mesh conference, Author at mesh

Nov 15

Social Media and Customer Service

By mesh conference mesh news

This is an overview of a panel we’re having as part of meshmarketing on November 17th:

One of the most powerful things about social media is that it is like word-of-mouth multiplied by a thousand. That makes it difficult for companies, because it can allow criticism and negative attention to spread much more quickly — but at the same time, it can be an incredibly powerful tool for customer service, and those positive stories can spread just as quickly. One of the best examples of this is Zappos, the shoe-maker that was recently acquired by Amazon and has become synonymous with how to use the web for positive customer service.

How is social media changing the way that companies deal with customers? How is the quality of the experience evolving, and what are some of the things companies need to consider when trying to provide personalized service in a digital world? Thomas Knoll, community architect for Zappos, is going to explore some of the key lessons that he has learned, and advice about the tools that can help companies understand their customers and meet their needs, and the ROI of using social media to provide customer service.

While Thomas has a technical background, he prefers to speak in gardening and architecture metaphors, and says he is inspired by psychology, evangelism, architectural theory, social economics, game mechanics, cultural anthropology, and dolphins.

Nov 15

Love0

The Rise of “Transmedia” Storytelling

By mesh conference mesh news

This is an overview of a panel we’re having as part of meshmarketing on November 17th:

Even as Web-based social networks and services like Twitter and Facebook have exploded over the past few years, the reality is that content is still king, and a well-told story continues to play a key role in how companies get their message across to key stakeholders, including customers, regardless of what medium they are using.

The challenge facing many companies is how to effectively tell these stories in different places — and using new and different tools such as mobile devices, augmented reality, etc. — in ways that resonate with target audiences. How do companies develop marketing and advertising campaigns that have broad appeal, and cut through the mass of other information that is competing for their customers’ attention online and offline?

These are some of the questions we are going to try and find the answers to on our panel, which features James Milward, president of Secret Location — an agency that specializes in interactive, online and mobile storytelling — and Ivan Askwith, director of strategy for Big Spaceship, an award-winning creative agency based in Brooklyn.

Nov 15

Love0

The Rise of “Social TV” — What Does It Mean For You?

By mesh conference meshmarketing

This is an overview of a panel we’re having as part of meshmarketing on November 17th:

Watching television used to be a simple exercise: grab the remote, sit on the couch, select a channel, and then watch whatever was on (in the bad old days, you had to actually get up the change the channel). For content-makers, it was simply a matter of creating shows and then convincing the networks to broadcast them. Today, however, television is a completely new experience — not only are there thousands of channels, but we have seen the arrival of time-shifting and the arrival of “social viewing,” thanks to Twitter and other tools like the iPad and Internet-connected set-top boxes.

Watching TV is now an experience that can take place at any time, and can be shared with family, friends and communities regardless of their physical location. While the couch potato hasn’t gone extinct yet, more consumers clearly want to participate and engage with the shows they watch. What impact will this have on the television market and on marketers that have been using the same advertising model for the past 60 years? What are the key trends in social TV, and what are the opportunities and challenges that it offers as a delivery and consumption medium? How should companies be adapting to take advantage of it?

Those are some of the topics we’re planning to address with our panel at meshmarketing, which includes Dave Bullock, CEO and co-founder of Live Hive Systems — which designs and creates TV-related games and events; Francois Bedard of Plan B Development, a consulting firm focused on the future of TV; and Jonathan Savage, the vice-president of digital media at Score Media Inc. Come and join us!