Decoding Digital Friends in 2010 Robert Barnard, CEO Decode Marketers around the world are keen to utilize social networks to build better, deeper relationships, and to maximize marketing and communications budgets. Still, many are making decisions that are uninformed or based on unproven theories and popular perceptions. To get more value from their social media investments companies need knowledge in three main areas.

1. © Decode 2010 robert@decode.net
Decoding Digital Friends
Local Social Summit 2010
presented by
Robert Barnard
co-founder and CEO

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Knowledge +
insights
Strategy +
Co-creation
Ventures
Decoding Young people
Generation Y and Z
LifeStages (from High school to young family)

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Post
Secondary
School
Student
Young
Singles
High School
students
major life stages
Young
Couples
Mature
Singles/
Couples
Retired
People
DRIVERS
life schedule life stage influencers life stage media life stage interests locational concentration
DEFINITION
A period of time in a person's life characterized by a
particular set of concerns or motives
Primary
School
Families
High
Schoolers’
Parents
Pre-school
Families
major life transitions
first-time experiences

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Decoding Digital Friends study
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The big strategic questions on social media:
Why should you invest?
What is the value of using social media?
Who do you want to connect with?
How are relationships being built in digital environments?
What is distributed?
How is content created and effectively distributed through networks?
How will it affect behaviour?
How are digital relationships influential?
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Frequency of Use UK- Daily
8%
11%
20%
21%
22%
36%
50%
56%
63%
68%
Write a Blog
Post on Twitter / Retweet on Twitter
Comment on a website or blog
Maintain a profile on a virtual world
Mobile Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging on a computer
Phone calls
Email
Social networking website(s)
Text Messaging / SMS

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The role of social media
29%
51%
55%
59%
67%
I am able to communicate with
organizations or brands
I can learn about events that I may wish to
attend
It is a form of entertainment for me
I am able to keep up to date on news and
information
I am able to connect with people I know
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82%
51%
37%
15%
“I use it all the time”
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Social network size
283
66
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Total
High School Student
Post Secondary Student
Young Single
Young Couple
Young Parent
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Total network
Regular network

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Strength of relationships
0 50 100 150 200 250
Best Friend Close Friends Family Friends of Friends Distant Friend People you have never met
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LifeStage networks strength
44 43
32 35
43
100
105
62 58
83
High School Student Post Secondary
Student
Young Singles Young Couples Young Parents
Core Friends
Distant
Friends

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Creating Using and Sharing Behaviour - UK
© DECODE 2010 www.decode.net Page 14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Pictures Articles Videos Music Profiles Blogs Twitter feeds
Create/upload
Listen/read/look
Share
rating

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Sharing
• motivated either by a ‘political’ (small ‘p’) or civic cause or due to a ‘caring’
tendency
‘I can help educate those that see my profile on things they would have otherwise
known nothing about. And, if all they read is the title of the article, they know just a
little bit more and their horizons are broadened.’
‘I really like passing on positive stuff … makes me feel warm/fuzzy.’
Rating
• Those who rate tend to like immediate feedback from others and are motivated by
being part of a ‘collective’.
‘I'm definitely a rater as I always like to answer those quick little side surveys to see
where I stack up with everyone else on the topic/subject; always with the tweets for
something; don't have time to be a commentator with the back and forth online.’
‘I'm a rater, I can express my opinion in a easier and more sleeker way than
commenting.’

16. Introducing Decode’s
BuzzfluenceTM Index
attitude + behaviour = Buzzfluence
• Identification system
• Personification device
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35%
30
15
24 26
High School
Student
Post Secondary
Student
Young Singles Young Couples Young Parents
High Buzzfluence

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Buzzfluencers have large networks
482
368
57 66
168
283
235
31 34
66
Entire social
network
Facebook Never met in
person
In-Person
monthly contact
Internet monthly
contact
Total High Buzzfluence

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The Attitudinal Characteristics of Influencers
• Buzzfluencers like to be informed. More than entertained.
• Buzzfluencers like to know what’s going on in others’ lives.
• Buzzfluencers are more concerned about feeling they at the centre of their
network.
• Buzzfluencers have more cohesive networks with more similar interests.
But they are looking for access to more diversity.
• Buzzfluencers feel more informed by their social network.
• Buzzfluencers are truly ‘social’ users, often making friends online and
allowing their public face to be seen by all.
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Acting on recommendations from individuals
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0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Family Best friend Close Friend Friends of Friends Distant Friends
Make a Purchase
Attend an event
Click "thumbs up/
like"
Join a group/fan
page
%

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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
A brand I am
familiar with
A charitable
organization
A social cause
or issue
A brand I am
not familiar
with
My school My work My financial
institution
make a purchase
Pass it to someone else
Join a group or fan page
Attend an event
Acting on recommendations from organizations
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22. Digital Brand Relationships
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23. Google
BBC
Tesco
Microsoft
Channel 4
Asda
Sky
O2
Apple
Boots
Sainsbury’s
iTV
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Coca Cola
Virgin
Nintendo
Orange
Sony
VISA
BT
Nokia
McDonald's
Samsung
M&S
Vodafone
Cadbury
Top 25
Liked brands
With digital
interactions

24. Final Thoughts
Focus on segmentation
Be realistic about breadth and depth
Make it easier to share not create
Balance rating and commenting
Find and emulate Buzzfluencers
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Buying into decoding digital friends
Who has bought the study so far?
• Global food and beverage companies, Leading media companies, Top Tier financial service firms, ICT leaders,
Leading Educational institutions and many more.
What Value will you receive?
• Be able to build more targeted effective social media strategies
• save money by making smarter investments
• find new opportunities to build better relationships with young people
About Decode
✦ Decoding is about depth, not just looking at surface trends.
✦We start with 15 years of knowledge on how young people build relationships, both with one another and with brands.
✦We are research experts in youth, young adults and young families. We take a user-centred view of how to build social
media strategies.
✦We have a unique model on how to value social media: it will provide partners with knowledge to get a better ROI
onsocial media, and identify new opportunities for growth.
Subscription fee for bespoke report and presentation:£9,500 + VAT (optional qualitative report £5,500)Comparison
reports to USA and Canada are also available.
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26. Please connect
Robert Barnard
robert@decode.net
+44 793 3014461
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