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20 reasons why Earth Hour social media has worked so far.

Published on September 20, 2010 in Australia, environment, social media and video. View Comments

Last Monday evening I gave a presentation at Social Media Club Sydney, along with another presentation by Dae Levine, Head of Communications with Greenpeace. The topic of the event was “Lessons Learned from Not for Profits: Local Effort, Global Effect”.

I’m not going to give you a summary of the whole event here, as there are already decent summaries here and here if you are interested.  As has been noted by various people, the two different campaigns demonstrate how quite different approaches can yield successful results, depending on the objective of the campaign.

One of the most obvious and perhaps biggest differences in the two approaches is the ‘more party than protest’ approach taken by Earth Hour, compared to the more confrontational protest approach taken by Greenpeace.

Yesterday I blogged about another Greenpeace campaign which takes a similar approach in confronting Facebook. The campaign takes aim at the company’s inadequate measures in relation to addressing its growing carbon footprint. After the success of Greenpeace’s Nestle ‘Killer’ campaign, it’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.

For those of you who might be interested, I thought I might break down my presentation into a list of points identifying  the approach taken by Earth Hour, especially in relation to social media. In short, this is how and why I think it has worked so far.

  1. Good timing: climate change action is needed and wanted by many people all over the world.
  2. It’s a simple Idea and message. It’s positive, fun and hopeful. It’s more party than protest, which encourages a lot of people to get involved.
  3. Turning off lights is a powerful visual to help deliver the message worldwide.
  4. It involves people power, with a  grassroots driven campaign.
  5. Earth Hour is an open source brand. It’s available for anyone to use.
  6. The use of social media and user generated content fits well with the grassroots driven and open source nature of the campaign.
  7. For Earth Hour there are thousands of events organised worldwide, both official and unofficial.
  8. Earth Hour social media started organically and has grown as social media has grown since 2007. In 2007 Twitter was not mainstream, Facebook was smaller, YouTube was only a couple of years old.
  9. Earth Hour has access to, and the support of the global WWF Network to help with campaign organisation. For instance, in social media there are numerous official and unofficial social network profiles worldwide, in multiple languages and on multiple networks.
  10. The network is asked to respect the open source nature of the Earth Hour brand, to let go of the brand so anyone can use it.
  11. There are numerous unofficial Earth Hour supporter profiles and an overwhelming amount of  supporter generated creative content, which organisers encourage worldwide.
  12. Local agency generated creative content is encouraged worldwide.
  13. Numerous official and unofficial partnerships are developed with companies and organisations worldwide, to help spread the word and lend support.
  14. Throughout the year, bloggers are engaged and encouraged to write about Earth Hour  – from popular, influential blogs to environmental bloggers, to regional bloggers (in different countries and languages) to any and every bloggger. Earth Hour assets such as videos, images and logos are made available for use by bloggers when possible.
  15. The rewards of an open and available brand have so far, far outweighed the risks of letting it go.
  16. The approach by organisers to social media conversations is mostly “hands off”, letting conversations flow and letting supporters argue the case when there is criticism.
  17. Interventions are based on highly ‘offensive’ content only.
  18. Traditional and social media have worked together to make the campaign a success – from print to radio to tv to websites to mobile to social.
  19. Supporter–made creative content is showcased through official Earth Hour networks.
  20. On–the–night image and video uploads, live blogging and status updates are encouraged, to help support the event itself, in real-time.

Here’s the official Earth Hour 2011 video if you haven’t seen it yet :)

The Coke Machine Fairy: Coca-Cola joins growing list of companies in Australia using Foursquare.

Published on September 1, 2010 in Australia, Foursquare, Twitter, business, mobile and social media. View Comments

Further to my recent posts, Local businesses: to use Foursquare (yet) or not, that is the question’ and 10 examples of businesses in Australia already using Foursquare for marketing, it seems that Coca–Cola has now jumped in with its own contribution to Foursquare markeing. Enter, The Coke Machine Fairy.

I just noticed this a few minutes ago when I visited my local shopping centre, Broadway Shopping Mall. There was a “Nearby Special” banner on display as I checked-in.

It appears that Coke will be leaving “goodies” in Coke machines around Sydney on a daily basis. Instructions on how to play the game can be found here.

Coke machine foursquare

COKE Machine Fairy

Coke machine Fairey Twitter

Report: 5 year Aussie digital media outlook not looking too shabby, mate.

Published on August 3, 2010 in Australia, business, mobile, politics and technology. View Comments

A comprehensive new report released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the Australian entertainment and media industry will grow by 28 percent over the next five years, at a predicted compound annual growth rate of 5.1 percent. This means that the industry is forecast to increase its revenue to $36.2 billion by 2014.

Newspapers and the changing media landscape

Unsurprisingly, magazines, newspapers and radio aren’t expected to lead the way in terms of growth. In fact, in 2009 the Australian newspaper market shrank by 11.4 percent. However, the PwC report expects that a compound annual growth rate of 1.8 percent will be sustained through to 2014. This includes revenues from newspaper websites of course.

However you look at it, the future for traditional newspapers doesn’t look particularly great. Clearly, major changes are taking place in the media landscape and media organisations running newspapers are (somewhat desperately) attempting to figure out how to continue to remain viable into the future. Everywhere you look people are taking about what’s going to happen. Just yesterday I was reading an interesting blog post by Malcolm Turnbull on the subject:  Twitter, Newspapers, New Media – Some Observations.

Increasing national broadband speeds and access?

David Wiadrowski, head of technology, information, communications and entertainment at PwC, states that, “With machines in homes becoming smarter, people sharing information through social networks and data being stored in clouds the appetite for content and speed strengthens. High-speed broadband connectivity is an opportunity to satisfy consumers’ growing appetites”.

I have no argument with this, however, given that the federal Opposition’s policy going into the imminent federal election is to call a halt to the building of the new National Broadband Network if elected, it remains to be seen whether broadband speeds in Australian will actually get the boost that is required. We’ll have to wait and see on that one. Personally, I’d like to see the new network built as soon as possible.

In any case, the report expects the local internet industry to grow from $7 billion in 2009 to $10.6 billion in 2014. Wireless broadband is the fastest growing kind of internet access.

Online social networking is also making a large contribution to growth in Australia. As I pointed out recently, Australians spend the most time social networking in the world. When I mentioned this on Twitter, a couple of people (only half jokingly) pointed out that “it’s because our TV is so crap”.

High growth in interactive gaming

The report observes that interactive gaming was the strongest performer of the industry sectors during 2009, and bucked the global financial crisis to grow by 7.7 percent. The prediction here is that gaming will continue to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 9.4 percent, to reach $2.5 billion in 2014. Growth from both online and mobile games is expected to account for the highest growth. Annual compound growth rates for online games and mobile games are expected to rise by 20.4 percent and 15.7 percent respectively.

Digital downloading expected to go ballistic

While filmed entertainment in general bucked the local economic slowdown to grow by 7.1 percent during 2009, in-home digital downloading is forecast to grow by a huge 117.8 percent per year to reach $126 million in 2014. Obviously, this only counts paid-for downloads. $126 million is surely only the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential future revenue from digital downloads.

Demand for DVDs is still expected to be strong for a few years until we see significant improvements in internet speeds and data download limits. Again, we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the roll out of the National Broadband Network. There will be a lot of people in the industry hoping this goes ahead as soon as possible, and that when it does, prices are not steep.

Are these predictions in line with your expectations of the next few years on the Australian media and entertainment scene? Let me know your thoughts.

Are you social networking right now? There’s a decent chance…

Published on August 2, 2010 in Australia, Twitter and social media. View Comments

Apparently, if you are American, there’s a decent chance you are social networking right now. According to a new Neilsen survey, Americans now spend nearly a quarter of their online time social networking. This is a 43 percent increase from only a year ago.

According to the Neilsen survey, this makes social networking the most popular online activity in America. Online gaming came in second and good old email came in third.

Online Social Networking

If you’re in Australia, as I am, back in June it was revealed that we spend the most time social networking in the world. According to that previous survey, the U.S. and Italy came in second and third respectively.

Well I can say for certain that you’re definitely reading a blog right now, but do you also have Twitter or Facebook or some other form of social media at your fingertips too? There’s a good chance you do.

10 examples of businesses in Australia already using Foursquare for marketing.

Published on July 29, 2010 in Australia, Facebook, Foursquare, business, mobile and social media. View Comments

This is part 2 of a two part post about businesses in Australia using Foursquare. Part 1, ‘Local businesses: to use Foursquare (yet) or not, that is the question’, can be found here.

So let’s take a look at what some businesses have been doing with Foursquare in Australia so far. Who are some of these initial experimenters and what are they up to?  There are of course many more examples than I’ve described below.

Café Foursquare Specials

There are many Foursquare Specials already being run by cafés in Australia. In fact, loyalty programs run by cafés, bars and restaurants seem to make up the bulk of all Foursquare specials right now, and perhaps into the future. Here’s just one with a bit of a difference in my hometown.

VIVO Café in Sydney (the George St location) is offering a free coffee with your meal when you check–in. In addition, Angela Vithoulkas, Director of VIVO Café tells me that VIVO is currently inviting people to unlock the Foursquare ‘Swarm’ Badge at the a VIVO Cafe Swarm event, with five dollars of the fifteen dollar cost of a specific meal going to the Sydney Community Foundation.

One thing I noticed about VIVO when I visited the café and met with Angela, is that this particular café is located very close to the Sydney Apple Store, so when you check–in to the Apple Store (which I did before going there), you see an in–app banner notifying you of the “Special Nearby”.

Apple Store on Foursquare

At present, there would have to be a higher percentage of Foursquare users visiting tech stores such as this than many other places in Sydney, so that’s certainly an added bonus for a nearby venue with a Foursquare special.

Multi–City Chain Venue Specials

The Wagamama chain of restaurants offers a Foursquare special that consists of a complimentary miso soup with every main meal, for every fifth check–in. If you’re the Foursquare Mayor you get a free juice with any main meal.

Wagamama has also trialled Twitter tweetups as a way to incorporate social media into the restaurant experience. Michael Fieldcom, who has been involved with their social media strategy, tells me they have run ‘sneak-peeks’ of the new menu to various social media groups. People receive a free meal from the new menu in advance of its release. The sneak peeks are being held at five restaurant locations around Australia.

Ah tweetups, that takes my mind back to the very first Sydney Tweetup in mid 2007, which I co-organised. Twitter was a LOT smaller back then, that’s for sure :)

Curve Cafe + Bar at Vibe Hotel (also at their other venues, including Melbourne) for every second checkin is offering a “buy a drink and get a drink for a friend” deal, plus if you’re the Foursquare mayor you receive a “buy one get one free meal”.

Considering how easy it is to become the mayor in these early days of Foursquare, that’s not a bad deal at all.

Grill’d restaurants in both Melbourne and Sydney are offering a free Mini Chips with a burger or steak sandwich purchase. If you’re the mayor you get a free burger on Fridays.

Corporate Foursquare Special + Meetup

A Microsoft Office Mayor Meetup was held in Martin Place (a central CBD location) back in mid June. Organised by agency Ogilvy 360, Microsoft hosted the “world’s first Foursquare Office Mayor Meetup”, for the launch of Microsoft Office 2010.

Foursquare office-types were encouraged to check–in at the meetup to receive a copy of Office 2010. The first 110 office mayors to queue up got copies, and 300 Office Mayor Meetup t-shirts were also available. 141 people ended up checking in at the meetup.

Potential Local Foursquare Special Clusters?

You know how people often copy what plants and features their neighbours have in their front yard? Well it only stands to reason that we may find that Foursquare offers take off in certain areas in clusters, as venues see other venues in the area take the initiative. “What’s that window cling they have there? Foursquare? What’s that?”.

Melt Bar in Kings Cross, Sydney is offering a “Staff price round of drinks on your 3rd check in”. And just along the road a bit, BurgerFuel is also offering a “buy one, get one free” offer, if you check–in with Foursquare and you bring a friend along.

Not only Food and Drinks

In Brisvegas, at Casa Perdomo, I see an offer for one free Perdomo Cigar for every new visitor who checks in for the first time. Also in Brisbane at Anytime Fitness, I see a free 7 day pass  is available on check–in; a pretty standard gym promo offer.

At the rather exclusive Sanctuary Cove resort on the Gold Coast, I see that Harry’s, boutique is offering a “Check–in and sign up as a VIP to receive a $25 voucher for your next purchase.” deal.

Over in Perth, I see that Connections Nightclub is offering free entry on Friday or Saturday if you check–in before 1am.

On the travel front, in Adelaide the South Australia Visitor and Travel Centre is offering a third night free if you check–in and book a 2 night stay from them.

These are just some examples of Australian businesses using Foursquare right now. As I said at the beginning, there are plenty of others too. If you have any other new and noteworthy examples of Australian businesses using Foursquare already, feel free to tell us about them in the comments.

If you are part of an Australian business and would like to get involved with Foursquare, and would like help with how to approach it for your specific business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

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