Kelly Mooney's blog about the online shopping experience from the customer's point of view -- MooneyThinks.com

Obama = OPEN

The true frenzy of the primaries has just started to show up locally. With less than two weeks until the vote here in Ohio, each day there's a new message on my answering machine or in my email box from one of the candidates' camps. A lot of it feels like the same old...you know. But not all. For the first time in a long time, we've got someone who's doing something different. Barack Obama.

The campaign homepage states emphatically that the goal is "ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO OWN THIS CAMPAIGN". It's a whole different mindset.

And, of course, the Yes We Can video, produced by will.i.am of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas. Within weeks, what started as just one more campaign speech became a song, a video, and now a movement.

Background: The video is a musical, mashed-up, celebrity-studded version of Obama's New Hampshire speech. will.i.am says he was so inspired by the speech that he made the song, and then created the video. The campaign was smart enough to post the video on its homepage. Just in the last week, the experience opened up even more. Anyone (with a Flickr account) can now be a part of the videos--just go the Hope.Act.Change site and upload your own pictures into a photo-mosaic version of the Yes We Can video.

What else is open about Obama?

• Information is given on-demand, via mobile, video, blog, social network, and by topic areas (not all or nothing)
• The campaign site is personal with so many videos, pictures and comments from real people that it gives the feeling of ownership outside the campaign itself.
• Barack Obama himself is a key engaging factor, but the campaign itself (not unlike other campaigns) is built on outside participation.
• Supporters aren't just asked to tap their own networks, the campaign networks them too. For example, when someone makes a donation online, the campaign introduces them (with permission) to other supporters.

Regardless of your politics, Barack Obama is THE open brand candidate, proving that being on-demand, personal, engaging and networked does in fact work.

A Social Outlet for Sports Fans

I am continually amazed at the consistently high expression of passion that comes out of true sports fans. The love of an athlete, team or sport seems to foster a level of energy that could run a medium-sized city. (Ever visited Columbus during Buckeye football season???)

What I love is when that enthusiasm is harnessed for good. Take Bleacher Report, a blog that was written up today on Marketing VOX. It's a sports pub, blog, wiki and social media site--all mashed up into a destination it describes as "where the sports bar meets the press box."

The basics:

• Sports fans can create a profile and "contribute analysis on the sports stories that matter most to you"
• Edit and rate articles
• The right to refuse edits made to your own articles
• The ability to "build your reputation" by commenting on articles, develop a fan base and improve your writer ranking (They've apparently just amped up their stats offering, something fans asked for, that helps you track your exact readership, among other things.)

I really like how the site truly gears itself to its audience. In addition to standard profiles, Bleacher Report has something called "The Short List" (on each member's profile page), which it describes as "facts and information" about the individual. More than just the expected favorite athletes, favorite teams, The Short List has, "Ruth or Mays," "Unitas or Montana," "Jordan or Gretsky," and "Pele or Maradona".

I can see Bleacher Report is in for a strong, winning season.

Get Growing with the New Scotts.com

The forecast may still call for chilling temperatures in many parts of the country, but we at Resource have all that is (or will soon be) green and growing on our minds. After a year of client partnership, strategic insights, fresh creative interpretation and advanced technical integration, we're proud to announce the phase 1 launch of the new site for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

So as you pine for signs of spring, visit Scotts.com. The site is filled with projects, solutions, blogs, communities, photo galleries, forums, and, of course, all the Scotts brands, to make sure you're ready by the time your yard is--no matter how green (or black) your thumb is. The site is a tremendous destination not just for lawn lovers and garden gurus, but particularly for neophytes and novices who want to get outside, get their hands dirty and get growing.

O.P.E.N. Watch: Targeting List Makers

Referring to Target in a blog feels a little funny right now, in light of its recent press for dissing "non-traditional" media. The brand's official statement sounds dangerously closed, but we found evidence during our O.P.E.N. Watch study that the brand does have its eye on using digital media to enable and connect consumers. Take TargetLists for example.

TargetLists is a service that lets you create public and private wishlists for "any person, event or occasion," and view them online or instore at a kiosk. As a consummate list-maker, online and off, this could be the solution to my endless stash of lists that never seem to be where I need them when I need them.

I know lists are practically everywhere these days--online, but I haven't seen this kind of seamlessness from web to store before. You can add to your list on the site or in the store, and view it in either place. And the ability to share lists with others and look for others' lists makes a lot of sense for Target--think about multiple people planning a party, shower or gift together and knowing that not only can they get it all at Target, but they can plan it all at Target--now that's helpful.

Now I'm just waiting for Target to let me by-pass their in-store kiosks (which are not conveniently located or engaging) and use my mobile phone.

Domino's Opens Its Menu

With the help of its BFD (Big FANTASTIC Deal) Builder, Domino's recently added more than 16,000 new items to its menu. Now you'll find pizzas with names like Hemibacaroni Shroom Pizza, Ashlinator, Bama Bamm!!, Bad Mamajama,The Cryin' Hawaiian, and 20,000 Meats Under the Cheese.

So what's the BFD? A fun, simple, visual tool where you choose crust, sauce, cheese, meats and unmeats. And more than just playful, it's easy and functional--any pizza you build on the site, any combination, is $10.99. Build it, buy it, eat it.

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the pizza, but I'm beginning to become a fan of the marketing efforts behind the brand. Domino's is opening up! The BFD is:
On-Demand: It's instantly gratifying with its fun tool that immediately reflects all my choices and the ability to order online or via mobile
Personal: It facilitates meaningful interaction with many markets of one, by letting me build, name and buy my pizza in virtually any combination (traditional or even bizarre!)
Engaging: It deepens attachment through relevant emotional experiences when I create not just my pizza, but a pizza others can buy too.

Networked, however, it's not. Not beyond its own site. Domino's has already gone so far with its BFD, (they can go ahead and read the book or...just off the top of my head) I'd love to see them engage a network of pizza creators to enable more off-site sharing and influencing, and even let their customers actively sell their own creations, maybe even give them a piece of the pie. ; )

Is Williams-Sonoma Thinking about OPEN?

I was holding off my critique of the new Williams-Sonoma (cooking) site because while it offers so many great additions (love, love the videos), I was disappointed the re-launch didn't really open the brand up.

The videos are a strong addition because, well, they just make sense for cooking demonstrations, but they also make the subject matter (for those of us who are less culinarily inclined) and the brand feel just a tad more approachable--without diminishing its sophistication. Their "culinary experts" are professional, and also human.

As I was debating whether to make a post, I received an email from sister company WS Home, the subject line of which read, "Help Select Our Look for Summer."

Wow, I thought. That's practically Open Brand 101. Then I opened the email. The headline, in big, bold caps reads, "TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!" At this point I thought I was going to get to vote on upholstery patterns for summer, preview a new style or maybe view other consumers' bright ideas about lighting.

Actually, no. They asked me to take a one-question survey, which essentially was to pick one of two photos for the cover of the summer catalog. Yes, this is an eensy-teensy bit open. And I did ask audience members from a speech last year to text in their vote on covers for my own book during a keynote address. But is it email worthy? Is it all-caps worthy?

Here was the last, disappointing straw. I got to the "survey," chose a photo (step 1), then clicked the "submit" arrow. I thought I'd get a Thank You! refresh page, but I didn't. Instead it took me to step 2, which asked me for my name, snail mail and email addresses. I couldn't honestly tell if my vote was submitted before they asked for all my personal info, but it sure doesn't look that way. Clearly they already had my email, but in order to have my voice heard why should I have to subscribe to the catalog too?