The Buzz on Google Buzz

By now, I am sure most of you guys have heard about Google's new service, Google Buzz--Gmail's very own social networking tool meant to rival those of Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-In. I haven't tried Buzz myself, though Google has already automatically gotten me followers and vice-versa, based off my Gmail contact list. I've been meaning to blog about it for a while, but it was only when I came across this article from E-Commerce Times that I really started thinking about whether Buzz would truly be able to stand up to its competitors, or if Google is just setting itself up for its first major dud.




Google Buzz is similar to Facebook and Twitter in that it allows status updates, comments, and link- and media-sharing between users. However, aside from focusing on consumer-friendly uses, Buzz also aims to be a productivity tool for businesses and enterprises. According to the article, Google has been testing Buzz internally and has already found it to be an invaluable means of communication. Google believes that its corporate objectives can differentiate Buzz from other existing tools, giving it a competitive edge.

My opinion? First, I think that Google's claim should to be taken with a grain of salt. After all, how reliable can that statement be, seeing as it is coming from its own creator? Second, Buzz's potential users likely already have Facebook and Twitter accounts, so they might not want to bother managing a third. From what I know, Buzz does not appear to offer anything that the other two, or other sites such as Linked-In, already offer.

Perhaps you can argue that just because Buzz is coming late into the game, doesn't mean it can't prevail. After all, Friendster and MySpace came first, yet Facebook has effectively usurped them both. I would argue back that less than a month into the playing field, Google is already encountering problems with Buzz, the most controversial one being privacy breach. Several Gmail users have found their most frequent contacts outed to the outside world, with one now-famous blogger complaining that Buzz has reconnected her to her abusive ex-husband. Other users have complained about spam attacks in their inboxes. True, Google has already made changes to accommodate these complaints, but many believe that the entire privacy-fiasco is only a sign of things to come.

That said, I don't think Buzz will be a complete failure either. Google is a smart company and (most of the time) it knows what it's doing. I believe that Google will continue to listen to users' comments and feedback and continuously work to improve the system. Given Google's level of experience in the online playing field, I don't think we should rule Buzz out of the social media world just yet.

Mae

The (Very Successful) World of Warcraft

For my e-marketing class last week, the class was asked to cite an example of a successful online community and think of reasons why. Naturally, Facebook and Twitter came to mind, but let’s be honest—we’re all pretty sick and tired of hearing about those two. Instead, I tried to think of a company whose profits relied solely on creating a successful community; a business whose product is the community. Finally, I came up with the perfect example: Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.

Originally released in 2004, World of Warcraft, or WoW, is a massive multiplayer online role playing game that has grown steadily over the past 6 years and continues to attract new players globally. I asked my WoW-addicted boyfriend why this was; what attracted him to WoW and more importantly, what makes him stay. He responded with two things: community and content.

WoW gives each player the chance to connect with people across the globe who share the same interests. Relationships are based on trust, sportsmanship, and a sense of accomplishment. Blizzard encourages this behaviour by constantly providing new games and challenges for its members to interact and participate in. In addition, Blizzard hosts real-life tournaments where players can dress up as their characters, have the chance to meet each other in person and compete face-to-face. Not only does this strengthen ties between members, it is also a great way to attract new ones.

Players working together to defeat a common enemy.

Hundreds of players in the annual Blizzcon compete against each other.

I could go on and on about what makes WoW successful, but the main takeaway is that a good online community needs loyal members who strongly believe in what the community stands for, and a parent company that continually generates ideas to keep members active and engaged.

So, what exactly does this mean for Blizzard financially? First off, Blizzard charges each player $15 a month to play. Secondly, for every player to progress past a certain point in the game, they must buy the 2 expansion packs, along with the original game itself: $60 for the game and $60 for each expansion pack. Now multiply this by the 11 million people who play worldwide...you get the idea.

Mae

Two Great Viral Videos

One of the things we discussed in class today was non-advertising communication online by businesses. Of the examples we discussed, branded viral videos was the one that caught my interest the most.

Branded viral videos work because they are cost-effective, spark conversation, and are essentially self-promoting. Some of the best videos aren't even necessarily made by the business, but by customers! Companies know this, yet there seems to be a shortage of successful videos. Why? Successful videos should not only be entertaining, they should also get the message across. Here are two very different examples of viral videos that I believe accomplish these goals, and why:

Guys Backflip Into Jeans (Levi's)

Entertainment Value
This video works because it's funny and immediately makes you react: "That is so cool!" "Aw man, I want we should try that!" It is also relatable because nowadays, teenagers and younger adults often take videos of themselves doing silly or random things.

Getting the Message Across
Of course, the video promotes a positive message: Levi's jeans are sturdy and comfortable. The video also tells us that Levi's brand is fun, young, and daring. It has a sense of humor and does not take itself too seriously.

Dove Evolution (Dove)

Entertainment Value
This classic Dove video is entertaining for entirely different reasons than the first. It gives you a sneak peak of what really goes on behind-the-scenes in beauty photo shoots and makes you reflect on what society views as beautiful. It is thought-provoking and controversial, two factors that usually attract viewers but tend be underused in favour of humour.

Getting the Message Across
As opposed to Levi's more subtle approach, the message in this video is clear. Dove believes that beauty comes in different forms, and society should not be fooled by the "perfect" women mass media ingrains into our heads. It shows us that the Dove brand is socially-conscious, down-to-earth, and accepting to everyone.

There are tons more good videos out there, but I chose these because I wanted to show two contrasting approaches to viral marketing. If you are interested in seeing more, then here are some great posts you might want to read!
2009 Top Brand Influence Viral Videos
Corporate and Brand Videos That Went Viral
Tips for Seeding Branded Web Videos

Mae

Two Tools to Track Twitter Tweets!

Hey folks!

A little late on this week's blog, but here it is! Today's topic: two tools to track Twitter tweets, TweetDeck and Monitter!

Last summer, I worked as a marketing intern for Bopomo Pictures, where I worked directly with the owner, Elayne Wandler. She was considering creating a blog for the studio, but wasn't really sure of what types of things to put in it. One of my assignments was to generate a list of potential topics that would interest her target market--mainly, families with small children.

Thus, my Twitter account was born! I used it to follow a number of accounts which I felt would be useful in helping me learn the type of things mothers would be interested in (ex. YummyMummyClub, UrbanMommies, etc). You can just imagine how difficult it was to monitor all these groups, on top of following other accounts I was personally interested in! Knowing that Elayne managed Bopomo's Twitter account, I asked her for some advice, and she recommended TweetDeck.

TweetDeck is a real-time monitoring tool which allows the user to segment his or her followees(?) into groups, @replies, direct messages, and more. I was able to separate tweets from my friends, celebrities, and Bopomo-related users into different columns, making life--and my job--easier! TweetDeck also lets you to set up custom searches that alert you whenever something appears that matches your criteria. The only negative thing I can think of about TweetDeck is that it is limited to 10 columns. Since I only ever used five at the most, I'd say TweetDeck is a pretty sweet (tweet) way to monitor your Twitter account!

The second monitoring tool I believe everyone should know about is Monitter. To be honest, I only found out about it in yesterday's e-Marketing class when we were discussing Search. Monitter is similar to Twitter in that is segregates real-time tweets into columns, except in this case, the segmentation is based on keywords you type into the search box on top of each column. Monitter allows you to use up to three columns at once. Unlike TweetDeck, Monitter monitors virtually all the Twitter accounts in the world, instead of just the people you follow, making it a pretty powerful tool for your business!

Of all the potential uses for Monitter, the best one for me would probably be for customer feedback. By typing the name of your brand, your competitors' brands, or even just the general product category, you can see what people truly think of your product and what they use it for. It is pretty much a goldmine of improvement opportunities! I only wish I knew about Monitter when I was still working for Bopomo. I would have been able to search for people interested in looking for high-quality, affordable photo shoots, and inform them about our studio. Should I get a similar job in the future, I will definitely be taking advantage of this tool!

That's it for today's blog! I am sure you have already heard of these tools in some way or another, but here is just some honest feedback from a simple Marketing student! :)

Mae