Mar 15th, 2009
We are family…
In this post I want to write something about building communities and why the Web 2.0 can be a vital part of this. And another point is, how this could be beneficial in marketing.
Of course, everybody knows networks, like Facebook, MySpace, bebo, Linkedin, Twitter, blogs and many more. I am in Facebook, since a few months. A few weeks ago, I entered the group “LEEDS FLASHMOB!!!!” They describe a flashmob as: “It’s a sudden gathering of people into a crowd that does something unusual for a few minutes in unison and then disperses.”
You might think now, what are you talking about!? And what has this to do with Web 2.0 excepting the fact of mentioning Facebook. Read on…
Another definition is: Flash mob – a work of situationist art whereby individuals communicate over the Internet in order to come together as a group without warning, perform some random, pre-defined action intended to disrupt and confuse the people nearby, and then disperse. (Ford, 2003)
There the word internet comes in. The internet and especially the Web 2.0 is an optimal way of distributing messages. Its speed of communication and the availability is the advantage. Furthermore, it is great tool to reach people all over the world and to create a community.
Back to my example, I have been in the city centre, where the happening should take place yesterday (14th of March 2009). But there was nothing. As I had a look on the Facebook group afterwards, most people where disappointed, because they are complaining about the bad organisation of the flashmob. I went there, because I was curious, how or whether a flashmob works. I have always been fascinated by such events, where a community of people, who don’t know each other, come together and be part of something. This gives me goose bumps. Nevertheless, the example of this community event fails its purpose. I don’t know, why this happens, but I think it can’t be the failure of the distribution of the message. Everything seemed to be clear and they have reached 2,428 people, which is enough to perform a nice flashmob. I think the humans behind the flashmob group failed in the implementation.
So, this was just a negative example, what I experienced regarding a flashmob. Nevertheless, there a a lot of positive examples, which could be find in the web.
As well very few companies already organised flashmobs in order to create an attention catching campaign to get their message across and furthermore to promote their product, service or brand.
Here an example of T-Mobile, it was produced for a commercial, but still creates an atmosphere of community among visitors and flashmob performers:
There have as well some flashmobs been in McDonald’s, where each person ordered a cheeseburger at the same time.
Such events often create huge media coverage and can create a we-feeling between a company and its customers. Therefore a flashmob can be considered as tool of promoting a product or brand.
Great commercial, never seen that before!
I found the video of the McDonalds flashmob in berlin: http://www.bendecho.de/9399a2cebd-mcdonalds-flashmop
I think this comming together of random people is a nice way to build a community! As you mentioned these flashmops can be used to send a message, but i don´t think that you get people together just to present a new product or to promote one… It´s more the fun way of acting together, I think.
Good post Theresa.
I think these flashmobs are a good example on how to combine the online with the offline world and how they even NEED to work together.
These flashmobs couldn’t take place without spreading the message in the Internet, but the actual event happens in the offline world. Afterwards the web is again needed to spread the effect of this flashmob.
But as can be seen on the example in Leeds you’re talking about sometimes the combination is not easy…
However, I believe that online and offline used in combination is the most effective way to be successful.
Thank you for your comments André. I think regarding the point of the marketing usage of such a flashmob it could be seen, T-Mobile used such a flashmob in their commercials. It must be said, that this flashmob isn’t a typical one, because it is especially done for this commercial.
But I think companies can gain huge media coverage, when they would create a flaschmob, als for example in the McDOnalds video, like you posted, André. I think this was an example which wasn’t organised by McDOnalds, but I think they could do this.
More and more companies step into the field of eMarketing and communicate with their customers through the web. Therefore, they have a bases, on which they can built up…
Theresa: Yes, you´re right, they can build up on that and I think they will in the future…We´ll see what happens and in which ways this will be used
The McDonalds flashmob wasn´t a marketing concept of McDonalds but really had huge media coverage. I remember it on every news on television that day!
I think people might agree to “commercial flashmobs” if they´re kind of funny, just like the T-Mobile spot you posted.
Friederike: I totally agree
One effect of web 2.0 is that it makes organising and forming groups so easy.
Flashmobs are fantastic, but if they are used for purely commercial gain time and time again the effect will become diluted.
The T mobile flashmob advert is revolutionary, but can you imagine if it became the norm for marketing departments to organise flashmobs? No one would care anymore.