People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3

Volume 1, Issue 3, July-September 2012

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Learn more about us at:
www.mslgroup.com | http://blog.mslgroup.com
twitter.com/msl_group | youtube.com/mslgroupofficial
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary
crowdsourcing platform and approach that
helps organizations tap into people’s insights
for innovation, storytelling and change.
The People’s Lab crowdsourcing platform
helps organizations build and nurture public
or private, web or mobile, hosted or white
label communities around four pre-configured
application areas: Expertise Request Network,
Innovation Challenge Network, Research &
Insights Network and Contest & Activation
Network. Our community and gaming features
encourage people to share rich content, vote/
comment on other people’s content and
collaborate to find innovative solutions.
The People’s Lab crowdsourcing platform
and approach forms the core of our
distinctive insights and foresight approach,
which consists of four elements: organic
conversation analysis, MSLGROUP’s own
insight communities, client-specific insights
communities, and ethnographic deep dives
into these communities. The People’s Insights
Quarterly Magazines showcase our capability
in crowdsourcing and analyzing insights from
conversations and communities.
People’s Lab:
Crowdsourcing Innovation & Insights

Inside
Foreword
by Pascal Beucler
04
Editorial
by Gaurav Mishra and Nidhi Makhija
05
Creative Storytelling
by Dominic Payling
Moms, Food & Social Media
by Steve Bryant
11
CNN I’m
Voting 19 29McDonald’s
Mein Burger
62@MarsCuriosity
Chase Community
Giving 24 34Foodspotting
66Free Pussy
Riot
39Kickstarter
71Nike Find Your
Greatness
44LoudSauce
75SuperBetter
48Anthon Berg
Generous Store
52Hilltop Re-imagined
for Coca Cola
56Alpenliebe
Kindness Movement
Communicating the Future of Health
by Pascal Beucler
15
07

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Pascal Beucler,
SVP & Chief Strategy Officer,
MSLGROUP
After nine months of tracking
conversations around inspiring citizenship,
crowdsourcing and storytelling projects,
we are beginning to see some broad
trends which, we believe, will shape
communication and engagement in 2013.
I am happy to share that we are working
on a People’s Insights Annual Report in
which we will synthesize our insights from
throughout 2012 to provide foresights for
business leaders and changemakers for
2013.
I am delighted to introduce the third
issue of the People’s Insights Quarterly
Magazine, which pulls together the best
insights on citizenship, crowdsourcing and
storytelling from our global network of
planners and experts.
In the past three months, we have seen
inspiring projects where brands and
social platforms have sparked passions
and catalyzed change movements, using
drivers of citizenship, crowdsourcing and
storytelling. I hope you enjoy reading
the insights we have distilled from
conversations around these inspiring
projects.
Foreword

5
Editorial
Nidhi Makhija,
Manager - Insights,
MSLGROUP
Gaurav Mishra,
VP of Insights, Innovation & Social, Asia,
MSLGROUP
The People’s Insights Quarterly Magazine pulls
together the best insights from our Insights
Network, in which 100+ thinkers and planners
within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring
projects on citizenship, crowdsourcing and
storytelling. The Insights Network is a private
network created on our proprietary People’s Lab
crowdsourcing platform.
Every week, we pick one project and do a deep
dive into conversations around it — on the
MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on
the broader social web — to distill insights and
foresights.
We started with the belief that some of the most
inspiring projects that are shaping marketing
and communications are at the intersection of
citizenship, crowdsourcing and storytelling. Nine
months and thirty-nine weekly insights reports
later, we feel our intuition is validated, and find
ourselves sitting on a mine of trends common
across projects and global communities.
People’s Insights Annual Report
We believe these trends and insights can be
further distilled and analyzed to identify key
foresights that will drive conversations in 2013.
We will summarize these insights, and discuss
the implications of these foresights for marketers
in the People’s Insights Annual Report, which we
will share in early January 2013.
We hope these foresights, mined directly from the
people, will inspire and guide you to create your
own citizenship, crowdsourcing and storytelling
projects and tap into the power of conversations
and communities.
People’s Insights Quarterly Magazine,
Volume 1, Issue 3
In the lead articles for our first two issues of the
People’s Insights Quarterly Magazine, we looked
at the power of stories, and how brands can create

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
purpose-driven stories to build and deepen their
relationship with people. In the Apr-Jun 2012
issue, we also showcased research from MSL
Italy on the conversations around food and food
brands.
In the lead article for the Jul-Sep issue, we share
a storytelling framework created by MSL London
and showcase two proprietary research studies
– one from MSL Seattle on how social media is
changing how moms plan, shop, prepare and
consume food; and a second from MSLGROUP
EMEA’s Healthcare Practice on the profound
transformation Europe's healthcare industry is
experiencing - and the response that companies
in the healthcare sector must formulate to survive
and thrive.
We also look at thirteen inspiring projects at the
intersection of citizenship, crowdsourcing and
storytelling. Many of these projects build upon
at least two of the three drivers, using powerful
stories to inspire crowds to take action and drive
change.
Citizenship:
• How CNN and Facebook are encouraging
discussions around the upcoming U.S.
elections on social media with their I’m Voting
Facebook app, and gathering insights from
social conversations.
• How Chase has built a community of change
agents, by empowering people to make
a difference in their local and national
communities.
Crowdsourcing:
• How the McDonald's Mein Burger campaign
became a successful formula to crowdsource
product innovation and tap into niche online
communities across Europe.
• How apps like Foodspotting are crowdsourcing
photos and reviews of dishes, and changing the
way people engage with, share, and discover food.
• How platforms like Kickstarter and LoudSauce
are empowering people to fund projects that
they are passionate about, and empowering
thinkers, inventors, artists and activists to
achieve their visions.
• How brands like Anthon Berg, Coca Cola and
Alpenliebe are crowdsourcing and spreading
generosity, happiness and kindness in Denmark,
the Americas, South Africa, and China.
Storytelling:
• How NASA, Nike and Free Pussy Riot, a group
of global activists, used transmedia storytelling
to inspire people to dream, achieve personal
goals and unite to drive change.
• How SuperBetter is merging storytelling and
gaming techniques to motivate people to meet
their health and lifestyle goals in a fun manner.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to
track inspiring projects at the intersection of
citizenship, crowdsourcing and storytelling. Do
subscribe to receive our weekly insights reports,
quarterly magazines, and upcoming annual
report, and do share your tips and comments with
us at @PeoplesLab on Twitter.

7
Creative Storytelling
Our ‘story’ begins in 2008. Annette Simmons’
seminal work ‘The Story Factor’ had begun to tip
into marketing consciousness and we realised
that the ‘Always-On’ conversation wasn’t just
another marketing expression du jour.
Coke Europe was struggling to get audiences
to love the mother brand. Red coke sales were
growing in some markets but regulatory and
social headwinds were growing faster in others.
Coke’s communications response was well
organised but not getting any real attention. It
became very clear they weren’t telling their story
well.
So we helped them to reframe their
communications around storytelling –
humanising ‘data’, personalising ‘facts’ and
making ‘figures’ entertaining.
From this experience we learned three important
lessons...
1. Many brands can’t see their own story and
certainly don’t know how to tell it
2. Only brands that have a purpose can tell the
right story.
3. Campaigns that tell stories have a voracious
appetite for content
Just think about that short list for a second. And
think about the opportunity.
Cycle forwards four years, via the MSLGroup DNA
trusted Advisors and ‘creative storytellers’ – our
increasingly sophisticated approach to corporate
and brand storytelling has led us in new and
exciting directions. MSL London can now boast a
soup to nuts storytelling solution - an overarching
philosophy that captures our latest thinking
and approach to Storytelling and presents it in
five chapters.
It begins with PurPle, ends with content and
urges you to act like a publisher.
Chapter One - Importance of
Stories
Let’s start with why stories matter. Have a look at
this short film we made that tells you everything
you need to know:
So stories are important, but which one should
you tell?
The past four years have taught us that your
story can only exist as an articulation of purpose.
Without a purpose you can tell any story. ‘Any
story’, unless you luck out with the right one, will
Source: youtube.com
Dominic Payling,
Planning Director,
MSL London

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
always descend into commoditisation and an ever
decreasing bottom line for your client.
Chapter Two - Discovering Your
Story
They’ve told that tale in the music business, wine,
transport, finance, fitness, media and even space
travel.
They have told it, re-told it, re-invented it,
refreshed it, nuanced it in a million ways. So
well have they told that story and so consistently
have they told it that Branson is awash in the by-
product of Purpose (check out Necker Island).
By understanding the very nature of our client’s
organisation, the reason it exists and the true
emotional value it delivers to its stakeholders
we can help our clients to shape their purpose.
MSLGROUP’s global offering PurPle (Purpose
+ People) specializes in helping companies
discover and leverage purpose and people to
drive shared value.
So how do we at MSL London get to the purpose
and the story?
1. We put into practice our five killer questions.
They focus on helping us define both the
functional and emotional needs of client
stakeholders, the extent to which they would
be willing to engage and the validity and
relevance of the organisational purpose
against their needs.
We spend time understanding the competitive
landscape. If potential stakeholders are
engaging with competitors or favouring them
over our client, it’s important we understand
why so that we can act to change perceptions.
2. From this information we run a moderated
storytelling workshop with the client from which
the essence of a story emerges. This we creatively
craft into a story and narrative by audience.
But this is the only the beginning. Who is best
suited to tell the story, what should they say to get
attention and overcome barriers to engagement,
where and how should they do this? And what is
the role for the organisation/brand?
At this stage, we would out reach out to trained
qualitative and quantitative researchers in
the client’s region to understand the type of
stakeholder research to use. Our teams are
well versed in netnography, qualitative and
quantitative research methodologies using the
latest online techniques of ideation and co-
creation among the very people our clients wish
to influence.
Once the story has been established, how do we
share it, nurture it and refresh it?
Your client’s journey towards a story that gets
attention begins with their organisation. Whilst
many organisations promise their stakeholders
many things, in the noisy, competitive
marketplace where choice can solve problems or
make them worse and loyalty is low, the one thing
that separates one brand from another is having a
defining purpose.
The organisation which can clearly communicate
‘why we are here’ will be the one having the most
effective conversations with stakeholders.
Achieving this goal is not about simply
communicating a client’s product or service
message. It’s about immersing ourselves in
their business and placing ourselves in the
mindset of the stakeholder. In essence it’s
about finding and communicating how best to
connect their organisation to their stakeholders
intrinsic emotional needs and then explaining it
in the most powerful way possible – through a
story. That could be as much about framing the
nuances and consequences of political decision
making or helping to differentiate one detergent
from another.
The first and most important step in this process
is to truly understand what makes your client’s
business tick. Why do they exist?
The answer isn’t money. Money is a by-product
of having a purpose. The more relevant your
purpose, the more widely communicated it will
be, the more money your client will make.
Look at Richard Branson and Virgin – I’ve been
lucky enough to work for him 4 times in the
mobile, wine and finance categories. His purpose
has always been to champion the consumer.

9
Chapter Three - Dynamic
Storytelling: Think like a
publisher, plan and improvise
We plan a story’s journey with the Story
Engagement Blueprint (SEB) - a conversation
calendar and content plan that translates the
story into content that can explode across
conversation themes, platforms and channels.
We manage this journey through an Editorial
Council. Our philosophy embraces a 90 day
planning cycle that allows us to review what has
worked, what hasn’t worked and plan for the next
90 days as well as being geared up to respond
immediately at ‘micro-notice’.
There must always be a rapid response element
of the editorial council prepped and ready to
act in the case of any significant reputational
opportunity or challenge.
Creating content that fits these needs requires a
skill to spot potential trends as they emerge and
to act upon them in a way that turns your story
into something stakeholders can recognise and
associate with. It requires an editorial team to
support on-going listening, to spot key repetitive
behaviours from audience insight and to turn
these into shareable and viral stories.
But most importantly, developing sustainable
content requires the skill of cross –platform
creativity. A story often lives across multiple
platforms and can be told through a combination
of media, imagery, video posts and text.
Our final task in this journey will be to ensure we
further explode your stories into digestible, easy
to share content.
Chapter Four - Creative
Storytelling: 7 rules for
contagious content
These rules act as a guide to content production
that will help ensure that it will be told and retold,
over time and across platforms and channels.
Rule 1: The story must be Purposeful
Purpose inspired content is key to engaging
with your target in a way that brings to life your
brand and organisation. It is the shift from
communicating what you ‘sell’ to communicating
‘what you stand for’.
Rule 2: The story must be Insightful
Asking your stakeholders to engage with content
in a certain way is only going to be successful
if you are asking them to do something that is
already familiar to them. The listening exercise
conducted as part of the story engagement
blueprint should deliver you sufficient data to
drive this insight.
Rule 3: The story must be Engaging
This rule is easy to explain but often difficult to
follow. It is about creating content that is easy
for users to engage with – be that a comment,
a follow, a share or a like. It also relates to
campaigns where you ask your audience to
participate and co-create content with the brand.
Rule 4: The story must be Entertaining,
rewarding or informative
Does your content entertain, reward or inform?
Test it. If it doesn’t, scrap it and start again.

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Rule 5: The story should Build on existing
themes and trends
In essence it’s about building your content
around ‘memes’. A meme is "an idea, behaviour
or style that spreads from person to person
within a culture." A meme acts as a unifier for
carrying ideas, symbols or practices, which can be
transmitted from one person to another.
Rule 6: The story should Unify
One of the reasons for social media’s widespread
success is the fact that it has provided an easy
mechanic for helping disparate individuals with
niche tastes find other individuals with common
interest and to help them form communities and
groups.
Build on this. Find out what unites your
stakeholders and build the content around this.
Rule 7: The story should Play on emotions
If you can create content that plays on your
audience’s emotions, you will secure a deeper
and more meaningful response from them.
Chapter Five – Review
Like any great story expect to be reviewed. In fact
think of it like an Amazon review that feeds back
into the success of a story.
We have developed a set of metrics that we use
to review and adapt our stories with. If you’d like
to know more about them and how we use them
get in touch.
If you would like to know more about our
storytelling process, contact Dominic Payling at
dominic.payling@mslgroup.com
View MSLGROUP Creative Storytelling on Slideshare

11
Moms, Food & Social Media:
A Winning Recipe for Marketers
Social media lives in the moment, so it’s no
surprise that food and drink should figure so
prominently in the medium. We eat or snack
some three to 10 times a day and, as we do, we
often share that experience – we even share
while we eat.
It’s a phenomenon that inspired a joint study, by
The Hartman Group and MSLGROUP Americas,
to explore how food culture in the United States
has evolved under the influence of social and
digital media.
More recently, MSLGROUP disclosed a
proprietary segment of the study focused on 400
moms with children under 13, the leading market
driver in the U.S. food and beverage industry.
Study results confirm the remarkable influence
of moms, not simply at the cash register, but
also as chief movers in food culture. In fact, we
conclude that social media has magnified their
influence and helped reshape how new food
habits are adopted. It’s information that will
prove extremely valuable to food and beverage
marketers.
Women with children under 13 are spending 15.2
hours/month on social networking sites alone,
compared to men at 8.4 hours. All told, 44%
of such moms are reading or browsing posts
contributed by others on social network sites
or tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or
MySpace.
For Moms, Dinner Help is Only a
Click Away
The study showed that moms are much more
likely than non-moms to use social media
while preparing meals (40% vs. 30%). In
fact, almost 60% of moms (vs. 48% of non-
moms) search online for a recipe or food
preparation tips. Almost half (47%) of moms
also texted a friend or family member for
cooking ideas.
Their interests should serve as a content guide
for food marketers online:
• Quick and easy meals (77%)
• Low-cost meals (55%)
• Holiday dishes (55%)
• Health and nutritious meals (46%)
Not surprisingly, millennial moms have been
most progressive in adopting social media
for meal planning and other food-related
information. Our study shows that these younger
moms are the most interested in leveraging
Steve Bryant
Director,
Food & Beverage,MSLGROUP
North America

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
online networks and resources when it comes to
food — meal planning, new restaurants to try, and
learning about new foods or nutrition.
Building a Relationship with Moms
For marketers trying to calibrate their digital-
traditional marketing mix, it’s useful to know
that most traditional channels remain valuable.
Moms are diversifying their sources, now favoring
online channels, but abandoning few. That said,
print usage is facing significant declines with
millennial moms.
We’re well past the digital tipping point, with
moms spending more time engaged online
looking at resources to learn about food (48%)
than they do looking at offline sources like
cookbooks and magazines (16%). In addition to
recipes, moms browse restaurant reviews (15%)
and food blogs (16%) online.
Almost two-thirds of moms who took the survey
visited Allrecipes.com for meal inspiration.
Foodnetwork.com (52% of moms) and Recipes.
com (45% of moms) followed behind.
But what role do brands have in this online
conversation?
Moms say they want two things above all from
brands: deals and recipes. In our view, deals are
practically mandatory, but recipes are the best
way for brands to build a long-term relationship
with moms.
In fact, we see recipes as the original viral
content. Good recipes get enjoyed, passed
around, and served to family and friends. They
can potentially live for years in a mom’s mealtime
repertoire, and every consumption occasion
could translate to sales.
One really important thing to know about
moms: They frequently consult online reviews
and, especially as they gain experience, they
Smart phones are now used by a majority
(52%) of moms with young children, and they
are putting them to use while shopping. In the
last year, they compared prices, downloaded
coupons, made purchases, and shared shopping
experiences on their social networks – all at
higher rates than other women. Those numbers
– now in the low double digits – will only climb as
smart phones permeate the market.
These are dramatic changes for moms, who
might once have relied on their own moms for
the largest share of their food tastes and know-
how. Now, moms have turned to crowdsourcing
their food ideas – and savvy brands will follow
them with the best available information on what
they need and want online.
--
Steve Bryant leads the Food & Beverage business
for MSLGROUP Americas. For a copy of the
study results, contact him at steve.bryant@
mslgroup.com or 1-206-313-1588.
Photo from GoodnCrazy on Flickr
contribute reviews. In fact, moms are more
likely to contribute a product review to sites like
Amazon and Yelp than women with no children
(moms 23% vs. total females 18%).
With 29 million moms visiting social network
sites monthly, their ratings and reviews can really
boost or bust a product's reputation.
A watchword to food makers: Mom is most likely
to share a review when she is very impressed or
very disappointed. Middling experiences receive
little attention, so find ways to wow them.
Moms may be less likely to share photos of meals
and restaurant descriptions – perhaps because
they don’t get out as much – but they are more
likely than women without children to describe
a home-prepared meal or snack to their friends,
or request advice about what food to prepare and
how to prepare it.

13
In a broader study, The Hartman Group and
MSLGROUP Americas interviewed 1,641 online
adults to understand how Social and Digital
Media are Changing Food Culture.
Here are some highlights from the study:
Transforming Food Culture
Social and digital media are transforming food
culture in four areas: Traditions (meal planning),
Transactions (shopping), Techniques (preparing)
and Table (eating).
Almost half of consumers learn about food
via social networking sites, such as Twitter and
Facebook. 40% learn about food via websites,
apps or blogs.
Influence and “Real people”
Consumers prefer to hear from people who eat
food, not entities who sell it. They are tapping into
each other’s expertise on blogs, recipe forums
and review sites. Specifically, they are tapping
into the opinions of “real people” – individuals
(home-grown expert bloggers, personable
celebrities, foodie friends, and moms) and the
masses.
Standby Meal Companion
While eating or drinking at home, nearly one-
third of Americans use social networking sites.
Among Millennials (18-34 years old), this figure
jumps to 47%. If you’re eating solo, chances are
you’re also texting friends who live miles away or
posting food photos to a review site.
Source of Food info
46% of online consumers said they spent more
time engaged online, as opposed to 31% who said
they’re equally engaged with both online and print.
While 31% say they are inspired by food shows they
watch on TV, 25% are inspired by recipe websites
or phone apps, and 17% are inspired by restaurant
review websites or phone apps.
Highlights: Social and Digital Media
Changing Food Culture
View Social and Digital Media are Changing Food Culture on Slideshare

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
View Clicks & Cravings: Social Media & Mom on Slideshare

15
The Social Shift is probably the biggest challenge
many firms in the Healthcare sector are facing
these days. But for many companies it is not an
easy path to take. Legal constraints are tougher
than ever, and regulations are tighter too.
There is a growing public demand for "Corporate
Citizenship" and patients, who are empowered
by social media, now act as direct stakeholders in
a relationship which, till now, used to be a purely
Pharma/Physicians one.
Engaging with people and patients’ communities
is no longer an option. It is an absolute necessity.
MSLGROUP’s EMEA Healthcare Practice recently
conducted a “You Care, We Share” survey in
which 70 top managers at healthcare companies
from Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy,
Poland, Scandinavia, Spain and Switzerland,
shared their views on the macro trends shaping
the healthcare market, from pharma, to the fields
of nutrition and agribusiness.
The results of the 'You Share, We Care' survey
were shared during a private gathering that took
place in Geneva this Summer, the purpose of
which was to encourage reflection and stimulate
debate among healthcare professionals. Some of
the most insightful findings from the survey and
conclusions reached during the meeting have
been put together in a white paper: You Share We
Care: Communicating the Future of Health.
The white paper focuses on five particular areas:
You Share, We Care: Communicating the
Future of Health in Europe
Word of mouth has always been important in
healthcare, but thanks to social media, millions of
people are today talking about drugs on the Web
without involving a doctor. Alongside challenges,
this reality also offers opportunities to engage
with patient groups online, leveraging their
clout to communicate a healthcare company's
messages.
The managers surveyed are well aware of the
impact digital communication is having on their
industry, and want to become protagonists in the
conversation around Health:
• Nearly 2/3 of the managers interviewed think
that social media offers an opportunity, while
only a little more than 1/3 think scientific
meetings are important.
• Managers think that the social media
revolution has occurred and therefore
digital tools are an integral part of their
communication campaigns (53 out of 70),
although 34 out of 70 are worried by regulatory
restrictions and approval processes.
Pascal Beucler
SVP & Chief
Strategy Officer,
MSLGROUP
1. A new ecosystem: Power to the
People

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
• Social media is an important means of
communication, but companies do not really
know how to go about using social media as
a tool and do not feel ready to handle the
resulting open dialogue among stakeholders
(49 out of 70)
2. A new deal: The EU and
governments are increasing the
pressure on healthcare companies
Healthcare actors must balance the need to provide
universal health care, and long-term care, with the
increasing demands in the coming years associated
with an ageing population, technological development
and growing patient expectations. Innovative
reimbursement strategies hold the key.
Another important area of cooperation between
stakeholders is the prevention of diseases, so as to
save costs in the long-term.
According to MSLGROUP’s survey “You share, we
care!” 52% of the top healthcare managers in the
industry in Europe agree (or strongly agree) that
“more effective preventive measures and fundamental
lifestyle changes need to be promoted to encourage
overall healthy behaviour.
But who is going to convince people to get ready to
embrace healthier habits?
3. A new style of engagement:
Towards advocacy
Healthcare companies must develop multi-pronged
approaches to advocacy, focusing equally on the Pan-
European and local levels. There is also an urgent
need to develop holistic external communications
strategies - that put digital at their heart - if companies
are to be perceived as part of the solution to Europe's
healthcare challenges.
Advocates have different opinions in different
countries; they often do not agree with each other
and are sometimes against companies on principle.
The stronger activists are probably young people and
patient groups. In order to target them we must find
new tools and have clear strategies on what we want
to achieve from them. Once again digital PR can be
of help: monitoring opponents, neutral players and
possible advocates.
4. A new paradigm: The need for
innovation
From R&D, to reimbursement strategies and
partnerships, there has never been a greater need for
innovation in the sector. At the same time, it is crucial
that healthcare companies better communicate the
value of innovation to a skeptic public.
When it comes to food safety and health, consumers
are scared by innovation - especially chemical science
- as they instinctively think that what is natural is good
and what is artificial is dangerous. Companies need to
promote innovation in research and technology and
a higher awareness of the benefit of innovation for
consumers.
5. A new mindset: Healthcare
reputation and corporate citizenship
In a world where the relationship between business
and society has significantly shifted, healthcare
companies need to increase authenticity in their
communications, win trust, and build reputation.
They also have to focus on creating shared value with
stakeholders, through collaborative social innovation.

17
From the MSLGROUP survey it is clear that managers
think that disease awareness is relevant and HCPs
are a priority in their communication strategies,
but two thirds of respondents think that reputation
management is important and is becoming more and
more crucial.
Moreover, it is time for companies to enhance how they
communicate about the social impact of their actions,
and to reinforce how they engage socially, so as to
shift how society currently perceives given industries.
Indeed, the MSLGROUP survey shows that “45
managers out of 70 believe that CSR is an integral part
of their communication strategy,” yet the public may
not be fully aware the industry holds that view.
In order to strengthen their commitment, companies
have to move from philanthropy to purpose, as a
company's purpose must be placed at the core of their
actions and activities.
Firms in the Healthcare sector at large need to not
only rediscover their social purpose, but to also put it
at the core of their businesses, and to consider it when
engaging with all stakeholders.
At MSLGROUP we believe that companies need to
become PurPle by putting purpose and people at the
core of their business and communications strategy.
Purpose is about opportunity and potential. People
make it real with their passion and insights. Health,
wellness and nutrition is one of the four PurPle
opportunity areas -- along with environment, education
and human potential -- where companies can create
shared value, for both business and society.
To do this, healthcare companies need to inspire,
organize and energize their stakeholders to share
insights about their needs, and then care enough to act
upon these insights.
View You Share, We Care: Communicating the Future of Health on Slideshare

I’m Voting Facebook app
CNN partnered with Facebook to create
the I’m Voting app to encourage people
to discuss political issues and pledge to
vote, and to share insights from these
conversations in their coverage of the 2012
presidential elections.
CNN I’m
Voting
In a press release, CNN shared:
“The app will enable people who use Facebook to commit
to voting and endorse specific candidates and issues.
Commitments to vote will be displayed on people’s
Facebook timeline, news feed, and real-time ticker…
The app will serve as a “second screen” for CNN's
America’s Choice 2012 political coverage. Via on-
air, online and mobile segments, CNN personalities
will use the app to ask Facebook users the most
important questions driving the national dialogue
and report on their answers.”
New direction for CNN
With CNN TV ratings touching a 21 year low
and with a 23% drop in the 24-54 year old
category, analysts commend the network’s
partnership with Facebook and efforts to
revamp their news products.
As Adweek writer Charlie Warzel pointed out:
"With ratings falling to a 21-year low in the second
quarter of this year, CNN needs to make bold
moves to draw viewers to its broadcasts, and it's
betting that Facebook is the answer."
Sam Feist, CNN Washington bureau chief shared
CNN’s vision for the 2012 elections:
“This partnership doubles down on CNN’s
mission to provide the most engaging coverage
of the 2012 election season. CNN’s unparalleled
Source: facebook.com twitter.com/nprbusiness

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
political reporting combined with Facebook’s social
connectivity will empower more American voters in
this critical election season.”
Power of social influence
The team behind the I’m Voting app and
government 2.0 analysts believe that social
citizenship can impact the outcome of the
elections.
The U.S. Politics team on Facebook wrote:
“We believe that the power of friends — the social
dynamic that creates a societal impact — will
result in a more involved citizenry that turns out
on Election Day, informed about the most critical
issues facing the nation.”
Alex Howard, Government 2.0 Correspondent
at O’Reilly Media, addressed the question “Will
“social citizenship” play a role in Election 2012?” in
a blog post recently, and shared this quote from
Dennis Crowley, Founder of Foursquare,:
“If I check into a coffee shop all the time, my friends
are going to be like, hey, I want to go to that coffee
shop. We’re thinking the same thing could happen
en masse if you start checking into these polling
stations, if you start broadcasting that you voted, it
may encourage other friends to go out there and do
something.”
A recent study from University of California, San
Diego validates this theory. The study estimates
that 340,000 votes in the U.S. Congressional
elections in 2010 can be attributed to a Facebook
message that prompted people to vote. 60,000
people who saw the Facebook message posted
that they had voted, thereby influencing their
friends and resulting in an additional 280,000
votes.
James Fowler, the lead author of the study,
highlighted the ‘friend factor’ as the main driver
of change:
“Social influence made all the difference in political
mobilization. It’s not the ‘I Voted’ button, or the
lapel sticker we’ve all seen, that gets out the vote.
It’s the person attached to it.”
Good platform for debate
People appreciate CNN’s efforts to create
awareness and spark discussions around
important issues, and point out the app’s
potential in reaching young voters.
Source: venturebeat.com
As Govind, member of the MSLGROUP Insights
Network commented:
“I love the fact that this initiative gets media to
partner people in recognising and thinking of real
issues, and lets people see that they are not alone.
Also, as this movement grows, political parties get
to see that they need to deliver.”
Meghan McCain, daughter of 2008 presidential
candidate John McCain, blogged:
“In my opinion, It will be really interesting to
see how this Facebook integration influences
conversations surrounding the election among
young voters, and if it will become a platform for
bipartisanship.”
Too much politics on Facebook?
However, several people are growing tired of
the constant discussion of politics and the
elections in media and on social media, and
resent the additional discussions the app is
likely to spark.
As CNET reader jeffhesser commented:
“Sweet. i was hoping we'd come up with a great way
to incite facebook 'friends' into making comments
that i will ultimately have to delete and unfriend.”
Blogger Jordan Valinsky even featured the I’m
Voting app in Daily Dot’s weekly column on things
they hate about the internet:
“CNN has found a new way to make your overtly
political friends even more annoying: the network
has debuted a new Facebook application that
infiltrates your feed with their dumb political views.”
Potential to gather metrics and
insights
Analysts acknowledge the potential of the
I’m Voting app to use metrics gathered
from surveys and insights gleaned from
conversations, both to predict trends and to
better understand the views of the masses.
Online radio host Tim Berge noted:
Corporate
Citizenship
CNN I'm Voting

21
“Currently, about 25-hundred Facebook users have
pledged to vote in November. Of the participating
users, 53 percent said they are Democrat, while 25
percent are Republican, and 22 percent said they
are Independent.
And, despite what the candidates may be saying
recently in their campaign attacks... most Facebook
users are listing the economy as the most critical issue.”
Only represents Facebook & CNN
fans
Several people have criticized the data
collected from the app, pointing out that
it does not truly represent the view of
Americans but of Facebook and CNN users,
the majority of whom are democratic.
Steve, a reader of online news blog kurzweilai.
net, pointed out:
“Deriving polling data from an app like this would
be almost useless because your sample population
would be skewed by only including FB & CNN users.”
CNET reader Mr_Mop commented:
“If there was a Yahoo! app, it would be 96%
Republican 1% Democrat and 3% Independent. If
you don't believe me, go read comments in political
articles about Romney or Obama.”
Ignores independent candidates
Some have criticized the app for naming
only Obama and Romney and ignoring
independent candidates such as Gary
Johnson, which comprises quality of data
collected, and misleads app users.
As Jillian Mack commented:
“What the heck kind of poll leaves out a two term
governor (Gary Johnson) who is already on the
ballot in more than enough states to achieve
electoral victory as president? CNN has ZERO
credibility as a news source with a poll like this.”
Her comment was liked by 83 people.
Source: facebook.com
Privacy concerns
People are also unhappy about the privacy
concerns the app raises.
Some are wary about sharing their preferences
with Facebook. As aka_tripleB commented:
“Who would want to give Facebook this kind of
information? This will lead to all sorts of political
calls and emails.”
Others point out that voting is a private matter.
As Brian, a reader of online news blog kurzweilai.
net, pointed out:
“The idea of voting includes privacy! It is a key
element in the political process. This is persuasion
through intimidation.”
Overall lack of trust & increase in
cynicism
The criticism and comments from app users
indicate a lack of trust in the media and
elections coverage.
Source: gallup.com
A Gallup survey released in September 2012
reported on this trend:
“Americans are clearly down on the news media
this election year, with a record-high six in 10
expressing little or no trust in the mass media's
ability to report the news fully, accurately, and
fairly…
“On a broad level, Americans' high level of distrust
in the media poses a challenge to democracy
and to creating a fully engaged citizenry. Media
sources must clearly do more to earn the trust of
Americans, the majority of whom see the media as
biased one way or the other..”

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
The lack of trust is paired with an increase in
cynicism towards elections coverage. Instead of
accepting data at face value, people are actively
evaluating and forming their own opinions.
As CNN reader ma3ai commented:
“does anyone else notice how this exercise was only
useful and meaningful to cnn itself? it's not a good
representation of what americans think or people in
general think. it is only a good representation of what cnn
readers think. and they did it to poll their audience so that
they can cater to the audience better.”
Role of data in election coverage
Analysts and journalists speculate that digital
tools and data will play a big role this year – in
media coverage and in people’s minds, and most
digital companies are riding on this hype with
their own data products.
CNN & Facebook Election Insights (source: cnn.com)
As blogger Katherine Leonard wrote:
“Technology has certainly found its place in politics
over the past four years, as is especially apparent
come election season. Be it for traffic, data mining
or a means of performing civic duty, the big names
in tech, from Amazon to Microsoft to Google and
Facebook, are providing the masses with a set of
shiny new tools to be heard online.”
Will social trends predict next US
president?
Some people believe that social trends will
indicate the outcome of the elections. As
Nathan Ingraham, news manager at The Verge,
commented:
“By the time November 7th rolls around, we'll be
able to see which social network did a better job at
predicting the outcome of this year's presidential
election.”
Others caution that insights must be separated
from noise and that social trends may not be an
accurate measure of the entire population. As
Dave Einstein, contributor at Forbes, explained:
“Technology can be a two-edged sword. Remember
the 1948 election, when the polls predicted a Dewey
landslide over Truman? That election marked the
first time pollsters relied on telephone surveys,
giving them access to more voters—big data back
then. It turned out that a lot of Truman supporters
didn’t have phones.”
Amazon Election Heat Map 2012 – What are Americans reading? (source: amazon.com)
Twitter Political Index (source: twitter.com)
Corporate
Citizenship
CNN I'm Voting

23
View this report directly on Slideshare

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Chase Community Giving
Chase Community Giving empowers
customers & employees to nominate
charities to compete for a total of $7.5
million of funding. Charities with the most
votes from the public win a larger share of
the funding.
In September 2012, 30,000 charities were
nominated, and after two weeks of voting
on Facebook, $5 million was donated to 196
charities across the United States. Chase
Community Giving was launched in 2009.
Chase
Community
Giving
People decide what matters
People participated in the program to
support causes they believe in, and in many
cases, to give back to charities that have
helped their loved ones and their local
communities.
As Kendra Kofron commented on Facebook:
“I have Diamond Blackfan Anemia and our charity
just won $100,000 from Chase! It meant the world
to us since there are only 700 patients worldwide.
We are small community of people with a big goal
of a cure!”
Charities gain funding & exposure
Non-profit consultants believe that the
platform offers charities more than funding
– the charities also gain mass exposure and
new supporters from the Chase Facebook
community of 3.8 million people.
Corporate
Citizenship
As Carrie Hirmer, a consultant to non-profits,
commented:
“For us, being in one of these contest-type grants
has been a wonderful thing so far. It may not work
as well for some organizations. It has helped
increase awareness of the need for our project and
has served as a door-opener, so to speak,

25
for relationships that will last long after the
contest ends.”
Benefit to Chase
By targeting charities with a voting contest,
Chase energized the local communities of
numerous causes, expanded exposure of
the Chase brand, and built credibility as a
socially responsible company.
As Kimberly B. Davis, president of the JPMorgan
Chase Foundation, said:
“Voting with Chase Community Giving helps to
energize the vast number of supporters of so many
great causes. At Chase, we are excited to lead local
and national causes in finding a voice and raising
awareness and critical funding for their work in
communities.”
Jack Ucciferri, blogger at the Huffington Post,
took a more cynical view and pointed out:
“What is Chase getting for the crumbs they're
throwing in the direction of our favorite non-profits?
Well, they are essentially buying brand value from
the one sector that still has much credibility at all
with the general public.”
Indeed, Chase received numerous accolades
from the public for helping out local
communities. As Julie Brown commented on
Facebook:
“Way to go, Chase- it is refreshing to see a “big
faceless corporation” making things right. Thanks
for looking out for the little guys!”
Tapping into local communities
The program sparked grassroots
movements as local communities took it
upon themselves to promote local charities,
using tools provided by Chase as well as
their own innovative promotion ideas.
Source: nashua.patch.com
The power of local communities was evident for
Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps, a small charity
in Nashua, New Hampshire, which qualified for
$50,000 in funding. As Paul LaFlamme, head of
the institution, shared:
“What put this campaign over the top, is how the
community stepped up to help us. The Mayors
office, The Chamber of Commerce, The Pheasant
Lane Mall, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater
Nashua, are just some examples of the community
that really stepped up and helped us. The support
of so many individuals in and outside the music
field was amazing”
Erich Timmerman, spokesman for JP Morgan
Chase shared some of the innovations used by a
local group:
"Some people use Facebook and YouTube.
One organization started a thing called virtual
volunteering. They had people go to Starbucks with
laptops and solicit votes."
But should charities participate?
Members of the non-profit industry remain
skeptical and divided about participating in
voting contests, which minimize people’s
involvement to just voting, pit charities
against each other, and provide ‘free’
advertising for big corporations.
Beth Kanter, social media consultant for charities,
cautioned:
“For organizations that are pestering their
supporters and friends to "vote for me" has the
potential of eroding the hard earned social capital.
It does not promote the good kind of relationship
building that can really sustain an organization
in the long run. It promotes transactional
relationships.”
Dana Gold, a non-profit executive, commented:
“I think vote driven, online philanthropy contests
are an unfortunate trend. They pit deserving non-
profits against one another, increase apathy among
supporters/donors who tire of the constant barrage
of "vote for us" messages, and discriminate against
emerging ideas/innovative initiatives with few backers.
Vote driven online contests are really just very
inexpensive ad campaigns for the company
donating their funds. They get lots of good press
Source: philantrophy.com

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
and lots of bang for a proportionately small buck.
The amount of time non-profits spend begging for
votes could be better used to educate supporters and
enlist their support in more longer-impact ways.”
On the other hand, Jon Camfield who organizes
similar voting contests at Changemakers.com,
pointed out one benefit of such as contests:
“The increased funding transparency of
competitions is a good thing for the social change
sphere. Transparency changes the closed world of
grant submissions into an open space. This allows
the entrants to see who else is competing, how their
idea is (or is not) differentiated, and gives a clear
sense of what the funder is interested in. Hopefully,
for the ideas that don't win, they at least also
understand better why their idea was not selected,
and have a path forward to evolve it or pursue more
relevant funding sources.”
Not all participants however agreed with the
voice of the crowds.
Which charity is “more important”?
With a maximum of 5 votes to cast and
nearly 30,000 charities to choose from,
people were forced ask themselves which
cause was “more important,” leading to
anger and bitterness after the winners were
announced.
As Linda Percy commented
“Hammonton Rescue Squad. In the business of
saving lives. Yes human lives in all types of weather
who really really really could have used the money
since we have a lot of uninsured children and adults
and migrant workers that have no insurance....
We don't even [get] considered. But yet its more
important to fund a band or playground not save a
human life... Chase should have given all charities
some and not a bunch too a couple groups because
they got a lot of votes.. we all could have benefited.
JERKS”
Support for Chase
Brand evangelists condemned the
bitterness of “sore losers,” pointed out the
benefits other than funding, and argued
that charities that can successfully mobilize
their communities to vote deserve to be
rewarded.
As Facebook fan Shelly Griffin commented:
“Being passionate about what you believe in is one
thing. Being rude to and about the ones you are
not, is offensive. Quite frankly, you are making a
wonderful thing that Chase is doing into something
very ugly…
You were afforded "free advertising" on this page for
your cause as well, and if you had so many voters, I
bet it elevated your overall donations beyond what
you would have received had you not been at this
page at all.”
Facebook fan Ryan Williams commented:
“These contests reward charities who can actively
engage their volunteer or donor base to go out and
vote for them... Getting people actively involved
in your mission is equally as important to the
sustainability of a social movement as gathering
outcome data.”
Wave of nationalism
However, the decision to award the top
grant of $250,000 to the Egyptian Cancer
Network* was not received well, and people
were enraged that the money would not be
used to the benefit of U.S. citizens.
As Holly Williams commented:
“It say community giving, since when is Egypt
in OUR community? Ship it over seas and
when your in trouble the AMERICANS will bail
you out! I am extremely disappointed!”
Some were especially outraged that Egypt was
the main beneficiary of the contest given the
recent protests at the U.S. embassy in Egypt
(two weeks before the Chase Community Giving
awards were announced).
Corporate
Citizenship

27
As Carol Ross commented:
“I'm very surprised about the winner-please hold
the money until they stop burning our flag and
demonstrating their hatred for us.”
Charities vs. customers
Most of the debate focused on which charity was
most deserving, but several people pointed out
that the $7.5 million could instead have been
given to customers in the form of better rates and
products.
As Debbie Strong Washington commented:
“not to seem crude, but what about just giving
your real customers better rates on their savings
accounts instead of giving money away to
charities?”
Demand for shared value
All the responses, both positive and negative,
had one thing in common: they acknowledged
and demanded the need for shared value, and
rewarded or punished Chase for the same.
Indeed, upon hearing that the charity he voted
for was disqualified with no explanation, Steve
Joseph pointed out the need for customers to
choose companies that provide shared value:
“I'm truly sorry to read about [the disqualification]
but I am not surprised. This simply deepens my
efforts to move ALL my banking and investment
efforts away from Chase bank and I would suggest
to anyone after reading the above that you do the
same. Only we can make the difference by aligning
with individuals and businesses that have the better
interests of our health as a key priority.”
Others believed that Chase did provide value. As
Ryan Wilson, a professional contest organizer
commented:
“Chase and Pepsi (re: Pepsi Refresh) got good
mileage out of their campaigns, and they put up
a ton of money to run them. So are these contests
philanthropy or marketing? Can they be both and
achieve simultaneous goals?”

29
Germany’s 1st crowdsourced
burger
To celebrate its 40th anniversary in
Germany, McDonald’s launched a six-
month-long crowdsourcing campaign,
inviting Germans to make their own burgers
online.
McDonald’s Germany had already created many
‘limited time only’ promotional burgers, and
wanted to do something different this year.
Digital agency Razorfish said:
“We knew that many dreamed of creating their own
individual McDonald’s burger. A burger that would
appear on the plates of our two million daily guests.
So we created a competition and invited everyone
to take part. It was time for Germany’s first crowd-
sourced burgers. By the fans, for the fans.”
Source: birgerking on Flickr
Staying true to the fans
People used the ‘Burger Configurator’
tool to choose from 70 ingredients (bread,
meats, sauce) to build their dream burgers,
and to give them personalized names.
McDonald’s was sincere in its mission to give
control to the fans, and the freedom to choose
from so many ingredients no doubt contributed
to the campaign’s success.
In contrast, German brand Pril had launched a
similar campaign at the same time, which faced
severe backlash online for being against the spirit
of crowdsourcing.
As Julian Schollmeyer, Client Services Manager,
1000 Heads – Berlin, wrote in his blog:
“Henkel launched a campaign on the net where
users could design their own ‘individual’ bottle
using a tool set with mostly predefined graphics
(i.e. colourful flowers, birds etc) to stamp on the
virtual label. The two designs with the most votes
would then hit the shelves in October. So far, so
predictable.
However, having users stamp pre-defined flowers
on a label and then hailing it as a crowdsourcing
campaign struck copywriter Peter Breuer [who
started the backlash] as, frankly, lame.”
McDonald’s
Mein Burger

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Crowdsourcing promotion
McDonald’s further empowered participants
to get votes, providing DIY tools to make
personalized web banners, video promos
and posters. One such marketing tool even
allowed people to pit their burger against
another, and post this on Facebook.
Source: McDonalds.de
About 12,000 user-generated marketing
campaigns were created, helping the campaign
go viral, and 1.5 million votes were cast.
Reuben Halper, a creative at Google UK pointed
out the role of execution in achieving success:
“It’s always nice to see examples of crowd-sourcing
and co-creation done right. To be fair, it’s hard to
do those types of campaign in a way that doesn’t
feel gimmicky and benefits both the user and the
advertiser…
It’s all about the execution in this case as
Razorfish… provided the tools for users [to]
promote their burger creation and encourage their
friends, as well as the general public, to vote for the
eventual winners.”
New brand evangelists
Five finalists were chosen based on public
voting, and were given star treatment.
They starred in their own TV commercials,
and their burgers were served at 1,415
McDonald’s locations in Germany for a week
each. The ‘Just Stevinho’ burger won after
the last round of voting.
Not only did McDonald’s gain five new burgers,
but also five brand evangelists.
Winner Steve Krömer especially evangelized
the brand on his widely-read podcast-blog
on gaming, with blogs posts promoting the
campaign, gathering feedback on TV spots,
defending McDonald’s customer service and
launching the second edition of Mein Burger.
Source: stevinho.justnetwork.com
Impact online and in real life
Online, 116,000 burgers were created,
120,000 Facebook fans were gained, and
every fourth online German was reached.
These numbers nearly doubled in second
edition of the campaign.
In real life, the campaign set local benchmarks
for promo burgers sold, customers gained and
revenue raised.
The results of Mein Burger were phenomenal,
impressing even the digital agency that ran the
campaign. Norman Rockmann, account director,
Neue Digitale/Razorfish – Berlin, said:
“We really did not expect to have this much success
with the campaign. The [success] we had was
in part 40, 50, 60 times higher than previous
successful campaigns.”
People’s Insights on what worked
Firstly, allowing participants to personalize
burger names served as an outlet for
creativity and, more importantly, as enticing
short-form content pegs people could push
out while asking for votes.
As was noted on the MSLGROUP Insights
Network,:
“It helps differentiate the crowdsourced burgers
without having to scrutinize the ingredients. The
burger inventors can name their creations after
themselves for an ego boost. And the comedians
out there get to have some fun (someone even
suggested a “Mc Gyver” burger!).”
Crowdsourcing McDonald's Mein Burger

31
Source: trendspektor.de
Secondly, online communities played a key role
in building hype and spreading reach.
In 2011, the campaign gained momentum
as people reached out to their personal
communities for votes.
In 2012, communities such as 9gag, 4chan,
MyDealz, and Bronies, helped McDonald’s reach
new audiences. In fact, it was rivalry between the
communities that led to a huge jump in votes
cast, from 1.5 million in 2011 to 5 million in 2012.
Robin Joggarn Törnkvist, top commenter on a
meme sharing site, tracked the voted received by
the rival burgers:
“Score is now: 9gag = 32k [and 4chan's] Mc Moot =
28,5k.”
A large support group appeared seemingly out of
nowhere from the community of ‘Bronies’ – male
fans of the American animated TV series ‘My
Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’. After receiving
several requests for votes, German Brony,
Sebastian, created and named a chicken burger
after the character Scootaloo.
Amused by an inside joke over Scootaloo and
chickens, the burger made ripples in the global
online community of Bronies. Discussions
deemed McDonald’s the new location for
German Brony meet-ups, and Sebastian’s Mein
Burger entry received the maximum support –
more than 160,000 votes.
Source: trendspektor.de
The fanatic love for Bronies even surpassed the
anti-junk food sentiment for some, as is evident
in a comment by donstopme on Equestria Daily:
“YES! Being German finally pays off! I normally
avoid it, but I think it’s about time to visit
McDonald’s again”
Global brand, local relevance
By including traditional German ingredients
in the Burger Configurator, McDonald’s
was able to forge a deeper, more personal
connection with Germans.
As American-German blogger Steve Fuchs said:
“This year’s first place winner has Germany
written all over it…The ultimate winner was the
Pretzelnator which consists of a pretzel bread bun
with sour cream, onions, lettuce, schinken, hard
cheese, beef, and cheddar cheese. What more
could you expect from a German creation?”
Source: germanpulse.com
In two years, more than 460,000 recipes were
created and voted upon – an abundance of data
and insights for McDonald’s. Indeed, Duncan
Cruttenden, R&D manager, McDonald’s Germany,
said:
“We know better which ingredients and combinations
consumers want.”
McDonald’s may have achieved the right
formula with the Mein Burger campaign, and has
already replicated it successfully in Austria. The
campaign has also launched with adaptations in
the Netherlands and Spain.

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Local campaign, global reach
Digital is a global medium, and McDonald’s
a global brand. As participants tapped into
their communities to gather votes, they
exposed McDonald’s and the Mein Burger
campaign to people across the globe.
The exposure led to positive responses, with
several people expressing a desire to travel
to Germany to eat the crowdsourced burgers.
Others wrote open letters to McDonald’s,
begging for the burgers or the campaign to come
to the US.
A blogger at Fat Brat wrote:
“Make This Please: McDonald’s Pretzelnator… If
McDonald’s doesn’t import this into the US I’m
gonna, well…hm well I guess I’ll just be healthy and
skinny with little to no cholesterol in my diet. BUT!
That is not what I want, not what I desire.
What I want is the Pretzelnator, the result of a Mein
Burger campaign held in Germany, and one of five
delicious custom burgers that was crowd-sourced
for this campaign. Bring it home McD’s, bring it
home.”
Crowdsourcing campaign, and
control
Brands relinquish control when
crowdsourcing content, and need to monitor
their properties closely, and act swiftly to
rectify embarrassing situations.
To echo Reuben Halper, “it’s all about the
execution.” McDonald’s and Razorfish did in
fact monitor their properties, and were swift to
disqualify fraudulent votes and inappropriate
content, such as the ‘McHolocaust’ burger.
Source: McDonald’s.de
The burger had, however, already attracted a
few thousand votes and guilty giggles on meme
sharing site Know Your Meme.
As Tublorene Jenkins commented:
“McHolocaust… in Germany… I can’t stop laughing,
it hurts.”
Crowdsourcing clearly has its benefits, and to
be successful requires a team equipped and
prepared to retain control in favour of the brand.
Crowdsourcing in the F&B space
To date, several food and beverage
brands globally have experimented with
crowdsourcing product innovation, to
varying degrees of success, including
Domino’s Pizza, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream,
and Mountain Dew.
Crowdsourcing McDonald's Mein Burger

33

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
What is Foodspotting?
Foodspotting is a crowdsourcing platform
that enables people to find and recommend
dishes, not just restaurants. Foodspotters can
share photos and ratings of their favourite
dishes, and foodseekers can discover new
foods.
Foodspotting
Source: foodspotting.com
Foodspotting has several elements in common
with other social networks: people can upload
photos from their phone, add locations and
rate dishes. In fact, most people usually refer to
Foodspotting as the Instagram / Foursquare / Yelp
of food.
Foodspotting can be accessed via the web and
mobile, with mobile applications designed for
iPhone, Android, Windows and BlackBerry phones.
Changing the way people discover
food
Foodspotting was founded with vision of one
day replacing restaurant menus, and has
already succeeded at becoming a visual and
social guide for food discovery.
Foodseeker Romulo shared his experience:
“This app is fantastic to discovery new places and try
new food, because you SEE the food so you decide
right away if you [want] to try it. I loved it”
Source: fastcompany.com
With 2.3 million photos uploaded, Foodspotting
is now aiming to recommend new foods based on
personal preferences and past activity. As Christina
Chaey, Associate Editor at Fast Company, wrote:
“Can An App Tell You What You Want To Eat?
Foodspotting Is Trying”
Crowdsourcing Foodspotting

35
Tech Crunch blogger Anthony Ha aptly likened
Foodspotting to music recommendation and
discovery site Pandora.
Originally for foodies &
photographers
Foodspotting stands out from other social
networks with its emphasis on food and
photography. Originally, the platform catered
exclusively to foodies & photographers, giving
them a place to share photos and discuss
food, as well as professional tips on taking
photos in restaurants, and rewards for sharing
photos.
As foodspotter Tiff commented:
“I admit it: I'm addicted to photographing what I eat.
Foodspotting is the best place to output my tasty
documentation.”
As foodspotter Mike Templeton commented:
“Foodspotting is one of my favorite apps, mostly because
it addresses a niche cross-section: food and photos.
Before I was tweeting what I was eating, using Yelp for
reviews, plus checking in on foursquare – Foodspotting
has connected all of those and made it fun.”
Useful for travelers
Travelers soon adopted Foodspotting as a
tool to find food in new locations, to satisfy
cravings for specific food, and to discover new
foods in local neighbourhoods.
As Android app user Jake said:
“Great app for my tastebuds. Allows me to find
excellent food in small towns as I travel.”
As foodseeker Cheryl noted:
“Pretty good to use. Gives a lot of info about what is
close. Identifies small, tucked away places you may
not know about.”
Now, for all foodseekers
In Feb 2012, Foodspotting shifted focus
from photo-sharing to broaden its appeal.
Now, Foodspotting emphasizes features
including food discovery, photo menus,
recommendations from brands such as the
Travel Channel, and ‘specials’ which include
discounts.
As Ryan Charles commented:
“To me this redesign sounds like their successful
accumulation of photos has them positioned to move
from foodie photo app to universal food destination.”
Blogger Harry McCracken commented on the
redesign:
“There’s probably a limit to how many folks there are
in the world who want to obsessively photograph food.
So the new version of Foodspotting that launched
this week is designed to broaden the app’s appeal.
The photo sharing’s still there–but it feels more like
one feature in an app whose primary purpose is to let
large numbers of people find and see the best dishes
at local restaurants before they place an order.”
Bloggers and Foodspotting users agreed the
redesign is a step in the right direction, but also
acknowledged that Foodspotting still has a way to
go before it can replace food discovery competitors
like Yelp.
As Ishak Kang pointed out:
“Still like Yelp for the “experience” review. Yes, it’s as
important as the food.”
Source: play.google.com

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Taking photos of food
Source: missmeng on Flickr
Food photography has become a global
trend in the last two years. Foodspotters find
themselves taking photos of food for various
reasons: to capture and share a beautiful dish,
to enhance their blog posts or restaurant
reviews, or to document their meals.
As Gary Walker noted:
“Food is one of the reasonably small number of things
all people do. People take pictures of food now that digital
photography has made this easy, cheap, and universal”
Jennifer Yarbough commented:
“I only do it if I'm reviewing a restaurant on Yelp, but I
don't find myself sharing home-cooked meals. Some
of my friends who love to cook and have a collection of
cookbooks are much more enthusiastic about taking
photographs. I am way more likely to try out a recipe if
they include a photo of their finished product.”
Michael Ong commented on this trend becoming
the norm:
“I feel that sharing my food pictures is like sharing a
meal with my friends. Some people think it’s rude to
take pictures, especially at a nice restaurant…
However, some of us take pride in it and are leading
the trend to make it a social norm. I think it is more
acceptable now than a few years ago. My family and
friends seem to know the ‘drill’ now that no one is
supposed to touch the food until I shoot the plate.”
Source: brandchannel.com
Criticism: Taking photos at restaurants
Crowdsourcing Foodspotting
Several people criticize this trend of
photographing food, especially at restaurants,
finding it rude and distracting.
As Dervid McGurkin commented:
“No self respecting "Foodie" is going to pull his gadget
(phone, cam, etc.) out at a nice restaurant and snap a
pic of it. It's rude.”
With people spending more time on their mobile
phones while dining out, browsing social networks
or uploading food photos, they tend to neglect
their companions – which some find offensive. As
Andrew Lawson pointed out:
“If the future of dining out is going into a restaurant,
taking a photo of the drinks menu, taking a photo
of the bar, taking a photo of the drink you get… then
dining is going to lose a lot of its appeal.
Combine this with no doubt having to check-in on
Foursquare, update your Twitter status, Facebook
status, checkin on Facebook, check emails, and man
you are going to have some fun people out for dinner.”
Some restaurants have tried to curb this trend with
‘no-phone’ policies. Others, such as The Melting
Pot, have embraced the trend and partnered with
Foodspotting to reach out to food lovers.
Does Foodspotting have enough
users?
While it has a rich database of 2.3 million
photos and an enthusiastic community,
Foodspotting has received criticism for not
having enough users – and thus content –
beyond certain hotspots like San Francisco.
As foodspotter Andi commented:
“Love finding new and exciting things to eat! Also love
posting pics of my favorite foods! Great ap! Wish more
people in my immediate area would use it.”

37
As blogger Harry McCracken shared:
“Judging from my experience so far, Foodspotting
also doesn’t have a Yelp like critical mass of content
practically everywhere. At the moment, I’m in
Newton Corner, Massachusetts–not exactly a
hotbed of fine dining–and only see a few photos
from a few restaurants. Yelp, however, has dozens of
nearby establishments that have dozens of reviews
apiece. (Back home in food-centric San Francisco,
Foodspotting is a much richer resource.)”
Importance of mobile experience
As mobile users are becoming more
sophisticated, the pressure to create a smooth
user experience increases. Android app users
of Foodspotting have been vocal in their
appreciation of the app, and also in their
criticism of the user experience.
For some, issues faced while using the app could
be a deal breaker. As Android app user Childfree
commented:
“This used to be my fav app! Some people pray before
a meal but this app had me snapping pics! Then one
day the app had NO PICS!? WTF? So disappointed! I
even tried re-installing...still the pics wont load! If this
isn’t fixed soon I will be uninstalling this app for good!”
Competition with other social
networks?
Foodspotting uses APIs from other social
networks to create a richer experience for
users, and offers its own API as well. This
means users can choose to access other apps
from Foodspotting, or to use Foodspotting
from other apps.
As GigaOm blogger Erica Ogg noted on
Foodspotting’s use of the Yelp API:
“Foodspotting moves to ensure you don’t need Yelp’s app.”
And as Foursquare user Erick Jcm commented:
“Love the app, but I’m from Guatemala and here
people uses Foursquare a lot, I can find a lot of things
using fsq but I would completely love Foodspotting if
existed an integration with fsq venues to find and spot
dishes, more quickly and with more reliable location
using fsq.”
For some, integration is important as they are
growing tired of checking too many networks. As
Nick Slettengren commented:
“Why not plug into the various social media API's like
Facebook and twitter instead of trying to make up
your own social network?”
While Foodspotting definitely benefits from
exposure in more popular apps such as Foursquare,
is it losing out on potential users due to this
integration?
Is Foodspotting here to stay?
Source: forbes.com
While Foodspotting is popular amongst
foodies, and is constantly innovating to deliver
more value, most people agree that the future
will be tough as more and more competitors
emerge in the online food space.
As Pearl Chen pointed out:
“I do worry about how many foodspotting-esque apps
currently exist though. (Nosh being the closest that I
know of, and Oink and Stamped (as you mentioned)
being variations.)”

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012 Crowdsourcing Foodspotting

39
What is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is the largest US crowdfunding
platform, empowering artists and inventors
to raise funds from crowds of individuals.
Since 2009, Kickstarter has helped raise
more than $250 million for more than
24,000 projects.
Mike Bulajewski, User Experience Designer,
described Kickstarter on his blog Mr. Tea Cup, as:
”A place where artists and engineers can connect
with the people in direct peer-to-peer relationships
who aren’t just buying entertainment, they’re
helping make dreams a reality.”
Getting your project funded
Anyone who is above 18, a citizen of the U.S.
and qualifies for Amazon Payments can start
a project.
To be successful in raising funds, projects should
have realistic and well-defined scopes and budgets.
Source: Kickstarter.com
Project starters should engage with the community
of backers, answer questions and provide updates
on progress.
Paul Hildebrandt, whose project “Fight For Space
– Space Program & NASA Documentary” was
successful in raising funds, included an HD trailer,
video footage from the National Space Symposium,
and a list of interviewees in his project page.
He also posted frequent updates to thank backers
and motivate others to support the project:
“We are on day 4 and have raised over $12,000
out of our $65,000 goal… Thank you all for your
support, it is because of bold people like you who
are willing to support a project such as this one that
we will be able to tell this story and educate, inspire,
and motivate the public about how beneficial space
exploration really is. Continue to Fight for Space
and we can all make a difference.”
Source: kickstarter.com
Kickstarter

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
To be successful, projects must also set a funding
goal and a funding deadline. Starters can refer
to Kickstarter Stats and an analysis of 10,000
successful projects across different categories
to decide on an appropriate goal. While the limit
for funding deadlines is 60 days, Kickstarter
recommends a shorter duration:
“Statistically, projects lasting 30 days or less have
our highest success rates. A Kickstarter project
takes a lot of work to run, and shorter projects set
a tone of confiden ce and help motivate your
backers to join the party. Longer durations incite
less urgency, encourage procrastination, and tend
to fizzle out.”
In addition, projects must offer rewards to their
backers. Meaningful and reasonable rewards
increase the chances of the project meeting the
funding goal.
Paul Hildebrandt offered twelve different types
of rewards, catering to pledges from $10 to
$10,000. An example reward:
”Pledge $75 or more – Behind The Scenes Pack:
All of the above, PLUS: A behind the scenes
documentary made about the making of this film.
We go over equipment, scripting, research, and
many aspects of how to produce an independent
documentary film. BONUS: A Fight For Space
T-Shirt.”
Roughly 44% of Kickstarter projects are
successful in meeting their funding goal.
Strictly for creative projects
Kickstarter is strictly for creative projects and
does not allow funding for causes, charities
or ‘fund-my-life’ projects. Projects must fall
under specific categories, including film,
music and design, and must have a tangible
end product (such as a music album).
As a result, Kickstarter has received accolades
from the media for creating a successful
alternative funding source for artists in a down
economy.
Source: kickstarter.com
Source: nytimes.com
Patricia Cohen, New York Times, wrote about the
hardship faced by the art industry:
“In the last year alone, money troubles have
pushed the New Mexico Symphony to close, New
York City Opera to slash its budget by two-thirds
and the State of Kansas to eliminate all public
financing for the arts.”
James Reed, Boston Globe, described a similar
situation in the music industry:
“As the music industry’s financial resources
continue to crumble, more independent musicians
are turning to fans to directly finance work that
might not otherwise get done.”
Rub Lerner, president of non-profit
Creative Capital called crowdfunding “mass
microphilantrophy.”
Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing described Kickstarter
as a way for artists “to make fine art without
galleries or grand committees or gazillionaires.”
‘All or nothing’ funding
A project must meet its funding goal by
a set deadline in order to receive funds.
Kickstarter believes this “protects everyone
involved,” as projects with insufficient
budgets are less likely to succeed. Once the
goal has been met, the project receives all
Crowdsourcing Kickstarter

41
Source: nytimes.com
the money pledged, even if it is in excess of
the goal.
Peter Chen, Co-Founder of Kickstarter, explained
that the strict guidelines aim to shape the project
proposals and the subsequent creations:
“Once you add constraints, that’s what happens.
We want that to happen.”
Notable projects funded on
Kickstarter
Two Academy-Award-nominated
documentaries, art projects exhibited
in the Museum of Modern Arts, an iPod
Nano watch, and 10% of films submitted to
Sundance got their start on Kickstarter.
Thousands of projects are currently in the process
of going live, with thousands more still in the
funding stage.
2012 has seen an influx of creative projects from
lesser known artists, as well we more well-known
creators such as musician Amanda Palmer, authors
Neal Stephenson and Seth Godin, actor Whoopi
Goldberg and animator John Kricfalusi.
What drives project starters and
backers?
Project starters come to Kickstarter to give
life to their creative ideas.
Backers come for a variety of reasons: to support
friends, give back to the community, or commission
creation of cool products they’d like to own. Xavier
Barnes described the latter quite succinctly on
Kickstarter’s Facebook page:
“Kickstarter, making great sh*t possible on a daily
basis.”
For other backers, it’s about making a difference.
Matt Christenson, a backer of the Fight for Space
documentary said,
“I’m a senior at a university and I make $7,000 a
year. I donated $25 to this, and if I can donate-then
everyone can. And should. Being a science major
only emphasizes the responsibility I feel for the
future of our nation.”
For some, it’s about contributing to make a
personal dream come true. Chris De Laet, a
backer of the same documentary shared,
“I kicked in $40, but if I had it I’d kick in $10k. It’s an
important story. People need to know why NASA
isn’t just “another government waste project”. I
lived in Cape Canaveral when I was growing up
and Space Exploration was as important to me
as breathing. I STILL own [the] over-1000 page
press packet that NASA gave out when they
introduced the Space Shuttle. I haven’t forgotten
what exploration used to mean. I hope this project
reminds everyone.”
Beyond funding – community
Kickstarter sees the platform as more than just
a way to raise money. It also connects starters
with their audience, helps promote their work,
and in some cases helps them improve their
work. Most successful starters feel the same
way.
Scott Wilson, starter of the popular LunaTik iPod
Nano watch, shared his experience:
“Backers are generally in it not only for the product
but to see you succeed, it seems. It’s great to feel
so much positivity vs. the typical snarky and hater
mentality you often see on the blogs. I think that if the
right story, solution and design were presented on this
platform, and the creator had open dialog via the blog
during development, it could fuel some solutions that
could have a positive social impact.”
Revenue model
Kickstarter takes a 5% cut of the money
raised, and Amazon Payments, the payment
platform, takes an additional 3%-5%. While
some say this is too high, most argue that the
value provided justifies the cut.
A comment on blog Mr. Tea Cup summed it up:
“The cost of capital through Kickstarter is far less than
traditional funding sources. And while Kickstarter
may not be your version of a perfect business, and I
agree it can be improved upon, I think they have done
an invaluable service to the nascent sharing economy
by demonstrating that collective decision-making
about project funding can work.”

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Exponential rise in dollars pledged
While most successful Kickstarter projects
receive less than $10,000, a few crossed the
six- and seven-digit mark in early 2012. In
March 2012, Double Fine Adventure raised $1
million in under 24 hours.
Post funding – the work has just
begun
Critics point out that there is a lack of
accountability of projects once they are
funded. Online publication Charlottesville
News & Arts shared an example:
“Last year, the would-be creators of video-recording
glasses earned a whopping $343,415, meeting their
goal, but the backers have yet to receive finished
products, and many fear the creators have abandoned
the project altogether. Who’s to stop them? No one,
it seems. Kickstarter can’t take legal action, and since
the average donation is small, few backers have a big
enough stake to sue the project’s creators.”
Critics also point out that the money raised is an
investment, not a ‘gift.’ Once they are funded, artists
have to prove their business mettle in creating the
product and delivering rewards to their backers.
Source: businessinsider.com
Source: businessinsider.com
Legal and tax implications?
As the amounts raised cross six digits, and
Kickstarter plans its UK launch, industry
watchers are pointing out the need for laws to
safeguard backers, and to clarify the tax status
of the funding. And starters need to consider
investing some of the funds in hiring legal and
financial specialists to keep their projects on
the right track.
Crowdfunding beyond Kickstarter
Kickstarter is just one platform in the
crowdsourcing industry. Others include
Indiegogo which caters to more diverse
projects including ‘fund-my-health,’ and is less
restrictive regarding ‘all or nothing funding’.
Overseas, zeczec caters to Taiwanese crowds
Source: forbes.com
Crowdsourcing Kickstarter

43

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
What is LoudSauce?
LoudSauce is a crowdfunding platform that
funds advertising for social good. People
upload video, print & outdoor ads and
pledge money, and LoudSauce organizes
the media buy and publishes the ads.
San Francisco Bay Billboard Campaign (source: loudsauce.com)
Termed the ‘Kickstarter’ of grassroots advertising
by GigaOm blogger Barb Darrow, LoudSauce
has enabled 2,304 pledges of $131,045 for 35
campaigns, and the crowdfunded ads have reached
30 million people.
The campaigns are further amplified by media
coverage and online mentions. Several campaigns
received mainstream coverage, including: the
Occupy TV spots, and the ‘See you in Greece’
billboard in NYC Times Square.
Giving a voice to concerned
citizens
Advertising was previously limited to deep-
pocket corporate advertisers. LoudSauce
was founded with the vision to give voice to
individuals and small organizations. As a
Triple Pundit blogger pointed out:
“The offering is targeted toward individuals, artists,
and organizations that have something important
to say but do not have the means necessary to reach
millions.”
Blogger and social activist Jeremy Williams
highlighted the potential for good:
“Most of us can’t afford a billboard. But if we got
together with like-minded people and each chipped
in a bit, perhaps we could use just a small part of
the advertising network for something positive.”
Indeed, individuals and organizations have used
LoudSauce to stand up for causes they believe
in, connect with like-minded people and drive
change. Here’s a comment from LoudSauce
donor Rebecca Petzel:
“I would love to see a LoudSauce campaign to
get billboards and commercials highlighting the
corporate money in the no on prop 37 campaign…
or just a pro prop 37 campaign. Do we have any
friends who are working in this field? I would even
give more than my standard $5 :) ”
LoudSauce
Crowdsourcing LoudSauce

45
Up Greek Tourism ad using pictures of 333 amplifiers (source: nytimes.com)
As Yorgos Kleivokiotis, organizer of the Up Greek
Tourism campaign on LoudSauce, commented:
“Governments are trying to find solutions, but we
as individuals should not wait, we need to help
ourselves.”
When earned media doesn’t work
Several people have used LoudSauce in
situations when a story was not large or
exciting enough for journalists to pick up,
and when earned media would not be able
to reach the desired number of people.
Heath Wickline, an independent consultant who
organized a successful LoudSauce campaign
for NGO Uniting NC, shared his experience with
earned media:
“One area where things didn’t quite go as
expected was with earned media. Despite some
concerted outreach to local press and bloggers in
North Carolina, we couldn’t get folks to cover the
campaign for the billboards. Several reporters told
us that they thought the billboards themselves
were the real story, and that they’d consider
covering them when they were up.”
Indeed, many campaigns received coverage only
after their LoudSauce ads went live (see point #3
in this blog post).
Journalist Denise Tejada interviewed Marti Roach,
one of the organizers for the Occupy TV ad, on
why she chose LoudSauce:
“According to Roach, the purpose of the ad
is to raise awareness regarding the positive
developments that are coming out of the occupy
movement. She also says the occupy movement
is so large and can be hard to understand, so
it’s important to direct people to these solutions
so they have a better understanding of the
movement.”
Reaching new audiences
Bloggers, activists and LoudSauce users
agree that the platform helped them
reach out to large audiences (many of
whom would not seek out the causes on
social media) and increase their support
community.
Blogger Beth Buczynski pointed out the
importance of reaching new crowds:
“Most of these [social media] outlets require people
to “opt in” to receive updates and invites. This
means that for the most part, organizations with
the ability to catalyze social and environmental
change end up preaching to the choir.
The people who really need to hear, read, and see
these messages are those who would never sign up
for a newsletter about economic inequality or watch
a YouTube video about climate change.”
Uniting NC billboard campaign in North Carolina (source: hwickline.com)
Heath Wickline shared his NGO’s success in
increasing leads via their LoudSauce campaign:
“More than half of those who donated through the
LoudSauce platform were new supporters of the
organization. Those individuals’ email addresses
represented a 5% increase in the size of Uniting
NC’s list, and every one of them connected with the
organization for the first time as a donor.”
Money where your mouth is
With crowdfunding platforms becoming
increasingly popular, people have more
opportunity to help causes they are
passionate about. Indeed, more and more
people are now using their money to shape
the world they live in.
Colin Mutchler, founder of LoudSauce, offered an
explanation for the trend:
“Crowdfunding is often motivated by a desire to be
involved in something worthwhile, and to feel the
pride of giving to a good cause.”

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Empowering only those with
money?
Some bloggers pointed out that
crowdfunding does not highlight the voice
of everyone, but only those with money. As
blogger Micaela Samodelov noted:
“The downside to the democratic aspect of
crowdfunding is that participants have to vote with
their dollars. The ads funded, or elected, reflect the
interests of people who can afford to spend more.”
Others argue that crowdfunding is a community-
engagement process. Joe Brewer argued this at
length in his blog post, Why Crowdfunding isn’t
Really about Money:
“Yes, there must be money pledged by fans. And
the amount of money raised needs to be sufficient
for achieving the goals set out initially by the
project’s host.
But the central action centers around meaningful
engagement that empowers the crowd to create
something new. This is why crowdfunding has
so much potential for “game changers” in the
arena of social movements. It is a fundamentally
empowering process that engages people in
meaningful action.”
Crowdfunding shouldn’t replace
other efforts
Activists warn that funding an advertisement
is good to create awareness for a specific
cause, but not a solution to broader
societal issues. As Jonathon Rutherford
commented:
“Given our situation [LoudSauce] (like so many
other things) is largely a waste of time and energy
in my view. The best thing concerned activists
can do to save the planet and create a more just
world, is build the local non-market alternatives
economies/institutions in the towns and suburbs
where they live.”
Micaela Samodelov pointed out that people
should continue to support efforts and
organizations that are tackling these issues:
“Funding a LoudSauce campaign may represent a
good alternative to using disposable income to buy
some unnecessary and unsustainable consumer
product…
but a donation for a non-commercial
advertisement should not replace broader support
for organizations working toward social justice,
environmental sustainability, or countless other
worthy causes.”
Limited potential?
While several people agreed with the
potential of LoudSauce in reaching wider
audience, most agree that the platform is
best suited to bringing about change at a
local level. As Jeremy Williams wrote:
“It’s futile to see [LoudSauce] as a big solution. But
for a specific issue in a local area, I think it could
be powerful. It’s one tool among many, and no
substitute for actually building the alternatives.”
Others point out that the potential of crowdfunded
ads is limited, since billboard companies can and
have refused to run the more controversial ads.
One such campaign targeted Senator Scott Brown
in Boston, and was banned by the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority.
Source: loudsauce.com
Crowdsourcing LoudSauce
While the Boston campaign was promoted using
bicycle ads as an alternative, not all campaigns have
found creative solutions. As Byron Smith pointed out:
“Here and there, an occasional campaign may
have tactical advantage in using these options,
but the benefits are limited. Witness the attempt
to SumOfUs in the US recently to respond to
the Heartland mass murderer billboard with a
campaign of their own on the same billboards…
The billboard company refused to run it, saying
that they won’t run anything that is critical of
corporations who are also their customers.”
Role in election
Some bloggers believe that LoudSauce
can play a role in amplifying the voice of
the crowds in the upcoming presidential
elections. $194 million has already been
spent by the Super PACs this year.
As former LoudSauce campaign manager,
Caroline Henderson, commented on Facebook:
“I’m beginning to see how the crowd can take back the

47
conversation from Super-PACs and the super wealthy.”
Blogger Barb Darrow of GigaOm.com noted:
“As the rhetoric of this election year heats up, there will
be more ads. But for anyone who is not a Koch brother or
a gigantic company but wants to be heard will probably
need help with funding. That’s where LoudSauce fits in.”
Future of media & advertising?
As people debate the impact LoudSauce
can make on society, some have begun
to consider and discuss the possibility
of more advertisements that reflect the
voice of people and not just messages of
consumerism.
A blogger at Springwise commented that such
advertising is overdue:
“Big media has had control over the advertising
space for such a long time, isn’t it time consumers
had some say over what gets shown?”
Advertiser Michael Caissie found the concept
inspiring:
“This is the kind of idea that many, I mean many
agencies should start offering. I work in advertising
and my goal is to make a more human way of
communication and this concept of ideas coming
from the public is almost to me revolutionary.
Talking about potential.”
And, social entrepreneur Connie Kwan put
forward the golden question:
“Is it possible to transform advertising from a medium
of consumerism to one of citizen participation?”

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
What is Generous Store?
Source: Facebook.com/AnthonBerg
Anthon Berg
Generous
Store
In February 2012, chocolatier Anthon Berg
inspired a ‘sweet’ movement of generosity
by setting up a one-day pop up store in
downtown Copenhagen, Denmark. Instead
of paying by cash and credit cards, people
paid for chocolates with “good deeds.”
Different packages of chocolate had different
‘prices,’ ranging from “Serve breakfast in bed to
your loved one,’ ‘Help clean your friend’s house,’
and ‘Don’t comment on your girlfriend’s driving
for a week.’
To hold people to their promises, Anthon Berg
staff provided iPads at check out and asked
people to log on to Facebook and pledge the
good deed on a friend’s Facebook wall.
Source: youtube.com
‘You can never be too generous’
Established in 1884, Anthon Berg was
famous for its premium quality chocolate,
and catered to upper middle class Danes
and the Royal Danish Court. Long lines were
common outside the store, and Berg and his
staff often passed out chocolates to those
waiting. It was this spirit of generosity, and
the premium chocolate that helped build
the brand over the last century.
Crowdsourcing Anthon Berg Generous Store
Source: youtube.com

49
However, the brand has languished in recent
years, and has lost the perception of being
different and superior to other chocolate brands.
The Generous Store was launched to re-establish
these values, rejuvenate the brand, and help it
stand out in the minds of consumers.
Robert/Boisen & Like-Minded (RB+LM), the
agency behind the campaign, described the brief
they received from Anthon Berg:
“The client wanted us to make people rediscover the
Anthon Berg brand and make them engage with
the positive effects of being generous. As the client
firmly expressed it: ‘Give people a reason to be
generous; spark a wave of generosity; and make it
travel through Denmark with our name on it.’”
By asking people to pledge a good deed,
Anthon Berg not only sparked a wave, but also
successfully crowdsourced acts of generosity
from all the people who ‘purchased’ chocolates
at the store.
Response at the store
Designed to attract attention, the pop-up
store stood out with its pink branding and
a pink entrance area. A large banner read,
“The Generous Store,” and blocked view
into the store, raising curiosity amongst the
people passing by.
By opening hour, a large crowd had gathered and
queued up outside the store. Some waited as
long as an hour and a half to enter.
In the true spirit of generosity and Anthon Berg
tradition, staff handed out chocolate to people
waiting in line, adding to their excitement and
eagerness to enter the store.
Generosity spreads through
social media
Within 24 hours of the pop-up store event,
150,000 feeds were posted on the Anthon Berg
Facebook page. This included the pledges
people made while ‘purchasing’ the chocolates
at the store, and follow up posts after they had
carried out the good deeds.
Source: youtube.com
According to Robert/Boisen & Like-Minded, 20%
of the customers posted pictures of the good
deeds.
Anthon Berg reported a 33% increase in number
of fans, and a 1,000% increase in number of
people ‘talking about this.’
Source: youtube.com
A video documenting the events taking place
inside and outside the store was uploaded on
YouTube, has been viewed 97,193 times, with
most views in Saudi Arabia, Denmark and Spain.
Sources: Facebook.com/AnthonBergSources: AnthonBerg.com

Volume 1, Issue 3,
July-September 2012
Coverage in local and
international blogs
PR efforts, on-ground hype and social
media activity ensured coverage in local
Danish news sites, and popularity of the
idea helped spread it across the web, with
mentions in more than 1,000 blogs and
websites.
According to RB+LM, the campaign has reached
1 in 20 people in Denmark in two weeks, and 3.75
million people on social media.
Source: brandingmagazine.com
The Guardian quoted Mason’s views on this subject:
“For consumers long used to (and annoyed by)
distant, inflexible and self-serving corporations,
any acts of kindness by brands will be
gratefully received. For brands, increasingly
open communications both with and between
consumers (especially online), means that it’s
never been easier to surprise and delight audiences
with [random acts of kindness]: whether sending
gifts, responding to publicly expressed moods or
just showing that they care”.
Impact on bottom line
Some skeptics wondered about the practicality
of the Anthon Berg pop up store, and whether
the event would be filled with freeloaders who
would not convert into customers.
Some, like Janet-Marie Persico, a reader of PSFK.
com, questioned the feasibility:
“[It is a] Feel-good idea but let’s be realistic. You can’t
run a biz on promises. Who pays for the candy?”
For those unconvinced about the reach of The
Generous Store, and the positive brand equity earned
by Anthon Berg, the sales figures for February can
put these concerns to rest. Sales increased 12%
compared to the same month last year.
As the team at RB+LM proudly stated:
“So apparently, generosity does pay.”
Trend: crowdsourcing generosity
and kindness
With the rise of social media, and the current
state of the economy, brands have begun to
see the potential in supporting movements
of generosity and kindness.
MSLGROUP’s global offering PurPle points out
the opportunity for good business growth by
supporting purposes that people are passionate
about, including areas of “happiness, kindness
and human potential.”
A Young & Rubicam survey, quoted in The
Guardian, finds that:
“Once-prized brand attributes that had declined
in importance over the past couple of years
were: “exclusive” (down 60%), “arrogant” (41%),
“sensuous” (30%), and “daring” (20%).
Crowdsourcing Anthon Berg Generous Store
Lana Markovic, blogger at Branding Magazine
commended the Anthon Berg’s use of social
media and ‘free stuff’ to re-establish the brand’s
popularity:
“Is there a better way of getting customers’
attention than by giving them free chocolates
and at the same time getting them to make
someone else happy? With this campaign, the
Danish chocolatier managed to reinforce its
leading statement – by inspiring people to be more
generous the company has created a happier
society, and the brand’s popularity has been
reestablished.”
Martina Best, blogger at Australian social media
agency Frank Media, highlighted the benefits
brands can hope to derive by being generous:
“So what’s in it for Anthon Berg? How does generosity
pay off for a brand? The pop up store generated a lot
of buzz internationally with heaps of blogs picking
up the campaign. From a PR perspective, it could not
have been better. If you looked at some hard metrics
such as brand awareness, brand sentiment as well
as sales, I’m sure Anthon Berg saw some rather
impressive results.”
Henry Mason, head of research and analytics at
independent firm Trendwatching, attributed the
opportunity for these “random acts of kindness”
to social media, for opening channels of
communications between brands and consumers.

People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3

People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (10)

Ähnlich wie People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3

Ähnlich wie People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3 (20)

Mehr von MSL

Mehr von MSL (20)

Kürzlich hochgeladen

Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)

People's Insights Quarterly Magazine Issue 3