As we read the groundswell we learn that a companies success is not found only by tapping into the minds ands like of its consumers but also in the thoughts and actions of its employees. It only makes sense that it is crucial that employees feel as if they are being heard and more importantly that they can makes changes. The people who understand best how your business runs best are your employees and it is because of this there questions and concerns should not be only heard but they should also be addressed. This also builds a sense of community in which trust is key allowing for a productive environment. Google and its comfortable creative environment allow for this productivity.
As we can see in this video is all about listening to its employees by collecting data from them in the form of surveys, interviews, and even psychological profiling them in order to figure out what it is they need in order to work as productively possible.
The biggest challenge for companies however is how its employees regulate there communication so that this type of productivity and success happen. As highlighted in the book some companies like Best Buy have blogs in which they allow employees to fully express themselves in regards to issues that may be taking place. Although a blog may be a nice idea in some cases google has taken it to a whole other level with its creation of Google Moderator. This application, created during the 20% of almost free time that engineers have to dedicate to any projects that may interest them, allows the management of feedback from large numbers of employees. Through it they may vote for the top questions they think should be posed and ask their own. It aims to make sure that every question has been considered, lets spectators see others' questions, as well as helping the moderator of an event or team address the questions its audience cares most about. By empowering their employees through freedom of expression they have created a service that facilitates two way communication between staff in management, rather than a ranting blog or overflowing email.
How to use Moderator
It is communication like this that is efficient, quick, and understandable which in the long one keep employees happy not just because they are being heard but because there idea and strategies are actually being taken seriously and are being implemented.
In the past few years we have all noticed the fitness and health craze including fads like yoga, sushi, and greek yogurt just to mention a few. But have we ever stopped to think how is it that this trend has even made it into our smartphones? Well that is what we will discover in today's blog. The app called My Fitness Pal has made its way into both the iPhone and the Android market. This relatively new app makes easy to keep track of ones calorie intake throughout the day as well as provide health advice and tips to maintain or loose weight. It even has a blog where you can read health related article and even find recipes.
So Exactly What Is It? And How It Can Help
The reviews state that there are both pros and cons to the app, as there is with everything. All in all however the app seems to be quite useful, having used it on my holiday vacation to track what I ate and how much exercise I needed to do to maintain my weight. What was great about the app was that not only does it scan in bar codes to make the process easier but it also contained a search box in which you could look up home made meals such as "arroz con guandules" (a typical Puerto rican dish) and add it to your daily food diary. Therefore almost making your calorie intake exact. This energizes a web phenomenon known as the groundswell because its taking a step further than just listening to its audience its catering to them before they ask. Lets face it there is a grand majority of us that eat traditional home cooked meals on a daily basis and cannot scan every item we use because they are not fully consumed by us and are just ingredients to a dish. Its the dish we are worried about figuring out.
Counting Calories
When it comes to logging exercise, My Fitness Pal is great. There are loads of different exercises to choose from, from running, to skipping. All you have to do is log the amount of time you spent doing the activity or, if you used gym equipment, you can log the amount of calories the gym equipment told you that you’d burnt. Tracking Exercise
The best this about the app is that it can be accessed from your computer, tablet or phone.
Who is marketing it and pushing for its use?
Interestingly enough you will find a lot of talk of this app mostly in fitness magazines. Fitness Magazine has several online articles talking about the new app as well as promoting its use. Now this is a cleaver move on their behalf because a large amount of their customer base are people who are trying to lose weight. If you simply google Fitness Magazine the first words after the magazine title are "weight loss-plans". People who read the magazine, download the app, and loose weight will accredit their weight loss ultimately to the magazine because it was their source of information leading to heir discovery of the app. And chances are people who use the app are likely to loose weight because research shows that those who keep a food journal six days a week lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less. These positive results will keep customers subscribing for more magazines in order to learn new technologies or tricks that can continue to maximize or even maintain their results. Fitness magazine is promoting the app so much that they even posted an interview with the app creator on youtube.
If you are trying to lose or maintain weight this great app may very well help. It is important to stay healthy and take pride in your body, after all you only get one.
is owner Raena Heppenstall's philosophy and she has been providing it since 1998 at the Corner Grille. Now a local institution, that caters to the business lunch crowd as well as the families of Worcester's West Side, and has long been considered a hidden gem by the city's college students who flock to it. With its high tin ceilings, a long family style table and Raena's customized chalk board menus invite visitors to a great dining experience. Great care has been taken to provide customers with a unique dining experience that involves delicious and innovative pizza pie's, sandwiches and salads.
The Corner Grille - Food that tastes great!
As many should assume being a local business the Corner Grille's social media revolves heavily around word of mouth. If we come to look at how many times it was mentioned on twitter or hashtaged we won't find much.
Here it shows how their page has grown or declined in the number of likes within the past week while comparing it to the week prior
It also keeps track of the average age group that are fans of the page. Right now that average is between people of the ages of 25-34. This is a helpful tool because it can help them see what age group they should be targeting with their marketing.
"If you're looking for a greasebomb dough-vehicle, don't come here. However, if you're looking for tasty,high quality fresh ingredients on a paper-thin crust in some amazing combos, definitely DO come here. Best pizza in Worcester. By far. I actually had to look at their web site to see if you could build your own pizza because I have always gotten a specialty pizza. My favorite is probably the chicken curry pizza, but that changes every time I have a new one. My wife's favorite is the tipsy goat, with goat cheese, caramelized onions and fresh arugula put on at the end. I also have gotten their steak and cheese wrap and it was good too.
The other reviews mentioning a small seating area are correct, if you consider 20 seats or so small. Don't be afraid to share one of the big tables with strangers! I've gone in a couple of times to find people waiting for seats but the big tables that seat 8 only had 2 people at them. Share! I've also never had problems parking and have managed to get a spot within 100' or so every time.
Their baked goods are tasty but a little pricey, and their juice and lemonade jars are great to share with 2 people. They also have a selections of food they've prepared like mac n cheese or fattoush or chicken pot pie but I haven't had any of those."
All three places that review this spot are forms of social media that have different purposes 1) facebook- online community where people, groups, or businesses express themselves as to what is going on in their lives, 2) yelp- local businesses, and 3) trip advisor-often highlighting places of interest in a vacation or traveling destination. This in turn suggests that this word of mouth will reach out to a wide range of people who ultimately may have entered different searches or began them differently.
Does all this word of mouth media mean that they are not engaging enough in social media all around and need to do something else to give them a little more social media presence?
Suggestions:
Creating a instagram and giving 5% on those who post pictures of their visits with hashtag #cornergrilleworcester
Advertise their facebook and possible instagram on website
When energizing the groundswell we are talking about what is it that turns an average person like me and you into a walking advertisement for a company or a product. Well the answer is simple we turn into these lean mean advertising machines when we get exactly what it is that we want. Companies do this by listening to our concerns and suggestions and in turn improving their current products or methods based on such suggestions. In chapter 7 the groundswell discusses the third level of groundswell thinking, which is energizing. This is done by word of mouth, hence the walking advertisement, which is successful as an energizer because of 3 things: 1) its believable, 2) its self-reinforcing, and 3) its's self spreading. Pretty much who ever is telling you there experience is not being paid to, which means they are being honest and sincere. People most often believe other people before they believe media.
With sights like yelp and search engines like google word of mouth is a phenomenon that is occurring on a daily basis more and more online
In this internet world of word of mouth there are three key players according to the groundswell, which are creators, critics, and spectators. Creators make up 1/4 of internet users and are those who are blogg, create websites, and upload videos. These people are often addressing an issue, introducing a product, and etc. Those who comment on such posts are critics and make u 1/3 of internet users. And the rest who just watch are known as spectators.
JetBlue As A Word of Mouth Social Media Example
Here is my take on JetBlue: Personally I love JetBlue! They try to make your travels quick possible and hassle free. No baggage fees for the first bag checked in which is something that no other airline is currently doing. They also provide good sized snack and decent beverages, not to mention the dunkin donuts brand coffee on borad. I agree with this guy!
Going to and from Puerto Rico can be a hassle especially in the winter and during hurricane season, many flights have are always canceled. This has happened to me multiple times and not once have I been left stranded in the airport. Jetblue has always paid for my transportation to and from my home, and accommodated me in a hotel when I am not home in the U.S., and two and a half hours away from my hometown waiting for my flight in the San Juan airport. Aren't you already falling in love with them?
But don't take it just from me. Here is what another person said about them on Yelp:
"The phrase "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?" applies here.
See, JetBlue is like your dream soulmate. Clean. (I've never been on a flight and seen trash, hair balls, or any other gross item.) Comforting. (Leather seats? Yes, please.) Stylish. (JetBlue's graphic design team is astounding. Making flying look trendy and--dare I say it?--enjoyable.) Attentive. ("Cold? Let me let the captain know." "More water? Here ya go!" "Does your pup want a biscuit?") Forgiving. (Like when you bring two surfboards in one bag, technically against their policy, and they only charge you for one anyway.) Thoughtful. (Like when you're exhausted and they find you the one row onboard that has no one else in it so you can stretch out and sleep) Entertaining. (Satellite TV and XM radio have been standard on JetBlue for some time now, and they've just added free inflight wifi to their list of amenities) Giving. (Did I mention the satellite TV, radio and WiFi were all FREE? Oh, as are the endless drinks (they give you a WHOLE CAN of soda unlike some airlines), snacks (animal crackers? Sweet potato chips? Love.), and bottled water to keep you hydrated.) Animal lover. (Flying with my dog can be a pain (understatement). He's moody. He doesn't sit still. He has anxiety issues. Oh, and on most airlines, he costs more than my seat. Not so on JetBlue. With one of the cheapest per fares, not only does he fly cheaper, but HE gets me TrueBlue points.) Flexible and understanding. (Like when I forget to book my dog's spot on the flight and they fill up (a maximum of 3 animals are allowed on a flight, that's an FAA rule). I'm thinking "Crappppp," and they say, "No problem, can you fly out the next day? We'll book him and rebook you free of charge for the trouble." Whaaaaa? Yessssss) Funny. (Multiple captains have actually made me laugh out loud with their in-cabin speeches.)
Now, JetBlue. All I ask is, please, please, take over the world (and expand service out of the Houston area (to Ft Myers in specific) so my parents/siblings can experience what I've talked about ad nauseum for years)."
When we think of a school lunch we often think of the stereotypical brown paper bag and carton designed plastic or medal box, often filled with a sandwich, apple, juice box, and small snack (maybe a yogurt or a cookie). This is the all American lunch sent from home. Over the years there has been some variations as to parents adding some fun and variety to the bags as well as what's inside. But all in all the same concept towards the brown paper lunch bag remains.
Via the web many American parents have grown fond of a Japanese tradition known as the bento box as a replacement to these bland paper bags. Bento boxes are based on design and meant to be appealing to the eye by manipulating the food to take the shape of things that appeal to your child. This can be cartoon characters or animals basically whatever it is that your child likes. American moms have begun this in order to have a more unique connection to their children.
In Japan
In Japan mothers are encouraged to create visually
appealing meals for young school children so that they will be enthusiastic
enough to consume their whole meal. Basically the meal must look as good as it
tastes. There are a set of codes that a successful Bento box or lunch box must adhere to. First none of the portions should be to big or to small, suggestion
that the meal must be decentralized. The second code is that of opposition,
colors shapes, and even textures should contrast one another. The third code is
that nature should be represented by the meal not only through fresh, seasonal,
and nutritional ingredients but in design as well.
The state uses these boxes as a form of
manipulation, which helps both socialize mother and children to the
government’s likings. The children are socialized into the school system and
instilled with the values of obedience and labor. This transition from school
into the home is seen as a passage into the real world for the children where
they are to leave the comfort of their home and enter the work force. They
bring part of their mother’s homely warmth with them through these elaborate
lunches. Little by little mothers are suppose to mix in ingredients the
children do not particularly like, as to get them to forcefully adhere to the
class rule that they must finish their whole box. This rule the teacher
enforces and the pupil must follow, putting things that they do not like will
teach them the lesson that life and work is not all about fun, and is often
bland.
Found Through Out The Web In American Parenting Magazines
Some of these ideas such as creativity and mothers warmth are often discussed in parenting magazines such as Moms Magazine, Parenting,Today's Parent, and Working Mother. Each one of these magazines have provided online articles dedicated to the creation and use of bento boxes for a child's school lunch. Such articles in many ways has allowed parents not only to create bento boxes but to also spread ideas on how to Americanize them (hence making them with the same concept in mind but not as elaborate or time consuming as in Japan). These ideas of lunch, fun, fast, and easy make bento boxes very appealing for both mothers to make them and children to consume them. In marketing bento boxes magazines have fulfilled their requirement in introducing new and innovative techniques to making parenting both easier and fun. What child wouldn't enjoy a teddybear shaped sandwich? Ideas like this will assure that their sales continue.
Who Else Is Benefiting From Introducing Of These Ideas?
So you are a parent reading the magazine and think "oh what a great idea... I'm going to do that for my kid". Then as most of us do you sail around youtube looking for step by step instructions (like in the videos posted below). Ok so now you are ready to make a bento box. Wait don't you need the bento box? Thats right websites like Amazon have been making a killing on selling these items. It has become such a craze in the online world that bento boxes themselves are among Amazon's top sellers. Not only does Amazon provide the bento boxes them selves but they also sell accessories that facilitate the creation of them such as animal shaped sandwich cutters, rice ball molds, box decorations, and so on. This just adds a whole other category to their sales under their kitchen and container supplies.
Youtube: A great help
Youtube has also promoted the use of bento boxes among American moms by giving them step by step instructions on how to create one. These two videos that are posted clearly show that such tutorials are targeted to an American audience, mainly because English is the dominant language in both videos.
These are a bit more elaborate but on youtube we may also find simpler ones highlighted as "American" or "Western"
In January of 2010 Toyota, a car company with a reputable background for reliable cars, had a recall for 2.3 million vehicles to correct a issue in the safety of the cars gas pedals. Very quickly toyota was facing a social media nightmare with comment all over the place. Some one on mototrend.com commented the following after reading an article entitled The Toyota Recall Crisis"Who would drive a Toyota after all of this? You are taking your life in your hands every time you get behind the wheel in a Toyota. There are enough other hazards out there. The vehicle that went into the lake with all occupants dieing, there is no excuse for that. Drivers drive drunk, they drive too fast, they don't pay attention and people die. For a company to knowingly put peoples' lives in danger to save a little money is absolutely unforgiveable" another commentator on the same article expressed that "I don't think that they'll be keeping the title of World's Largest Automaker much longer. Its acceptable if it was loose floor mats that were the real culprit, but after learning that it is a pedal defect and it has been affecting people for over a decade, thats absolutely unacceptable. At the sign of the first possible incident years ago there should have been an electronic fail-safe installed on newer models as a precaution. This was their mistake and they will pay dearly". At this point toyota was not looking good at all.
The comments on the bottom of this video seemed as if the general publics view of the company made a complete 360 turn around after seeing it.
This became Toyota's solution:
Thus the groundswell is right to suggest that many of he webs tools/technlogies could be used to a company's advantage. User-generated content affected Toyota mainly because as the groundswell explains it is not regulated making just about anything possible. Such as mixing fact and opinion, reporting rumors, and so on. But as mentioned it allowed Toyota to view what people were saying and then in turn customize their solution to the exact issue at hand.
The solution was not only to to directly answer the publics concerns with the face of sales but a direct and sincere apology to all of the toyota owners of the world from the CEO in Japan.
