Where Are Corporates In Taking The Lead?
October 8, 2008 – 12:09 pm | by Daryl TayAs I’ve been reading the blog posts (and more importantly, comments) about Social Media Breakfast, I’ve come away with two thoughts:
1) We Aren’t Perfect - And That’s A Good Thing
I appreciate feedback from Su Min, Coleman, Brian and everyone else who contributed to let us know the panel wasn’t as balanced as it could have been, that we should’ve added a blogger on it, that we needed more audience interaction, to be conscious of the level of involvement of corporate entities.
It’s great because it prevents us from resting on our laurels. Not that we would, but arguable each SMB has been an improvement on the last, and it would be easy to say “We improved!”, but it’s comments and feedback like this that reminds us that improved we may have, but there’s always room for more.
We always learn from the events, and with your help, improve. From SMB2 we learned we needed structure, from SMB3 we learned structure doesn’t come naturally, so we need to “artificially” introduce it via a panel, now we learn a panel is not the be all and end all, but the execution needs to be worked on. I remember one of the “P”s from Dorothy’s live blogging: perpetual beta. That’s exactly what SMB is and it’s your feedback that helps us improve that beta product.
As we’ve said time and time again, it’s everyone’s not ours.
2) Where Are The Agencies/Companies Taking The Lead?
This is a very cynical view, and you can feel free to disagree with me, but where are these agencies and companies? I may be putting my future career on the line by calling them out, but I think it needs to be said.
Ben Koe has a list of case studies of social media marketing examples in Singapore, and I see some action going on, but nowhere in the proportion to the talk I hear about social media and Web2.0.
I’ve said this before in an audio podcast for For Immediate Release, as reported by Michael Netzley: It’s as if everyone is sitting back and waiting for someone else to jump in first, show results, and then everyone is going to be like a lemming and follow.
There are more than enough corporates attending SMB to plead ignorance anymore. By some attendees accounts, there are too many corporates attending, that it’s affecting the social. There have been suggestions of breaking SMB up to a “corporate” track and “social” track.
You know what? Not going to happen. The agencies and companies out there have hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions in budget, hardware, software, resources, connections, tools, networks, people and skills, to get a similar “corporate” version of this going around. If you don’t want to because you’re afraid that by sharing you’re losing your competitive edge or actually benefiting your competitor, then that’s the landscape we will have to deal with.
And no one benefits with that kind of landscape.
i also commented on Pat Law’s blog that the idea of sharing our “fishbowl” ie attendee list with marketers who would be interested, is not something we would do. The traditional way to get such a houselist is to go sponsor something like a huge IDC event or pay for money at an Ad:Tech booth and get it from there. Maybe some companies are looking at SMB with a lightbulb going off thinking “Hey these are the alpha consumers, the innovators and early adopters, maybe we can cheaply leverage that somehow”.
So that’s my frustration. If attending SMB is your company’s cheap way of doing some “research” into the shiny new object that is social media without actually getting your feet wet, I’m afraid to say you’re not going to get very good results. Sometimes we get someone approaching us with a “partnership” deal, it usually stinks of “let me leverage your network so I can shove my brand in people’s faces”. Sorry, no.
In short, I look at the current social media scene here and it’s driven by organisations like E27, TDM and us. Us being six people, half of which are still in school. Look at the podcamps worldwide and the SMBs worldwide, they’re organised by people who work in agencies, blog, podcast and live the social media life.
Is that the best Singapore and all the “top agencies” can offer? I really want to hear from you, bloggers, entrepreneurs, agency, corporate people alike. Is this a fair critique of what’s going on? Or are there things I’m not seeing? Love to hear it.
Tags: ad:tech, blankanvas, coleman, communicate asia, eok, fir, for immediate release, harmlessbananas, IDC, michael netzley, pat law, perpetual beta, social media breakfast singapore, social media marketing examples in singapore, ssumin, where are the agencies
15 Responses to “Where Are Corporates In Taking The Lead?”
By brian on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Daryl, i applaud you for blogging with such candor. perhaps even calling out what seems like a perfectly natural ‘corporate strategy’ to start schmoozing with bloggers for their next ’social media programme’.
no, it’s a great whistle to blow.. we all need to hear it from bloggers, and more than that, media evangelists.
We’re still in certain baby steps in Singapore, and by coming up with good, ethical and best practices, it sets the stage, tone for any form of communication in the future.
Such open discussion facilitates things even on a practitioners are discussing. When does a blogger go in over their head and abuse the corporate. eg. ‘Crying wolf’ about a product to get some attention. some of us know better, some of us don’t
but it’s exactly with that candor and bravery, that we can make social mredia relationships deep and impactful, not just shallow and transactional.
i believed in the social aspect of SMB-Singapore, but it was also great meeting with other practitioners and realise that there’s room for everything and everyone.
By Daphne Maia on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
*nods in agreement at the “partnership” situation in SM right now*
By Dorothy on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Great post Daryl!!
I just feel a lack of faith from the corporations in this - that, and the fear of actually using the tools and channels that SM provides (for some bizarre reason it seems to make more sense for them to act as curious spectators rather than to try it out).
Given that this IS Singapore, I guess most corporations are just not willing to take the “risks” and “fail” as of yet. Failing is relative though. I see it more as a learning process. Maybe they’re waiting for a blog post on how to skirt all the issues in getting involved in SM in SG before they’ll dare to venture out… (or worse, a book!) HAHA.
Well, if you ask me, those who don’t want to get down and dirty in SM shouldn’t be allowed in on the fun. And more importantly, they will never truly understand anyway.
Every time a blogger posts something online, every time someone posts something on a social networking site, they’re sharing a piece of themselves, their thoughts with others. It’s an issue that even I personally deal with till now, for various reasons. But my point is- if the corporations can’t dissect SM into its raw basic building blocks- people and relationships and sharing…that’s what’s really powering the entire movement right? - and they don’t want to offer anything and put themselves out there… well, then stay home and don’t join the party. And then don’t bitch about being left out.
As for taking the lead…well, this is social media as powered by the crowd right..should we even still expect them to take any sort of lead? Or are we just asking for participation?
I’m glad we’re not waiting. We’d be waiting for nothing to happen. Sucks, but nothing that we can’t work around, I believe! =)
By Pat Law on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi Daryl,
I applaud you firstly, for your honesty. I can understand your frustration pertaining to the approach to whic Agencies and other companies are trying to get the foot into the Social Media realm. I don’t think, at this stage, we can discount ignorance just yet. Often, ignorance does lead to the lack of tact, and as such, you get utterly rude practitioners. We cannot assume everyone has substantial EQ here.
When I spoke of an online fishbowl, I spoke not from just the point of view of a typical marketeer, but also that of a blogger. Although I have to say, both roles are fairly integrated for me. As a Marketeer, I know I can always purchase data and I know I can get the contacts from the fishbowl on my own. The online fishbowl simply makes my job more time efficient. And really, that is all it is to me. I find it ridiculous when practitioners speak of their databases with such high regard. It’s not about how many bloggers you have on your list, it’s about how much you know them on a personal level.
Believe me, that’s what ad agencies are now shooting PR agencies down for - being database housekeepers and not communication consultants.
As a blogger, I recognise the importance of brand awareness, especially if I’m supposed to be some bloody influencer in the digital space. Brand perception is non-existent without awareness. I know it’s important for me to ensure a healthy level of awareness about my blog and an online fishbowl essentially helps promote my blog in a captive environment to a targeted crowd.
Your efforts with SMB is admirable, it is with absolute sincerity I wish for SMB to continue to grow. That said, I think it would be rather naive to not realise that every attendee has his or her own agenda.
Some might be there to mingle and expand his or her social network.
Some might be there to increase visibility of his or her blog. And get sponsored.
Some might be there to speak to the bloggers to understand them better.
Some might be there to build his or her blogger database.
The fact is, we all have our own agenda. I do think sharing is key, and also the core essence of Social Media. Wish me luck, I might launch the online fishbowl open for all in due time.
Pat
By oldskoolmark on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Daryl, another great post in exposing the direction in which SM relations in Singapore. It’s so typically Singaporean to wait for someone to do something then follow suit.
Brian, the ethical practices of blogging in Singapore has worried me as well. I’m worried about the blogosphere turning into a huge tabloid with meaningless relationships just cause some might want to earn the advertising dollar.
And i cant believe i missed SMB4, i got the date wrong! argghhhhh….
By Walter on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
Hi Daryl,
Interesting post and appreciate your honest views on this.
I think that there is a fundamental problem in Singapore compared to the US or other countries where social media has taken off. And that has to do very much with our culture.
We are not open to sharing or collaborating with others, preferring to view each other as competitors rather than co-opetitors.
Why is that so? Why can’t we be as generous or open in sharing our own corporate journeys using social media as a conduit?
Well, a key reason is the size of our market. We ain’t huge, and our neighbouring countries aren’t exactly that open to social media either (except perhaps for political blogging or activism). We are also very crowded (and I’ll share more of this with you when we next meet face to face).
The other challenge is the digital divide between the decision makers (who are largely baby boomers and some Gen X-ers) and the rest of the working population. Almost all of my friends - folks who are CEOs, MDs, VPs, Directors of marketing and comms or equivalents in large organisations - are in their late 30s, 40s or older. While some are digitally savvy, most prefer to deal with somebody face to face.
By claudia on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
Yes, SMB is going to be on perpetual beta. already there are so many other ways and format that smb can take form. more on that via email soon.
and yes, its not going to happen for the corporate and blogger split. but if the group does grow, i don’t eliminate the possibilities of having breakout sessions.
as for the sharing, i guess it really depends on individual. personally although i may not be as vocal as many others, and may not have gained enough experiences yet in SM, but i’m always willing to share, online or face to face. just like you, you’re always sharing ideas and concepts on ur blog. i see more people coming out of their shell too and will share if you ask. especially those in gen-y.
By Jo on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
All over we are asking where are the corporates.
You might like to the follow up The Economist’s blast on management education asking managers to take a ‘Hippocratic oath’ - for context.
Then follow up @amcafee to his Harvard blog and call for ideas they can test empirically.
And maybe put some ideas forward to Google for backing. I think the secret is to “not wait” for the corporates.
By Jo on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
Hey, pple on the ground in Singapore. How is the crunch treating you?
Here people are hysterical. There is a real possibility of everyday ordinary firms losing their line of credit for very little reason, not making payroll, etc.
By Daryl Tay on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
@Brian: Similarly, credit to you for being the first (and as of this moment, only) agency person to stand up and be counted. I feel schmoozing with the bloggers to “seed” for their next social media initiative is passable. If I (on behalf of my agency) wake up on Saturday morning to attend SMB, I should at least be able to go back to work on Monday and have something to show for it. It is the way it is done that sometimes bugs me.
@Daphne: Thanks, should talk to you more about it!
@Dorothy: You’re putting it across even better than I did. I am exactly frustrated by the corporates being “curious spectators”. The logic of that defies me.
And exactly right about the sharing. Don’t come to SMB and give me a spiel on your product/service/brand. I know all that already. Tell me about YOU. Something different. I want to see you as a human.
Maybe we shouldn’t expect them to take a lead. I just feel somewhere with the amount of people from these corporates spending training budget on Ad:tech which you and I were at, they could definitely spend money more effectively and have something to show for it.
@Oldskoolmark: I think a lot of people are concerned about losing objectivity over the ad dollar. I have thoughts on that coming up. Have you written anything about that which I can link to? Btw, although you missed SMB, don’t miss Podcamp Singapore!
@Walter: Interesting thoughts about cultural differences and competition. Are we truly more competitive than the companies overseas? But I definitely feel the size of the market has a part to play. No doubt we can’t all cooperate and expect things to be dandy, but that said, the extreme lack of effort is despairing. Also agreed with the digital divide (a fact I know all too well). Again, my “calling out” is not necessarily to the decision makers because rarely are they here (unlike you), but to those who are always “talking” about social media but either not selling it upwards, or doing a pretty poor job of doing it.
@Claudia: Haha I look forward to many more emails! Yes the possibility of breakout sessions is there for the right reasons, like overwhelming attendance, as you mentioned, but not for the wrong ones.
@Jo: Thanks for the comment and as always, widening my reading field! I can’t speak for people in Singapore, but here in school in Canada, people are pretty worried about finding jobs, or if they just got one, keeping jobs. I joke about it, but I suppose it’s pretty scary to have worked your ass off for 4 years in school for something that you think will pay the bills, and graduate to a world that is vastly different from what you thought it would be.
By Daryl Tay on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
@Pat: Whoops, too efficient spam filter there. Wrt the fishbowl, I did get that that’s what you meant. I came at it from the angle of how less informed (I hesitate to say more ignorant) marketers might approach it. Oh yes, definitely everyone has an agenda. And I’m ultimately fine with it if it leads to productive results like the HBO event or the Samsung event.
What I don’t like is those agendas which smell of “Oh hey this $500 food sponsorship is our “buy in” with the “hip” “in” early adopters”. Or “Oh coming here for two and a half hours means I’m part of the community and hence able to spam my message on the Facebook Group”.
By Mark Khoo on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
Hi Daryl,
Yup, i did an extreme view of how the blogosphere might turn out if no guidelines are set on a post called “Will the blogosphere becoming the next tabloid?” at http://oldskoolmark.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/the-blogosphere-to-be-the-next-tabloid/
But u might be interested in a post by Jason Falls on a book review titled One nation under blog at http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2008/09/24/new-book-on-blogging-pushing-ethical-standards-for-bloggers/
It’s a pretty good read in addition to the concerns we both share.
And yes, i’m gonna be heading for podcamp! Tim Young’s group is organizing it.. haha…
By bjorn on Oct 12, 2008 | Reply
great post to stir the SM pot in singapore… i wld sure love to attend my first SMB after missing the last one too…
just sharing my views on how corporates fail to get their SM strategy together, many marketers and agencies fall into the trap of “selling a product”. To me, thats a superficial way of selling in today’s world.
Why? Because to me, products are manifestations of a company’s solution in solving consumer needs/ problems. If marketers think more deeply into what a product was built for, and delve into its “purpose of existence”, then they can relate to the core of the “consumer/ customer problem”. Once that is identified, i think it will free up their thinking beyond ROIs/ KPIs towards crafting ways to benefit consumers in non-salesy fashion.
The savvier companies do it well, and I always like to bring up Canon as an example. Canon sells cameras, but they know cameras’ real need was to help normal people document the fun parts of their life. On Facebook, this was narrowed to dorm rooms. Hence a contest was created to ask students to submit their best photos for a “Best-Decorated Dorm”. The prize: Canon digicams, latest model too.
I like to see how this idea could be expanded for Canon to create say, facebook apps, that provide true utility to users in sharing comments, auto-tagging their friends in photos, or editing their photos in wicked, quirky fashions that generate fun with their friends.
Photos are catalysts for fun experiences, cameras is a product that is boring if marketed alone as such. Hence, my advice to corporate marketers in any industry will be: find the original consumer need that justified the building of your product. =)