Inspired by some of the brightest thought-leaders in social media, this deck explores how to increase social media ROI using Gladwell's tipping point framework: the right people, a sticky idea, the right context. It is designed for on-line viewing without having to be presented in person. Enjoy!

1. ediaRKroi
si ng so cial mRAMEWO
creaGLADWELL’S TIPPING POIN
in G TF
- Colleen
Carrington
USIN

2. Why Gladwell’s Tipping Point Framework?

3. “Gladwell’s theories could be used
to run businesses more effectively,
to turn products in to runaway bestsellers,
and perhaps most important,
to alter human behavior.”
- New York Times

4. Agreed.

5. Everyone is getting connected

6. 3 out of 4 adults use social networks
Source: Pew Research

7. Why?

8. Maslow knew

9. Oh, and there’s that other thing

10. 76% of people think advertisers LIE
Source: 2009 Yankelovich Study

11. Most trusted advertising
1. Recommendations from friends
2. Other people’s opinions online
3. Company websites
4. Editorial content (news articles)
5. Brand sponsorships
Source: Neilsen Online Global Consumer Study, April 2009

12. Friends like to get recommendations from friends ...

13. and to read other people’s opinions online

14. With hundreds of millions of people on social networks

15. spe nd
r ket ing
mTaE RISE
dia ON H
ial me
soc IS
2014
$3.1 Billion
2010
$9.3 million
Source: Forrester Research

16. BUT
DID YOU
KNOW
?

17. By 2010,
half of companies
with an
online community
will fail
to manage it as an
agent of change,
ultimately
eroding
customer value
Source: Gartner Group

18. Why?

19. Rushing in
without
clearly defined
benefits
for both the
company and
the customer
will be the
biggest cause of
failure.
Source: Gartner Group

20. Those who fail to plan (mutual benefits),
plan to fail.

21. ‘Agent of Change’ Success Story
Ford Fiesta Movement
• founded on fair trade
(free Fiesta & gas for 6 months in return
for one video posted per month)
• both the brand and
the agent were
giving and getting
• gift economy approach
• happier, more productive, more
symmetrical relationship
Source: Bud Caddell, Undercurrent

22. Sensational Results
• 100 Ford Fiesta Agents
• 6.5 million YouTube views
3.4 million impressions on Twitter
670,000 photo views on Flickr
• 50,000 requests for info from non-
Ford owners
• Sold 10,000 units in the first six
days of sales
• Fraction of the cost of typical
national TV campaign
Source: Scott Monty, Ford, and Bud Caddell, Undercurrent

23. To reach a
social media tipping point
focus planning on
three key areas

24. Gladwell’s
Framework
1. th
e rig
2. a ht pe
stick ople
3. th y ide
e rig a
ht co
ntex
t

25. Gladwell’s
Framework
1. th
e rig
2. a ht p
stick eop
3. th y ide le
e rig a
ht co
ntex
t

26. How well do you know your customers?
DEMOGRAPHICS PSYCHOGRAPHICS BEHAVIORS GEOGRAPHICS

27. Where are they spending their time?
Top Social Sites: Estimated Monthly Traffic
150
112.5
75
Millions
37.5
0
Wordpress Facebook YouTube MySpace Blogger LinkedIn Twitter
Blogs Blogs
Source: Carrington (chart), Quantcast (data), May 2010

28. Are they ... ?
connectors know lots of people
mavens know about things
convince us to
salespeople use information in a
certain way
Source: Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point

29. Online Behavior
Social Technographic Profiles
n
fol ks ca rs
Th ese e othe
c
Creators 24% in fluen
answer questions, create new content
Critics/Editors 37%
provide feedback, ideas, insight
Joiners/Connectors 51%
amplify conversations and WOM
Collectors 21%
organize, tag, rate, rank and moderate
Spectators 73%
listen/watch
Inactives 18%
do nothing
0% 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 %
Source: Groundswell 2009 general population data merged with Ant’s Eye View’s classification system

30. Who are your Influencers?
Source: Jake McKee

31. Find, thank and energize your Influencers
They are your ‘Agents of Change’

32. Influencers
Find. Thank. Energize.
Source: Ant’s Eye View

33. Example: The Power of Many
Microsoft MVP Program Numbers: 2008
Independent Experts Real World Answers
The Microsoft MVP award recognizes exceptional technology community
leaders who foster the free and objective exchange of knowledge by
actively sharing their real world expertise with users and Microsoft.
Selection Benefits The Numbers
• Recognized • Relationship • 4000+ MVPs
• Credible • Early access • 90+ Countries
• Annual in scope • Private & peer • 90+ Products
• Global connections • 7000+ bugs (Vista/012)
• Community & Microsoft • Global summit, industry • 500+ product reviews
nominated & local events • 70% author, speak, blog
• Reputation & brand • 1M+ answers (NG/Forum)
Source: Ant’s Eye View

34. Example: The Power of One
Influencer: Rich Marcotte, ‘The Mayor of Southwest’
• Flew 200 times a year
for 9 years
• Was recognized
and thanked
• Brand enthusiast
• Rich evangelized ...
~ 9000 customers
Source: Ben McConnell / Jackie Huba

35. Influencers
can help calm th
e waters
when there is a s
torm

36. I'm Too Fat to Fly So
uthwest?!
Kevin Smith

37. How do you find your influencers?
Top
commercial
listening
platforms

38. How do you find your influencers?
Free Social Mention
listening Alterian SM2
platforms Alltop
Technorati
Google Reader
Google Blogsearch
Google Alerts
Twitter Search
Twitter Analyzer
BackType

39. Other types of influencers?
• journalists
• analysts
• bloggers
• employees

40. Personas
Proven to increase effectiveness
of user-centered design &
communications
• Develop a persona for each segment of target
market, prioritize
• Analyze online behavior within each persona
Source: Long 2009

41. Primary Persona Example
For Ford Fiesta
Meet Eric:
• Generation Y
• young US adult Eric wants:
• tech savvy • a small, fuel efficient car with all the
• has aversion to status quo cool technology of full-sized more
• immune to tried-and-true expensive cars
brands • a car that helps him broadcast a
• socially vibrant (creator) youthful, hip, slightly adventurous
image and a fun attitude … even if he
is none of those things in real life
• custom graphics and color options that
let him express his individuality
• a safe vehicle that handles well
• a price less than $20k
Eric is delighted to find the Ford Fiesta meets all of his price/performance criteria and exceeds
other cars in the category for cool technology (voice activated music search, hands free calls,
audible text, turn-by-turn nav, keyless entry, remote start)
(Created by C. Carrington)

42. How well do you understand your target market?
Who are your organization’s influencers?

43. Gladwell’s
Framework
1. th
e rig
2. a ht pe
stick ople
3. th y ide
e rig a
ht co
ntex
t

44. Quintupled ‘Blendtec’ sales
with YouTube videos
t ble nd?
Will i
Source: Groundswell

45. the
brothers heath
have it right

46. a “sticky” idea is
simple
unexpected
concrete
credentialed
emotional
story
Source: Chip & Dan Heath, Made to Stick

47. Southwest Airlines: a cause, not just an airline
Source: Flying Photog

48. Southwest Airlines: a cause, not just an airline
Simple only one type of plane
Unexpected humor
Concrete consistently low fares, outstanding service
Credentialed results
Emotional close-knit, gregarious, huggy staff
Story give passengers a story to tell

49. “The captain will be turning down
the lights as we prepared for takeoff.
This isn’t necessary for any technical purpose.
It’s just been a long day and our flight attendants
don’t look as lovely as they did this morning. “
Source: Flying Photog

50. Don’t worry about the profit.
Think about customer service.
Profit is a by-product of customer service.
It’s not an end of itself.
- Herb Keller, Co-founder Southwest Airlines
Source: Ben McConnell / Jackie Huba

51. Southwest uses social media to
enhance and improve
customer experience

52. Southwest Airlines: engaged in social
mutual positive
benefit sentiment
listening &
interacting responding

53. content is king, long live the king

54. the secret to good social content
• friendly & human voice
• consistent & clear language
• helpful & timely
• meaningful & relevant
• entertaining

55. successful social is all about being
helpful

56. relevant

57. entertaining

58. Gary V grew his family business from
$4M to $50M

59. What is your sticky idea?

60. Gladwell’s
Framework
1. th
e rig
2. a ht pe
stick ople
3. th y ide
e rig a
ht co
ntex
t

61. Broken windows theory and the power of context are
one and the same. They are both based on the premise that an
epidemic can be reversed, can by tipped, by tinkering with the
smallest details of the immediate environment.
- Malcolm Gladwell
Source: The Tipping Point

62. Epidemic: Customers feel like they are in ‘dell hell’
‘ I can’t find anyone to help me.’
‘dell lies. dell sucks.’
Source: Jeff Jarvis & dellhell.net

63. Reversed/tipped by:
IdeaStorm - a place to vent, share ideas, vote
14k ideas 720k votes 89k comments

64. Epidemic: Starbucks losing share & profit
Jan 2007
• stiff competition $35.14
• sharp decline in traffic stock price
pr
and spending
ofi
ts
dr ee y
th
op ea
• poor economy made
r
97 r lo
%
(Q
4,
w
20
the problem worse
8)0
Dec 2008
$7.95
Source: Wikivest & Seattle Times

65. Reversed/tipped by:
‘My Starbucks Idea’
75,000 IDEAS < 6 MONTHS
May 2010
$27.18
stock price
ed
en
list
ks
uc
rb
Sta
Dec 2008
$7.95
Source: Forrester Research Source: Wikivest & Seattle Times

66. Customers need a place to have
their opinions heard

67. ebags Ratings and Reviews
Source: Josh Bernhoff & Charlene Li, ebags.com
• Y1 cost = $200k
• Y1 net additional sales because of R&R = $1.6MM
• Net add’l profit margin at 25% = $400k

68. People like the psychic income they get from
being part of community and
helping each other

69. Constant Contact Customer Community
• 2005/2006
• 10% participation
• 30% generated referrals
• acquisition cost = $60 credit
• new customer lifetime value = $1500
• revenues grew 88%
Source: Groundswell

70. It’s about building brand community
Branded mentions up 600+%, 5,000+ members, de-commoditized Fiskars
Source: Brains on Fire

71. What’s the context for your
organization’s
social media program?

72. Gladwell
Knows
To reach a 1. th
e rig
2. a ht pe
tipping point stick ople
3. th y ide
you need e rig a
... an ht co
das ntex
olid t
plan

73. Next Steps
1. yo
ur ta
To reach your 2. a rget
com audi
own tipping 3. th pelli ence
e be ng &
point, orga st SM stick
nizat
ion/p tools y idea
identify: rodu give
n yo
ct’s c ur
onte
xt
Develop a solid plan

74. Colleen Carrington
Keeping Brand Love Alive
www.linkedin.com/in/colleencarrington
@colleencar

75. Ben McConnell, Creating Customer Evangelists
Brian Solis, Engage
Charlene Li, Groundswell
Chip & Dan Heath, Made to Stick
Chris Brogan, Trust Agents
Dan Roam, The Back of a Napkin
David Armano, Edelman Digital
David Meerman Scott, The New Rules of Marketing and PR
Eric Weaver, Tribal DDB
Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
Geno Church, Brains of Fire
Inspired by Jackie Huba, Creating Customer Evangelists
Jake McKee, Ant’s Eye View
Jeremiah Owyang, Altimeter Group
Josh Bernoff, Groundswell
Karen McGrane, Bond Art + Science
Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web
Malcom Gladwell, The Tipping Point
Peter Kim, Dachis Group
Rick Levine, Cluetrain Manefesto
Sean O’Driscoll, Ant’s Eye View
Seth Godin, Purple Cow
Spike Jones, Brains on Fire
Tac Anderson, Waggenner Edstrom, Studio D
William J. McEwen, Married to the Brand

76. Sources
All images from iStockphoto.com unless other wise indicated
Slide 3 Malcolm Gladwell, Blink, outside back cover
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-
Slide 6 Adults/Summary-of-Findings.aspx?r=1
http://www.letsstartthinking.org/quickreference/images/maslow-
Slide 8 need-hierarchy.gif
http://www.slideshare.net/BrainsOnFire/social-media-business-
Slide 10 forum-geno-church
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/global-advertising-
Slide 11 consumers-trust-real-friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most/
Slide 15 http://mashable.com/2009/07/08/social-media-marketing-growth/
http://www.slideshare.net/JacobMorgan8/social-crm-presentation-
Slide 17 at-new-comm-forum
http://www.slideshare.net/JacobMorgan8/social-crm-presentation-
Slide 19 at-new-comm-forum
http://socialmediainfluence.com/2010/01/20/fords-fiesta-of-social-
media/
Slide 21 http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2010/
ca2010018_445530.htm
http://www.scottmonty.com/2009/11/on-giving-thanks.html
Slide 22 http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2010/
ca2010018_445530.htm
Slide 24 Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point
Slide 28 Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, p.30
Contd/...

77. Sources
All images from iStockphoto.com unless other wise indicated
http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/ladder.html
Slide 29 http://www.slideshare.net/seanodmvp/smb-seattle-antseyeview
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/118941
Slide 32 http://www.slideshare.net/seanodmvp/smb-seattle-antseyeview
Slide 33 http://www.slideshare.net/seanodmvp/smb-seattle-antseyeview
http://www.creatingcustomerevangelists.com/photos/readers/
Slide 34 09.asp
Slide 36 http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20344142,00.html
Slide 40 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_(marketing)
Slide 44 Source: Erik Qualman,Socialnomics, and YouTube
Slide 49 Ben McConell and Jackie Huba, Creating Customer Evangelists, p 175
- 179
Slide 50 Photo: Flying Photog
http://flickriver.com/groups/southwestairlines/pool/interesting/
Slide 55 http://www.youtube.com/user/homedepot
Slide 56 http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Community.aspx?id=101
Slide 57 http://www.youtube.com/sienna
Erik Qualman, Social Media ROI, http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ypmfs3z8esI&feature=related
Slide 58 http://tv.winelibrary.com/2010/05/19/gourmet-library-cheese-
tasting-with-wine-pairings-episode-864/
Contd/...

78. Sources
All images from iStockphoto.com unless other wise indicated
Slide 61 Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, p.146
http://www.dellhell.net/
http://www.buzzmachine.com/archives/2005_06_21.html
Slide 62 http://www.baldrige.com/criteria_customerfocus/lessons-learned-
from-dell-hell/
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaList?cat=IdeaStorm&lsi=0
Slide 63 22May21010
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Starbucks_(SBUX)/WikiChart
stock: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/
Slide 64 2004079246_bizbriefs18.html
profits http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2008375931_starbucks11.html
http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/embracing/
mystarbucksidea.html
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Starbucks_(SBUX)/WikiChart
Slide 65 stock: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/
2004079246_bizbriefs18.html
profits http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2008375931_starbucks11.html
Groundswell p. 129
Slide 67 http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-junior-25-
wheeled-duffel/125548
Slide 69 Groundswell, p.129
Contd/...

79. Sources
All images from iStockphoto.com unless other wise indicated
photo: http://www.brainsonfire.com/assets/images/
slideshow_assets/slide9.jpg
Slide 70 blog: http://www.whatsnextblog.com/archives/2008/10/
fiskateers_how_a_social_community_became_a_veritable_sales_for
ce.asp