This document discusses competing with social networks by linking sociology with strategy. It provides a framework that outlines social failures where people do not always have the interactions they want, social solutions where social platforms can facilitate interactions, and social strategy where existing firms can also facilitate interactions if people undertake tasks for free. The document then gives examples of social strategy used by companies like Zynga, Yelp, Wikipedia, American Express, Nike, Harvard Business Review, and Cisco. It also outlines social solutions provided by platforms like eHarmony, MeetUp, Twitter, mixi, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendster.

1. Competing with Social Networks:
Linking Sociology with Strategy
#AOM2013
@mpiskorski

2. 2© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Background:
What do people do on the internet?

3. 3© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Background:
How much time do they spend on social platforms every month?

4. 4© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Millionsofusers
Male Female
Background:
And who are they?
This is where P&G starts to care…

5. 5© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Key questions
WHY?and what should do P&G do?

6. 6© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Framework
Social
Failures
• People do not always have the interactions they want
Social
Solutions
• Social platforms can step in and help facilitate these
interactions
Social
Strategy
• Existing firms can also facilitate these interactions if people
undertake corporate tasks, e.g. advertising, for free

7. 7© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Framework illustration
• She is too far and I am
too busy to ask
• It is awkward to ask
about personal matters
• Much faster to find out
what people are up to
• I can “stalk” her and she
won’t even know
10x higher
click through
rate

8. 8© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Course outline with cases
Social Strategy
• Zynga
• Yelp
• Wikipedia
• Social Strategy at Amex
• Social Strategy at Nike
• Social Strategy at HBR
• Social Strategy at Cisco
• Social Strategy for Obama
Social Solutions
Meet
• eHarmony
• MeetUp
• Twitter
Friend
• mixi
• Facebook
Meet / Friend
• LinkedIn
• Friendster
Social Failures
Your Social Network Over Time

9. 9© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Failures: Your Social Network Over Time

10. 10© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Failures: Your Social Network Over Time

11. 11© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Failures: Your Social Network Over Time

12. 12© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Failures: Your Social Network Over Time

13. 13© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Solutions: These are often not intuitive
Potential new employer Employed
Manager
Current employer
or subordinate
No, I’m not on the
market, I am networking
with my friends
Are you on the
market looking
for a job?

14. 14© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Solutions: Some are little difficult to illustrate in classroom
 How to get people to contribute content for free?
– People will contribute more and resolve conflicts if they like each other
– Examples abound: Yelp Elite program, Wikipedia Esperanza
– How do you illustrate this in a classroom full of students who do not contribute?
 Take a case and split it up into 20 parts and let students choose only 4 of them
– They have to cooperate to get the full picture
Correct version Incorrect version
 Some of them have wrong information which leads to conflict
– To resolve the conflict students realize that they actually have to like each other 

15. 15© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Solutions: These are often not intuitive
Potential new employer Employed
Manager
Current employer
or subordinate
No, I’m not on the
market, I am networking
with my friends
Are you on the
market looking
for a job?

16. 16© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Strategy
Use Facebook Platform
• To get friendship data
• To write to people’s profiles
To connect people to
each other in ways
• They can’t connect on FB
• Or in the off-line world
And get them to do
tasks for you
• Such as advertising or
providing inputs for free
as they connect to others

17. 17© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Social Strategy at American Epress

18. 18© 2013 Mikolaj Jan Piskorski
Competing with Social Networks:
Framework
Social
Failures
• People do not always have the interactions they want
Social
Solutions
• Social platforms can step in and help facilitate these
interactions
Social
Strategy
• Existing firms can also facilitate these interactions if people
undertake corporate tasks, e.g. advertising, for free