Integrating Social Media Experiences

Today, social media is crucial for businesses. They pretty much have to be a part of it in today’s world and in my opinion, the more outlets (in general), the better. Consumers are involved in multiple social networking sites and other social technologies depending on their interests, age, and sex. In order to reach their consumer market, companies need to be on the same sites as their customers which include a wide variety and a multitude. I personally have gone through my own Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts and “liked” or “followed” business that I have an interest in. It makes me feel more connected and in the know about what is going on. It may sound silly, but I was actually disappointed when a company I wanted to follow did not provide that outlet. If a company has the opportunity to reach a customer without having to pay for a specific advertisement or go out and find customers and potential customers themselves, they should take it.

I think that the price of reaching their target audience is one of the biggest benefits of using social media. It is significantly cheaper and the company ends up contacting the people who can want to hear about it without having to undergo as extensive of market research. Obviously, costs are still involved and you want qualified employees taking on the task of social media and will have to invest in a social media strategy, but overall I believe the companies save a lot of money on advertising costs. They are able to reach many, many more people with one piece of social media than if they were using a traditional media source, such as television ads, spreading out the cost over a larger group.

Social media also allows you to interact with the company directly, swiftly, and efficiently. I am constantly seeing tweets directly to a company, addressing positive and negative topics. Recently, a friend of mine tweeted his concerns at American Airlines and immediately received an apologetic response. I love that companies can so easily address consumers and help resolve problems. I am able to see customer service at work and it makes me appreciate the company for listening and acting. Being able to see what other customers are complaining about it a huge plus for the customer. Most of the time, if I am planning on trying out a new restaurant, store, or service, I will spend time researching it online. It helps me make a decision by reading about what others have said about it, whether that is on a blog post, a comment on the company’s website, or a Yelp review. Understandably, this could be a big concern for companies, but on the bright side, it gives them the opportunity to take the criticism and use it for constructive purposes, making everyone happier in the end. It is also nice that the company is able to address the problem at the source, as in my Twitter example.

The companies that influence me the most via social media at the moment are clothing stores. I like to know when sales are going on before I go to the store and often, even if I am not planning on going shopping, a sale popping up on my newsfeed can incentivize me to head to the store just to check things out and see if I can find a good deal. This extends to restaurants, airlines, and hotels as well. Most people are more willing to spend money if they feel like they are getting a special value for the product. Social media makes it easier than ever for companies to let their consumers know about these deals and increase sales as a result.

Being easily able to share items in public settings online is another great opportunity. The ads get to the person looking for them and are then promoted even further and those reached increases even further. There is such a simple process in sharing online advertisements. I just have to click a couple times and my friends are informed, as opposed to traditional ads where I would have to clip it out, save it, and make an extra effort to share it with a friend. Even a small amount of extra effort can turn me away from wanting to share.

After thinking about how prevalent of a role social media plays in my life, it is easy to see how the consumer is now much more in control than the institution (Groundswell). What Li and Bernoff say about the activities and applications in the groundswell, applies directly to how I approach and see social media- as technology and people. The interactions between the two are what make it all work together. While I am mostly a spectator and reader, and do not participate as much by contributing opinions and creating topics, my role is still valuable. I think it is very useful and it saves me time that based off these interactions, companies are able to group me into a category and easily target me based off of my interests. Even though I am a bit more wary after our discussion in class about internet privacy and the TED talk on who is watching me online, I still think that the pros outweigh the cons (for the most part). It just makes it easier on me if Nordstrom already knows what I have been looking for and can reach out to me about it. Right now, I have been looking for a blue bridesmaid dress and I appreciate that ads pop up for that on my Facebook because it gives me suggestion for where else I can look for one.

Companies have huge opportunities to integrate social media into their marketing plans. The more they do, the greater the impact as it is easier to spread news online than in any other form. Once a company has the research on what social media to utilize, the opportunities to market to their customer are endless, whether it is an interactive contest, a game, or just a deal discount.

            

                

Creativity

I feel as if the older I get, the less creative I become.  In elementary through high school I was always in a class that encouraged free thinking and had teachers that frequently utilized various methods to support different styles of learning.  As a child I was labeled “creative”.  Now, I wonder how that was ever me.  Because I have been so focused on a “non-creative” field for so long (accounting), I find it challenging to promote creative thinking and become frustrating when forced into those situations.  It comes most naturally to me when I’m doing something I enjoy but if a professor tells me to brainstorm, I tend to clam up. I’m not sure if it’s because I know it’s not a real world scenario and thus don’t take it seriously or if I have just been out of creative situations for too long that I have gotten of the practice.  It has gotten to the point where creativity feels like work and that’s never fun. I think I need something to inspire me. In past experience, environment does play a big role in it.  Being outdoors, or having stimulating things around me, increases my creativity.  However, I have also found that even if in an uninspiring environment, having people around me who I respect and who have great ideas of their own, can encourage me to think outside the box and increases me desire to contribute an idea of equal, or higher, caliber. 

From my brief experience as an audit intern for one of the Big Four public accounting firms, I’m not sure that public accounting has the opportunity to be particularly creative.  The main creative focus would be during the fraud brainstorming phase, which I did not partake in. However, based off of practice sessions in my fraud class, I will say it is difficult to think like a white collar criminal. Because accounting is such a rules based process, there is little room for creativity.  There can only be one way to present each part of the financial statements based on the company’s situation and there can be no wiggle room without it leading to a misrepresentation.  The environment itself does have the potential to spur creativity if that was needed, as I worked in teams at a large conference table.  It was easy to ask questions and throw ideas around with coworkers.  We were even encouraged to discuss what we were working on and it was very open. 

I definitely believe I’m capable of being creative- I think everyone is, sometimes it’s just more difficult than other times. That extends to groups within an organization.  Groups are often more helpful to me as they give you ideas that you can bounce off of. Instead of starting form complete scratch, you can develop off of ideas already put out there.  Often, it’s incredibly tough for me to come up with something out of thin air, but I’m frequently able expand off of other’s ideas to develop an even better answer or solution.  Hopefully, as I improve on my creativity, I’ll be able to start producing the ideas that spark other people.

I thought the “How to Be Creative” article was fantastic.  It gives hope to those of us who feel like there is no hope of creativity in our beings.  I liked that he discussed various ways to promote creative thinking, even the kind that can come in flashes.  The “moments of insight” come much more easily to me than being in a situation where I need to come up with ideas right then and there.  The kind of creativity that requires consistent work, consisting mostly of “sweat and failure” as Lehrer mentions, is absolutely not fun.  At all. When forced, I am certainly capable but tend to dislike it.  I have friends, particularly those in majors within the communication school, that get a thrill out of brainstorming creative ideas and designing various scenarios for solutions to a problem.  I, on the other hand, do not think that way. It stresses me out, in work and school settings, when there is not a specific answer to a problem.  That is probably why I chose to major in accounting and am about to start my career in an area that is based solely off of generally accepted accounting principles and how well financial statements apply those.  Right now, I would honestly prefer to be studying for the CPA exam over even writing about creative thought.  It doesn’t come naturally to me most of the time so it is exciting to read about ways to improve my thought process. 

The point Jobs made about creativity revolving around connecting things was very insightful.  Maybe I should be reading more magazines than just Real Simple. Maybe I need to expand my interests and investigate more into what my friends’ jobs are like.  I have realized that the more I know about something, the more interesting it tends to become because I have a better understanding of it.  Who knew the oil and gas industry could be so fascinating?  Perhaps opening my mind to new interests is the key to improving my creative thinking.  While the firm I was with is a great company and I very much enjoyed my time there, starting out we are pretty much solely exposed to our line of business.  The accountants in the audit field at the staff level, in my experience, did not even speak with other accountants in different fields, let alone employees in other parts of the company. 

Based off what I read, my mind should naturally direct me to what kind of creativity I need at the time.  I think I just need to trust how I am feeling. Am I close to finding a solution and should continue to push myself, or is it time to take to take a break and let my mind wander? I am pretty in tune with myself and when I am feeling each way, should just be aware of how I am leaning and go with that.  Hopefully it will lead to less stress in the creative process and to some great ideas.  

Current Topic Report Idea

My topic for the paper (as of now) is going to revolve around travel booking, with a focus on internet booking and deal sites such as Travelocity, Kayak, Expedia, and Hotwire.  How do these compare to booking directly with the provider?  The transition from physical, tangible travel agents has quickly shifted to deal searching websites, making the travel agent almost obsolete.   I want to look at whether these websites are providing the services people actually need and want and if not, what other ventures or opportunities are out there to improve the experience of planning a vacation or getaway.  Are people really just looking at these sites to find a deal on a trip, or are they searching for more of a “travel agent feel” on the sites- as in, do they want these sites to help them plan activities on the trip, do they need help figuring out how to get from place to place, and are there cultural circumstances that would apply to the location they are visiting? Are there sites I don’t know about that are already combining these options?  Also, how would Groupon and Living Social play into this? Or Homeaway and Airbnb.com? Are they even comparable? What is more important to consumers- a budget friendly trip or finding the perfect activities to do on the trip? Essentially, I hope to look at what is being provided now for booking travel online, what sources consumers are using, are they a replacement for the travel agent, and what improvements can be made.  

This topic is interesting to me because I, like many people, love to travel.  However, being a student, my budget is incredibly tight.  I always try to get deals where I can but sometimes that does not work out in the best way (ex. Amsterdam hostel in the Red Light District- cheap for a reason. Yuck.).   I’ve used pretty much all the travel book, deal sites and have also used airbnb.com and while I have been able to find decent deals, that is only a tiny portion of the overall trip experience. While I won’t be poor forever, I believe that traveling efficiently and within a budget is important in order to make the trip as smooth as possible.  Planning is also something I really enjoy. If I could be a travel agent, I would. Yes, I am relatively Type A.  I did a solo backpacking through Northern Europe last summer and never missed a train or had trouble finding my hostel, all thanks to planning ahead! I am going to travel in a bit more style this upcoming summer with my family and boyfriend through Southern Europe and daily excursions are currently under research. However, I don’t want to get stuck playing tourist the entire time.  The other, often more interesting, options can be hard to find if you’re not a local, or don’t have a local friend.  I have been lucky enough to have friends to show me around in most of the places I visited, or at least give me advice on where to go and what to do.  Most people do not have that luxury.  There are some fantastic blogs out there with tips on what to do and where to go as well as sites like Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor, but it would be nice to have a site with an easy to navigate, nice looking layout, that allows you to book with ease and explore activities from the same page. 

As I just mentioned, there is huge potential for travel and booking websites.  There are many that meet different needs and are doing a fantastic job but the overall experience of booking travel online could be improved and made more enjoyable.  Designing to empower is really important here.  People are becoming their own travel agents and taking charge of their vacations in ways that weren’t previously possible without the internet and there can be even more improvements in that respect.  Most of the issues I find with internet booking sites is that they don’t provide the experience I desire.  People are excited about travel! It is their chance to get away and explore new places and cultures! It should be a time that they have no worries and are in relaxation mode.  The experience in planning all of that should be fun as well with as little hassle as possible. Most people barely have time to go on vacation at all, let alone plan it.  I think there is a lot of potential in this field to make something great that would apply to a large majority of people, whether they are looking for the absolute best deal, or looking for the best options for a trip. With travel agents becoming less commonplace and a surge of young people making traveling a priority, while on a limited budget, there should be a service to provide the ultimate planning experience.  Even for people who aren’t “planners”.  

 I found an article on Mintel that I think will be extremely helpful:

Grabowski, Gretchen. "Travel Booking." (2012): n. pag. Mintel. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. <http://academic.mintel.com.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/display/590865/?highlight=true>.

This article is very recent, from December of 2012 and thus should be useful in addressing the current use of the internet for travel booking.  It also addresses many of the same questions I’m looking at in relation to travel agents being phased out, traveler cost concerns, and how travel providers can keep up with online innovation.  There are several charts with recent trends that will be of use in analyzing what sites are currently being used and comparisons of how often consumers use deal sites versus contracting the provider directly.  This article will be good for the detailed data.  I also looked through FastCompany to see what else was out there and found several articles dealing with similar issues, in a less data geared format.  I should easily have enough information to write a full paper on the topic, although I always have a tough time filling up that many pages with my own thoughts.

Generative Research Design

1. Close to you (Aside from people and the basics)

Inner Circle
-There are many things within the iphone that I can't live without so it sums up several items- phone to talk to family/boyfriend/friends, easy access to email and facebook, my camera, my bible and my music. The headphones are crucial as well.
- The tennis shoes are necessary because i have to have them to be able to workout and run, which i can't go without for more than a couple days.
-The laptop is absolutely crucial to school. I also watch most of my tv shows on it.
- At the moment, preparing to take my CPA exams is my priority. I need my Becker review materials near me at most times. 
- Travel plans- as long as a trip is on the horizon, I'm good.

Outer Circle
-I'm constantly chewing gum.  I can't stand bad breath.
- My hair is a crazy mess of frizz and I have to have products to control it.
- Good books are the ultimate stress reliever and I love to read.
- Nothing beats a good beer with good friends.
- I could get around without my car, but it certainly makes things much easier.

2. Digital Ecosystem

3. Typical Weekday

Empathy Map for boy I’ve nannied for 3 years

Brian* is a 10 year old boy who resides in Northwest Austin with his parents and 13 year old brother.  His family is affluent, his father a VP and his mother a consultant, which reflects his lifestyle.  His favorite sports are golf, baseball, and football he is one of the top golfers in his age group in Texas. Brian has traveled extensively, including trips to Turkey, Switzerland, Singapore, Mexico and more.  Keeping up with the 5^th grade fashion trends is important to him.  He is very involved with technology and has a computer and iPad (both shared with his brother) as well as an iPhone and iPod.  His exposure to social media has been limited in the past but recently expanded to include instagram. 

1.       In Brian’s life, what really counts is his family and sports.  While he is not prone to show his feelings towards his family often, when he does, he is very sweet and caring.  Considering the role that sports play in his life, he puts a lot of pressure on himself to excel.  If a game or tournament does go well for him, it is common for him to lose his temper and throw a fit.  Poor performances in sports activities can cause him to change his character for the worse and negatively affect how he views himself.  He aspires to playing professional golf but has a reasonable goal of playing for a Division I university.  His worries are very limited due to the fact that he is so well taken care of by his parents.  Brian tends to get what he wants from his parents and they provide for him well.  He does worry about fitting in with his friends at school and can act out in class in order to gain attention from his peers.  He also worries about what clothes to wear and has expensive golf shirts and wears Oakley sunglasses. 

2.      Brian, having grown up in a nice area near Lake Travis, with quick access to the city life of Austin has a relatively jaded view of the world.  He most often sees easy, suburban living where people are friendly and have luxury items.  All of his friends are from similar backgrounds and they have many common interests.  While he has traveled and seen poverty, he does not see how that applies to his own life.  “The market” is his parents, from whom he sees an unending supply of money and support. 

3.      His attitude in public is generally pleasant and sociable.  Brian knows how to respect authority when it comes to strangers, but is not as respectful to authority figures he knows well, such as his parents and his babysitters.  He has many friends who he treats well but can be selfish in his interactions with them, preferring his own interests to theirs.  He is a fun friend to have and has a positive, extremely outgoing personality.  In the classroom setting, he is the class clown, consistently joking around and prone to making inappropriate comments.  Brian cares about his appearance and spends time on his hair and selecting his clothes.  Brand names are important to him. 

4.      Brian is used to hearing words of affirmations from those who surround him in relation to sports.  When it comes to school, he often hears disappointment and encouragement to try harder in his classes and on his homework.  While he realized school is important, his grades are not a priority and while he is intelligent, does not put forth much effort on assignments.  He is frequently reprimanded by teachers for acting out in class and not paying attention.  He is influenced by professional athletes and hears their stories and about their drive to get where they are now.  Brian also hears positive reinforcement from his coaches and works hard to achieve that.

5.      Brian has the fear of not fitting in and embarrassing himself in front of his friends and peers.  He overcompensates by acting like he does not care about others opinions.  As previously noted, he becomes frustrated when he does not perform well in sports.  In addition, he is frustrated when he does not get way, particularly when that comes to finishing his homework assignments.  His obstacles include, paying attention when he needs to and controlling his anger management issues.  He fears that his improvement will not continue in golf and worries about potential injuries. 

6.      Brian wants the approval of his peers and recognition from his parents.  He also has many material wants and expects to receive them.  He needs to be taken care of and must rely on adults for support.  Simple daily needs, such as food, can only be obtained through others efforts.  He is even unable to provide transportation for himself.  His measures of success revolve mostly around sports and how many friends he has.  When he does well in a game, he considers himself more highly than when he does not.  He faces obstacles of succeeding in school, especially as he transitions from elementary school to high school.  Brian will have to overcome his lack of attention and drive in the classroom in order to succeed in his goal of becoming a college athlete.   

*alias used