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.

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)