Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, from Forrester Research, immaculately bring out the nuances of the groundswell. In chapter 1, they emphasize that the world has changed due to social technologies and it is an irreversible change. “It’s a completely different way for people to relate to companies and each other”. Still #shook from the paradigm shift? Keep reading to delve deeper into the groundswell phenomenon.
There is no escaping the groundswell. In chapter 3, we see the diagram of the Social Technographics Profiles – how we are all part of the groundswell ladder. We belong to one of the groups (in fact, the text mentions how a consumer only needs to participate in one of the activities at least monthly and they’re part of the group)
To understand the groundswell in context, let’s #SpillTheTea or spill the Iced Chai Tea Latte with soymilk, extra ice, no sugar, two (and a half) pumps of vanilla. Or a Trenta, no foam, 5 shot, half calf, no foam, pumpkin spice latte with no foam at 210 degrees.
I mean, let’s look at the text in relation with a very popular example – Starbucks. According to the authors, “You cannot ignore this trend. You cannot sit this one out. The groundswell trend is unstoppable, and your customers are there”. Interestingly, this article on The Wise Marketer explains how Starbucks decided last year to build relationships with customers who are not part of Starbucks Rewards. And this, in turn, increased the membership to Starbucks rewards, by 11%, pretty smart, huh? According to the text, it’s the perfect way to embrace customers or integrate them into the way business works.
Also, check out their #MorningYes Campaign video (only 30 seconds, but worth a watch)
No matter how overwhelming the groundswell may seem, it’s crucial to understand it. Our authors tell us how the only way to thrive in it is to develop an understanding of how it works. A metaphor that I found to be very apt was of jujitsu and how in this martial arts form, we really have to know how bodies move. In the case of the groundswell, "concentrate on the relationships and not the technologies", we will have mastered groundswell thinking. And we will have gotten a step closer to world domination, sounds like a win-win to me.
The acronym POST conceptualizes the process to tap into the groundswell:
· Access your customers’ social activities
· Decide what you want to accomplish
· Plan how your relationship will evolve
· Decide which technologies to use
There you go, you are a groundswell expert now! Go and thrive in the socially connected world. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff acknowledge that things will go wrong. But this is what they say to that; “Go back to POST, because diagnosing how something is going wrong is the first step to fixing it”
Thank you for tuning into this week’s update on Simrants (Social Media Edition)
As always, hope you all are having the best day!
Simran
Hi, Simran! I think your inclusion of Starbucks is an excellent example of companies leveraging their understanding of the groundswell for their benefit. As you mentioned, Starbucks’ marketing campaign proved successful, raising rewards members by 11%. I think your point about engaging customers is very important. Starbucks seems like a company that puts people (the first letter in POST) first, and I think this is incredibly important for companies if you want to have a loyal, engaged audience. Great post!
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