Posts from — October 2008

Is RSS, the backbone of content distribution online, tapped out from broader consumer standpoint?

According to Forrester Research it is:

With only 11% of consumers using RSS, and of the remaining 89% of those who don’t use RSS feeds, only 17% of them saying they are interested in using them in the future, it looks like broadly distributed online content has a dark future.

However, I have to take a different tack then Steve Rubel or Forrester on this.  If I were to survey US consumers right after World War II on whether they think they would use a television, and for those who don’t, do they think they would in the future, I’d probably get roughly the same data back as Forrester got on RSS.

I agree that RSS is a geeky term and most of the broader base of the US public still don’t use RSS readers.

But just like Apple was able to use consumer insights to make music downloads and the mobile internet interesting to the broader public, and Google was able to make search engines decidedly not techie, I think there is a great opportunity for someone to take all the content currently available in RSS format and make it as easy to access as the evening news on TV.

RSS in its current form may not be the answer, but that doesn’t mean we should be reading its obituary.

What if you asked a question about a brand and the brand answered back?

On Twitter these days, that’s exactly what is happening.  Twitter has evolved from a a microblogging tool that allowed first adopters to share exactly what was going on in their lives in 140 character or less, into an increasingly mainstream conversation tool that companies and brands are just beginning to use to connect to consumers.

Some brands have made mistakes along the way, while others have had their brands hijacked by others (e.g. “Janet” of Exxon Mobil).

But the brands listed below have all used Twitter to engage their consumers directly, in ways that traditional brand communication tools could never have been able to do as effectively or efficiently:

1.) Comcast – comcastcares

Comcast has made a significant dent in its negative perception of poor customer service with a Twitter presence that is really turning heads.  For starters they use a real person, with a real photo instead of a logo. Check out this NY Times article for a more about Comcast’s presence on Twitter.

2.) Zappos - zappos

Here is a great post from AdFreak about how Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh becomes a “one-man-customer- service machine” on Twitter.

3.) Southwest Airlines - southwestair

As usual, Southwest Airlines takes one of the most maligned industries out there and puts a smiling (and branded) face on it.

4.) Dell Computers - Dell on Twitter

Dell lists out all Dell related Twitter accounts, ranging from those talking about the latest deals and promotions, to international Dell news, and Dell focused bloggers.

5.) Oracle - Oracle Tweeters

A complete list by Oracle of all their employees with external blogs and Twitter accounts.

6.) Whole Foods - wholefoods

A great mix of answering consumer questions, posting news of interest, and sharing links to favorite recipes.

7.) British Prime Minister’s Office - downingstreet

Not necessarily a brand or company, but I like the official government presence on Twitter.  I found this Tweet interesting: “Cabinet reshuffle is taking place today. We will have details of confirmed movements and appointments on the website later…”

8.) Forrester Research - forrester

One of the top digital marketing research agencies, Forrester Research, levers Twitter as both a way to monitor chatter about its brand, as well as a way to keep a pulse on the broader digital conversation.

9.) method - methodtweet

This green consumer goods manufacturer Tweets on everything from environmental factoids, to the latest update on their corporate dodgeball team.

10.) HR Block - HRBlock

I would imagine this Twitter account will really heat up as we get closer to the April 15th tax deadline next year.

Twitter is still in an early phase from a broad reach adoption curve standpoint.  However, mainstream brands are staking out effective presences and levering Twitter’s ability to foster meaningful interactions with a wide range of people.

If there are other brands who you think are doing a good job on Twitter, please feel free to comment or just send me a Tweet @ paulbanas.