The power of ecosystems? On Google+

January 20, 2012 Leave a comment

Google Plus

Google Plus

Do you still remember the day Google launched Google+? This much awaited and highly anticipated social networking platform was launched about a half a year ago. “Social media gurus” immediately announced the death of Facebook. At that point, I was convinced those people understood the phenomenon wrong. So to put things in perspective, I wrote a blog post called “Why Facebook wins the Social Network Battle. On Flirting, Sex, Porn and Mr Rogers.” As from last week, I believe we entered a new stage in this debate. After all, Google plans to implement an updated version of its search algorithms that will change how the web works. This time it was up to the “SEO gurus” to have their say on Google+.

I don’t know what type of guru I am – I believe none at all – but it felt like time for my take on Google Plus. And let’s start with the hottest topic these days: SEO and Google+.

Google’s announcement on G+ integration

Regardless of the fact that Google Plus looked like “a Facebook” at launch, Google always insisted that it concerned a “project of bigger scale”. How big that scale is became clear with the announcement made by Google at the beginning of January 2012.

Simply stated: Google plans to integrate information from Google Plus to personalize search results. For SEO gurus it was a signal to jump into action. Suddenly SEO drastically changed: it’s no longer about how to get sites ranked high in search results but about having content on Google Plus. This not rarely resulted in advice similar to “you need to be on Google Plus.” As a result, brand pages flourished like mushrooms.

Of course, I cannot have anything against enterprises and brands being on Plus, but I can object the proposed tactic by the gurus. I believe the “New SEO” is more about getting real people post information about a business or brand on Google+. That’s something completely different from merely broadcasting marketing messages through a brand page, no?

However, there’s more at stake than just the impact on search. As one observer cleverly noted: “Google has a lot of other products that contain personally relevant information. Google Docs has documents, Gmail has contacts and calendar entries, Google Music has playlist information, and so on.”

Google as an integrated online collaboration platform. Google+ as social layer.

Google as an integrated online collaboration platform. Google+ as social layer.

Google+: social layer on top of collaborative cloud ecosystem by Google

Have you ever looked at Google’s navigation bar in detail? You should. I believe it’s not a coincidence that Google Plus is integrated into this bar. Google Plus is a part of a wider ecosystem. That ecosystem is neatly designed through a navigation bar. It contains multiple collaborative cloud solutions, amongst:

Google's collaborative cloud solutions as an ecosystem

Google's collaborative cloud solutions as an ecosystem

  • Gmail
  • Docs
  • Translate
  • Calendar
  • Search
  • …

I have a feeling this ecosystem will pay off. Not in the way that it’ll outperform Facebook or whatever other social network but in an unprecedented position within the organizations of the future it might take.

The organization of the future: fluid networks of interconnected freelance workers

Based upon a study by SD Worx on “the Future of Work”, I’ve deducted 3 core principles about the organization of the future:

  • Organization based upon strength individuals
  • Individuals work autonomous
  • Collaboration between individual people is more than the sum of all individual co-workers

The above means that organizations will form themselves organically between engaged people who connect. This connection can occur online and offline. However, as the strength of the individual becomes key to an organization, they’ll look for the best individuals. During this search process they won’t take geographic borders into account. In order for those talented people to collaborate effectively in a remote manner, they need collaborative tools that are available 24/7. And what exactly is available 24/7? Right: the worldwide web.

There we are: the Google web tools listed above are a great solution for future organizations. A lot of people will work through the Google Docs platform, use Gmail, translate through Google Translate, etc. Added to that is a tool that allows you to easily message, share, video call,…: Google Plus.
What else do you need to effectively execute your job as a knowledge worker? Almost nothing?

Google Plus a social layer for the future enterprise, not a Facebook killer.

Do you see the power of ecosystems at work?
Do you know other products designed with an ecosystem in mind apart from Apple’s app store?

Filed under Business, Society, Software & Technology Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Web as Service Platform. Marketing with an SD-logic?

January 4, 2012 1 Comment

stuck in the spider's web by looking at the web as a marcomm channel.

stuck in the spider's web by looking at the web as a marcomm channel.

Social media: marketing’s new wonder channel?

I often hear and read marketers about the opportunities brought along by social media. Now, I don’t want to dismiss these opportunities. Those are certainly there. The type of opportunities however are often misunderstood by marketers. They tend to see this as nothing more than a new marketing and communication channel. Consequently, social platforms are tools to push messages towards potential customers. Of course, social can be used for the purpose of lead generation or just mind-blowing advertising, but it won’t bring the benefits expected by marketers. My point here is that the ‘Web’ and the ‘social web’ in particular ought to be looked at from a Service-Design logic instead of a Good-Design logic. I believe it will help marketers realize there goals by deploying the web and social platforms in the correct manner.

SD-logic versus GD-logic: basic principle

In the industrial age, the dominant logic about economic exchange was based on the exchange of “goods”. As a result, a GD-logic focuses on tangible resources, added value and (monetary) transactions. Over time however new perspectives emerged. Those new visions look at intangible resources, co-created value and relationships. This new perspective is commonly known as a SD-logic or service design. I believe that marketing should start thinking from this perspective. A perspective in which service provision is fundamental to economic exchange rather than goods.

Marketing logic: SD-logic versus GD-logic

A GD marketing logic limits marketers in creativity for seeing opportunities in value co-creation with customers and other stakeholders. What’s more, this focus on transactional exchange ignores aspects like customer loyalty and puts constraints on developing the lifetime value of the customer for the company at stake. The S-D logic on the other hand broadens the logic of exchange – both socially and economically.

Web as Service Platform

Web as Service Platform

The Web and The Social Web from an SD-Logic

The internet and the web are well-known and mostly deployed as a mean to share information. Or: the web is seen as just another marketing communication channel.

That’s actually a pity because the web also brings along loads of opportunities for process optimization. And process optimization is often about service design thinking, which I believe is at the core about ‘servicing a.k.a. making things easier’.

Improving a business process is making things easier. And what’s more, it often means that you build strategic competitive advantages – as you’re able to get the same (better) result at lower costs.

To overcome overlooking the options when developing a digital-enabled enterprise and/or marketing strategy, one better investigates and lists down the options for process integration.

Who’s in for an exercise on process optimization through the web and the social web?

Filed under Business, Marketing, Software & Technology Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Future Role of Social Media for Belgian Railway Company NMBS.

December 27, 2011 11 Comments

Unofficial Twitter Accounts NMBS demonstrate the need

Unofficial Twitter Accounts for NMBS demonstrate the need

As a result of my latest ‘interim project’, I’ve been travelling to Brussels by train every single day for about 3 months. The choice for taking the train is rather logic. Belgium is world-leader in ‘urban sprawl’. One cannot expect to reach Brussels easily by car. Hence the choice of taking a one-and-a-half hour train ride. And as railway services are still a public service in Belgium, all journeys are organized by the same company: NMBS.

NMBS is going through hard times these days. They cope with a genuine structural issue. Trains are cancelled and delayed daily. And what’s even more striking: customers are often not properly informed about cancellations and delays.

My three months proved enough to realize NMBS can’t undo all timetable issues. After all, much has to do with the inability to expand some key railway stations (like Brussels). There’s simply no room for growth anymore. It’s a mobility and infrastructure problem. Let’s leave that to spatial planners, shall we? Those same three months however also proved sufficient to see that the NMBS could do much more with regards to customer service. And that’s an issue marketers and business people can tackle without spatial planners. So here we go.

Social media can and should play a key role for customer service by railway companies like NMBS. But before we explain the future role of social media for the NMBS, let’s ask ourselves two simple questions:

  • Do our customers want support through social media?
  • Do we have employees willing to provide that service?

    • Need for customer service on social media?

    Customers definitely want to be informed about delays and cancellations through social media. After all those platforms allow to give real-time personalized information. What’s more: with the ever-increasing adoption of smartphones, most travellers are constantly connected while on the train.

    It’s very interesting to see the artefacts of this need: the numerous unofficial NMBS Twitter accounts. Those accounts are basically bottom-up initiatives by real travellers who do not work for the company but do engage with a community of ‘train travelers”. No way you can ignore the need if you look at those accounts.

    NMBS employees want to officialize their activities on social media - conversation on Twitter

    NMBS employees want to officialize their activities on social media - conversation on Twitter

    Do we have resources to provide customer service via social networks?

    Yes! The NMBS most definitely has those resources. The image on the right depicts an image of a Twitter conversation between NMBS employees and a traveler.

    The Dutch conversation states: “we are pleading for this service! Correct, fast and clear information”.

    The above sentence points to an interesting aspect. The NMBS employees are actually aware of the situation and want to help. On the other hand, the corporation, hasn’t set up official structures to manage this.

    So in fact, NMBS is in a very strong position. They have employees who love their job and organization and want to speak about it publicly on social networks. That’s something most companies can only dream about. NMBS should take advantage of this high level of employee engagement. They should stimulate the current people to grow and contribute to overall customer satisfaction.

    Why should NMBS empower all employees on social?
    First of all, it’s quite unthinkable that railway services will remain a public service. As Belgium is a part of the European Union who always favors liberal, free and open markets, one can expect future guidelines and/or demands to liberalize the railway services market. We’ve seen those demands before within other industries like Telco, Energy and Postal services. Those industries are now typically known for their fierce competition and new customer focus (vs. customer service to bring value). If NMBS manages to set-up customer service through social media, it will have a competitive edge in a deregulated market.

    But then again, the question remains the same: Will the liberalization result in on-time services and consequently improve the customer’s quality of life? Frankly I don’t know. One should ask an Englishman to know whether private railway services are better than public railway services.

    Second, because of my experience which made me happy and willing to travel with NMBS for future endeavours. The story is detailed below.

    Employee engagement - NMBS unofficially provides me Customer Service

    Employee engagement - NMBS unofficially provides me Customer Service

    My experience: train driver @RikiU2 helps me out

    December 14 2011. I had a rather intense day at work. I was incredibly looking forward to a lazy evening with my girlfriend while traveling home by train. When suddenly the train came to stop in the middle of nowhere. That sometimes happens, but this time it took a lot of time. After 15 minutes, my co-travelers started to get worried and frustrated. After all, they were once again to be later at home than foreseen and – what seemed even worse – there was no information whatsoever about why we did not continue our journey anymore. At one moment however, after about half an hour, the intercom of the train informed us about “a prior train in need will cause a delay of this trip”. Hooray! We were informed. Nobody, including myself, however knew what a “train in need” exactly was. It was some sort of tipping point for most of the travelers, including myself. It triggered me to shoot the question “what is a train in need?” on Twitter. It was more a helpless act than that I expected to have an answer to the question. Nothing was less true however. One clever train driver was at home and followed the #nmbs hashtag. As that hashtag was mentioned in my tweet, my demand came on the radar. I received an answer on my question and was consequently informed about the exact time delay, etc.

    Result: I could inform the people waiting for me, was happy again and was willing to continue traveling with NMBS in the future.

    What does all above teach us about the future role of social media for customer service?

    The above teaches us that social is truly a synonym for change. Things have changed and will continue to change. It would not be very intelligent to ‘ban’ social media platforms to employees. After all, they can act as a customer service representative or contribute to WOM advertising efforts, etc. For this reason companies should stimulate their employees to go online and speak in the name of the company. All companies should strive to realize this “superstar company state”. One great example of a superstar company is Dell – who transforms all employees into brand embassadors and certified customer service reps by providing them the necessary tools and training.

Filed under Marketing, Software & Technology Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →