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Archive for August, 2009

Building Social Media Rapport with Brand Enthusiasts

Posted in Digital Marketing, social media, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Surveys have shown that around 74% of people believe recommendations from friends or acquaintances, while only about 14% believe in brand advertisement claims. Having credible people be your brand  enthusiast can be extremely powerful, especially when communicated in an authentic manner — as part of a person’s normal conversation.

Let me use my friend, Kendall Kunz, a well-known entrepreneur and executive in the Seattle area, as an example.

Recently, he tweeted:

meetkendall01

Kendall is a Lexus owner, expressing a perspective that many would agree with. So, why would Ford not contact Kendall? He is most likely not a credit risk. His Lexus is being serviced for reasons unknown. Why not at least engage and build rapport?

Here’s another tweet:

meetkendall02

I get Nordstorm emails, most of which are not even relevant to me because they consistently send me information about women’s apparel. I think both Nordstorm and Macy’s has a chance to step up and not just get Kendall’s business for the day (or a shopping trip), but to build a ongoing rapport with Kendall. Again, it’s an opportunity for getting involved in the conversation for the brand(s). What’s the lifetime value of a customer like Kendall?

Later, Kendall tweets:

meetkendall03

Ok, Ford is now out of the conversation and Lexus gets a big kudo from Kendall, who by the way has a lot of friends with high-end cars. You can’t buy these types of advertisements.

Finally, here’s another tweet from Kendall:

meekendall04

Crimson C is a lounge in Pioneer Square trying to get more visibility. It actually has a promotion for drink vouchers if you introduce the lounge to 20 friends. Kendall wasn’t aware of the promotion, but really just wanted people to stop by.

These are authentic conversations on social media. Kendall is peddling brands without even thinking about it. One man, a few examples, imagine the possibilities that are out there  in social media for brands to be so much more engaging.

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Korean-American Golfers Dance, High-Five for America

Posted in society, tagged , , , , on August 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Christina Kim wears your emotions on her sleeves

Christina Kim wears your emotions on her sleeves

I’ve been following the Solheim Cup, a golf team competition between American and European women.

The competition is intense and the enthusiasm of players and the gallery contagious. On the American team, Michelle Wie and Christina Kim are two players with very different playing styles, personalities, and even looks. However, they share the common Korean ancestry like me. They are Korean-Americans proudly representing America.

These two players contribute not only with their play, but enormously as teammates with their personalities and energy. Wie, the teenage phenomenon, is now 19-years-old.  She’s been a media sensation since the age of 14 by bombing drives and dominating junior golf. She later caused a stir by competing against men, and now is a rookie on the LPGA. Michelle is one of the hottest draws for TV and tournaments whenever she plays. She is graceful with feminine good looks on her thin 6-feet frame. On this team, however, she’s a youngster and happy to be just a teammate of great golfers.

Christina, is short and chubby (think Margaret Cho). She is also the biggest personality on the team. Christina wears her emotions out on her sleeves after every shot.  She is contagiously enthusiastic. Every player teamed with Christina has an extra bounce in her step.  Christina screams at the ball while in flight, she dances after shots, she smiles at the crowd, she poses confidently in front of the camera under her french beanie. The gallery loves her. Some golf announcers are politely critical of Christina’s actions, but so what?

Koreans, in general, have fared well in professional golf. Y.E. Yang just won the PGA tournament overtaking Tiger Woods on the final day. However, all the Koreans in the PGA and LPGA are seen as stoic and reserved players without much personality. They are known for mental toughness and consistent ball striking.

However, the Korean-American golfers, such as Wie and Kim, as well as Anthony Kim on the PGA, are brash, expressive and in-your-face competitive. They have an edge that exemplify the youth in America today. They add life to an old stodgy game.

Such showmanship is generally frowned upon in the traditional Korean culture. That’s why we are Korean-Americans. That’s why even in the business world, we Korean-Americans can be so entrepreneurial. We don’t mind taking risks and drawing attention to ourselves, whether you like it or not.

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How Do Your Friends Affect Your Life?

Posted in society, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on August 20, 2009 | 1 Comment »

As a parent, I often worried about the kind of friends my children kept. It’s a major concern for most parents of pre-teen and teenage children. Group mentality is powerful among the youth as they crave a sense of belonging and identity outside the home.

But what about adults? We are all social creatures by nature. The friendships adults keep is no less important in determining one’s outlook on life than for a teenager. We care a lot more about how people within our “inner circle” perceive us than any of us would like to admit. We compete, we support, we inspire, we stifle and we compare amongst friends. In a lot of ways, we develop our identity from our friends and family.

From personal experience, I know that once I left my hometown of Tacoma, away from my high school “jock” friends, and traveled abroad, my perspective on life drastically changed. I’m not saying it made me a better person, but it did make me prioritize my career aspirations. That’s because those whom I met overseas were more focused on their careers. My desire to have status and credibility amongst my new friends certainly affected my actions from thereafter.

Today, I’m fortunate enough to know so many great people. Almost every day, I meet with people who challenge my thoughts, and sometimes even my motives. Especially as I now start a new venture, a broad perspective gives me a more clear understanding of what I’m trying to accomplish, eliminating some of my blind spots.

These friends also keep me motivated with encouragements, as well as by competing with their own ideas, efforts and successes.  They help me aspire for higher goals.

People often say networking is important and “who you know” is critical to success. I guess I’m saying the same thing in a slightly different way. You will inherently want acceptance and praise from your friends, people you care the most about. So, what is the focus of your group of friends, because that is the area you yourself will most likely focus in on? Remember we have a choice here. You have no choice on who is your family, but we all get to pick our friends.

So, yes, by all means, go out and network. Expand your circle of friends with people who can inspire and motivate you in the ways you want to live. Do it in an authentic manner, true to yourself. Then, your opportunities, and your perspective will grow as well.

Along the way, you must also ask yourself this obvious question: What kind of friend are you? Do you inspire, motivate, elevate and support those who are the closest to you?

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Social Media Revolution

Posted in social media, tagged , , on August 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Social Media Revolution as presented by Socialnomics. Rifted off Sony’s Shift Happens, but the message is loud and clear.

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Re-Inventing You: Business & Career Success Seminar

Posted in business, entrepreneur, tagged , , , on August 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

I will be participating in Re-inventing You: Trust Yourself to Change Yourself, Business and Career Success Seminar on September 29, 2009.

Pam Hoelzle, a business consultant and a friend, will be facilitating the event. Pam and I’ve had some very interesting discussions about entrepreneurship, business and life. So, when she asked me to share my experiences of being involved with six different startups, I was happy to oblige.

Hope some of you will join us.

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Ok, Things I Loved About Vietnam

Posted in society, travel, tagged , , , , , , on August 11, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Savoring Boudain's "Lunch Lady" noodle soup

Savoring Boudain's "Lunch Lady" noodle soup

Travel is a passion of mine. It is for a lot of people.

Once in Jakarta as a young businessman, I moved out of my five-star hotel for a weekend, just to stay with back packers in another part of town. That, however, was a long time ago. Yet, with such perspective in mind, let me share a few personal experiences from Vietnam during my recent visits there.

  • I absolutely love Vietnamese food. I’m addicted to the intense flavors from the tropical herbs and spices. I adore the fresh vegetables and appreciate the small portions of food. One of my favorite meals was from Anthony Boudain’s recommended “lunch lady”. Finding her was difficult, but the $0.75 bowl of noodles with pork and solidified blood was well worth the search effort.
  • There are also great mainstream Vietnamese restaurants. One of my favorites is Quan An Ngon, where various vendors cook different regional foods, while as a customer you can order any combination of dishes from your table. I particularly enjoyed the snails in coconut curry and the shrimp on a sugar cane with rice paper.
  • While taxi’s are cheap, the fastest way to get around is to ride on a back of a scooter. It’s exhilarating to be maneuvered around the congested streets on a scooter. But be warned, this is not for the faint of heart.
  • Talking to locals whether they want me to or not is always fun.  Once, a street vendor desperately tried to avoid eye contact as I walked up and ordered a “banh mi” (a Vietnamese sandwich). We kept motioning to each other until I realized that she wanted me to choose a type of sandwich. Eventually, I pointed to a chunk of unfamiliar meat. After getting my sandwich, I gave her a 100,000 vnd bill (around $5.50), causing yet another adventure for her. She went to three different places to find enough change. When we finally completed the exchange, she  gave me her first smile — a beautiful smile — obviously relieved that we were done. I want to go back another time when my Vietnamese is improved to see how I can make her smile then.
  • I like watching the economy behind the economy. There are street vendors everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. While the tourist and local upper class frequent the store fronts, many of the workers at the store fronts frequent the street vendors. I’ve watched with fascination elderly women conduct bustling business with one huge pot of soup delivering breakfast and lunches to the workers in the stores.
  • One great moment for me was watching a little girl in clean but worn clothes, holding her grandmother’s hand with tenderness and steeled determination, crossing a crazy roundabout street of Ho Chi Minh.
  • Given that extended families live together in small houses or rooms, young couples don’t have many places for privacy. So, near the Saigon River, under bridges, I unwittingly witnessed many young couples cuddling and kissing on parked scooters. They seemed quite dexterous on those little two-wheelers.
  • One of the my favorite things about Vietnam was getting “the treatment”. For me, this was a pampering session by a few young ladies that included a head and face massage, a shave, a facial, a neck rub and sometimes a manicure or a pedicure.  Why ever wash your own hair or even shave yourself when the whole experience runs less than $10?

To be fair, a few things that bothered me.

  • Ho Chi Minh is not a good walking city. The sidewalks are over run by vendors or scooters, and there is no subway system.
  • There is a lack of any ethnic diversity, but this may be an unfair complaint given that Vietnam is a developing country, and Ho Chi Minh not yet cosmopolitan.
  • Music is too loud in clubs, and they over-play Akon’s “Right now, (Na Na Na)“. There’s no way of getting that song out of your head once you’ve heard it 20 times at an ear-piercing volume.

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In the Zone Week

Posted in business, social media, tagged , , , , , on August 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

I’ve had an “in the zone” type of a week, where things just fall into place. The Lift9 research center in Vietnam is now set up. Our web site will soon be launched (sorry, but with so many execution points, this has taken a back seat).

Now, more good news seem to be on the way as Lift9 is moving fast toward an automated solution to accessing information from additional  ”closed” forum and review sites. Our social media analytics solution will encompass results from the best social media listening tools as well as from a specialized Lift9 web data aggregating tool, all manned by our own highly trained research center. The clients will receive accurate insights in the form of automated dashboards, report templates, as well as social media engagement and strategy support.

Stay tuned, more to come. I need to be somewhat discreet for the time being.

I hope you are all enjoying  ”in the zone” days as well.

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Building an International Team is Challenging, Rewarding

Posted in business, entrepreneur, tagged , , , , , on August 6, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Hiring new employees is always a challenge. Trying to hire in a foreign country takes the challenge to another level.

Lift9 is building part of its social media research center in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to support our efforts here in the states. We believe that in order to make much of the social media data relevant and useful, extensive research needs to be a big part of the solution.

While initially building the research team in Vietnam, I was excited about the eventual competitive advantage that was being created. Later during the process, however, I became just as excited about the human element of providing employment and opportunities to our new recruits from this foreign land.

I was impressed with many of the candidates’ English skills and willingness to interview in a foreign language. They asked critical questions and each sold him/herself in different and interesting ways. The interview process was difficult, with language and cultural barriers among other challenges. It, however, was an extremely rewarding process, as we bonded with those who joined our team. Breaking down the additional barriers makes the eventual relationship that much sweeter.

Moving forward, we will continue to have barriers to overcome. For one thing, the employment practice in Vietnam is to have sequential one-year employment contracts with an initial two-month probationary period. This creates a business environment of higher potential turnover, as opposed to the life-time employment culture during the “developmental eras” in Japan and Korea.

Yet, we’re excited to overcome these barriers. We plan on providing a nurturing, creative and challenging work environment for our Vietnamese staff. They are valuable contributors to our overall solution, as well as human beings deserving of respect and capable leadership from us.

You know, this is actually a lot of fun.

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Lift9, Making Sense of Social Media Data

Posted in business, entrepreneur, social media, tagged , , , , , on August 3, 2009 | 1 Comment »

lift9 logoTime to share a little more information about our new startup, Lift9.

The era of social media is just beginning. Digital information is doubling every 18 months, with social media data leading the charge. Unfortunately, this data is mostly fragmented and unstructured. Content is coming from all directions and impossible to control.

While leading the marketing strategy, analytics and planning group for the digital agency Ascentium, I realized that making sense of this growing data would be an increasingly difficult task. Social media listening and monitoring tools pull mostly unstructured data and cannot access every social media platform. To really get a true picture of social media conversations, human research and analysis are crucial to providing relevant solutions.

That was the genesis of Lift9. We leverage leading social analytics tools and incorporate the “human” element of research and analysis that help make sense of the available data. We are a team of senior marketing and public relations experts with a research center focused on structuring and validating social media data around a set of best practices and reporting templates.

Information is truly powerful, but only if it is understandable and useful. Our mission is to make social media data relevant and powerful for all client brands.

Our vision is to overcome the cost barriers of the labor-intensive nature of research and analysis. We have made relevant social media data affordable to all brands by building our research center off-shore.

Today, we are filling a critical niche by making sense of social media information for our clients. Tomorrow, we hope to be a market leader when social media research and reporting will be an essential marketing discipline for all brands.

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