Sloan Management Review: How the groundswell makes your company customer-centric

by Josh Bernoff

What does the groundswell of social technology mean for management? That's the question we had to ask ourselves when MIT Sloan Management Review invited us to write up the research in Groundswell.

I'm delighted to report that  you can now read the results. MIT Sloan Management Review has published our article, "Harnessing the Power of Social Applications." And while most of the articles in MIT SMR are behind a paywall, they are making this one available for free. [Note: as of April 1 the article is no longer available for free -- the link will send you to an excerpt.] Thank you, MIT SMR!

A quick aside. MIT and Harvard have a vigorous intellectual rivalry here in Boston (culturally, it resembles Red Sox/Yankees) -- many of the local professionals are alumni of one or the other. I went to MIT as a Ph.D. student way back when; Charlene, of course, earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. So having our book published by Harvard Business Press, and then getting an article into MIT Sloan Management Review, is a pretty sweet twofer.

While the article is was free, MIT SMR hasn't give us the right to copy it, so I can tell you about the article but not include excerpts. That said, here are some of the ideas we explored in the article, which jumps off from where Groundswell ended.

The article includes mini-case studies include CBS/Jericho, salesforce.com's IdeaExchange, the Chevy Aveo Livin' Large Campus Challenge, Fiskars' fiskateers.com community, Dell's community forum, and Best Buy's Blue Shirt Nation social network for its employees. (Some of these are also in the book, some are unique to the article.) But we stick to our central framework -- you choose your application based on your objectives -- an idea we debuted on this blog half a year ago and which remains at the heart of our analysis.

The article also includes data on use of social technologies across countries, and which applications are best for which departments within companies. Plus little tidbits of advice for the kind of managers who read MIT SMR (e.g. Line up executive backing, smart small and then expand). But our main point is that the cultural transformation that comes from embracing social applications is the best way to once again get the customer at the heart of decisions in the corporation.

I've seen a lot of advice for companies in the blogosphere, much of it really useful if mostly tactical. We tried to look bigger, at what really happens as medium and large size companies make social apps part of the way they do business. I'd love to hear whether you think we're on target. Go read the article and let us know.

 

Cluetrain Revisited, next Wednesday in New York

by Josh Bernoff

I am delighted to be part of a series of events looking at the Cluetrain Manifesto ten years later.

Cluetrain was ahead of its time. It changed everything. A lot of what they said was prescient, given how little evidence there was to back it up at the time. Now that we are living in the cluetrain world, what's the right way to think about it? That's what I'll be talking about.

The first event, called "There's a New Conversation," is in New York on next Wednesday afternoon, February 13. You can still sign up.

Speakers include:

• Doc Searls, co-author of "The Cluetrain Manifesto" and fellow at Harvard's Berkman Institute
• Peter Hirshberg, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Technorati and Chairman and Partner at The Conversation Group
• Ted Shelton, partner at The Conversation Group
• Thor Muller, CEO of Get Satisfaction
• Jake McKee, Principal at Ant's Eye View, and past Global Community Relations Specialist for the LEGO Company
• And me, of course . . .

Location: SAP Customer Center, 95 Morton Street, New York, NY. Price: $76.50. Sign up: Here.

I hope to see you there. Should be an interesting conversation.

POST method report available for bloggers

by Josh Bernoff

Interested in our report "Objectives: The Key To Creating A Social Strategy?" The report describes the POST method in detail (see previous post).

I'll send a review copy to the first 100 bloggers to email me at groundswell@forrester.com.

Include your blog's URL with your email. Looking forward to hearing your take on this.

How to get a Wii

by Charlene Li

As a parent, I've been privy to the burning question this holiday shopping season -- how do I get my hands on a Wii? I've had one for a while and can honestly say that it is by far the best console for a family with young kids. (Or even for a family where the only kids in the household are the adults!)

The reality is, Wiis will be nearly impossible to find before the holidays given the overwhelming demand and lack of supply. So unless you're willing to pay a 2X premium on eBay or Amazon, you're out of luck. But I have a family friend who is an expert on finding Wiis using a variety of technologies and techniques -- and I thought I'd share some of his techniques with you.

So herewith are my top ten ways on how to score a Wii in the next week or so, both online and in brick & mortar stores. (Shameless plug: I also have one on eBay as a charity auction.)

=====Online Approaches=====

1) Read Fat Wallet. Fat Wallet has an excellent discussion forum that talks about Wii availability. The very first page has some good general information on online/mobile alerts and general availability. Go all the way to the last listed page (it was #581 when I posted) to find the latest buzz. West Coast folks can really benefit, especially on Sunday mornings when some stores release Wiis. This is the groundswell at its best -- supporting each other on the search for that elusive Wii.

2) Use Wiialerts.com and be near a PC. This service sends SMS/Text messages to your phone when an online store has Wiis in stock. For example, Amazon listed Wiis at 10:20pm PT on November 30th and were sold out within 12 minutes. So it pays to be fast, and connected.

3) If you're always online, use XPBargains.com. This site has a Wii Locator that is regularly updated. The trick is getting notified. A few approaches: 1) Use their RSS feed;  2) Use a Firefox plug-in called Check4Change which refreshes the page every 15 seconds and sends a desktop pop-up when something changes on the site. Highlight the first four lines of the listings and C4C will tell you when the status changes; and 3) Set up a desktop alert via Klipfolio -- XPBargains has a tutorial on how to do this.

4) Buy Wii Bundles. I've noticed that online sites like Wal-Mart (thanks to XPBargains) often have Wii bundles with accessories and games, which can cost +$500. If you're intent on getting a console soon, you're going to be paying that much for just the console alone through sellers one eBay/Amazon. You'll also need extra remots/nunchucks and games anyway, so you may as well buy the bundle. Don't like the games? Retailers like Wal-mart appear to be willing to exchange the games, and you may even be able to return them.

=====Offline Approaches=====

5) Use Salescircular.com to plan offline excursions. This is great because it breaks down the Sunday newspaper circulars by geography and then by product. So I can check California listings for Wiis across all retailers on one page. In general, if a retailer advertises it, they have to have a least a few Wiis on hand. The reality is that it could be 2, it could be 50. You just never know.

6) Set your alarm clock. People are getting desperate out there -- Fat Wallet reported Black Friday-like crowds out there this Sunday morning. Your best bet is to head to stores with early opening hours, like ToysRUs. Plan to get there 2-4 hours ahead of time. Some stores hand out vouchers before opening -- which means you can go home, head to Denny's for breakfast, etc. and come back later in the day to pick up you Wii. Be sure to bring your laptop if you have wireless access -- you'll want to continually check Fat Wallet for access. (Besides, it will keep you warm too!)

7) Recruit at least one other person to go with you, and then Twitter/SMS. If decide to go out for an early morning hunt, then try to find someone else to go out with you. Take separate cars so that you can go to separate stores to check out the situation. Ask the person at the front of the line what the status is -- they will usually tell you if vouchers have been given out, how many units are available. Then text or Twitter your teammates and head off to the next store on your list. Note: If you get there after a friend, don't cut in line! You wouldn't like it someone who was #5 in line suddenly had 4 buddies stroll up an hour before opening, ruining your chances. Do not tempt the ire of Wii-feverish parents!

8) Don't give up too early. You get there with 20 people ahead of you in line. They tell you that employees have shared they have only 20 Wiis in stock. Don't leave yet! On Black Friday, I was at a GameStop in Stockton with family members who were 35 or so in line when only 20 Wiis were available. They didn't hand out vouchers, so they stood in line for an hour. As they snaked up to the front, people were leaving with only a game or two in hand, bypassing the chance to buy a Wii. Two family members got the last two Wiis. So you never know.

9) Rely on the kindness of strangers and by kind to store employees. In many ways, the success of the groundswell -- both online and offline -- is that strangers are so willing to help each other when they are united by a quest, especially when you're standing at 5am outside a store. Bring a thermos of coffee -- and extra cups. Offer to hold places in line for each other for Starbucks breaks. And best of all, share and hear the stories of the people in line. There are other techniques, such as harassing store employees to tell you what time deliveries are made -- don't bother. They can't/won't tell you because of security reasons and frankly, many don't know. And they often have to stand in the very same lines you do to get their Wiis.

=====Shameless Plug=====

10) Buy the Wii I have up for charity auction. I braved the crowds on Black Friday and was first in line at a GameStop that morning, so snagged a Wii. My goal - to sell the Wii on eBay for the Ngererit School in Kenya that my husband and I support. We visited it 5 years ago and were struck by the desperate need for a new building.  So if you're going to just go ahead and buy a Wii at a premiumn anyway, I hope you'll consider buying this unit as the profits go towards funding a school, rather than into someone's pocket.   

Forrester videos on social technologies from Consumer Forum 2007

by Charlene Li

The video highlights from our Consumer Forum 2007 are now available. Josh and I were keynotes and we spoke in details about some of the key highlights from our book. Below is a summary of the keynote speakers and speech topics. In particular, I highly recommend the speeches by Christie Hefner and Henry Jenkins.

***Note that you need to use Internet Explorer to use the navigation and see the slides.***

• Charlene Li — Vice President, Principal Analyst:  Your Customers Are Revolting ;-)
• Josh Bernoff — Vice President, Principal Analyst:  Business Strategies For Success In The Groundswell
• Christie Hefner — Chairman and CEO, Playboy Enterprises & Brian Haven — Senior Analyst:  Social Networking And User-Generated Content In Today’s Media Environment
• Christina Norman  — President, MTV Networks:  MTV — Defining The Next Generation
• Robert J. Bach — President, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft:  Connected Entertainment: Delivering New Ways To Bringing People Together
• Richard Edelman — President and CEO, Edelman:  Corporate Image In The Age Of Social Technologies
• Jeremy Allaire — Founder and CEO, Brightcove, Ze Frank — Founder, ZeFrank.com, Philip J. Kaplan — Founder and President, Products, AdBrite, & Shar VanBoskirk — Principal Analyst: Three People Who Are Changing The Face Of Media
• Henry Jenkins — Co-Director, MIT Comparative Media Studies, MIT & Josh Bernoff — Vice President, Principal Analyst: Why The Convergence Culture Matters To You

• Charlene Li — Vice President, Principal Analyst:  Your Customers Are Revolting ;-)
• Josh Bernoff — Vice President, Principal Analyst:  Business Strategies For Success In The Groundswell
• Christie Hefner — Chairman and CEO, Playboy Enterprises & Brian Haven — Senior Analyst:  Social Networking And User-Generated Content In Today’s Media Environment
• Christina Norman  — President, MTV Networks:  MTV — Defining The Next Generation
• Robert J. Bach — President, Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft:  Connected Entertainment: Delivering New Ways To Bringing People Together
• Richard Edelman — President and CEO, Edelman:  Corporate Image In The Age Of Social Technologies
• Jeremy Allaire — Founder and CEO, Brightcove, Ze Frank — Founder, ZeFrank.com, Philip J. Kaplan — Founder and President, Products, AdBrite, & Shar VanBoskirk — Principal Analyst: Three People Who Are Changing The Face Of Media
• Henry Jenkins — Co-Director, MIT Comparative Media Studies, MIT & Josh Bernoff — Vice President, Principal Analyst: Why The Convergence Culture Matters To You

Upcoming Forrester social computing workshop

I'm going to be running a small workshop on ThursdayWednesday, December 5th in San Francisco entitled, "Social Computing: Tapping Into The Power Of Connected Consumers". We limit attendance at the workshop so that there can be a great deal of interaction with the analysts -- which will also include my colleague Brian Haven.

The agenda closely follows and uses the framework from the Groundswell book -- we'll be looking the process of how to create a social strategy around one of five specific objectives. The day will also include a deep dive into the technologies that support these objectives, tools like blogging, social networking, podcasts, widgets, and wikis.

Closing out the day will be a panel of leading marketers and agencies in the space. The confirmed panelists are:

• Misha Cornes, Group Director of Strategy, Organic
• John Taschek, VP Market Strategy, Salesforce.com
• Ed Terpening, VP Social Media, Wells Fargo

To register or for more information, please email events@forrester.com, or phone +1 617/613-5905.

The big events (Chicago, October 11)

by Josh Bernoff

This post will be personal, since there are a lot of exciting things happening to me/us right now.

First, we're less than two weeks away from Forrester's Consumer Forum. Charlene and I are both speaking. In case you haven't been to one of these, we try to pack them with as much value and excitement as possible, which means that Charlene and I are both polishing our speeches to a high sheen. Those speeches will be filled with some of the most powerful content from the book Groundswell -- ideas and examples that will be seen for the first time anywhere in Chicago on October 11 and 12. Those of you there will see what I hope is a real, actionable framework for how to create business success in the groundswell based on the four steps in what we call the POST method:

P = profile (what are your customers doing in the groundswell?)
O = objectives (what are you trying to accomplish?)
S = strategy (how are you trying to change your relationship with customers?)
T = technology (what social technologies will you use?)

If your social strategy starts with the T, you should come and find out why we think you're doing it backwards!

Second, at the event we ask pointed questions of high-level speakers. We work hard on coming up with those questions that will really get people to talk about stuff you haven't heard before. If you have a question for these people, post it in the comments below -- if we like your idea, we'll ask them on stage. The speakers are:

• Robbie Bach, President of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.
• Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman Public Relations
• Gian Fulgoni, Chairman of Comscore
• Christie Hefner, CEO of Playboy
• Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor and author of Convergence Culture
• Kevin Johnson, Digital Organization Leader, Services Division at Acxiom Digital
• Christina Norman, President of MTV Networks

Third, we're presenting the Groundswell awards at the event. We've picked the winners and they're pretty amazing applications -- some you've heard of, some you surely haven't. (If you can't make it, watch this space for announcements featuring the winners.) You may see me wearing this bowtie, which matches something else we're working on . . . that you'll see at the event.

Finally, the content for Groundswell is racing to a close. HBS Press has received and shared with us its peer reviews, which were mostly favorable, and had a lot of good suggestions. We'll be completing the manuscript in October, which means you can see it in . . . May of 2008.

If you just can't wait, click here and order one and you'll get it at the first possible moment. (I couldn't believe this is up and taking orders so far in advance.)

We're also trying to figure out the details of how Groundswell can become, not just a book or a Web site, but an ongoing experience for as many social strategists as possible.

I can't wait to see you in Chicago.

Tags: Forrester Consumer Forum, Groundswell awards, POST method, Forrester Research, Groundswell

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Insights from 78 social media projects

by Josh Bernoff

I just finished reviewing the 78 submissions for the Groundswell Awards. All I can say is, wow! People are doing some pretty incredible work out there.

We are still determining the winners. Please don't call or write -- you already sent in your entry, and we have looked them all over in quite a lot of detail. (If you haven't sent one it, get ready for next year, because it's just too late to submit one now!)

But I wanted to share some of what I learned from reviewing all the submissions.

• People still think of social technologies more for marketing (speaking) than anything else, but we got good entries in all the categories. Here are how the submissions laid out by category (some tried in multiple categories, so this adds to more than 100%).

22% Listening
32% Speaking
10% Energizing
23% Supporting
15% Embracing
14% Managing
10% Social Impact

• The diversity is incredible. We saw people using Facebook, MySpace, and their own communities; companies in telecom, financial services, automotive, packaged goods, and academics; and applications aimed at everybody from politically active consumers to young women to stock traders. The social virus is spreading, and nobody is immune. Among our favorites (fun to talk about . . . doesn't necessarily mean they'll win a prize) are a college campus in Argentina that runs itself with an online community and a site for people potty training their kids. One guy sent in his thesis. Plus the site where you can design your own part of the US-Mexico border fence. Of course, some of them were lame-o, but reviewing the whole set was a real eye-opener.

• What matters most is results. We said we would recognize the best sites, not the most beautiful. We were strongly influenced by statements of results. Many, many people who are doing social projects out there didn't know what they hoped to accomplish, or couldn't prove they accomplished anything. I find it interesting that the more categories your entry fits in, the less likely it is to have proven business value. In the end, it's business value that will separate the winners from the rest.

Just a reminder -- we'll be announcing the winners at the Forrester Consumer Forum, taking place October 11 and 12 in Chicago. You should come! Why? (1) you'll get to see who won the awards. (2) You'll get to see incredible speeches from Richard Edelman, Christina Norman (president of MTV), Christie Hefner (CEO of Playboy), Microsoft's Robbie Bach, and Professor Henry Jenkins, the fan culture wizard of MIT. And (3) Charlene and I are giving the keynote speech and unveiling some of the ideas from the book Groundswell for the first time.

We'll talk more about the winners right here in the blog, after the event is over.

Tags: Groundswell awards, Forrester Research, Groundswell

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Groundswell awards reminder

by Josh Bernoff

Quick reminder: the deadline for the Groundswell award submissions is less than two weeks away on September 1.

We continue to get nominations but I know there are more of you out there!

Here's a little hint to help you win: if you can prove your social application has delivered business value, you're way ahead.

Here's the link to the original description, Q&A on the awards and the new category: social impact. Send your submissions to groundswell@forrester.com.

Tags: Groundswell awards, Forrester Research, Groundswell

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Groundswell, A New Book From Forrester and Harvard Business School Press

By Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.

Well, it’s not out yet. But we’re excited – we have a publisher! Harvard Business School Press will be publishing Groundswell in Spring of 2008.

We couldn’t be more pleased. First, the HBS Press imprint stands for a high degree of quality around the world. And second, we’re very excited to be working with the quality editorial team they’ve assembled for us.

Third, HBS Press shares our enthusiasm for tapping the groundswell itself to help research and promote the book, from collecting and vetting ideas on this blog to connecting with all of you to help with promotion as we publish.

For more on the book, click here.

To join our mailing list for information on the book, send an email to groundswell @ forrester.com.

Gotta go . . . back to writing!

Tags: Forrester Research, Groundswell

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