A recent TechCrunch post reflected on the reasons Facebook and MySpace have failed to emotionally connect with Japanese users, commenting:

Mixi, the country’s biggest social network, positioned itself as a tool for communicating at a distance through diaries and communities to meet like-minded members. It doesn’t primarily exist to make new friends (poking is restricted) or as a platform for public self-presentation.

A perfect example of a cultural misconception: Mark Zuckerberg recently said in Tokyo one of Facebook’s unique selling points is the usage of real names and photos in profiles. This may be true but it’s exactly what Japanese web users usually try to avoid.

Whether or not TechCrunch’s observations are correct, it is a fact that all too often a company cobbles together a brand positioning statement based on superficial or incorrect perceptions of their target audience, whether the users are global or local. The company’s tribal knowledge, assumptions and incomplete or poorly executed research masquerade as insight. This makes it unlikely they will be able to establish a framework on which to emotionally connect with their target audience.

I can’t help you with the first two requirements. But I can suggest some questions that will help you understand your target user’s cultural, emotional and attitudinal perspectives regarding the category and category brands. Keep in mind that you may need to utilize indirect, as well as direct, questioning techniques since the target audience may be unable or unwilling to express their perspectives.

• Identify the lifestyle motivators behind your users’ decisions to help you understand the role your brand can play in their lives, i.e., why do they choose to live where they live? Why did they choose the type of car they drive? Why do they dress the way they do? Try to ascertain what drives their decisions…status, self-expression, security, etc.?
• How do your users wish to be perceived by others? Which brands assist them in attaining the image they seek?
• What are the emotional drivers that influence the target’s use of brands in your category? If your brand is a line of baking mixes, for example, determine what emotions motivate target users to bake. Is it love for their family, self-expression, etc.? What emotional benefits are most important to them? Do any of the category brands deliver the emotional benefits they’re seeking? If so, how?
• What are the specific features and functional benefits that ensure emotional satisfaction with the brand? How well do brands in the category, including yours, deliver these features and functional benefits?
• Also ask users what they dislike about brands in the category and what emotional needs are unmet so that you can understand how well your brand resolves their issues.
• What proof do users need to trust your brand will deliver what it says it will deliver?

One critical result of a well-defined target audience is understanding the emotional benefits that are important to target users and how your brand delivers on these emotional benefits. This does not preclude the importance of identifying demographic, geographic and technographic attributes. But keep in mind that you don’t want to amass a laundry list of information.

Ask questions that reveal opportunities to emotionally connect with your users and you’ll be well on your way to developing a richly compelling and successful brand.

See also:
brand – what is it?
positioning statement
point of difference
pain point
target audience
frame of reference
reason to believe
brand essence
portfolio architecture
commoditization

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BlackInAmerica.com, a social network for “socially-conscious African Americans” was insipired by CNN’s “Black in
America ” Series but is not affiliated with the network. The free site provides members with a community where they can post their pictures and profiles, read news and blogs, create and join groups, and meet and interact with each other.

Source: BlackInAmerica.com

Twitter, for the uninitiated, is a  social networking and micro blogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface that encourages users to share their answers to the question, “What are you doing right now?” Think IM on steroids.

But while there are those who are compelled to twitter minutiae (just like the ‘real’ world) there are others who are using Twitter to share ideas and pass along news and information. USA Today reports that Twitter has been used to communicate news in emergencies and natural disasters, and that brands, such as Comcast and Zappos, are utilizing Twitter to establish a dialogue with customers.

So is twittering a good idea for your brand? Take a look to see how Comcast customer service manager Frank Eliason interacts with other Twitterers online and utilize Twitter Search to learn what Twitters are twittering about your brand. Before you dive in, spend some time on the site first, to make sure you understand Twitter culture. And remember that communication on Twitter, just like any successful conversation, is based on authenticity and trust.

If you’re not used to twittering your way through the day it might seem odd…at first. But in time you may wonder how you (and your brand) did without it.

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Benefits include “tapping into new talent, helping design products and services, providing customer support and, most importantly, building the brand with the customer.” But the true value of online communities has yet to be realized.

In spite of this challenge, 35% of companies surveyed said they have seen an increase in word-of-mouth for their brands, 28% have seen their overall brand awareness increase and 24% say they’ve seen increased loyalty and quicker adoption of outside ideas.  According to survey respondents, the community features that most contribute to community effectiveness are:

-- Ability for community members to connect with like minded people: 53 %
-- Ability for members to help others: 43%
-- Community focus around a hot topic or issue: 41%

Conversely, poorly managed online communities are a critical barrier to their effectiveness. Forty-five percent of respondents recognize that finding enough time to manage the community is one of the biggest obstacles to making communities work. Survey respondents also see facilitation (25%) and quality of the community manager (34 %) as two features that greatly impact the community's effectiveness, making it critical for companies to devote the necessary resources to this important role.

A leading technology company is also using communities as a means of
customer support by monitoring communities as an early warning system for
product issues that can be expected to hit the help desk and prepares to
respond accordingly.

"Communities provide insight into new features and opportunities, identify customer needs, and enable open innovation," added Moran. "By participating in these communities and facilitating a bi-directional
conversation, companies can help engage top prospects and influence
purchase decisions."

The rich interaction and knowledge sharing typical within communities also allows for talent development and retention within organizations. Social media tools offer unparalleled visibility into employee sentiment
and expertise, thereby helping organizations to better leverage and develop
their talent.

The survey measured the responses of over 140 companies, including Fortune 100 organizations, which have created and maintain online communities today. Participating companies include leading computer manufacturers, software, insurance, online auction, media companies, hotel chains, and start ups. The communities ranged from fewer than 100 members to more than 10,000 members.

Source: Deloitte

According to Brandweek, RadioShack is partnering with Facebook to launch MyMosaic which s turning to social networks to raise brand awareness among younger consumers. The application forms a ‘mosaic’ from the Facebook pictures of the user’s friends. The intention is to raise brand awareness and connect with a younger user base.

See also:
A Mosaic Of Praise For Radio Shack's MyMosaic, MediaPost 7/16/08
RadioShack Social Media Application Creates Facebook Photo Mosaics, Reuters 7/7/08

Some parents are finding out that kid-friendly websites, those that cater to children and teens by monitoring bad behavior and keeping out adult predators, are not as kid-friendly as they thought. The anonymity of online combined with the unlikelihood of getting caught, and the minor repercussions if they do, have spurred some kids to steal from, scam and cheat other kids.

“In virtual worlds, child avatars need protecting -- from each other”, LA Times, July 2, 2008

Collective Intellect is a research company that provides tracking, filtering and ranking media research for the Fortune 500. The company uses a combination of algorithms and humans to identify emerging New Media and traditional media content across blogs, discussion boards and social networking websites. The company says their approach produces more comprehensive, timely and relevant results than traditional web search tools. Customers use Collective Intellect technology to:

• track information related to stocks and investing
• support public relations and investor relations activities
• facilitate customer support outreach programs
• create product management market research feedback programs
• develop interactive forums where customer relationships can be nurtured

Source: Collective Intellect, via Techcrunch

If the Internet is about facilitating connections, then anything that enriches those connections by making them more personal and multi-dimensional will be attractive to users.

That’s why I find the emergence of companies like ExitReality exciting. According to their website they are “a new social media platform that aims to improve your online experience with an enhanced 3D, multi-user, immersive messaging environment..”

You can create virtual photo galleries for you and your guests to walk through and discuss, post video clips that “transform into 3D flat-screen TVs that you can enjoy watching with your friends,” and “see and interact” with your friends while chatting with them online.” How cool is that? 

I'm curious to see if it can be used to facilitate online meetings and conference calls - could be a great option if the software isn't time consuming to learn to use.

ExitReality, via Techcrunch

In the 70’s there was a great commercial featuring a sweet-tempered Mother Nature who becomes enraged when she discovers that what she thinks is butter is actually Chiffon margarine. If you’re old enough you might remember the tagline: “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” (Watch the video of the spot in our left sidebar.)

The latest company to get slapped down is Slide, a company that makes widgets to help people express themselves, says Techcrunch. Apparently company employees wrote a slew of fake reviews on the company’s own reviews board.

Are you tempted to lob some false comments on a blog or forum to get some good buzz for your brand?  Just don’t do it---chances are you’ll get caught. And since actions speak louder than words, people will judge your brand by your company’s bad behavior.

Bazaarvoice utilizes consumer-generated content to drive customer loyalty and multi-channel sales. Solutions include products to enable customers to rate and review products, ask and answer questions, and share personal experiences to build an online community, establish brand loyalty, and increase buyer confidence.

They also include solutions to enable brands to capture, publish and syndicate consumer-generated product reviews.