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Exclusivity Does Not Mean Sustainability

On yet another blog post concerning social media marketing, this week we’re discussing Orkut, the social networking site named after Google’s creator: Orkut Buyukkokten.

Background

The social networking site launched in 2004, which is considered early in the days of social media. It shut down in 2014, another temporary social media platform that did not meet the needs of its users (We’ll come back to that later) and got overtaken by the popularity of Facebook.

The purpose of Orkut was to build a social media platform where users could “find communities through keyword search, including titles, description, and browsing through other users’ memberships. So basically it was like a mix between LinkedIn and Facebook before either was available to the public. Orkut had it’s exclusivity too, with an “invite-only membership list”. This meant that being a member was something exclusive, which made the users feel more important and feel they have high status, especially in the “technology realm”. Users trusted it because of “Google’s strong reputation” (Keep in mind this was the early 2000’s, so much has changed since then).

Another reason Orkut was so popular was that it put the privacy of the users “first and foremost”. In the first few years of social media where the internet wasn’t a fully trusted entity and users had concerns about privacy, this was a big deal. (It’s ironic that it was Google based, but we’ll talk about that issue some other time).

Orkut allowed users to connect with other users and rate them based on “how sexy, cool and trustworthy” they thought they were. This feature, along with many others, helped build the social network to 30 million users by 2012. But pride always comes before the fall.

Purpose of the Case Study

The case study in the textbook, Strategic Social Media: From Marketing to Social Change by L. Meghan Mahoney and Tang Tang, focuses on Orkut in the context of the popularity in Brazil. 90% of page views came from Brazil.

To understand why Orkut was so popular in Brazil, we need to understand why. Outdoor advertising is banned in Brazil which means most advertising has to come from media, or more specifically social media like Orkut, Facebook or any of the other social media platforms available today. Brazil has made that work well, with “77% of Brazilian social media users have[ing] a positive attitude towards online shopping” and “four-fifths” of users on social media sites researching products. Brazilians even trust recommendations from online contacts more than other sources.

Because of the ban on outdoor advertising, brands need to allow users to engage and build a relationship with them online through blogging, social gaming, and online video.

Where Orkut Fell Short

While Orkut was one of the foremost and leading social networking sites with an “interface [that] was clean, simple and sophisticated” (Which was a big deal in 2004, remember how a lot of websites looked clunky and blocky?), it failed to keep up with the demands of social media.

Sure, it was easy for users to find their friends and join groups, feel the exclusivity of belonging to a social media site that was invite only, and where their privacy needs were met. However, when it came to marketing and sharing product reviews with pictures and videos, the social media site fell short. As social media grew, the website fell short further with “functionality problems” including limiting the number of friends, difficulties in loading and sharing photos and videos and further failures to keep up with the changing landscape of social media.

Photo by Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash

What Does This Teach Us as Students of Social Media Marketing?

Social media is a revolving machine. Multiple sites are competing for users and clout and keeping users interested. Orkut failed because it failed to meet the needs of the Brazilian people by growing and evolving to include more features and aspects of social media that users needed. Orkut couldn’t keep up with other social media platforms that were on the rise, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Orkut is a big reminder of usefulness. As soon as a social media platform is no longer useful, lacks ease of use, or is replaced by another social media platform that is easier to use, then users no longer use or frequent the site. Social media users will show loyalty to social media sites as long as they are useful. However, once the site no longer meet their needs, users will move on to other platforms. We’ve seen it with Myspace, Friendster, and now Orkut.

The big lesson here: Social media platforms must cater to their users first and always keep the user in mind over their need for profit or features. If users aren’t satisfied, they will go to another site that can meet their needs.

The moral of the story: If you like a social media platform, keep using it. What’s your favorite platform currently?

Hooray For Boobies!

Contrary to the title, this is not a music review for the 1999 album by the Bloodhound Gang. Sorry fellow music enthusiasts.

Now that I have your attention, this week, we’re talking about the breast cancer awareness meme popular on facebook every October. The confusing one where women used to post a random fruit, or cryptic phrases like “I like to do it on the garage floor”. Yeah, those ones. The attempt at cyberactivism, like several other attempts (see: ALS ice bucket challenge), doesn’t quite reach the level of activism and donations it should.

According to the textbook, “Humans want to do the right thing, and if the call is to simply ask you to push a button to “like” a status, we don’t mind obliging”. The accuracy of this statement really hits home in the cyber age where most things online we can get done with the push of a button.

So let’s dissect it and see what makes it so successful and where it tends to fall short.

Why so Viral?

There are several reasons why memes like the breast cancer meme (and so many others over the years) go viral. The secret is in the subtlety and vagueness of its nature. It’s the same idea as if someone posts something like “Nothing lasts forever”. We, as humans, are curious about what the message could possibly be about and depending on how interested we are, could fall down the rabbit hole of “deep research” into that person’s profile.

The viral breast cancer meme brings up the same idea. A vague post where it brings users deeper into “What could it mean?” and more importantly: “What important social media trend am I missing?”

So the viral urge is there, and the call for cyberactivism has spread quickly every October when the mysterious posts begin showing up. Everyone engages with or posts their own version. No matter the format, whether it’s which fruit corresponds with your breast size, where you put your purse, or the color of your bra. Every year, the meme seems to go viral.

But that doesn’t mean that the cyberactivism is working.

Where does it fall short?

There are several places where the meme falls short.

The first and most glaring is the vagueness of the post. If you aren’t fortunate enough to be included by one of your facebook friends in the message detailing the trend, you as a user have no idea what’s going on.

If you’re not the gender that gets breast cancer, then you are even more out of the loop. That’s the first place where the meme falls short. It leaves out more users than it includes, and because it’s so vague, it doesn’t include a call to action. Therefore, people think they’re engaging in cyberactivism by simply clicking the like button, but are really not.

Another place where the meme falls short is not including men. By only including women, and turning the meme into something sexual, especially with the “where you put your purse” addition a few years ago and the phrasing of “I like it behind the couch”etc, the meme misses the other half of the people who can be affected by breast cancer.

Yes, men can get breast cancer too! By not including men, and opening the conversation to men, it’s like erasing the fact that men can also get breast cancer (and are not routinely screened, which is another issue entirely).

While the meme is doing it’s best to build activism and help bring awareness to breast cancer, it tragically falls short.

So where does that leave us?

How to Truly Increase Awareness

The breast cancer meme is a good start. Posting a fruit, or where you put your purse, or the length of your hair, or the color of your bra is a helpful start. It’s a conversation starter and builds interest. However, to build more engagement and actually engage in cyberactivism, there needs to be more. Including more ways to include men.

Sure, the inital post can be vague. Post a fruit name or a color. But then, do more. Add a post after with a call to action. “Hey, if you liked this post, it was for breast cancer! You can donate to the cause, and learn more at (Insert link here).” That would truly build awareness and hopefully increase donations.

So Now What?

As we reach the end of September and the beginning of October, by all means, post the memes, but also consider donating in other ways. Build awareness on social media, donate to breast cancer awareness, ThinkPink or whatever, donate to Susan G. Komen (Which has its own issues which we can explore another day).

As for today? Go to Breastcancer.org and make sure your donation for breast cancer is going somewhere worthy.

Glasses For the Masses

How Warby Parker Changed the Options for Eye Wear

This is part one of many explorations on companies and their effective uses of Social Media.

Warby Parker, the glasses company. We’ve all seen the commercials on TV or while waiting for our latest YouTube video to load. They sell glasses, they send frames in the mail for you to try before you buy.

We’ve all heard the “try before you buy” from a lot of companies lately, but what makes Warby Parker’s campaign so different and successful?

Their connection with their customers.

From the beginning, the creators of Warby Parker (Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa and Jeffrey Raider) found a problem with the traditional process of getting glasses and frames. They addressed some of the biggest issues associated with glasses and frames: cost, availability, and time. They changed the game with the customer in mind and were able to change the process into something much easier for the consumer.

Warby Parker has challenged many assumptions since their founding in 2010, including the dissonance of buying glasses online and not from a brick and mortar store, the assumption that due to the price, the quality would be lower, and even the assumption of the authenticity of the idea of selling glasses online. How did they overcome most of these obstacles?

By connecting with their customers on social media and letting their customers on social media spread the word to their followers and friends. Warby Parker “encourages transactional communication by consistently communicating with and responding to customer comments on their social media platforms.” (Mahoney & Tang, 18). They also prompt their customers to participate in creating their own content with the users wearing the glasses frames on social media platforms. They used their customers and their genuine reviews to build communication and trust with their future customers. In addition to social media, they helped educate others with educational YouTube videos.

They have done all of these things by focusing on the consumer and the problems the consumer faces concerning glasses and frames. By encouraging users to post their own content on social media, they’re building relationships with potential customers before they’ve even considered Warby Parker to buy glasses.

Not only that, but Warby Parker has built up credibility and further problem solving by teaming up with another company (VisionSpring) to offer a pair of glasses for someone in need for every pair of Warby Parker glasses a consumer buys. Talk about helping others and building a sustainable brand, all while helping customers and those in need. I always love hearing that my purchase of something I need (like glasses) can also help someone else.

Warby Parker has focused on helping their customers with problems they’ve faced rather than forcing customers to buy their product in every social media post or YouTube video. By focusing on their customers and their problems and allowing them to join the conversation about their products and problems, Warby Parker has made big strides with how customers engage with companies on social media.

After all, social media should be a conversation and should be social. It’s right there in the name.

The idea of glasses that don’t break the bank, help someone else in need, and that I can try on before I buy is really tempting.

My eye exam is coming up. I think I’ll check out Warby Parker.

Anyone else want to join me?

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How Warby Parker Changed the Options for Eye Wear

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