The New Year is quickly approaching and it seems fitting to take some time to look at a few of the key learnings from the past year. What better way to do that than to highlight some of the key take aways from some of 2009’s most successful social media marketing efforts. While we all may have different definitions of what “success” is, my look back on 2009 will focus on those social media campaigns that opened our eyes to the opportunities in social media or taught us new things about marketing.

Microsoft – I’m a PC:
After taking a beating from Apple, Microsoft finally responded with an innovative TV and multi-channel participatory marketing program that ended with two simple words – “Upload Yourself.” The campaign demonstrates that all media can be social/participatory and the importance of involving customers or the community in defining and defending your brand.

Ford - Fiesta Movement:
Ford invites 100 Gen Y’s to drive a Ford Fiesta (not available in the U.S. until next year) for six months and report their experience on various social media sites and blogs. The program demonstrates how social media and “Buzz” is the fifth ”P” --People-- in the classic four “P”s of marketing (Product, Price, Promotion, Place). It also demonstrates the continued acceleration of product launch cycles and that “pre-launch” is the new product launch with today’s social web. Special congratulations to Courtney Force who was recently awarded the Favorite Fiesta Agent title.

Nike – What Do You Play For?:
Nike calls on teens to share their sports stories. Participants are encouraged to upload photos of them playing the sport they love and to share their inspirational stories. Visitors then voted on their favorites and winners received prizes. While Nike is a brand that was built on showcasing the talents of unattainable superstars like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods (who are not without their faults), this effort demonstrates the company’s evolution by leveraging the power of participation and real people to inspire other. . In today’s social web, advertising and promotion needs to be relevant, personal, identifiable, authentic and trusted. I believe this is the start of a major shift in advertising – bottom line: celebrities are out – real people like you and I are In. 

Starbucks - I'm In:
Starbucks encourages vistors to Starbucks.com and over 11,000 Starbucks locations to pledge 5 hours of community service.  In exchange Starbucks is giving those that pledge a free cup of coffee.  Participants also receive a pledge card and an "I'm In" badge that can be embedded on their websites to help spread the word.  What's so great about the Starbucks program is how it demonstrates the power of participation, and how organizations can be a catalyst for doing good.  The program has recieved national recognition and over 2.3 million hours have been donated between consumers and Starbucks employees.  Just goes to show you how marketers who think out of the box and add a little participation sweetener to their marketing efforts can not only build their brand and sales, but change the world.  

1-800-Flowers.com Mother’s Day:
Using an innovative outreach program, 1-800-Flowers targeted 24 “Mommy Bloggers” filling eight archetypes (On-the-Go, etc.) of motherhood to help spur Mother’s Day sales. Chosen bloggers received a bouquet of flowers and discount codes to share with their readers. Additionally, they were recognized by 1-800-Flowers’s blogger, encouraged to write their own blogs and attended a cocktail party in their honor with CEO Jim McCann. The program was significant for several reasons – first it highlights the importance of transparency and trust on the social web. In October, the FTC published its final guidelines requiring bloggers to disclose freebies or payments. Next, the innovative program incorporated unique tracking codes allowing 1-800-Flowers to measure success of the program including redemptions by blogger/site. For the 53% of you still struggling with measuring the ROI of your social media efforts this is a start.

Westin – Want to go for a Run:
Westin’s want to go for a run is an innovative participatory marketing and social program. Within minutes of checking into my room I received a voicemail from Westin’s running concierge inviting me to join him and fellow guests to refresh my mind and body with a 3 mile running tour of the city. Not only did the program reinforce Westin’s brand positioning and messaging (relax, renew, refresh), but the program showcases the fact that the best participatory marketing programs involve your employees and are operationalized to create unique differentiated experiences.

American Express – Shine A Light:
At a time when we could all use a little inspiration, Amex hit a home run with a program that shines a light on small business and serves as a powerful and positive reminder that the American Dream is still alive and well. While the program, which invited the public to nominate, “spotlight”, and vote on the small business that most inspired them, leveraged social media the real story is in the success of the small businesses themselves. More specifically the story is about what they teach us about the importance of customer relationships management (CRM). While social media may be in the spotlight right now, we all need to remember the importance of understanding our customer’s needs and interests and mastering the marketing basics like building great products and providing exceptional service and value before we jump on the social media bandwagon.

Lots of great lessons and congratulations to all the brands who pushed the envelope and built innovative marketing programs that got us all thinking – you’ve made us all better marketers for it. For more case studies visit our case study page. Looking forward to showcasing more great stories in 2010.

‘Til Next Time.

It’s planning season again and social media is not only top of mind but dominating the conversation. After a series of strategic discussions around social media with some of my top clients I’ve decided to take another look at the PMN case studies with a key question in mind – what can these programs teach us about marketing and the future of marketing? The findings were very enlightening -- so much so that I’ve written a feature in this month’s eM+C Magazine highlighting some of big take aha’s. While the article showcased four big brands, there is a ton more. That’s why I’ll be showcasing some of those additional insights here as well as at future webinars and speaking engagements. In the meantime I invite you to check out eM+C Magazine. Here is a quick summary along with the key learnings:

Ford’s Fiesta Movement shows us the growing importance of creating “pre-launch” buzz and may forever changes the way marketers introduce new products.

Nike’s What Do You Play For campaign teaches us the importance of building marketing programs that are not only inspirational but identifiable – celebrities no longer need apply.

1-800-Flowers’ Happy Mothers Days demonstrates the importance of transparency and tracking and

Starbucks’ I’m In proves cause marketing is not only good for the world but can be very good for your brand and sales.

Let me know what you think and be sure to check out the more than twenty PMN case studies on our website.

‘Til Next Time

As many of you know, part of The PMN’s value proposition is access to our unique Gen Y panel. Leading brands interested in engaging with and learning from Generation Y have the unique opportunity to conduct research and connect with Gen Y face-to-face at various events. As the influence and power of Gen Y continues to grow so will the importance of reaching, understanding and engaging these influencers. One company that has already embraced Gen Y’s is Ford. In fact, Ford is reaching out to young influencers in order to help spread the word about the new Fiesta with a participatory marketing campaign entitled “The Fiesta Movement.”

Developed in partnership with digital think tank Undercurrent and AMG, their U.S. based partner, the campaign invited 100 young people selected from more than 4,000 applications to drive a Ford Fiesta for six months and report their experiences on various social media sites. The lucky 100 selected were chosen based on their “influence” determined by such factors as blogging experience, number of social network friends and their video application detailing their desire for adventure and why they would be a good representative for the Fiesta Movement. The campaign officially kicked off last month and with more than 650,000 views of the applicant videos on YouTube word is spreading fast. Fiesta Movement participants will receive monthly missions from Ford around key travel themes to blog and share their experience with friends.

The program is one of several I’ve seen recently that demonstrates how struggling automotive makers are embracing social media. Given the Ford effort, it is easy to see why Ford recently ranked number one in the Vitrue 20 Top Social Auto Brands – a new social brand index that was designed to capture a brand’s share of voice and chatter across the growing social internet.

But where this really gets interesting for me is on two fronts.

1. When we get to the point were brands can actually identify power influencers with the help of additional data. What is a power influencer? A power influencer goes beyond understanding the social graph and metrics like the number of connections; it ties actual purchase/ownership data/information to influencers and measures that user’s engagement with the brand i.e. current/previous Ford owner and member of various Ford clubs and social communities.

2. Seeing how big brands will leverage and/or re-allocate their traditional advertising and communication efforts such as promotional emails to drive further momentum for these programs. One recent example of this was Toyota’s “New Prius Comes Out to Play” email. The email included links to a YouTube video of consumers and Prius owners getting a preview of the new 3rd generation Prius prior to its official introduction. It reminds me a little of a pop singer hitting the clubs to preview their new album with MTV in tow to video every move and fan reactions. By using traditional media such as TV and email, reach and engagement activity can be expanded exponentially.

It is an exciting time and it is particularly interesting to watch the struggling automotive industry adapt and evolve to the social web as the economic pressures continue to mount and in many ways force them to participate or perish. Not such a bad thing!