Writing today to announce that Anderson Analytics and the Next Gen Market Research Group (NGMR) will both take part in the Research Industry Trends (RIT) report in 2010.
Since 2003, select industry partners have participated in the Research Industry Trends Monitoring Group (RIT MG) which has produced the annual Research Industry Trends (RIT) report - covering trends in data collection, technological advances, and the state of the market research industry.
Anderson Analytics will assist the RIT effort as needed with study/questionnaire design. Next Gen Market Research Group (NGMR) blog readers and LinkedIn group members will have the option of participating in and subsequently receiving reported findings from annual RIT studies.
I’m very happy to be part of this industry wide initiative which incorporates the collaborative spirit of social media.
For those of you who missed the expert social media panel on marketing to women on Tuesday, I have updated yesterdays post with a link to the recording.
Also today wanted to share a link to some gender specific factoids/statistics from one of Anderson Analytics recent social media studies as well as the 10 tips below which came out of the group discussion with myself and,
• Toby Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg Marketing, a strategic marketing and blogging consultancy and Forbes’ Top 20 Women Bloggers
• Kelley Connors, President of Real Women on Health!, a multi-channel community with a radio show, top-rated women’s health web site and significant affiliate partnerships
• Rob Petersen, President of BarnRaisers, an online marketing solutions company using social media and proven relationship marketing principles
• Cassie Holm, National Strategic Alliance Director of Real Women on Health!, was the moderator
Here are 10 tips :
1. Invite in: Women are 3X less likely to care about the size of their network than men. Size may not matter but being shown personal attention does.
2. Understand who you’re talking to: 74% post pictures of family/friends and 71% talk about what they’re doing now as opposed to 60% and 58% for men. Take advantage of the opportunity and get to know them.
3. Listen and respond: Listening is a fundamental skill but, equally important, is proof you did.
4. Set guidelines and expectations: You can’t read body language on a social network. Security and privacy are big issues. Create a comfortable environment.
5. Be transparent: If you’re not part of the group and “trolling” for business purposes, you are very, very likely to be found out so be open about who you are.
6. Talk rather than target: When women are online, 50% are connecting with family and friends, reading someone else’s blog or posting a comment. They’re socializing so shouldn’t you?
7. Respect values: Dove ran a campaign on Facebook, “12 going on 20.” It asked young teens to describe what mattered when they were 5, 10 and 15 and how it influenced them today. It’s a great example of how social marketing showed respect for values.
8. Engage rather than sell: 60% or more are uploading picture or watching videos when online. Work as a co-creator, not a marketer.
9. Social media = social networking + social issues: Is called “social” for some key reasons. Make the most of both of them. Your audience will appreciate you did.
10. Give back - it’s part of the culture: You get back more when you give. That’s what we’re trying to do.
Listen and Participate on Blog Talk Radio Show, Live tonight Thursday, March 9th, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm EST!
Women are more social than men, especially in the fast growing world of online social media. From Twitter and Facebook to web forums and blogs, 65% of the virtual voices heard today belong to women, the same women who control 85% of all household purchase decisions. And they’re saying companies do a bad job of marketing to them, especially in industries like automotive, food, beauty, apparel, health care and financial services. In fact, 66% of women don’t believe healthcare marketers understand them.
That’s why a panel of social media experts is getting together to discuss: How Social Media Improves Marketing with Women. The panel will tackle the question from the perspectives of public relations, marketing, marketing research and, of course, social media. The panelists are:
• Tom H. C. Anderson, CEO of Anderson Analytics, an online research firm, and founder of LinkedIn’s most active market research networking group, NGMR
• Toby Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg Marketing, a strategic marketing and blogging consultancy and Forbes’ Top 20 Women Bloggers
• Kelley Connors, President of Real Women on Health!, a multi-channel community with a radio show, top-rated women’s health web site and significant affiliate partnerships
• Rob Petersen, President of BarnRaisers, an online marketing solutions company using social media and proven relationship marketing principles
The panelists will outline social media strategies, approaches and tips for businesses, small and large, on how to communicate with this desirable target through real, credible content and the savvy use of insights, learning and technology. There’s plenty of research to support their thinking.
• 10,000,000 more women are online than men right now
• Baby boomer women 55+ are the fastest growing segment on Facebook
• They’re more relationship driven and less transactional than men
• They blog, game, share photos and decorate their personal pages with an average 53 online friends and search 52% for someone else
• 74% shop online before they buy offline
The discussion will occur as a regularly scheduled broadcast of Real Women on Health! The panel will be moderated by Cassie Holm, Real Women on Health! National Strategic Alliance Director and co-host.
The virtual on-line radio show begins live on March 9th at 6:30 pm for one hour. To view the live production and network afterwards, please arrive at MultiVu, 350 Hudson Street, NYC, no later than 6:00 pm. After the show, the downloadable podcast can be found at Real Women on Health!.
For clarification: There are three ways to participate: 1. watch a live on-line radio show at MultiVu and meet and network after the show with others interested in social media 2) stay at home/office & listen through your computer and text chat your questions to the panel or 3) dial in via phone at (646)929-2625 and ask questions if you’d like.
New Products for Impatient Millenialls/Generation-Y Gamers
Continuing my search for new online trends today. Those of you who market to or conduct research among Millenials, or Gen Y as we prefer to call them at Anderson Analytics (Gen X2Z.com), are probably familiar with one of the several generational characteristics that seem to define them, impatience.
If you also happen to be a gamer and enjoy RTS (Real Time Strategy), I still love playing a good game of AOE on occasion (Age of Empires); you are likely to be all too familiar with this trait. Gen Y gamers seem far more likely to stop playing a game online at the outset if the game play has not developed in their favor within the first few minutes. The term Good Game or “gg” (the common online acronym) no longer means what it used to.
Gone is the gentlemanly protocol of chess and good sportsmanship most of us older gamers embrace. So what does this mean for us marketers?
Understanding Gen Y better, including their impatient streak, can help us improve marketing and product development for the segment. A good example related to gaming specifically is Achron as illustrated in the demo video above.
Rather than giving up after 5 minutes of play, Gen Y gamers can travel back in time to before they started losing. Mistakes are no longer permanent, only temporary; everything and anything can be undone.
I’ll probably give this game a shot, but not sure if my more linear Gen X thinking will allow me to enjoy it as much. However, I will be thinking about other ways products, services and marketing messaging needs to be tweaked for Gen Y in our Next GenX2Z study.
What do you think, would you enjoy Achron? Know of any other ‘impatience marketing’ examples out there?
Last week after becoming the first market researcher to hit the 50,000 follower mark on Twitter, I’ve decided to take a bit of a break. Will still tweet, but it’s time to see what else is new in social media.
One of the trends I see coming is greater convergence of video on the web and in social media. Not just watching movies and TV online with Netflix and Hulu, but also more interactive use of video.
Webcams have been around for a while, and there is a bit greater use of them now thanks to Skype and new affordable/free business conferencing services. However, webcams still haven’t caught on as originally expected. Why? I think there’s still a hesitancy to let acquaintances and even close friends and family see and hear us anytime in the privacy of our own homes where we let our guard down and are not at our best.
Enter http://www.chatroulette.com which has been a micro trend the past few weeks and now has over 30,000 visitors at any one time. I posted the YouTube video above so you can get an idea of how it works, but there is no substitute for trying it out.
Warning, it is somewhat addictive and NOT for the faint of heart. Expect to see some disturbing people, but then again, you don’t have to worry about whether your hair is combed because you don’t know the “stranger” on the other side and will never see them again. Make sure your webcam is on, pour yourself a glass of wine or a cold brew and hit the “Start New Game Button”.
ChatRoulette looks like a fairly simple program (Flash based) and appeared about 3 months ago. It was started by a Russian 17 year old programmer. The point is, the instant popularity. In the past few days its been on the news and even on Jon Stewart’s, Daily Show!
Why may this be important? Applications like ChatRoulette may make us more comfortable with webcams, and soon they may be integrated with other social networking tools. If Facebook doesn’t think about adopting quickly, it could prove to be the Killer App for someone else.
Too early to know for sure, but I think chances are we may soon be “Veeting” instead of “Tweeting”.
[PS. As with all other social media trends there are obvious marketing, market research, and privacy issues... Also, as social media and market research converge will Next Gen Market Researchers need to be attractive in order to collect good data?]
I’ve frequently commented on the problems associated with using social networks for marketing or market research. Examples have included API problems, having your widgets/applications turned off, having your twitter account turned off, having data that you have paid for deleted as a tool is discontinued without notice, having your profile images deleted or having your account shut down. The list goes on and on. Is it any wonder that the one buzz word senior marketers are most tired of hearing is “social media“?
Today we had been planning to start a new social media campaign for Anderson Analytics on Facebook and therefore when I noticed that the Anderson Analytics Fan page on Facebook was somehow missing (including all content and followers/fans).
As I was going to take the time out from my already buys day to file a complaint with FaceBook CS I noticed the TOS in regard to business accounts below. Not sure if it is new or not, I’ve certainly not noticed it before:
Maintaining multiple accounts, regardless of the purpose, is a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use. If you already have a personal account, then we cannot allow you to create business accounts for any reason. You can manage all the Pages and Socials Ads that you create on your personal account.
Please keep in mind that the fans of any of the Pages you administer will not have visibility or access to your personal account or profile. Any actions that you take as a Page administrator on your Page will show the Page’s name as the actor and not your personal name.
If you wish to manage ads for multiple clients, you will need to do so from one account. We suggest you restrict all ads for each client to separate campaigns. Unfortunately it is not currently possible to designate separate credit cards for each campaign or to have multiple administrators for the same ad account.
This is part of the daily pain and never ending hassle anyone working with social media marketing has to put up with. You are at the total mercy and whims of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Not sure what the solution is, I guess it’s just part of the Wild Wild West of Social Media Marketing for now…?
Part II: Marketing Executive Trends 2010 Results - Social Media Marketing
Anderson Analytics and The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) today issued the results of our Third Annual Survey of Top Marketing Trends. To view a summary report in PowerPoint please visit Anderson Analytics.
As mentioned yesterday, I’ll try to share a few charts and thoughts here on the blog over the next few days as time permits. One of the findings I took away from the study was that there are signs the Twitter trend may soon reach it’s peak, even among its biggest fans, marketers. Why?
One of the first questions we ask each year is “what marketing trends or buzz words are you most tired of hearing ?” As you can see the term “Web 2.0″ was at the top of the list in both the 2008 and 2009 report, then disappeared in this years’ report. Marketers were so sick of “web 2.0″ that we replaced the term with the term “Social Media” (see chart above).
So what?
Sociologists, anthropologists and trend spotters feel free to chime in here, but I believe common practice is to assume that when those who first advocate a trend begin to tire of it, its days are numbered. This year the term marketers are second most tired of hearing is “Twitter”! Facebook and LinkedIn, both which are more popular among these marketing executives surveyed (92% are on LinkedIn) did not make the list.
It seems that large companies, those with over 2,000 employees, have been significantly more likely to bother investing in a presence on Twitter than smaller companies. Even the executives themselves, whether at large or small companies, are much more likely to use Facebook or LinkedIn.
So it seems that among these marketing executives, 72% of who said they were planning new social media initiatives in 2010, Twitter will not be as hot as it once was…
Each year Anderson Analytics and MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group) releases the Marketing Trends study results. We’ll be releasing results tomorrow, Tuesday the 2nd, and I will also share selected findings here on the blog over the next few days.
To start us off I thought I would share this year’s list of most admired marketing thought leaders. While several of our favorite marketing gurus continue to make the list, and Seth Godin remains in first place yet again we have a few new notables making the list this year.
The Marketing Gurus making our list for the first time in 2010 are:
While I’ve interviewed both David and Guy on this blog previously, I look forward to learning more about Chris and Clayton and perhaps having them on as quests as well.
Please comeback and visit the blog over the next few days as I share a few additional findings and thoughts from this years study. Also, a summary report of select findings will be published on www.andersonanalytics.com tomorrow.
[ABOUT THE STUDY: Anderson Analytics conducts the Top Marketing Trends survey among current MENG members each year between January and February. Anderson Analytics used text-mining software to code open-ended/free form text answers to questions in order to truly understand what issues are top-of-mind among the senior executives. The 533 responses in the 2010 survey yield a confidence interval of +/-3.64%.]
Writing briefly today to congratulate Fern Schapiro and InsightExpress on their recent announcement today and recent certification and support of the Foundation for Transparency in Offshoring (FTO):
GroupThink Never Before Seen Clip and Exclusive Interview just for NGMR
Last month I posted about a new web TV comedy series about Market Research which was being discussed on NGMR. GroupThink is so cool because it allows us market researchers to get a humorous glimpse a la ‘The Office’, of what the outside world may think of us (good or bad).
Since I first posted about GroupThink it has been mentioned quite a bit among other market research bloggers and twitterers. So today I’m happy to post an interview with the two creators of GroupThink, Angela Espinosa and Wendy Rosoff.
But first, as a bonus, an exclusive never before seen episode of GroupThink, only here on Next Gen Market Research.
Now on to Angela and Wendy.
Tom: Tell me a little about Groupthink, how did it start?
Wendy: Angela had been developing a show about two casting agents with another writing partner and luckily for me, that partnership wound up not being a perfect fit. Angela and I had worked together previously as series regulars on another web series, and she called me up and told me that she had this idea but she wanted to change the profession from casting directors to market researchers in a focus group facility. We had a meeting, started brainstorming, and the rest is history!
Tom: I understand the decision to use a market research focus group facility as the backdrop for your show was in large part due to production costs. i.e. it’s a good argument for having the actors in one room and have new people coming into that room. Were there any other settings that you considered? Why did market research win out?
Wendy: The only other setting that was toyed with was the casting office, but that didn’t really grab us. We thought having Groupthink set in the focus group world was a more unique and therefore intriguing idea. Putting the world’s most self-absorbed women in a setting where they have to spend their days focusing on other people’s thoughts on the minutiae of life - do you like the color of the box? Would you buy more if we called it “Crisp Snap?” “Why do you keep touching the pink one and not the brown?” - was fun. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s a dream setting for product placement and branded entertainment!
Tom: What are your backgrounds in entertainment?
Wendy: I grew up in the business when I started singing with the Metropolitan Opera as a kid. I’ve done everything from Broadway to feature films and everything in between. In the last 3 years I’ve become extremely passionate about New Media and consider myself incredibly fortunate to be around during a time in entertainment that quite literally is changing the name of the game. I’m so excited to see where we will all be in a few years from now.
Angela: I’ve bounced back and forth between corporate America and the improv world but like Wendy find myself becoming more and more focused on New Media. It’s such a fascinating time to be a part of it. The rules are evolving everyday and there’s a sense that you’re a part of something big and game changing…
Tom: Angela, I understand your experience with market research is from corporate America. Can you tell me a bit about that and how it helps you with the show?
Angela: In terms of market research, my experience comes from the hours of transcription I did for different focus groups and it helped to acquaint me with the terminology as well as some of the characters you find participating in market research groups. But what I draw on most when writing are my years as a consultant with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. We weren’t running focus groups but, like Cynthia and Pilar, there was a tendency to lose sight of the bigger picture and just obsesses over details. I remember my team losing it, LOSING IT, because we didn’t have bright yellow post it notes for a presentation. We were going to have to do the presentation with the assy looking orangish ones made from recycled paper. There was a war going on in Afghanistan and all I could think about was the fact that I had to use ugly, recycled paper post its. Don’t talk to me about tragedy, I know tragedy.
Tom: Wendy I understand your market research experience is from High School. Can you tell me a bit about that?
Wendy: Um, yeah…. When I was in high school I had a pretty illustrious (cough, cough) career as a focus group participant…. In fact my friends and I were regulars. For high schoolers, it was an awesome opportunity to make cold hard cash! I don’t know if the facilities in our neck of the woods didn’t have rules to abide by or they just ignored them, but I did them weekly for a time. So I had the opportunity to witness first hand the inherent comedy that occurs in the room. I’ve never forgotten it.
Tom: I also understand that your brother is in marketing or market research right? Do you mind sharing what company and what he does? How has he been helpful in the production? Has he taken you to real focus groups, if so how many have you been to? What has your experience been?
Wendy: My brother is no longer in that world, however he was when he first got out of Business School, and was working for a company in DC that I can’t recall the name of. But when we need to reference certain things, I’ll definitely give him a call. I actually cull quite a bit of information from one of my dearest friends who works for a company called Envirosell. She’s a tracker, and I have interviewed her extensively and have actually been to their offices in NYC. It’s fascinating stuff and again, soooooo ripe for comedy.
Tom: I like what you say about focus groups being unique, like a subway, a clustering of people from different socio economic backgrounds coming together for one common reason. Of course most of the time I think we separate people into different groups with peers. Have you ever thought about mixing the acting with reality? I believe the Jamie Kennedy Experiment did this a couple of times.
Wendy: Absolutely. It’s already in the works…we can’t give too many details at the moment, but there will be some significant growth and change in the world of Groupthink moving forward with lots of new fun elements to reflect the focus group reality.
Tom: Do you guys do the writing as well as the acting? Can you tell me a bit about how the writing works?
Wendy: We do the writing as well. A lot of times the episodes are inspired by a product. The Hair Umbrella for instance. When we saw that in the catalog, my mouth started to water and we just looked at each other like, “Of course.” So we start to play “what if” in terms of what kinds of productitioners would provide the most contrast, clash with the product the most… Other times Wendy and I will be inspired by our own conversations (scary too say). “Firm it Up” for example. That came about when Wendy thought we should have a catch phrase for the show. We started to talk about it, she started to throw out some ideas and after about a minute of us going back and forth I said, “We need to type what we’re saying. This is the episode.”
Tom: I believe you’ve said you’ve seen too many mommy shows and sorority shows out there and that Group Think is a “Female Buddy Show…it’s Cynthia and Pilar against the world, and when it’s not it’s them against each other”. Who is your target demographic for this show?
Wendy: Based on our stats we are almost completely split down the middle between males and females ages 19-45, and that is exactly who we were aiming for when we first started releasing episodes. It’s for people who love the humor of The Office and the Flight Of The Conchords.
Tom: What makes for a better source of comedic material in your opinion, corporate America, gender stereotypes, minutia of market research…?
Angela: Well, I’m a little biased and would say corporate America. But really, our work is all about the comedy of errors that happens on a daily basis in everyone’s life. It doesn’t matter if you’re in entertainment, market research, etc. There’s a great deal of humor in people trying to connect to each other and that’s what we love to shine a light on.
Tom: Group Think is ’self produced’ what does that mean? How do you plan to fund the show? Have you looked into market research companies as sponsors of episodes?
Angela: In a nutshell, self-produced means that when we first started shooting we paid for everything ourselves, out of pocket. Shortly after we launched, we added a donation button to our website and we were lucky enough to have fans help us out. And, yes it would be ideal for a market research company to be a Groupthink sponsor, particularly a West Coast facility where we could shoot! Unfortunately, we recently lost our shoot site. We are also partnering up with a production company to give Groupthink a chance to blossom to it’s true potential.
Tom: I’ve noticed in our most recent research that TV viewing on the computer is really gaining in popularity. Sites like Hulu for instance. How do you think Web TV will evolve in the next couple years?
Angela: The Holy Grail right now is finding a way to monetize the web, once that formula is discovered then the floodgates will really open. Advertisers will start to see web shows as “real” and the line will blur as to what’s “web” and what’s “TV.” It’s already starting, a lot of today’s web shows can be seen on your television as an On Demand show, and of course most of the network shows can be seen on the web via the network’s website.
Tom: What are your plans for Groupthink?
Angela: We’re in the middle of writing the pilot for the show where you’ll be introduced to the auxiliary characters of Groupthink and the world of the show will be fleshed out more fully. The episodes up to now were a proof of concept for us where we got to play with certain elements, see what worked, what needed adjusting. Now we’re taking what we learned and writing the full show - this time with (God willing) funding!!!
Tom: Are there opportunities for fans to contribute ideas for the show? Is there a way for NGMR members to send you suggestions for the show?
Angela: We would love it. They are welcome to email us at Wendy@groupthink.tv or Angela@groupthink.tv…. Or let’s start a thread on your blog if you prefer! We’re always open to new ideas!
Tom: Thanks so much, I look forward to seeing many more episodes, and I’m sure several NGMR members would love to share their war stories with you here on the blog or in our group on LinkedIn. Best of luck to both of you!
Brainloaf Social Media Panel Tom H. C. Anderson - Social Networks & Market Research. New York, NY, June 19
ESOMAR Online Conference Tom H. C. Anderson - Moderating Social Network Panel with Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. Chicago, October 26-28
BAQMAR 2009 Key Note: Tom H. C. Anderson - Ghent, Belgium December, 17
MRA New England Chapter Tom H. C. Anderson - TBD - Lowell, MA April 29, 2009
2009 Freddie Awards and FTMA Conference Tom H. C. Anderson - Social Media, What it Really Means for Your Business. Ft. Lauderdale FL, April 21-23
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