A Design Thinking Approach to Online Engagement

Create richer and more long-lasting engagement

Carl Griffith, Founder and Principal, Cloud View Pte Ltd,Singapore

Agenda

Introduce you to the pillars of Design Thinking

Explore the Pillars and related concepts in more detail as they apply to Social Media

Touch on the notion of Social Business

Summarize and conclude

Design Thinking - one definition

“Design schools emphasize abductive thinking—imagining what could be possible. This new thinking approach helps us challenge assumed constraints and add to ideas, versus discouraging them." Proctor & Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley

Lafley 2008, The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation Quoted in Business Week 28 July 2008

Design Thinking (unholy) Trinity

HUMAN – desirableBUSINESS – viableTECHNOLOGY - feasible

Human needs and desires have not essentially changed

Despite the huge technological advances of the online revolution, our basic human needs and desires have remained largely unchanged.

We are still looking for (amongst many other things):

RecognitionGreat experiencesFor things to be easier

An understanding of this, and its forming the core of what you do constitutes one of the pillars of a Design Thinking approach

HUMAN – desirable

Business viability

(i) : financially sustainable <a viable enterprise>

BUSINESS – viable

Why are you doing it?What constitutes success?Does the product manager know why you are doing it?Did you just make it up or is it really about your business?

We are going to do this so our conversion rates go up by 30%

Technologically feasible

We can do that with technology

Technology as an enabler to do something NOT as the driver

TECHNOLOGY - feasible

networks, apps, social connectors, rich media …..

– NOT, look at that cool technology – we should do something with that…

Too much tech, no desire, not viable

Design Thinking is about (amongst other things)

Understanding your consumers, and then doing something that

addresses (at least some of) their, needs, desires or wants for sound and understood business

reasons with the appropriate use of technology and tools

A great design thinking example

Bank of America

Keep the Change

How might this relate to Social Media?

User Understanding – when did you last really listen to your customers?

Not about what you want to say anymore - It’s about what ‘they’ want to hear

It’s about establishing a relationship based on a more emotional connection – people will engage with companies and organizations they perceive as understanding them – they love personalities

Why do we like our friends?

You have the opportunity to see your customers as ‘real’ people – not just as numbers on a spreadsheet. Who are they really?

What do they like?

What is their broader lifestyle?

The new loyalty is about getting permission to be invited into a consumer’s attention stream

How to gain this understanding – how to EARN the permission

Understanding used to be something we had to go and ask about

Now you have your: Own social media platforms

A myriad of other social platforms around your products and services

Competitor social media sites

Industry forums

Special interest sites and publications

Blogging experts

Rapid Prototyping

Seeing what worksSeeing what feels right

Quickly getting user feedback for making things even better

You might think you know what your customers want and they might think they know what they want Give it to them and

try it out – you can always change it afterwards

Understanding for marketing – some tactics

Test and then Listen What drives conversation on your social media platforms

What topics? What use of language and communication style?

Construct a strategy: Systematically propose topics and ask question and analyze results

Ask people directly about your company’s products and services – they won’t mind – in fact, they will probably like it

Ask them about the rest of their lives – what else do they like to do? What are their daily issues and challenges?

Use Facebook fan page to understand hard demographics

Contextualizing messaging &touch points

Storyboarding: A consumer's brand journey

One hour or one day in the live of a consumer interacting with your brand

I know this is a marketing based seminar but ….

Social Media is no longer just about Marketing.

Social media is now about your whole business.There is now ONLYSOCIAL BUSINESS

Why should this be a collaborative approach?

The old ‘website’ where people used to check specs – find a stockist etc

The new ongoing social business ground - everywhere

It’s about PRIt’s about Customer CareIt’s about R&DIt’s about crisis managementIt’s about salesIt’s about collaborative developmentIt’s about how you work with suppliers and partners

It’s about your WHOLE BUSINESS and demands CROSS DISCIPLINARY AND COLLABORATIVE Teams

Reframing the business – relocating your social media efforts

Moving from ‘Social Media’ marketing to all inclusive multi disciplinary ‘Social Business’

Looking at your business from different angles (customer, supplier, R&D partners)

It will mean giving up what might have worked yesterday with what will work tomorrow

You might think your experience and knowledge helps you – but sometimes it might be advantageous to let it go

Moving from Social Media as an activity …

To Social Business as a way of doing everything

Summary

Really think about your customers – not as numbers but as real people - understand them, demonstrate this and get included in their attention streams

Align your Social Business activities with solid and understood business objectives

Use technology relevantly and appropriately as an enabler NOT as a driver

Be prepared to change and welcome and embrace the Social Business way of doing things right through your organization

Carl Griffith, Cloud View Pte Ltd, Singapore

Thank You!