When I started this blog I said that I might use it as part book review after I challenged myself to get a bit further through the Top 100 books. Currently I have read 8, I was appalled at this figure and even more so when I realised 5 were Harry Potter. (Please note: I have not set a time limit on this so even if I read 1 a year I'll be OK...provided a live to 117).
So I have now read Memoirs of Geisha. Hurray! Which I have to say I loved. I hadn't seen the film and very happy I hadn't. I really did feel that Arthur Golden's writing had taken my back to Japan in the 1930's onwards and it was v difficult to not book a ticket to Kyoto pronto.
The descriptive way Chiyo, later to become Sayuri, speaks you feel upset when she's taken from her father, in love when she meets the Chairman, terrified by the Baron, worried by Hatsumomo, respectful of Mameha and sorry for Nobu who never got his girl.
I also enjoyed reading about war torn and rationed Japan during and Post WW2 as we never hear that side of the war. At school it's always bad Germany, bad Japan but ultimately there were thousands of normal Japanese people who suffered as badly as Europeans.
Overall a very pleasing start to my Top 100 mission. I would definitely recommend to someone who wants to envelope themselves in an entirely different culture, nation and people. And even an industry that's dying/died out which seemed worryingly close to the oldest profession but somehow more innocent.
Next up...The Time Traveller's Wife...
Friday 18 June 2010
Wednesday 12 May 2010
To Tweet or Not To Tweet?
First up I'll be honest and say I'm not a massive fan of Twitter. Well over a year ago I set up a Twitter account with 1 Tweet - "Joanne is trying to figure out what this Twitter malarkey is all about" and I think I'm still trying to figure out what this Twitter malarkey is all about. So when I started on the IAB's course "A Rising Voice in Social Media" and the first instruction was to set up a Twitter account I felt pleased that I had at least completed step one, even if I wasn't an active Twitterer...Tweeter...Twit? There are many facts buzzing around the internet about the Twitter audience and it seems I'm part of that theory - 21% of users have never posted a Tweet, 5% of users account for 75% of all activity (http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/).
I just didn't really see the point in receiving constant updates from Ashton Kutcher on his love for Demi Moore. Then I heard about friends who subscribed to club nights they were interested in, clothing brands they liked to wear and they heard about when tickets would go on sale, or when offers were released earlier than everyone else and I thought maybe there was more to it than met the eye.
The tide seems to be turning on traditional media theory where advertisers put their message out there for audiences to lap up. Today our audience is more sceptical and savvy than ever and communication has changed from being a one way monologue to a two way conversation. Brands need to work harder and create not only engagement but allow their audience to comment back and to handle the comments whether they are good or bad. Handled well it seems that the potential for brands using social media is endless.
So finally on to the assignment for this month (maybe this is why I don't like Twitter, only 140 characters??) to review two corporate Twitter accounts, one good and one bad. So here goes...
I think the overriding thing I have found is that there is no such thing as a great Twitter account, but I actually don't mean this is a totally negative way. Brands using Twitter is such a new form of communication that they are bound to get it wrong from time to time. There are articles slating brands for their various faux pas. e.g. Habitat who got a little hashtag happy.
What I always thought of as a traditional advertiser, Marks and Spencer have taken the big leap into the social media unknown and I believe are doing it well. They post their "Deal of the Day" with online offers (albeit one day a frumpy old lady blouse - they might need to look at who their Twitter followers actually are, I could be wrong I don't think it's old ladies who buy frumpy blouses online). Although not exclusive to Twitter users, announcing the offers directly and easily to their followers means that they can get in there first and should it be a really great deal before they sell out. They also post details of new products, this week there was much excitement about them now stocking Whoopie Pies and their introductory offer.
In addition to their deal announcements they also use their Twitter account to encourage user interaction and engagement. A simple question of "It's British Sandwich Week! What's your favourite filling? (we need ideas for lunch!)" allowed their followers to have their say and although it would be difficult to respond to every reply they did reply to some with one encouraging the conversation to continue with "Gherkins - very controversial! A bit like our Marmite sandwiches. Are you a lover or a hater?" They also use Danni Minogue - one of their brand ambassadors - to interact with the brand and other followers, this week announcing competition winners.
Finally I think M&S are successfully using this to deal with negative comments, instead of just preaching to the converted they monitor tweets about themselves and respond to them where necessary and encourage users to get in touch through DM to discuss issues they have had.
Overall whenever M&S reply to a post be it positive or negative they deal with it quickly and honestly - if they've made a mistake they apologise for it rather than hiding away as some brands have been criticised for. They encourage users to engage with the brand and keep the tone light and cheerful with offers and new fashion trends.
So on to the bad. I actually struggled to find a particularly bad one. I'm sure they are out there, maybe I didn't look hard enough. One that I started following was Travelzoo which as a digital planner on travel clients I'm a strong advocate of however I was disappointed that they didn't make more of the opportunities to them. Although M&S was a relatively simple account with posts, replies to others and links to products it worked for them and their traditional brand identity - had they come in guns blazing trying to be ultra techy and modern it wouldn't have fit in. Travelzoo I felt was beyond simple and bordering on boring and just appeared to be an extension of their Top 20 newsletters and Newsflashes. I would have thought the 2000 odd followers would already subscribe to this and a few others as their newsletter subcription now runs into the millions.
A newsletter is a traditional one way media, each week they post 20 of the best deals they have found and it works very well but Twitter gives them the opportunity to open this out to a two way conversation. Users could be encouraged to comment on the deals, suggest other deals that they had found, review destinations/hotels etc that they had been to and to generate a more community feel like on Trip Advisor's site. Travel is always something people are passionate about and Travelzoo could use this to their advantage a bit more.
It seems to be that all brands are on a steep learning curve when it comes to social media and some have hit the ground running whilst others have stumbled at the first hurdle. No one is perfect but if brands try to strike a careful balance of updating users with relevant and interesting content, not filling their feeds for the sake of it, but remembering that users decided to follow them for a reason so to keep in touch they should be part way there. When things go wrong reply to the disgruntled customer, openly encourage them to explain the issue in a more private space through DM and to apologise for their mistake.
I just didn't really see the point in receiving constant updates from Ashton Kutcher on his love for Demi Moore. Then I heard about friends who subscribed to club nights they were interested in, clothing brands they liked to wear and they heard about when tickets would go on sale, or when offers were released earlier than everyone else and I thought maybe there was more to it than met the eye.
The tide seems to be turning on traditional media theory where advertisers put their message out there for audiences to lap up. Today our audience is more sceptical and savvy than ever and communication has changed from being a one way monologue to a two way conversation. Brands need to work harder and create not only engagement but allow their audience to comment back and to handle the comments whether they are good or bad. Handled well it seems that the potential for brands using social media is endless.
So finally on to the assignment for this month (maybe this is why I don't like Twitter, only 140 characters??) to review two corporate Twitter accounts, one good and one bad. So here goes...
I think the overriding thing I have found is that there is no such thing as a great Twitter account, but I actually don't mean this is a totally negative way. Brands using Twitter is such a new form of communication that they are bound to get it wrong from time to time. There are articles slating brands for their various faux pas. e.g. Habitat who got a little hashtag happy.
What I always thought of as a traditional advertiser, Marks and Spencer have taken the big leap into the social media unknown and I believe are doing it well. They post their "Deal of the Day" with online offers (albeit one day a frumpy old lady blouse - they might need to look at who their Twitter followers actually are, I could be wrong I don't think it's old ladies who buy frumpy blouses online). Although not exclusive to Twitter users, announcing the offers directly and easily to their followers means that they can get in there first and should it be a really great deal before they sell out. They also post details of new products, this week there was much excitement about them now stocking Whoopie Pies and their introductory offer.
In addition to their deal announcements they also use their Twitter account to encourage user interaction and engagement. A simple question of "It's British Sandwich Week! What's your favourite filling? (we need ideas for lunch!)" allowed their followers to have their say and although it would be difficult to respond to every reply they did reply to some with one encouraging the conversation to continue with "Gherkins - very controversial! A bit like our Marmite sandwiches. Are you a lover or a hater?" They also use Danni Minogue - one of their brand ambassadors - to interact with the brand and other followers, this week announcing competition winners.
Finally I think M&S are successfully using this to deal with negative comments, instead of just preaching to the converted they monitor tweets about themselves and respond to them where necessary and encourage users to get in touch through DM to discuss issues they have had.
Overall whenever M&S reply to a post be it positive or negative they deal with it quickly and honestly - if they've made a mistake they apologise for it rather than hiding away as some brands have been criticised for. They encourage users to engage with the brand and keep the tone light and cheerful with offers and new fashion trends.
So on to the bad. I actually struggled to find a particularly bad one. I'm sure they are out there, maybe I didn't look hard enough. One that I started following was Travelzoo which as a digital planner on travel clients I'm a strong advocate of however I was disappointed that they didn't make more of the opportunities to them. Although M&S was a relatively simple account with posts, replies to others and links to products it worked for them and their traditional brand identity - had they come in guns blazing trying to be ultra techy and modern it wouldn't have fit in. Travelzoo I felt was beyond simple and bordering on boring and just appeared to be an extension of their Top 20 newsletters and Newsflashes. I would have thought the 2000 odd followers would already subscribe to this and a few others as their newsletter subcription now runs into the millions.
A newsletter is a traditional one way media, each week they post 20 of the best deals they have found and it works very well but Twitter gives them the opportunity to open this out to a two way conversation. Users could be encouraged to comment on the deals, suggest other deals that they had found, review destinations/hotels etc that they had been to and to generate a more community feel like on Trip Advisor's site. Travel is always something people are passionate about and Travelzoo could use this to their advantage a bit more.
It seems to be that all brands are on a steep learning curve when it comes to social media and some have hit the ground running whilst others have stumbled at the first hurdle. No one is perfect but if brands try to strike a careful balance of updating users with relevant and interesting content, not filling their feeds for the sake of it, but remembering that users decided to follow them for a reason so to keep in touch they should be part way there. When things go wrong reply to the disgruntled customer, openly encourage them to explain the issue in a more private space through DM and to apologise for their mistake.
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