Creating the Buzz
I don’t think that I’m alone in saying that I love free things. We can all identify with the feeling that comes with getting something without tapping into our wallets. But what if you could get things for “free” that would only cost you a few minutes out of your day?
You might remember that our book mentioned a particular website called BzzAgent, which relies on the groundswell in order to create marketing momentum through social media and personal blogs. BzzAgent sends you a product kit, you answer some survey questions about the brand prior to and after you get the product, and with a few suggested hashtags, you post to your social media accounts promoting the item(s) that you have received. Easy enough right?
When a friend told me about this site a few years ago, I blew it off. Nothing in life is free. That holds true here, but in this case the only currency they expect of you time, a bit of effort and an honest opinion. As I previously stated…I’m a sucker for free things…so I signed up.
Fast forward to this past week when after a year-long hiatus, I got a little nudge from BzzAgent asking if I wanted to try a new toothpaste. Since the timing of the invitation was coincidental I decided to reserve my spot in the campaign.
So, how does BzzAgent model their consumer involvement? according to the other diagram below, the concentrate on four key areas: Targeting & Engaging, Stimulating, Generating, and Reaching & Influencing. Sound familiar? It’s basically the key groundswell strategies that we have all become familiar with.
So, what comes next? You’ve just gotten your brand new tube of toothpaste or bag of coffee. How do you call upon the powers bestowed upon you by the groundswell? Buzz about it. Tell the world.
Subscribers For Sale
How many times have you seen a photo on Instagram or a clip on Youtube that has gone viral? Now, how many of those pics or clips were so unimpressive that you have thought to yourself – “well, even I could do that!” I’m not going to doubt you because well, maybe you could – but would you be one of a handful of people whose social media accounts have skyrocketed them to internet fame?
Lucas Cruikshank knows a thing or two about the rise of Youtube stardom. Remember Fred Figglehorn? The obnoxiously-voiced character was created and performed by Cruikshank. The videos that he posted were made in his home, and featured him speaking directly to the camera – no heavy editing, elementary delivery, and over all poor quality. A few years later, he went on to star in his own Nickelodeon produced shows and movies. Fred literally went from this:
The rise of the internet celebrity isn’t a new one, but it has become much more profitable.
Forbes Magazine recently published this article, listing the highest paid online celebrities. For example, PewDiePie, a Swedish video game enthusiast, is currently seated at the #1 spot with $15 million in pretax income. Why you ask? What marvolous and innovative creative ventures does he share with the world that makes him worth 15 million dollars?
He uploads snippets of himself playing video games for 50 million subscribers.
Yeah…that is it.
| Toothpaste for Dinner |
Okay, I’m not ACTUALLY naive enough to think that it is that easy. In fact, Most YouTube stars have varied revenue streams – but they have all stemmed from their online popularity. They monetize their videos through “pre-roll advertisements and by integrating sponsors into their content” according to Forbes. They also may tour, sell merchandise and make cameos on traditional forms of media like television. A few have their own products, like the aforementioned PewDiePie who has his own mobile platform video game (complete with in-app purchases). Here are some other examples of regular people who became famous by creating Youtube followings, as compiled by Forbes:
What is true no matter what, and perhaps the most valuable lesson, is that YOU the creator do not have as much control over your brand as the people WATCHING your videos do. Without the subscribers and without the groundswell, your videos are…well…just lame clips of your cat chasing a laser pointer.
I’m currently taking offers. Email me.
Mythical Creatures of the Groundswell
If you are from Worcester, MA or have spent any significant amount of time here – you are probably familiar with Polar Beverages – purveyors or all things bubbly and good. Upset stomach? Someone has probably offered a Polar Ginger Ale. That cold cup of Coca-Cola that you asked for at your favorite local eatery? Yup – you were probably served a Polar Cola instead. Decided to give up soda completely? Polar seltzers should be your go-to carbonated beverage of choice.
Polar prides itself on being a ‘fourth generation owned’ company which is fantastic but also implies some archaic attitudes. In my (almost) ten year tenure at Polar, I have developed a number of personal opinions on how they could better market themselves – particularly through social media. Only recently, have I realized that there is a defined ideology behind these social marketing trends and initiatives referred to as the groundswell. As defined in the book by the same name, the groundswell is “a social trend in which people use technologies to get things they need from each other rather than from traditional institutions like corporations” (pg 9).
Polar unexpectedly hit the groundswell jackpot in April of 2016 when the majestic limited edition (only 5,000 cases) Unicorn Kisses “mystery flavor” came out to coincide with April Fool’s Day. As a company that only used social media seemingly out of obligation, the users of these social technologies took matters into their own hands and created a massive buzz both locally and nationwide.
Online users began crowd-sourcing information in order to locate bottles of this elusive flavor. At the time, I was fielding consumer emails and I was
overwhelmed by the number of people trying to locate this item. Emails that I sent in response to retail locations were being shared across Twitter. People were tapping into into the groundswell in ways that I am confident, Polar was not expecting. In fact, Polar sold out of all 60,000 bottles in a 72 hour period.
The momentum behind this item as well as the brand as a whole, should have been an opportunity to pursue the groundswell by listening to stakeholders, engaging with the messaging of the brand, getting energized, supporting the customer base, and embracing what the stakeholders had to offer in terms of feedback (pg 68-69). I can offer more in-depth analysis at the conclusion of my social media marketing project, but in short, Polar let this momentum fade quickly by relying solely on the work of their consumers rather than becoming a participant in their experience and actively pursuing the groundswell. What potential harm can come of a company when they ignore the will of the people? How long will they idly sit by and wait for the next great thing? Does the corporation ever REALLY know what is best for the brand if they aren’t paying attention to what people say about it?
Even today, nearly a year after their debut, bottles are still being sold on eBay for $25.00 per liter. There is still a demand for a product that we would not recommend consuming based on its “best-by” date. If Polar doesn’t take heed of the groundswell, its bound to be swallowed up when the next best competitor brand comes along.
The Joy of Missing Out
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Social Media has undoubtedly had a massive impact on humans. Not only has it changed the ways in which we interact with people, but it also has a severe effect on us when we are not interacting; specifically out in the ‘real world’. One specific phenomenon that predates our obsessions with Facebook and Twitter is the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ or now casually referred to as FOMO. Basically, it is the underlying anxiety that someone feels when they KNOW that there are people out in the world doing AMAZING things that they are not apart of.
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We all have that friend that can’t prevent themselves from posting what they are doing and where they are doing it, at any given moment in time. You know when they’ve showered, what they had for lunch, who they visited, and where they will be enjoying themselves this evening. That friend wants to make sure that you are aware of EXACTLY how much fun they are having while you are at home doing laundry and boiling pasta for the third night in a row. A Washington Post article from 2013 says that “FOMO is often associated with a perceived low social rank, which can cause feelings of anxiety and inferiority. When someone misses a party, vacation or other social event, he or she can feel a little less cool than those who showed up and snapped photos.” While I don’t doubt the existence of such a anxious state, I have a hard time understanding it on a personal level.
Now, I spent most of my formative years without the added attraction of social media during my social development so it is difficult for me to grasp the psychological effects of seeing my friends enjoying themselves while I figuratively whiter away at home, anxiously awaiting an update on their whereabouts while simultaneously beating myself up for not being there as well.
What is even more bizarre to me, is that today, people will actually take time out of their live to advertise online that they are missing out – often followed by #FOMO, so that everyone knows just how debilitating the thought of not participating is to them. I suppose it isn’t all that surprising when you look at the research that has been done on the topic. According to an article published by Texas A&M University back in March of 2016, “The average college student spends eight to 10 hours killing time on their cellphone each day, and when we consistently believe we are ‘missing out,’ anxiety and depression may set in.” If you aren’t out living in the real world, what better way to vent your frustration back into the same arena that triggered it in the first place?
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This real life occurrence based on passive online interactions is one of the reasons why social media as a whole is absolutely fascinating to me. It has undeniably weaved its way into our very psyche and will have a lasting impression on how we relate to others virtually and in real life. If one thing is for certain, I’m happy that my social development wasn’t dependent on social media in the same ways in which it is today.