We Are Magnetic

Having just finished the excellent book: Conversational Capital by the team at Sid Lee, I thought I’d pop a quick post together that looks at a recent experience that imparts some of concepts presented within.

But first, a very quick review of the book: buy it!

In Conversational Capital, Bertrand Cesvet, Tony Babinski and Eric Alper present a well constructed, captivating and inspiring argument around how to create positive word-of-mouth.

The book is packed full of example of how their ‘way of thinking’ has made a positive impact on various brand experiences. The guys call upon their obvious weighty industry experience, to look into what makes people talk positively about certain experiences, but not about others (a key element that this blog also looks to unravel!).

By Following the 8 components that make up Conversational Capital, the reader is both inspired and educated in the why’s, where’s and how’s of the central idea. Throughout, the reader is encouraged to ‘speak out’ and answer thought provoking question (a conversation continued through the accompanying blog). After the theory comes the practice, the book concludes with an excellent practical guide to implementing the idea into your brand.

This book is a must read for anyone looking to implement positive work-of-mouth marketing strategies. In a world where we no longer listen to mass marketing messages, can you afford not to know how to get your customers talking?

Anyway, back to the view on Conversational Capital’s surprising ability to appear in unexpected places…

My parents are both in their late sixties. They’re still active, enjoying their weekly 6 mile ramble across the Warwickshire countryside. They’re technology aware – both having mobile phones, albeit having to find ‘the right glasses’ before texting, and they use their DVR – less to block out advertising messages more so they can rewind and make sure they understand the plot.

All pretty normal. One, perhaps, break with the worlds current view of our older generation, is that they’re not natural ‘sliver surfers’. Although they have a computer at home, they’re not connected. Maybe they’re still thinking back to the negative ‘word-of-mouth’ of a long gone past, that cited: the internet will infect your PC with corruption and spy-ware, hackers will find your account details, your life will be mirrored and infiltrated.

So instead of the relative ease of going into the spare room to log on, they choose to make regular visits to their local library to do just that. Still, it gets them out the house!

Anyway, it’s against this background that a couple of months ago they announced that they had bought a Nintendo Wii.

I must admit this surprised me. And the ongoing outcome continues to do so.

What made them choose a game station as a key ‘life’ purchase is one question. Why they settled on the Wii is another.

They certainly didn’t fit into the typical gaming tribe. But what is interesting is how they are starting to shape certain tribalistic traits – they now know the latest games to play and they talk as if their ‘avatars’ have a life of their own. One characteristic they have gained is the ability to ‘connect’ they their grandchildren – also members of the Wii tribe.

Perhaps this type tribalism is growing up. Perhaps there has always been the sophistication within the tribal makeup, allowing for subcultures within the structures of modern consumer driven tribes. Several multi-faceted strands, all with their own individualism, but able to inter-connect, united under a single banner.

Perhaps today’s consumer tribes are more like the utopian, equalising groupings of like-minded people, that society just hasn’t managed to master.

So, back to my parents, for them all the elements of Conversational Capital are in place. They belong to something, they are active within a unique personal experience, they have found that they like the initiation of having the find all the ‘i’s in Sports Resort, and they believe in the continuity of brand and experience.

And the outcome of all this..? They talk. They phone me up and tell me they’ve just just won a mega game of tennis again the Wii (although they’re having to rest a while because their arms ache). They have invited their neighbors round for ‘Caffeine fueled Wii mornings’. They share positive experiences with their grandchildren.

Conversational Capital at work.

But is there something built into the fabric of the Wii that makes it foster Conversational Capital? Was this part of the design process? or is it inherent in certain types product?

Can Conversational Capital really shape the outcome of any product or brand, B2B as well as B2C? Even, say a roofing supplier?

My feeling (after reading the book) is yes. But with a caveat – as a creative myself, trying to implement such things into the building of client brands – I encounter the problem of ‘the client’. So many (maybe smaller or just unwilling) clients are blinkered with marketing’s ‘old ways’ – one can suggest, propose and present effective strategies, to be all to often faced with “kind of interesting, but I don’t really see how it’s going to sell me more products. No, let’s do what we’ve always done…”

I think the bigger or more savvy brands ‘get it’ but there’s plenty that don’t. I guess that’s the way with all things! Does anyone else have the same experiences?

There’s education to be done out there, but, maybe, like the slow erosive powers of water we can break these barriers down. One thing is for sure, Conversational Capital (the book) contains a great, fundamental ‘idea’, that will hopefully lead to sifting attitudes, better marketing and positive word-of-mouth.