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Trying Something New: What Social Media and “Beatles Rockband” Have In Common

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Over the Christmas holiday, I found myself eagerly trying out the “Beatles Rockband” music game on the Nintendo Wii game system. With my decades-long familiarity with Beatles music due to my teenhood love of FM radio in the 1970s, I figured: “Maybe it’ll be enjoyable (and perhaps even easy) to jam along with the Fab Four.”

Almost. It was enjoyable but not quite easy. But I learned some lessons nonetheless.

A skilled (and younger) relative let me play the Rockband drums while she played guitar. As a kid, I often dreamed of playing drums, but was sentenced by my Mother to six months of piano lessons (which I dropped as soon as I could, since they took place during after-school playtime in my neighborhood). Another problem was that I have a short supply of musical talent, but that’s probably why I’m sitting at a computer keyboard and not a piano keyboard.

Anyway, for those not familiar with Rockband, this game gives you visual and aural cues that prompt you to play the drum beats on a drum pad, pluck notes using a faux guitar, or sing with the microphone to classic Beatles songs.

I set the drum pads to the easiest level on the Rockband game. It took a song or two to get acquainted with the color sequence that cued the drum beats for me. Then it took a couple more songs to recognize that each song had different beat patterns, and that I should try to remember the beat patterns so I could repeat them later in the song. Then I learned that I could do a repetitive beat pretty well on one drum pad, but had trouble doing sequences of different drums.

With each successful drum beat (the game gives you feedback so you know if you’ve hit the correct drum pad at the correct time), I gained a bit of confidence. With each missed beat (there were many), I got a bit more determined to learn from what I’d done and get it right the next time. I got scores in the high 80s (Rockband tells you the percentage of correct drum beats or notes that you hit) and even in the 90s. After about 15 songs, my arms were tired. Five more songs later, I’d had enough.

I found myself thinking later that trying Rockband was like learning to use social media: There are elements of the familiar (in Rockband, the Beatles songs; in social media, the person-to-person conversations) and the new (in Rockband, the game itself and the Wii system; in social media, the systems and cultures of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter).

It’s the familiarity that enables us to try social media. But it’s the new stuff that can hold us back.

A recent American Agent and Broker survey showed that independent insurance agents are mostly stuck, either not yet bothering to try social media or struggling to get over the hurdles (and there are many, as our Aartrijk Brand Camp research showed). Laura Mazzucca Toops’s study in the December 2009 issue of the magazine found that 20 percent of agents/brokers in a reader poll said they are considering using social networking for marketing. But fewer than 25 percent currently use it.

That’s not a criticism, by the way, since many are already in patterns of success in their business and may not be motivated to change or try something new.

A few other lessons learned from my holiday fun, which might apply to both video games and social networking:

– Ask the young for help. My young relatives both laughed at me and guided me. I caught on to a key Rockband tip (you don’t have to smash the drum pads, just tap them) after about five or six gentle reminders from a niece.

– It might be fun to try, but you’ve got to have success to keep going. It took about two drum beats to realize I was not going to replace Ringo Starr on the drum kit in a Beatles reunion. I realized that success was something different: just trying to play along and doing my best while enjoying the music and the camaraderie.

– Learn your style. In Rockband, after a few songs I recognized that I was focused on the visual clues on the screen, and less on the audio part of the game. It’s probably in line with my skill set of writing that I work more visually that verbally. The others playing the game seemed to operate more on the audible parts of the game. To each his own. That probably applies to social networking, too: Some like to interact a lot and with long posts; others are briefer and less frequent.

– Charles Wasilewski

Tags: Social Media, Social Networking
Posted in Aartrijk, social Web | No Comments »

Social Media Discontent: “You Have to Embrace It and Engage With It”

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

“You have to embrace it and engage with it.” That’s what Esurance says it does with negative commentary on the Web, noted the brand’s chief marketing officer, John Swigart, at the Nov. 5 2009 A.M. Best Insurance Marketing and Advertising Summit in New York.

The auto insurer in 2004 created “Erin Esurance” (a cartoon character fighting off villains to insure her car) to deliver the message: it’s easy to quote-buy-print your auto insurance policy. Esurance’s brand and advertising icon are well known in the 30 states in which the insurer does business, primarily because of $94 million of TV advertising in 2008. What’s more, according to TNS Media Intelligence, Esurance has pumped up its TV ad buy by 45% thus far in 2009.

But TV advertising isn’t enough, curiously. Esurance also has made a commitment to use social media sites to follow up with customers after the sale, Swigert said. He cited an example of a Esurance customer who complained on Twitter: “@Esurance is saying my policy with $55k coverage doesn’t cover my roommates things. This is not going to be fun.”

To make a long story (about a month long, it turns out) short, Esurance’s eagle-eyed social media monitors replied to the customer via Twitter, then got in touch by e-mail and resolved the issue to the customer’s satisfaction. Esurance got a public thank you, noted Swigert, from the customer: “@Esurance Thank you for everything! You really came through. Guess I’m a customer for life now.”

That’s a nice ending to the story for Esurance.

But there’s also some good news in this story for independent insurance agents and brokers: Even the big ad spenders need to work one-on-one with customers. That kind of personal follow-up and response to consumers is what independent insurance agencies do every day of the week.

The big-ad-spender brands have to perform on the same nitty-gritty issues (read: claims) as do independent agents and their carriers. The difference today is that social media has made the process viewable to others, if and when any given consumer chooses to make it public. There’s a new public record, and it’s called “social media.”

Independent agents who are active in social networking have had this epiphany. Here’s what Nibby Priest of Vaughn Insurance Agency Co., Henderson, Kentucky, said in an Insurance Journal Webinar in September:

Q: In opening up your business to Facebook fan page, you are obviously opening up your business to negative feedback. How do handle negative comments?

Nibby Priest: “That’s a great question. Sometimes people don’t want to be a part of social media because they don’t want somebody to say something negative. You know bad things are not always bad; sometimes you need to know about them. So many times a client will leave you and you don’t even know what you did wrong. So, at least this gives an avenue and gives you, as business owners, the opportunity to go in there and correct it.”

Enough said.

Tags: Branding, Insurance, insurance agencies, Insurance Journal, social Web, Twitter
Posted in Branding, Uncategorized, insurance branding, social Web | 2 Comments »

On Point with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan, Episode 10: Brand Camp

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

On Point with Peter van Aartrijk and Rick Morgan is an audio conversation with insurance industry leaders who champion change and challenge all of us to think.

In the tenth episode, Peter and Rick talk to Aartrijk colleagues Charles Wasilewski, director, Marketing-Communications and Maureen Bentley, vice president, Brand Strategy about their recent experiences at “Brand Camp” September 28-30 in Chicago. The team acknowledge the “time vampire” that social media can be, but instead focus on best-practices strategies and success stories to help manage social media risks in a smart and effective way.

The podcast was published Monday, November 30, 2009. Run time is 19 minutes 34 seconds.

Tags: Aartrijk Brand Camp, Branding, Charles Wasilewski, insurance branding, Insurance Journal, Maureen Wall Bentley, Peter van Aartrijk, Podcast, Rick Morgan, Social Networking
Posted in Aartrijk, Brand Camp, Branding, Podcasts, insurance branding, social Web | No Comments »

Opportunities, Doubts Abound in Social Media for Insurance, Aartrijk Brand Camp Survey Finds

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Six Key Issues Uncovered in Research of Brand Decision-Makers

SPRINGFIELD, VA (October 23, 2009)—Insurance brand decision-makers are intrigued by increasing opportunities to use social networking, but they face internal pressure about these new rules of customer and prospect engagement, according to a recent survey conducted by leading industry branding firm Aartrijk.

The survey of attendees at Aartrijk Brand Camp 2009, an interactive conference for insurance and financial services brand managers in the age of the social Web, found that caution and doubts about managing social media are holding back many insurance brands from experimenting and implementing social media initiatives. Brand Camp attendees work at agencies, brokers, trade associations, carriers, technology firms, and other industry partners.

“Insurance brands that already have begun to work in social media have a lot of passion for it,” says Maureen Wall Bentley, vice president of brand strategy for Aartrijk. “But those who are in the exploration stage have real uncertainty about the potential impact and application of social media. They are curious but cautious, and many are not sure where to start.”

The survey was completed by most of the conference attendees prior to Aartrijk Brand Camp, held last month in Chicago. It found that the top six issues are:

1. Social networking is viewed more as a risk than an opportunity by many insurance executives outside the areas of marketing and branding. Brand managers face internal struggles in convincing management to implement social media. Concerns about security, productivity, reputation, privacy, disclosure, workflow, technology and legal issues have held up even experimental efforts. “The conversational, interactive nature of social networking conflicts with the traditional one-to-many marketing efforts, which lack an online feedback loop,” Bentley points out.
2. How do professionals and businesses manage the time and people involved in social media efforts?

3. Brand decision-makers are unsure where or how to start with social media—they are looking for a plan, budget and agreement on corporate leadership on the issue. They’re not certain if and when those resources will come.

4. Insurance brands see social networking opportunities in agent or member communications as well as the business-to-consumer realm. The dual opportunities, however, split resources and focus.

5. Brand decision-makers are seeking ways to measure activity and success in social media.

6. Insurance brands are looking for best practices and success stories for building brand awareness and customer service through social media.

Despite these issues, Bentley notes attendees at Aartrijk Brand Camp heard from a cross-section of insurance professionals who are writing new business, servicing existing business, listening to customers, engaging prospects and building their brands—all with a variety of social media tools such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Web sites, too, are evolving rapidly as corporate online “brochure-ware” becomes less interesting to customers and prospects.

The Aartrijk Brand Camp community, which includes “campers” attending the first event and “counselors” from Aartrijk, are continuing a dialogue online, and a Webinar is planned for this winter to address some of the issues raised in the survey as well as present case studies.

“Some people in our industry still question whether social media should play any role at all in insurance and financial services,” says Bentley. “They’re not convinced that consumers want to engage with their agent or carrier in the same way that they follow their personal interests online.

“And, frankly, insurance probably doesn’t have the same pull as entertainment, politics or sports,” continues Bentley. “But smart insurance professionals are touching customers and prospects through online social networks much in the same way they’ve always done offline—by demonstrating their expertise, their relationship to the community, and their understanding of the challenges families and businesses face each day. The social Web is simply a new vehicle for expressing those qualities.”

About Aartrijk: Aartrijk is a boutique branding firm serving clients from insurance and financial services firms and member organizations. Aartrijk’s experienced team offers business-to-business and business-to-consumer brand auditing; brand identity development; Web and social media; advertising, marketing-communications and public relations; publishing and editorial; and customer and marketing channel research. Visit www.Aartrijk.com; find Aartrijk on Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter (@Aartrijk), and follow Brand Camp and social media topics on Twitter: #ABC09. For camp information, visit www.aartrijk.com/brandcamp/agenda-2009.

CONTACT:
Charles Wasilewski
(908) 647-2216; charles@Aartrijk.com

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Tags: Aartrijk Brand Camp, insurance branding, Maureen Wall Bentley, research
Posted in Aartrijk, Brand Camp, insurance branding, social Web | 4 Comments »

Why In the World Does Social Media Matter To the Insurance Industry?

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Charles Wasilewski

At 11 am on Wednesday, September 30, Aartrijk Brand Camp was officially over. I said “goodbye” and “thank you” to a few Campers in the lobby of the Hotel Sax, and headed out for a jog into the pleasant late-September day in downtown Chicago.

We, the Aartrijk team, had just finished a two-day conference, after about nine months of preparation. The 90-plus attendees at Brand Camp, it seemed, sought to understand the sociological, business, and brand impacts of social networking in the insurance world. I felt a buzz of awareness and learning going on throughout the Brand Camp sessions. The very idea of a first-ever conference about social networking in the insurance industry seemed to create a strong awareness that something worthwhile was happening. Mitch Dunford, CEO of Wells Publishing, commented in response to one of the sessions: “History will remember us as the people who made the change” to social networking.

It’s easy to overstate what a industry confab can do (especially the ones we work on ourselves). I’ve been to a bunch and I know that great ideas and good intentions can fade once I get back to the workaday world. As I jogged, I wondered if that would happen this time. I crossed Michigan Avenue and headed for Millenium Park and a glimpse of the awesome Lake Michigan.

Amidst the city sounds of traffic and people, hundreds of people were heading to and fro for lunch and the rest of their work day. But two people caught my notice as I crossed their path: a man using crutches and a woman limping with a cast on her foot. Customers, certainly, of some insurance carrier and broker who provided health insurance or resolved the accident claim.

It hit me: The insurance industry needs to use social media because there are millions of people who need the products and services that the insurance industry provides. They will only find out what the industry can do if insurance people are part of the social network conversations that are going on every minute of every day.

Many people I know in the insurance industry are passionate—they truly believe in, and want to spread the word about, the insurance products (whether property-casualty or life/health/benefits) they sell and service. I admire many for their skills in sales, leadership, analytics, branding, and other areas. They’ve put those skills to work to benefit individuals, families, and businesses.

But the industry needs social networking skills to help it tell the story about what insurance does. In a big, noisy world, social networking is an amazing phenomenon that lets people carry on quiet conversations about important things. That’s why social media matters to the insurance industry.

—Charles Wasilewski

Follow Aartrijk on Twitter: @Aartrijk. Follow Brand Camp conversation on Twitter using hashtag #ABC09.

Tags: Aartrijk Brand Camp, Charles Wasilewski, Social Networking, social Web
Posted in Brand Camp, insurance branding, social Web | 5 Comments »

You Want Help with Social Media!

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Aartrijk Brand Camp—held in Chicago Sept. 28-30, 2009 and continuing on the virtual calendar of online conversation—was all about the risk and opportunity of social media in our Wonderful World of Insurance.

We had pre-surveyed attendees at Aartrijk Brand Camp. These were agents, brokers, carriers, association executives, media reps, and business partners such as technology firms.

In sum, you have genuine concerns and questions around the impact and application of social media. You are being cautious about stepping into fray.

Here are some top issues you are having with all the excitement behind Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, etc.:

Social media appears to be a time vampire. How do you manage the time you and your people spend with it?

How do you show a return on the effort? One survey respondent said: “While time spent on informing/communicating with fans helps build relationships, does that turn into referrals?” And sales?

We don’t know where or how to start with social media. We need a plan and a budget and somebody in charge—who is that going to be?

The internal battles are brutal. How do we get our management on board? And our legal beagles are putting the kybosh on us branding folks—the IT department isn’t helpful either. One of you said, “The current rule is to run all printed copy past the marketing and legal departments. Social [media] requires a more relaxed, conversational tone to be authentic and trustworthy…[But] it is viewed as more of a risk than an opportunity.”

We’re not sure when we should start! One of you said: “Maybe it’s better not to put a toe in the water until this new frontier matures.”

Who in insurance has gone before us? What are the best practices around building brand awareness with social media? “We need success stories.”

Who is this for? Is social media best for business-to-business? Business-to-consumer? Both? Neither?

Finally, do insurance and financial services play a role at all in social media? Do consumers care about us? We’re not worthy! We’re just not cool enough!

Ah, yes, great questions. Stay tuned for some solutions offered up by Brand Camp attendees.

– Peter van Aartrijk

Follow Aartrijk on Twitter: @Aartrijk. Follow Brand Camp conversation on Twitter using hashtag #ABC09.

Tags: #ABC09, Aartrijk, Aartrijk Brand Camp, Facebook, independent agents, insurance branding, social Web, Web 2.0
Posted in Aartrijk, Brand Camp, Branding, insurance branding, social Web | No Comments »

“Can We Get to Business?!”

Monday, September 14th, 2009

“Can we get to business?!”

That partly-excited, partly-frustrated-sounding question popped out at me from among several dozen when I was moderating a Webinar (”Social Media 101: Get Your Agency on Facebook and Twitter” presented by Insurance Journal) in early September.

The Webinar was presented by Nibby Priest of Vaughn Insurance Agency Co., who is among the most-active insurance producers I know in using social networking.

The question came while Nibby was showing how to get a personal Facebook page started. This is one of the most-popular things to do on the Internet. After all, Facebook has 200 million-plus members and is among the top 5 most-visited Web sites in the world.

When I read the question, I sensed that the agent asking the question was impatient with all the “personal” Facebook material, and wanted to get to the important stuff: how to use Facebook to market and sell.

I’ve felt the same frustration in the past — until I realized that the personal nature of Facebook is what makes it popular and captivating for millions. Facebook isn’t like advertising or direct mail or an e-mail newsletter or a Yellow Pages ad. It’s not really a marketing tool or tactic to be pulled out of the marketing plan and executed.

It’s something very different: It’s a technological way to carry out social relationships online.

Facebook is popular because it allows people to:

– connect person-to-person

– choose people, brands, organizations, causes, and advertisers they want to connect with online … and shun or ignore those they don’t

– easily search and find people from their past and present to build relationships going forward into the future

So, for me, a lesson of “Social Media 101: Get Your Agency on Facebook and Twitter” was a reminder that social networking is about talking with people, not merely sending out business messages via advertising or marketing. I’m as big a fan as anyone of advertising and marketing, but Facebook requires a different approach. It requires a commitment to joining a community, providing value, presenting information and perspective, and building relationships.

The great hope of social networking for marketers is that when members of the community are ready to buy, they will find you — even seek you out — because they know you and know what you know.

– Charles Wasilewski

Tags: Charles Wasilewski, Facebook, independent agents, insurance branding, Insurance Journal, marketing, Social Networking, social Web
Posted in Uncategorized, social Web | 3 Comments »

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Archive for the ‘social Web’ Category

Six Key Issues Uncovered in Research of Brand Decision-Makers