with HR function which don’t give me nothing relevant in my career?
- HR function bored itself by no consideration at all, from board and shareholders, forgetting strategic and relevant skills it has?

One thing I know for sure: times have changed. And for HR best practices and careers too. When was the last time your corp said to you “oh you’re such a talent, we make anything possible to keep you with us, at any price”. Maybe in the last movie you saw at theatre? your dreams?

Considering that, nothing will ever surprise me when, you see billions of users for social networks, searching…searching what?
To be considered, as a human link, skilled, motivated and find a corp that wants such profiles.
New generations just want to express themselves with new technologies, but bring new value, corps have to care. Working with several windows, listening music, chatting on IM, twitter and networking on Facebook or myspace., everything at a time. That is, in working hours of course, while working…No matter, times have just changed and corps have to adapt their perception and behaviors, if they want to get the best from their best resources. I’ve already posted something on it, describing the necessary evolution for corps, facing 2.0 behaviors and fans. But in the same time, they show their rights and duties, bringing new kind of conversation, confrontations and relations with their management. There’s a time for new ways of communication: social apps. Considering time is faster and realtime a daily tool, they gear up the way we work, speeding HR by the way…They know how to handle with their career, in increasing their times online. Once I was cruising among social apps, some of them can really be useful to find the perfect job and for targeting the best talent or expert.
I mused about several apps, I discovered along my web travels, encounters and social friends recommendations. It gave me the idea of a whole matrix, trying to mix corps skills and HR needs with employees graal quest for their carrer.

In this matrix one can find employees opportunities to raise their career (find a job, change, give some voice, post and appear like an expert, raise a network, write and give advises, shine your brand reputation, last but not least, get a digital trip for your profile): settled in X axis…Then for corps, the ability to detect, track, find rare and targeted talents, skilled resources and experts they need to recruit and keep as human assets: on Y axis…

Obviously I wasn’t able to figure out all apps that exist in the web circles, but main and one we talk about now. Maybe I forgot some (sorry for VC and founders, I may add them later!) but we can underline some remarks about the matrix layout:
- size of network matters obviously, but more targeted and participation counts more than size itself
- target your audience first, starting from your personal goals (advise to employees or corps, any of them has some goals isn’t it?) before collect friends from everywhere; “friends” or “contacts” are like you: human not machines, they don’t like noise or spams…
- jobseekers or headhunters give you lots of informations, but no really surprises: classical methods, classical ads, classical profiles. Mainstream…By the way, competitors may learn a lot each form others (eg for HR strategy), and on your business goals thoughout your HR ambitions; however, they are on the 2.0 market by direct approach of employees, simply by the fact employees life is clearly and free published on the web…Considering that:

• nothing is easier to search and find good ones…for headhunters
• how corps can keep their secrecy about talents and skilled people anymore?

- friendly apps (Facebook, myspace…) can raise your imagination, creativity and original profiles; yes they are useful for original and creative ones, but drive sometimes too crap behaviors. Be careful, for pleasure use but not really for professional networking, I think (tip: doesn’t mean that we can’t find several interesting informations, of course…)
- Blogs, communities for experts, consulting databases online are in the middle of the matrix…perfect way to  mix corps and employees to get in touch: communities like SMT, Customer Collective, sustainable development and lots of others, are really rich of experiences, and generally hit by trust, interest and improvement in other’s knowledge. Clever leverage for professional meets and know-how methods, for the two players of the game
- internal apps at upper-left corner, means corps are equiped with such systems, but serve only their internal needs: wages, contracts, training programs, competences contingency…layoffs; how will it value my career?
- corps that ignore such apps, are in dangerous situation:

• “nothing is more dangerous than be blind about market, customers or competitors strategy”: worth also with ability to wake up each morning with all HR assets and talents, escaped for competitors!
• take time to mesure which one for which use: but take time for sure, stopping considering such tools only for gen Y and playing moments…gen Y (and X) change the future of relations (managers / employees)
• allow and encourage practice and training for professional use; several corps today started blogs sessions with official spokemen to keep relation and timeline with PR, customers and partners; corps that think it’s a wasting time are wrong…and risk others to take the speach for us, with sometimes tough effects…

Times are changing. There’s no doubt about the fact that corps must change too, because employees (particularly younger ones) already did…And if you’re not able in your HR function to understand their moves and these new behaviors, you’ll be “out of the market” for them, leading you to fights, misunderstandings, and desertion. Human resources like stocks? No. But like assets, yes, and the ability to move with them empowers your role and the trust they’ll have, to drive their career (tip: zapping behavior is normal today, there’s no “career plans” anymore, in long term, by crisis and unknown situations). Even if you’re dealing with this, let’s consider it IN the corp, vs moves to competitors. Could you accept giving assets for nothing to competitors? No. Why would it be different with executives…?

Where are the KPIs of Marketing?

According to Marketing fields, I asked myself about the different kinds of KPIs we can find to follow, mesure and value the real interest and performance of marketing. You think you know, obviously, the answer. Don’t get me wrong but, it’s another complicated matter in fact. Never ever asked you anyway? mesure the unmesurable, trying to catch the exact effects of the wide range of marketing, because no one has ever managed with it. Can we define particularly, the differents ways of involvement of marketing in business cases? Do we have words and figures to straightly say in a sentence, how report for marketing efficiency? I still search, by myself…
Overlooking all old rules, I found and tried a whole definition of what could be “marketing tricks”, to nowaday business ; correct me and let me know if you’re not OK with, but, first let me introduce you to these basic rules:

marketing, says one, could be “conception, settlements and control of any resource – social, technical, material, commercial, scientific…- in the aim of optimize the value for the customer in buying a good or a service, compared to the risk” ; we can underline this way 3 main ideas:  marketing is time, marketing is value and marketing is risk.

So we have with these 3 steps in marketing KPIs follow-up:

• Marketing that gives value to customers, with quality, offer in aim of optimize customer satisfaction

• Marketing that minimize the risk for the customer to be disappointed in buying product or service – risk that can be collective by the viral effects -

• Marketing of time, time to be “just in time” and time-to-market wise, with innovation

According to the large responsabilities of marketing, we must now ask ourselves about “who is driven and targeted by these KPIs?” ; we already knows that it can’t be one people or departement, but a wide range of functions in corporation. There’s no less than marketing managers, CEO and general manager, but suppliers around : promotion, sales, delivering – supply chain -, and probably after sales: sales administration, call services and customer relationship management.

I can try to give out a piece of solution, with evaluation of performance monitoring, from different points of view:

- Obviously by customers themselves: is what I have is what I was supposed to, in the value offer of the firm?

• what may pay customer (price edge) for my product or service = value for renunciation?

• what is the difference between “perception of value” and “price”?

• mesure of misunderstanding / gap between “promise” and “received”?

- Performance, from marketing itself, in the added value they have in the value chain of the firm

• evaluation of ROI from “marketing and promotion expenses” and return on sales

• supply chain costs driven by large ranges, several selling channels, compared to necessary depth of the purpose

• contribution of marketing skills in value chain: know-how, know-when, know-with

- Performance, from general board, judging how the firm is understood outside by different leaders: press, customers, suppliers, partners, financials…

• market share

• positionning and changes evaluation effects

• benefits

• shares performance

- Social trace in social community: how is evaluated the effects of the firm’s products, on consuming behaviors?

• notoriety surveys

• social object

• laws and sustainable development framework: social, economics, green behavior

• rise of consumers satisfaction after consuming

Well I dare, but it’s anything like some tracks and thoughts about how we can handle with these matters. The way is long and unfortunately, there’s no really scientist approach, by the difficulty of each concept and define exact responsability in companies. But we know thing must be done, to give the good resources, where we need, and give up the rubbish ones. Companies are rarely endless financial resources, and they have to manage closer, to make shareholders, employees and banks, increasing partnership and trust. Having a strong KPIs board, adding marketing matters, can help this.

I would really be pleased to have some comments, adding advises, and maybe experiences, shared on follow-up. Let me know…

Customers are powersellers of the Brands

Who knows who came first? brands or customers? What we can say is that none of them can exist and sustain without the other. But brands that want to keep their customers “safe” for a long time, one day started to think: well, what about if I decided to care now more closer, about my customers…;-) ? Yeah, no big deal, in fact. But why?

If we look at several argues that lead a company to do so, we have:

- economics needs: customers are now more than stakeholders but close to “shareholders” – we can say that even having any stocks of the company, they draw the line for the brand by their buyings-; they decide to stop or go with fidelity, and have a strong responsability on brand doom. If the customer changes by consuming a brand (in his habits, social behavior…), the brand can be changed too by customers advises: glory or death?

- social effects: brand needs to play a social role, in the several uses it can provide (new we hope…). Making happiness with a new product needs high skill, but make it real and exploit it in a bulk place is another goal. If the customer reaches such nirvana, he can make it viral to others, changing the face of society

- satisfy a need, that was not until this moment: achievement, success, purposed to targets, and accepted by customers. Brand has skills it can exploit, knows how to do it, knows how to promote it, making a real economic exchange: money against user benefit.

- customers that come from others: virality, buzz, leads brand to sell its products, targeting early adopters: customers to follow-up, by their fidelity will be connected to their real interest for the brand…caught, but not for the whole life…

We learned now that, by individual behaviors that grows far, “acting consumer”, wishes to be THE customer and not A customer among several ones. Rumours, buzz, advises, forums…we see now new shapes for relation between customers and brands, that is growing up each day more.  Beyond classical relation between “brand/agency/targets”. Emergency and likeness to express ourselves create other links, that brands can’t see, out of traditional medias : social sharing, communities, collaboration, equal point-of-view and advices are lots of disguised powers, that without any violence, can burst and shoot down brands, without they see it come.

Customer relationship is born. Because some brands want to keep their customers alive and active (weird isn’t it . Quick growth for call centers, in several countries shows us the attention that has been created to exchanges and advises. Relation is not one way anymore, let the new codes come in, and damn to who can’t see them. Social web changes the value chain about knowledge, experts, official speakers and carry out other speech spaces, and lead to failure traditional behaviors: when you want now an information in the quickest way, who can you trust…web. And who writes on the web? Anyone. And before having a question, there’s now already an answer…Magic isn’t it?

According to IBM global business study about consumers, quest for the best price still works…and a good reason to be advised, guided by other buyers. And by the way, to be fed up with a brand, change and provide infidelity. The central fact for concil, prescription and advice is real: now, everybody knows all about everything, in the same time…What was a strategic advantage, few years ago: “information before everyone”; that was. How can brands can manage with the new situation?
Underlying, comes the sustainable HR concepts…Brands that take care of their customers can change them into “powersellers”: a happy and satisfied consumer is so a salesman who sleeps but can wake up as a brand’s soldier. Convincing neighborhood, circle of friends and family. That is to say as doubtless a high potential leverage of conquest for market share and new customers.
Let’s figure out the two faces of customer relationship: a satisfied customer can talk to average 3 or 4 close leads ; an unsatisfied can do it with more than 10, if he’s really upset…And you would still ignore that?

Let me introduce you to Kano’s model graph, illustrated with 3 concepts: unavoidable attempts of customers, normal ones and unsaid. Each of them have a trigger level.

First of all, the basic ones (unavoidable) must be satisfied, supplied to a customer because they are obvious…They are not a real leverage for satisfaction but if you don’t get them…be careful about reactions.
The second ones (performance needs) are explained and requested by the customers, clearly. And satisfaction is directly linked to level of what is supplied: exact proportion. It’s a priority field of development in the consumer satisfaction, for sure.
Finally, last but not least, we go in a psychic face value, because it’s time for surprises! Consumers love to be surprised…and even for a hidden need, the revelation can provide such added satisfaction, that it can improve the brand attraction.

Customers, powersellers when they are satisfied….a real strategic goal if we consider the cost for new consumers. A real aim for fidelity and assets value: not financial ones, but customers, those who write the story of the brand. A strategic key to new markets, with new kind of attention to power of filled and satisfied relations. Are we going to still buy only products or services…?
No more now, we want to buy relation…

Social Media and Politics: natural behaviors

Past the recent twirl around President Obama’s victory, we all could stare the invisible victory of social agents too. Disguising, intruding, tracking the next voice, social media tactics revealed true astonishing functions. “some goodies with no future” some says, “boring timelines and wasting time” others shout. Well, little rivers make big seas. And in this history, the first (Obama), beat the second, far enough. All those little intentions create an invisible force, like a prowling wave, rising, as far as noone could see it approaching. I hope French politics will take some lessons from this, in the aim of spreading use of social media, but to be more modern and in our times, by the way. This could be an “undust” operation for conservatives methods, and progress the explaination for corporations to be more friendly with social tools. As a matter of fact, buzz went in too, because of derivate effects of bulk passion and crowded wires. SearchGurus said it there, and I must admit it convinced me in a short second. Help of Chris Hugues from Facebook, and Rahaf Harfoush, provided the result…global, local, power and voice to people with new wires and ways of communication, those which came more natural for lots of trendy and young electors.

In fact every parts were joined, first, to a forecasted result. Why?

Politics has always been so much boring and sometime useless the people deserted interest and involvement for that matter. But, as if to say and in our daily lives, “a man can make alone all the work and trace the path”, that means that when we find the good one, faith is back. And in politics, as in social media, you can find the good guru, just like an elevator pitch that can burst you far beyond your goal. Faith, belief, trust. values that can give you extra powers. You just have to find the good one, and even you can choose more than one, but these coach. When you head to the poll zones, you have for most of you, already decided, who you’re going to choose, who of them is going to give you the light and coach your life.

It was really natural, people with such ‘heart shout’ for Obama, suffocated economics and fed up minds, that community had a real desire of expression. These are the fact in social media fields with the essence of social media power. And yes politics could use it daily now, in the way it provides new kinds of voices and explore brand new reactions. Even gamers started what we called “communities” by playing in several universes (no they did not encountered politics, but more dangerous creatures , but in the fill of war and the art of mesuring themselves, they learned to fight with the best. No politic game is not what we can call “war”, but it reveals all the characters : the hero, the danger, friends and opposite camp.

Invite your friends in these worlds, find your hero and your way, and draw the line for a future collaboration, elevating yourself and others to new frontiers : set the new line for these “natural behaviors”, now politic world can share with us what people found since years: new kind of shared, talked communication. Web power to the people. from “zero-to-politic” to “politic 2.0″.