Going Groundswell



My name is Ashley and I have a problem!

I wasn't sure if I would continue this blog after I finished my class last month, but today I have a new reason to write.  You see, I recently took what I learned about the power of social media and applied it to solve a real life problem.

A Tale of Missing Dresses and Horrible Customer Service

To give you the short(er) version, I am a bridesmaid in my brother’s wedding next month.  In February, my sister and I went to an Alfred Angelo store in North Attleboro, MA to order our dresses.  We were given an estimated shipment date of May 4^th and told, at the latest, they would arrive in 14 weeks.  This is week 14 and neither of us have our dresses.  When I stopped by the store yesterday to check on this situation, I was brushed off, scolded for ordering late, told no one knew where my dress was or when it would arrive and verbally attacked for asking to speak to a manager.  I left without my dress, but with the determination to fix this situation myself.

Don’t Get Even…Get Social

In addition to the 3 page email (see that was the short version) that I sent to Alfred Angelo customer service and the Better BusinessBureau, I shared my story on the Alfred Angelo Facebook page.  For some reason my wall posts kept disappearing (the joys of timeline), so I reposted it as a comment on the company’s post.  To Alfred Angelo’s credit, my comments were not deleted.  In fact, someone responded in a timely and helpful manner.  Five simple sentences that made me feel better and left me with a shred of respect for this company.  As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one singing the bridal shop blues.

For good measure, and to warn other unsuspecting potential customers, I also shared my story on Foursquare, Local.com and Google Reviews.

They Said “Yes” to Finding My Dress

The moral of this story is that social media works.  Today I received apologies from the Alfred Angelo Facebook page, the head customer service representative and the North Attleboro store manager.  I like to think that my use of social media is partly why.   It gave me the platform to stand up to an international company and tell them that I, Ashley, a customer who spent $140 on a single dress, matter.  I deserve to receive the product that I paid for and to be treated with respect.  I am told that my dress is now in the United States and will be available to pick up this Friday – exactly 14 weeks to the day that I ordered my dress.  While this experience has been less than pleasant, I will be happy to forget about it once I can confirm it has arrived.

Social Media Innovation In Higher Education

Social Media Innovation in Higher Education

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T.J. Maxx: Social Media Monitoring Report 2

T.J. Maxx Website

T.J. Maxx
I've now been monitoring T.J. Maxx and its use of social media for the past month and a half.  In addition to Social Mention, Ice Rocket and Addictomatic, I also used Google Insights, Starcount and Compete to expand my data analysis.

Compete.com

Social Media Metrics

Social Mention:  I tried to be more scientific in gathering social media metrics by checking at the same time each day.  I found the results to be much more consistent.  The strength is considerably higher on Saturdays, which makes sense, because more people are likely to be out shopping and talking about their purchases on social media.

Sat. 3.17          /          Tue. 3.20           /          Sat. 3.24           /           Tue. 3.27

Ice Rocket:  The number of blogs mentioning T.J. Maxx nearly doubled during the second half of my social media monitoring.  From 2/13/12 to 3/13/12 there were only 476 posts.  From 2/27/12 to 3/27/12 there were 861 posts with and average of 28.7 posts per day.  The number of posts spiked to 40 on March 2nd.

Ice Rocket - Graph of Blog Posts 2/27/12 - 3/27/12

Google Insights:  Google searches for T.J. Maxx have steadily increased over the past 8 years.  The number of searches spikes every December for the holiday season.

Google Searches from 2004 - 2012

Starcount:  Using Starcount I was able to measure the growth of T.J. Maxx Facebook followers.  The page has gained 32,049 followers in the past two weeks. 

  

Facebook fans as of 3.27.12.

Listening & Engaging

I had previously found that T.J. Maxx did a good job of listening and engaging fans through its social media pages.  Unfortunately, there's been some recent controversy with hate group known as One Million Moms. 

Read: OMM is not letting up on "GCB" 

T.J. Maxx not only made a bad business decision (in my opinion), but it is compounding this mistake by ignoring followers who are questioning this, while still responding to less controversial posts. 

Selective Hearing:  T.J. Maxx ignores a negative comment while responding to another post made at the same time.

Goals

1. Online Retailing - The company needs to move forward with its e-commerce plan and fast!
2. Listen Equally - The "GCB" controversy is a major step back in social media efforts.  
3. Respond Faster -   Someone should be monitoring the site all day or if that's not possible, a specific question and answer period could be made so followers aren't left hanging.
4. More Engaging - There should be more updates/questions on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  Also, the company could stage specific events, like a Twitter chat with buyers, fashion bloggers, etc.
5. Better Incentives - T.J. Maxx needs to draw more people to its social media sites.  It could hold more competitions or simply feature a shopper/outfit of the day.  Once the retail site is up, there could be 10% off on Tuesdays.







TJ Maxx: Social Media Monitoring Report 1

TJ Maxx Rant (YouTube)

When it comes to TJ Maxx there’s no lack of customer enthusiasm. But brand passion can easily go both ways. Take this rant from YouTube vlogger, MyStudioPhix, as an example. In the video, she shares her frustration as a loyal TJ Maxx shopper, who is told she can only receive a discount by signing up for the company credit card she already has. Less than a week later, she posts a follow up video explaining how her local store remedied the situation. The two videos only received about 100 combined views, but MyStudioPhix has posted a total of 60 videos in the past 15 months and she’s got a consistent following. Other TJ Maxx shoppers are definitely watching and they’re seeing social media documentation of the company’s good customer service.

About the Company

TJ Maxx is the United States’ largest off-price retailer with merchandise costing 20-60% less than other department stores.  Its target consumer, also known as a maxxinista, is a middle to upper-middle income woman, who is fashion savvy and value conscious.  I’m monitoring TJ Maxx social media with the help of Social Mention, Ice Rocket and Addictomatic.

Social Media

In terms of TJ Maxx’s own social media initiatives there’s definitely room for improvement.  But the company does well, considering it doesn’t even have a full retail website.   While many of its competitors allow customers to browse and purchase more items than are available in their stores, TJ Maxx only has a few photos of seasonal trends.  On February 22, CEO Carol Meyrowitz announced plans to change that.

Read more:  TJX Chief Revives Failed E-Commerce Effort  

Facebook

The TJ Maxx Facebook page has 827,080 likes and 27,243 people talking about it. That’s a lot less than its department store competitors Macy’s and Kohl’s, whose Facebook pages have over 4 and 6 million likes respectively. Still, TJ Maxx makes the most of its presence with engaging daily posts and regular responses to fans' comments and questions. I think the company will be able to make more connections with its future online retail effort by posting with links back to specific products.

Twitter

TJ Maxx's Twitter account has 39,188 followers.  That's about 12 thousand more than Kohl's, but TJ Maxx tweets only half as much. The company is encouraging more followers to tweet with its #maxxfinds competition - offering a $1,000 gift card for the best entry.

YouTube & Blogs

TJ Maxx could greatly improve its social media presence by adding more content to its YouTube channel.  Currently the company has 157 subscribers, but only four videos available.  I know there were past videos that have been deleted, which is fine, but I think it comes across as sporadic.

TJ Maxx doesn't have a company blog but it made a really smart move incorporating fashion blogger Lindsey Calla in recent TV commercials.  The company added this video to the YouTube channel last month.  It offers a glimpse of spring trends and viewers know they can go to Calla's blog to learn more, since she regularly talks about TJ Maxx.  By doing this the company is saving money that it would have spent on an internal blogger and making an important connection to social media.

Social Mention statistics from 2/13/12 - 3/13/12

Strength, Passion, Reach and Sentiment



Strongest sentiment on 3/10/12: 12:1

According to Social Mention, TJ Maxx is definitely being talked about.  In fact, the company's strength grew the most towards the end of February - around the time the online retailing announcement was made.  From what I saw, most of the discussion is on Facebook and Twitter, which makes sense, because that's where TJ Maxx has an official social media presence.  Passion about the company was strongest in early February, but it declined as reach started to increase.  That means the company has more unique authors but not as many repeat mentions.  Sentiment for TJ Mass is consistently positive, with my customers using social media to brag about their purchases.  The company averaged 8:1 positive to negative sentiment for the month.

Suggestions

As I mentioned before, TJ Maxx customers are very enthusiatic about the brand.  The company does a good job engaging this enthusiasm but I think it could make more connections by posting more frequently on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  I really like the #maxxfinds competition, but it would be great if they added other incentives.  A fan of the day or week could be prominently featured with a picture of the great outfit he or she bought at TJ Maxx or maybe a positive story from a recent shopping trip.  As for Twitter, it could be a buyer or a blogger like Lindsey Calla doing a live chat once in a while.  The same could work for YouTube, though it would be nice to see an incorporation of fan videos as well.

Ubiquitous Groundswell: The Evolution of Social Media

Undercover Boss (YouTube)

If you’ve ever seen the CBS show “Undercover Boss,” you know how hard it can be for larger corporations to communicate.  Typically, employees are spread out across the country – if not the world - and bosses are focused on the bottom line as opposed to the individual workers.  The CEO spends a week working various jobs and learns first hand how the company can better serve its employees, and thus itself.

“Internal groundswell applications […] can make them feel empowered, connected and more committed on a day-to-day basis.” (Li & Bernoff 216)

But even before the show first aired, there were companies like Best Buy using social media to overcome these internal communication struggles.  The company launched an online community called Blue Shirt Nation in 2006.  All employees were encouraged to use the site to reach out to other employees and to share ideas with bigger bosses.  It gave them a voice to request email addresses and to protest a proposed decrease in the employee discount.  According to Groundswell authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, “Blue Shirt Nation brought blue shirts together for listening and problem solving.” (220)  The community became so popular, that by 2008, organizers decided it needed an upgrade. 

Read Steve Bendt’s blog post:  Blue Shirt Nation Evolution - Staying True to the Learning

BSN Mix was later discontinued as the company shifted its social media priorities to include employees and customers.  Best Buy now operates through a variety of social platforms – everything from Facebook to community forums.  And it has seen a lot of success through Twelpforce – a technology twitter feed that allows customers to get their questions answered directly by employees.

As Li and Bernoff suggest at the end of their book, the groundswell is quickly transforming into the “ubiquitous groundswell.”  In other words, it’s a part of our life from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep.  It’s as important for our social connections as it is for fulfilling our work obligations.  To succeed in this environment one must “live in the groundswell and grow as it grows.” (234)  This is important for companies like Best Buy, but even more so for educational institutions.  After all, the students they’re trying to recruit are the pioneers of many new groundswell technologies.

Read:  7 Ways Universities Are Using Facebook as a Marketing Tool

What do you think of UK's social media strategy?

The University of Kentucky is an example of the ubiquitous groundswell.  The school uses actual wooden signs shaped like Facebook place markers to indicate mobile check-in locations on campus.  So even if students aren’t on a computer or mobile phone, they’re faced with social media symbols in everyday life.  Three years ago, no one would know what the sign meant.  Now it’s taken to be a universally understood part of our culture.  That’s how fast the groundswell is changing.  It has virtually become a part of our reality.

Apped to be Social?

A friend just sent me an article about the Forecast app, which claims to help predict the future.  It seemed silly, but I thought I’d check it out.

Read the article: Have Facebook?  You can now check into the future with Forecast.

Basically you can tell friends where you’re going to be and at what time, so they can plan to join you if they want to.  The beta version launched last summer, but I don’t know of anyone who’s using it.  And I’m not sure why they would.

“The groundswell is about to get embedded within every activity, not just on computer but on mobile devices and in the real world.” (Li and Bernoff, 235)

In the book Groundswell, the authors talk a lot about groundswell thinking and the fact that it’s not going away.  In the last chapter they focus on the future, calling it the “ubiquitous groundswell.”  But the book came out four years ago, so is Forecast a sign that the ubiquitous groundswell is already here?

A new way to make plans?

Just like Foursquare, Forecast could be a great way for advertisers and companies to learn more about you and target you with relevant products or services.  But is it really socially more helpful?  If I wanted a friend to meet me somewhere, I’d invite them.  If a friend wanted to know where I was, I’d tell them.  To me this app seems like one more way to avoid actual human interaction.

Don’t get me wrong, I downloaded the Facebook app immediately after purchasing my smart phone, and I use it almost every day.  I also stay connected with my Gmail app. But I wonder if I any of the other apps I use are actually making me more social.

Do you prefer solo games
like Tetris, or social games
like Words with Friends?

If I’m bored I’ll use my Tetris app, but I try to limit myself to one game.  It’s so addicting, I swear I’ve seen the shapes in my head even when I’m not playing!  It’s great to have in an empty waiting room, but I’ve caught myself playing it when I’m out to eat with my family, which is not only anti-social but just plain rude! 

I haven’t tried Words With Friends yet, but I know that way I could play with other people.  I think I do need to expand to more social apps, but I don't think I'll be downloading Forecast anytime soon.  Would you use Forecast?  What are you favorite social apps?  Any suggestions for me?

Is there really an app for everything? (YouTube)

Surviving Social Media Backlash

Dell recalls batteries after reports of "exploding laptops" (YouTube)

It’s a bad day for everyone when a laptop spontaneously combusts.  It happened to several Dell customers in 2006, including one man whose laptop went up if flames at a conference in Japan. 

(Engadget.com)

Pictures of the “flaming notebook” fueled Dell’s already-vocal critics in the blogosphere.  In many ways, it was rock bottom for a company that had initially succeeded with its offering of custom built laptops and a reputation for high customer satisfaction.

Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, authors of the book Groundswell, dub this time “Dell hell.”  But they also explain how social media helped the company regain its customer focus and restore brand loyalty. 

“Authenticity was crucial.  Dell couldn’t get anywhere in the groundswell until it honestly admitted its flaws.”

(Li and Bernoff, 211)

In July 2006, Product PR person and Chief Blogger, Lionel Menchaca, addressed the “flaming notebook” situation on Dell’s official blog and assured followers they were actively looking into the suspected cause.  

Read the post:  “Flaming Notebook” 

A month later the post was updated with a link to recall guidelines for the faulty lithium ion batteries presumed to have caused the fire.  Instead of further criticism, most people responded with gratitude.  Dell was finally admitting its flaws and showing a commitment to making changes.

While Dell learned its lesson, other companies have continued to make customer service mistakes and have subsequently faced the wrath of social media.  In July 2011, Netflix announced it was doubling its rate and splitting services into two different companies.  Netflix would continue to offer video streaming services, while a new company called Qwikster would distribute the dvds.  Instead of paying $8 per month for both services customers would pay $8 per month for each service.  The result - Netflix stocks suffered as roughly 800,000 customers ended their subscription. 

These are just 2 of the 81,754 comments on the Netflix Facebook page following its announcement.

The customers who stayed criticized the company for choosing a new name that was already in use on Twitter.  People who searched for the handle @Qwikster found tweets featuring profanities and drug references.  In September, Netflix apologized for its "arrogance "and in October the company officially ended its plans to separate services.

Read the post:  DVDs Staying at Netflix

Had Netflix read Chapter 10 of Groundswell, it may have avoided the backlash.  The company was already well-established in social media, but it wasn’t using the groundswell to effectively engage or listen to customers.  Instead, it boldly announced a major change and simply assumed customers would go along with it.  Maybe next time Netflix will take advantage of the customer insight at its fingertips.

Confessions of a Shopaholic Turned Social Media Success

(Confessions of a Shopaholic, YouTube)

I like to shop – for things I need, for things I want, and sometimes, for things I don’t know I want until I see them.  I consider myself retail savvy, but I’ve learned a lot from my impulsive past.  I try to avoid buyer’s regret and for a long time that meant I also avoided shopping online.  I changed my mind recently and social media is a big part of the reason why.

Better Comparison Shopping - Practically any item you could want to purchase is available online.  Instead of traveling from one store to the next wasting gas, time and energy you can usually find exactly what you want in a few clicks.  And before you buy, you can use the reviews of other shoppers to help you decide.

"People are far more willing to trust each other than a company." (Li and Bernoff, 158)

 was offering a free smart phone with a new contract around Christmas and I was ready to buy.  I just didn’t know what phone was right for me.  I narrowed it down to two products and compared the specifications. 



HTC Droid Incredible 2





Samsung Galaxy



After looking at the few details I understood and cared about, I decided that I liked the design and camera quality of the HTC better.  The only drawback is that it operates on 3G, while the Samsung has 4G capabilities. Since that isn’t my area of expertise, the customer ratings and reviews were the real tie-breaker.

  

78 people responded to Best Buy's request for feedback on just 2 phones - that's a lot of information with more credibility than I could get from just one employee.

 Besides a better overall rating for HTC, most of the reviews confirmed that it has “great picture quality.”  Meanwhile, the Samsung had a lot of complaints (even in the positive reviews) that the screen freezes and the network has trouble switching out of 4G in areas where it isn’t available. 

I ended up buying the HTC, and like 87% of the customers who reviewed the phone, I also recommended it to others.  My aunt ended up buying one for herself and her husband.  So Best Buy got three sales and the customer feedback eliminated most of the work.  Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s book, Groundswell calls this use of social media to better market products “energizing the base. “ 

 Free Fashion Advice - With so many shopping options online, it can be hard to make a decision on your own.  Sometimes what you’re really shopping for is a good opinion.



 is one of my favorite sites.  I usually go there when I’ve seen a style I like, but I’m looking for a better price or a different color.  It also acts as a social networking site where you can create your own looks, join groups run by other members, and give and receive tips by commenting on shared looks.

I shared this look today and I’m excited to see what suggestions other members might have.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still visit plenty of stores in person.  But there’s something nice about shopping with the help of social media.  Have you tried it?  Have you been energized by a particular brand or product to participate in the groundswell?

“Word of mouth works because:  it’s believable; it’s self-reinforcing; it’s self-spreading.” (130)

 

 

Social Media: Creating Conversations

If it can pulverize an iPhone, Blendtec’s Total Blender - featured in the Will it Blend video series - will definitely do the job with your fruits and veggies.  A 2 minute video demonstration was posted on YouTube back in 2007 and has been viewed nearly 10.5 million times since.

Check out the slow-motion replay at 0:38!

After proclaiming the finished product “iSmoke,” Blendtec CEO Tom Dickinson invites viewers to learn more about the blender and submit suggestions for future videos at the Will it Blend minisite.  It’s like a low-budget infomercial gone viral, but it’s also interactive.  According to Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s book Groundswell, it’s a great example of social media marketing.

“Blendtec had exploited the groundswell’s viral potential for marketing messages.” (Li and Bernoff, 100)

One the biggest lessons I’ve learned from reading this social media guide, is that people are the most important factor in any online interaction.  Would as many people watch a video showing how the quality of eye glasses is tested?  Maybe, maybe not.  Li and Bernoff say “there is no one ‘right way’ to engage with the groundswell.” (75)  But you’re more likely to succeed if you follow the POST method.  The acronym is a step-by-step process of how to approach social media; it stands for People, Objectives, Strategy and Technology.

Read more: The POST Method by: Josh Bernoff

So how do you find out about people?  It starts with developing a Social Technographics Profile.  In chapter four of Groundswell, the authors describe 6 categories of social media participation: Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators and Inactives.

Some people fall into multiple catergories - what are you?

According to their research on U.S. adults who are online, the most people – roughly 48% of those surveyed in 2007 - are considered spectators, who “consume what others produce.” (45)  So it makes sense that the most common groundswell activity is watching videos from other users.  Of course most companies would try to develop a more specific profile based on their consumer’s age, country and gender.

Try it now: Social Technographics Profile Tool

As you saw, Blendtec found its social media niche hooking consumers – and other viral video fans – with its online demos.  But the company has capitalized on that success by creating a conversation with customers.  After all, it was a viewer’s idea to blend the iPhone.  The company not only listens to suggestions, but also shares news, live demonstration dates, health tips and recipes on the Will it Blog section of its website.

 “Conversations require work, but they do influence people […] – and not just those who comment, but those who read those comments.” (102)

Sometimes these conversations can be tricky, just ask Facebook.  The social networking site is no stranger to backlash when it comes to layout changes.  It happened when the news feed was introduced and it’s happening again with the upcoming mandatory adoption of Timeline.

Read more: Facebook Timeline:  Disliked by the Masses by: Alissa Skelton

But this time around you actually can ask Facebook – you just might not get a direct response.  In an attempt to be proactive, the company created a Facebook Timeline page where it shares new features and talks about different privacy settings.  The posts get a lot of comments – a good mix of complaints and questions.  Facebook may not have the time to answer everyone, but it has done a lot to prepare users for the change.

Are you ready for Timeline?  Would you delete your account because of this change?

A Cyber Celebration: The start of a life in social media

Baby Bryce

The call came at 3:51 a.m. on January 19.  After nine months of anticipation, my nephew Bryce was ready to join the world.  As my parents and I awaited his arrival at the hospital, our friends and extended family were finding out from Facebook that the baby was on his way.  Minutes after his birth, I changed my status to announce that I was an aunt and uploaded a picture to my wall.  Relatives in Michigan, New York and Washington D.C. instantaneously responded with “Likes” and messages of congratulations.  But they weren’t the only ones.  Friends of friends, former co-workers and people I only know online also commented on the exciting news.  It was a celebration that could only have taken place online.

My first picture as "Auntie Ashley"

Forget a formal announcement or an exhausting list of phone calls, when you have big news to share, social media is the fastest and easiest way to do it.  According to the book Groundswell, this technology thrives because people have an “eternal desire to connect.”  What better reason to connect than the joy of a new baby?

With more than 800 million users, Facebook is one of the biggest names in social media.  It’s the site I use the most, but definitely not the only one.  Throughout my sister’s pregnancy, I regularly checked out her profile on thebump.com.  The social networking site helps expectant mothers share their experiences with each other and provides unlimited resources to answer all their pregnancy questions.  But anyone can log on and track the baby’s growth or find out where mommy and daddy are registered.

Social media websites are also helpful in choosing a baby name.  My sister and brother-in-law had very specific requirements:  it couldn’t end in “n” because that wouldn’t work with their last name, they didn’t want something too popular or too weird and they wanted a possible nickname.  When we came across Bryce on BabyNames.com (I say “we” because my whole family was involved in the process), it showed us its ranking among U.S. Births and a rating by members.

 A good name, but not too popular!

We turned to Yahoo! Answers when no one could think of a middle name.   In response to the question “What’s a good middle name for Bryce?” we found an older post where nearly 30 people had made suggestions.  My brother-in-law came up with Avery, which like many of the answers started with an “A” and had two syllables.

Would you let strangers help name your baby?

Now that Bryce is here, we’ve continued sharing special moments of his life on social media.  His first photo shoot - hundreds of pictures taken by a family friend - are posted on shutterfly.com.  My brother-in-law prefers to tweet some adorable candids using the Instagram app on his iphone.

With so much information about Bryce already available online, it’s hard to believe he’s only two weeks old.  I wonder how much will be out there when he’s my age?  And who will be able to see it?  Will baby pictures show up when a future employer searches for his name?  In some sense, his entire life will be captured by social media.  Is that a good thing?  A bad thing?