Internet Marketing and Digital Media Strategy Sydney Australia

Breaking Bread with Bridget

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 July 2010 10:14 Written by Administrator Saturday, 17 July 2010 15:06

Engagement - Service with a SPARK and passion

The importance of online customer engagement

Over the last two weeks I have attended the Australian Online Retailing conference - about 2,500 delegates; an International Sports Marketing Conference - about 250 delegates and last Thursday, a breakfast with Internet Chef and Electrolux Ambassador Bridget Davis (the relevance of this explained later). The retailing conference was, as you can guess, about Online Retailing but interestingly there was equally as much conversation about pure plays (just online) as multichannel (both online and offline).

The sports conference was about Fan Engagement and Digital Strategy.Leading international speakers from Real Madrid Football Club; the US and the UK

Changing Media Models

In both conference cases Australia was 3-5 years behind the US and Europe where there has been a massive shift from the old mass media one way push to a multi-channel integrated bi-directional "push-pull" customer (fan) conversation. The result, advertising dollars moving to online (mostly at the expense of print) with a focus in those channels where their customers are – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc

You can’t ignore - we're already connected.

In ALL cases a seismic shift in corporate culture towards customer centric business engagement or FACE (Focus Attention on Customer Experience).

The facts are it's now not tomorrow - nearly all of us are ALREADY connected (just a different degrees). Today via the Internet and Social Media there is a 1:1 connection between creator and consumer – inefficient or non productive layers between are being disintermediated – old hierarchical business models are being challenged across all industries.

There are over 500m people on Facebook alone.

Flamers, Sneezers, Stranger and Fans

Online there are Flamers (put down your brand) and Sneezers (spread the good news) - there are also Strangers to Top Fans.
At the Online Retailing conference, Russell Harte, Head of Business Development and Delivery, Boots.com in the UK – (2,500 stores) talked about the organisations "zero complaints policy!"

In Boots case, the end result, they have a "zero complaints policy!". Now anyone who has ever been in business of any type knows that's 100% customer satisfaction is near impossible to achieve BUT you can respond and explain your position AND attempt to resolve the complaint (to their satisfaction).

People are already talking about your products and service.

You can’t control the communication but you can influence it.

Any business, saying "I didn't know" is not an excuse.

Examples: Wendell and Virgin Blue; Amazon GLBT hack; The Gap

The bonus is - if you get it right, then those digitally connected customer will rave.

Which leads me back to Bridget.

A breakfast degustación in Tetsuya's Masterclass kitchen at Electrolux HQ with Internet Chef and Electrolux brand ambassador Bridget Davis www.theinternetchef.biz and Twitter royalty Mahei (Iconic88) twitter.com/iconic88

I have to say one of the most pleasurable experiences I've ever had - love the entire concept. From a business marketing perspective we talk about customer engagement and creating unique experiences that WOW - events that resonate with your audience and compell to share.

LOVE IT!

As Mahei says - it is no longer WIIFM (What's In It For Me?) that matters BUT WRWM - (What Resonates With Me..my friends, family, community...).