Ian@work

Social Networks: Expansion vs. Brand Dilution

Wharton looks at the potential downside of social sites' thirst for growth. A key point:

"It's debatable whether broadly expanding is a good idea. A lot of businesses start small and expand, but when you are dealing with affinity groups that hope to foster a sense of community, [the decision] is more complicated. Is it better to focus on a successful niche or make a play for world domination?"

Technorati Tags: social+network, Wharton, facebook, myspace

Gucci 2.0

Adverblog is agog over the new Gucci Web site, which they call "a unique, innovative yet very luxury online experience." They also toss the word "genious"(sic) into the mix.

Why are they so excited? Because the site forsakes Flash for "a much more innovative (and brave, I would say) solution: Web 2.0 technologies - Javascript and Ajax (no, not the football team! :-), just to name a few."

I'm a sucker for anything that sounds that good, but is it? In a word, no.

The slow load time (at the moment I'm on a Mac running Firefox 1.5.0.7, over a DSL connection) left plenty of time for anticipation to build. The "pick a country" splash page reminded me that all good things come to those who wait. Then the main event arrived.

Okay, the sliding image is cool, for about half a second. But the navigation is a mess. The product arrays are confusing and lack cues to differentiate similar looking products. The iconography is non-intuitive. If you're really intent on surfing Gucci style, you might take time to sort it out. But I don't have that kind of patience.

If this is a "luxury online experience", give me poverty. Please.


Technorati Tags: gucci.com, Web2.0, javascript, ajax

Banners vs. Links

The other day I linked to a review of What Sticks, which analyzes what works in advertising. The book's authors conclude that online ad banners work better than most people think.

Today Scoble offers a sweeping generalization on the relative value of banners and ad text links, and suggests that there's a direct relationship Google/Yahoo! ad media and their respective stock prices. Of course, ad media are part of their business models, but it's a long leap to the conclusion that 1) ad media = stock market price, and 2) the market rationally values the effect of ad media on the business. Nonetheless, Scoble concludes that ad banners (Yahoo!) don't generate sales as effectively as text ads (Google), so Yahoo's stock is more volatile than Google's. That's his opinion, but I'd like to see something more to back it up. An anecdote about discretionary versus non-discretionary ad spending doesn't make the case, though.

Scoble does make a comment that is, at least conceptually, on the money: "Google is the new Yellow Pages." Replace "Google" with "search" and the statement would be even more accurate. Google's only the new Yellow Pages as long as they keep their eye on the ball and maintain their search leadership.


Technorati Tags: yellow+pages, google, search, banner

What Sticks

Seth Stevenson reviews What Sticks, a data-driven examination of what works in advertising. A highlight:

Based on their research, Briggs and Stuart argue that an advertising message heard three different times in a single medium (for example, a television commercial you see three times) will be far less effective than a message experienced one time apiece in three different media (for example, as a TV commercial, then as a print ad, and then as an online banner ad). The numbers prove beyond doubt that this "surround-sound" approach is a winner. A few other data-based findings: It's generally better to show your product name and logo for the duration of an ad, not just at the very end. (Though Nike, famous for revealing the Swoosh logo only in the last moments of its TV spots, might disagree.) Also, the time of day can have a profound effect on a consumer's response to an ad (e.g., a McDonald's ad airing at lunchtime will be far more productive than one airing in the evening). And finally, online ads (and particularly large, intrusive ones) are far more effective than most people realize.

Technorati Tags: advertising, what+sticks

Lonelygirl15

The viral marketing saga of Lonelygirl15, her outing, and a question to be answered: Are fans' going to "embrace the project as a new narrative form, condemn it or simply walk away"? (Reg. req.)


Technorati Tags: lonelygirl15, viral+marketing

BookMooch

Newly launched, a site that connects readers and facilitates exchanging books. They call it a community, but there's no discussion of the books themselves.

Note to friend Murray: They need to see The Bookshopper. That would be a great basis for an online community of readers.


Technorati Tags: books, readers, bookshopper, BookMooch

The slow death of magazine publishing

An example of resistance masquerading as incremental change.

Can you imagine the thinking behind this woefully out-of-sync idea? I can't.

However, I suspect that the MPA skipped any discussion of audience behavior. Sure, they love students as a demographic group, but they clearly can't be bothered to think about what they're actually doing online.


Technorati Tags: publishing, magazines

Social unrest

Two reminders that creating social networks isn't a plug and play activity.


Technorati Tags: facebook, social+network

Marketing to users

Kathy Sierra thinks it's time to end disconnect between how we treat prospective and existing users. Prospective users get a slick, sexy experience. Existing users get -- well, they get a whole lot less.

Nikon is singled out for having compelling sales collateral and very dull users manuals. Oddly enough, Nikon absolutely excels at creating passionate users and one of the main ways they do this is through their Nikon School, which focuses on teaching photography skills to new and old customers.

But Sierra's point is well taken -- you have to treat every point of contact with customers like it really matters. One misstep or message that's out of sync with your brand can resonate with users in all the wrong ways.


Technorati Tags: customers, experience, education

Pondering productivity

Yin

and

Yang