About Gage Marketing

Table of Contents

Contents
• Introduction
• Core capabilities
• Sample initiatives / deliverables
• Case studies
• Contact information

Table of Contents

Solutions that Drive Behavior

• Formed in 1992
• HQ in Minneapolis with
additional offices in Los Angeles
and Redmond, WA
• Ad Age/Interactive Rank: #35
• Promo/Promotion Rank: #37
• Blending of technology
and marketing for many
of the world’s most
respected brands
• Fortune 500 client base

Table of Contents Gage Confidential. All Rights Reserved.

Core Capabilities
Promotions
– Sweeps, games, contests, POP, worldwi
de legal services
Digital
– Mobile, websites, media, social
media, analytics and dashboards
Relationship
– CRM, incentive & loyalty programs,
Direct Response

A proven ability to deliver
innovative marketing campaigns
and assets while managing the
scale and other unique requirements
inherent to large brands

Table of Contents
Social DM
Voice Marketing
Mobile Email
Mobile Email
SMS
SMS + MMS
IM IM IM IM
Email Email Email Email
Direct Mail Direct Mail Direct Mail Direct Mail
Direct Mail
Telephone Telephone Telephone Telephone
Telephone

<1990 1990s 1999 2000s 2010
TV TV TV TV TV
Radio Radio Radio Radio Radio
Print Print Print Print Print
Display Display Display Display Display
Website
Cable TV Website Website
Search
Website Search Search
Online Display
Search Online Display Online Display Paid Search
Online Display Paid Search Paid Search Landing Pages
Landing Pages Landing Pages Microsites
Microsites Microsites Online Video
Online Video Online Video Affiliate Marketing
Webinars Affiliate Marketing Webinars
Affiliate Marketing Webinars Blogs
Blogs RSS
RSS Podcasts
= Emerging media Contextual
Podcasts
Wikis
= Significantly affected by Emerging media Contextual
Social Networks
Wikis Mobile Web
Social Networks Behavioral
As marketing continues to get more Mobile Web Social Media & Ads
Virtual Worlds
complex, Gage helps clients master and
Widgets
incorporate new approaches to sustain Twitter
and grow marketing value. Mobile Apps &
Geolocation

Gage Confidential. All Rights Reserved.


Gage Emerging Media Solution ecosystem
Strategy & Consulting

Services Software Integration Custom Development Media

• SM Outpost strategy • SM Promotions (Wildfire) • Custom Loyalty / • Cross-channel
and management • eCommerce Sweepstakes, Contests, Pr campaign design
• Social CRM - (BazaarVoice) omotions, Training, Comm and execution
Monitoring unity • Social Media
• B2B CRM (Salesforce)
, Measurement, Engag • Custom Facebook Advertising
• Loyalty and Community
ement Applications: • Twitter
building (Pluck, Lithium)
• Thought Leadership • Photo/Video Contests (Tweets/handles/
• Content Curation
Marketing • Localization hashtags)
(Magnify, Curation
• Event Marketing Station) • Facebook OpenGraph • Facebook
(microblogging, video API integration (DirectServe,
• Collaborative and cross-
capture / PPL model, others)
channel marketing • Dynamic live/social
publishing, SlideShare) • LinkedIn
(Spredfast, Sprinklr) content display widgets
• SEO media asset (InMail, Display
• Monitoring / Social CRM • Social Media-technology
development, publishi ads)
(Radian6, Visible Tech) mashups (Crimson
ng, tagging • YouTube
• Viral tracking / Earned Hexagon, Google/Bing
• Social Media Identity Maps, etc) • …More
Media Measurement
Protection
(Meteor) • Mobile Applications
• SM Analytics / Development
• Profiling / Retargeting /
Dashboards
Advocacy modeling • WAP site enablement
• Legal Services (Rapleaf, Flowtown)
(Campaign
• Singlepoint (SMS)
design, Rules, Terms &
conditions)


Why do clients choose Gage?

1. Passion born of direct experience and results
2. Knowledge through constant pursuit
3. Strategic thinking and the know-how to be
effective in large organizations
4. Follow-through on execution
5. Trust to represent marketer and brand
exceptionally

Table of Contents

Social media point-of-view


Social Media and Community

• Online Community (“OC”) includes - but is more than - social
• All relevant online conversations and interactions
• Relevant conversations and other interactions as they occur
in branded and non-branded communities

All relevant online
conversations and
corresponding
venues, participants
(this is the opportunity space)

Table of Contents Gage Confidential.
Brand Community = Website (Hub) All Rights Reserved.

+ All Online / Offline Touch points
Non-Brand

Brand

Cross-community interactions
assumed, encouraged, leveraged, measured
10


How Gage Social Media Drives Value
Ratios to
How customers experience brand Seen from a
conversion event
communities online measurement POV
Time (examples)
0
Awareness
Awareness
(5,000:1) Engagement

Engagement Advocacy
(500:1) Conversion

Conversion Event (1:1)
Users take a desired action
known to drive business
outcomes: Buy online, live
chat, register for CRM
Advocacy channel, download, visit
Feedback Loop specified content, etc. Pursue, measure and optimize
Awareness, Engagement, Advoca
cy because they drive on- and
Advocacy 50:1 offline conversion events which
drive business outcomes
100

n Awareness = Prospect is aware of and/or knowledgeable about product / service
n Engagement = Prospect acts to indicate a desire to start, continue and/or deepen information exchange
n Conversion = Prospect takes an action known to drive sales
n Advocacy = Customer or influencer takes an action in support or recommendation of product / service 11


Mapping Tactics to Value Value Tactics
n Social Advertising
(Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.)

Time n Branded YouTube, Vimeo, Scribd, Slideshare outposts
(make content discoverable, engagement platforms)
0
Awareness nn Thought Leadership (Multiple tactics)
Blogging, white papers, eBooks, PR, Events (Webinars),
case studies , video testimonials
Engagement nn Social Media Promotions, Sweepstakes, Contests

nn Branded Twitter (reach influencers, make content
discoverable, engagement platform)

nn Branded Facebook (CRM channel, makes content
discoverable, engagement platform, testimonial
gathering, *could* include conversion events)
Conversion nn Linkedin (Division-level presence, group participation,
publishing, events)
Users take
desired, measura n Website (hosts content & conversion mechanisms,
*can* also serve as engagement platform via
ble actions
Feedback Loop community-building features & social plug ins)
known to drive
business n Testimonials, case studies (publish cross-channel -
outcomes Email, Facebook, Website)

n Influencer outreach & sentiment mapping
Advocacy
n Advocate outreach / advocate platform

100 nnnn Mobile/Event + Social Integration (Signage,
Symposiums, Tradeshows, speaking engagements
(workshops, seminars, conferences)

n Advocacy = Customer or influencer takes an action in support or recommendation of product / service


Mapping Metrics to Value
A E C L
Awareness Engagement Conversion Advocacy
• Impressions • Comments B2B: • Advocacy Behaviors
• Followers, Fans, • Visit Rate or Content Users take actions known to (various, including:)
Subscribers, Members Resonance drive meaningful business • Retweets
• Lists • Return Visits outcomes: • Testimonials
• Page Views • Click-throughs • Demo sign ups • Recommendations
• Mentions per time • Registrations/Opt-ins • Webinar sign ups • Referrals
period • Retweets • Contact forms • Co-creation/User
• Inbound links • Replies • Whitepaper downloads Generated Content
• Share of Conversation • Referrals • Email sign ups • Content Sharing
• Brand specific searches • Recommendations • Visits to desired site • Activity Sharing
• Sentiment Trends • Thread Size content • Information Sharing
• Time with Content
• Suggestions/Feedback B2C:
• Content Downloads • Go to store and buy
• Content Sharing • Find a partner/distributor
• Spinoff Content • Lead form

Vibrant social communities continuously foster Advocacy behaviors,
which can be even more valuable than conversions

13

Table of Contents

Measuring Value Across Brand Communities
Your Online Community

Overall: Ongoing or one-time for cross-channel campaigns A E C L

A E C L A E C L A E C L

Outpost 1 (ex: Blog) Outpost 2 (ex: Facebook) Outpost 3 (ex: Twitter)

A E C L A E C L A E C L

Outpost 4 (ex: YouTube) Outpost 5 (ex: Vimeo)
Hub (website)

A E C L
A E C L A E C L
+ Non-Branded Community
Outpost 6 (ex: Linkedin) Outpost 7 (ex: Scribd) Outreach/Engagement

14



Excellence requires smart partnerships

Table of Contents

Sample engagement
initiatives/deliverables

Table of Contents

Strategy

Market
Practice
Client-side research Strategic
Experience,
discovery audit Plan
Knowledge
(Social)

Goals, culture, or Find and analyze Capitalize on Goal-driven
ganization to relevant conversations Gage’s experience strategic plan:
assess social with available 1. Goals
1. Size opportunity
readiness / tools, technologies,
maturity 2. Know where and to tactics and 2. Measurement
whom to play combine with Plan
1. People
(audiences, conver client’s insights 3. Prioritized
2. Process sations) Initiaitives
3. Technology 4. Timelines
3. Know how to play
(channels, convers 5. High-level
ations, tactics) budgets

17


Plan: Goals & Benchmarks

• Specific goals set based on a realistic assessment
– Social Media Audit informs goals given existing variables -
current status, competitive landscape, target
audience, client participation/experience, investment

• Benchmarks established for each goal w/ regular reviews
• On-demand reporting via dashboards; can be geared
toward conversation monitoring for keyword/topic
volume, sentiment, etc. or direct business value

(please see examples of social reporting on next slides –
these are dynamic web-accessed reporting dashboards)

18


Dashboard Reporting

19


Dashboard Reporting

20


Dashboard Reporting

21


Dashboard Reporting

22

Table of Contents

Content and Engagement Strategy,
Publishing & Content Curation Guidelines

• Living document regulates
actions of all participants –
client, agencies, subsidiari
es, etc.
• Gage has successfully
authored and executed
collaborative content and
engagement processes for
highly-regulated health
care and technology
industry brands

Gage Confidential. All Rights Reserved. 23


Branded outpost build and asset publishing

• Gage well-versed in development of branded outposts
• Ensure design is coordinated with that of other channels & hub
• Ensure fixed content is optimized for readability, search


Branded outpost examples
Outpost – Twitter (UK)

Hub

Outpost – Facebook (UK)



26
26



27
27

Table of Contents

Strategic/Enterprise Publishing

Makes it possible/easier to:
• Scale to manage multiple social
media accounts (aka channels or
outposts)
• Save time publishing content
across accounts
• Coordinate publishing as a team –
internal corporate
staff, agency, and/or third party
partners
• Find content
• Improve outreach
• Track effectiveness of social
media content and tactics
• Track revenue impact of social
media activities Gage Confidential. All Rights Reserved. 28

Table of Contents

Non-Branded Engagement (Social CRM)

Gage helps clients
develop centralized
expertise and capability
in monitoring and
engaging in non-
branded social media
• Use Social CRM to
find, monitor and
engage measurably
• Distribute leads to
sales
• Distribute insights
across company



Facebook Development / UX Enhancement


Table of Contents

Influencer Mapping / Campaigning
100
Advocates
Terrorists Mercenaries
Influence

Non-Threats
Fans

0
- Opinion (Sentiment) +

• Overlay customer and prospect databases with social profile data and
segment into audience categories ranging from advocates to terrorists
• Develop social and/or cross-media campaigns to move targets to become
brand advocates
• Track results over time


Community Platform Development (Hub)

• Social Media affects the hub as it the logical center of an
online branded community
• In 2011, marketers turning to specialized community
platforms to increase marketing value of websites and
social media outposts:
• Forrester shows 24% of companies with $500M+
revenue are implementing or piloting a program using
a community platform
• 31% plan to pilot a consumer-facing community
program in the next 12 months
• Gage is uniquely capable in delivering maintaining and
growing robust community hubs

32

Table of Contents

Features and Functionality of Community Platforms:
Description and Inclusion Importance for [Client]

Hub Development Feature Description
1 = Unimportant
3-6 = Important
9 = Essential

Core administration features

Administer permissioning Admin has ability to control who has admin 3
access

• Standard Features and Member permissioning Admin has ability to control what levels of
content a member can access
3

Functionality of Member moderation Members have the ability to moderate
forums, or discussion threads
3

Community Platforms, Customization of look and feel via WYSIWYG Members can customize the website at an
appearance level via templates or toggles
1

Forrester Wave Report, Customization of look and feel via CSS Members can customize the website at an
appearance level via themes, colors, font
1

November 1, 2010 controls

Feature selection Members can customize the website at a 3
feature/functionality level
• Many of these features Member status and loyalty specifications Admin can view/manage status and 9

are being implemented
loyalty specifications for individual
members

for the first time on Automated email administration Admin can remotely manage community
via email
3

brand websites in 2011 Ability to create new communities Admin can create new sub-communities
inside main portal
1

Interactivity, user-
Core analytics features
• Traffic across all content types Admin can see traffic rates for each 9

generated content Registrations and user activity
content category used on site

Admin can see registrations and what 9
capture + syndication, registered users are doing

ties to social outposts
Customizable report templates Admin can generate custom reports via 1
template

are now standard Access to data warehouse for custom
manual reports
Admin can generate custom reports via
manual report design
1

because they maximize Most popular content Admin can see which content is most
popular
9

overall marketing value Most popular members Admin can see which members are most
popular
9

of brand community Influencer identification Admin can see which members are most
influential within the site
9

Core content management, syndication, and import features

RSS feeds for all community content Users can subscribe to RSS feeds for 9
content (Should apply primarily to content
of highest likely value to most users and/or 33
content most likely to be updated
frequently)


Social Advertising

Characteristics Uses

Highly Targetable Use to build Awareness…
… Target interests, likes, etc. …of promotions or other
Can target on any profile content
data
…of branded
Demographics and (far) channels/platforms
beyond
Use to drive Engagement…
Contextual
Peer-influenced …with promotions, events,
(Example: Facebook Stories) etc.
Use to drive Conversions


Social Advertising: Plan


Social Advertising: Optimizations


Social Advertising: Results


Social Advocacy: WOM Facts
2/3rds of the economy is influenced by personal recommendations. McKinsey & Company

Gartner 20% of consumers are key influencers of purchasing
activities of 74% of the population.

Consumers mention 56 brands in conversation per week. Keller Fay

62% of these discussions are positive.

Each peer recommendation reaches 150 people on the social web. Forrester

Less than 25% of people say they trust emails they sign up for.

1 in 3 people come to a brand through a recommendation. Weber Shandwick

Bain & Co. The most recommended company in any given
category grows 2.5x the category average.

40% of advocates answer, comment, or give opinions Yahoo! and
online several times each week. Comscore
38


Social Advocacy: Amplifies WOM

• Each recommendation
reaches 150 people

• 500M peer impressions
annually in US

• Now rivals advertising
impressions

Source: Forrester Peer Influence Analysis 39


Proactive
Advocacy Recommenders;
WOM Recommendations
Drive Sales

• About capturing and maximizing use of
testimonials and WOM. Key “missing link”
to social media ROI
Advocates

Value to Business
• Advocates are 5x more valuable than loyal
customers
Loyal
• Advocates have an emotional connection Customers
to the brand (~1 in 5 are Detractors)

• Advocates want to express themselves
• Advocates want to connect with others
Fans & Followers
• Advocates want to help

Brand advocates create a powerful virtual sales force at low cost
delivering immediate return on investment

40
Sources: Harvard Business Review, Satmetrix, Bain & Company, Comscore, Yahoo!


Social Advocacy: How It Works
Advocate Responses
Advocate Actions
Paid Media
Social Media

Clicks, Conversions Recommendations
Impressions Ratings & Reviews
A/B Testing Stories & Testimonials
Review & Offers
comment Answers
moderation
Z Score, NPS®
Advocate Profile
Data

Hosted Word of Mouth marketing solution /
fully integrated brand advocacy system
41


3. Track, Monitor and Optimize
Measure and report:

• Total # Advocates
• Total content created
• Total content published
• Advocate content created by
type (Ratings & Reviews; Stories;
Answers)
• Advocate content published by
channel (e.g. Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, Amazon, Yelp, etc.)
• Total clicks
• Total number Advocate clicks
and by channel
• Total number in-bound prospect
clicks and by channel
• Historical tracking
• Conversions (conversion to
action; conversion to sales;
conversion to leads)**
• Impressions**
• Z Score (% of energized
Advocates vs. identified
Advocates)
• Net Promoter Score®

42


3. Advocate Analytics Dashboard

43


Social Media Promotions
Use to drive awareness, engagement and loyalty


Curation addresses “Content Challenge”

Channels, portals, content silos Locate relevant, worthwhile Use for Community hub
(internal and across web) content and republish and/or content to increase site
spinoff into social media outposts value + improve SEO

Web stuff Our stuff
Social Media
Portal Twitter Facebook
Channel A Twitter
A topic topic
Social Face-
Portal B Media book

Channel B Forum Blog
topic topic

Social Media Forum

Channel C
Portal topic topic YouTube
Email YouTube
D

Table of Contents

Events/Offline Marketing and Social Media
• Enriches both event and social channels by integrating the two
• Build social conversation before, during, after
• Gather high-value video assets (benefits social + participants thought
leaders)
• Create compelling offers to engage during event
• Social-based contests/promotions
• Example: Upload photo to Facebook to enter
event-based contest
• Example: Follow/ReTweet to enter
• Mobile/SMS-based to drive
engagement & desired actions:
— Sign up for SMS alerts
during event
— Text to: Register to win,
sign up for Email,
download whitepaper
— Fan/follow in social
channels (CRM value)
— MS tags for exclusive content
Gage Confidential. All Rights Reserved. 46


Social-to-mobile best practices and insights
Scenario:
Target audience member sees a product/service/offer of
interest. Through combo of mobile & social, can:
Value to Marketer

Get their social nets’ opinion of it / discuss it nnn
Share and/or recommend it to one or more in
their social net and/or to ratings and reviews nnn
engines
Broadcast activity to their social net nnn
Have a public or private virtual conversation
with a brand representative about it nnn
Engage social nets to participate (as in a
game/promotion or topical discussion) nn

n Engagement = Prospect acts to indicate a desire to start, continue and/or deepen
information exchange
n Advocacy = Customer or influencer takes an action in support or recommendation of
product / service

Table of Contents

Case studies


Microsoft ExpertZone
RSP Community Marketing


About ExpertZone
ExpertZone is a
training, education, rewards, advocacy, and community
platform for Retail Service Professionals (RSPs) selling
Microsoft products: Windows, Office, Xbox, Zune, and
Hardware.

ExpertZone is an exclusive community available only to
current retail service professionals (RSPs).

ExpertZone is available in 34 countries worldwide.

Table of Contents

ExpertZone: Community Hub

• Hub includes features such as…
• User-generated content capture + syndication
• Ties to social media platforms, forums, groups, etc.
• …to maximize marketing value of brand community and
individual members.


Table of Contents


Community-Building Hub
Features / Functionality
(selected examples)

Users can form affinity
groups around interests

Users can see / connect
with other users in their
network

User content is customized
based on personal
attributes

Outposts integrated into UX



Gage has continually developed and co-managed daily ExpertZone community for over two years.



Gage is a leader in leveraging thought leadership and content strategy to build and influence community.



ExpertZone Current / Pending Initiatives

• Ongoing Activity
– Content sourcing, authoring, publishing – all channels
– Fan/Follower growth strategy/execution
– Non-branded social media community monitoring (reduced)
– Performance measurement and reporting
– Community Hub Evolution
– Expansion to new countries
– SMMP to facilitate international expansion
– Forum community co-management


Current Initiatives
• Strategic:
– Expand potential RSP advocacy from Sales floor-only to
(much larger) online community

• Tactical:
– Deeper integration between outposts and website
– Promotions and content exclusive to outposts to expand
reach and engagement
– Active non-branded community engagement, including
advocacy modeling and campaigns
– Branded channel expansion
– Expand publication of educational content to
Scribd, Slideshare
– Improved measurement and operational optimization


Filtek Restoratives
™

New Product Launch


Contents

• Gage Deliverables
• Background
• Target
• Situation
• The Assignment, Challenge & Solution
• Concepts & Testing
• Delivery Timeline
• Site Review
• Metrics

58


Gage Deliverables

• Planning & Account Management
• Project Management
• Technical Planning & Development
• Creative Development
• Video Production (Second City)
• SEO
• IA/UX/Usability Testing
• Emails and Banners
• Tradeshow Materials
• Social Media

59


Background
• 3M ESPE
– Dental products
• 3M ESPE manufactures and markets more than 2,000
products and services designed to help dental
professionals improve their patients’ oral health care
– Filtek™ Supreme Ultra Restorative
• White composite material dentists use for fillings and tooth
restorations

Before After Before After

60


Target

• Primary:
– General dentists who are esthetically driven and value quality
– Opinion leaders
• Secondary:
– Dental Assistants & Office Managers

61


Situation

• Filtek Supreme Plus enjoys 97% awareness and is the
market leader. But...
– New composites are entering the market with
• Aggressive promotions
• Heavy sampling
• High ad spending
• Filtek Supreme Plus replaced with
Filtek Supreme Ultra
– Target likes Filtek Supreme Plus and does not typically
accept change well
– This poses a risk
– Will they be accepting of the new product?

62


Our Assignment

• The 3M ESPE marketing team engaged Gage to help
announce and market Filtek Supreme Ultra Restorative, the
replacement for Filtek Supreme Plus Restorative, through a
product specific microsite.

• Our job is to help convince the target audience that Filtek Ultra
retains everything they have come to love about Filtek Plus, yet
offers them even more through advances in product
development.

“Don’t lose a single customer”

63


The Challenge

• We need to answer the target’s questions:
– What is Filtek Supreme Ultra?
– How is Ultra different from Plus? What’s better?
– What’s the science behind it, and why should I care?
– How and when should I use Filtek Supreme Ultra?

• How do we make sure the target gets the message?
– What will cut through the clutter?
– How do we get them to pay attention?
– How do we make a dry subject engaging?

64


The Solution

• Create an engaging experience that:
– Ties seamlessly to the update brand look & feel and the
“Everyone has a shade” campaign.
– Includes the unexpected and gets the dental community buzzing
– Answers the “why Ultra?” questions the target is asking
– Provides deeper content to those who seek it
– Encourages sampling and purchase

65


The Unexpected

• To meet the challenge of
– Cutting through the clutter,
– Getting the targets attention,
– Not delivering a “me too” marketing solution,
– Gage partnered with The Second City to interject
comedy into our solution.
• A series of humorous videos were produced that
– boast product benefits,
– and at the same time entertain and encourage
viewers to say on the microsite longer,
– and tell their peers about the experience.

66


Usability Testing

• In addition to creative, we tested for
– Content & messaging
– Navigation
– Appeal of free sample offer
– Video existence and propensity to share
• We then adjusted the microsite to accommodate the findings

67


Delivery Timeline

MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
Kick-Off 5/4/09
Planning
Creative Concepting
Usability Testing 7/24/09
Video Shoot 7/27/09
3M Event 11/12/09
Site Production HOLDING PATTERN
Original Launch Date 9/2/09
Teaser Site Up 1/11/10
Full Site Up 2/15/10
Chicago Tradeshow 2/25/10
Product In Market 3/15/10
Maintenance & Updates

68


Site

www.everyonehasashade.com

69


Videos
Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

70


Email

71


Banners

72


Tradeshows

73


Sales Rep Sample Kit Sticker

74


Twitter

75


Twitter

76


Metrics

– Website
• Site traffic reports (WebTrends)
• Video starts
• Video completes
• Number of Referrals/Video Sharing
• Number of Stay Informed signups
• Clicks to “Contact your authorized 3M ESPE dental distributor” link

77


Conversations

78


Campaign results
• Video cued at launch is receiving 98.5% video completes (watch entire video)
• Sharing of Videos surpassing all other sharable content
• Twitter followers for the Tooth Fairy and Charlie over 4,000 strong
• Steady incline of unique visitors, pages viewed and length of session leading
up to largest annual tradeshow (CDS) on Feb 27.
• Revenue growth of 13.2% against a goal of 10%
• 1% market share gain in 6 months against a goal of1% in 12 months

79


Microsoft SMB
Social Media Engine for Customers & Partners


Case Study Contents

• Strategy
• Integrated Communities
• The Engine
• Performance
• Social Levers for Marketers


Strategy
• November – January 2010, Gage developed a strategic plan
to build a “social media engine” to be integrated into
Microsoft SMB’s current marketing practice
– Marketing Asset/Practice Audit
– Gap-Filling Research
– Strategic Plan
• Plan to leverage Social Media + Community concepts to
increase awareness, engagement and loyalty among
Microsoft SMB Partners and Customers.
– Focus most on advocates and influencers rather than “masses”
– Consistent message to community (Customer, Partner, PR)
– Give existing communities focus, avoid creating net new communities
• Purpose: Create an achievable vision that makes optimal use
of social media to accomplish business goals


3 Focus Areas

Partner Enablement Customer Engagement
– Social Widgets – Ask An Expert
– Social Activation for Partners – Facebook: Buddy Media Landing
(for FY12) Page
– Facebook: “Be The Expert” – Social Advocacy Platform
Application
– Facebook: Promotion
(Partner)
– Facebook: Buddy Media Organization & Structure
Landing Page – Sprinklr SMMP
– Facebook: Buddy Media (publishing, analytics, identify
Syndication & target influencers)
– Social Advocacy Platform – Branding
– Social Content Playbook
– Reporting


Integrated Communities
Gage recommended central oversight of Partner and Customer
communities, which enabled…
• Specific initiatives to link Partners and Customers such as:
– Ask a Partner / Be the Expert application to connect Partners with
Customers in a meaningful way that awakens each audience to the
other’s value and presence in social media
– Efficient introduction of new technology platforms across both
communities, including:
• Modular, robust user experience on custom Facebook tabs
• Advocacy platform to find and activate advocates in both
communities
• Simplified broadcasting of important Microsoft
Product, Service, Event information across both communities
• Efficient curation and publishing of non-Microsoft-authored
content across both communities


Integration Example:
Ask a Partner / Be the Partner
Customer Partner

Partners have significant potential influence with customers, but
b/c they lack know-how, need to be presented with explicit ways
to meaningfully participate, such as Ask a Partner. Unlikely
initiative w/o single oversight


Integration Example:
Ask a Partner / Be the Partner
Customer Partner


Integration Example: Advocacy

Customer Partner

Advocacy platform enables advocates from both communities
to project positive influence. Unlikely initiative w/o single oversight


Integrated Communities

Microsoft Partner Community and Microsoft Small Business
customers have similar needs and interests:

Facebook
Be the Facebook
Expert Ask A Partner
Microsoft Customers
Partners Shared Social
Social Advocacy
Content Platform
Playbook

Unified oversight encourages creation of initiatives that
benefit both groups and builds connections between them


Marketing Ecosystem

Products on
Business Microsoft “In” Page
Insights
eNewsletter

Cindy Bates’
Blog

Delivered to Amplified
Measured
Compelling an engaged through
with platforms
Content audience an activated
and tools
partner-base


Property Examples Post-Redesign


Time Demand Generation
(Partner + Customer)
0
Social syndication

Facebook Facebook Custom UX Facebook
Be the Expert (Partner + Customer) Ask A
Partner

Conversion
Users take desired action
Usually occurs on hub
Feedback Loop

Social Advocacy
Platform

100

n Advocacy = Customer or influencer takes an action in support or recommendation of product / service


Performance


SMB Social Media Growth

– Facebook SMB fans: +159%
– Facebook Marketing Mashup fans: 0 to 1000+ B2B
(Brand New Community targeted to Microsoft SMB Partners)

– Twitter SMB followers: +232%


SMB Social Media
Facebook Marketing Mashup New FB
Features/Functions,
Demand Gen
ACTIVE USERS (Oct – April) launch (Phase 2)

Unified Look-and- Content Optimization,
feel Implemented New FB Features/Functions,
Demand Gen launch
(Phase 1)


Twitter SMB
Microsoft SMB Twitter
Followers (July – May) Demand Gen
launch

Content
Strategy, Unified
Look-and-feel
Implemented


Optimization


SMB Social Media

Facebook SMB and
Marketing Mashup
have experienced
dramatic fan base
growth since
optimizing posts
using Gage- Facebook: SMB fan base
developed
guidelines

Facebook: Marketing Mashup fan base


SMB Social Media

Twitter SMB showed
accelerated growth
and follower base
since optimizing

Twitter: SMB follower base

Twitter SMB
engagement
also increased
dramatically

Twitter: SMB Engagement rates


Channel interaction example –
Thought Leadership
Time
0 Cindy Bates blog post published

Blog post promoted on branded social
media channels and social news sites
where social audience can discover it

Traffic is driven to blog, exposing current
and new audiences to post and other
site content

Community helps accomplish the goals of
blog (thought leadership, brand
sentiment, product/service
awareness, online purchases)
100


Channel interaction example – Advocacy
Time Small Business Owner answers
0 Net Promoter Score question

SBO shares exclusive offer with their
personal networks, opts in to use offer
herself, and signs up for e-newsletter

Microsoft Business Productivity Online
Services sales increase, new audiences
are made aware of Microsoft SMB
offerings and user advocate is more
connected and enabled then before

100


SMB Community: Levers for Marketers
Lever What is it? How to use?
Announcements A set of vehicles to • Identify key messages
deliver messages to that map to editorial
customers and partners. calendar
Community Engagement A set of Social properties • Deliver compelling
to engage with content
customers and partners. • Ask for feedback
Advocate / Influencer A platform to enable our • Gain greater reach of
Engagement key customer and key content and
partner advocates and messages
influencers. • Solicit Partner Answers
to Customer Questions
Listening / Reporting A platform to gain insights • Identify relevant
from conversations that keywords
are happening online • Define workflow for
and enable the interaction with
opportunity to interact. related conversations


SMB Social Media Community in Action

Office 365 launch shows how campaigns can now extend their
effectiveness through systematic promotion across the new SMB social
media ecosystem
• Facebook SMB
7 posts – 2 types (product, cloud)

• Facebook Marketing Mashup
1 post – Office 365 Intro

• Twitter SMB
5 tweets – 2 types (product, cloud)

• Twitter Cindy Bates
4 tweets – 2 types (product, cloud)

• YouTube SMB
FOYB video added which incorporates Office 365.

• LinkedIn Microsoft
Office 365 product page created and promoted as feature product on summary page.

• Business Insights SMB Newsletter
Mentions: introducing, product beta invite, learn more and case study

• Cindy’s Blog
Two posts – 2 types (product, cloud)

Table of Contents

Contact information

Christopher McLaren
Director - Emerging Media & Strategy
Gage Marketing Group
Phone: 763-242-0930
Email: chris_mclaren@gage.com
Connect: http://bit.ly/cmclaren1

103

About Gage Marketing

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to About Gage Marketing

More from Gage Marketing Group

Recently uploaded

About Gage Marketing

Editor's Notes