Online Partnerships

Networking, socialising, interacting, selling and learning: it has all changed.


Companies that are realising this include Mercedes Benz who signed a media broadcasting deal with the online networking site A Small World (ASW) – their mission: ‘to aggregate the world’s most interesting people with the world’s most interesting information’ (as explained by CEO Joe Robinson). Olaf Göttgens (VP Brand Communications) from Mercedes Benz Cars explains how along with their competitors Audi and BMW they have launched Mercedes Benz TV in order to keep up with online representation. So, is TV, Radio, Magazine, dare I say it ‚face-to-face communication obsolete for the next generation? Emphatically no. Nonetheless, they communicate in many more ways than the Baby Boomers, even the Xers do. Online is a trend, more than a fad - and it is an important and strategic new opportunity to distribute (see BMW/ASW press release here).
Generation Y grew up with technology. They were encouraged to use it. You could drive from London to Paris in a time of 4 hours 46 minutes (according to ViaMichelin.com, and assuming you have a car already it would cost you about 60 Euros to fund the petrol). Instead you could fly in 1 hour 20 minutes with a low-cost airline for less money (alternatively you could meet up online).
The mentality for this generation is: ‘It’s here so let’s use it’. To have over 300 friends on Facebook is quite normal. (Do i need to have met all of them face-to-face? No. and where i haven't they are gateway's into other communities, pockets of information or invitations to events). Imagine being able to harness those networks through your employees for the reputation of your company. Its sheer innovative capability. The distribution opportunities. What will be the value of individuals in the 16-30 age bracket as influencers, or consumers in your industry over the next 3 years?

With so many people vying for their attention, what will you do to secure your distribution channels of the future?

What are they saying about your brand online?


Change Matters.


Charles Darwin had this sewn up, somewhat prophetically and ahead of his time when he said: ‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change’ (Charles Darwin, 1809-1882).

Jerry Maguire

You might imagine that Y Generation feel so ‘entitled’ to access this online world, that they are just doing it to be noticed, maybe even that because the rules have changed and multi-million pound businesses are being created through online worlds that they are just trying to make a fast ‘buck’ – chasing the cash. To an extent, you’d be right (e.g. the million dollar web page).

Thankfully/ sadly it’s not that simple. Generation Y like the generations before them, recognise the need for work, and one Gen Y isnt necessarily as technology crazed as the next Gen Y (in fact, some of my friends are leaving online networking sites like facebook because they dont want all their details online). Nonetheless they want to work for inspirational leaders. Leaders who teach, trust and give ownership.
In the film Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) – famed for its ‘Show me the Money’ clip – there is a parallel story line to the one between Jerry and his Sports Stars. It’s between 'Jerry' and 'Dorothy Boyd' (one of the financial clerks (played by Renée Zellweger). Jerry and Dorothy leave to set up another firm after Jerry gets fired. Later in the film Dorothy explains why she left with Jerry:


Dorothy: The truth? I care about the job. But mostly, I just want to be inspired. That memo you
wrote... that inspired me. I'm here because of that memo. I love that memo.


Zellweger is drawn to Cruise because of a vision that he has for how business should be done. The challenge is delivering the vision, and together they do.

When Baby Boomer CEOs cast their vision, their challenge is similar – to align all the Generations behind that vision and to deliver, together. After their (2 week, 2 year or 5 year) training programmes Y Gens will pick teams/ bosses/ colleagues on the basis of ‘reputation’. Experience, you see, is everything for this Generation, and they are somewhat 'knowing' (or in Boomer language, impulsive).



Experiences are shared.



Online.



These also become very real, virtual, truths and leave a trail to the company. If Boomers are concerned about the amount of detail that their children (Generation Y) are leaving on online sites and to whom they are giving out their email addresses and mobile numbers, perhaps they should also be concerned about what this generation says about their company as well. Afterall, Generation Y is required for the succession of the business and has a huge influence on the recruitment of their peers into the workforce). What would be the response to this question:



Who had the biggest influence on your desire to join our company:


(a) Our corporate website

(b) The recommendation of the company by your friends



A thought to ponder: What could be the combined effect of a CEO or MD working in partnership with a generation that can spread (good) news across all of their network? As the CEO of a telecoms business or service provider are you harnessing the potential of the Y Generation in your business?

Virtually, anything is possible

So who’s actually in ‘there’? A quick look at the Second Life map (powered by Google, notably) through a programme called ‘Slurl’ revealed some interesting facts: CNN has set up a news station to report on events in Second Life! Sun Microsystems has bought land for (seemingly, at the moment, 'just') advertising and Coca Cola launched a campaign (‘Virtual Thirst’) in 2007, through a viral You Tube format (of course!) to design vending machines to be used inside Second Life.
Coke set the online community the challenge of building a vending machine that could vend the ‘essence’ of Coke – the Coke experience (refreshment, joy, unity and experience). The contest challenged individuals to submit concepts for new world vending machines, an appliance that could vend virtual experiences. Coke assembled a virtual avatar board of advisors (metaphysical, real, people of course control these virtual characters) and worked with a marketing firm ‘Crayon’ and ‘Millions of Us’. Throughout the process, submissions were made through YouTube, MySpace and VirtualThirst.com. The winning concept ‘Lucky Puzzle Bottle’ by Ann Marie May (see 'You Tube' for the video) , was a concept that meant avatars had to ‘solve’ puzzle bottles in return for a coke experience ranging from ‘virtual snowball fights’ to ‘giant bubble rides’. The virtual contest was Coke’s first interaction with the virtual world – it was an opportunity for them to learn about virtual worlds. (Oh, and by the way, for anyone who enjoys Second Life it raised a huge amount of brand awareness for Coca Cola as well).
Coca Cola also (indirectly) sponsored a music concert in Second Life. The ‘early adopters’ of these new online worlds are there for extended periods of time – multiple hours. These companies, that are subconciously communicating their brand inside these virtual worlds, have an individual’s attention for a considerably longer amount of time than is possible in the real, fragmented, media world we are used to. Think, for how long does anyone really look at a billboard?
So what else, is it just about brand awareness? No. One London creative agency ‘Rivers Run Red’ has taken to creating ‘immersive workspaces’ online. Rivers Run Red (RRR) boasts these virtual opportunities to communicate with each other all around the globe cuts down on carbon footprint, air fares, and time. Moreover, clients can see their work in progress: through modelling avatars in the online space they can quickly see how designs are working out. So, it would seem reasonable to assume that their clients would be only the one’s on the leading edge of online and web technology (Google, Microsoft, Apple...?) Not so, it is Boots (No. 7); Penguin Publishing; and the charity Bernardos that show up in their online portfolio.

So is this all play, a fad or a trend?

At least one company, River Runs Red, has a multi-million pound (Sterling) turnover and seems to be getting a positive response from its clients.

So what about some 'big names'. People that would really know about whether this can work in big business. In his 'view from the Top' interview with the FT John Chambers (CEO and Chairman of Cisco Systems) said ‘Collaboration is the next big step in terms of productivity’ (FT.com). Cisco has also been working on this since 2000.