In an article published today “Is a discount worth giving up your online privacy?“, online security expert Hemu Nigam writes of a fascinating new marketing effort being developed by Target and Facebook. Branded Cartwheel, the partnership encourages Facebook users to redeem promotions and savings rewards in Target stores.
Cartwheel “has the potential to become one of the most successful social media advertising opportunities in recent history,” writes Nigam.
“Despite its appeal, users will be expected to pay a price for these discounts — a cost measured in privacy rather than dollars.”
We call this new model of commerce Data Cows, as consumers are increasingly willing to trade their private, personal data as currency for some real or perceived value. It started with “Free” smart phone apps, and Target and Facebook have taken this concept in a startling new direction.
Facebook and Target want you to pay with personal data, not dollars.
“No doubt this will spark a debate over what is more important, privacy or money,” Nigam states. “As more and more people get used to it — and online users always do — this form of corporate advertising could become commonplace and, thus, more accepted.”
What do you think? Is this troubling, or just the inevitable evolution of commerce in the digital age? Share your story with us. We want to hear from you!
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2013 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
I attended a conference recently where a social media person working for a big retail company bragged about how easy her job is. She explained that most of what she does involves trolling smaller competitors’ social channels to “borrow” their ideas:
“Most of [our competitors] will never know, and if anybody makes an issue, we know they can’t afford to fight us.”
She went on to boast about her company’s marketing budget and how easily they are able to suppress anyone who dares to speak up.
An end to ethics and fair play?
As this digital communication age progresses, I question whether our desire for more Twitter followers, Retweets and Facebook Likes has damaged the concept of business ethics. As a society, we seem fixated on metrics and our competitive ratings across social media channels.
This conference also made it clear that, despite marketers calling it something different, the manipulation of data collected on consumers in order to track, follow and even trick them into purchasing decisions has become a major business. For consumers, this begs the question again: With ‘Free’ Apps, Are We Just Data Cows?
Most of the emphasis seems to be not on communicating with the consumer, but the use of data to influence the consumer. Former American President Lyndon B. Johnson once observed, “The best fertilizer for a piece of land is the footprints of its owner.” As new and as fancy as these emerging customer tracking technologies are, nothing can replace a simple conversation with your customer.
Also read: “Customer Service: Survey Says“
Do you think of your customers in terms of numbers, conversions and ROI? How important are broad customer metrics, in terms of business decision-making, and how far are you willing to go to get customer data? It might be wise to consider ethics versus metrics, and which one is more important in your company.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2013 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
More Blogs about Digital Communication
Thinking Big is something we believe makes everyone’s life a little better. As we see things throughout the year that identify Big Brain Moments, we will highlight those individuals’ efforts in our Blog series, Live Big – Think Big – Give Big. Individuals like High Schooler Jonathon Montanez, who showed the world what it means to Think Big.
SFGate.com: Get out your handkerchiefs. Opposing player helps disabled athlete fulfill a dream
Mitchell is a developmentally disabled locker room manager for a high school basketball team. He is not a regular player for the team but he loves basketball. During one of the final games of the season, Mitchell’s coach decided he would change Mitchell’s life. The Coach told him to suit up. Mitchell was on the bench until the last few minutes, when the coach put Mitchell in to play. A dream come true.
Mitchell’s teammates tried in vain to give Mitchell a chance to score a basket, feeding him several opportunities. But Mitchell’s shots just missed each time. One last pass to Mitchell went out of bounds, turning over possession to the other team and effectively ending Mitchell’s chance to score.
Or so it seemed.
Jonathan Montanez, a young man playing for the opposing team, prepared to in-bound the ball so his team could score once more before the buzzer. Instead, Jonathan thought for a moment and called out to Mitchell. Jonathan in-bounded the ball to Mitchell with just seconds left on the clock. “He shoots… he scores!” This time the ball went in. As it passed the bottom of the net, one of the most precious moments in sports gave birth to a standing, jumping and screaming ovation from everyone in attendance. Both teams took pride in Mitchell’s moment of glory.
The buzzer officially ending the game was inaudible over the outpouring of emotion for this one individual. Actually this game, this moment, this time in sports will never end for the people who were there or for those of us who get to witness it.
Watch and enjoy the Moment.
Be sure to share Big Brain Moments you see, so we may share them with others.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2013 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
United Airlines employees recently helped a passenger during one of his darkest moments.
We like to highlight Big Brain Moments such as the ‘connection’ United Airlines employees made with a passenger, to the point of risking their own jobs to make sure a son could get home to see his dying mother before she passed away.
CNN.com: United Airlines delays flight for man to see dying mother
When staff commit themselves to a customer’s literal or figurative journey, we should all take notice. These Big Brain actions (Listening is a Big Brain Tool) demonstrate Leadership on the part of the employees, and create a Legacy of Trust for the company. Let’s celebrate and share stories of airlines going the extra mile. In this instance, the name “United” took on a whole new meaning.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2013 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
I enjoy helping people reset their attitudes when they are having a bad day. Coffee houses are great places to find subjects, and I have characterized the greeting as one of the most important moments in the encounter between a front line employee and the customer.
Standing in line at one of my favorite coffee houses recently, I noticed the cashier uncharacteristically disconnected with her customers. There was a long line and, to be fair, there were some customers who were less than prepared for ordering. The cashier was overtly annoyed, looking sideways at a co-worker and rolling her eyes. She turned back to the guests in line dispassionately and continued her disinterest for the next several customers.
I decided I would try to reset this usually friendly person. When it was my turn at the counter, the cashier barely looked at me and said “yeah?” It was really troubling because I know she can be so friendly and courteous. Hiding behind her baseball cap, she was not going to look up so I stayed silent for just a moment. She raised her eye level and was about to snarl when I said, in a very cheerful voice, “Hello. How is your day going?” She replied, “Could be better.” I commiserated that I had had a few of those days recently. Then, either out of curiosity or just to retort, she asked, “So how are you doing?” I told her I was excellent. Surprised, she paused and said, “Well then I will be excellent, too.”
As I waited for my order, I watched as her attitude toward subsequent customers had changed, and she reverted to her typical friendly self.
Walking out the door, past a growing line of customers, the cashier looked over at me with a smile. Her outlook for the day had changed. Sometimes all it takes is one moment to change the course of another person’s day.
Be the Moment.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2013 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
So much time and so many words are given to the importance of the first impression. And it is important. However, I think it is only important for a short while. In fact, after the first impression is made, there begins a series of last impressions that ultimately deserve equal or greater thought than the first impression.
Let’s face it: If you have known someone for more than a few weeks or months, the first impression is long gone but your relationship now continues on the last impression.
When co-workers leave at the end of a day and exchange salutations, their impressions to each other are that of mutual respect. But if one co-worker is in a bad mood and does not deliver the expected farewell, then the last impression is one of grumpiness.
The same is true for a boss who walks in the morning and says nothing to anyone, but goes directly to his desk then leaves for a lunch appointment. The last impression is one of moodiness.
If the meal at a restaurant is fabulous but when you are leaving the host ignores you, the impression is that they don’t really care. In any encounter we have, the most recent exchange sets the last impression.
The last E-mail you sent, the last message you texted, the last voice-mail you left on a machine, your last tweet and the last Facebook status update each add to the last impression you are making on people.
So when you are sending any form of communication, take a moment to realize the importance of what you are saying. The last impression is what the next encounter with that persons will build on.
Last impressions last.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2012 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
“I have been teaching The Success Principles for 40 years and one of the most important of those is a formula I call E+R=O. Kevin has a wonderful way of articulating the same concept in his new book The Secrets of Successful Communication.
It’s simple and effective and I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a business, and not just for you, but your entire company!”
— Jack Canfield
#1 NY Times Best-selling Author
Co-Creator, Chicken Soup for the Soul &
The Success Principles, How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
www.JackCanfield.com
FLIGHT starring Denzel Washington
If you plan to see FLIGHT, you might want to wait until you have seen the film before reading further…
Actually, even if you do read this… go see the movie. It is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time.
How rare it is to see a movie that glorifies Taking Responsibility, a Big Brain Tool we discuss often. Denzel is brilliant as an alcoholic pilot whose plane breaks up in flight and whose ingenious maneuvering leads to a controlled crash-landing that loses six of the 102 souls on board, while saving ninety-six.
Throughout the film we find ourselves almost rooting for Denzel’s character, Whip, because of his aeronautical talent. After all, he saved lives. But it is revealed that he is a chronic alcoholic, and that he was high when the took the cockpit that fateful day.
The big pilot’s union bosses and the big airline owners do what ever they can to prevent this fact from coming to light; it is not in their interest. They use legal maneuvers to stop a damaging toxicology report from surfacing and they keep Whip away from scrutiny until there can be a hearing on the crash.
Everything is breaking Whip’s way and, at the hearing, he is handed the chance to blame a coworker who died on the plane for drinking some missing vodka on the plane. All Whip has to do is tell one more lie about an insignificant amount of alcohol and he is home free; his secret of alcoholism will be protected and his life can continue without blame.
But to the astonishment of all, in a moment of true clarity, Whip admits to drinking the vodka and further admits to being high the day of the plane crash and even admits to being high at the hearing.
He said it was like he could tell not tell one more lie. He had reached the limit of lies he could tell. Whip is finally coming to grips with his alcoholism.
This turning point moment captures the real life moment of so many others who have traveled the path of addiction. The act of taking responsibility is not honored in movies or television as much as deception, self-interest and fantasy.
Kudos to Mr. Zemeckis and Mr. Washington for putting this moment on the big screen. It is a classic moment portrayed by masters. It will put a dent in the universe.
Kevin Thomas McCarney
Flight is in theaters now.
© 2012 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
Taking Responsibility
(for more on this topic, see page 126 in the book)
Today will produce dozens of news stories about people in Little Brain mode.
From “That’s my parking spot!” to “I was here first!” to arguments with exhausted employees… we will hear about a lot of bad behavior today.
When people let simple things like fighting for a parking space turn in to all out confrontations it’s because they let their Little Brains take control of the situation.
It may start as a simple misunderstanding but people will use the wrong Tones today (see page 97) and disagreements will escalate.
Black Friday is for shopping deals. With crowds everywhere and so many opportunities to get upset and say the wrong thing… don’t let the pressure of the moment activate your Little Brain.
Don’t let Black Friday give you a Black Eye.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2012 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
For many of us, this Thanksgiving day of family, fun and sharing is a high point of the year.
This one day is set aside to give thanks for the bounty in our lives. Some may have more than others and some may have bigger houses and drive nicer cars. Some have lost everything because of financial or natural disasters. But on this day the only real commodities are gratitude and time with others.
Even those who have lived through tough times look at today with appreciation for the people they have in their lives.
It is, after all, the people in our lives who matter most. Relationships represent our true wealth.
Yes, that is a little cliché, but some clichés are worth it. And Gratitude is no cliché.
Live Big – Think Big – Give Big™
© 2012 Kevin T. McCarney. All rights reserved.
Happy Thanksgiving.
