In a recent seminar at SSE Riga, we discussed the elements of successful implementation of social media/digital in companies. This is the presentation I used.
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One of my favorite marketing videos on YouTube is the one in which an airline shows how they surprise their passengers on a Christmas Eve flight. When the passengers are waiting for their luggage, presents appear on the belt. One for each. The official version of the video is viewed more than 100.000 times and it has given them a lot of attention in several media. A great move: people like surprises, which means customers are pleased. They also like to share about it. On top of that, many potential passengers have seen this video, and it may have well been their introduction to the brand. As it was for me. If a video like this is your first encounter with a brand, it’s bound to make a favorable impression, and you remember it with fondness. Exactly what marketers would hope to achieve, because the theory goes that next time I book a flight, I will be considering this airline more than others.
So far, so good. Brilliant social media marketing. What else can go wrong, right? Well, the airline in question is called Spanair. The video was shot in 2010, and made waves in the beginning of 2011. In that same year, Spanair recorded losses of 150 million euros. Last week they announced bankruptcy and suddenly and immediately ceased operations, leaving many passengers stranded.
It’s very sad for the employees of Spanair, the stranded passengers. But it also shows something about social media marketing. The campaign around the unexpected luggage could be considered as a success, but in the end, that did not mean that the company was able to attract enough passengers. If you don’t have your business in order, even millions of views on YouTube and enormous amounts of positive media attention cannot save you. The success of the campaign can only be measured by a result that matters: survival of the company. Clearly, it wasn’t that successful.
Having said all that, I still love the video. Here it is.
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Dec 11
6
Should we ban email?
Every now and then, a CEO makes some waves by planning to ban email from his company. And it’s not only in young tech start-ups. This time it’s Mr Thierry Breton, CEO of Atos, a global IT consulting outfit of over 80.000 employees. In 18 months, email will be phased out in the company, or at least, that is Mr Bretons plan.
Obviously, this is very exciting news, and a bold move. Especially if you either love or hate social media. And I think he has a point. Many people know the annoyances of a full inbox waiting after vacations, the weekend or a business trip. Many people, especially those with smart phones, go through their emails in other places than the workplace, and at other times than ‘normal’ working hours. Almost everybody knows the long email threads, sent to different people, replying to all, adding more and more recipients, and including the previous conversation. Oh, and then there is that one person in the company who is not in the loop, but should have been. Or answers to earlier messages in the thread, that have already been resolved. Or full mailboxes due to large presentations or other documents in multiple versions being mailed around.
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Nov 11
14
The Long Arm of Good Content
Social Media marketing is not only about being present on the different social networks like Facebook, Draugiem and Twitter, but also about having a conversation with your (potential) customers, answering their questions and sometimes providing them with interesting content. And despite that to many people it may seem like a superficial and fleeting form of connecting, good content can send a message about your brand for a long time.
When I discuss social media during classes at SSE Riga or in general, I never miss the opportunity to mention or link to some viral videos. If you manage to create one, it can last very long in delivering a message about your company. One of my favorite examples is the United Breaks Guitars song. It is now 2 years old, has been watched more than 11 million times, and sends a strong message about United Airlines. Not a good one, and that’s one of the risks of these days: a complaint about your company can live a long and happy life.
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As the number of Facebook users in the Baltic states keeps growing, YouTube enters the top 3 in all three countries and pushes out social networking in two.
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The second SSE Riga HR Morning seminar was today, and we discussed ways to recruit and boost human capital in your company by using social media. As last time, a summary of the slides used is published here as well.
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