“How social technologies are changing business” Haha. What a joke for a title. Let’s just say: back to basics, how to build upon the things you’re already doing.

1. “How social
technologies
are changing
business”
Haha. What a joke for a title.
Let’s just say: back to basics, how
to build upon the things you’re
already doing.
© InSites Consulting
Polle de Maagt (Insites Consulting) for Accenture
Conversation readiness 1

2. Hello. I am Polle de Maagt.
I work at a pretty remarkable
marketing research agency called
InSites Consulting, trying to reach
#worlddomination.
We help companies change to be
more about acts and conversations,
less about ads.
Guess that makes me a change
agent.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 2

3. Last year, I tried to
change the way people
run, together with my
buddies at
Boondoggle and Nike.
We used smart technology to help
people to put some playfullness back
in running, Nike+ Graffiti Challenge.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 3

4. But … then I fell in love with a Flemish girl, Marieke.
And moved to Ghent.
Probably the smartest thing I ever did. And yes, we met through the internet.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 4

5. Managing expectations: I only have 25 minutes.
That is not enough to change the world. Let alone a company. It might not even
be enough to change your mind.
That isn’t even enough to tell you guys how much I appreciate Jort Possel.
If you need me after this presentation, just send me an email at polle@insites.eu
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 5

6. I am not going to insult you with fancy data about
twitter growth (although I am a marketing researcher).
This is just a pie chart that looks a bit like pacman. Because it’s not about twitter
growth or the number of hours of video content uploaded on YouTube.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 6

7. It’s not about being on Facebook. Or Twitter.
Yes, Twitter is huge. And Facebook even bigger. But they are both platforms, not end
goals. So it really is about if and how both can help you reach your end goal. Which is
most likely not about having a Facebook fan page and more about driving
conversations, customer retention, sales or brand value.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 7

8. It’s not about being a big brand.
With big brands come big problems. When it
comes to connecting with consumers, real
relationships work. And size, for once, doesn’t
matter.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 8

9. And it certainly isn’t
about being the first
mover in adopting new
technology.
Mobile, augmented reality, location
based services are all just awesome.
And yes, there is PR-value in being the
first Augmented Reality bakery in your
neighborhood. But is that really what
you want your consumers to talk
about?
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 9

10. Marketing is waaay to important to leave to
marketeers.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 10

11. 1) It is about acts, not ads.
2) It is about putting customers first.
3) It is about using your unused potential.
4) It is about leveraging technology to make this all
happen.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 11

12. Over-the-top-delivery
Makes negative conversations
Over-delivery
Makes positive conversations
Expectation Delivery
Gives no reason to talk
Under-delivery
Makes negative conversations
Be maniacal about managing expectations.
Under-promise, over-deliver in everything you do. Not only towards customers but
also to your colleagues.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 12

13. Commit acts not ads: surprising KLM passengers.
With the KLM Surprise campaign, KLM surprised customers based on their
Foursquare and Twitter checkins. Talking about remarkable customer service and
really understanding what their consumers are about …
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 13

14. 1) It is about acts, not ads.
2) It is about putting customers first.
3) It is about using your unused potential.
4) It is about leveraging technology to make this all
happen.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 14

15. Act human.
We use technology to help our
consumers better. But does it really
work or does it backfire?
Zappos does an amazing job in making
technology invisible and really
understanding consumers.
(Thanks Steven Verbruggen for the tip!)
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 15

16. Advocacy is the new retention is the new acquisition:
Pemco’s customer service excellence.
No fake promises anymore, just acts and service. At this moment, 94% of their
© InSites Consulting
customer stays a customer.
Conversation readiness 16

17. Example? Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever engage
consumers in product development and marketing.
In a closed research community, we make sure 150 consumers really make the
© InSites Consulting
difference.
Conversation readiness 17

18. 1) It is about acts, not ads.
2) It is about putting customers first.
3) It is about using your unused potential.
4) It is about leveraging technology to make this all
happen.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 18

19. Recognize monetary value and conversation value.
Recognize both monetary and conversation value.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 19

20. Use your unused potential: Antwerp Zoo’s cute little
animals and tech-savvy employees.
It brought them 300.000 extra visitors, a nomination for product of the year and the
best thing … the number one carnival suit of that year.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 20

21. 1) It is about acts, not ads.
2) It is about putting customers first.
3) It is about using your unused potential.
4) It is about leveraging technology to make this all
happen.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 21

22. Telenet launched a new product that wasn’t finished:
Telenet Yelo, an application to watch tv anywhere.
Instead of waiting for the product to be completely finished or selling something that
didn’t work, they asked their customers to help to make the product better.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 22

23. Use smart ways of
listening and
improving your
conversation-
worthiness.
Try measuring the Net Promoter
Score to see how likely it is that your
colleagues will recommend your
company.
We used this to turn a financial
service provider’s customer
service from -30 to -1.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 23

24. Il Giglio d’Oro, a simple bed & breakfast in Firenze
turned every customer > advocate.
It helped them to become the #1 bed & breakfast in Italy and #8 bed & breakfast in
Europe. Conversion between stumbling and endorsing.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 24

25. How?
Sorry, there’s no golden formula. It actually is hard work.
I prefer a do-and-learn-approach.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 25

26. Being really clear about what you want to achieve.
Be sure to define what business you’re in and set clear goals.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 26

27. Manage change. Nope, that isn’t easy.
Implementing conversations and consumer connect isn’t easy. Use different change
mechanisms to gradually change the organization.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 27

28. 30%
48
20%
20%
Act yourself.
Every little act is a step closer to leveraging unused potential. Every act is
a little less ads. Do something in the next 48 hours that actually makes
Accenture or your clients more customer connected.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 28

29. Today’s recap is pretty simple:
1) It is about acts, not ads.
2) It is about putting customers first.
3) It is about using your unused potential.
4) It is about leveraging technology to make this all
happen.
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 29

30. Thank you.
I hope I was conversation-worthy.
If so: spread the word.
Follow me on twitter (@polledemaagt)
or just send me an email at
polle@insites.eu.
Download the presentation at
http://polle.me/accenture2011
© InSites Consulting
Conversation readiness 30