New Deals in Every Aisle with Shopkick Geolocation Shopping

From Social Times:

Whether you’re a shop-a-holic or an avid anti-shopper, Shopkick says it has something for you in its geolocation shopping service. Rolling out now in a handful of major US retailers, Shopkick promotes window shopping, browsing, and even just stepping inside a store by automatically downloading Kickbucks onto a shopper’s smartphone. Using ultra-sensitive geolocation technology, Shopkick gives out Kickbucks when a shopper goes down a particular aisle, scans an item, or walks by a daily deal. Shopkick’s trial run began yesterday and is expected to have a high profile over the next few months in the storefronts of several of the largest retailers in the US.

Yesterday, iPhone owners could download the Shopkick app to their phones and begin getting Kickbucks (the Android app comes out in the fall). The app gives users the ability to earn points by checking in to certain locations, using a mechanism similar to Foursquare. But what’s really neat about Shopkick is in its automation. Customers can get Kickbucks just from walking into a store that uses Shopkick, or by scanning the barcodes of certain items. And in American Eagle, for instance, customers will get Kickbucks just by walking into the changeroom to try something on.

Currently, Shopkick is being tested at Best Buys, Macy’s, American Eagle and Sports Authority stores in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, as well as a few scattered elsewhere in the country.

Stores that are testing out Shopkick have a device installed that emits a high pitched sound that can only be picked up by the Shopkick app. That’s how the app knows when a user has actually entered a store, as opposed to just standing nearby. Users will get significantly more points for entering a store than for checking in nearby, in an effort to get more foot traffic through the door. After racking up enough points (and according to the New York Times, you’ll need quite a lot), customers can trade in their Kickbucks for gift cards at a participating retailer or exchange them for music downloads or Facebook credits.

There are some privacy debates surfacing about the fact that Shopkick will have consumer data on individuals – where they shop, what they buy. Others claim that Shopkick is a great marketing tool and will encourage people to spend time inside a store, leading possibly to more sales.

Groupon Smashes Sales Records with Nationwide Gap Deal

From Mashable:

Groupon launched its first national deal today, partnering with Gap to offer $50 worth of apparel and accessories at the low price of $25.

The site is known for its local daily deals, often offered by small businesses including restaurants, gyms and spas. With a $1 billion valuation and more than 9.4 million Groupons sold since its launch, it has become one of the most recognized group buying sites on the web.

The company has had great success selling local deals, but this experimental partnership could be the first step towards larger, national partnerships.

We spoke with Julie Mossler, a spokeswoman for Groupon, to get some insights into Groupon’s motivations for testing out the national market. She explained:

“Local ‘brick and mortar’ businesses are the foundation of Groupon, and that isn’t changing. Many of our customers have asked for a national deal, so we’re testing the waters with Gap. It’s a perfect back-to-school deal, and a great way for us to reach subscribers in Gap cities where Groupon hasn’t yet launched. Customer feedback (positive or negative) will be taken into consideration when we determine if we’ll do partnerships of this scale in the future.”

Groupon CEO Andrew Mason expanded, “We’ve worked with plenty of national brands, but this is the first time we’ve featured the same business in every city simultaneously. We’re constantly experimenting with new types of deals and stick with whatever our customers like! They seem to like this deal.”

As of about 5 p.m. ET, the Gap deal has already triggered nearly 300,000 purchases — that’s about 10 Groupons per second, making it Groupon’s bestselling deal since its launch in November 2008. The previous bestseller was a $12 75-minute architecture tour by boat in Chicago (valued at $25), which sold 19,820 Groupons (although, it’s not exactly a fair comparison, as the boat tour deal was only offered in one city rather than nationwide). Mossler remarked:

“Although, it’s important to note we haven’t offered one at this scale before. Customers are getting their Gap on with Groupon because it’s such a compelling offer for back to school. We attribute the rate of sale to Groupon promotional handles on Facebook/Twitter, distribution via @earlybird, a blast to Gap’s newsletter subscribers and word of mouth from our 10 million subscribers in North America.”

The discount is also being promoted via Twitter’s Earlybird Offers account. Mossler commented, “We’re looking to get as much exposure for the deal as possible, and @earlybird is one strategy we hope will prove to grab Twitter users who haven’t yet given Groupon a try.”

Gap has been stepping up its social game as of late, making headlines earlier this week when it announced a 25% discount for Foursquare users who checked in at one of its retail locations in the U.S. or Canada. Olivia Doyne, Director of Engagement Marketing at Gap gave us a bit of insight into why the national retailer decided to host a Groupon deal:

“We’re always looking at new and innovative ways to connect with our customers, and we know many of them are Groupon subscribers. We thought the timing of our exclusive Groupon offer would be ideal as people begin to build their back-to-school and fall wardrobes.”

Although the deal is clearly a success on Groupon, Augustine Fou, the chief digital officer at Omnicom’s Healthcare Consultancy Group, commented that this is a prime example of “when NOT to use Groupon” as an advertiser. He commented, “Groupon is great for restaurants who have the margin to do it and who need publicity because people are not aware, but not for a big brand like Gap. It is simply a waste of money for them.”

Gap is receiving a lot of word or mouth and press, sending more buyers to the deal. This may seem like good news for Gap, but Fou argues, “The more press they get, the more money they lose.” With the current sales of around 300,000 Groupons, that translates into a $7.5 million revenue loss for one experimental campaign. That’s a hefty lump of cash, and the deal isn’t even over. “It’s still a better use than wasting $7.5 million on TV ads.” Fou added, “At least they did capture the other half as ‘money spent [by customers],’ and consumers will eventually go into the stores. For TV advertising, there is never proof anyone ever saw it, let alone went to the store.”

When asked if Gap had expected such a huge response to the deal, Doyne responded, “Since this is the first time Groupon has done a national deal of this size, it was hard to estimate the outcome. We’re really pleased with how many people have taken advantage of the offer.”

5 Tips for Dealing with Complaints on Twitter

From Mashable:

Megan Berry is Marketing Manager for Klout, the standard for online influence. She also blogs at The Huffington Post and Brazen Careerist. You can follow her on Twitter at @meganberry.

Every business, blogger, and the rest of us on social media have experienced it: someone just called you out on Twitter or in a blog. It’s all too easy to get frustrated and respond with something that will just make the situation worse (“I’ll give you a refund right away… oh wait, you didn’t actually pay for this!”) or to take it personally and get upset.

While there is no magic formula for dealing with complaints in social media, I do have a few tips that have helped me.

1. A Quick Response Goes a Long Way

I can’t tell you how many complaints I’ve seen turned around with a quick reply. If someone has an issue with your product or misunderstood your point of view, reach out and explain it to them. Most of the time when they realize that you’re actually paying attention and care, that makes all the difference (for the rest of the time, see number five).

Of course, this assumes you are actually paying attention. So if you’re not, you might want to look into ways to monitor your brand on social media.

2. You May Have To Respond As You, Not Your Company

When someone has a legitimate complaint, I’ve found one of the most effective things to do is reach out from your personal account. In my experience, when they realize they’re dealing with a real person who’s trying to help, people are more open and willing to listen. This shouldn’t be done for every complaint, as some people will never be turned around, but I’ve found when there’s a real, resolvable issue this method often works much better.

3. Give Yourself More Than 140 Characters To Respond

At times, it’s just impossible to help someone in 140 characters. Or it’s possible, but you would have to be really terse — which is definitely not going to make you seem understanding. Instead, ask them how to connect off Twitter (shocking, I know). Shoot the complainant an e-mail or even give them a call and you’ll be surprised how far a little outreach goes.

4. Let Someone Else Respond For You

If there’s no way you can respond in a helpful way — e.g., if it would make you seem self-serving or maybe you’ve already tried and failed — it can be helpful to have someone else speak up for you.

If you have haters, you probably also have fans, and they’re probably very willing to spring to your defense. Maybe they’ve even already done, in which case, their response might be much more effective than yours and you can just leave well enough along.

If they haven’t already responded, consider bringing the issue to the attention of a few of your fans. Do so carefully and cautiously. Only do it with people you have actual relationships with and only in a lightweight, non-pushy way. I find the best way is actually just to privately ask for feedback on a complaint — maybe it has merit and you don’t realize it or maybe they can help you understand what’s going on.

5. Know When To Let It Go

The truth is, you simply won’t be able to turn everyone around. The trick (I’m still working on it) is to not let it get to you. No business or person is going to make it without having a few haters — so if you have some, you might just be doing something right. Just don’t take that line of thinking too far!

Bottom line, the complainers won’t go away, but you can choose how you deal with them. Some of them will be legitimate complaints from reasonable people that will be touched when you reach out quickly and earnestly to help them. Others… well you know what they say: “Haters gonna hate.”

5 Not-So-Easy Steps to Managing Your Brand Online

From Brian Solis:

Unless you literally run your business with your ears plugged and your eyes covered, you are aware of the importance of social media and its impact on both brand and bottom line. However, while social media is the topic du jour in mainstream news, on blogs, in books, at conferences and at your local Starbucks, we may still underestimate its overall promise and potential.

The socialization of business is comparable to the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland or the red pill in the Matrix. If ignorance is bliss, awareness is awakening. Where there’s insight, there’s opportunity – but with opportunity, there’s also a cost. In this case, that cost is financed through learning, change, adaptation and innovation.

Social media is deceptive. It appears easy, free and yours to own simply for the price of admission and engagement. If this post were to live up to an alternate headline, say the “5 Easy Steps to Managing Your Brand Online,” the list might look a bit like this:

1. Monitor and listen to conversations related to your brand and competitors

2. Start a blog, create a Twitter profile, set up a Facebook brand page and broadcast a YouTube channel

3. Draft social media guidelines

4. Be transparent and authentic

5. Ask questions, introduce polls, curate interesting content and have fun

It’s not that the list is untrue or menial. In fact it’s where many organizations begin their journey towards a new era of discovery, relevance, and earned prominence. Keep in mind however, that as social media matures, consumers are becoming increasingly discerning. The simplicity of “Top 10” posts disguise the significance of this incredible (r)evolution.

They are mastering their social domains and experiences and, as a result, their attention is not only thinning, it’s focusing on the relationships and information that’s most beneficial to their regiment.

Rather than looking at the easy ways to use social media to manage our brand, let’s examine five next-level steps for managing and ultimately defining your brand online.

1. Listen and learn – Listening, monitoring, and reporting are obligatory cogs in the social media machine. Gathering intelligence to inspire meaningful and actionable social programs is, on the other hand, priceless.

Measuring share of voice and frequency of mentions is helpful in understanding what is happening in and around us. But if you expand your horizons to surface the share of all conversations related to your market and position within the broader landscape, you also discover missed opportunities and inflection points – along with areas for improvement, innovation and expansion.

2. React to and lead conversations – While many organizations monitor conversations related to keywords or respond simply to those who invite participation, the prospect of social media lies beyond first-degree dialog. This is a chance to leapfrog conversations by learning what it takes to lead them and then embodying the position you wish to gain.

Responding to relevant commentary is only the beginning. Introducing social objects that address needs or direct actions in the form of posts, videos, imagery and other commentary to demonstrate passion, expertise and leadership ensures a comprehensive rotation of inbound and outbound marketing, service and communication.

3. Divide and conquer – What becomes clear in those first points is that no one department owns social media. Depending on the industry, conversations usually align with distinct facets of business including service, marketing, product/service, HR, finance, etc. This is the beginning of the socialization of business. As relevant conversations and the information present within them are scrutinized, it becomes clear that they feed and are fed by distinct information. Prioritize and assign inbound and outbound activity based on a conversational workflow that reflects the nature of organized and relevant long tail discussions.

4. Adapt – Reactions to negative experiences don’t scale. Identifying recurring patterns of negative experiences and connecting emerging themes to those responsible in order to develop targeted and sweeping fixes negates widespread negative sentiment and alleviates unfavorable publicity. But it also does something more.

The acts of listening, responding and solving make for an adaptive organization. The process transcends lip service to action. As we all know, actions speak louder than words.

5. Design metrics into campaigns and measure performance – One of the primary reasons discussions around metrics and return on investment in social media are hotly debated today is because many of the examples we hear and see are designed without an outcome or measurable success designed into the program. That’s not to say that they’re any less important, however.

Metrics, by nature, are devised to document movement. As such, KPIs and ROI should get factored into the planning process of all social media programs. Introduce clicks to action, conversion opportunities and experiences with desirable outcomes, then compare activity and results to other programs to learn, focus resources and evolve with the market.

Social media is as dynamic and expansive as it is simple and complex. At the very least, the socialization of business is aspirational. We are competing for attention, affinity and commerce in forums where quick start guides and instruction manuals are in process of development and may never in fact, materialize. What’s clear, however, is that we are competing for both the present – and the future.

11 Free Services for Scheduling Social Media Updates

From Mashable:

Maintaining a constant social media presence can be difficult, especially for busy entrepreneurs looking to stay in touch with their communities. Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there to help ease the burden. One of the most useful functionalities for a social management tool is the ability to schedule updates.

Here is a list of 11 free services for scheduling social media updates, either across multiple social platforms or just for Twitter.

At the end of the list, you’ll also find a quick note on 11 paid services that you may be interested in investigating, as well. If your service of choice, free or paid, isn’t in this post, let us know in the comments.

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AT&T Launches QR Code Scanning App for BlackBerry and Android

From Mashable:


We’ve talked a lot about how QR codes are poised to take off in the mainstream and now AT&T is jumping on the bandwagon with a new set of tools for Android and BlackBerry phones.

The company has just announced its AT&T Code Scanner application and its AT&T Create-a-Code service. Code Scanner is a free app for BlackBerry and Android devices that scans both 2D (QR and datamatrix) and 1D (UPC and EAN) barcodes. You can get it from the BlackBerry App World or the Android Market or by going to http://scan.mobi/ on your mobile device.

The app works similarly to other barcode scanning apps like ShopSavvy or RedLaser, letting you focus in and scan a code at will.

However, the more interesting part of the app comes via the menu options, which includes a direct link to AT&T’s Create-a-Code site (accessible via desktop or mobile), where you can create a QR code for contacts or for a web page. You can sign-up for a free account with AT&T and create up to 5 codes that will be set to last for one year. You can then download the QR codes in PNG or EPS formats.

My QR Code

AT&T isn’t alone with its QR code generator but it is nice that the process has been simplified and that the apps are easily accessible.