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

Scion Speak Taps Into Its Owners' Networks

The concept of being networked (the "N" in OPEN) can feel both exhilarating and daunting to a brand.

On the exciting side, plugging into existing networks (and even creating new ones) has the potential to amp up your brand's exposure at internet speed. But getting your brand into the hands of its fans--so they can pass it on to their friends--means giving up at least a little control. Somehow Scion makes it look easy.

As I left the beach behind and re-focused my attention back in the business world, I discovered the New York Times piece about Scion and its "Do-It-Yourself" logos. In line with Toyota's belief that Scions are (in addition to being an affordable set of wheels) a "unique expression of the young, hip person who Toyota hopes is driving it," Scion appeals to these owners to literally express themselves on their cars (that's OPEN's  "P" for personal) for all to see.

On the Scion Speak site, owners can choose from professionally designed assets to build their own Scion family crest, which they can download to create window decals or have it painted on their cars--on their own dime, of course. This is a great (safe -- dip-your-toes in) brand solution because Scion can ensure a high quality creative expression.

Congrats to Scion for not just tapping into owners' personalities, but into their personal networks. By aiming its campaign at current owners who already love their cars, and giving them more tools with which they can enjoy their cars and promote the Scion brand, they are building community--and goodwill--in a meaningful, expeditious way.

Fast Company Features Obama, the OPEN Brand

Topping our excitement over hard copies of The Open Brand hitting bookshelves this month (the e-book was released first), we at Resource Interactive are thrilled to see others embrace our O.P.E.N. framework. Specifically, in Fast Company's April cover story, "The Brand Called Obama," writer Ellen McGirt cites the Open Brand framework, quoting Resource creative director Karen Scholl.

McGirt's in-depth feature explores how the Obama brand has achieved such wide-spread prominence and acclaim, and then addresses the timely business implications of its ascendancy.

It's a terrific article (and not just because we're in it!), and it has already sparked conversations on the magazine's site and elsewhere. That Obama = OPEN is also communicated in the "How to Build a Brand Like Obama" slideshow that accompanies the article online; tip #5 is "Be Open (But Not Totally)".

I specifically enjoyed the article written by Tim Leberecht of frog design. Inspired by McGirt's piece in Fast Company, he writes about how Obama has created a new brand of politics, a shift he describes as "democratization with the means of the democratized web." We call it a technology-inspired power shift. However you describe, it's looking like good news for consumers and the brands they influence.

Time for Spring Break!

I'm off for about 10 days of R&R with my family. For those of you who have followed my blog over the last few years, you know that I unplug. No web, PDA, iPhone. Ahhh....just a few good books, the beach and no agenda.

Back at it after the 25th...cheers!

Forget DVR! You've Got Hulu.com

By now, you've seen the headlines, maybe even checked out the recently-launched site -- www.hulu.com -- free premium TV content provided by a relatively new entity, jointly owned by NBC Universal and News Corp. Missed The Office? No worries, Hulu will let you watch the program a day after its airing and all you have to do is watch a very short ad. This is BETTER than skipping ads with a DVR because you don't have to watch hundreds of images blazing by. Maybe you missed the much publicized SNL skits featuring "Hillary" and "Obama" duking it out or Natalie Portman's hilarious and unexpected rap video. You don't have to feel out of touch or angry that your DVR can't "retro record" something you forgot to record. Instead, you can view a popular show at any time. It's ON-DEMAND! Just pull up the site and stream the video of your choosing from a pretty decent selection of TV shows AND movies. Amazing.

The interface is Apple-inspired -- simple, clean, easy to use. It's immersive in a big way. Made me want to stay for hours -- which is exactly the point! The one thing I wonder is why Hulu, Apple, Blockbuster and all the others still don't let consumers shop for movies by rating...?? What's so hard about that? Parents crave this especially for kids who aren't yet ready for all PG-13 movies, not to mention R.

Business Week's Matt Vella writes about Hulu in today's article (and quotes yours truly). Have a look and be ready to be ENGAGED.

Parsons' Class Strives to Achieve Famo

In the past I've shared numerous examples of openness in the marketing world and even recently in political campaigning, but Parsons The New School for Design offers a class called "Internet Famous" that's an example of how academics can be open.

The course states that it is dedicated to teaching students how to spread their work across the widest audience online, essentially by teaching students to understand, use and even exploit the social web. Throughout the term, students create projects for web release and monitor them, all the while digging, posting and friending, and creating profiles, feeds, contacts, and lists.

While the class hits all four quadrants of our OPEN framework, it was clear at the conclusion of the class this winter that students were most focused on N for networked. As the "first algorithmically graded class in the history of academics," students monitored their rankings regularly. And at the end of the term, in what would equate to cramming for the final in most other classes, students who were desperate to up their famo resorted to some popular albeit tawdry tactics to get online attention.

"For all the tricks and shortcuts his students have learned — about how to use headlines, keywords and tags to attract the attention of search engines, and how to use social networks to seek out the audience that will be most receptive to what you have to say — Wilkinson said the key to attaining "legitimate famo" is the same as it's always been: quality, tenacity and persistence."
"Googling for Your Grade"
TIME magazine
December 20, 2007

 

For a design school that starts its mission with its commitment to "create engaged citizens," a class whose focus is learning how to be "famo,"  seems oh-so appropos. And so very, very open.

Gently Used Electronics = Best Buy Bucks

I can't think of a better reason to jump-start spring cleaning than a household scavenger hunt for phones, cameras, pda's, mp3 players, and monitors that have lost the luster of their day to be replaced by something smaller, smarter or faster. Because, according to its web site, Best Buy is now in the business of trade-ins.

It sounds like this: Go online and use one of the site's tools to estimate the value of your gently-used-but-no-longer-useful-to-you electronic device. If the value it spits out is "acceptable" to you, package up your item and ship it to them for free. A week or two after they get it, they'll send you a Best Buy gift card.

That's it. That's all you have to do.

My original iPod is now worth $37. Not a huge sum, but not a bad deal for an outdated gadget. In fact it's just enough to fund a few movies for my iPhone.

Boden Appreciation Wears Well

A colleague shared this email from Boden. It's incredibly low-fi when you think about all the glamorous, techy, stuff going on around us, but it underscores the ongoing  yet basic need for strong communications.

The email is a follow-up to an order my colleague placed. Boden wants her to review her recent purchases so it can post them on its site. But unlike most of the post-purchase emails I've ever received, you know, the kind that are as personal as a cash register receipt, this one was compelling enough to get and keep my attention.

The subject line is nice and direct: Review your Boden order and enter our prize draw.

Inside the email there's a note from Johnnie Boden himself. Of course he didn't write the customer a personal note, but his "big hearty thank you" has the spirit and gratitude of a human behind it. (I will point out, regretfully, that the From line was, "cservices@bodenusa.com" and not Johnnie or even Boden.)

The note--and it feels more like a note than an email--playfully asks the customer for her feedback, good or bad. Plus it includes images of the two products she's being asked to review.

Surely this email is auto-generated, but it has the warmth it needs to feel personal and engaging and get consumers to act. Simple, human communications. Sometimes that's all it takes.