Ogilvy's take on the Social Enterprise

I just stumbled into the Social Media Week 2012 opening keynote from Global Managing Director of Social@Ogilvy. I fully endorse the idea that there's an inevitable shift in the enterprise and companies should leverage that to improve customer relationship, communication and even employee retention. Presentation is embedded below, for all those interested.

The Insidious Plot to Socialize the Enterprise from Social@Ogilvy

Groupon, how to keep a loyal customer (UPDATED)

Dear Groupon,

I've always been a supporter of your site and when I've heard someone complaining about the quality of your services I was with you, on your side. The reason is that I really loved the concept behind Groupon: give power to people trough collective actions.
This simple idea appealed a lot to me and whenever an issue arose, I always gave you the benefit of doubt and said that it wasn't your fault.

Logo of Groupon (Wikipedia)

Then something changed... and a few months ago I bought a set of knives hoping to receive them in less than 20 days as advertised. It was back in January and, as of today, I've never got anything at my place. That could happen, could be merchant's fault.
I started to open an endless chain of tickets to your customer care department and I've usually got two answers: "we're checking with the seller" or "we're working on your refund request" and nobody ever came back to me (ticket numbers #714518, #688063, #687435, #655754, #623462, #596450, etc..). Five months passed.

This lack of meaningful communication and all the time I've spent trying to fix this trivial thing made me really, really, really unhappy. I trusted the Group Promise, what should I do now?

Regards,
Luca


UPDATE (21/05/2012):
The Groupon Team was very responsive to my tweets and provided a refund. I've changed the blog title to "How to keep a loyal customer" as it's how you deal with problems that really makes a difference.
Thanks @groupon @groupon_italia.

Italy could be a great place for start-ups

Italy is famous for its food and fashion, for sport cars and lovely places to visit, for the warm character of Italians and for fine works of art, but could Italy be the perfect place for start-ups? I think so and let me explain why.

Why should I start my company here?

Birth of Venus, Botticelli

What do you need to craft the perfect recipe? And to build the world's most desired cars? What do you need to create a fine piece of art? Creativity and passion.
What do you need to build the next big thing? Creativity and passion.
Creativity, as your idea should be disrupting and challenge the status quo. Passion as you need execution to transform an idea in a business, despite the crisis and the headwinds.

Working surrounded by wonderful sights, in the relaxing and warm atmosphere that only Italy can give, startuppers can focus on their ideas and live a meaningful live. Another important factor is the moderate cost of living, which is relatively low compared to other major European countries.

Let's change what doesn't work
There are some issues that stop entrepreneurs from moving to Italy, like the bureaucracy or the limited amount of VC funding, but that'll change quickly. Government is focusing on a digital agenda, on simplification and growth. To stimulate young talents we should organize events and conferences. We should build state-funded incubators to ensure proper support and money to early stage startups. We already have some great VCs, but many more will come when they smell the renewed energy of Italy's startup scene.

We innovated many times throughout our history and a crisis is the perfect excuse to change our skin again and adapt to the new conditions. Let's make this Country the dream of every young entrepreneur!

How to Build an International Brand

Lately I've been reading articles on how to build international brands. While it's not that easy to transform a syrup into a global brand, there are some steps that should be taken. Smaller firms can benefit from them too.

Begin at the Beginning
First things first, everyone should get it right from the beginning. Global-always-on companies are now the standard and even local brands, sooner or later, should jump into the unknown and embrace the world as a market. If the branding strategy is heading into the right direction since its infancy, time won't be lost afterward trying to re-position the image. Brand is an intangible asset that allows you to ask for a premium on your products and at the end you'll have a good return on your investment.

What Should you do Then?
There are a lot of excellent tips in Inc's article, however I dare to summarize all of them in two words: respect and knowledge. Respect local habits, styles and preferences. You won't be successful in front of a diverse audience if you consider them similar to you. Cultural sensitivity is at the heart of your branding campaign. Know the foreign market, embrace their universe and understand what makes people proud to be citizens of that country. Rely on someone who as a direct knowledge of that market. It could be a local company or a global partner with local specialization.


Success is Never Granted
It's not a given that you'll be successful in front of a foreign audience and there's no recipe that guarantees that. Your brand is a hope. You're making a promise that people are buying into and you need to deliver whatever that product or service is.You need to ensure that your customers' experiences with your product, your business, and your staff are positive and your brand will be enriched. Delude your customers and your promise will vanish.

Will you be successful? Time will tell.

Computers, Humans and Intentions of Speech

I was chatting with a colleague who's culturally aware and he talks to me in Italian whenever he can. We've been discussing how life is always full of surprises and he used an automatic translation tool to say something very deep and profound in my own language. I appreciated the tentative and the end result wasn't too bad from a language perspective. The issue was with the meaning itself.

The lesson for me? Tools can translate words well, but not intentions of speech.

Humans are sometimes affected by the same disease. We get the words. We hear them. However we miss the real sense. The next time I speak/listen to someone who has a different background and culture I'll make sure to dig a bit more into his intentions and reasons.