Marketing Today

Facebook Jumped the Shark

One day last week it occurred to me that Facebook had jumped the shark.  This phrase refers to a desperate attempt to lure in more viewers by doing something that goes against character.  (Like the Fonz did in one of the last Happy Days episodes.) It's also a sign that something has probably passed its peak.

I think that Facebook is there.  Facebook is a free social networking site modeled after a paper facebook that members of a campus community that some colleges give to incoming students, faculty, and staff as a way to get to know other people on campus.  The site actually began at Harvard University and expanded to other schools before going mainstream after accepting investment money from a variety of major sources.

Jumping Into Facebook

Like many people, I jumped into Facebook to learn what it was all about.  As a marketer, I looked at how companies like M&M Mars launched new types of candy to consumers with innovative Facebook marketing campaigns.  I joined a few groups with friends and former co-workers and I started a group of my own for the not-for-profit that I work with.  And, through the experience of using Facebook, I connected with people I hadn't seen since elementary school, high school, past jobs, and people with the same last name as mine that I'd never met before.  I also connected with friends and neighbors that I see almost every day.  Being on Facebook seemed cool.

Facebook Jumps the Shark

This past year, Facebook has changed its user interface twice and now looks more like a Twitter stream.  The parts of Facebook that I found interesting - groups, ad campaigns,  etc. are buried.  And, then there's the suspicious e-mail through Facebook which carried a virus.  (Happily I recognized it and deleted it, but others I know weren't as fortunate.)  With founders and executives leaving for other opportunities and all the changes to the site, I have to believe that Facebook has gotten too big.  The pressure from investors to hit financial goals or number of users have ruined the online community that got it to this size.  It has jumped the shark.

Blurring the Lines with Social Networking on Facebook

This past week, I deleted about 50 friends out of Facebook and I'll probably go back and delete a few more.  (Note - if you're on the delete list, don't take it personally.  If you want to get in touch with me, just call.)  It was bugging me that it was so easy for friends to post a casual comment that just wasn't appropriate for business contacts to see.  And, vice versa.  People I went to high school with, I doubt care what industry networking event I'm headed to or about some article from the NY Times on cloud computing I post because some of my industry friends will find it interesting.

Long story short, I'm glad to have reconnected with some of the folks that found me on Facebook.  Other folks I connected with, I just don't have that much in common any more which is why we hadn't chatted in 20 years or more.  The latest UI makes Facebook less interesting for me to use or put the time into.  And, then there's Twitter to capture my interest right now.  I'll write a blog entry when I think Twitter has jumped the shark.

KFC Colonel Joins Road Crew to Fix Louisville's Potholes

Colonel Sanders out fixing potholes in Louisville, Kentucky?  That's right!  On March 25th, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) announced:  "KFC COLONEL AND ROAD REPAIR CREW TAKE ADVERTISING TO THE STREETS TO RE-“FRESH” AMERICA’S POTHOLE-STRICKEN ROADWAYS"

What an interesting way for an established brand to create news by linking product news that doesn't really seem all that newsworthy ("In Honor of its Freshly Delivered and Prepared Fried Chicken on the Bone...") to an event that gets national pickup by the press.

My Personal History with KFC

In the interest of full disclosure, 90% of my family lives in Kentucky and I've been eating Kentucky Fried Chicken at family picnics and events my whole life.  Along with my brother and sister, I actually worked at the KFC in Westport, CT for a few summers while on college break.  None of us know the secret recipe which is locked in a vault somewhere.  We do know that the recipe never changes and that there's a strict way to cook that chicken so it always tastes the way you expect it to.  This is part of why I thought this press release was so interesting.  It's a reminder that KFC is still using "fresh chicken on the bone" as it has for 50 years and making the connection to becoming the "first ever corporate sponsor of 'fresh-ly repaired potholes in U.S. Cities."

Cause Marketing

As all of us marketers scramble to pick up social networking skills and promote our products and services out there in cyberspace, it's important to remember the people we market to and what matters to them.  Cause marketing has been around as long as public relations has been around.  It's the concept of combining the efforts of a for profit business with a non-for-profit business cause for mutual benefit.  And, if all goes well, everyone's happy and you get a great story to tell.

According to KFC, they are looking to mayors from cities across the United States to nominate their cities for the Colonel's KFC-branded pothole repair.  This marketer sure hopes that Mayor Menino of Boston nominates my town for the program.  I'm a loyal fan of Kentucky Fried Chicken who will be buying a couple of buckets for my annual Kentucky Derby party this year.  If I get over to my local KFC without losing my car in a pot hole, I'd be mighty appreciative of that!

Proof that Social Networking Really Works!

People often ask me if think that putting yourself out there via social networking really makes a difference or if I'm just spewing my personal information out into Cyberspace.  My answer is that the way that people gather information has changed incredibly fast and the best way to communicate with others is where they are - which is online.  And, that I have evidence to prove that social networking works.

A Little Background Before The Evidence

I know that I often draw attention with my blog - especially when I write about things consumers like such as Mighty Mend-It; Cute Things Falling Asleep; or Maker's Mark.  My stats go up when I publish an entry that captures interest.  I can see which URL led to which blog entry or which entry drew the most comments.  Recently though, I was presented with some compelling evidence that the people at JetBlue were paying attention to social networkers when I received a really thoughtful e-mail from a senior executive the day after I posted a heartfelt piece based on a good experience I had flying from Boston to Washington, DC.

Exhibit A -  My Blog Entry:  "JetBlue Likes Me. They Really Like Me"

Exhibit B - The E-Mail I Received The Next Day From The Exec Went to My Website To Figure Out How to Contact Me:

Ms. Gunst - I read your blog and I want to thank you for your business and your nice comments.  As one of the 'little guys' we have to fight for every customer, and now you know our secret:  we treat everyone the way we want to be treated.

Sad to say that airline travel is so bad that your experience stood out, but we'll take any advantage that we can!  Many of us are refugees from legacy airlines, and we all came to JetBlue for the same reason:  we were sick of working for service companies that didn't believe in service, and we knew there was a better way! 

I can't guarantee that every flight will be as perfect as yours was, but we do our best.  Unfortunately, we know we can't deliver perfection 100% of the time, but if we can do it 90 or 95%, we know we're about 60 or 70 points ahead of Delta and American.

Thanks again -- we look forward to serving you again.

Conclusion:  I'll be flying JetBlue again when ever I can.  And, because I respect their social networking skills, I now follow them on Twitter.

Happy 20th Birthday World Wide Web!

This month celebrates the 20th anniversary of the World Wide Web.  Given all that has changed because of the Internet, it seems like it must have been around longer than that doesn't it?

My First Web Experience

I was working in product marketing for desktop applications at Lotus when I got my first demo of the web in 1993 from Reed Sturtevant who was working with Lotus Notes at the time.  He told me that the Internet was going to be big and I believed him because I believe everything Reed says.  I have to say though, that when he demoed it to me, there wasn't a whole lot out there to look at.  It wasn't long before we had a company website up that was originally run by the PR department and treated like electronic marcomm.  After the purchase of Lotus by IBM, I was itching to go work for an Internet startup so I volunteered for every project we had that involved the Internet because, like Reed, I'd caught on that the World Wide Web was going to be big.

The World Wide Web Changed Everything

When's the last time you called a travel agent?  Read the print edition of a newspaper?  Went to the library to read back issues of Consumer Reports when you were looking to buy something?  It's been a while, hasn't it?  In the last 20 years, we've gotten whole businesses created around selling our junk online (eBay); posting movies online (YouTube); finding old classmates and friends (Facebook); blogging (Typepad) and microblogging (Twitter).  The web has created a whole new vocabulary for us.

Here's to Twenty More Great Years

Who would have guessed that when I first got my first demo of the Internet 16 years ago, that I'd personally own four URLs today?  Or that I'd create two websites by myself?  Who would have predicted that AOL would die off slowly only to get replaced by Facebook and other online community sites?  Who would have dreamed up microblogging on Twitter?  Who can say what's coming next?  People say that technology has pulled us out of the last few recessions.  Hopefully, new innovation on the web by entrepreneurs will pull us out of the current recession.  I can't wait to see what's coming next! 

JetBlue Likes Me! They Really Like Me!

Even though I am the last person in America to try JetBlue, I gotta say that I'm so glad that I did.  I love when an organization makes something I take for granted (like airline travel) so much better because they stay close to their customers and follow their competition to create a better experience.  That's marketing!

As a long time flyer on the big airlines - USAir, Northwest, Delta, and American - I'm used to being treated like cattle.  I actually expect it.  From making reservations and settling for a bad time to fly to sitting in a dirty airplane and not even being offered peanuts to eat, my standards have gotten really low.  Flying to mean is a means to an end for me.

JetBlue is Really Different!

I made online reservations and got the time that I wanted to fly through an easy-to-use site.  I showed up at the airport and headed over to the online kiosk to check my bag through an efficient system.  Then I headed over to the gate and hopped on the plane.  The plane was clean and I could hook right into DirectTV on the flight.  No cheesy reruns to watch on inflight TV!  I was offered Dunkin' Donuts coffee and animal crackers (it was an early morning flight!) and left alone.  I deplaned at Dulles - again in a clean terminal and picked up my bag and headed off for the day.  Doesn't sound like much does it?  But when you start your day with surly people who want to charge you for everything from walking through their terminal (just kidding!) to using a pillow on their flight, it gets your day started on a different note.

JetBlue Asked For My Opinion

Just 24 hours after I flew, JetBlue sent me an online questionaire to see how my experience went.  They asked me how I liked everything from their airline pilot's message on flight to my choice of programs on DirectTV in flight.  I think they want to keep me as their customer!

These days, we have a lot of options as to who we chose to do business with.  Times are tough and we're selective as to how we spend our money and who we spend it with.  I'd much rather do business with someone who wants me as a customer than with someone who seems to care less.  Making my customer experience a pleasant one, ensures that I'll be a repeat customer too.  Go JetBlue!