Is there something you are so passionate about that you relish the opportunity to talk about it and tell other people? And next thing you know, those people share your same interest and sentiment for it too? Maybe it was your new hybrid car, a brand of jeans, a restaurant or a new band you discovered. Word of mouth is nothing new and it’s still the most powerful form of marketing in our opinion. However, when brands identify and listen to their natural, self-made evangelists to empower their passion, it becomes an epic force.
This is exactly what Digital Royalty has been helping author Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO, do with his Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion & Purpose #1 New York Times Bestseller.
As part of the Delivering Happiness book team we have helped organize a Very Happy Person (VHP) program to harness the power of our most active, vocal, and passionate supporters in order to fuel an overall happiness movement that lives beyond the successful launch of the book.
The first step in identifying the brand ambassadors actually started before the book even hit shelves with a Delivering Happiness blogger program that allowed people to apply to the blogger program. Selected bloggers received two advanced copies, and in exchange they were asked to write an honest review (via a blog post) the day of the book launch, or leading up to it.
More than 800 bloggers from around the world were welcomed in the blogger program. One thing that was unique about the Delivering Happiness blogger program is that it wasn’t limited to business bloggers. The program included everything from food bloggers to photography bloggers. By not limiting it to a specific industry or topic, Delivering Happiness was able to reach a larger and more diverse audience. Recently, our newly segmented, dR-dubbed “Blogger Relations” Department (comprised of every member of our team) dug through 800+ blogs to identify the people who fit within the VHP program requirements.
In addition to bloggers, VHP’s are identified on Twitter, Facebook, Dailybooth, Meetup platforms and all other social media touch points. We looked for people who expressed the desire to spread the movement whether it be via frequent comments on our blog posts, Facebook updates, or retweeting book quotes and information. We’re the first to admit that reading hundreds of blog posts, responding to tweets, Facebook comments, and emails can require a hefty time investment but it is an investment with a unique return: the development of invaluable brand ambassadors. Or in our case, a Very Happy Person.
Collectively, our Very Happy Person program is a group of virtual leaders. They are the grassroots of the Delivering Happiness movement, and have the ability to make things happen – whether that’s generating buzz on Twitter or the blogosphere, or simply rallying their friends. Whatever your brand’s purpose may be, identifying and empowering passionate customers/fans to promote your product or service can arguably be the most effective form of marketing. Why? Because each passionate customer and/or fan already has a preexisting loyal audience who values what they have to say. These special “delivery agents” makes the message real, tangible, more relevant and trust-worthy. Just like celebrities, these are your brand’s influencers. And, influence converts.
What’s next for the Delivering Happiness VHP’s? Already, the VHP’s have played an intricate process in helping the team plan the Delivering Happiness Bus Tour stops and events, by providing feedback and offering resources. Most importantly, they will play a vital role in carrying on the Delivering Happiness Movement beyond the tour. Leveraging the excitement and momentum of the book launch, Delivering Happiness will soon be launching a new website that will include message boards and forums to serve an as an outlet for readers to connect and share their own personal experiences with other Delivering Happiness friends. The VHP’s will be an important component in the development of this online community and for the overall success of the Delivering Happiness movement.
The Danger of Deleting
August 13, 2010
By: Kirsten Stubbs
While social media allows us to engage with brand enthusiasts, it can also make a brand an open target for negative sentiment, both warranted and unwarranted. This July, a client of ours made a post to their Facebook wall which generated an unrelated politically-charged comment.
We were faced with a decision that’s not uncommon for brands to face on a day-to-day basis. Should we:
After all, controversial comments–warranted or not–cause most of us, instinctually, to put up a guard. But with this comment unrelated to the topic of the post, what was keeping us from hitting “delete”? If we deleted the comment it seemed as if we were admitting fault for something completely unrelated to the brand. We had nothing to hide. In a way, this was a true test of customer loyalty. We didn’t delete.
Instead, we left the comment and watched carefully to see what the next move would be by “fans” or even the negative commentator himself. Within just a few minutes from the negative post we watched as fans of the brand’s page, brand evangelists, rallied to support our client. Not only did they state their support of the brand, but gave anecdotes, specific experiences and reasons why they supported the brand. Some even reminded the negative commentator that a brand’s wall was not the appropriate forum for a political debate. Others went as far as to include links to the cause-based groups and pages on Facebook that were.
Because of this one comment, the page reached an all-time interaction high. And in the wake, there was a full-page of positive testimonials. And as we know, there are few things more valuable than a positive peer recommendation.
So what’s the moral of the story? Just because Facebook, Twitter and other social media mediums make “delete” and “make private” options available, does not mean we should get trigger-happy in ridding a brand’s reputation of any and all smudges. As the example above shows, it could do just the opposite: create transparency. Or better yet, bring your brand evangelists to the surface.
In our case, the outcome of untouched negativity resulted in more good than deleting the comment would have. Just like in high school, in the social media world, your friends have your back.