Social Media and the 2009 Christmas Rush
This year is one of recovery for the retail industry as we enter “Black Friday” in the US, named as such because this is typically the day retailers generate enough revenue to get into the black or so I’ve heard. Anyway, I thought I would supply a quick list of examples on how some major brands are investing heavily into social media this Christmas season as opposed to 2008. There is a distinct increase in social media activity ahead and here are three examples.
First up is Starbucks:
Here’s a post from Econsultancy.com that outlines what Starbucks is up to. Below is an excerpt. According to Starbucks VP Chris Bruzzo, Holiday 2009 is all about scaling up Starbucks’ Holiday 2008:
It’s like we’ve taken the version 1.0 of last year and now we’re really doing it at scale and going to a lot more places where our customers already are. People are saying this is going to be a big year for social media and we’re a microcosm of that. Whereas last year it was a curiosity, this year it’s a core part of the program.
Some of Starbucks’ specific online efforts worth noting include:
- Facebook holiday photo uploads and branded virtual goods.
- A Flickr page encouraging consumers to upload holiday pictures of themselves.
- A branded playlist on Pandora, additional integration in Pandora’s iPhone app and traditional ad placements on the Pandora website.
Coca Cola:
In an article by Mediabiznet, an explanation is given as to what the beverage company is describing as their “largest social media campaign ever.” 206 countries, 365 days, 1 mission
Expedition 206, as it will be called, will send three 20-somethings to 206 countries and territories where Coca-Cola is sold. The trio set off on their 275,000 mile tour from Madrid on 1st January 2010, stocked with laptops, video cameras, smartphones and other gadgetry, in order to document their search for happiness to the masses.
Their journey will be tracked online via www.expedition206.com as well as Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter. Fans following the trio will be able to weigh in on what the trio should do and who they should see at each destination.
BestBuy:
It’s no secret that BestBuy has been pushing further into the social web than probably any other electronics retailer to date with their Blue Shirt Nation experiment at the core.
They’ve decked out their Facebook page with a Christmas theme as a start, offering gift advice, a “hint helper” to let friends and family know what you want for Christmas, a Secret Santa area, and a smattering of “Christmas carol videos.”
The New York Times reports that BestBuy is building a large TV commercial campaign around their “Twelpforce” Twitter account, said to be manned by 2500 BestBuy blue shirts with the claim that “no knows more about electronics than BestBuy employees.”
Edmonton Fringe Festival Social Media Links
Just wanted to quickly update everyone on some of the key sites you should be aware of. First, if you like being in pictures and you’ve been to this year’s Edmonton International Fringe Festival, it’s quite possible that someone has taken your picture and posted it here at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival group on Flickr. All Fringe related pictures are welcome, this group started with the Fringe at zero and now has 16 members and nearly 400 pictures, great job Edmonton photographers, let’s keep the shutters smoking!
Also, for those staying in touch on Facebook regarding Edmonton Fringe shows, food, street performers and reviews. You should be aware of the main Fringe related Facebook group.
We are excited to have performers and Fringers blogging about their experiences at Edmonton’s Fringe Festival. Much of the daily action regarding social media and specifically blogging activity is happening on ShowYouOurBlog.com.
Many on Twitter are following the Twitter account @EdmontonFringe which notifies everyone of a new blog post on the aforementioned blog, as well as, other interesting Edmonton Fringe tidbits that come along.
Many like watching video and we don’t disappoint. Here is the ShowYouOurs Youtube channel. You’ll also be interested to know that we’ll be live streaming a couple of shows from the Edmonton International Fringe Festival this year. This first of which is tonight at 8:45pm from Venue #1 – Choon-Hyang: True Love The live feed will be broadcast from the ShowYouOurBlog site listed above and the archived content will be posted on this Youtube channel. The Edmonton International Fringe Festival continues towards breaking new social media ground as this will be our 2nd of 3 live webcasts from the festival.
We have been working with the production staff from Seoul, South Korea and we expect a good turnout online from that Internet savvy country, despite the time zone difference being 16 hours ahead, which in this case works in our favor as it should be early Tuesday afternoon in Seoul.
fusedlogic Food Bank Challenge Leads to a “Happy Mind.”
This is about the little boy or girl sitting at a table, hungry and waiting for mom and dad to put a bowl of food in front of them…and nothing happens. They can’t afford to eat. This is about the homeless person who shows up to a mission for a hot meal only to return to a box under a bridge when it’s done. This is about the single mom trying to make ends meet and feed her hungry family. This is about the dad who has lost his wife and is devastated, depressed and somehow finds himself in a place struggling to feed his family.
If our challenge helps one more person, child, family eat- it was WELL WORTH the effort.
Many may have thought that we forgot about this charitable social media project, the Facebook group and flickr groups have seemingly been ignored and it’s all over before it really got started…WRONG! Our work has been to inspire and organize and then inspire and organize some more. Starting with keeping Edmonton’s Food Bank in the loop, which has led to a discussion at the provincial level with the Alberta Food Bank Network Association, we hope to involve the national and international organizations shortly.
Achieving a “happy mind.”
The fragmented photo group approach wasn’t going to work. So we found some great and very giving people for the construction of a centralized website to house all the photos. This is being donated by Victor Rubba and his Crazed Coders of Edmonton. Victor assures us that the site which is to be located at www.happymind.ca will be fully operational on August 15th, 2009. We chose “happymind” by the way because it represents two things: One, the state of mind after donating. Two, D-DAY or donation day for this challenge will be in support of and coordination with the central message from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who is scheduled to speak in Calgary, Alberta on October 1st, 2009.
We want to get his attention by scheduling this on September 30th, 2009.
SIDEBAR: I was invited to meet with and speak to the University of Calgary steering committee on the topic of social media at one of their meetings this summer. This great group of people responsible for inviting the Dalai Lama to speak inspired me to align this challenge with their efforts around actNOW and what we’re doing perfectly supports the message from the Dalai Lama of achieving a “happy mind.”
Trying to collect 1 million photographs representing 1 million donations from people around the world predominantly via social media is a daunting task and one I know we’re all up for. There have been many social media initiatives for the purposes of charity that have done very well in the past. Twestival comes to mind, I attended the Edmonton event and that model is brilliant and we’d love to inspire a similar effect in cities around the world. The 12 for 12K gang continues to do great work each and every day as well. The real challenge here is to get folks not only to donate food but then take a picture and upload it. We hope you’ll agree, that in this day and age of uber connected citizens, donating a picture is not too much to ask in order to achieve a “happymind.”
Our plan remains simple.
Go out to the universe and ask for your help. To support you, we’re working through Rotary International and still need to reach higher within that organization. Anyone know John Kenny President of Rotary International? By the way, Rotary has 1.2 million members and great communication channels within their organization, Rotarians are very special people and their help would be spectacular. We’re also approaching other organizations with considerable size such as the Lutheran Church of Canada and Edmonton’s World Trade Centre organization. We’ve had numerous discussions with Share Our Strength on their ability to help promote and support this initiative. They have agreed to promote this to their 40 thousand newsletter subscribers and we are very grateful for that. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if President Obama, Prime Minister Harper made a donation and posted a twitpic? They both have twitter accounts, so does Premier Stelmach for that matter. What about other world leaders? How about the United Nations? There are people out there with connections to get folks like this involved. Please reach out and touch them…
Does anyone know somebody at Feeding America or having anything to do with the Pound for Pound Challenge? Please contact me at walter[at]fusedlogic.com your help is greatly appreciated.
What about brands? How can your corporation benefit? Simple, own this event, put your brand behind it, your marketing message of inspiration. We want to share this experience with you, it’s about feeding the hungry for us and we know we cannot do it alone.
How can you help?
1.) Donate, take a picture and upload it to www.happymind.ca once it goes live or the facebook, flickr groups already in place today.
2.) Inspire everyone in your personal network to donate food and a picture at work, home, friends and family and the world at large via all means possible on or before September 30th, 2009.
3.) Be creative, persistent and inspirational in your communications regarding this world changing challenge, we won’t stop after September 30th and we must surpass the 1 million photos. Hold tweetup food drives in your city on September 30th and post the pictures. Write a song, make a video to inspire others and post it on Youtube, (our channel).
4.) Be an Ambassador! Get your local organizations like the food bank, Second Harvest, Rotary Club, chamber of commerce, church, mass media, politicians, schools etc involved. Send them the link to this blog post or others that explain the goal and what to do.
5.) Use Social Media: On Twitter (@fusedlogic) please use the hashtag #happymind, on your blogs please consider posting a “happymind” badge. Spread the word through Facebook, with well over 200 million people, we can do it folks, take minute to inspire others.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please tag your photo with “HAPPYMIND.”
One million pictures of one million food bank donations
Help us help food banks around the world. Post your picture of your food bank donation.
Edmonton has thrown down the gauntlet! fusedlogic has kicked-off the fusedlogic Food Bank Challenge.
The goal is 1 million pictures of 1 million food bank donations in 1 year. It’s a busy time of year for food banks and we met with Marjorie Bencz of Edmonton’s Food Bank to get started.
Christmas is such an important time for every food bank. I was surprised to learn that much of Edmonton’s Food Bank’s fundraising supports the food bank well into the new year. Cash and canned food donations are an important contribution.
Food bank needs don’t stop at Christmas. It seems obvious to say it, but people aren’t thinking about it much in the middle of the summer. At fusedlogic, we’re hoping that this joint effort with Edmonton’s Food Bank will get people thinking about helping people throughout the year.
Please join our groups on Facebook and Flickr. Take a picture of you, your family, your coworkers and your friends making a food bank donation. Our goal is to get one million pictures by the end of 2009, but with your help we think we can do it much sooner.
Walter was on SomethingTV yesterday talking about the food bank challenge.
Challenging other cities: Milwaukee. Anyone else?
The goal is to have one million pictures by the end of 2009.
“We” (Edmonton) believe that we can put up more pictures of individual donations to Edmonton’s Food Bank than Milwaukee can. Now certainly this challenge isn’t limited to Edmonton vs. Milwaukee, here in the Edmonton region, well over a million strong ourselves, we’re formidable people. We’ll take on anybody.
I’m sure Edmonton’s southern neighbour, Calgary, may be up to the challenge. Canada’s other major cities like Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Saskatoon and Winnipeg should be able to find a few people to add photos too. Sorry if we’ve missed your city, but you can join in as well! 
Our press release on the food bank challenge went out this morning and the Edmonton Journal has already interviewed us. Now we’ll see if the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is also up to the challenge. I call upon Tannette Johnson Elie (despite being on holidays) to rise to the challenge and get the word out in Milwaukee about the fact that the great City of Milwaukee has been challenged, in a friendly Canadian manner of course.
Because this is almost entirely designed as a social media event, we anticipate that early on it will be the Edmonton tech community that will rise to the challenge. Organizations such as Techvibes may want to blog about it.
Anyone from Techvibes or TechCrunch want to take on the challenge? Alberta bloggers such as Ken Chapman, Dave Cournoyer, Mack Male, Chris LaBossiere, Brad Grier, Dean Owen and many others have also been a big help in talking about this and helping us promote such a great cause.
If you’re in a position to help, please do! No donation is too small. They are all important. Help set a great example for your family, friends and coworkers. We know it’s a busy time of year and it’s easy to forget that there are many who are much less fortunate than we are.
Thank you and Merry Christmas! : )
