Ripple6: Monetizing Social Networks

Monetizing Social NetworksIt’s Not Just About The Conversations
Rich Ullman
September 22, 2009
rich@ripple6.com

What are we discussing?
This workshop will show how publishers and marketers can take steps beyondthe initial reaction to create fan pages and accounts and deliver real value to their businesses. It will explore how social networks can be deployed quickly for publishers to leverage and monetize their greatest asset – their audience – and for marketers to engage in conversations with their customers in a way that can scale across networks. The workshop will include case studies and use cases as well as provide insight into where social networking is headed in 2010.

Who is Ripple6?
Founded 2006
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Gannett Co., Inc. (as of 11/2008)
Social Platform
Connections in Social Networks
Strategic Innovation Partner
Partners include
Procter & Gamble
Gannett
Meredith
Unilever

September 21, 2009
#adweek
“More change in ad business in last 9 months than in last 9 years.”

September 21, 2009
“Mastering the art of the continuous campaign.”

September 14, 2009
NBC's new "The Jay Leno Show" is the oldest thing in TV - a comedy-variety show, with a funnyman, a stage, guests and in-show ads.

So What Works in the Future?
Low Investment, High Return
Well-Connected
Highly Collaborative
Self-sustaining
Asset Creating
Word of mouth inspiring
Insight-generating
Marketing Strategy

Some Data Points

More Time on Social Nets; Less time on Ads
3x faster
Growth of time spent on social nets
1 out of 11
Minutes spent online
57% vs. 79%
Share of users who clicked on ads
Source: Nielsen Online; IDC.

A Look at Online Community Members
Visit Their Community at Least Once Per Week
Age Over 50
87.5%
Age Under 20
91.5%
Source: e-Marketer’ USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future, "The 2008
Digital Future Project-Year Seven"

The Audience Returns; They are Engaged
54% Log into their community at least once a day
71% Say their community is very or extremely important to them
56% Meet their online counterparts in person
55% Feel as strongly about their online communities as they do about their real-world communities
Source: e-Marketer; USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future, "The 2008
Digital Future Project-Year Seven"

Why Do They Talk About it So Much?

George Mallory: Media Visionary
“Because it’s there.”
b. 1886
d. 1924

Do Users Want to Talk With Marketers?
85%believe a company should be present and interact with consumers to solve problems and solicit feedback
56% feel a stronger connection with and better served by companies whom they interact with in social media.
37% think companies should develop new ways for consumers to interact with their brand.
Source: 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, conducted September 2008 by Opinion Research Corporation

Create Ways for Marketers to Participate
December 2008
“No matter what the obstacles are, marketers still need to be where their customers are, and consumers remain heavily involved in social networks.
And advertising is not the only way for marketers to participate in social networks.”

Create A Model That Will Work for Marketers
“As the online industry matures and the value of online real estate is increasingly measured by time spent, rather than pages viewed, a significant shift in advertising revenue from “traditional” online media towards social media could be realized – if a successful ad model can be found.”
March 2009

The Model…
For Publishers

The Backyard – A New Environment
Where Users Can:
Go regularly
Have rich profiles
Have trusted networks
Share information through those networks.
Where Publishers can:
Create Affinity Networks
Create the right context for Brands
Where Brands Can Participate and Talk with Your Audience

People, conversations,
connections
Anonymous hits
The Backyard – Transform Communication

connections
Unlock the Value
Increase Engagement
IncreaseAudienceValue
New Revenue Models
The Backyard – Transform Your Opportunity

The Backyard – Transform Your Opportunity
December 2008
connections
Unlock the Value
““No matter what the obstacles are, marketers still need to be where their customers are, and consumers remain heavily involved in social networks.
And advertising is not the only way for marketers to participate in social networks.”
Increase Engagement
IncreaseAudienceValue
New Revenue Models
“As the online industry matures and the value of online real estate is increasingly measured by time spent, rather than pages viewed, a significant shift in advertising revenue from “traditional” online media towards social media could be realized – if a successful ad model can be found.”

Incredibly Powerful Backyard: Gannett
MomsLikeMe.com
Nationwide network of 80 local social networks
Content is local, timely personal, and relevant to users
Users create content, groups and discussions

Incredibly Powerful Backyard: Meredith
MixingBowl.com
A social cookbook
Cooks connect, discuss and share recipes
Relevant vertical content discussionsfor marketers to join.

Unlocking Value
Increase EngagementIncrease Audience ValueNew Revenue Models

Publisher Tools to Unlock Audience Value
Social Analytics
Public Communities
Private Insights
Tools that complement current ad modelsand are built upon listening and engaging.

Ripple6 Social Insights™
Private Research communities using your audience.
Real communities with regular visitors
Deeper insights
Multiple levels of interaction
Discussion, Media, Calendar, Private Messages
Nimble research platform
Creates monthly revenue fees from communities.

Ripple6 Brand Communities™
Creates organic conversations around brands and builds advocates
Scales across communities
Does not cannibalize PV revenue
Multiple Package Options
6-week
3 month
6 month
Annual

Ripple Analytics
Actionable insights that enable you to understand your community and demonstrate the value of your audience.
What kinds of relationships are forming?
How do people prefer to communicate?
What do they find important or valuable?

Some Cases…
For Marketers

Post Cereals: Social Insights
4 week qualitative research study embedded in a social network.
90+ moms / 70 topics
“The platform allowed us to reach out to moms in a way that was convenient and comfortable for them. It created honest conversations and feedback about our brand which allowed for solid insights.”
Greg LanidesBrand ManagerGrape Nuts

Benjamin Moore: Brand Community
Green Moms, a community focused on “thinking, living and buying green.”
80 local communities
400+ opt-in members in the first week
Conversations generated organically about the brand
Ongoing discussions and interactions with the brand, plus insights into the consumer.

Suave: Social Insights + Brand Community
Private Research Group
Discover brand advocates
Develop knowledge for strong brand community
Spread the word and develop awareness of salon quality products from Suave
Community fosters participation and ownership of the brand, creating trust

The Model…
For Marketers

Well-Connected
Self-sustaining
Asset Creating
Insight-generating
Marketing Strategy

Your Brand Positioning

The Web Site Redefined:
Connected to Home Site

What is Ripple6 OnDemand?
Quickly integrates community function to your current site
Full functions of Ripple6 platform
Engagement
All community tools
Audience Value
Ripple Analytics
Monetization
Social Insights
Brand Community
Launch in as little as 24 Hours

The Micro Site Redefined:

The Syndicated Micro Site
Brand asset that is connected to brand’s site, connected anywhere on the web
Brand Community
Community Syndication
INTERNET
Blogs & Profiles
Any website

Social Ads – Your Community Anywhere
300x250 IAB unit

One Social Platform – Deployed Everywhere
Brand asset that is connected to brand’s site, connected anywhere on the web
Brand Community
Community Syndication
INTERNET
Blogs & Profiles
Any website

Well-Connected
Self-sustaining
Asset Creating
Insight-generating
Marketing Strategy

So What Works?
A scalable social platform that can connect you across the internet
Self sustaining brand owned communities THAT
Consumers love, visit, spend time in, come back to, and welcome the brands participation
Self sustaining without continued media spend
Provides 24x7 insights on your brand, your competitors, consumers needs
Nurtures and showcases brand advocates and their testimonials
Platform for other digital campaigns

Questions

Thank You.
Rich Ullman
September 22, 2009
rich@ripple6.com

Ripple6: Monetizing Social Networks

by Rich Ullman

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