#socialmedia you say?

Pinterest: Ok I get it now...

2012-02-12T18:40:00.000+01:00

I spent a good amount of time playing around with Pinterest this weekend - both for work and personal purposes. Ten million or so users now in a couple of years. Pretty impressive. I wanted to do this for a while, and had messed with it early on, but had never really "groked" it before so I figured I'd wait and see.

But then I had this concept for a business use of the platform for work, which motivated me to experiment a little deeper this time. All of a sudden, I had this ah-ha! moment. It occurred to me that I didn't really need to maintain this blog anymore - at all. Here's why.

We live in a age of mutating human communications. I think it's both technology and genetically-driven. People absorb information differently nowadays - in packets bursts - much like TPC/IP, the technical foundation of the Internet. And this ad-hoc, quick, information burst model is how information travels on networks like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, or Pinterest. You go on, you go off, you grab a piece here, a piece there. Reconstitute as needed (or not). Some is legitimate, some isn't. In either case it's 24/7, completely redundant, and very fast.

I know from observation and experience that young people are no longer wired to process large chunks of information. Neither are customers, interestingly enough. And since young people are our future customers, there's an ominous warning there. Because it's not just about building presence on new social networks - that's the easy part - It's about learning how to talk to humans 3.0.

Because when you push out big blobs of content, or publish long blog posts, or make people wade through long videos, or countless archives in some kind of cute database to find critical information they need right now, it's not surprising they tune out. Heck, they can't keep up biologically anymore. Don't even bother!

Back to Pinterest. As I was setting up my personal account on there, I started thinking. If you want to know a little bit about me, you can spend the next several hours going through my blog posts here. And probably hit older posts on previous blogs I've maintained. And read a lot of stuff.

Or you can go check out my new Pinterest boards. It's all visual, it's immediate. So stupidly simple, there's really nothing to say about it. Watches, social media, what's inside my Kindle, a little Chuck Norris humor. Yup, that's pretty much all you need to know about me really :)

And all of a sudden, I get it now. And I'm not even a woman :)

Social Media Checklists: Cleared for Takeoff?

2012-01-30T10:53:00.000+01:00

I did Altucher this weekend, which is why I'm late in posting now. Between my social media work at Autodesk and the time I spend reading other people's stuff, it's been a challenge finding time. Especially when I find content I really like. This weekend I spent hours reading every single post this guy ever wrote since 2010.

James is a pretty famous guy who made and lost millions (not necessarily in that order), lives in my home town of New York City, and became an accomplished author essentially by giving his material away for free.

I won't go into the details of what this guy writes about. Suffice to say he hasn't had a bad post since 2010, and that's a pretty good batting average. Go read his material - I hope you get as hooked on it as I did.

What the heck does this have to do with social media? Stick with me, I'm getting there. You see, buried in the vast flow of Altucherism is a nugget called Atul Gawande. That's Dr. Gawande to us mere mortals.

To find him, you have to read Altucher's post about living forever. Go ahead. Do it. It's in item #10 about avoiding hospitals. See it? Great. Now, if you're involved in any kind of training or coaching for social media in a very large organisation, click on the link, and either order or Kindle the guy's book The Checklist Manifesto.

At Autodesk, my team is responsible for on-boarding customer service staff onto social media channels. We started with forums and Twitter. We're headed out to new frontiers shortly. Now, I'm not a certified trainer - I only play one on TV - but through experience and trial and error, I've been learning a lot about training people to be successful on social media channels in the past six months. And you know what? It's quite a challenge. And I'm talking about working with really good people here - experienced, seasoned folks used to real phone/email combat in the customer service trenches.

In the process, we did classroom training, videos, screencasts, vendor tools training, real-time piloting (as I call it), simulated exercises, learn-by-example, ad-hoc mentoring, you name it. We bought books, we wrote guidelines, what-if scenarios, and a myriad of shared documents on what to say, where to say it, how to say it, why to say it, etc. In a real-time 24/5 context, this stuff can get pretty hairy. Can you spell "information overload"? Additionally, we work social on a global level with international teams. So you have cultural differences as well. And then of course, different people have different levels of familiarity with different channels, various approaches to learning and retaining, and so on.

Yet of all the techniques and methods employed, at least so far, I noticed early on that "pilot checklists" were the most efficient. So now you see why, upon reading about Dr. Gawande's work, something clicked for me. More importantly, the Manifesto identifies three types of problems: simple, complicated, and complex. Social media oscillates between the latter two. So can checklists help tackle these? I think so.

It turns out that a lot of social media interaction (monitoring and engagement) can be decomposed into discrete and well-defined sets of simple sequential steps. I know this because I'm working on social media capacity modeling these days. And to do this right, you need to know how much time people spend doing social. Turns out with a little experience you can clock both monitoring, triaging, and engagement activities to the second. If you have the frequency of events, and the time per event, and you know how many hours a day an agent can spend on social, then you have a pretty decent capacity model.

I know most of us "experts" - much like the doctors in the Manifesto - like to think of social media as a "gift" only a chosen few can master, but that's just nonsense. Truth be told, social media is not "voodoo" anymore. This is particularly true for sheer engagement. And most people can learn this stuff effectively. They need to be inherently "social" - which is a human trait (nature) - and they need the right checklist, which is a machine/process trait (nurture). Then they need to read the checklist of course.

The checklist for Twitter pretty much goes like this (it's roughly the same in any other channel):

Find a post (we have a triaging decision map)
Assign it to yourself (we use Radian6's Engagement Console)
Classify it (discrete values)
Select engagement level (a workflow state machine)
Annotate it (metadata)
Tag it
Respond
Sign response (like ^XYZ)
If needed, go into DM mode (exchanging private user information)
Create corresponding case in CRM if and as needed

I'm simplifying somewhat here, but you get the point. You can do the same thing for engagement on forums, Facebook, G+, etc. and for various channel modalities for publishing and promotion. Consistently, the checklist system has been more efficient and easier to "regulate" than any other type of operational content. Why is that?

People need clear, concise, sequential action items when in the heat of battle, not large how-to theoretical documents. Checklists are like a safety blanket. No one can get slapped for a problem if the checklist procedures were properly followed (but the checklist author can).

Long documents are open to interpretation. Checklists are not. Checklists are easily accessible - our guys slap physical printouts on their cube walls - whereas shared documents on SharePoint are not. Checklists are easy to maintain and adjust based on "bio-feedback" (live from-the-field experience). Big documents are harder to pull up, shuffle around and maintain.

So there you have it - for all the time and effort put into large and long social media training processes, it turns out a few simple checklists can usually do the trick faster and more efficiently. Who would have thought? Except Dr. Gawande clearly.

Checklists. If they're good enough for 747 pilots, astronauts, and brain surgeons, they're good enough for social media customer service folks as well - and probably essential. I bet you the guys at the Dell or Gatorade Mission Control Center use them all the time!

Social Media and the Power of Crazy

2012-01-21T09:33:00.002+01:00

People underestimate the power of crazy. or maybe they're just scared of it, I don't know. But crazy drives innovation and progress. Traditional, safe, status-quo, and "reasonable" hardly ever does.

Think about the list of crazy innovators who made a considerable impact on the world of business including Einstein, Steve Jobs, Jean-Claude Biver, Tony Hsieh, Andy wharhol, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Walton, Larry Page, Howard Stern, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Richard Branson, Ray Kroc.

And on and on and on. All certifiable nut cases. All amazingly bright and successful in business. Coincidence or pattern? Can people with normally-wired brains build empires founded on innovation?

History seems to prove otherwise. I've often wondered why. Business isn't supposed to be driven by anything less than cold, rational, calculating cogitation. And yet, nut cases seem to have a considerable advantage.

They all tend to attract luck. They're fanatical workers. Mesmerizing evangelists. Brutally brilliant. Often megalomaniacs with little to no people sensitivity and zero social skills. They're immensely competitive and intolerant - despising error and mediocrity. They don't process contradiction or rejection. You tell one of these people that their idea won't stick, and they'll look at you like you're a mental patient. Then promptly pitch it to someone else.

Yes I know there's a fine line between passion and madness. These folks often teeter between the two. But it's not just these famous names listed above. Those are just some of the famous ones. At the extreme end of the cuckoo "curve".

How about where you work? Almost everyone has that "kinda crazy" guy or gal at the office. You know, the eccentric one with the weird ideas every day. The "weird" one. With the bizarre eye-rolling concepts everyone calls "so totally inappropriate for us". The stuff that's "never been done before" or will "never be approved, no way, not ever". Because it's just too insane. You know, it's waaaay out there. So out there, matter of fact, that it probably deserves serious consideration, doesn't it?

That's precisely the kind of nutcase I want on my team. Because innovation never begins with sanity. And one of those nutty ideas is likely your next jackpot. One thing's for sure: none of your "same old" traditional ones will ever be.

And in this day and age of social media and marketing democratization, the possibilities afforded one single crazy individual to "change the world" (and your organization in the process) are virtually limitless. So if you've got the tools, and you've got the nut cases, you have the recipe for innovation. Talk about a strategic advantage. Be a shame to waste it wouldn't you think?

In a recent post, Seth Godin predicts the end of the "average worker". I say good riddance. Bring on the crazies! It's time to kick some butt :)

Not ready to get naked online? Then don't do social

2012-01-15T14:41:00.002+01:00

Remember the old adage "don't do anything you wouldn't want your mom to read about in her morning paper"? You know, the kind of common sense knowledge sausage boy here apparently never possessed.

I call it the open kimono syndrome as it applies to businesses. Because any enterprise deciding to adopt social media needs a little self-reflection time before pulling the trigger. Here's why.

It's really difficult not to appear as yourself online. Matter of fact, I'd argue it's easier to fool people (if that's what you're into) in "real life" than on social media networks. I think the human race has had millions of years of training and learning on how to "deceive" socially for various reasons - some more legitimate than others. But nonetheless, it's ingrained in our DNA as anyone with kids will attest to.

Social media being a new medium for human expression and connection, it's a little harder to appear genuine on it when trying to deceive or build a fabricated image. We don't have the natural inborn aptitude to do so - just yet.

You can spot fakes and bullshit artists online way easier than in person. At least that's my experience. The way they use the networks, the language employed, the "flow" of their pitches just doesn't "click". It doesn't take that much experience on social networks to smell those folks a megabyte away.

The same holds true for businesses, and even more so in my opinion. Take this case, for example - a classic:

Yes, I know, it's in French, so let me explain for our Anglophone readers: this is a major telecommunications company in France telling a customer on its Facebook page to go take a hike if he's not happy with their service. Literally: "If you don't like it, the door is wide open". Take that, you pesky customer!

This is exactly what I mean about opening the kimono online. Chances are this company is truly like this internally - it's very DNA compels it to disrespect customers (they're an annoyance) and tell them off. They've probably behaved this way since day one. Being on social channels just makes it way more dangerous for them because now, the cat's out of the bag. If I were advising these folks, I'd tell them to get the hell out of social media dodge pronto! As my buddy Ron White used to say, "you can't fix stupid" - and you can't fix anti-customer DNA either. So why broadcast it to the world?

There's a couple of things you'll need to ensure you have before starting a social media journey - I don't care how large or small a business - please don't on-board social media channels unless:

#1 You really really love customers more than shareholders
I know, sounds tacky and everyone says they do, but all too often they lie (and they know it) or live in serious self-deception mode. Unless everyone from the CEO to the dude on your customer support lines genuinely live and breathe customers, don't do social. What does it mean to "live and breathe" customers? It means this. If you'd rather go home at 5PM sharp than finish resolving a hairy customer service issue, spend a weekend skying instead of fixing a major product defect, shut up rather than raise hell about an unfair policy, or stay in your corner office rather than fly out in person and bring a replacement part to a customer in trouble, you're not "living and breathing" customers.

#2 You have empowered employees
Unless customer-facing employees are wholly and fully empowered to fix and/or make things right for customers, don't do social. I'm talking about the ability to make immediate high-impact decisions for customers in real time. Without having to go up an endless chain of command. Like refunds, discounts, rewards, or policy exceptions - whatever it take in your particular business to enchant and wow customers. There should never an "authorization" path to customer satisfaction. Ever. If you feel your people might misuse or abuse this empowerment, you don't have the right people in place.

#3 You're willing to admit mistakes in public and fix them
"We can't make this right for the customer. If we did, it would be like admitting we were wrong."

Admitting you screwed up something for a customer is the most powerful humanizing PR you can do. Say what? Your policy is to never apologize in public? That's ok then. Just don't do social. Caveat: if you find yourself apologizing too often, then just stop screwing up :)

"If we were do to this for this guy, and people found out, everybody would start screaming for the same!"

If you were to do this for this guy guess what, he'd probably tell everyone and his mother. You might actually get more customers and increase positive sentiment. In any case, anyone starting to "scream" to get a hold of your product or service is probably a good thing isn't it? If not, don't do social.

#4 You're willing to appear naked online
There will be times when it gets nasty out there. Customers will rant and scream. Employees will screw up. You internal processes will be "outed" in public - for better or for worst. Your cohesion as a company, its strengths and weaknesses will quickly seep through for all to see. It will all be amplified and "recorded" on the web for posterity. You'll have no room for backtracking or bullshitting people. Internally or externally.

The world at large and your own employees will see the "real" you - no matter how you try and paint things. Everyone will see the good along with the bad. No matter how hard Corporate Communications and Marketing try to serve and protect, I can promise you every so often, the kimono is going to fly open and people are going to get an eyeful. And if that's a risk you can't afford to take, don't do social.

@AutodeskCare: The Doctor is In!

2011-12-11T15:59:00.001+01:00

Let me reassure - or maybe disappoint you - right off the bat: Autodesk will not be providing psychiatric help on its Customer Care Twitter channel :)

But in more ways than one, we are indeed embarked on a new way of looking at and providing customer service using social media. And there’s no turning back now. I had an opportunity over the past six months to help expand our Front Desk customer service offering onto Twitter. And it’s been one of the most interesting professional rides I’ve taken in a while.

A lot of what we experienced can be read in books dealing with social media on a grand global corporate scale. Olivier Blanchard's Social Media ROI would be my top pick. But it’s one thing to read about it, and quite another to actually “git ‘er dun”.

Now, truth be told, Autodesk already has mind-boggling social media presence. I can’t mention exact numbers, but suffice to say, when I started mapping and measuring our global social footprint using Radian6, my initial professional assessment was “holy crap!” :)

If you include Twitter, blogs, forums, Facebook, product and industry-focused communities, Google+, Youtube, etc you’re looking at one of the largest aggregated online communities on the planet. It just happened to be missing a “social” customer service angle. So we set out to create one.

I work on the Operations side for the Global Business Services division. Within that organization is a relatively new customer service group called Front Desk. Front Desk provides customer service for everything except technical product support. Anyone and everyone who needs help with business service issues - like licensing, registration, activation, or managing their subscription benefits - eventually ends up at our doorstep. With over 15 million customers, 160 products, a new cloud offering, millions of new consumer product users, 7,000 employees and a 24/7 global operating cycle, that’s a pretty tall order.

How do you scale support to something of that magnitude while building closer 1:1 relationships with millions of fans and customers? Why, social media, of course! And after much initial research, we picked Twitter as our first channel to exploit. Why? Because we saw a significant mass of customers on it. But more importantly, because Twitter is an “instant gratification” channel. And when customers get instant, “just-in-time” support, they get their work done faster. Which in turn makes them more productive, and exponentially happier. And that, as Martha Stewart would say, is a good thing.

Here are six highlights of this social media experience I thought might be worth sharing.

1. Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight
Setting up a social media presence for a large multi-million customer community requires serious tooling for both monitoring and engaging. Especially when multiple teams across three different geos must collaborate and provide round-the-clock support. All the listening and engagement work we did was using the Radian6 platform, a tool I had already used when working at Hublot. One of the most important things in selecting such a vendor is breadth of coverage (how many media types can they track), noise filtering, collaborative engagement features, CRM integration (SFDC now owns Radian6, and we use SFDC), and last but not least, support! On that last item especially, Radian6 has truly shined for us.

2. Don’t pull your weight, push it!
JIT (just-in-time) support - to use a term from my old software engineering days - requires fairly aggressive SLAs. It’s a totally different mindset than going out and “scanning” for issues (although we do that as well). In a JIT operation, information must be “pushed” in real time to support reps on multiple platforms as they happen. There’s a technology and philosophical mindset shift inherent in such an implementation. Both technology (alert-based) and training (reactive) must support that.

3. Tag, you’re it!
For lack of a better expression, this is the internal network map that allows you to immediately identify and communicate with the appropriate internal group or team to resolve a support issue. The larger the company, the more complex it gets to identify and “recruit” these touchpoints. And Autodesk is a very large place. People come and go. Folks are accessible via different channels. Some are more available than others. You need to create dynamic lists of contact points to route “incomings” as needed. Without this internal support map, customer experience can suffer. Put it online, let people edit it, establish buy-in, and manage expectations for every node.

4. From the classroom to the battlefield.
I initially underestimated the amount and type of training required. I also overestimated the effectiveness of “theoretical” or classroom training. In the end, we prioritized “live simulation training” over the rest - Creating dummy accounts and simulating customer interactions on Twitter. Everyone learns differently and at various rates, but nothing seems as useful as spending hours in a group pretending to be “out there”. There’s a certain heightened sense of pressure when doing these exercises that seems to enhance learning. In the end, nothing beats being “out there” on the battlefield. The worst enemy for a new social media field team is fear of mistakes. Minimizing this natural (and healthy!) apprehension is half the training challenge. The other half is enforcing consistency across tone, voice, and processes.

5. Social team synapse
In a global setting, social media teams need to constantly communicate with one another. Especially as various teams go on and off shift. Get this wrong, and the customer experience will suffer from inconsistency and confusion. Much like #3, you must never let what happens “behind the scenes” affect customer experience. Customers don’t give a hoot about changing shifts, vacations, illnesses, staff changes etc. Information and communication must flow naturally and centrally between all social team members. Special cases, heads-up on potential problems, cases in progress, delays, system outages, coverage “holes” - all these must be shared among team members in real time, and then logged in a database, so history (and accountability) can be tracked and measured.

6. Metrics moving parts
The “Bête noire” of social media is particularly tricky for us because we strive to go out and “occupy” existing social channels where customers “live” - and in so doing, we rarely own the channel - we’re essentially squatters - I like to think of it a bit more prestigiously as “Doctors without borders” as we fan out into the world where customers need us most :)

We took a similar approach with our own product and Cloud support forums. To succeed at this from a metrics standpoint, you need to quickly extract data and - if applicable - integrate it back into your CRM for analysis and reporting. This means you’ll be pulling from different internal feeds, analysis tools, platforms, and vendor databases or APIs - all in potentially different formats and varying levels of detail. This is a classic business intelligence ETL challenge applied to a real-time, unstructured, ad-hoc process. Solving it requires clear metrics requirements, good vendor relationships, programming skills, and a little help from your friends on the analytics team.

So what’s next?
We'll have to see how this new customer service channel works out for us. We went live on December 1st, so it is clearly very new. New for our team members, new for our customers. We wanted to start small, and grow the offering organically, slowly, and carefully. We'll be following a similar approach with other channels shortly. I'm really excited about the coming months!

A well-oiled social media customer service team doesn’t happen overnight. It takes good strategy, great people, technical resources, management support, and most importantly, team effort and flexibility. No rocket science there, except it’s often difficult at best to combine all these elements in a mammoth corporate entity.

I think we’ve managed to do this in the Front Desk group at Autodesk for a very simple reason: at the end of the day, everyone from the service reps to the CEO really truly cares about customer experience. It’s not just lip service. This alignment comes from the heart.

And as we move along growing and learning social media while strengthening the relationship we have with our millions of customers, I feel privileged to be part of this amazing social media project.

If you find yourself in a comfort zone...

2011-07-16T09:11:00.010+02:00

You know my creed by now: "If you find yourself in a comfort zone, you're probably parked illegally." - It mostly has to do with the power of growth through change, and the ability to adapt via experience and continuous learning. Stagnation is bad. Change is enriching. As scary as it is, it makes us better, tougher, and more valuable. And in this day and age, I believe this to be particularly pertinent. This is why I've decided to take on a new career challenge recently, and to return to my professional roots, namely the software industry.

No I'm not leaving social media. And no, I'm not leaving Switzerland. Those are changes I was not willing to make. Hell no! :) But I will be looking at the luxury watch industry from the consumer perspective from now on. Because I just started in my new position as Global Web Support Content Manager at a software company here called Autodesk. Autodesk sells design software and chances are, if you look around you, inside or outside, pretty much every object you see (and every movie for that matter) has been designed and or prototyped using one or more of their products. Including your watch!

I think it's interesting to look back on my past experience in the luxury watch industry - things happened so fast and furious since November 2009 that I never really took the time to retrospect on the overall experience.

Well first of all, truth be told, I had the opportunity to join the great horology family through the "back door", as they say. As anyone in this industry will tell you, people don't just waltz into this universe out of the blue. It's a closed, highly-sealed, jealously-protected world. I was one of the very rare folks who did, thanks to social media, and the foresight of a brand called Marvin Watches.

As such, I was also the first person do be doing social media full-time in the watch industry. Yes there were other forum or community managers, but I'm talking about someone 110% dedicated to everything and anything social media - and someone from outside the "family" - with free reign to try things out, experiment, make mistakes, and innovate. I was seen as some kind of UFO (especially hailing from California!) and was sometimes interviewed by the watch press about it.

In a short time, I identified most of the key industry influencers, and managed to learn enough about the industry to avoid screwing up too badly. In the process - and I didn't know this initially - I made some really good friends. I tried to pick up as much technical information as I could (thanks to J-F Ruchonnet, Elizabeth Doerr, and my buddy Ben at Hodinkee for a lot of it - to name a few), but that was the easy part. The political, cultural, and social intricacies of the industry came later, little by little.

I'd like to think we did really well with Marvin. When I first started out, you couldn't find the brand anywhere online. Zero mind share. No Twitter, no Facebook, no videos, no blog, no buzz, no press. Zilch. The 160 year old brand had completely vanished from the radar. Nobody had the remotest clue about it, and no one was covering it except of course for Ariel Adams, the human watch encyclopedia. Within six months we had a thriving community, strong presence on major social media channels, blogger interest and press (I think we did like 50 mentions in that time period), and industry recognition for being "on the edge" of this new horology frontier. And customers started realizing we were a different breed of watch company (heck, we actually talked to them!) - and they in turn started talking to others. The rest is history. We did a comparative analysis after six months on returns from traditional marketing/advertising vs. what we'd accomplished with a tiny social media budget (and I mean tiny). Social media won overwhelmingly hands down both in sales and mindshare.

Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to work directly for Jean-Claude Biver as Hublot's social media and web strategist. J-C, as many call him, is to the watch business what Steve Jobs is to the technology world. In other words, the giant of the industry. If you want to get to the top of the power ladder of horology, it doesn't get much better than this. And when you have the blessing and the ear of the industry's most powerful man on a daily basis, that's an experience you never forget. In a short time, we mapped a social media strategy for the company both for the Western world and China. We also launched Hublotista, their exclusive customer online community, brought Radian 6 in-house, built an editorial approach for a corporate blog, launched mobile apps, and a whole bunch of other behind-the-scenes projects I can't even talk about.

After all this I came up with the idea to create a web radio show called the "First live international web radio show about watches and the people who love them". Why? Well you can read the details here. In a little over six months, I interviewed virtually everyone who's anyone in the watch industry in short 30 minute segments live, uncut, and unedited. Why no one else in the industry ever thought of doing this in this format is beyond me - but I thought it was important to show the human sides of these people, and allow the public to access them one-on-one, no bullshit, up close and personal, and without the usual shielding from marketing, PR, and all the usual protective layers. I never had anyone blow me off or refuse an appearance. Well okay maybe two or three :) Thanks to the show, my audience and I met some truly amazing human beings. And if you want to really know and understand those who make this industry tick, then check out the replays. I promise you'll dig them.

In a fairly short while, I had a chance to evolve among a wide range of industry players - from the smallest shops to the largest corporate players of the industry. It was fast and furious. I made some really good friends in the process - bloggers, CEOs, watchmakers, journalists, photographers, agency people, PR folks, designers, and of course, fans and customers.

In the process, I hope (and think) I made some worthwhile contributions. No matter what happens, I can always say "I've been on the inside" - and that privilege is very, very rare, and very exclusive - believe me. It certainly gives you another perspective on life. Sometimes I think it's a little bit like being an astronaut. It's hard to truly describe it to "civilians" once you return to Earth - one of these things where "you just had to be there".

In light of my recent post about the Swiss watch industry's digital future, and facing an amazing opportunity at a software company called Autodesk ($8B market cap, 10M customers, 7,000 employees, 85% market share), I decided it would be wise and fulfilling to join their Global Content Strategy team. The company is on a major growth path (which, in these economic times, is truly impressive!), and pursuing an aggressive social media and customer relationship strategy on a worldwide scale that I'm very happy to be part of.

I'll keep on blogging here, obviously, about all things watches and social media - I'll be writing about the watch industry from the consumer side and perhaps contributing on other sites as well. Here's the first question I've been asking myself for the past several weeks: what the heck brand can I possibly buy for myself now that I know better? You'd have asked me two years ago, I would have said Rolex, like any other idiot. Having been on the inside certainly makes that decision a thousand times harder! :)

L'industrie horlogère suisse est-elle en train de rater la marche digitale?

2011-06-29T17:44:00.003+02:00

Je réflechis depuis lontemps sur ce qui se passe dans le digital et les réseaux sociaux du monde de l'horlogerie de luxe suisse. D'ailleurs je passe une bonne partie de ma vie à apprendre et à cogiter sur le sujet :) Vous vous souviendrez peut-être de quelques billets récent évoquant une certaine léthargie, la difficulté de convaincre certains clients, les nuances du digital appliqué au luxe. Et plus récemment, bien sur, mon blog sur les marques horlogères pour lesquelles il doit faire bon bosser (dans le domaine du digital bien sur), et puis l'étude récente de L2 sur les QI des marques de luxe horlogères sur Facebook (c'est pas brillant).

De plus, comme vous le savez, je viens de rentrer de la conférence ChinaConnect 2011 qui s'est déroulée à Paris récemment. J'y ai découvert et confirmé une masse impressionante d'informations sur le digital et les réseaux sociaux la bas - J'en ai retenu quelques points intéressants sur ce blog aussi.

Et finalement, ceux d'entre vous qui me suivent depuis un bout de temps savent bien que, quoique né à Paris, je viens des USA ou j'ai passé quasiment toute ma vie avant de venir savourer les plaisirs de la vie helvétique. Cela ne me permets certainement pas de me prononcer en tant qu'expert sur le marché américain, mais j'ai quand même une petite idée de comment fonctionne une societé entièrement vouée aux réseaux sociaux depuis leur création - puisque, de plus, le concept à été inventé la bas! :)

En combinant tout cela avec un an et demi d'évolution et d'expérience diverse dans le milieux du luxe horloger dans le coeur même de la bête, je pense pouvoir partager avec vous quelques réflections rapport au status des réseaux sociaux et du development digital dans cette industrie.

Un an et demi, c'est court, surtout en Suisse ou le temps coule un peu plus lentement qu'ailleurs. Mais dans le monde du digital et des réseaux, c'est presque une éternité. Et ce que je constate, c'est que notre industrie est toujours, dans de nombreux cas, encore en train de "réflechir" à si il faut ou non se lancer dans les réseaux sociaux, et comment. Le problème, à mon avis, c'est que le temps de cette réflection est révolu. Dans les grands marchés sourtout, comme les USA, le Japon, ou la Chine, par example, la question ne devrait même plus se poser car la réponse est dorénavant plus qu'évidente.

Les marques qui se demandent encore si elles devraient vraiment se lancer dans les réseaux sociaux, en l'occurence, on raté le métro et sont probablement en voie de disparition. Dans les marchés émergents comme la Chine, l'Inde, l'Afrique, et certains pays du Moyen Orient, ne pas avoir de volonté ou de strategie digitale est suicidaire. C'est tendre le cou au bourreau.

L'autre problème, ce sont les codes du luxe qui eux-mêmes sont en pleine mutation. Pas au niveau produit vraiment, mais surtout au niveau psychologique, voir intellectuel et socio-économique - la crise a contribué à cela bien sur, mais n'en est pas l'unique catalyseur. Ces changements accompagnent des fluctuations socio-politiques au niveau global. Vous souvenez-vous de la scène finale de Terminator 2? Voila ou nous en sommes.

Le luxe a des niveaux de maturité et d'acceptance différents selon les marchés et les populations - voire la Chine (un si grand marché que même à l'interne ces nuances regionales sont énormes) comparée à l"Europe ou les USA, par example. Le luxe ne s'exprime plus comme avant, devenant parfois politiquement incorrect dans nos societés occidentales qui virent à gauche (les fossés d'inéquité se creusant), alors que la Chine, qui y aurait cru, est en fait en train de nous ré-apprendre à faire du vrai Capitalisme!

Face à ces changements subtils et fondamentaux, l'industrie horlogère suisse a, pour la plupart, complêtement raté le coche. Au lieu de se plier à la vague, d'écouter, d'en tirer les conclusions qui s'imposent, et d'agir, ils se raccrochent à la sainte "tradition" dogmatique, se refugiant encore et toujours derrière le protectionisme périmé du label "Swiss-Made" - alors que l'industrie même vient de se castrer à ce sujet, ce qui n'est pas tombé dans les oreilles sourdes des investisseurs étrangers.

Les réseaux sociaux (dans le sens générique du terme, donc le relationnel digital) sont la seule et unique façon de faire face à ces vagues de changement mondiaux pour plusieurs raisons:

Question de vitesse
Les changements arrivent três forts et três rapidement. Les marchés peuvent changer de gout, de préférences (les trends), et d'influenceurs d'un jour a l'autre. Le bouche-à-oreille, c'est instantané. Les institutions et les gouvernements peuvent facilement changer en un coup de Facebook, et cela en quelques heures parfois, et non plus sur des années comme au paravant. Ce nouveau rythme de vie est trop rapide pour une industrie trop lente qui peine à suivre. De plus, les étalements de production, l'établissement de magasins physiques, tout cela représente des investissements énormes de temps et d'argent axés sur 3-5 ans - donc sur des cycles qui ne correspondent plus à une vitesse de reaction essentielle dans ce nouveau contexte. Il serait logique d'investir et de re-axer une bonne partie des chaines de distribution classiques sur le commerce digital d'ailleurs (e/f/m-commerce) mais la encore, l'industrie est trop réticente et a pris des années lumiêres de retard, comme pour tout ce qui est mobile (smartphone, tablette, etc).

Question d'envergure
Il n'est pas possible d'agir sur un marché global partout à la fois et en permanence sans les réseaux sociaux. Les clients (ou les interessés) sont à présent partout, à toute heure, sans conscience des changements de fuseau horaires, et animés par une culture basée sur la gratification immédiate. Justifié ou pas, c'est ce que le client demande. Il faut donc lui répondre en conséquence. Sinon, le concurrent va s'en charger - et le concurrent, il risque fort de ne pas être Suisse lui. Il est casiment impossible de couvrir la planète physiquement, même avec un CEO et du personnel qui passe sa vie en avion. Ces jours sont révolus.

Question de savoir
L'information arrive tellement vite et tellement furieusement de toutes les directions à la fois qu'il faut être en écoute permanente et partout, au risque de rater quelque bribe cruciale. Déja, il faudrait mieux écouter et consulter le personnel à pied d'oeuvre dans les marchés, ce qui ne se fait parfois pas assez, mais sans les moyens digitaux de mesurer et d'évaluer le changement constant en temps réel, une marque courre vite à sa perte. C'est pain bénit pour la concurrence.

Question d'humain
Comme dit mon ami et ex-mentor Robbie Coleman, "les réseaux sociaux, ca fonctionne bien seulement entre les mains de ceux qui eux mêmes comprennent les gens". Ca à l'air tout bête comme aphorisme, mais c'est pourtant le bon sens. Beaucoup de marques ne comprennent pas leur clients existants ou potentiels - ou ne s'en donnent pas la peine. Sans les réseaux sociaux, ils ne peuvent pas progresser la dessus, et écouter pleinement, anticiper les besoins à venir, les problèmes existants sur le terrain, les attentes des gens, et les changements relationnels dans les rapport humains qui influent sur le luxe et sa consommation. Conclusion: des clients peu satisfaits qui parlent à d'autres clients potentiels, qui eux s'addressent - vous l'aurez deviné - à la concurrence, sans même passer sur votre site web!

Notre industrie a décidement mis bien trop longtemps à s'adapter ne serait-ce qu'au concept du digital et à l'accepter comme étant incontournable. Bon, il y a des exceptions, c'est clair. Il y a un an, j'aurais dit que cela était normal - après tout, c'est neuf tout ca. C'est révolutionnaire, c'est mal maitrisé, difficilement mesurable en tableaux Excel. Bref, beaucoup de caractéristiques qui passent difficilement dans la culture suisse, il faut reconnaitre.

Mais à present, de ne pas se décider et ne pas y aller à fond, je trouve cela suicidaire et frôlant l'incompétence. C'est maintenant ou jamais. Et si on ne s'y met pas sérieusement, d'autres s'en chargeront aux USA, en Chine, et autre part, la ou l'on s'y attend le moins (c'est toujours comme ça). D'ailleurs, les investisseurs chinois ont déja ouvert la chasse à la marque suisse depuis quelques temps. Ils ne sont pas fous eux! :) Comme disait mon arrière grand-mère, par ici la bonne soupe! Rien ne dure éternellement.

L'industrie horlogère suisse a survécu à bien des intempesties, L'avènement du quartz dans les années 80, combiné avec une méchante crise financiére a bien failli en avoir raison. Dieu merci, dans ces moments difficiles, il y a eu des hommes comme Jean-Claude Biver et Nicolas Hayek qui ont su sauver la partie et éviter la catastrophe totale. Mais cette fois-ci, j'ai du mal à imaginer qui pourrait se poser en sauveur d'une industrie en crise digitale qui, j'ai bien peur, va aussi lui infliger beaucoup de dégats dans les années qui viennent. Et cela me fait beaucoup de soucis.

Is the Swiss Luxury Watch Industry in Social Media Meltdown?

2011-06-29T15:04:00.004+02:00

I've been thinking a lot about the state of social media in the luxury industry and, of course, specifically in the watch segment for obvious reasons. You might recalls some recent posts about this like the one about lethargy, dealing with clients, specific issues in luxury social media, and lately of course the one about cool "socially-inclined" brands, and watch brands with (or without) Facebook IQs.

Additionally, as you might know, I recently returned from the ChinaConnect 2011 Conference in Paris, France where I discovered (and confirmed) a boatload of information about social and digital in the world's largest market (read Part I, II and III of my feedback about it).

To top it off, those of you who have kindly followed me for a while know that, albeit French-born, I come from the USA, and that I spent my entire life there until recently. That doesn't make me a US market expert by any stretch of the imagination, but it does give me a little insight into how things should work in an optimal "social-mediatized" culture. Heck, social media was invented there! :)

Combine all this with eighteen months of learning and evolving in the Swiss luxury watch industry from the mothership, and I think all of the above combines to give me a pretty special (if not unusual) perspective on the whole matter of social media in tic-tock land.

Eighteen months is short by Swiss standards (by any standard for that matter) but almost an eternity in digital time. What I notice is that the industry is still "on the fence" in many cases - still trying to decide whether to go for it or not. Problem is, in my opinion, that the go/no-go decision point is way past the point of no return. In the largest luxury markets to date, namely the USA, Japan and China, the question of investing in "real" social media or not is beyond moot - the answer is quite obvious.

If you're wondering about engaging in social media at this point, you've missed the boat, and you are D.O.A. And in growing markets like China, India, Africa, some Middle East nations, and Brazil, to name a few, not having a social media strategy is just plain suicidal. You're giving your lunch away.

The other problem is that luxury codes themselves are mutating. Not products per say, but the intellectual and socio-economic factors affecting and defining luxury are shifting - and these changes accompany ongoing global socio-political fluctuations. Remember the ending scene from T2? We are there. Luxury has various levels of maturity and acceptability in different markets - namely Asia (China) versus Europe or the US, for example. Old codes are changing and evolving in a world where the consumers, not the brands, now hold power. Luxury is no longer expressed as it used to be - often politically-incorrect as the Western world is shifting liberal (in the US sense of the term) while China, of all places, is re-teaching us what Capitalism is all about!

The Swiss watch industry is for the most part completely missing the boat on this. Instead of riding the wave, listening, and drawing conclusions to drive longevity, they're paddling centuries of "tradition" dogmatism and safety in the comfort of the almighty "Swiss-Made" (which, incidentally, was recently castrated by the very own system it was designed to protect!).

Social media (in the generic sense) is the only possible way to "ride the wave" in the maelstrom we face. Why? Several reasons:

Velocity
Things move very fast. Markets change as do tastes, trends, and geographic power points. Institutions, opinions and governments now turn on a dime. Changes occur in days, not years. This new global life pace is way too fast for the Swiss watch industry to adapt adequately. Especially since production plans are etched out on 3-5 year periods, and physical retail locations represent huge investments. One obvious tactic would be to progressively re-route distribution to online channels (mobile or not) but the industry is far behind on e/f/m-commerce.

Reach
You cannot physically reach every corner of the world where something significant may or may not be happening, or where customers may or may not need support or an ear. Simply put, unless you are actively engaged in social media, you can no longer cover your markets effectively. No matter how many frequent-flyer miles your CEO might boast about. Period.

Intelligence
Information keeps coming in fast and furious from all directions. Unless you're listening broadly and continuously, you will inevitably miss vital pieces of intelligence. It's bad enough when brands don't listen to their own people in the field - which happens often enough - but not having the digital means to measure and evaluate ever-changing data is deadly in this new world (dis)order.

It's about people, stupid
As my friend and ex-mentor Robbie Coleman likes to say, "Social media only works at the hands of someone who understands people" - This apparent truism is often at the source of the industry's reluctance to fully embrace social media - in essence, most brands really don't understand people and, more dramatically, their own customers. Nor do they have the means to anticipate their future needs, aspirations or rewoven social fabrics.

Our industry has been slow - very slow - to fully embrace social. A year ago, I would have said this was understandable. Today, I believe it's suicidal and incompetent at best. The day of reckoning is here, and if we don't get our act together, believe you me others in the US and China soon will. In case you haven't noticed, Chinese investors have declared open season on Swiss watch brands in the past months. Nothing is eternal. Stay tuned...

The industry survived the economic crisis and Japanese quartz assault of the late 1970s and 1980s thanks in part to men like Jean-Claude Biver and Nicolas Hayek. But at the present time, I'm not seeing any such saviors for the digital crisis I believe will soon hit the Swiss watch industry - and that worries me.

Would the Smart Watch Brands on Facebook Please Standup? Hello? Anyone?

2011-06-27T07:22:00.002+02:00

L2's Facebook IQ Ranking for luxury brands recently came out, and obviously I was interested in looking at watch company rankings in the report as I've been tracking them myself on Mark Zuckerberg's platform for over a year now. Here's the "just-the-facts, mam" low-down (out of 100 companies):

#24, IQ = 126 (gifted) - Omega
#28, IQ = 123 (gifted) - IWC
#34, IQ = 115 (gifted) - TAG Heuer

#44, IQ = 106 (average) - Mont Blanc
#46, IQ = 104 (average) - Piaget
#54, IQ = 97 (average) - Hublot
#65, IQ = 90 (average) - Vacheron Constantin
#66, IQ = 90 (average) - Raymond Weil

#71, IQ = 85 (challenged) - Jaeger-LeCoultre
#72, IQ = 84 (challenged) - Movado
#74, IQ = 83 (challenged) - Bulgari
#75, IQ = 80 (challenged) - Chopard
#78, IQ = 78 (challenged) - Cartier

#91, IQ = 57 (feeble) - Harry Winston
#92, IQ = 54 (feeble) - Audemars Piguet
#94, IQ = 47 (feeble) - Rolex
#98, IQ = 30 (feeble) - Patek Philippe

Interesting you say? My though exactly. You can read the post and associated report to draw your own conclusions, but I think the following stands out:

First, notice there are only 17 brands included (I didn't count Ralph Lauren or LV as they are not watch companies per say) out of probably 600 or so luxury Swiss watch brands (and 120 or so on Facebook). Now truth be told, I'm not sure why brands like Beaume & Mercier (140,000 fans) or Frederique Constant (65,000 fans) were not included. Still, we're talking about a very small minority of watch brands (5.6%) - even supposing twice as many (34) might be significantly present on Facebook.

Conclusion: this industry is still dipping a toe in the social media waters at best. And yes, I do believe Facebook to be a bellwether of social media "juice" for watch companies. Even if you take the luxury industry as a whole, fashion and cosmetics are significantly more advanced than the watch segment. This is not only for Facebook mind you, but for every other digital endeavor not the least of which are e-commerce and mobile (there are no interesting branded mobile watch apps currently in existence, even if Zenith somehow made this list, and e/f/m-commerce are still taboo).

Second, the high-end legacy "heritage" flagship brands really suck at this. AP, Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger, and Patek are at or near the bottom of the barrel. Matter of fact, Rolex doesn't even have a branded Facebook page. This is surprising since clearly we're not talking budget issues here. I think the people at the top are simply not interested in doing social media. To me it's no longer a matter of ignorance, but a calculated decision to simply stay out of the fray for whatever reason. Or maybe just "pretend" to be playing in the sandbox. They could easily kick ass in the socio-digital world if they wanted to. They choose not to.

It's funny because, before reading this report, I would have told you about progress, and how nicely watch brands have advanced up the social media ladder in the last 18 months. I would have talked about hope, progress, catching up to other luxury segments, and new, forward-thinking leadership (especially in the independent brands). But in fact, I would simply have been fooling myself - that's the price one pays for having industry blinders on too long.

Because when you look at the big picture - compared to other industry segments or, God forbid, other industries altogether (think FMCG, high-tech, software, fashion), the watch industry's presence on social media networks is anemic at best. Is it better than several years ago? Sure - couldn't be much worse - but all things considered, given available budgets, emergence from the "crisis" everyone so happily touts to the press, and well-documented benefits of social media in this industry, it's a truly pathetic situation. This report only serves to point that out for Facebook, but it's the same in other channels, when not worse.

The upside exists for the few smart brands who might somehow wake up and realize the amazing competitive advantage this situation actually presents. But I said "smart brands"... As my ex boss Jean-Claude Biver used to say, "We are very lucky, because we're at the bottom of the barrel, and so the only way is up!"

Ten Watch Brands to Work for in Social Media

2011-06-23T08:06:00.002+02:00

No I didn't go out and take a survey, although I wish such a report would exist. But horology being a rather secretive world, it's never easy to get information about what it's like to be on the "inside" of watch companies. People clam up. I mean it's Switzerland for Christ's sake. Nobody opens their mouth here. Least of all in the tick tock world. And the few who have are swimming with the fishes on the bottom of Lake Geneva :)

No, what I'm talking about are the top ten brands I think (or know) might be cool to work for as far as social media is concerned. Mind you, this is based on my personal perception - Ok, and a little inside knowledge perhaps. Heck, I interviewed most of these people.

It's not easy doing social media work for any Swiss watch brand. Let's face it, most of them were dragged kicking and screaming into this new social thing. I think there are probably around 600 active Swiss watch brands, around half of which have a presence on Facebook - significantly less on Twitter or Youtube. And most of them still think social media is just conventional carpet-bombing marketing or PR applied to new improved digital channels.

Nonetheless, as we say in French, "Au pays des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois" (in a nation of blind men, one-eyed men rule - sounds better in French, trust me) and so there are, in my opinion, some more progressive "social" watch brands than others. Some brands who really "get it" - or at least strive to. But what might those be?

Here's a list I came up with (in no particular order) each with a 1 to 5 ranking for Product, People, and "Coolness" categories - all reasons (albeit not exclusive) to be doing social media work for a given watch company these days IMHO (note: I insert a question mark on the People scale when I'm not equipped to judge and a link to their interview when available).

#1. Bremont (Product: 4, People: 5, Coolness: 4)
Compelling history, British brand. Awesome owners, kick-ass product. Huge room for growth. [radio show]

#2. Linde Werdelin (Product: 5, People: 4, Coolness: 5)
Beautiful product, original, great Nordic design, smart owners, outside-the-box marketing. Genuine and personal customer-centric approach. [radio show].

#3. TAG Heuer (Product: 4, People: 3, Coolness: 3)
Only brand who can claim genuine watchmaking innovation in the past 400 years. Already very active online (enough so to score a 115 IQ on the L2 Facebook IQ report). Cool CEO who used to sell FMCG with a great pool overlooking Lake Geneva. I know this because I interviewed him a short while ago :)

#4. MB&F (Product: 4, People: 5, Coolness: 5)
Owner Max Busser is an industry legend in the world of independent brands. Progressive and original. UFO product. Powerful, intelligent and opportunistic marketing and communication approach. Max was also my first guest on the radio show.

#5. Maurice de Mauriac (Product: 3, People: 4, Coolness: 3)
Under-the-radar brand in Zurich with solid bespoke product. Exclusive niche market. Brilliant founder (also not from the industry) with an offbeat and very subtle humanized one-on-one marketing approach.

#6. Bell & Ross (Product: 5, People: ?, Coolness: 5)

First brand to have an online boutique. Amazing product. Consistent and smart marketing guns. Customer-centric. Never met anyone there but clearly this brand "gets it" and has big guns.

#7. Xetum (Product: 3, People: 4, Coolness: 3)
Based in San Francisco. Unbelievably cool and humble founder (rare in this industry) Jeff Kuo (not from the watch industry) has an original, clean, simple and genuine product line. Big potential in key US and Chinese market segments IMHO. [radio show]

#8. IWC (Product: 5, People: ?, Coolness: 3)
Iconic German brand founded by an American. With L&S, probably one of the most breathtaking watch products out there. Clean, crisp, and...German. Very active online and a solid based of rabid fans community. Their forum manager Michael Friedberg will be a guest on my show next week actually.

#9. Audemars Piguet (Product: 5, People: ?, Coolness: 2)
Too iconic a brand to even be cool anymore :) - AP is what most brands can only dream of one day becoming. They seemed to have gotten a good start on social media but then Hublot lured their employee away, and since then I'm not sure what's going on there. They had an ad out, which I applied to - but never even got an acknowledgement for. And their CEO never answered my request for an interview - Come to think of it, not sure why I'm including them in here... :) Oh, yes, it's Genta's Royal Oak, silly me! :)

#10. Jaeger-LeCoultre (Product: 5, People: 3, Coolness: 2)
Iconic brand. No marketing per say as the product itself is the "marketing message". CEO Jerome Lambert told me to take a hike when I asked him to appear on the show, which didn't really surprise me as this type of communication is not really in the brand's genes. Nonetheless the gal responsible for their social media initiatives is really cool and quite good IMHO (although not sure why she protects her Twitter account...)

ChinaConnect 2011 - Discovering the Chinese Consumer Part III

2011-06-22T14:17:00.002+02:00

In this exciting installment, we pick up on additional key points of the ChinaConnect 2011 conference in Paris last week (see Part I and Part II).

#11. Money
Following the money (or its sources rather) can be a little tricky in China. You have old money and new money, money made in the public sector (lots of corruption there) and money made in the private sector (natural resources and real estate being two of the biggest sources). Then you have people making the transition between public and private, and those benefiting from family connections (a huge booster in China). The Chinese culture is not a wealth flaunting one - discretion is prized in China. For every exuberant millionaire, there are two others hiding behind him.

#12. Cars, cars, cars
The Chinese market is gaga over cars. Cars are the most discussed topics online (blogs, BBS, etc) closely followed by mobile. Audi and Mercedes Benz got smart about the Chinese market years ago. Both went after civil servants and high-level government workers with Audi completely controlling low-end to mid-level managers and Benz basically owning the upper crust segment. Everyone in the Chinese government either owns a set of rings or a three-pointed star. Matter of fact, that's how you recognize them :)

#13. UGC
I knew this before the conference, but it was pointed out there again, and I think it's strategically important - Chinese people are very big on content creation - like 43% big versus our meager 23% in the West (namely the USA, Europe is lower). This means they are culturally a much more "engaged" audience than the US and clearly Europe.

#14. Avatars
Chinese people aren't huge fans of "self-branding" - They would much rather use an online avatar (cartoon self-representation) than an actual mugshot or picture. As a result, social media networks (like QQ) encourage users to "dress up" (customize) these avatars using products like eyewear, fashion, or makeup. And this can be brand-driven for the right price. The same can be said for application "skins" - People can customize their QQ apps with their favorite brand themes and colors. Of course brands pay through the nose for this priviledge. Katching.

#15. Micropayments
My understanding is they're way more mainstream in China that in the West. China has no credit cards but plenty of debit ones apparently. Gaming is huge in China and companies like Tencent are making a killing on micro-selling every object imaginable to digital players from farming tools to ustensils and clothing (which can also be branded - now you're collecting from the brands as well - katching).

ChinaConnect 2011 - Discovering the Chinese Consumer Part II

2011-06-21T07:42:00.001+02:00

Part II of my series of insightful tidbits on the Chinese market picked up during the ChinaConnect 2011 Conference in Paris last week (see Part I here).

#6. It's All About Video
There's no Youtube in China - as usual, there are several Chinese versions of online video like Youku or Tudou. Video watching and sharing is hugely popular over there - much more so than in the Western world. See what luxury brands are doing lately on Youku. These sites are used and function like cable TV. And posted videos are considerably longer than those we are used to on Youtube. This is partly due to the fact that Chinese TV tends to suck, notwithstanding its massive coverage (CCTV-1, the official State channel is most popular for, guess what, news!)

#7. C2C
"Copy to China" - It's what they call the Chinese concept of copying then adapting existing social networking platforms. For every SNS we have in the West there are several different Chinese versions of it. This results in a hugely complex and diffuse landscape of everything from MSN to Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube "clones" - some of which are regionalized or targeted at various age and/or cultural segments. Yes, it's complicated.

#8. Mobile Devices
Virtually everyone in China has a mobile device (smartphone mostly) with QQ running on it. There are close to a billion mobile devices in China. Do the math. Did you know people look at their smartphone on average 900 times a day? This is what Warwick Hill, 3rd Space CEO claimed during the conference. Mobile is an extension of the Chinese body - it's an inborn part and parcel of the Chinese netizen. Not having a mobile strategy for a brand in China is simply nuts.

#9. Beauty Codes
The Chinese have different beauty codes than we do in the West. Especially for women. White skin evokes death (heroin chic look? Don't even think about it). Haggard, distant looks are not appreciated. Seductive poses and any sexual suggestions are frowned upon. Lips should be small and red, not voluptuous. And a woman should always be smiling and looking you in the eyes in an ad. Slanted eyes with corners pointing up are caricatural (and insulting) at best. Why do many brands still violate these codes year after year in their advertising is a hard to understand.

#10. M, F and E-commerce
In lower-tier cities, there are few malls, stores, and retail outlets. Especially for luxury brands. People like to shop online by necessity. Additionally, the logistics of online commerce in China are extremely cost-effective, and much cheaper than brick & mortar investments. Why? Because shipping and delivery are virtually free for companies. It doesn't cost a fortune to maintain armies of bicycle-riding delivery people. China Post, on the other hand, has no notion of "bulk mailing". And forget about the convenience of tracking a parcel. Nonetheless, stuff does get to you, and if not, you don't have to pay!

ChinaConnect 2011 - Discovering the Chinese Consumer Part I

2011-06-20T09:36:00.001+02:00

Hanging out during a break

I've been pitching the first ever European conference on digital marketing to the high-end Chinese consumer for many weeks now. I thought I'd get a couple of good tips on this fascinating and remote market, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be coming home with such a treasure trove of insight. Short of actually spending a lot of time in China - the old "boots on the ground" approach - this conference was as close as I've come to a better understanding of the challenges at hand for brands who want to (1) enter the largest market in the world, and (2) not embarrass themselves in the process. In the next several posts, I'll do my best to share some of the highlights and salient points of the conference from my social media perspective.

#1 Market composition
Contrary to popular belief, China is not a homogeneous market. Rather, it behaves more like a regional federation of sorts with different areas, customs, languages, populations, and even cuisines. So when you talk about the 470,000,000 or so Chinese netizens, you're really talking about a fragmented and diverse population. And trying to market to the whole instead of carefully targeting on a sociao-regional basis is not an optimal strategy.

#2 Stereotypes
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, past Emperors - all the classic Western geographic or political stereotypes applied to China do not speak to the new generation. Matter of fact, you might even be insulting them by applying such themes to your product - I'm thinking, for example, of luxury watch dials depicting the Forbidden City. It's "has-been" and says "I haven't bothered to learn about the new China".

#3 Age matters
Yes, China has an aging population, like much of Europe, and that in itself constitutes a major challenge to its future growth. Nonetheless, the vast majority of Chinese netizens are under 34. The ratio is even larger for mobile communities. The average QQ user is in the 17-25 age range. If you're not talking to a young, tech savvy, mobile-ingrained audience, you're not talking to China (unless you're Vacheron Constantin I suppose).

#4 Kids and the Cult of Family
Remember the one-kid policy? Guess what: it means that kids are at the center of Chinese life. If you figure four grandparents, two parents, and a housekeeper, that's seven people on average dedicated to serving each Chinese papoose. This, along with the cult of family, are two of the most powerful marketing levers in the Chinese market.

#5 Marketing Works. Sometimes.
How about a non-Chinese brand selling tea to an entire Chinese nation? Lipton was at the conference explaining that one. You see, Chinese people drink green tea. And they don't like black tea. That's right - and Lipton found out the hard way. Worse yet, they don't like or use tea bags. Bummer if your entire product line revolves around these two things. Nonetheless, Lipton was still able to overcome these great odds and penetrate the market by positioning their teas as strategically-timed "avant-garde" social experiences (and hiring the right bloggers). The "Lipton Moment" has now become hip in China with the younger professional crowd. Hey, everybody's doing it - maybe you should as well! Which comes to show that marketing does work sometimes, if not cheaply :)

Nathalie Omori on categorizing Chinese wealth

Interview sur le Community Management - 2ème Partie

2011-05-17T10:24:00.000+02:00

Voici la deuxième - et dernière, je vous rassure tout de suite :) - partie de mon interview pendant la conférence sur la gestion de communauté et des réseaux sociaux à Neuchatel le 18 avril dernier. Dans ce segment, je réponds aux questions suivantes de Contenu&Cie:

Comment gérer au mieux une crise de "badbuzz"
Que doit faire une marque pour se lancer sur les réseaux sociaux?
Quel interêt à être sur les réseaux sociaux pour les marques de luxe?
Le luxe et les réseaux sociaux sont-ils compatibles?
Quel est l'avenir du métier de community manager?

Voila, j'espère que cette petite tournée digitale (ainsi que sa première partie) aura pu répondre à certaines de vos questions, ou même en susciter d'autres, en quel cas vous savez ou me joindre - je suis tout ouie :)

My Mom on Social Media and Community Management

2011-05-14T06:28:00.001+02:00

I had a revealing moment recently I thought I'd share. It's pretty rare when I send my mom work-related stuff, but I thought she'd enjoy the two recent videos I posted from the Neuchatel conference and the ensuing interview last April 18th.

See, my mom, like most moms I suppose (except maybe Gary Vaynerchuk's), doesn't know or understand much about what I do for a living. She understood more when I was in the software industry than now. Most of the time we talk, she'll ask "how's the watch selling going?" - and I'll say to her again "Mom, I'm not in sales, I'm in community and communications." - and she'll typically come back with "well whatever, as long as your clients are happy and paying..." - My mom's a very practical woman :)

So I was a little surprised when she came back to me about the videos with this remark (translated from French):

"Well I'm not surprised to realize now that you prioritize human contact - but in fact, it's a sales technique with a new face, which is likely to succeed as so many people these days are feeling left out."

It turns out that, in the social media ROI polemic often taking place these days, my mom is more in tune with the Olivier Blanchard's no-nonsense, "show me the money" school of thought than Gary V's "show me the loving" more "emotional" approach. The optimal approach is probably a combination of the two.

More important to me was her remark about people feeling "left out". Especially in the context of the exchange I had on LinkedIn recently (Managers of Luxury Group):

Me:

I'd be interested to hear (read) what your perception of "real world experience of shopping" for luxury items might be?

Simon:

...Visually stimulating, everything about luxury caries with it stunning imagery in design, makes you feel important, loved, special and valued. I believe people need to feel that they have personal value. Some seek this through the association of items that are considered scarce and special. Entering a visually stimulating boutique and being cared for personally by a trained assistant who is focused totally on me...

Everything Simon describes has to do with self-worth and being "cared for" - Here's the deal: it's really not about the product! Luxury is in the human contact. We've become such self-contained, isolated pods in a mass-media world, that genuine and crafted interaction with our peers has become a luxury. This is why community has become so important again. And why "social media" is quickly replacing traditional push marketing - especially in the luxury segments. We're out there to sell love baby! :)

I know what you're thinking: "flower child". So let me rephrase: it is by "loving" and valuing people that we will end up selling to them - Not by bombarding them with "me, me, me" - even on pretty mobile channels. You need to start with the loving. And those who fixate on financial ROI from day one are putting the cart before the horse.

As the adage goes, no one does business with people they don't like. And people don't trust folks they don't like first. But a lot of brands still don't get that. Make your customers feel "important, loved, special and valued" - when's the last time that happened to you? I know it didn't happen to me last time I visited Louis Vuitton in Saltzburg Austria.

And sometimes, I think the men who hold high places in these companies would be well advised to get "closer to the heart" of their customers and fans.

Fire and Motion - How Swiss Watch Brands are Too Damn Slow

2011-05-11T12:41:00.003+02:00

I like militaristic metaphors. Perhaps it's a cultural trait. But I always end up drawing strategic and tactical parallels between business and warfare. For example, I like to call traditional mass-media marketing tactics "carpet bombing". A more modern version would be "shock and awe". It's a little bit of what some very major luxury brands do when backed by the proper financials. When I hear people complaining about being "bombarded" with advertising, it think about the reprise of the social media fallout shelters where conversation and "human" is supposed to replace incessant push marketing. Phew! There's a relief.

In that context, I recently re-read this 2002 article from Joel Spolsky, a guy I admire a lot because he's super smart, super focused, super ballsy, and takes no prisoners - not unusual for an ex Israeli paratrooper:

When I was an Israeli paratrooper a general stopped by to give us a little speech about strategy. In infantry battles, he told us, there is only one strategy: Fire and Motion. You move towards the enemy while firing your weapon. The firing forces him to keep his head down so he can't fire at you. The motion allows you to conquer territory and get closer to your enemy, where your shots are much more likely to hit their target. If you're not moving, the enemy gets to decide what happens, which is not a good thing. If you're not firing, the enemy will fire at you, pinning you down. I remembered this for a long time. I noticed how almost every kind of military strategy, from air force dogfights to large scale naval maneuvers, is based on the idea of Fire and Motion. It took me another fifteen years to realize that the principle of Fire and Motion is how you get things done in life.

Re-reading this also reminded me of a much more recent article by Bill James - another brainy social media dude. Bill's premise is simple: why are we spending so much time and effort trying to figure out a sales and revenue ROI model for social media, when in fact the real ROI at this transitional stage can only be gauged in terms of online market penetration? In other words, if brand X fails to engage customers where they predominantly interact, namely online, then brand Y will do so, and eat its lunch in the process. So the "R" in ROI is simply the privilege of not becoming obsolete. So simple a child can get it - why so few "experts" or CEOs do is beyond me.

If you follow that logic, we are once again looking at military metaphor - It's an advancing beachhead. Capture and control. A digital D-day all over again if you will. And Fire & Forget most definitely applies. Strangely enough, very few watch brands seem to get that - the exception being Hublot - I can tell you from personal experience Hublot lives and breathes Fire and Motion. Maybe not so much in the social media realm, but nonetheless effective, as Basel 2011 results have once again shown.

The other lacking tactical asset in the industry? Decision speed. There again, Hublot rules. Because decisions involving personnel, opportunities, and (typically) huge sums of money are made on the spot and in the field. By a single commander. This ability to react in real time, bypassing the usual bureaucratic nonsense, and to focus massive firepower on neuralgic issues is the very heart of Hublot's power and success. This is why they're unstoppable - To this day, I look around, and I still don't see any another brand operating this way. Including the smaller ones. What a shame.

Because this kind of speed and flexibility, when backed by solid (not necessarily huge either) finances, is in fact the only tactical asset a small brand can have in this industry. Ideas are good, execution is key, but speed (including response time) is everything. It's the world we live in, you snooze, you lose. Of course, Switzerland isn't known for speed - quite the contrary - and herein lies the rub. Swiss operating mode is not adapted to modern reality. Least of all in the horology sector. Watch brands don't necessarily do poorly because of poor product, poor strategy, or poor finances - they do poorly because they're too damn slow. If there are exceptions, I've only met one so far. If you know of another, I'd love to hear about them!

Interview sur le Community Management en 6 Minutes 28 Secondes.

2011-05-10T10:42:00.000+02:00

Avant de commencer la conférence sur la gestion de communauté dans le luxe (entre autres) le 18 avril dernier, l'equippe de Contenu & Cie en a profité pour ajouter a son excellente collection d'interviews "express" 6 minutes et 28 secondes de questions-réponses avec moi, ce qui etait tres sympa de leur part. Voici donc le résultat. N'hésitez pas a m'envoyer des commentaires, le feedback est important. Merci!

Things You Might Ask a Social Media/Community/Strategy Manager

2011-05-07T16:50:00.007+02:00

We still have significant confusion out there trying to differentiate between what community managers, social media managers, and social media strategists do for a living. Part of the problem is that a lot of us don't fit nice and tight into a specific "bucket" but tend to do a little bit of each in our daily work.

Nonetheless, I thought it might be interesting to list questions one might encounter in each segment. It might help frame each job a little better for some - or maybe confuse some (hope not!) - time will tell.

But often enough, in my opinion, questions reveal more than answers ) - So to give you a better understanding of the competencies for each category, I thought back hard about some of the questions I got when wearing each hat in the past. It's clearly not exhaustive but a good sampling I feel:

Things you might ask as a community manager

Should I build a custom community or just assemble one on Facebook?
Is it OK to let people create their own fan page using our brand name?
What are people saying about us on the web?
What happens if people bad-mouth my company online?
How many fans/followers should I expect being in the _________ industry?
Should we be active in this forum?
How can we generate community interest from live events?
What happens when our community grows beyond manageability by one person?
Do we use your personal name or a generic brand address (like community@brandname.com)
Should we setup a code of conduct for our community? If so what goes in there?
What can we do to boost our Facebook and Twitter fan numbers?
How do you measure the health of the community?
Why our members are leaving/not participating?
What editorial lines would be appropriate for our blog?

Things you might ask a social media manager

Should we be using Facebook applications? How about tabs?
Is it better to be on Youtube or Vimeo? How much video should we produce monthly?
What's the optimal length for a product video? How about an interview?
Should we connect our blog to Facebook and Twitter? How?
Will a Facebook ad campaign increase my fan count? How will I then keep them afterwards?
What's the best way to integrate social media networks into my existing website?
Do you know who the most influential bloggers are in the ____________ industry?
What's the best way to boost our SEO?
Should we experiment with location-based services? If so, how?
How will we police user-generated content as submissions increase?
Should I translate my side/page/blog into various languages?
How do we keep ahead of or in pace with the technology?

Things you might ask a social media strategist:

As a global enterprise, should we segment or centralize our Facebook presence?
What should my mobile strategy look like?
What should we be doing in China and how?
What's the most efficient way to monitor our brand online?
What approach should we take to selecting appropriate social networks to be in?
Should we be investing in mobile apps or mobile sites (or both)?
What are the best markets to build critical fan mass from initially?
How can we use social media to understand our customers better?
How do we source and manage content for our blog/page/community
Should we produce content or outsource it?
How do we tie in with existing PR/Marketing departments?
How can we best leverage internal resources to enhance our social media presence?
How can we beat competitor X at this game? What is he doing well and poorly?
Are we ready to do this given our internal resources? What will it take?
How do we scale up to millions of fans/followers?
Is Facebook really appropriate for a luxury brand like ours?
What kind of people with what skill sets should we be hiring?
How do we measure the ROI on our efforts?
What are the political ramifications of truly embracing social media?
How much does it cost to do this well?
What and how are the others doing?

Again, this isn't an exact science. I'd be interested to see what you guys think I should add, remove, or reshuffle from these lists.

Tarification des services de gestion de réseaux sociaux: à la carte ou menu prix fixe?

2011-05-06T08:20:00.004+02:00

Une des choses les plus difficiles à faire en tant que consultant indépendant dans les réseaux sociaux (ou qu'agence), c'est de déterminer la tarification de nos prestations.

Quand j'étais consultant en informatique, cet excercise était beaucoup plus facile. Parce que selon le moment de l'année, l'état du marché, et le genre de client, je pouvais facilement estimer le prix a facturer à 5% près. Je savais exactement ce que valais mes prestations dans chaque marché et j'ajustais donc mes prix en fonction.

De plus, je facturais toujours à l'heure (la facturation prix fixe par projet mieux vaut éviter), et j'arrivais toujours à estimer précisement le temps que ca me prendrait. Les clients comprenaient clairement ce qu'ils payaient, et ce qu'il allaient en tirer. Et puis le concept de la facturation à l'heure n'a rien de nouveau - les médecins, les avocats et les garagistes facturent de la même facon, et tout le monde comprend le concept. Malheureusement il n'en est pas ainsi dans les réseaux sociaux.

Pour les prestations de réseaux sociaux, cela fonctionne différemment. Tout d'abord, les gens ne comprennent pas bien ce que vous allez leur fournir (ou comment). Ensuite, ils ne saisissent pas bien quand on leur parle de facturer à la carte. Je m'explique: allez consulter ce billet de Mack Collier par example. C'est un article que j'ai souvent envoyé à des clients potentiels, car leur premiere question est toujours "Combien cela va-t-il me couter?" Mais en fait, je pense que cette démarche n'est pas judicieuse.

Dans son "menu", Mack inclut les composants classiques de la gestion des réseaux, à savoir un blog, une page Facebook, un compte Twitter, une stratégie et une feuille de route. Ensuite il indique un tarif horaire, et il inclut de la formation et de l'audit. Je pense que ses chiffres sont dans les normes (pour peu qu'il y en aient) et en tout cas en ligne avec ce que j'ai pu observer ici venant d'autres agences. Alors faisons un peu de maths, en prenant les moyennes de sa catégorie "Most Charge" (la plupart facturent):

Blog neuf avec contenu: $4,000/mois

Blog neuf avec contenu partiel: $2,750/mois

Amélioration d'un blog existant: $3,000/mois

Billet de blog: $250 par pièce.

Twitter case départ: $2,000/mois

Amélioration d'un compte Twitter existant: $1,750/mois

Formation sur un compte Twitter existant: $1,750/mois

Page Facebook avec gestion: $3,750/mois

Page Facebook simple: $3,000/mois

Stratégie réseaux sociaux: $5,500/mois

Stratégie réseaux sociaux (contenu limité): $4,500/mois

Audit réseaux sociaux: $3,500

Conseil réseaux sociaux: $137.50/heure

Formation réseaux sociaux: $535 - $875/heure

Prenons a présent quelques moyennes pour chaque activité - juste pour avoir une idee tres générale:

Blog: $3,000/mois

Twitter: $1,750/mois

Facebook: $3,000/mois

Strategy: $5,000 (par mois, mais un mois devrait suffire)

---------------------

Total: $12,750 le premier mois, puis $7,750 chaque mois suivant.

Postulons en plus (c'est plus un fait qu'un postulat) qu'une activité dans les réseaux sociaux ait besoin d'au moins une bonne année pour porter ses fruits. Sur un an, le cout se chiffrerait donc à $12,750 + 11 * $7,750 voir $98,000. Evidemment, il s'agit ici d'un minimum absolu, mais on est dans les eaux.

Bien sur, il y aura des couts supplémentaires. D'autres réseaux à exploiter selon la stratégie établie (Youtube, LinkedIn, etc), de l'évènementiel, une équipe de photo/vidéo, le référencement, les campagnes Facebook, la veille, les outils d'analyse, la génération de contenu, sans oublier le dévelopement mobile! Généralement, j'estime le cout total de base à $150,000 par an minimum. Et si vous faite le calcul, il s'agit en fait d'une masse salariale d'un employé à plein temps bien equippé, qui s'occuperait de tout ca à l'interne (et encore, pas avec un énorme salaire, donc peut-être un débutant).

Encore une fois, tout cela ne représente qu'une activité de base sur les réseaux. Et cela en supposant, naturellement, que votre stratégie se trouve inclure un blog, une page Facebook, et une présence Twitter - ce qui est habituel mais pas toujours nécessaire. Et bien sur, chaque client n'aura pas besoin de la "totale". Surtout si le client a déja une présence sur les réseaux - en quel cas il aura peut être simplement besoin d'un rajout, voir d'un coup de pouce sur une des plateformes déja mises en oeuvre. Mais généralement, selon mon expérience, le client typique part de zéro - il a peut être commencé à mettre l'orteil dans l'eau, mais à peine.

Et ce client, qui a du mal a saisir ce que sera le montant de son investissement, ne s'intéresse pas forcément aux couts individuels d'un blog, d'une page Facebook ou d'un compte Twitter. Il ne comprend même pas nécessairement la différence entre toutes ces plateformes. Le client, typiquement, a deux objectifs clairs: faire connaitre sa marque, et augmenter ses ventes. Et il veut une idée globale des couts, tout en sachant exactement ce qu'il devra débourser chaque mois pour sa trésorerie. Et puis il préfere aussi qu'on s'occupe de tout ca pour lui en un seul endroit, sans avoir a donner de la tête (et du temps!) à gauche ou à droite avec différents intervenants, et à gérer de multiples factures.

C'est pour ca qu'à mon avis, facturer à la carte (en essayant de justifier chaque tronçon) n'est pas une méthode judicieuse pour les indépendants de notre métier - et cela particulierement dans le luxe. Il est plus aisé de travailler de manière holistique, en mode "package". Non seulement la démarche est plus facile a comprendre (et à expliquer), mais elle correspond aussi mieux à une approche efficace sur les réseaux sociaux.

Car gérer une présence sociale ne se fait pas, a long terme, a coup d'essai par ci et par la, en faisant l'impasse sur un réseaux ce mois-ci, sur un autre le mois suivant. Il faut avoir une vision de haut, et une approche "clés en main". Tous les composants doivent etres présents, connectés, et fonctionnels ensemble de facon cohérente et continue.

Essayer d'économiser un peu d'argent en faisant juste un petit morceau par ci ou par la n'est pas une bonne stratégie a mon avis. C'est une perte d'argent dans une action vouée à l'echec. Il ne faut pas rentrer dans cet engrenage. C'est pour cela que, depuis peu, à moins que le projet soit extrement "chirurgical" et spécifique (analyse de réseaux existants, proposition de stratégie), je n'offre que des propositions de gestion "clés en main" dans lesquelles je m'occupe de tout de A à Z, quitte à faire entrer (en les gérant) des équippes d'appuis pour combler les compétences manquantes (web, video, mobile, etc). Quoiqu'il en soit, je m'occupe donc entièrement du bébé de la naissance à la majorité :)

Et vous, quelle a été votre expérience dans ce domaine? J'aimerais bien votre feedback.

Pricing Social Media Services - A la Carte or Prix Fixe Menu Sir?

2011-05-05T18:34:00.000+02:00

One of the hairiest challenges as an independent social media consultant (or an agency for that matter) is how to price social media services.

When I was a software consultant, that part was a lot easier. Why? Because given the time of year, the state of the market, and the type of client, I could pretty much pinpoint within 5% what the appropriate asking price might be. I knew exactly what software development went for on an hourly basis in my markets, and so I bid accordingly.

What's more, I always billed on an hourly basis (fixed cost billing is a dud), and I was always able to estimate time required to finish the job. The client typically understood what he was paying for, and what would be handed off at the end of the contract. Payment-wise, he also grasped the concept of hourly billing. Doctors, lawyers and mechanics bill that way - it's a fairly obvious concept. Unfortunately not so in the social media realm.

With social media, it's a whole different ball game. First, people don't readily understand what it is you can deliver (or how). Second, they don't understand when you price services "a la carte" - what do I mean by this? Well take a look at Mack Collier's How Much does Social Media cost companies in 2011? post here. It's a reference I always like to send prospects, as their first question often is: "How much is this gonna cost me?" - But now I'm thinking that's the wrong way to go about it.

Mack's menu comprises the "usual suspects" of a social media meal. Namely, a blog, associated content, Twitter, Facebook, and strategy/roadmap plan. Then he throws in an hourly rate window, training, and auditing. So far so good. I happen to think his numbers are actually on the money and consistent with what I've seen around here from agencies. So let do a little math now, taking averages on his "Most Charge" numbers:

Blog from scratch with content: $4,000/mo
Blog from scratch with some content: $2,750/mo
Existing blog enhancement: $3,000/mo
Blog posts: $250/post

Twitter from scratch: $2,000/mo
Existing Twitter enhancement: $1,750/mo
Existing Twitter coaching: $1,750/mo

Facebook page launch and management: $3,750/mo
Facebook page launch $3,000/mo

Social media strategy: $5,500/mo
Social media strategy (limited outsourcing): $4,500/mo

Social media strategy audit: $3,500

Social media consulting: $137.50/hr
Social media training: $535 - $875/hr

Now let's just take some averages for each activity - just to get a ballpark:
Blog: $3,000/mo
Twitter: $1,750/mo
Facebook: $3,000/mo
Strategy: $5,000 (per month, but one month per year should suffice)
---------------------
Total: $12,750 first month, then $7,750 each additional month.

Let's assume further (it's more a fact than an assumption) that a successful social media program needs to be continued for a period of at least one year to have the slightest chance of success. This brings your total basic yearly costs to $12,750 + 11 * $7,750 = $98,000 over the first twelve months. Naturally, this is a very basic estimate but it's in the ballpark if you ask me.

Yes, you'll have additional costs. Maybe other networks to leverage (Youtube, LinkedIn, etc) , probably some live eventing, photo/video work, SEO, Facebook campaigns, monitoring, analytical tools, content generation, and let's not forget mobile! All in all I typically estimate around $150,000/year minimum. Which, if you think about it, is around what you'd spend bare bones on a well-equipped full time employee doing everything internally (without a huge paycheck).

Remember now, this doesn't include more than the very basic stuff. It also assumes your strategy calls for a blog, Facebook and Twitter presence (typical, but not a sine qua non rule). Now, of course, not every client will need the full Monty. Especially if said client already has a social media presence - in which case he may just need an additional component, or some enhancements to an existing platform. But in my experience, those are the exception. The typical client I see is starting from scratch - with maybe a foot in the water, but barely.

And this client, struggling to price his total investment cost, doesn't particularly care what Blog, Facebook or Twitter management will cost him individually. Nor does he really understand (or care about) the difference between them. The client typically has a simple goal: build mindshare, increase sales. And he wants a "big picture" number. With a handle on his monthly costs. And typically, he also wants someone to handle all of this for him, without having to deal with Peter or Paul (and pay each separately) for various areas of work and/or expertise.

This is why, in my opinion, billing (and trying to justify) a la carte pricing is self-defeating for social media consultants - specifically in the luxury industry. It makes better sense to work with a holistic, "full package" approach. Not only is it simpler to grasp, but it also corresponds to what social media is all about. It's not a shot in the water here and there. A touch-up here, and an experiment there. A successful social media program (and consultant) needs to have a big picture approach. Holistic and turnkey. All the pieces must connect and work together seamlessly and coherently.

Trying to save some cash by doing "just a little piece" here and there is not a strategy, in my opinion. It's a waste of money with poor outcome probabilities. Not something you want to get involved in. This is why from now on, unless the project is very specific and focused or targeted (as in, an analysis of existing state, or a strategy proposal), I offer "turnkey" packages where I handle everything together in unity - bringing other teams and competencies in if required. But always "nurturing the baby" from a 360 perspective.

How about you? What's your experience been like? Inquiring minds want to know :)

Conférence sur le Community Management: Le Film est Sorti!

2011-05-03T17:57:00.002+02:00

Attention, ceci n'est pas vraiment un blog.

Non, il s'agit en fait simplement de partager avec vous la vidéo de cette soirée mémorable du community management mentionnée ici. Les professionels de Contenu & Cie on encore une fois bien fait leur travail et ont capturé les moments clés de la présentation. Comme on dit chez nous, enjoy the show! :)

Hiring Social Media Talent? Read This First

2011-04-21T15:16:00.000+02:00

Here's one that really caught my attention this morning. It's from a new social commerce company - a very hot trend indeed.

I first read about the company in a BOF article. As usual I immediately went to their website to create myself an account - because I'm just compulsive like that - I need to try out new "social" stuff out immediately. In the process, I noticed their We're Hiring section, and as I can usually tell a lot about a company based on its job listings, I clicked on it! Here's what it says:

"Svpply exists to reinvent retail online, and we're gunning for Amazon. Our users are dedicated, our team is tiny, and we’re looking to build this thing into a monster."

Right there and then, I didn't even bother reading further - I know these guys are going to kick ass or die trying. Why? Couple reasons:

1. They're targeting a well-identified mammoth. It's big, it's everywhere, it's easy to find, and it's slow.
2. They have the simplest goal statement - One sentence and everyone "gets it".
3. Mark Twain once said "They did not know it was impossible, so they did it!"

Which is really what it's all about in this business isn't it? Unfortunately it's so rare to find mission clarity these days. Most places you read about generate their mantras using this tool it seems. But Svpply's approach and spirit is precisely what evangelists live for and gravitate towards. It's contagious. And they're going to find the right people, trust me.

So if you want to hire among the best, you better be going after Amazon, Apple, or Rolex, or whatever is big, established, and seemingly invincible, and have a one-sentence mission statement. No matter what industry you happen to be in. What's the mission statement at the company you work for?

Conférence sur le Community Management: Questions Pertinentes

2011-04-19T13:59:00.002+02:00

C'est avec grand plaisir que j'ai discuté hier soir avec tout ceux et celles qui sont venu à Neuchatel pour cette conférence exo-Genevoise de la #SMCA_. Nous avons abordé pas mal de sujets pendant la partie Questions/Réponses qui ont engendré des questions de métier très pertinentes. Notemment:

Comment faire démarer une communauté?
Une question fut posée quant aux méthodes utilisées pour "ensemencer" la communauté Marvin au tout départ. J'ai répondu qu'on avait ciblé, trouvé et convaincu des influenceurs clé du web qui nous ont aidé à "répandre la bonne nouvelle" - donc évangeliser - le retour de la marque sur les marchés, et cela initialement sur les USA mais aussi sur la France et la Suisse.

J'ai aussi mentionné les forums horlogers, car multiples discussions sur Marvin existaient deja dessus depuis longtemps. Ce qui m'a permis de découvrir un reseau important de collectioneurs/amateurs Marvin aux USA, et en Europe. Rien d'étonnant pour une marque de 160 ans! Ces gens on eu un impact important sur la "renaissance" de la marque et le renflouement de nos communautés sur Facebook et Twitter. Et puis après cela, beaucoup de bouche à oreille, de presse officielle, et aussi des concours sur certains blogs horlogers et "lifestyle" très ciblés qui ont eu un succès quantitatif appréciable.

Infuser ou diffuser dans les reseaux?
Une autre problèmatique évoquée fut celle de la strategie "mono ou multi" dans la mise en place de pages Facebook (cela s'applique à Twitter et autres réseaux également). Pour de larges communautés, et les marques à envergure globale, faut-il mieux segmenter une présence digitale par marché, par continent, voir par langue, ou tout integrer dans un grand "melting pot" centralisé, quitte à engager des CM compétents dans (et conversants dans la langue de) chaque region? Pas de réponse "meilleures practiques" à mon avis, car sur le terrain, on voit les marques gérer cela de maniere differente (voir Air France vs. EasyJet par example, ou encore Swatch vs. Hublot). Chaque cas est particulier, et lié a la stratégie de base et à la "culture" ou a l'historique de la marque je pense. Je reste persuadé que l'important (comme toujours) est d'agir en fonction des besoins et demandes des fans/clients concernés - Pour cela, encore faut-il savoir ou et comment leur poser la question.

Le CM en tant qu'independant ou resource interne?
C'est une question qui se pose beaucoup en ce moment. Faut-il mieux "louer" un community manager dans une agence ou l'engager à plein temps au sein de la société? Je pense que la premiere chose à explorer, c'est l'existance d'une resource interne. Sans cette option disponible, il existe des avantages au recrutement direct aussi bien qu'au mandat avec une agence ou un(e) indépendant(e).

A l'interne: immersion totale dans la marque, investissement de formation justifiable, un seul maitre à servir.
A l'externe: bénéfice des connaissance de l'intervenant(e) dans d'autres domaines (donc pas d'oeillères liées à une industrie spécifique), voir chez les concurrents. Expérience riche et variée, contacts dans le business sur les compétences complementaires, et flexibilité dans les horaires et les déplacements si nécessaire.

Facebook en passe de devenir trop lourd et trop polué?
A force de croitre en taille et en puissance, la plateforme Facebook devient-elle trop bruyante et diluée pour servir d'outil idéal de communication de marque (et surtout dans le luxe)? Je pense que le risque est en effet réel, en tout cas pour certaines marques, et j'ai d'ailleurs écrit un billet à ce sujet récemment.

Voila - Il y a eu bien d'autres questions et discussions hier soir et si vous en avez d'autres aussi, n'hesitez pas a me contacter - je suis facile à trouver aussi 24/7 sur jerome.pineau@gmail.com :)

Conférence sur le Community Management de Luxe

2011-04-15T16:56:00.001+02:00

Pas besoin d'évoluer bien longtemps dans le monde du community management suisse avant de tomber sur Olivier Tripet, un gars hyper sympa. Olivier est aussi le fondateur d'une association qui se nomme Swiss Community Managers Association [#scma_].

Je crois qu'il était le premier à faire cela en Europe d'ailleurs. Ce groupe, qui ne cesse de croitre, rassemble un vrai palmarès de tous les community managers de Suisse romande pour discuter du métier entre professionels et partager de l'information pertinente avec le public avide d'information sur ce métier tout nouveau.

L'association organise souvent des conférences ou des professionels viennent s'exprimer. C'est ainsi qu'il y a quelques semaines, Olivier m'a demandé si je voulais bien participer en tant qu'intervenant pour discuter du community management dans le monde du luxe. Cela se passe lundi prochain le 18 avril au muséum d'histoire naturelle de Neuchatel [map]. J'ai tout de suite accepté avec grand enthousiasme, surtout que pour une fois, l'évènement se déroule à coté de chez moi sur Neuchatel - et non pas à Genève! :)

A vrai dire, je ne suis pas un adepte des présentations Powerpoint formelles- je préfère mille fois une vraie discussion interactive à une présentation unidirectionelle. Par conséquent, vous ne me verrez surement pas faire défiler des "diapos" durant la soirée. Je crois que je vais plutot faire une petite intro rapide, et puis répondre à des questions, parler aux gens, et surtout essayer d'écouter et d'apprendre quelque chose. Voici les sujets que nous aborderons:

Les origines et les objectifs de cette nouvelle profession
Comment debuter dans la carriere
Experience verticale ou horizontale - les avantages et les inconvénients
Comment se batir des competences dans une industrie inconnue
Défis et opportunités specifiques au monde du luxe

Et on verra bien ou tout cela nous mêne. Si vous êtes dans les parages, j'espère que vous vous joindrez à nous. C'est facile de se garer, l'auditorium sera rempli de gens brillants du métier, et je me suis laissé dire qu'on servait l'apéro et des amuse-bouche après le spectacle et rien que ça déja, ca vaut le déplacement non? :)

My Conference on Community Management in the Luxury Industry

2011-04-15T15:58:00.001+02:00

If you navigate the Swiss Community Management landscape for any amount of time, you're bound to come up on a really good guy called Olivier Tripet. Olivier started an organisation called the Swiss Community Managers Association [#scma_].

He was, I believe, the first one to do so in Switzerland and perhaps even most of Europe (Germany might be an exception). This growing group brings together the who's who of Community Management in the country to discuss common issues and share insight and experiences.

Every so often, they invite speakers to their conferences. And several weeks ago, Olivier asked me if I could speak about community management in the luxury industry this Monday, April 18th. The conference is hosted at the Neuchatel Museum of Natural History [map]. Needless to say, I was more than happy to oblige - especially since, for the first time ever, this meeting will occur outside Geneva in my home base of Neuchatel :)

Now, truth be told, I'm not a big fan of Powerpoint presentations - I'm more of a whiteboard kinda guy anyway. So you won't catch me flipping through endless slides during the presentation. I'm more at home with conversations than one-way presentations. So I'll probably fly through the major points quickly, and then talk to people, answer questions, and try to learn something in the process. We'll be discussing community management in the following contexts:

Origins and purpose of this new function in the enterprise
Starting out in the career
Vertical and horizontal industry experience - pluses and minuses
Building competencies in unknown industries
Luxury-specific challenges and opportunities

We'll see where that gets us. If you're in the area, I sure hope you'll drop by - parking is easy, the room will be packed with really smart local social media people, and I'm told there will be cocktails and munchies afterwards so that in itself is worth the trip if you ask me :)

Dealing in Human Luxury: Private Communities vs. Facebook

2011-04-15T07:56:00.001+02:00

I just read this interesting guest post by Eric Schwartzman on Scott Monty's blog. The topic focuses on private B2B social networks of course, but it made me think a little more about what's going on in the luxury watch industry now - and what I think might happen as time passes (no pun I swear).

Early on, Eric quotes Steve Rubel:

"In our rush to amass friend and followers...we're assembled online social communities that are so loud and so constant, that it's become difficult to use them for more then mundane conversations."

And that's if you're lucky I'd say. The post then discussed the alternative, namely private "intimate" social networks and their genesis, naming Beluga and GroupMe as examples. In the luxury world, you have several such "private" networks as well. ASW is an invitation-only platform. It has a dedicated watch forum. GILT is semi-private. LuxurySociety is invite-only with a B2B focus. Just to name a few.

Nowadays, many watch brands are on Facebook and Twitter. I say "many" because I've only tallied 118 on Facebook and 89 on Twitter so far. And I know there are probably hundreds if not more active ones worldwide. On these "public" playing fields like Facebook, they shoot far and wide - and wait for the chips to fall. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Ahead of the game: Swatch, Hublot, and B&M.

One thing's for sure, it's all about quantity right now. It's not a bad military strategy actually. It's important to invade and occupy as much territory as possible very early on in a conflict, as long as you can keep advancing and maintain supply lines. And Facebook "likes" farming is nothing short of a major battle at the moment.

But then, some high-end brands also maintain private social networks for customers - folks like Hublot, JLC, or DeWitt, to name a few. These are private gated communities they can manage and throttle at will - with authentication at the door - often tied into an electronic warranty card or device. In the current landscape, some cash-infused brands are hedging their bets on being anywhere and everywhere - just in case one channel doesn't pan out, or another takes off unexpectedly.

If I were a betting man, I'd wager that exclusive private brand networks will continue to multiply and thrive. For high-end brands, I'd even suggest investing more in those than Facebook, Twitter or the other "usual suspects" - Why? Because public networks are too "noisy", and too diluted.

When you buy a First Class ticket on an airline (or better yet, on something like OpenSkies), you're really buying speed, privacy, access and isolation from the "masses". Social is great, but social with the "right people" is ten times better. Elitist outlook? Not really if you believe the nodes of an exclusive luxury community, namely its members, must also be "luxury" material - What does this mean in human terms?

It means they're good, connected people you can trust and count on. It means they're leaders in their field. It means their reputation is spotless. It means they have connections and access you can trust hands down. If this sounds Masonic, you're on the right track :) - It means they share life and behavioral values. Their word is their bond. Their discretion absolute. And their commitment to the tribe unwavering.

This kind of prime, luxury human "capital" is what private luxury networks can contain. Much harder to build and nurture than amassing "likers" on Facebook by the hundreds. But much more in line with a luxury offering. Because ultimate luxury is human luxury - a very rare commodity indeed - and one not easily attracted by just any brand. And I also believe these groups should remain as small as possible. Because there is luxury in intimacy.

What do you think? Are private luxury networks elitist and old-school, or likely to take on a major role in luxury social media?

Are #socialmedia People Circus Freaks?

2011-04-08T14:00:00.004+02:00

Tac Anderson certainly thinks so. And he makes the point in a recent blog post starting out with "This one goes out with love to all you social media, job hopping, circus freaks. You are my people." - I think it's a great post. In my opinion, we don't address "delicate" social media career issues hardly enough. I agree with a lot of what Tac says. Clearly, he's "been there done that" - Of course, I might have tempered this part a little:

"We’ve also jumped around a lot because we’re super ADHD and often come from non-traditional background. Basically we’re about as stable as circus freaks."

But only because in my experience, I've found social media people - and community managers in particular - to be very calm and stable, especially under fire. And quite the opposite of "hyperactive" or "freakish". Maybe that's why women seem to be so well-suited to (and recruited into) CM jobs recently - something I've been pondering as well lately.

In either case, what Tac doesn't address fully in his post is the other side of the coin. So I asked myself, is this phenomenon about nature or nurture? Do social media employers also encourage this behavior? I think so in several ways.

First, in many cases, companies hire social media "gurus, ninjas or experts" - I'm not exactly sure why. Clearly they're not reading Jeremiah Owyang. And hiring social media talent without doing so guarantees a bullet in the foot.

Second, sometimes companies hire social media talent without fully understanding the "breadth" and magnitude of the role. We're not just Facebook and Twitter feeders. Social media actors are central to the enterprise communication hub. The head of communications will be the social media/community manager. It's only a matter of time. Their impact is felt across the enterprise, like it or not. It's a strategic position. And it's disruptive beyond belief. The political ramifications can be, shall we say, brutal. Most CMs I know or read about are genuine human beings who consequently suck at politics. They vote with their feet.

Third, dirty little secret #1: too many social media people are paid crap. Except several gurus, ninjas and experts - but we know what happens there (see my first point). I'm not suggesting social media folks frequently walk for financial reasons alone, but when I see employees paying $40-$70K a year for this type of work, I have to ask, "what did you expect?"

Fourth, I think it's really hard for employers to distinguish between "client" and "agency" types of social media managers. Some of us will never be comfortable long term working for a single client. And others cannot possibly juggle multiple accounts for either intellectual or "moral" reasons. Employers should clearly distinguish between the two personality types and hire accordingly.

Fifth, it is hard, if not impossible, for many employers to provide enough growing space for social media people. We're not "static" kind of people. The "bigger platform to succeed from" Tac refers to in his piece is either available in an organisation or not. Employers should think long and hard about that to avoid "caging" super stars.

Finding and (especially) keeping star social media talent is not rocket science, I swear. And social media people are not inherently different from any other critical staff - or worse circus freaks than certain CEOs for that matter :)

To avoid a revolving door problem, you simply need to give them proper compensation, empowerment, responsibility, support, and the opportunity to kick ass. I'll leave you with a suggestion:

In the Israeli Army, there's an interesting management concept. They take new, totally unproven people (after proper psychological vetting) and catapult them to the top of the command structure straight away. Then they sit and watch how the guy does. The logic is flawless: each person will eventually "bubble down" to his proper capability level and stay there. Or not. Those who don't downgrade become the top commanders. Talk about motivation! It's a compelling top-down approach, and I'm convinced it works in business as well - especially for social media people.

#socialmedia - What Is It Good For?

2011-04-06T16:42:00.001+02:00

Fans of the Seinfeld show will remember this quote from "The Marine Biologist" episode - "War, what is it good for" - It was funny then (unless you're a Tolstoy historian) and it's funny now. Except, that is, when applied to social media. Let me explain.

I've been amazed at the number of seasoned business people who've asked me the exact same question recently. You go to a meeting, or you're talking to someone about social media, and the first thing they come out with is "What should we be doing with this stuff. What's it all about? Should we be doing this? Tell me what to do".

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not preaching from an ivory tower here. And I totally get the fact that most people don't live and breathe this new life force on a daily basis, even if their lives are inextricably linked to it 24/7. And honestly, their questions are legitimate - even reassuring - at least they're asking them!

But you'd think with the boatloads of information published about it daily on every imaginable media channel (for the past several years), that people might be a tad better informed about "social media" in 2011. Unless you live in a cave (wireless and childless), you've witnessed the power of social media in everything from your kids' social life to your weekly shopping to politics (hello, Middle East?), entertainment, education - For it now encompasses all forms of communication both private and public.

So you'd think most people, laymen included, would by now have a basic understanding of the stakes at play here. That and the fact that "social media" isn't just about Facebook. But you'd be wrong.

The problem, of course, is you cannot answer these questions in a void. It's a little bit like asking "should I grab an umbrella on the way out today?" with no additional context. And in fact, you have to put yourself in the inquirer's shoes and understand his or her motivation. In my experience, here are possible reasons why they sometimes ask such open-ended questions:

#1. The competition is doing it. What do they know that I don't?
If your only motivation for exploring social media is keeping up with the Joneses, you don't have a social media issue, you have a business issue. Namely, a competitor-driven strategy. Forget the competitors.

#2. I have a persistent pain point I haven't been able to solve any other way.
Social media is not voodoo. Chances are, if nothing's worked before, social media won't fix it miraculously.

#3. It's cheaper than traditional marketing.
Yes your kids are on Facebook and Facebook is free. But you get what you pay for. And if budget is your primary concern, doing nothing is your best bet by definition.

#4. I know the answer but I want to see how you deal with it
Now you're being subtle (or have a law background). Trying to pry a typical "guru/expert" "social media holy grail" answer from me. Not gonna happen. Matter of fact I'll be the first to tell you to forget about "social media" if I don't see obvious business goal(s) driving it.

#5. My business is in deep doodoo.
Could social media be its saving grace? Survey says: not likely. If you're deep in a hole, you probably need quick sales right now, or a great business attorney, neither of which can be obtained quickly via social media (well okay top attorneys do hang out on Facebook...).

But seriously, let me suggest more valid reasons to seek out social media - And what the right questions might involve:

#1. To build relationships with customers.
Yes, just like the good old pre-mass media days. Except now on a planet-wide scale. The only question there is simple: do you love your customers? And do you care if they love you back? Let's hope so.

#2. To provide better customer service.
Yes, just like the good old days too, before we globalized it all without the ability to manage it locally and humanly. Now we can. The question here is: do you love your customers? Because if you do, you'll want them to hang around, keep buying, and heck, even WOM you to others.

#3. To listen better to customers.
Because only via social media can you scale out a global listening platform. The question here is: do you love your customers? Because if you do, you also respect them. And if you respect them, you surely want to give them your undivided attention. Every day and 24/7.

#4. To strengthen your organization
Because a real social media strategy must permeates the entire business. Like a philosophy. And you know what you've been saying: "my company is all about its people" - The question here is: do you love your your customers? Because if you do, you better make sure every single one of your employees does as well. And then ensure each one of them is empowered to spread the love. Because you love your employees too don't you?

#5. To put your money where your mouth is.
Because all these years, internally and externally, you've been talking about transparency, openness, zero defects, accountability, customer first, staff loyalty, integrity, and all those fancy concepts posted on the cafeteria walls. And now's your chance to actually execute on those. Check it out: John Chambers at Cisco gets it. The question here (you guessed it) might be: do you love your customers? Because you probably do. So don't disappoint them and pony up.

You come to me with these kinds of goals in mind, and now we're cooking with gas! And guess what? Your customer base and sales will increase. And your buyers won't feel compelled to do business elsewhere. Because you'll have made a difference to them (unlike so many others), and therefore in the world.

Social media. That's what it's good for. Don't you agree?

The Great Horology Mass of 2011 Has Left the Building

2011-04-02T10:58:00.001+02:00

As you'd expect following the conclusion of the Great Horology Mass of 2011 (aka BaselWorld), I've been eager to share my experience of the Great Show with you all. But my opinions have no relevance whatsoever. Their only value, if any, stems from the fact I am still an outsider to the industry. Yes, I've sipped a lot of Kool Aid in the past twelve months, but I'm still a virgin.

So instead of talking to you about products, brands, industry gurus, velvet ropes, cocktail parties, and all the usual hooplah (enough others are doing it better!), I'm going to share with you my most amazing Basel 2011 experience. I'm afraid it has nothing to do with watches, however. You see, I went to mass on Saturday night.

That's right, mass. Now, truth be told, besides the occasional tour or asking for directions, I'm not your regular church mouse. Famous French playright Edmond Rostand once wrote "la meilleure prière est la plus clandestine" (the best prayer is secret), and I've pretty much lived by that all my life.

But at one point late Saturday night, a "person-of-interest-who-shall-remain-nameless-to-protect-her-innocence" suggested we blast off from Planet Watch to attend an unusual church event several miles away. A suggestion I was quick to accept after four days of confined, non-stop "horologism" (not to be confused with the real deal).

And so the evening quickly shifted from horology central to Neo-Gothic awe the moment we pulled up to this massive monument after two cab rides (the first guy having gotten totally lost). To truly understand the event in question, you need to picture Saturday Night Fever meets the Da Vinci Code. Then throw in Jim Burgess, and add a couple hundred locals. In a word, this!

Now, I've seen some weird psychedelic stuff in my life, but not since the days of Limelight in New York City had I watched so many people partying to the beat of laser lights in a major religious landmark. But Limelight - and its crowd - didn't have the same "aura".

Picture wiggling your way through a pulsating crowd of a hundred (perhaps a thousand?) souls. Imagine smoke-splitting laser beams, giant sparkling disco balls, huge floating helium balloons, several improvised bars, and mega speakers pumping bass.

Standing in the middle of this youthful humanity, dressed completely out of sorts in my Basel threads (jacket and shirt please), I couldn't help but think: "no one here gives a hoot about watches, and no one here is having a make or break night". No one is thinking about casino watches, complications, millisecond chronographs, time-shifting instruments, or quadruple-tourbillons in this crowd. I felt totally outside my comfort zone (I had not realized until then that horology had become "comfortable" to me) and the whole experience was, I'm ashamed to admit, movingly cathartic.

Needless to say, my daily worship occurs at the altar of the great Church of Horology. For it too is a religion with its own codes, popes, cardinals, priests, schools, choir boys, enforcers. Believers and atheists. Traditionalists and iconoclasts. Complete with their associated traditions, rules, dogmas, and "objects of worship". Our yearly mass was magnificent and left us full of hope. Heck, 103,000 people showed up, I believe over 600 brands attended, and 3,000 journalists and bloggers covered it. I say Amen to that while nursing lingering symptoms of BaselWorld withdrawal depression - are we in 2012 yet?

At the Bar Rouge with my Marvin crew

P.S: I would like thank the "person-of-interest-who-shall-remain-nameless-to-protect-her-innocence" for having reminded me that parking illegally sucks - For this, I owe you big :)

Heading out to #BaselWorld - It's Showtime Folks!

2011-03-22T22:44:00.005+01:00

When I was growing up in NYC, commercials on TV touted "The Greatest Show on Earth" as the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Baily Circus. As a kid I always hated circuses, and still do. Clowns scare me, wild animals in captivity make me ill, and I'd rather shave with broken glass than mingle with large crowds of screaming children.

Tomorrow, I'm heading out to another great show. Luckily, this one is for adults. Known as BaselWorld, it's the yearly "Great Horology Mass" of the industry in Basel. I wasn't in Switzerland for three weeks last year (having just moved from California) when I parachuted into my first BaselWorld as community manager for Marvin. At the time, I was totally clueless. This year, I'm slightly less clueless, but barely (heck, I even managed to score a B&B room in the suburbs!)

Now, I know what to expect a bit better. There will be some major show business going on. And a lot of chest-beating. Many important industry mavens on podiums. I will be walking among legends, mingling with press, CEOs, creators, founders, designers, power brokers, and (hopefully) cute hostesses. There will be speeches, special events, major marketing glitter, security details, colored lights, cameras, and non-stop action!

There will be millions of dollars worth of amazing products on display. Huge global luxury power houses bringing out the big guns to showcase novelties then wine, dine and cocktail big clients to death. And modern-day independent visionaries touting watches in the six and seven figures as essential to human existence, innovation, and aesthetic progress. Of course, many will also talk about Japan - God bless this amazingly resilient nation.

And then, of course, there will be the opportunity to hook up with good industry friends I've made in the last twelve months. People like Ben Clymer of Hodinkee, for example, who came on my webradio show last week. No really I swear, he's one of many :) - During the show, I'll be doing live micro-interviews with anyone who'll talk to me as well (and say stuff I can publish on a G-rated audio platform!)

The BaselWorld people released an iPhone app this year. Complete with a live map and exhibitor list, which is really cool. I plugged the following brands in the app's "favorites" list - Most of which I need to learn something (more) about. Not that anyone should care about my selection (Lord knows), but this will help me make sure I don't miss at least those in the time alloted - and my time will be very limited.

Antoine Martin, 4-N, Armin Strom, Ball Watches, Bell & Ross, Bulgari, Bulova, Chronoswiss, Hamilton, Hublot, McGonigle, Hautlence, Maitres du Temps, Maurice Lacroix, Corum, DeWitt, Edox, Jaquet Droz, Tudor, Omega, Romain Jerome, Speake-Marin, and Tag Heuer.

I probably won't be able to get into many of these places because at BaselWorld, you need to make appointments to see brands. You can't just waltz into these places and strike up a conversation with anyone unless you have serious credentials and a time slot. Many (mostly large) brands are a bit less "accessible", shall we say, to normal people than their online image would have you believe :) - And besides, BaselWorld is a B2B endeavor. Although I suspect most of the big deals are made prior to it these days. There's a lot of industry self-reassuring going on at BaselWorld - I'm not sure about any "real" ad-hoc business. But hey, the cocktail parties are cool and I really am clueless - What do I know.

I, for one, will be spending the first four days around the Marvin stand, where you won't need an appointment to see me (unless you insist) - I'm not big on appointments as I don't find them very "social", and the most interesting meetings I ever had were always impromptu :) - So just drop by and if I'm around we'll chat, look at some really cool watches, and bask in the warmth and buzz of the Greatest Swiss Show on Earth.

Social Media Ain't Rocket Science

2011-03-13T17:08:00.000+01:00

Credits: SocialFresh.com

I really believe we have too much of this kind of social media, and not enough of that one in the luxury industry. We haven't reached critical mass just yet, but we're getting there real fast. I worry sometimes.

Behind curtain number one, you have every social media expert, guru, and ninja talking about relationships, communicating (as in 2-way), saying thanks, and engaging in conversation. Analysts and pundits preach the same social media Gospel week after week. But is anyone listening?

I ask this because, behind curtain number two, you have a lot of this type of activity. It's what I call the carpet-bombing, "everything including the kitchen sink" kind of corporate social media approach. I'm not targeting Lexus any more specifically than any of the other "luxury" brands out there really. They all more or less think, operate and behave the same way. We talk, you listen. We pretend to listen back. Cocktails anyone?

I think it starts with good intentions. But quickly enough, it degenerates into the same old SOP. Let's see how much we can throw at the consumer on channel A. And when we detect attention deficit, we'll just pump more stuff out on channel B. When that gets old, channel C will be trending so we'll use that as well. Or maybe let's just do A, B and C all at the same time! We don't have much to lose, this social media stuff is comparatively cheap, and heck, we must keep up with the competition!

Somewhere along the way, the patients started running the asylum. And I feel the reason is simple: we lost track of the original mandate, and we complicate things too much - as large corporations often do when faced with tectonic shifts.

Social media isn't rocket science. As a paid consultant, I shouldn't say this, but it's true. We're trying to put "human" back in "business", and in so doing, generate Love. Yes folks, it's that simple. And a lot like a real life dating game. Marriage being the desired outcome. To attract the right mate, you need a couple elements.

You need sexy, because first impressions matter. And people are vain that way. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But there's no excuse for not trying. Make the effort to put makeup on.

You need to command respect. Because people don't love those they disrespect. Instead, they mock them and, first chance they get, speak ill of them. Sometimes brands will do things or hire people who do not inspire respect. John Galliano comes to mind. What kind of a place hires people like that anyway?

You need giving. Give more, love more, support more than you ever expect in return. It always comes back threefold. Love's contagious. Spread the virus. I never hear of brands saying "gee, what could we give today?" - except silly games, badges, or contests I suppose - Instead it's always about how many more Facebook or Twitter mass we can accumulate. Beware the bean counters; they are takers not givers.

You need to shut up and listen. Before it turns ugly. I guess the same advice applies to governments lately. People don't typically love those they cannot confide in or "spill the beans" to. To be fair, most males of the human species are notoriously poor at listening - maybe that's why there's more women community managers in the world.

You need the heart of a hero. Everyone admires a hero. And the genuineness that comes with it. Most people can smell a heartless fake miles away, and it's no different for brands. No matter how many coupons, iPhone apps or Foursquare badges you throw at them. And no amount of "social media" juice can simulate this.

All these things are human experience 101 your average second grader can understand. But we complicate all this stuff way too much. We worship gadgets, technologies, tools and trends. We often choose quantity over quality (while claiming the opposite). We seek sophisticated ways to measure God knows what without really thinking why. We strive to fit all of this into neat equations with predictable results. It's reassuring job safety management for sure. But meanwhile, who's minding the public? In the (paraphrased) words of one of the greatest community managers ever, ask not what your community can do for you, rather ask what you can do for it - everyday! And give them every reason to love you. Because nowadays, it's personal.

After reading this post, pause for a moment and name three luxury companies you really "love" - if you can find that many - and ask yourself why. If this exercise takes you over thirty seconds, then our industry really has a lot of social media progress to make don't you think?

Gestionnaires des réseaux sociaux, bossez-vous pour la gloire?

2011-02-26T09:45:00.001+01:00

Je suis tombé en arrière récemment en lisant ce billet de SocialCast que mon collègue Stéphane Koch avait fait figuré sur son mur Facebook. Est-ce-que vous trouvez l'erreur? Bien sur que oui, surtout qu'en plus il y en a plusieurs! Commençons par la plus évidente:

Apparemment, nous mélangeons encore et toujours les concepts de gestion de communauté, évangelisme de marque, gestion de contenu, marketing digital, gestion de réseaux sociaux, et stratégie sociale. Plusieurs raisons sont à la cause:

Il s'agit de nouveaux métiers, et de cahiers des charges extrêment complexes. De plus, les responsabilité ne cessent de croitre. L'année derniere, j'ai essayé de décrire le métier de community manager. Et ce billet d'il y a un an est toujours d'actualité à mon avis. Quant au stratégiste social, voici sa definition. Entre les sites tels que Altimeter Group, Community Roundtable, et Blaise Grime-Viort, ce ne sont pas les ressources sur ces postes qui manquent, alors quel est le problème?

En fait, je pense que cette confusion soit nourrie par nous-mêmes du métier. Nous sommes en effet nombreux à mal savoir definir ou justifier notre métier. Nous avons du mal a faire valoir notre savoir et notre valeur sur le marché, que ce soit avec nos semblables, avec le monde extérieur, ou nos employeurs potentiels. Il existe peu de communautés de "community managers" - celle-ci étant une exception. Et une partie de leur role devrait être d'améliorer la situation.

Mais il faut aussi réaliser la chose suivante: la plupart du temps, les gens à l'externe (et les employeurs potentiels) ont ou connaissent des enfants. Et ils voient ces enfants qui passent leur vie sur Facebook. Ils se disent alors, "c'est trop facile de faire ca! Même ma petite nièce de 15 ans y arrive!". Résultat des courses: notre métier prend très peu de valeur à leurs yeux.

Ce qui nous amène à la deuxieme anomalie (plus grâve celle-la):

Quand j'ai lu cela, je me suis dis non, c'est pas possible, il doit y avoir une faute de frappe! Dites-vous bien, si cette infographie décrit correctement votre cahier des charges, que vous passez tant de temps à bosser (à savoir, non-stop), et que vous êtes payé cette pitance, soit vous êtes dingue, soit vous travaillez pour la gloire!

Vous avez meilleur compte d'aller proposer votre candidature au MacDo le plus proche. Vous gagnerez surement plus et travaillerez moins. Et les gens qui pensent que leur nièce peut leur servir de community manager n'ont qu'a l'engager!

Franchement, je ne sais pas si cette statistique du site PayScale est bien fondée, voir même justifiable. C'est vrai que j'ai vu des propositions de community manager pour la côte Est des USA a $50-60,000 par an. Et je peux vous assurer qu'on ne peut pas subsister avec cette somme sur aucune côte des USA (et encore moins en Suisse!). Ca coute combien de faire du social media? Je me réfère toujour à ce billet quand on me pose la question.

La plupart du temps les gens s'etonnent style "Ah mais alors il faut qu'on paye? Mais je croyais que les réseaux sociaux c'etait bon marché?" - Je m'étonne toujours de voir des annonces venant de grandes marques de luxe cherchant des "stagiaires" pour gérer leurs reseaux sociaux (toujours Facebook et Twitter exclusivement) - C'est comme essayer de trouver un chirurgien cardiaque au rabais mais enfin bon, chacun voit midi à sa porte.

Alors parlons peu, parlons bien. Quelles aptitudes sont requises, au juste, pour gérer les réseaux sociaux d'une entreprise de façon compétente?

Tout d'abord il faut etre fort en marketing. Et puis diplomate. Il faut savoir évoluer dans un milieu politisé. Gérer des équippes à l'interne aussi bien qu'à l'externe. Avoir le sens du spectacle. Etre disponible 24/7. Etre un peu espion aussi (style renseignements généraux - et oui, la veille...). Savoir écrire de façon engageante (plus lire beaucoup et vite), avoir le don d'ubiquité. Puis pouvoir s'exprimer en public. Et aussi, bien comprendre les technologies sous-jacentes (quel sont les conséquences du remplacement du FBML par des iFrames sur Facebook? Faut-il mieux faire un site mobile ou des applications dédiées pour les smartphones?). Il faut des competances en RP, pouvoir bosser avec la presse, comprendre les dynamiques de groupe, savoir evaluer les gens en quelques secondes, être un peu journaliste (parfois curateur, et souvent interviewer), représenter les clients, comprendre le service, être un homme (ou femme) d'affaires, savoir faire la part de l'opportunité et du risque, être psychologue, faire de l'évènementiel, gérer un budget, faire de la strategie, et une quantité d'autres choses que j'oublie certainement ici. En plus, impossible de fonctioner dans ce champs de bataille diffus sans le soutient constant d'une famille solide, et une quantité de café astronomique.

Bref, le genre de compétences qu'on ne recherche pas généralement chez ceux qui gagnent le SMIC. Alors pourquoi donc les payer de la même façon? Si on additionne les salaires de chaque personne qu'il faudrait engager séparement pour faire le boulot typique d'un "social media/community manager", je pense qu'on atteindrait vite le million sinon plus.

Si cette statistique de rémuneration est exacte, je pense que cela montre combien nous ne communiquons pas suffisemment et pas assez éfficacement sur la valeur que nous offrons à l'entreprise. Et beaucoup d'entre nous, à ce prix la, travaillent uniquement pour la gloire. Alors la question à se poser est simple: que peut-on faire pour améliorer cette situation avant qu'il ne soit trop tard?

Social Media's Little Image Problem (or how to work for fame and glory)

2011-02-25T17:03:00.002+01:00

I almost keeled over a couple days ago reading this SocialCast post about the "Hectic Schedule of a Social Media Manager" as shared on Facebook by my good social media buddy Stéphane Koch. Can you find the anomaly? Of course you can. Especially since there are more than one. Let me start with the most benign:

We are still mixing up community management, brand evangelism, content management, digital marketing, social media management and social media strategy. There are several reasons for this incessant confusion:

the industry is new, the skill set is highly complex, and the responsibilities keep expanding. Last year I tried to describe the community manager lifestyle. This year-old blog post is still correct in my opinion. And a social media strategist does this. Between folks like Altimeter Group, Community Roundtable, and Blaise Grimes-Viort I assure you there is enough material to clearly distinguish between all these terms. So what gives?

In many ways, this lingering confusion is self-inflicted. Too many of us in the "social media" space fail to properly define, justify and explain our value to peers, outsiders, or employers. Peer communities like this one have many roles to fill, and I think this should be one of them.

But combine this with the following fact: most of the time, the people who sign the checks have or know kids. And they see these kids playing around on Facebook. They look at this and think "hey, this stuff is easy, even my 15 year old niece can do it!" Conclusion: our work as social media managers (or whatever it's called) is grossly undervalued in the market place! Which brings me to the most shocking anomaly. This one:

When I saw this I thought, no way, there must be a typo in there somewhere. Think about it. If your job effectively entails what's described in the infographic, during the hours indicated (namely, non-stop), and you're getting paid this kind of money, you're nuts! You're much better off running to the nearest fast-food chain and signing up for a nice shift with weekends off. You'll probably make more and work less! And the folks who think any 15 year old can do this work, well they probably should hire their niece indeed! :)

I don't honestly know how reliable this salary range from PayScale really is. I do know I've seen social media/community management job ads offering salaries in the $50-$60K range on the East Coast in the US (you can't live on this salary on any coast of the US). How much does it cost to do social media? I like to refer to this post when asked that question. Most of the time, people's reaction is "oh, you mean we actually have to pay for this? But I thought social media was cheap?" - I'm still shocked to see ads from major luxury brands for low-cost (or free) "social media interns" - To me that's like picking your heart surgeon on the cheap. But hey, some folks are like that.

So let's get real here - what does it take to do this job well? Consider this:

You have to know marketing. And diplomacy. Navigate complex political structures. Manage teams (internal) and vendors (external). Understand show business. Be on call 24/7. Be an intelligence officer. Be a skilled writer (and speed reader). Multitask for a living. Be able to address an audience. Understand the underlying technologies (what's the impact of Facebook iFrames replacing FBML in custom tabs? Should we do a mobile site or invest in a smartphone application and why?). Be good at PR, relate to the press, understand group dynamics, evaluate people in an instant, be a journalist (sometimes a curator, definitely an interviewer), a customer advocate, a service provider, a businessman (preferably an entrepreneur), an opportunistic risk manager, a psychologist, a social bee, a budget manager, a strategist, and a dozen other things I'm probably forgetting about this minute. Not the least of which is solid family support and endless supplies of coffee allowing you to even exist in this constant 24/7 maelstrom.

In other words, the kind of abilities and capabilities not usually required or expected of minimum wage workers. So why pay them as such? Because, if you aggregate the salaries of all the roles needed to fill the shoes of a typical (competent) social media manager (or strategist), I can assure you you're talking a million plus.

I think part of the reason, if this statistic has any truth to it, is because we're not communicating sufficiently and intelligently enough about what we bring to the table. And so a lot of people might be working for fame and glory! - So how can we fix that little perception problem before it's too late?

Why Software Engineers Love Watches and Stephen Forsey is Right

2011-02-06T19:56:00.003+01:00

In case you missed it (and if you did, listen to the replay here), we had Stephen Forsey of GreubelForsey on the radio show last week. It was both a pleasure and an honor having such an important and talented industry player on "What Time Is It?". Before interviewing our guests, I spend a considerable amount of time researching them, their brand, and creations, as you'd expect.

During that process last week, I came upon a quote from Stephen that went like this: "Watchmaking is a really unique mixture of science, mechanics and art, which you no longer find anywhere else". This statement touched me deeply because it clearly expresses what I've been saying for a year now every time someone asks me how an ex-software engineer could ever transition into a such a totally unrelated industry.

To understand this, you need to go back to the early 1980s when I first started out with computers and software engineering. Back then, it wasn't uncommon for people like us to build their own machines from kit parts. And programming was still a cross between formal science and craftsmanship. For decades, experts debated about software engineering - was it a science or an art? And I'm here to tell you it was definitely both.

Matter of fact, discussions once raged about the aesthetics of programming code. Some programmers wrote "ugly" code, while others produced "beautiful", harmonious, well-balanced programs. You could tell just glancing at it within seconds! And good programmers didn't write "ugly" code. Never happened.

In my experience, clean, elegant code was always better quality than ugly "spaghetti" versions. As such, programming was one of the few professions binding form and function inseparably. I didn't understand it at the time, but now realize why I was drawn to the profession.

But software engineering changed dramatically in the past years. It became commoditized and its actors "globalized" - It was just never the same again. Bean counters, statisticians, automation, poor training, and profits got the better of the industry, and it became a factory. I had no desire to spend the rest of my life on an assembly line.

And so when I recently read this quote, it dawned on me why I was so attracted to horology all my life - enough so to join the industry a year ago! Simply put, Stephen is exactly right! And software engineering too used to be a mixture of science, mechanics and art. And I think that's why so many software engineers have this attraction to watches. There's a richness to this combination seldom found elsewhere.

In many ways, I found in the watch industry (and social media) what I lost in software engineering a while back. And it's nice to be back home.

Chinese Social Media, Swiss Watches, Luxury Concierge Services, and Web Radio Broadcasting!

2011-02-02T15:19:00.000+01:00

Talk about a loaded agenda for yours truly starting this month of February 2011! As most of you know, I am now operating as an independent social media strategist and community manager from my office in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Between new partnerships, new clients, and my burgeoning web radio show, I've been thinking of starting a petition to add additional hours to the day :) 24 just don't seem to do it anymore! -

I've partnered up with Nathalie Omori, founder and CEO of Zhenji. Paris-based Nathalie is a foremost authority on the Chinese luxury market. For years now, and long before it became fashionable to do so, she has been focused on China and its emerging high net worth (HNWI) population. As such, she has been helping numerous luxury brands with their Chinese marketing strategies. Nathalie and I started working together last August for several horology clients. I needed her knowledge, insight, and connections in the Chinese market. And she needed some help on the social media side. After several months of combining forces, we quickly realized we were complementary. Together, we're uniquely positioned to provide and implement turnkey 360° digital marketing plans for luxury brands headed to China. And if you think social media is tough to grasp out here, just wait until you see the jungle behind the Great Wall. Don't leave home without a seasoned, reliable guide - or two for that matter :)

Client-wise, many of you already know that I'm back at Marvin Watch C° 1850 starting February 1st. as consulting community manager. I'm jazzed about being able to work with the brand who started it all, and look forward to pursuing this digital adventure with them throughout 2011. Naturally I'll be at BaselWorld 2011 in March for the entire week and look forward to seeing you all there in person again. Tweet me, email me or hit me up on Facebook so we can setup a time to talk!

I picked up another luxury client outside the horology realm as well recently. They're called Pocketlife and these young entrepreneurs are competing in the luxury lifestyle management industry. It's a pretty innovative and original business in a sea of mediocrity. One of the main reasons I chose to work with them. That and the fact the founder Christian Borel is a really smart, innovative and all around good guy. We got along the second we met, and I'm happy to be helping them along their first foray into the social media space.

On the broadcasting front, we're pushing out our fourth show this week with Stephen Forsey, the founder of Greubel Forsey - a brand that has redefined Haute Horlogerie for the past seven years. So far we're had the pleasure of welcoming Max Busser, Jason Wilbur, and Jorg Hysek to the live show. Coming up we have Jean-Claude Biver (my ex-boss and Hublot CEO) on Feb 10th, Nathalie Veysset (deWitt) on Feb 17th, Jeff Kuo (Xetum) Feb 24th, Peter Speake-Marin on Mar 3rd, and Richard Piras (Ladoire) on Mar 10th. Can you spell "star-studded"? :)

It's been an honor having all these major industry players willing and able to come on the air with us on what's essentially the first international live web radio show in the world. Our program airs every Thursday at 4:30PM Swiss time, 7:30AM (PST), 10:30AM (EST) and if you want to chat with major industry players, dial us in at (760) 683-2652 and let 'er rip! :)

The 2011 GTE and SIHH Watch Trade Shows: an Outsider's Perspective

2011-01-24T12:31:00.003+01:00

Much more qualified people than myself have already commented on the two major horology shows I attended last week in Geneva, namely the Geneva Time Exhibition (independents) and the SIHH (Richemont brands). For industry insider opinions and day-to-day analysis, check out Ian Ellery on TheWatchLounge, WorldTempus [French], AskMen [by Ben Clymer of Hodinkee], Roberta Naas, and of course Grégory Pons. You can also listen to celebrity horology journalist Elizabeth Doerr on one of several live "micro-interviews" I did during the week.

I bring the perspective of an outsider who had never been to either show in the past. I moved to Switzerland last year late February and as such, missed both shows, passed Go, and headed directly to BaselWorld 2010 back then :)

A lot of people have asked me to explain what all these shows are about. We talk about them using acronyms in the industry of course, but many people are not familiar with the big watch shows besides BaselWorld of course.

In a nutshell, ~~there are four major yearly watch trade shows in the world:~~ GTE, SIHH, Basel, and JCK. GTE is on its second year and unites all the independent brands in Geneva in January. SIHH is the major high end luxury watch show for all the Richemond brands and also based in Geneva in January. Basel is largest, most attended trade show in the world - located in Basel (shocking) in March- and JCK is the US version in Las Vegas around June.
[Correction: my friend Ian Skellern correctly notes that I left out Belles Montres (Paris), SalonQP (UK), and SIAR (Mexico) as important independent watch shows as well - my bad and thanks Ian!]

Marvin Stand at GTE

GTE is where you'll find independent watch makers - the startup, privately-owned brands - some new, some older. Here's the list of brands present at the show this year. They're the independent designers, the "avant-garde" innovation of horology. GTE has a "family" feel to it. Lots of legendary industry players, big time designers, amazing pieces, and more of a "commando" front line type of attitude - even without Snyper :) - It's a relaxed, jovial and freestyle atmosphere.

SIHH's Like a Box o' Chocolates

SIHH is the luxury high-end show for all the Richemont brands (but also includes a few independents like Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux, and Greubel Forsey) Think corporate and plush. My first impression was of having stepped into a huge box of chocolates (or perhaps a First Class lounge). Can you spell "plush"? - how about nonstop champagne and sushi? - SIHH is structured, organized, timed, and lavish galore. You really do step into another world there and, in some ways, another time as well. If you're nostalgic about past "money is no object" splurging days, this is one show you should not miss! I was lucky enough to score a day press pass for WhatTimeRadio on Tuesday. In my well-packed day (and thanks to Ben Clymer and Meehna Goldsmith) I was able to tag along meetings with Ralph Lauren, Cartier, Richard Mille, Van Cleef & Arpels, Audemars Piguet, Parmigiani, and Vacheron Constantin. Some of which were micro-interviewed here. I don't think I'll ever forget my first time experience with "the big boys" and I can't wait until next year already!

As awe-stricken and well treated as I was at SIHH, returning to GTE later on felt like being "back in the family" - It's a human-sized family of people more than brands. It's a clan fraught with egos, politics, chest-beating, but also mind-boggling talent, and struggles - the standard traits of an exclusive brotherhood of artists, creators and business geniuses united by common experience, struggles and hopes.

At the end of the day, these courageous men and women are committed to redefining horology every year by being first, unique or different - and I can tell you they put their lives and souls into it 24/7 - Which, in my opinion, is what this "independent" watch business is really all about. You can like or hate the results, but never disrespect the guts and talent it takes to pull it off.

I'll Never get on Facebook, It's so Totally Useless!

2011-01-24T09:01:00.000+01:00

With thanks to Gizmodo.com

Such is the adamant declaration I've been getting from middle-aged parents at family reunions lately. For some reason, Facebook has become a hot potato topic at the table in much the same way as religion or politics. You know it's a delicate one, because no one ever seems to be "in the middle" either. You have the worshipers and the haters. No middle ground. Just throw the name out and watch the fireworks begin.

I'm always amazed when I hear this from parents though. Especially when said parents have children, and said children (and their 900 "friends") are themselves on Facebook 50% or more of their time. And my answer to them is always the same: you might not like Facebook and all this "social media" hub hub, and much less understand it, but your kids live and breathe it. And if you're not involved or somehow aware of what's going on in their online world, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. So do yourself a favor.

Because Facebook is shaping your kids intellectually and emotionally from the age of 13 (provided they didn't lie on their registration form). This reason alone is enough to require that you at least be on Facebook to understand and monitor what's going on there.

After all, would you refuse to visit your child's school? How about camp? Sporting clubs? No? Would you neglect to meet his real life friends and acquaintances? Of course not. If you don't think your kids can get hurt, fall in love, get in trouble, seek advice, and "grow up" on networks like Facebook, you are greatly misguided. If you don't understand how these platforms have become part and parcel of their daily existence and major levers of their social and emotional development, you are naive at best.

Facebook might be "useless" to you, but believe me, it's already part of your family. And if you need a little help figuring it out, ask your kids :)

Web Radio, Social Media, Watch Exhibitions, and we're still in January!

2011-01-15T10:50:00.002+01:00

Well it's been an interesting kickoff to 2011 already! First of all, as most of you know, after three weeks of intense work and running around, I was finally able to setup my pet project for the year, namely my "What Time Is It?" web radio show. It's the first live international web radio show about watches and the people who love them! I partnered up with Meehna Goldsmith in Los Angeles, aka the "Watch Matchmaker", and together we came up with an awesome A-list lineup of guests for the coming months. Amazingly, they all enthusiastically agreed to come on! We went live with the first broadcast last Thursday with Max Busser as our first guest. (you can listen to the podcast here) - How did we do? You tell me :) But so far the feedback from the audience has been totally encouraging and we got hundreds of downloads since the live show so all things considered, not bad for an industry first horology project!

Next of course came my official departure from Hublot after a short stint there. The opportunity seemed spectacular initially, and working with industry giant Jean Claude Biver, even for several months, is a learning experience you can't buy in any Marketing program. I learned more from him in that time than most people pick up in business school in four years :) But in the end, the culture there didn't agree with me and my expectations were not met. The work was fascinating, the resources mind-boggling, but I was miserable. So I decided to move on and go back to consulting.

In the process, I reconnected with ex-boss Cécile Maye who asked me to help Marvin with their social media strategy (and implementation) for 2011 on a consulting basis. I felt a taste of unfinished business with Marvin, and I like wholesome stories with happy endings. So I look forward to working with my old buddies again! Meanwhile if you know of any other clients in the horology sphere looking for help or direction with their social media endeavors, give me a heads-up and I'll buy you a beer I promise :)

Finally, the big watch show for independents called GTE (Geneva Time Exhibition) is going on all week next week in Geneva. I am headed out there tomorrow as is everyone else in the industry - partly because SIHH (all the Richemond brands) is also happening concurrently. I have a pretty loaded agenda (not the least of which is another weekly live radio broadcast on Thursday with Devon Works designer Jason Wilbur) and here are some of the brands I will be stopping by:

Alain Silberstein - Because I quote him in my LinkedIn profile so the least I can do is go over and say hi! :)
Clerc Watches - Because my friend Thomas Carey (who consults for them unless I'm mistaken) from the USA introduced me to Gerald and said I should check out their work.
Ladoire - Because I want to check out Mr. Green but mostly hoping the Black Widow will be hanging out there as well :) Plus those guys are really cool - no bullshit.
Marvin Watches - For obvious reasons plus they'll have the best hostesses and snacks I suspect :)
RGM Watch Company - Because they're the only movement manufacturer in the USA from what I gather and I'd like to get their owners on the radio show soon.
Snyper - Because I love testosterone watches, and if I don't go and say hi my buddy Jean François Ruchonnet will kick my ass (and he really is an ex military sniper!).
Saint-Honoré Paris - Because I once met an Iranian distributor who wore one and have been intrigued ever since. Plus I need to tell them to remove that stupid audio from their website!
Speake-Marin - Because I'm meeting Ian Ellery who's working the stand there and Peter as well if I'm lucky but I'm told you need an appointment - blah!
Zeitwinkle - Because they make a beautiful watch that reminds me of the Marvin Malton Round and they're up for a prize this year and I'd like to get them on the radio show as well! :)

Obviously I'll be stopping at many more stands during the week. I'm also hoping to meet up with tons of my blogger friends and connections from the world over - including Meehna my co-host on the show of course! - some of which I have not seen since Basel 2010. So I am definitely looking forward to that!

So if you happen to be around GTE this week and want to meet up for a quick chat, please call or SMS me at +41 79 935 69 59 or email me at jerome.pineau@gmail.com and we'll hook up!

How to Hire a Social Media Star in 5 Steps

2011-01-13T09:27:00.000+01:00

I wouldn't say social media has become mainstream exactly just yet, but I believe we're 80% of the way there. Let's just say there are those actively involved in it already, and those who are looking to get there as soon as possible. The hardest part of setting up a social media initiative is finding the right people to pilot it. Whether you plan on internal or external hiring, finding the right skippers to steer this beast is no small task.

Community or social media manager, or both, part of the problem is there are relatively few qualified candidates in a sea of self-anointed contenders. Everybody and his mother suddenly wants to become a social media "expert" - qualified or not. Why? Because demand has grown exponentially. But potential employers are (still) ill equipped to separate the comedians from the real deal.

These new social media skill sets are new, highly prized, and very hard to gauge. And everybody want to get in on the gravy train. I believe this too shall pass, but in the meantime, how do you protect yourself (and your job!) from the frenzy? It's not that difficult if you embrace the following advice.

1. Listen to the questions.
It's not so much about what candidates tell you, it's about what questions they ask. Good candidates will quickly ask the pertinent questions about you and your company, its motivations and (more importantly) its intended or existing community. Examples of good questions relate to your people, your pain points, your strategy and goals, your management buy-in, and your alloted budget.

2. Check out his (her) network.
LinkedIn? Checked. Twitter? Checked. Facebook? Checked. Blog? Checked. Website? Checked. And I don't mean just sheer numbers on Facebook, Twitter and other channels. As a matter of fact, be wary of those folks having thousands of friends on Facebook. Avoid "Ninjas, gurus and Samurai", as Jeremiah Owyang wisely suggests. There is a large difference between mastering self-promotion ("be the brand you want to be", and all that nonsense) and the ability to lead communities or social media strategies. Quality tops quantity in this business.

3. Take an ego temperature.
The best candidates are self-effacing. As are the best marketing people, in my experience. Past results, successes, failures, and recommendations are all one needs in this business. You need someone who is capable of being at the forefront (that's the showbiz aspect) but more importantly, someone who knows how to work behind the scenes (think political campaign manager) to put you and your brand forward. It's all about the brand!

4. Tech them!

A top candidate will understand the technologies at play on the web. You don't need a programmer, a PHP guru, or an HTML wizard - but someone who understands the implementation, power and limitations of technology platforms. Someone who understands why the web is how it is, how it got there, and why. How things and networks connect, what the difference is between an app and a mobile site, etc. More importantly, ensure they can drive and manage (and budget!) other technical resources (like web agencies or developers) comfortably.

5. Industry experience?
A dual edged sword. An outsider can yield a fresh perspective, but will take time to ramp up and network with the right players. Think six months minimum. An insider will have an existing network (see #2), a support system, and understand how you work. But he may lack the 360 degree vision required for the job. And the ability to detect and exploit synergies outside one's industry is among the top three most important skills your recruit should have.

My prediction for 2011 is that there are going to be a lot (and I mean, a lot) of hiring mistakes in social media - it's always like that during a skill frenzy. My recommendation is to take your time, line up your hiring strategy, and be prepared to spend a lot more resources and effort than you anticipate now. Oh, and follow my five rules above - you'll at least have a head start! :)

What's the ROI on Your Mother?

2010-12-30T16:36:00.001+01:00

There isn't a day that goes by when I don't see an online discussion or post somewhere debating the issue of social media ROI. How to define it, measure it, explain it, achieve it, present it, graph it - you name it. Should we measure eyeballs, bounces, trends, engagement, emotions, or all of the above? Must we measure daily, weekly or monthly? Should we be in the hump or long tail of the curve? Who should see what information in what division of the company? Do best practices exist? If so, who has the magic formulas?

Enter Gary Vaynerchuk. I love Gary and you should as well. He's genuine, brilliant, in your face, and a self-made "tough guy". And when it comes to social media, he's also right 99% of the time. My kind of no-nonsense guy. Of course, it's easy to be like that when you've achieved Gary's level of social media success.

I've never met the man in person, but I follow him online every chance I get. One such occasion was several weeks ago watching a live stream of his LeWeb10 conference keynote in Paris. During the event, he gets a question from an audience member asking about the proper definition of ROI for social media. Gary's answer is quick and snappy: "What's the ROI on your mother?" - You can (and must!) watch this great LeWeb moment 38 minutes into this video.

Soon thereafter, Gary expands on his initial statement: "...the ROI of social media is the ROI one gets from a relationship with the consumer." He follows with the money quote: "...anybody who runs a business who doesn't understand the ROI of having a relationship with the consumer [has] no f**ing idea what business is about..."

Does this mean we should not bother measuring what we do as social media actors? Of course not. But we should perhaps take a step back, chill out, and stop being so anal about metrics. We are losing focus by feeding this ROI frenzy. And starting off with the wrong questions. I know formulas and numbers are reassuring. Especially to the big boys in the C-suites. But in my experience, the most metrics-hungry managers are those who tend to be the most absent from the field. And insecurity breeds the obsession. It's a lot like military commanders.

If you're in a bunker somewhere deep inside your borders, you're going to need a lot of metrics, a lot of data, and boatloads of processed information from the outside world. You're flying blind, and need a lot of reassurance. But if you're a commander out in the field (or a CEO out in the markets), you will need much less of it. Why? Because you're in the middle of the action, next to your enemy and, more importantly, your own people. And it doesn't take a genius or a Harvard PhD to open your ears and eyes.

So if you're an executive heading a social media effort, and you seek some ROI feedback, the first thing to do is get yourself personally involved on the social networks. Then, make the effort to visit your markets and meet customers and partners. Being in the office is really bad. Honestly. On the road and in the field, you might just hear things like this:

"I heard about your new charity initiative on Facebook and I'm impressed. Could I interview you about it?"

"Your community gal personally handled a complicated return for my mom's product. I wanted to thank you for doing that!"

"Wow, I can't even get PR people from companies ten times your size to give me the time of day and you're on Twitter 24/7!"

"Your people got back to me by email within 10 minutes on a Sunday. I'll never shop elsewhere!"

"I learned more about the industry from your Youtube videos than anything else"

"Your product came with a handwritten thank you note. I didn't think companies did this anymore"

"Your competitors don't care what I think. They're just in it for the money. You guys are different."

"Was that really you writing that blog post? That one took balls!"

"Everybody wants to work for your company!"

"Your people sent me to another brand that was better for my needs! From now on, you're the first ones I'll check every time"

"My whole family is now using your products. Even my kids are talking about it to their friends at school!"

"Hey I started a Facebook fan page for your fans in Australia!"

"You guys are like family. If you ever need any support or help..."

And when you hear this and many other similar statements from fans, customers, prospects and partners, then my friends, you have achieved the ultimate ROI. And guess what? Your sales will follow. Trust me. In the meantime, congratulations for running a social enterprise :)

Social Media-Wired Brains - Resistance is Futile

2010-12-28T16:09:00.000+01:00

Should you let your employees use social media while at work? This question has been posed for many years now. Because even before the advent of "social media", companies were conflicted about letting employees use internet and IM at work - and this is back in the 1990s. I know this because I argued in favor of allowing it until I was blue in the face many times. Matter of fact, I consistently rejected assignments or contracts from clients who blocked external access indiscriminately.

And what I would tell clients back then is the same thing I say nowadays. First of all, you need to understand how and why your people use social networks at work. You might be surprised to learn they do so in a effort to bypass your own restrictive rules and regulations - in order to do their jobs better! For example, communicating with customers, helping them out, preaching your company on blogs, or exchanging helpful information with fellow industry experts. All usage patterns that can benefit your enterprise and its public image - provided clear guidelines are established.

Secondly, it pays to realize that sealing off social media networks is futile at best. Maybe in the "old" days you could block AOL or ICQ. Even then, people would fall back on HTTP tunnels like Meebo for instant messaging (I know I did). Nowadays, you have Twitter, blogs, and cell phones - it's virtually impossible to seal off the enterprise. Even governments and intelligence outfits are failing at it. Question is: do you really want to?

When you implement such policies, you are saying internally and externally: "I don't trust my employees, I have something to hide, and I don't believe in transparency". I don't care if you're a bank, a hospital or a dating service - if your employees are using social media to bash your organisation, leak damaging information online, or simply pass the time, then you don't have a security problem, you have a human problem.

Some executives will lament the loss of productivity or potential "leaks" caused by connected employees. But productivity is no longer measured in 9 to 5 frames - because the modern employee is always "switched on". The modern employee will discuss your company and his job online - whether during working hours or off. And the modern employee's brain has been rewired as well.

We used to praise the ability to laser focus on a single task for eight hours straight. But nowadays, the Gen-Y brain is a multitasking engine. And the most efficient workers are those who can handle multiple tasks, multiple conversations, and multiple problems all at the same time. What we used to call schizophrenic (or ADD) has actually become an ingrained advantage in modern society. We are building humans with the ability to juggle both social and professional inputs simultaneously and 24/7. It's easy to realize this by simply observing modern kids. Throw in an iPad, a laptop, a video game, and a Game Boy while you're at it. There is no off switch, and there is no channel gating - just firing neurons - and all signals are processed at the same time. These are your employees of the future.

Imagining for a second that these people will understand or even accept any form of digital moderation at the workplace is, as the Borg might say, futile :)

My Social Media Crystal Ball for 2011

2010-12-21T22:28:00.002+01:00

Want to listen to this blog instead of reading it? Click here!

'Tis the season, and everyone is coming out with predictions for social media in 2011. Not wanting to get left behind, I wanted to throw my hat in the ring. These are just personal opinions based on my limited experience. I don't really have magic powers or a crystal ball (just sapphire glass on my new timepiece) - So your mileage may vary :)

1. It's customer support, stupid
As Gary Vaynerchuk likes to point out, social media is about building relationships with customers. This is not rocket science. Except it took us a century to rediscover it. In my opinion, the first beachhead of social media is customer service. Customer support is where real relationships get cemented. Matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Customer Support started "owning" social media in the enterprise - because they "get it".

2. CMOs adapt or step aside.
The social media strategist, as defined in Jeremiah Owyang's excellent presentation, will replace the Marketing Director. This will happen unless said Director can either adapt, or surround himself with the right people. Neither of which is likely as perceived threats to established order are still too high.

3. Location-based services
Someone will figure out a truly useful way to leverage location-based services - or even better, a compelling reason for them to exist in the first place. Up to now I think LBS has been a lot of gibberish nonsense. By nonsense I mean stuff like this. Any idea what he's talking about? If so let me know. Thanks.

4. Social media-friendly markets
I think some markets will keep being more "social media-ish" than others. The USA and Asia (Singapore, China, Japan) would be my top picks. Why? Because they have native "community cultures" in place. In many other places, it's a struggle.

5. Your mother finally has a say
The whole Wikileaks business scared the living daylights out states, governments, institutions and large corporation. The old adage "Don't do anything you wouldn't want your mother to read about in the paper" has become enforceable and we will see both public and private entities heed that advice - nolens volens, as they used to say at the Arena :)

6. Public companies become public
When GAP tried to change its landmark logo without introducing it to their customers first, its fans rioted on Facebook. When Yahoo awkwardly leaked its decision to nix delicious, a public furor ensued causing an embarrassing backtrack. More and more companies will become "public" in the real sense of the term (not the bullshit Wall Street one).

7. Darwin does social media
As demand becomes even more frantic, more and more self-proclaimed community and social media experts, gurus, ninjas, and zealots will flood the market. Companies will keep hiring low-cost interns for temporary projects that will fail. Schools will produce more "instant" social media experts (just add water). End result: a flooded market of poor performers followed by a clean sweep. Only the best will survive. Darwin 101.

8. Community cleanup
Communities don't form around brands, but around ideals and causes. If a brand has neither, social media will add little value to the business. Communities not founded on big ideals and causes will flounder.

9. Grampa's on Facebook (and he's got cash)
Barely noticed (Facebook Insights doesn't even include that segment), the 55 and over crowd has become a considerable force on social networks. First companies to intelligently tap into this online segment (an upcoming majority in many markets) win the jackpot. Why? because older folks remember how business used to be done - social that is - and have disposable income.

10. Have mobile - will travel
PCs and websites are extinct species. It's all about mobile (phones and tablets to begin with). And if you don't believe me, check out the stats in emerging markets (China, India, South America), or this insightful GenY report (and meet your new iCustomer in the process).

Did I miss anything? If so let me know.

Cinch: a new social media tool in my arsenal

2010-12-13T16:45:00.002+01:00

I recently discovered a service that can best be described as an audio version of Twitter. It's called Cinch and it lets you upload and share audio clips into an online stream. Nothing earth shattering until you realize how easy and convenient the service is for mobile use.

As a matter of fact, I used Cinch at Hublot recently to record short audio clips of the Rise of the Machines in the factory and push them out on Facebook and Twitter :) I truly believe this type of application has promise for a wide range of social media applications. I strongly encourage you to go discover Cinch [disclaimer: I have no relationship either personal or commercial whatsoever with this company].

Speaking of cool new social media apps, I will be "audio blogging" on Cinch from now on from this channel. In my line of work, experimentation is nine tenth of the law - So here I go. Check out my first installment discussing luxury and social media in this clip.

I will continue writing of course (I'm old fashioned that way) but I think it is often much more convenient for people to access a blog via a quick audio clip. You can easily do it in the car or at the office - headset permitting :) - and it takes only a few minutes. I also think it's a bit more "up close and personal".

Let me know if you agree and how you like the idea? I'd really love some feedback on this.

Until next time, this is your social media strategist signing off the air :)

Chilling out in the Lounge

2010-12-10T10:12:00.009+01:00

As mentioned in a recent post here, one of my favorite social media activities is writing. Several days later, out of sheer coincidence, Tom Mulraney of TheWatchLounge horology blog kindly asked me if I'd be interested in contributing to his online publication - and I happily accepted.

When I started at Marvin as community manager a year ago, I knew no one in the business. So the first thing I did was map out the influencer network on the web. It didn't take me very long to discover Tom's blog, and we have kept in close touch since then. Over time, TheWatchLounge published articles about Marvin and yours truly. And I don't think Tom will mind my revealing that a Marvin M112 figures prominently in his watch collection :)

I'll be discussing social media topics as they relate to the luxury watch business and horolory on Tom's blog.

So I hope you'll head over to the Lounge and chill out with us - and more importantly, chime in and let us know how we're doing. And what better way to do that than by commenting on my first article there! :)

Marketing horloger: votre montre est un symbol tribal

2010-12-03T20:29:00.000+01:00

Depuis que je blogue je ne pense pas avoir pondu un seul billet en francais. La raison principale etant que, malgré mes origines natales (Paris 14ème), je maitrise beaucoup mieux l'Anglais que le Français, ayant vécu toute ma vie aux USA. Par ailleurs, j'ai un clavier US sur mon ordinateur et taper les codes ASCII pour les accents me casse profondément les doigts (entre autre).

Mais habitant et travaillant depuis presque un an en Suisse romande, j'ai l'occasion quotidienne de m'exprimer en Français, à la fois par oral et par écrit. Grâce à cette expérience, je pense avoir fait quelques progrès. Pas suffisament surement, mais assez en tout cas pour essayer de faire un effort francophone. Le Français est la langue de l'amour (entre autre) et donc parfaitement adapté à ce billet dans lequel je vais traiter d'amour, et qui plus est, d'amour horloger :)

Car cela va maintenant faire deux fois que je dois me séparer d'une montre suite à un changement de travail. Et à chaque fois, j'ai trouvé l'expérience traumatisante. La première fois quand j'ai quitté Marvin ou je portais la M108 ORIGIN noire, et la seconde cette semaine après mon départ de chez Hublot, ou j'ai du laisser ma Big Bang Ice Bang 44mm sur le carreau à Nyon. Et ce sentiment de perte profonde ne cesse de m'étonner car je ne suis pas une personne matérialiste qui s'attache facilement aux objets. Je n'ai jamais eu de sentiments particulièrements attachants pour une maison, une voiture, ou un vêtement. J'en ai largué et changé fréquemment dans le passé sans aucune arrière pensée.

Je ne peux donc m'empêcher de me demander ce qui peut bien être différent pour une montre, qui n'est en fait qu'un bijou masculin, sans beaucoup d'utilité pratique. Mais je crois que j'ai finalement compris. La montre, en fait, plus que tout autre objet, est le symbole d'une appartenance à une tribu.

A Marvin, c'etait une tribu "familiale" - très attachée à une petite marque qui fut, et qui essai de renaitre courageusement dans un monde horloger "opprimant", en cassant courageusement les codes existants (l'iconoclaste David qui s'en prend à Goliath).

Pour Hublot, il s'agissait d'une tribu - voir d'un clan - de "tout-puissants", de testostérone, de "gagnants" (qui ont réussi sans attendre la cinquantaine), de grandes gueules qui vont toujours plus loin, plus vite, plus fort que nous autres simple mortels et qui profitent de la vie au maximum. Bref, ma tribu :)

C'est donc la separation avec un groupe social que représente la perte d'une montre qui a un arrière gout de déchirure émotionnelle difficile à combler. C'est normal, on se sent tout a coup exclu de la "famille". Ca fait mal. Et pourtant...

Ce qui est étrange, à mon avis, c'est que la plupart des marques horlogères ne semblent pas realiser cela. Beaucoup s'imaginent qu'elles vendent de simples objets de luxe (parfois pas si simples bien entendu). Et leur communication, leur publicité, mettent uniquement en valeur l'aspect produit. Regardez ma super montre comme elle est belle, sexy, grande, complexe, sportive, originale, traditionelle, brillante, Bref. On s'en fout! De toute façon, tout le monde raconte à peu près la même chose. C'est d'ailleurs ce qui est en train de se discutter récemment dans le groupe A Passion for Watches sur LinkedIn (discussion initiée par Jean-Philippe Hussenet).

Et c'est pour cette raison, à mon avis, que de passer d'un mode marketing traditionnel à un mode "social" est incontournable pour la survie des marques horlogères dans le 21ème siecle. Car le social, le "community management", c'est l'art d'identifier, de rassembler, de faire croitre et de nourrir les aspirations d'une tribu globale qui existe déja autour d'un concept (et de sa marque) qui tient à coeur et qui compte. Il ne s'agit plus d'exploiter des "segments de marché" étalés sur Powerpoint. Encore moins de mitrailler les mêmes messages auto-flatteurs à longeur de journée. Je pense que le futur appartient aux marques qui comprennent cela. Malheureusement, elles sont encore trop peu nombreuses.

En attendant, ma Marvin M108 noire me manque depuis longtemps. Et j'ai laissé avec mon Ice Bang a Nyon une petite partie de moi-même qui me fera toujour défaut :)

Larry Ellison Hearsay: "Our social media strategy sucks" :)

2010-12-02T14:04:00.000+01:00

Larry Ellison (from TechCrunch.com)

Not to beat a dead horse, but in light of my last post, I had to chuckle when I read this earlier today. So much so that I decided to see exactly how Oracle might use social media to address it. So I headed over to their Facebook page (70,922 fans at last count) and asked them point-blank to comment on the article. I asked the same thing to @Oracle. I'm amazed I haven't seen any mention of this on their Twitter account (25,386 followers) either - unless I missed something - but seems to me if I were in charge of their social media presence, an article like this on TechCrunch, albeit clearly labelled as "hearsay", is something I'd be slightly concerned about.

I'll be interested to see how (or if) they respond. I say "if" because clearly, it's not like they have to. When you're as large and powerful as Oracle, and someone throws a grenade, there's plenty of steel plating safety at play. Which leads me to wonder how a massive organisation like Oracle can truly leverage social media. I mean, Oracle makes a damn good product, to say the least. They have more money than God ($25 billion in 2009), they control a gargantuan market share, have tentacles everywhere, and are among the top three world IT influencers.

So besides boosting their standard marketing machine (clearly a behemoth in itself), what exactly can social media do for such a massive entity? When I look at their Facebook page, it seems most of the "comments" are from people looking for work.

"I am programming in Oracle, and sun, n_n, thanks oracle"

"how i can find job in oracle egypt ???? i'm working IT administrator network and i hope find job in oracle my exp 3 years"

"I am Oracle DBA searching job, so please let me know how to apply as a DBA in related fields ?"

Which pretty much tells me there's a lot of unemployed Oracle DBAs out there. Again, if it were me, I'd try and figure out how to exploit this unfortunate situation into a winner campaign (a contest to solve a really hairy database problem ending in a job offer to the winner comes to mind). But then surely, Oracle could do something a bit more compelling with Facebook besides a custom Reviews tab couldn't they?

On Twitter I see a good amount of support posts intermingled with the occasional marketing message. Fairly common I suppose. But again, nothing to write home about. And it doesn't look like the account is managed in real time either. This tells me a "social media" agency might at work here. I'm looking right now at a latest post dated 15 hours ago - still no answer to my question :)

So I guess my point would be - if you're a massively powerful and successful corporation, and one of the most recognizable brands in your field, and you bother to dabble in social media, that's commendable. But honestly, if it doesn't increase your bottom line, spread mind share, and (more importantly) make your customers' life easier, maybe it's best to stick to the old time-tested Marketing 1.0 strategy.

What do you think? Am I missing something?

Julian Assange, WikiLeaks Social Media Master

2010-12-01T10:36:00.001+01:00

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Julian Assange is a masterful magician. He sure knows how to keep the world entertained with this WikiLeaks business. I hate to admit it, but I have no clue who this guy is, what he stands for, and who or what (if anything) is behind his project. I've seen the interviews, followed the news and all, but the more I read, the more I realize how nebulous this whole WikiLeaks business is - I think it's part of its strength, and likely designed as such.

Propaganda or public service? It's hard (for me) to associate WikiLeaks with a specific political agenda. There's no clear political motivation behind it IMHO. I reserve judgement at this point. But what I do know is that it fires up a lot of passion. And the reason it does, in my opinion, is that WikiLeaks is Social Media (capital S, capital M). Not the gentle, progressive force some anticipate, but the disruptive, threatening, hard to control, powerful "bull in a China shop" Social Media really is all about. Its three tenets are:

1. Thou shalt worship none other than the customer.

2. Thou shalt not control information.

3. Thou shalt become accountable.

Everything else are merely implementation details. These tenets are fundamentally toxic to corporations 1.0 - But also governments, states, power brokers, traditional press, financial markets, you name it - All the institutions currently ranting against the WikiLeaks phenomenon. Why? Because they require not just a change in process and tooling, but fundamental shifts in thinking.

Transparency sucks. Losing control sucks. Change sucks. Unless you're one of the few who can leverage this tectonic shift into a distinct competitive weapon. And if you are, thou shalt rule the 21st century and sleep better at night to boot :)

Social Media's Dirty Little Secret Revealed

2010-11-30T16:52:00.001+01:00

You may have noticed I have not cooked up a single blog post in over two months now. For a social media guy, that's pretty lame. Writer's block? Far from it actually.

There is a multitude of good reasons for this hiatus, none of which I can discuss at the moment (I'm not kidding either) - I caught a little bit of the Assange bug lately I'm afraid :) Nonetheless I can assure you the past ten months have been, shall we say, eye opening. I've learned a couple really interesting things in the process.

First, I figured out what I really enjoyed doing most among the multitude of social media activities available to a guy in my position. The reason I was able to do this is simple: in the past years, I've (almost) done them all. So now I can safely say the two I love most are writing and customer advocacy (which is a critical piece of community management actually).

Second, I realized I spend a considerable (my wife would say insane) amount of time reading everything I can get my hands on regarding social media strategy, techniques, tactics and experts. I'm talking print, online, and in person here. You combine this with actual execution experience, and here's the scoop folks: everything you ever wanted to know and understand about having a truly "social" enterprise can be conveniently distilled from two books (and only two), namely Reality Check and The Hyper-Social Organization. I was lucky to get my hands on the latter in exchange for an interview one of the authors, Ed Moran, did with me several months ago (brilliant dude). [side note: if you won't buy the Kawasaki book then at least watch this. Yeah I know. It's "old". And if you won't buy the Moran book then you're hopeless].

Now, I hear you thinking. This guy is completely off his rocker. The poor bastard spent one too many hours peeling away at Facebook Insights or Radian 6 dashboards. Social media is a dynamic, highly-complex, constantly evolving professional discipline. It cannot simply be factored into a couple of printed pages. I mean for God's sake, they even have Social Media studies and diplomas now in select universities! Nonsense. Social media's dirty little secret is out: it's all about these two books. You need nothing less and nothing more.

You want me to justify that subjective statement? Not a chance. Make up your own mind and prove me wrong if so inclined. I'll just suggest you go out and buy the books (or pull them down on your tablet reader). Then spend time understanding and memorizing them. Once you do that, I promise you'll know more about successful community and social media management than your peers or the people you work for :)

Hiking with Jean-Claude Biver and his 80 cows

2010-09-12T16:30:00.003+02:00

Yesterday my wife and I had the immense and rare pleasure of participating in what has become a major event in French-speaking Switzerland, namely Mr. Jean-Claude Biver's 18km désalpe hike. I took so many pictures, I can't include them all here so I created a set on my Flickr account and an album on Facebook as well.

For those of you who do not know who Mr. Biver is, I can only say this: he is to the horology industry what Steve Jobs is to the IT world. Don't take my word for it. Just look him up online. There is enough material to fill a year's research project. The man is a legend in the watch industry, and also happens to run Hublot Geneve at the moment - But enough about that, let's talk about cows now :)

A désalpe is the French term for transhumance. That's when livestock is moved from the high Alps to their winter location. You see, when he's not busy saving the Swiss watch market, Jean-Claude Biver is also the quintessential Swiss Gentleman Farmer. As such, he's also a well established cheese producer. In the process, he owns a couple of cows. Like 80 of them. And every year he invites the public to join him in an 18km (11 miles) downhill hike to lead the cows back to his country estate at La Poneyre from their 1500m Alpine perch at La Neuvaz (where the cheese comes from as well).

Over 2,000 people RSVP'd this year (2009 counted only 1,700) and managing such an event is no small task. With typical Hublot "class", participants were met at the Hotel des Trois Couronnes in Vevey. There, we received a "welcome package" with hats, munchies, walking sticks, and other treats. Then a fleet of minibuses whisked us up to the departure point where Mr. Biver was already waiting, having ridden up on his bicycle earlier that morning.

Long story short: just enough time to shake a few hands and greet some acquaintances, load up and harness the backpacks, lace the hiking boots, whip out the walking sticks, and off we go down the mountain with 80 well decorated and vivacious cows, horse carts (carrying huge cheese wheels) herders, and goats. I have to tell you, it's a little hard to describe the feeling you get escorting such a colorful, noisy, decorated, super-hyper tribe of 900 pound animals down normally quiet Swiss roads and villages.

Yet in every agglomeration we crossed (stopping traffic in the process), we received standing ovations - even after one of the cows decided to break out from the pack and charge into a public underground parking area (she was quickly brought back to reason).

About three hours later, we all arrived at Mr. Biver's farm, our final destination, where hundreds of additional guests (those not wishing to hike) were waiting for the upcoming lunch and celebrations. Speeches were made, songs were sung (those Fribourgeois can really yoddle!), grown men wrestled in the sand, sausages and cheese were devoured, wine was drunk - all in a fascinating display of harmony and joy uniting Man and Nature.

In his final address, Mr. Biver praised tradition, history, national values, hard work, and pride. All qualities often left behind in this new "global" world of ours, but often celebrated and practiced in the world of Haute Horology. That's one reason I'm happy and proud to be part of this industry.

I felt lucky and honored to be a part of this amazing event. And I encourage all of you to join us next year at the next désalpe. It's an experience you will not forget!

Dispelling Social Media Doubters in One Fell Swoop

2010-09-10T10:47:00.006+02:00

If you work in the Social Media universe, how many times have you heard the question "how do you justify all this online stuff"? Or one of my favorites [not]: "how do you know all this stuff isn't just a fad".

Next time you find yourself having to justify online marketing efforts or social media endeavors, don't even open your mouth (or keyboard). Simply point the person(s) to this cool little widget here.

Gary Hayes is the man behind this mesmerizing real-time gauge. They say elegance is all that's left when you've removed all the superfluous. To me, this elegant dashboard is the ultimate "'nuf said" statement for next time someone asks you if all this "social media stuff" is really worth it :)

Social Media Network Etiquette 101

2010-09-08T21:19:00.001+02:00

I have a pet peeve when it comes to Facebook etiquette because I was bitten more than once in the past few weeks. I get friend requests all the time on Facebook. Great. Most of the time, they are from people I do not know personally. Fine. I usually check out how many friends we have in common, and if the number is significant, I typically accept without much due diligence. Facebook is all about connecting and meeting new people. So why put barriers up to begin with? To me, it's always a pleasure to get friended, and an opportunity to meet and learn from new people. Something I crave.

However, every so often, I discover that these folks have blocked their wall off. If you won't let me write on your wall, why on earth are you asking me to be friends on Facebook? This baffles me. In my book, it's simply rude. A lot of times, it's just people trying to sell or market some concept to me. What's worse, when I ask them about it, they typically come out and admit that they are "private" people and don't like "just anyone" writing on their wall. One person once told me she was too attached to her privacy to open up her wall! What the heck?? In that case, why are they even bothering to request a friend connection? To me these folks simply don't get it. Social media is about two-way conversations, not push messaging!

Of course, there are etiquette rules for every social media networks out there. Same as there were always rules back in the old BBS days (I just dated myself). Each BBS community had its own. You either learned them and lived by them, or the community was quick to boot you out. Fair enough!

On Twitter, for example, it's bad etiquette to mass tweet the same message excessively - unless you're @guykawasaki of course, in which case it's OK :) - I learned that lesson the hard way back in my technical evangelism days. It's also common courtesy to thank significant new followers and re-tweeters.

On LinkedIn or ASW, it's bad manners to blatantly pitch and market stuff. To me that's common sense, yet every week I still get unsolicited messages from people trying to sell me stuff. As in "I noticed you were a member of this group, so I thought you might want to hear about my new website/product/concept..." - Huh, no dude, I really don't. Matter of fact, you can rest assured I will never pay attention to it now.

Blogs, emails, instant messages, all these channels have well-established rules of conduct as well. You don't spam blogs or post comments that don't bring some amount of value to the discussion at hand. I could write an entire book about email etiquette, but I think that's been done already (can you spell opt-in?). You don't flood IMs with emoticons or initiate a conversation if the person is "busy" (proper etiquette is to first email in that case).

There is a flurry of large and small dos and don't in the online world. But many people never take the time to learn about them and their raison d'etre. And this, not unlike bad table manners, makes for a poorer experience at the big restaurant of social media communication :)

How about you? What's your social media channel pet peeve?

A Day in the Life of Your Friendly Community Manager

2010-09-03T15:28:00.000+02:00

I just happened upon this article moments ago and thought it was a pretty accurate description of a typical community manager day. Most people I talk to in the field concur. It's a fairly hectic, "heat of the battle" type of activity. And like the famous Forrest Gump box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get :)

Reading that post reminded me that I had put a similar list together for my own management here in the Swiss luxury watch industry. A couple of months into my new position, I was asked to compile a "typical day" list for the higher-ups who had trouble understanding what I did all day besides hang out on Facebook. I thought it might be interesting to share it on here as well.

Check Twitter. Answer messages. Post tweets as needed.
Check LinkedIn. Answer group questions, participate in discussions and manage internal groups
Manage email. Start with crisis issues, then shipping, returns, requests etc.
Communicate with influencers and bloggers as needed
Update news on the website as needed (and any other required maintenance)
Handle VIP accomodations and inquiries as needed
Scan blogosphere for brand mentions
Work on internal blog pipeline. Publish finished ones
Prepare interview questions if needed
Scan brand and product mentions on social media channels
Scan online press and comment as needed
Rework a blog article that sucked
Study and analyse potential mobile apps (iPhone, iPad etc...)
Get back on LinkedIn (or other network) as discussion followups notifications pop up
Scan specialised online properties (luxury SNS in my case)
Test and evaluate potential analytical tools for reporting
Interface with 3rd party agencies to manage workflow and priorities. Get quotes.
Manage outgoing shipments of product for clients and reviewers as needed
Make modifications to the eshop or web backend as needed
Print wine labels for the VIP program
Do video interview of target subject during lunch

This is a pretty short list but you have to remember all these activities are interspersed through time, and often interrupted by pressing issues or requests (both internal and external) that come up unexpectedly. When you finally go home, things appear a bit calmer, but barely. If you manage an international community, you have to catch the corresponding time zones judiciously. This gig is pretty much a 24/7 contract :)

Every so often, you do get to go out to a nice restaurant (Lord knows I can't complain about that in this area!) but my iPhone never leaves me, to my wife's dismay (not to mention the waiters you completely ignore because you're too busy setting up a watch review with a blogger in San Francisco between servings). Same deal in hotels. When you walk around with an iPhone in a hotel spa sauna where most people are in the birthday suits, you get noticed :)

On some weekends, you go out hiking. But at the top of the hill, first thing you do is whip out the iPhone to check email and Twitter because you're waiting on a confirmation from FedEx. To the point where fellow hikers start shaking their heads. Sometimes, you almost miss a boat cruise on the lake on a sunny Sunday afternoon because you're too busy placating an irate customer from Qatar who wants his watch serviced right now.

Around 2AM is a really good time for calmer introspection, reading of the 200 or so plus channels in your RSS client, addressing backlogged emails, scheduling auto posts, getting on top of emerging trends and technologies, and Skyping or IM'ing with remote journalists, customers or business partners. 5-6AM is also great for quieter times (and I haven't seen this many sunrises in years anyway), blog writing, issuing instructions, and organizing the day.

True. It's not the life for everybody. It takes a little bit of passion, love of the community, and most importantly, the love, support, and endless patience of a spouse or partner who is used to this constant connection to the "matrix". Luckily for me, I've always had all of the above. This allows me to really enjoy what I do 24/7.

CM Matches Made in Heaven

2010-07-15T10:02:00.002+02:00

I'm not even going to list all the blogs, articles and other media tidbits related to finding and hiring Community and Social Media Managers. Take my word for it, just go to Google and type in "how to hire a community manager" and you will find all the references you need and then some. Enough said about that - please! :)

Instead, I want to turn the discussion on its head and talk about how to find and "interview" the right employer (or client) if you happen to be in our line of work. In this market, too many companies are rushing into this brand new world of social media without sufficient forethought. I shouldn't say this, because, as a CSMM myself, you'd think I'd be happy to see everyone and his mother out there trying to hire people like us (and I am!). But honestly, this is a very tough business. And if you're in it for the long run, here's what you need to know and ask about before signing on the dotted line.

1. Management, product and industry
You have to be able worship all three. The product (or service) has to be a "revelation", and not just "yeah this is kinda cool" feeling. You cannot be effective if not infected. Then you have to either know the industry or be willing to learn it inside out 24/7. It's going to be a marriage, not a date. Finally, at the end of the day, the product is an extension of the folks behind it. Research them on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin (owners and C-level folks who "get" social media are typically on the networks either personally or professionally).

2. Customer obsession
Find out how the company really feels about customers. Not just the official corporate line. The two are usually different. If the enterprise does not have a proven and genuine passion for customers and an obsession with customer service, on amount of social media juice will perk them up. To find out for sure, talk to their customers or better yet, become an annoying one. See what happens.

3. Strategy
If the company cannot clearly and simply state (one or two sentences) why they're looking to get involved in social media, that's a red flag. I'm not talking about an entire strategic roadmap here (after all, that will be your job), but a straightforward "here's why we're doing this and where we want to go with it".

4. Financial Commitment
Companies or clients genuinely serious about implementing a social media strategy will have a dedicated budget. Not just a chunk of Marketing or Operations trove. Not just a "trial and error" stash, but real numbers to support a long term vision. And if they're looking for a quick three month internship or trial period "just to see what all this stuff is about" or "whether it's worth doing it", be real careful.

5. Operating Hours
If the company operates on a strict 9-5 schedule, with sacred weekends, you'll eventually run into a problem. Because social media management (on a global level) is a 24/7 operation. Problems, opportunities and customers (and competitors) don't operate on fixed time slots. And when situations arise, unless you have the unwavering real-time support of the enterprise at all levels, you'll be left alone behind enemy lines. That's not negotiable. Make sure the company is ready willing and able to provide this backup because your credibility and effectiveness will depend on it.

6. Consistency
If the company has both an online and offline strategy, something might be amiss. To quote Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver: "There must be total alignment between the message of your brand, between the product of your brand, between the communication of the brand and your distribution. If any of these are not in sync then you will fail." - If the company considers virtual and live worlds as separate entities, you will run into trouble at the messaging and tactical levels. And your online efforts will compete with offline ones. That's not a good position to be in.

I think these are the major points to consider and explore when looking at potential employers or clients in the social media business. Especially because as a community or social media manager, you are the brand ambassador (internally and externally). So your name, your reputation and your word will be on the line every single day. And in this business, those are not things you can afford to play around with casually. So do your due diligence and make sure your next match is made in heaven :)

You Say Community Manager? I Say Social Media Manager.

2010-07-11T12:39:00.000+02:00

We're sort of a weird group in community and social media management. Our newly-minted "profession" is still being defined. Most people have no clue what we do for a living. We have few if any professional guilds (I did find the excellent Community Roundtable). The language and jargon defining our activity is still in flux. It's not like the US Department of Labor even recognizes the term "community manager" - unless referring to the guy who manages an apartment building (which is what most people think I do when I reveal my job title). We're definitely a breed apart.

When Marvin first asked me to define what community management meant, I figured I would use Jeremiah Owyang's Four Tenets of CM as a definition. My numerous job functions have certainly remained true to this list, and then some. But there's a lot more to it than that. Now I know why.

Recently, there has also been a lot of discussion on the differences (or lack thereof) between community (CM) and social media management (SMM). One of the best resources on this topic, in my opinion, is Blaise Grimes-Viort's What's the Difference article, but also his excellent descriptions of the CM as well as SMM job functions.

I'm not sure where I stand on the distinction. There's a lot of overlap but in some ways, it almost seems as though the CM could report to the SMM. Not sure how that would pan out. I really like the way Radian6 is structured but they're a fairly large well-to-do organisation specializing in social media. And when I look at their "touchpoints" I think hey, that's what I do as well but, well, I'm a one-man show :)

One thing I am sure about: I have both jobs at the same time. And I suspect most of my peers are in the same situation. That's part of the reason I really enjoy it so much. Never a dull moment. So now when people ask me what I do, I make my life simpler by answering "Community and Social Media Manager". See, I even changed my LinkedIn profile recently :) - This way, I'm sure to have all angles covered.

Social Network Outliers - a Fifth Column?

2010-07-09T10:37:00.001+02:00

Thanks to netinfluence posting a link to it on Facebook yesterday, I had a chance to review this excellent presentation from Paul Adams, "research lead for social" at Google on the UX Team. The presentation gives us a detailed inside peek at how Google thinks and designs around social networks.

In blatant violation of Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule of presentations, the slideshow contains a whopping 216 slides. But I'll tell you what, some are truly eye-opening. Specifically, I want you to jump to slide #125 where Paul starts talking about "temporary ties" because I think this is where the money shot is for the entire presentation.

Paul identifies three types of social network ties. Inner circle (strong ties, 2-6 members), outer circle (weak ties, 150 members tops), and what I call "transient circle" with temporary ties (no limit there). He defines it as "people you have no recognized relationship with, but that you temporarily interact with.". Basically, "ships that pass in the night". Examples given include store clerks, call center people, review writers, forum participants, eBay sellers and so on. The argument being that existing social network platforms are designed to handle all network types in the same bucket, and are therefore inherently flawed - Facebook is cited repeatedly. Can't argue with that :)

More interestingly, I had never heard anyone formalize so well what I've always thought of as outliers, or "ricochet connections" in a social network (for lack of a better term). I think they're really important for two very simple reasons. One, they are not statistically limited in numbers (unlike other circles, they keep coming and going) and two, I believe these actors are the most likely drivers of impulse buying, which is a topic dear to my heart, being that I work in the luxury sector.

I think communications with inner or outer circle members are by nature long lasting. You might ask for an opinion, a recommendation, then go back and forth a few times. It's a cogitating, iterative process with someone you know well and trust. Additionally, you probably already know the person's tastes and habits and so, by virtue of asking them for a recommendation (or opinion), you are almost always self-validating a pre-acquired taste or opinion. It's just re-enforcement at this point.

With a transient connection, it's the opposite situation. The interaction is short and to the point by nature. A reviewer, a sales person, a vendor, someone who has taken to the time to reach out to you, at a certain point in time when you need it, has influence juice. In my opinion, if someone is psychologically open to being "flipped" (namely sold to, up-sold to, convinced to buy or change an order), it's at that fleeting moment in time by that "transient" connection. I know it's happened to me many time. I have no generic statistics to back this up (yet) but I've seen it work in real life often enough to suspect it's something brands can leverage online as well. What do you think?

Things I Miss the Most from the USA

2010-07-08T13:24:00.009+02:00

Every so often friends, new connections and family members ask me if I'm well adapted to living in Switzerland having been here almost five months now. And every time the question causes me to pause for a moment because I never quite know how to answer. I'm not really sure what "well adapted" means.

I guess from an infrastructure and process standpoint, five months is plenty of time to "get it". So, a lot of times I do "get it", but that does't mean I really "accept it" culturally. Having grown up and lived in the US all my life, there are things so ingrained in my psyche that no amount of time in a foreign land can ever alter. As they say, you can't change a leopard's spots. For me, these spots would be the following:

1. Space, the Final Frontier
Everything in Europe is on a smaller scale, but my pet peeve is parking spots. Whether on the street or in parking garages, there is never enough space and you end up having to wiggle in and out of your car like a paraplegic on meth. And that's with a normal sized car. It's infuriating.

2. Customer Service
Granted, it's vastly better in Switzerland than other European countries. But even here, they simply don't care. Restaurants, stores, websites, and most other service businesses are not motivated by profit and couldn't care less if you ever shop there again or not. If you buy in bulk, it makes no difference. The only "discount" I was ever offered was when buying wine. Two whopping percents off the price if I paid in 10 days instead of 30. Needless to say, I will be paying on the 30th day.

3. Credit Cards
Getting those here on arrival requires some sort of Federal act. It was so long and complicated to even get a special bank authorization to get a meager $1,000 credit line that we didn't even pursue the matter. This means everything you pay is cash only with no possibility of appeal and if the product or service delivered does not match expectations, you're screwed. And of course, if you want to order stuff online, mazel tov.

4. Cell Phone Family Plans
No such thing here. My wife and I have two completely separate plans and contracts. No discounts, no calling time plans, nothing. You pay a monthly fee that covers data, then you pay for every call and every SMS no matter what. Yes, there are other carriers besides Swisscom, but reliability can be so spotty you might as well go the carrier pigeon way (even Orange told me they couldn't guaranty coverage). Same thing for TV, cable, internet, you name it, it's all a la carte. No bundles, no incentives, nada.

5. Cheap, Simple, Quick Food
Probably because we live in the Swiss boonies, but you can't just go out and grab a quick bite at night without spending $150 for two people and sitting for two hours. I detest fast food, and do enjoy eating slowly (especially since the food here is spectacular) but sometimes, you just want to "get 'er dun".

6. I-Hop
You won't understand that one unless you've lived in the US long enough. But not being able to do breakfast at I-Hop is heartbreaking to me. It's not just about the food either. And I am absolutely convinced I-Hop would kick major ass in Switzerland. They'd need a community manager of course :)

Sweet Dreams When Online Meets Offline

2010-07-07T10:52:00.001+02:00

I recently discovered this Community Roundtable podcast interview with Brian Simpson who is the community manager for the Roger Smith Hotel in NYC. This insightful interview received my undivided (if late) attention because, if you've read the recent post here, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for the luxury hospitality industry. Little did I know there were full time community managers in this industry. Big deal you say? Well yes, actually it is, and here's why.

I believe one of the holy grails of social media and community management craft work is the ability to "touch" your community both online and offline, integrating the two on a regular basis. This is where the rubber meets the road. As Brian points out in the interview, nothing beats a handshake and a face to face encounter. I don't care how many hours you spend on Facebook. Problem is, that's easier said than done. Take the luxury watch industry for example. What does it take to get people to physically show up at a given location? Free product? A celebrity? A sponsored sporting event? A VIP program with a complimentary bottle of wine? Probably, but that's a lot of work not necessarily "core" to the business.

A hotel, on the other hand, is by definition an event venue. It's where people congregate by choice (vacation) or necessity (business). One by one or in groups. Facilities are there (including parking), staff is there, resources are there - it's a self'-contained world. It's their business model. A hotel, with its incessant anecdotes and stories, is social media from the moment you book online to the time you check out! Instant tribe, just add pillow mints:)

You walk in, you're out of your comfort zone. Away from your established home base, in close proximity with strangers, in someone else's universe. In a word, vulnerable, and seeking acceptance. Successful hoteliers quickly reassure guests by subtly yielding back control (or the perception thereof). Once that happens, it's very reassuring. You're part of the community now, accepted, receptive, and open to self-reward. Can you spell impulse buying?

In most high-end boutique properties, the gift shop is the highest revenue source, followed by external services (like spas, massages and other in-room indulgences). People in hotels buy stuff. A lot of it and often. Then they talk about it to all their friends. A lot and often. Then they come back. A lot and often. It's a perfect microcosm for social-media-boosted luxury retail with a 360-degree approach.

Why more luxury watch brands (and hotel owners!) are not mining them thar hills in the right types of properties is beyond me. Or maybe I just haven't been to the right places :) If you've ever bought a watch in a small luxury boutique hotels, don't be a stranger, and tell me the story!
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Luxury Brands and Internet

2010-07-05T22:18:00.002+02:00

Before I came into community management and evangelism for the luxury industry, I was a technical evangelist for several enterprise software companies. Talk about day and night! Since then, I've often been confronted by the following question: sure, this web stuff work for technology products, but what can this social media thingy really do for my luxury brand and do I really need this stuff? I can't speak for all luxury lines, but I have a burgeoning opinion concerning luxury watch brands :)

To begin with, how do we define luxury? Turns out the definition is nebulous at best. As Jean-Claude Biver once stated: "Having a certain difficulty in obtaining products is part of the definition of luxury". Clearly the case, but what else is there?

To me, luxury is really three things. Luxury is something that has high desirability, high barrier to entry, yet remains non-essential. So for example, a Gucci purse, a Patek watch, a Lurssen yacht, a mansion - all these things are very desirable, hard to obtain, but non-essential to daily life. Alternatively, you have things like groceries, medical supplies, transportation, and software, to name a few, which are indeed essential to everyday survival.

So the art of selling luxury is the art of selling highly desirable stuff (perception) to people who don't need it (something George Carlin might have said). And if people buy stuff they don't really need, it's not about owning the object (beyond the initial "high") but rather about sending a message. Be it about their looks, their wealth, their origins, or their aspirations. It's all about the message. So for me, the most effective way to sell luxury is to help customers craft and disseminate the messages they need to send. In essence, you must become a personal advertising agency for each and every customer so he can identify with your brand which in turn, becomes his brand.

The implications are vast. Because in order to understand and craft the proper message, you have to do what most luxury watch companies struggle with: sit down with your customers, listen to them, and understand them, up close and personal. Only by doing this can you develop product for specific markets at specific times without significant failure risks. This is one area where the web (ie: social media channels) is essential to luxury companies. People want to be addressed one on one as individuals, not statistics or "segments". And no other communication media can support the kind of bi-directional, 24/7, one-on-one communication needed in today's luxury business.

Additionally, luxury's high barrier to entry creates another expectation. That of red-carpet, personalized customer service. Again, the web is the only existing media that can scale to support this consistently on a worldwide basis. In a hugely competitive industry, how else will you stand out? I mean let's be honest, is a Patek really "better" than a Rolex, a Breguet, an IWC, a Hublot or countless other flagship brands? Of course not. There is little or no qualitative difference among horizontal brands in a given price band. The only distinctions are those little "extra somethings" allowing you to go that extra mile. That's the mile people will pay for. Gladly.

Of course, luxury watch companies have survived centuries without the internet. Question is, can they keep doing so when the vast majority of their customers now live, learn, and shop on the web? Today my personal opinion is an emphatic no. And reference material on the topic like my two luxury "bibles" Luxury Fashion Branding by Uche Okonkwo and La Communication Horlogère by Zorik and Courvoisier, combined with my (admittedly limited) personal experience in the field, seem to bear this out. What do you think?

How to Magically Increase Facebook and Twitter fans (or not).

2010-07-04T18:23:00.004+02:00

It's funny but this week, I was asked about three times the exact same question. Namely, if I had any advice or "tips & tricks" to increase the number of Facebook or Twitter followers for a watch company. I'm always surprised to get these inquiries because it tells me that people (often in very large entities) seem to assume you can tweak well-known knobs and dials to instantly increase social media presence. As in, just add water and presto! Instant online juice. Not so grasshopper.

Of course there are no magic shortcuts to increasing these numbers. Anyone who tells you different is either naive or skilled in generating "buzz spikes". Those look really good on paper for a few months. But then you're back to square one with potential social damage. More disturbingly, in my opinion, is that the wrong question is being asked.

Because my first reply whenever I hear it is "Why do you want to increase your Facebook (or Twitter or whatever) numbers anyway?" That's when most people just look at me in disconnect mode. But I'm simply trying to flush out a strategy behind the request. What are your goals? Simply tweaking some number is not a goal. It's a tactic. I know it sounds weird but honestly, can you tell me why you're working so hard to kick up your Facebook or Twitter numbers every day? Can you even tell me why you picked Facebook, Twitter or any other channel to be present on?

Chances are I can't tell you either unless I spend a considerable amount of time analyzing your brand, your business, your enterprise and more importantly, your market and its customers. Case in point, for Marvin, my current employer, our goals were to (1) build brand recognition and (2) increase sales. Typically, you need to nail (1) down before going after (2). So it made a lot of sense for us to be on Facebook and Twitter given that mandate. But how many Facebook likers or Twitter followers should I set as a goal?

Well let's see: Tag Heuer has 60,000 fans. Hublot has 160,000. Frédéric Constant? 30,000 fans. Tisso has 24,000. Raymond Weil 30,000. JLC, 8,500. Baume & Mercier, 1,200. Omega, coming up on 7,000. I could go on and on (if anyone sees Rolex on there please let me know) but basically, let's say a low industry range might be 7,000 and a high one 100,000 - Hublot just kicks ass at this stuff and skews the numbers :) - So my initial goal after one year will be to hit at least 7,000 for Marvin. Currently we are hitting 1,131 fans on our page. Remember we started from zero point zero brand recognition (which is of course not the case for all above-mentioned brands - Cartier has 20,000 people on there with no activity whatsoever. None).

My ultimate target: I'm going to shoot for 20,000 in year 3, 50,000 in year 5 and 100,000 by year 10. Can I achieve these numbers based on our forecast market size and distribution network? Well including the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and other markets in the pipeline, I'm reasonably comfortable about it. I might be off the mark a bit but not completely out of the ballpark.

How to go about it? That's the $64,000 question of course and I'd be remiss to reveal internal information and tactics, but I have just four things to say about that: viral, events, applications,and advertising (I consider contest and giveaways advertising efforts). Fact is, your tactics will adapt and change depending on the level of community members you reach. Because each critical mass marker (the 1,000, 3,000, 8,000, 12,000 and 20,000 levels) give you leverage (legitimacy) you did not have before.

Do we want to be on Twitter? Yes. Why? Because one way to build brand recognition (and increase sales) is via customer service and real-time market communication. And, as you grow sales (and open an online store), you need to scale customer service as well (both pre and post-sales). Twitter is an excellent channel for that.

Our Twitter presence has generated about 600 followers so far (again, since Feb 2010). Clearly, this is only one of several interesting Twitter stats. So is 600 a lot for an unknown watch company in four months? Let's go to the video.

I tallied 26 watch brands on Twitter when I first started out. I'm sure I missed some, but the usual suspects are almost all there: @jaegerlecoultre (226 followers) , @AudemarsWatches (288), @FrederiqueConst (139), @hamiltonwatch (249), @Hublot (866), @TAGHeuerOnline (947), @IWCWatches (491), @BaumeMercier (7,038), @OmegaWatches (626), @Piaget (391), @raymondweil (242), @ErnstBenz (154), @TISSOT_Fanpage (1,180), @LindeWerdelin (81).

I'm probably going to shoot for around 1,000 followers for Marvin by end of Q1 2011. As sales increase, so should customer support and JIT communication lines with our community. Oh, and to answer the initial question, I guess the numbers speak for themselves. The industry as a whole seems rather uninterested in Twitter for the time being. That's one of the reasons I'm not :)

Conclusion: enterprise know thy customer, thy competition and thyself. Only then does it make sense to pick SM channels and target respective membership levels. And if you do happen to have a Facebook or Twitter magic wand, give me a call :)

Community Manager Cockpit Wanted

2010-07-04T14:17:00.000+02:00

I thought it would be interesting to step back and tally all the tools I use in my daily work as a community manager. Why? Because it seems not a week goes by without my discovering yet another one. In this plethora of available tools and platforms, the questions beckons (to me anyway): is there a "best practice" set of proven tools that every CM should know about and use regularly? And more importantly, is there an integrated dashboard application out there (what I call a CM cockpit) that we could use to monitor and measure SM channels in once central place? I don't know the answer to either question, quite honestly, but perhaps one of you does. If so, I'd love to get your input.

Content Management
Typo3 as a CMS.

Blogging
WordPress

Mailing Campaigns
netmailing.

Online Shop Management
Magento and Typo3.

Email
Google Apps Gmail.

Monitoring/Targeting
SocialMention, Google Search,Twitter Search, Twellow, Topsy, Klout, Convo, Pickanews, Google Reader and Spezify. Alexa, woorank, Netvibes, websitegrader.

Statistics
Google Analytics, Twitalyzer, Twitteranalyzer. Facebook and Youtube built-in insights.

Media
Paint.NET, Windows MovieMaker, iStockPhoto, morgueFile.

Now, I know there are countless other tools out there, and more coming out daily. But one thing I've been seeking for a long time now is a dashboard push-pull type of application. Something that could give me both 30,000 foot views and drill-down capabilities into specific social media areas.

For example, on the pull side, every morning, I'd want a quick scan of the battlefield only displaying alerts (red flags) if applicable. Later, I want to be able to drill into one or more sets of channels and look at preset data points (maybe new likers, new follower, people who dropped out etc.). Then I also would like the ability to trigger certain alarms (push model) for specific variables on various channels or groups thereof.

I'd also like the ability to set certain goal levels and see in a quick glance how far off I am from goals percentage wise. For example, if I set a 5,000 likers watch on Facebook, by the time I reach 2,500 I want to see a progress bar at 50% for that goal.

Ideally this application would be in the cloud. It would talk to my channels via their respective APIs. It would also be able to pull my emails and filter them. I don't know what anyone has developed such a platform already but I can't imagine you couldn't monetize such a valuable toy.

It's still early in the year. I may still have time to order my CM Cockpit from Santa before Christmas. But man, if someone out there knows of such a tool already, help a brother out and let me know! :)

Wanna Meet My New Scottish Friends?

2010-06-16T16:55:00.001+02:00

It's not often that I plug my professional blog from my private one. But in this case, the story is so unbelievably heartwarming that I simply had to.

The man on the left is Francis Mitchell. He lives in Scotland. He's 80 now, and has lived his entire life around Marvin watches. I kid you not. Recently, he got one of our watches for his son Kevin in order to continue the tradition. And Kevin's little girl Ellie is also big-time into watches :)

I won't bore you here with details since you can read all about it on the Marvin Blog. But this is the kind of story that will stick to you whether you like watches or not because it's inherently human.

I've never met Francis or Kevin in person (for reasons you'll understand reading the blog post) but have already become close friends of theirs just via email and Facebook over the past few months. See, we've been through a lot of crap together already.

Yes folks. That's the power of social media and the online world we live in nowadays. And I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I did.

How I learned about community management

2010-06-10T21:48:00.000+02:00

What's the proper term for a community of community managers? I have no idea. But last night I headed down to Geneva to meet those of us in the French part of Switzerland who are lucky enough to be part of that CM tribe. I want to share some thoughts about what was discussed.

Olivier Tripet and Yann Graf are the two guys behind Switzerland's first ever CM Twitter meetup. Their efforts led to about a dozen of us heading down to the Brasserie des Halles de l'Ile and sitting around a big piano sipping cocktails and sharing thoughts for a couple hours. Even Victoria Marchand was kind enough to join us and share interesting insight from a journalist's point of view.

There were some really interesting questions raised up last night. Among the usual suspects: how to define our role, how to sell ourselves to our own employers (internal CM)? How to manage crisis, and how to measure results. In this business, the same questions keep coming up. And unlike engineering, there's no manual! Although we have many "experts" in this field (perhaps too many one might argue), no one, to my knowledge, has yet managed to come up with a clear set of best practices for the job and its expectations.

So what does it take, fundamentally, to go out and build a community? I can't really answer that question generically, but I can tell you how I learned the most about it, and it was in the boutique hotel business.

In 2002, tired of the IT consulting rat race, I sold everything I owned in NJ, packed a Jeep with my wife and dog, and drove across America to Palm Desert, CA. in five days straight. My goal: to learn the hotel business inside out in the hope of someday owning my own bed & breakfast.

Amazingly enough, I showed up for an assistant manager job interview one day in Palm Springs wearing my best Tommy Bahamas shirt. And Bruce Abney, a 30 year veteran of the business, who ran the Orbit In at the time, hired me on the spot. That place was the hottest, hippest, most desirable mid-century modern destination resort in the desert at the time. You can ask Julia Roberts. She loved the corner suite :)

Here's what I learned in two years of intense swim or sink hotel experience that has served me until now building, managing, and nurturing communities:

The devil's in the details.
It's not about selling beds, it's about selling experience.
The customer is always right. Worship him or her.
Besides, it's not a customer, it's a family member.
It's show business. Tell the story.
Shit happens. Fess up and move on.
You can't please everyone.
It's not a job, it's a lifestyle.

I did everything in that job. I plunged toilets, made beds, managed housekeepers, bar tended, handled accounting, gave tours, ran the phones, pitched reservations, check-ins, check-outs, spa services, customer relations, pissed off guests, guests crying at departure time, therapy sessions, groups, PR, press, supplies, contractors, breakfast prep, concierge services, you name it. If the guests needed it, it got done. No one else was around. And you know what? That's a hell of a lot like community management.

And you know what else? The owners at the time, to be honest, had absolutely NO clue about the hotel business. They had boatloads of money no doubt, and great intentions, but couldn't punch their way out of a double booking or a major plumbing problem at 11pm on a Friday night . And they never had a clue as to what we were doing. But boy did we bring home the bacon. That's a hell of a lot like community management.

Early on, Bruce gave me the bottom line lecture on the job. He said listen, you're always in the limelight, long periods of boredom will be interrupted by violent crises, and you're in show business now, with all the associated responsibilities. Put on the show, but be genuine. If you fake it, they'll smell you a mile away, so you might as well be yourself. You are alway "on" my friend, Forget 9 to 5. But it's all about the guests. Some are great and some are nuts, but if you ever stop enjoying it or them, you have to quit doing this job. You're married to this place, and you either love people genuinely, or you need to find another career. It's from the heart dude. Everything else is just process and grunt work. That's a hell of a lot like community management.

You can't really teach this stuff in school. And talk about results! The people who came to stay with us weren't regular run-of-the-mill guests. These people were fanatics. They didn't come there just to party and sleep. They came there to hang out with Bruce and the team! Money was never an object. If I told you how much our 20 room hotel cleared in a year, you wouldn't believe me. These people could have stayed anywhere, anytime, at any property in the world. But they chose to spend their most precious time with us. What's more, they couldn't stop talking about us to their friends, families, business associates, fellow actors, singers, musicians, models, you name it. Why? Because it was all about family. Yeah, we took care of them, one at a time, and it was personal. Very personal. And that's what community is all about.

After the Orbit, I went on to manage another place entirely on my own. And Bruce, he fulfilled a life-long dream and bought his own place, a total dive, and worked his ass off turning it into the most exclusive "insider" Moroccan-themed resort in the desert. He built everything else up from scratch on his own all over again. But he never lost the "family".

I was there on his trial opening and came back as a guest for years. The El Morocco doesn't have "guests". It has a family. All it takes is one visit and you're hooked. You're in the clan. There's no turning back :) And if I told you what the El Morocco brings in year after year, even in crisis times, you'd fall on your ass :) You want to know what successful community management yields when done right? Check this out.

I can only hope to be able to do the same thing for Marvin over time but I'll tell you, Brucey's a tough act to follow :)

Post-Move Bliss

2010-05-23T16:04:00.003+02:00

Well we finally got most of our belongings last week. I say "most" because our friendly Netherlands movers somehow managed to lose one wardrobe box for us. Hopefully it's one of mine and not my wife's or there will be high hell to pay believe you me :) - To make up for that, the guys who packed on the US side could also have used a refresher course as several pieces of artwork ended up piecemeal. Luckily, my Costa Boda decanter arrived unscathed. Phew!

I learned another important lesson. Given the fact I graduated as an EE, this is a tad embarrassing but generally, remember kids: 110 US appliances won't be happy in Europe. But hey, I figured I could use a 110/220 transformer recently purchased in Prague and get away with it. So, happy to recover my beloved Saeco espresso machine, I promptly plugged it into the wall (via the transformer) and proceeded to smoke both appliances instantly.I'm an idiot.

What else is new? I turned one year older (perhaps wiser who knows) this week. To celebrate, I managed to screw up my knee getting out of the car last Friday. People out here tell me I'm too "speed", which is European speak for Tazmanian Devil behavior. I think they might be right :) - But, I still managed to discover the best hair stylist in Lausanne in the process (and take my wife there to boot!) last week. Given what the poor guy has to work with, trust me, he rocks.

Work-wise, things are progressing nicely. I scored a virtual interview with one of the greatest personalities in the industry (I won't reveal much more you'll have to keep up with the Marvin blog). And our first Marvin VIP Program Special Edition wine has finally seen the light. Oh and I was interviewed by one of the coolest watch blogs last week!

Now that I have stuff to sit on and kitchen equipment, I will soon be ready to entertain again, which is a nice feeling. As soon, that is, as the movers can come back to pick up the 15 or so boxes cluttering my terrace ;) - I swear they promised they would!

Switzerland Christmas in May

2010-05-16T15:26:00.001+02:00

Folks, I mentioned this a while back on Facebook but I am compelled to blog about it more formally because come next Tuesday the 18th, smack in time for my birthday, Santa's going to be coming to town here in Vaumarcus. He's bringing a 20 foot container straight (well, almost) from California.

For three months now (a little over one for my wife) we've been living on borrowed furniture and kitchenware. Furniture is a small desk, a metal folding table, and two folding chairs, compliments of my good friend Sandrine of Netinfluence. - Kindly enough, she also spotted us some bed sheets and towels. Add to that three "poofs" I grabbed at Fly - the only thing we have to sit on - On the kitchen side, I am grateful to Marvin co-owner Jean-Daniel Maye who kindly lent me pots, pans, glasses, utensils etc.

Now folks, I'm not one to get attached to material things very much (exception being cars and pool tables). But until recently, we didn't have a real bed, and slept on an inflatable mattress. Now, we have a decent sized place here, by Swiss standards - about 1800 square feet. With four bedrooms and a large patio overlooking the lake from the top floor, you can imagine how bare all this space looks like with nothing in it. Believe me, it gets old after a while, and you start missing stupid shit. So in anticipation of our Great Moment in Shipping, here's what I look the most forward to recuperating in a couple of days (Swiss Customs permitting):

1. My Saeco espresso machine
I've had to make do here with a Bosch Tassimo system I scored on the run in Zurich one day. It's a horrible machine. And that coffee brand should be illegal. Enough said.

2. My toolbox
Everytime I need a screwdriver and a hammer, I have to run out to the local hardware store. The one that's open about 2 hours a day, 4 days a week. When the guy isn't out somewhere. Blah.

3. Martini glasses
Don't even get me started. They don't sell those in Europe it seems. Probably just as well since they can't make Martinis either :) I, on the other hand, can.

4. Stereo Equipment
And my Bose outdoor speakers. And my 300 CD collection (yeah I know who listens to CDs anymore). DVD player with my DVD collection. My car CDs - yeah! The only thing we've had so far are two iPhones. But my wife will cry the instant I put headphones on to listen "without her". I'm half joking but, not really.

5. Clothes
Granted, my California shorts and flip-flops won't get much usage out here (where May still feels like October). But the only thing I took to Switzerland was black clothing. I know, black is kinda my thing but sometime, like on weekends, that too gets old. On that angle, a quick thanks to my friend Darja (she's become my fashion consultant now) for pointing my sorry ass to a fairly exclusive clothing place in Lausanne.

6. Fondue Pot
My wife's fondue pot. Not being able to make fondue in Fondue Nation is, shall we say, lame. Especially when you own the real thing!

7. A Sponge Mop
I know, don't laugh. Can't find one of those anywhere out here! No idea why. They have the old fashioned stringy crap with toothpick-sized handles. If you live with a dog, you know how important this item can be.

8. My Dog's Bed
Maybe I miss it more than he does, but he's had to make do with his small "car bed" which is only one square meter when his real one is about three times the size.

9. Wall Pictures
Staring at white walls for 3 months every day reminds me of the old days in the mental institution. Oops, did I say that? :)

10. Hiking Shoes
Not hiking in Switzerland is almost like not eating steak in Texas, not sailing in the Caribbean, not taking the subway in NYC - get my point? - You can get away with it, but who would want to?

Two more days my friends. Two more days...

Social Media Marketing 101

2010-05-16T10:07:00.000+02:00

I wrote this post last December on my previous blog and wanted to move it over here because I still think it's relevant - especially lately for me. For example, there isn't a day I don't ask myself how to best "measure" the work I do. I don't have a magic formula. This isn't like when I worked in software and databases, even sales engineering, where metrics are fairly well established. To me, this is still a nebulous, nagging topic - But I'm on it :)

I was recently asked to opine on what makes a social media manager and his (or her) strategy successful in today's market. Having dabbled in the field for a little while now (perhaps what can be considered a long time in this emerging medium) it forced me to stop and reflect on my own trials and tribulations in the realm of social media marketing (SMM). The first thing I pondered is how to even define "success" in social media and community management. It's not something that can be pinned down easily like an engineering project where criteria are clearly defined. Namely, does the product work as expected, is budget under control, and are the customers happy? Managing a brand or product via social media channels is more akin to wine making or political campaigning. It's something that takes considerable time, involves a myriad of tools and tactics, and, quite honestly, more than a little bit of luck. And it also takes a special kind of personality.

So first off, what is "social media"? It is a set of web-based communication channels connecting a brand with existing and potential customers. These typically include a website, Twitter, video channels (YouTube or Vimeo, for example), several social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn, maybe some IM services, throw in a couple photo sites like Flikr, and perhaps some opt-in email or SMS push channels. Social media marketing (SMM) and social media optimization (SMO, a subset), is the art of juggling all these channels simultaneously to build brand recognition and increase customer acquisition. The reality is in fact a bit more complicated, but those are the basics.

Note that I called this SMM endeavor an "art" - and purposely so - because to the best of my knowledge, there are no clear well-defined best-practice recipes for success in this business and most companies tend to fly this bird by the seat of their pants. Some better than others. Yes, there are numerous self-proclaimed social media experts and consultants out there. People like Brian Solis, for example, who clearly know what they're doing and contribute substantially to educating the community about what works and what doesn't but in reality, no one really knows what works for sure. There are no magic formulas or guarantees. Just lists of obvious pitfalls to avoid and generally-accepted best practices, but that's about it. So here are my distilled two cents on SMM strategy based on personal and vicarious experiences of the past couple of years.

You know your SMO strategy is starting to pay off when:

1. Your web analytics indicate growing popularity and visit stickiness.

2. You see increased public participation in all your social media outlets.

3. You start getting unsollicited interest from the press and industry influencers.

4. You find it easier to establish relationships and partnerships with distribution channels.

5. You start getting attention from competitors.

6. Customers start evangelizing your product to their peers.

7. Your brand awareness starts spreading outside your targeted segments.

8. You start seeing measurable and sustained growth in customer acquisition.

9. You start seeing repeat orders from customers.

10. You pick up positive comments about the experience of doing business with you.

What does it take to become successful at this game? A couple of tips here:

1. Do not profess expertise on topics you know little about. Eventually, it will show.

2. Always remain honest. Never lie. Your most important asset is credibility. You can fix almost any mistake except credibility damage.

3. Be genuine. Maintaining a special "online" personality is not genuine.

4. Be obsessed about customers. Walk in their shoes. They're always right.

5. Do not let fear of mistakes (or failure) paralyze you. It's OK to make mistakes. What's important is quick admission and correction.

6. Be either loved or hated. Middle ground is not compelling.

7. It's not a job, it's a way of life and a mission. Understand the expectations. It's a marriage, not a date.

8. At the end of the day, it's all about the "story". Understanding show business is crucial.

9. If you suck at building relationships in real life, you will suck at it online. The inverse is not necessarily true.

10. Question everything, keep an open mind, but be wary of "experts" (the field is too new).

I've had my share of SMM boo-boos in the past years; online successes and failures. Stuff I thought would never work (that did) and things I knew for sure would take off (but never did). There's nothing like this new media to bang some realism back into one's ego and topple pre-conceived notions. That's why I love it. The beauty of this new "frontier" is its never-ending capacity to change, evolve and teach. Try it. It'll keep you young :)

Three Months in Switzerland

2010-05-16T09:48:00.001+02:00

So it's coming up on my three month anniversary in Switzerland. Whoo hoo. Made it thus far. And believe me, it hasn't been without trials and tribulations. Here are ten things I learned in the past months living here. Now, these are just my impressions by the way. Your mileage can vary :)

1. Everything in Switzerland takes 15 days at best.
Bank cards, residency permits, administrative paperwork, frequent shopper cards, internet service, you name it. 15 days is the shortest amount of time you can expect anything to happen.

2. People are inherently trusting.
When you buy or reserve stuff, people give you the merchandise (or schedule delivery) based on a name and address (and proper ID). Later, they send you a bill you can pay online. This works for almost everything from medical insurance to furniture, cars, and speeding tickets. It's really different in the US - you won't get the time of day anywhere in the US without some sort of deposit. They don't do deposits in Switzerland.

3. It's incredibly safe in Switzerland.
Unlike France, you can park safely almost everywhere and leave stuff in your car. People don't break into cars or key/burn them for kicks out here. People leave their bags and purses around restaurants and stores. Being raised in NYC, I developed a genetic tendency for suspicion and paranoia but I have to say it's a good feeling being able to "not care".

4. Everybody knows your business.
People you never met know exactly where you live, what you do for a living, where you're from and where you work and why. It's true we live in a small village (population 326 including us both) but I'm told it's the same elsewhere.

5. It's incredibly clean.
If you judge countries by their public bathrooms (and I know people who do), Switzerland tops the list. Even in the malls the toilets are clean, well stocked, and flushing! If you've been to France, you'll understand why that's really amazing. And in Switzerland, even crappy hotels are spotless.

6. Opening hours really suck.
Stores close early (like 5 or 6pm) except one night a week when they close at a whopping 8pm. They close early on Saturdays and nothing is ever open on Sunday. It's a major pain in the ass, especially if you're used to US style convenience (like me). Couple that with the frequent holidays and it makes for a challenging shopping life. It's the same with banks, doctors and other service places. Sometimes they close for no reason and with no warning.

7. Horrible websites.
There's something weird in Swiss genes (but I believe it's a European thing in general) that prevents them from designing usable websites. Half the time they're broken or just impossible to navigate, much less understand. I don't understand why a country that can design such precision pieces as watches can't build websites.

8. People use email.
Swiss people (and institutions) answer emails promptly. I'm always shocked to get almost instant replies from Government and local agencies. Everyone seems to be connected. Given item #1, I'm a little confused but, those are the facts :)

9. Tell it like it is
The other day on TV I watched a documentary about good and bad sandwiches in Switzerland. In the bad category, not only did they name the shops and give their location, but they also ranted against them on public TV, which I thought was priceless! You could never do this in the US without getting your ass sued in a NY minute.

10. Speed traps everywhere
Let me confess, I really love this system. I use it frequently! :) Yes it's a pain in the ass. Yes it's expensive. Yes it's an attack on liberty. But consider this: there is no point system in Switzerland. So you will not lose your license unless you do something immensely stupid. You'll just keep paying. You won't waste time getting pulled over (at least on the highways), and the cops won't spend time trying to find other reasons to nail you. All things considered, a much better experience than getting pulled over in the US if you ask me.

Community Management Dream Job? Dream On.

2010-05-13T07:41:00.004+02:00

I'm not in the habit of plagiarizing people, but in this case I'm going to make a huge exception. With the author's approval actually. Yvain Ducrocq is a young French Community Manager with a killer blog. His latest post about the realities of this new age job is so precious, I decided it needed to be translated in English. Like now. So I did just that (with his blessing) and am re-posting the English version here.

Community Manager: Dream job? Dream on.

It's become a really cool job to have. Everyone wants in on it. In the old days, every kid dreamed of becoming a fireman or an astronaut. Now, little Joey wants to become a community manager when he grows up.

But like other coveted jobs, the profession isn't exactly risk-free. Now you might think, listen to this guy, he's comparing firemen to community managers when the former risk their lives for a living. What a moron.

Well yes. Kind of. It's true that a fireman can go up in smoke. But a community manager can get whacked in a virtual instant too!

So here are 10 reasons why this job isn't exactly the dream gig everyone raves about (even though, it still rocks if you ask me).

(1) You are the company's spokesperson.One false move or gaffe and you'll end up back on the unemployment line faster than you can say "Follow me on Twitter"

(2) You communicate one-on-one with end users and prospects."Hey this is great! Up close and personal with our users!" - Yeah, until they start bitching about your company left and right. Hey, this can't be your fault. You just got here! Think again. In crisis mode, you start off as the hero. But if the crisis persists, you're suddenly part of the problem.

(3) You are what you write."Hey cool, recruiters are googling my name!" People were understandably ticked off by Facebook's privacy snafus over the years. But now that you're a big shot community manager, you run your own online PR campaign 24/7. Don't believe me? Here's a test: go figure out my mother and sister's name online. See how long that takes (hint: not long).

(4) You become "the guy who hangs out on Facebook and Twitter all day". One thing's for sure. You'll be famous online, but to everyone else, you'll just be "that dude who hangs out on Facebook all day". It's a little like trying to explain the subtleties of the V8 HEMI electronic ignition system to your wife. No sexism intended, but you get the point.

(5) You become the Anti-Advertizer.Your marketing director: Say what?? 50,000 fans?? How do we push out our latest gimmick? You: No you can't do that.
Your marketing director: Of course we can! We got all these eyeballs, let's milk em!
You: No you don't get it. If you want to poll them, that's cool. But if you just want to push advertising, find someone else to do it.

(6) You have to constantly stay ahead of the curve. Yeah, you're the "guy who hangs out on Twitter" but if you miss the latest and greatest web fad, you're just a has-been. The community manager is all-knowing (see next item).

(7) You're on call 24/7The thing about online is it never stops. People use the web all the time. There's no holidays, no time-out, no breaks. And people don't stop complaining just because it's the weekend. This means you're on call 24/7. It doesn't mean you have to address every single issue though (see next item).

(8) You must convince, and keep convincing.You just became community manager. Awesome! But, what's up with those 30 emails you're getting daily? Your boss will surely surf the web and find negative comments aimed at the company. When that happens, he'll insist you handle each one of them pronto!

Good luck convincing him that answering every complaint indiscriminately is not efficient. That it's best to focus on genuine influencers. Talk about risking your job everyday.

(9) You become the brand.Everything you blog on will be read by your boss. As the official brand spokesperson, even stuff on your personal blog will be scrutinized and potentially misinterpreted (by the way, big high-five to my employer for being really cool about that).

(10) You're risking your own "social life".I'm talking about real social life here. With real people. You know, not followers, fans or Twunchers :)

So, you still want to be an astronaut?

Marvin M008 watch reaches US Shores while I'm about to leave them

2010-02-11T00:45:00.000+01:00

I've been neglecting this blog a bit lately but I have a really good excuse. It's because I'm cheating on blogspot with another blogging tool. Yes, I've been banging on Word Press to finally kick off the Marvin corporate blog. It's not "officially" released yet but that's just a matter of hours at this point until we pull the trigger tomorrow. The blog is called "Backstage" and will live here. I've decided to start with a few simple editorial angles, namely Collector's Corner, People & Watches, Trends, and Under the Hood. We'll see how that goes with time.

Also new and hot off the grill is a collector-dedicated Facebook page. I'm hoping to "congregate" (is that a verb?) all vintage Marvin owners and collectors into this area and use it as kind of a "portal" for the community. The reason being it's been a challenge trying to manage and seed various different channels on the website, Flickr, and the "regular" Marvin Facebook page.

Moments ago I posted the first Marvin video on Youtube. Actually, it's not really a Marvin production. Rather, it was shot by Michele in NJ who ordered a Marvin for her boyfriend Rich direct from Switzerland several weeks ago. Rich had seen the M008 model online and fallen in love with it. Michele was nice enough to take pics and shoot video of that special "Marvin moment" when Rich realized his dream watch had just appeared courtesy of USPS.

Meanwhile on the personal front our house entered escrow last week and so far, so good. Within a day of signing the purchase agreement, the buyers had already scheduled their inspection, which made me very happy. On that very day actually, we headed out to my friend Bruce's El Morocco Inn & Spa in the Desert for a going-away sendoff. It rained all weekend but we had a blast nonetheless.

Next, I'm happy to report one of our two cars was sold days ago. Which means my wife and I are now sharing the HEMI Jeep. Some nice young kid scored the Benz (his first car) so I'm happy about that.

In other important news, it seems Domino has taken a liking to his oversized travel crate. I'm hoping Swissair will take care of him when my wife and him eventually join me out in Switzerland.

I have my e-ticket for my flight out to Zurich on Feb. 26th. It's getting real close to rock & roll time :)

Checkmate your watch!

2010-01-29T20:32:00.000+01:00

I am still amazed at the amount and richness of historical Marvin content I manage to discover every single day. I know this shouldn't surprise me for a brand that's been around for over a century (2010 is our big 1-6-0) but initially, I thought only big ticket names like Rolex, Tag, Patek would have such a rich history. Boy was I off on that one!

This morning while hanging out on one of my favorite forums, I saw one of the collectors there (pacifichrono is his handle) had posted some shots of an old Italian ad poster. We have dozens of similar prints in our database so I looked in there immediately and to my joy, it wasn't there! I promptly put it up on our Flickr vintage section.

The real kicker IMHO is the heading: "Checkmate your watch!" - That's funny! This print is from 1961 apparently. I've seen print ads from Marvin covering every nationality from Germany to Israel, via France, Italy, Japan and (of course) the USA but that one was new to me.

Just as new as the numerous emails I receive from collectors and owners every week (mostly clustered around the weekend). They ask about their vintage Marvins and comment on how they acquired it. I've heard stories about birthdays, investments, poker game winnings, bets, wedding gift, family heirlooms - you name it.

In many ways it makes me feel like I'm helping carry the Marvin torch in time. Longetivity. Consistency. Tradition - All of which are too often missing from our modern lives 2.0. It's a responsibility I try to carry out with care and pride.

No, a regulator is not scuba breathing apparatus on a watch!

2010-01-29T00:03:00.000+01:00

Being a PADI recreational scuba diver, I thought I knew what a regulator was - it's that mouthpiece attached to an air tank you suck air from when down under. Simple enough. But when I first heard about a "regulator movement" on Marvin's new Malton 160 watch, (uncovered at GTE last week), my first question was "what on earth is a regulator movement, and what's a non-regulator movement"?

As always, I first tried to find information on the web but this time around, nothing satisfactory seemed forthcoming. I caught a lot of explanations about regulators in clocks and watches, but it seemed like all clocking movements had those. So the deterministic, engineering side of my brain remained unsatisfied.

Next, I posted the question on a couple of LinkedIn groups and got an interesting answer that made sense to me, namely:

"Some watches, most notably Rolex do not have what is commonly referred to as the "regulator", usually a pivoting lever atop the balance that adjusts the position of the regulator pins. In this case I would expect that some designs can be said not to have a regulator as such."

This was quite educational to me, and that person was also kind enough to refer me to this site for additional technical information. Great.

But then I hit the jackpot when Ed Hahn, moderator of the Timezone Watchmaking and Repair Forum answered my email (in under an hour!) with the following:

"A 'regulator' in this context is a style of watch where the hours, minutes, and seconds each have their own dial or subdial. For example, Oris makes watches where the seconds are in one subdial, the hours are in another subdial, and the minutes are on the main dial. The reason is because reference observatory clocks, known as regulator clocks, had a dial arrangement like this."

So of course, part of the problem is I wasn't asking the question properly to begin with! It has nothing to do with the movement (duh) and everything to do with how the hands are displayed (framed) - And now I understand why we call our Malton 160 with the Dubois-Dépraz movement a "regulator movement" or regulator-type display.

Interestingly enough, this Oris watch is a regulator display and also happens to be a dive watch from what I understand - Ah ha! So there is a connection there somewhere :)

I love sleuthing out and discovering these little details on an almost daily basis. Thanks to all those who helped me out!

It's not always comfy in the watch customer's shoes - Part II

2010-01-28T03:07:00.000+01:00

Following my last post about the Diesel DZ7125 multi-timezone model and my attempt to figure out where the movement and strap leather came from, I just received an email from Nordstrom customer service as follows:

"In researching your inquiry regarding the DIESEL® watch model DZ7125, I found that this watch has a Japanese quartz movement. Also, I found that the DIESEL® watch model DZ7127 has a leather bracelet that is also from Japan."

Ok so now, I know! This is a kudos to Nordstrom for following up so quickly on my inquiry they could not answer live on chat. I have to say, that's impressive. Now I know it's a Japanese engine and leather bracelet as well. As I'm getting ready to book my flights out to Switzerland, I think I might just indulge myself :)