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IWOM WATCH
                                                           S
                                          网论观察
                                                            pecial

                                                           2011




                     网络口碑趋势观察1月特辑
                          IWOM WATCH
                                               微博专刊
                              Special Edition: Microblog
IWOM WATCH
 © 2010 CIC
© 2010 CIC    ISSUE Special                        IWOM WATCH
CONTENTS                                                                                                           IWOM WATCH




      Microblog Landscape                                             SINA Weibo Case
      PAGE.4                                                          Study Sharing
      Microblog Development in China                         PAGE.14
                                                             Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour
      18 Tips on Managing                                    PAGE.16
                                                             Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications
      Your Brand Account                                     PAGE.18
                                                             Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore
      PAGE.24
                                                             PAGE.20
      There is no "right way" to market. Brands and
      organizations need to keep finding new and creative    7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign
      means of microblog marketing depending on brand
                                                             PAGE.22
      positioning and purpose. There are some basic rules
      though and here we’ve provided 18 tips for reference   Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo




IWOM WATCH                                            ISSUE Special
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                                                                                    IWOM WATCH



                                                                                        Microblog Special Edition
   The microblog is a specialized social media platform that constrains users within a concise, 140 character limit.
   Originating with the launch of Twitter back in 2006, which was itself an evolution of RSS aggregator Odeo, the microblog
   medium was emerging in China as early as 2007 as a series of Twitter clones. In August of 2009, Chinese Internet giant
   Sina.com introduced SINA Weibo and set the stage for a new evolution of the microblog in China.

   From BBS, SNS and conventional blogging, to the global embracing of the microblog, Web2.0 applications have provided
   a steady stream of new ideas and communication concepts to engage and connect people, both online and offline. Some
   form of self-published social media is now common practice and the increasing popularity of microblogging looks set to
   usher in a new era of expression and development self-made, user generated digital media.

   Within 140 characters, users can share heart felt emotion or the hottest news, their private lives or work experience. It’s
   also a good platform for brands to communicate product, industry and corporate operational information. The microblog, at
   once a seemingly fractured yet innately cohesive information source, is fast becoming an important platform for
   conversation between brands and users.

   In this special issue of IWOM Watch, we’ll examine Chinese microblog development, history and brand application, based
   on solid data and detailed industry analysis, culminating in an 18 tip guide on best practice when managing your branded
   microblog account.




IWOM WATCH                                              ISSUE Special
IWOM WATCH




    Vol.1
     Microblog Development in China




IWOM WATCH           ISSUE Special
China Microblog History
                                            2007 1st wave of        2009 2nd wave of
      Initiation                            microblogs emerged      microblogs emerged                                 Development
      Stage                                                                                                            Stage
        14th APR         Jiwai                     8th FEB   Digu
                         China’s first                                                                   20th JAN     NetEase
                         microblog

                                               22nd MAY      9911
        12th MAY         Fanfou


                                                   6th AUG   Follow 5
                                                                                                         1st APR      Tencent
            9th   JUL    Zhuosha




     2006                   2007             2008                2009                                                  2010年


   21st MAR        Odeo         12th MAY   Plurk                         16th AUG        139

                   Twitter’s
                   predecesor
                                                                                         Sina
                                                                                                                    China Microblog History
                                                                         28th AUG
                                                                                                                    The first wave of pioneering
    15th JUL       Twitter                                                                                          microblogs, launched in 2007,
                   Twitter was a                                         14th DEC        Sohu                       generally failed due to complicated
                   prototype born
                   within Odeo
                                                                                                                    industry challenges. The second
                                                                                                                    wave, spearheaded by SINA Weibo,
                                                                         22nd DEC        People.com.cn              emerged in 2009. Since Tencent
                                                                                                                    launched its microlbog in 2010,
                                                                                                                    we’ve seen strong industry
                                                                                                                    competition.
  Source:Information collected from Zhihu.com,CIC Research Team
IWOM WATCH                                                              ISSUE Special                                                                     5
China Top Microblogs Rankings
                                        User data of China’s top 4 microblogs
                                                                                                                    Brand
                       Registered Users     Active Users           Tweets/Day             Words Limits
                                                                                                                   Accounts
      Sina Weibo       100 million          -                  25 million          140 Chinese characters      >5000
      Tencent Weibo    100 million          -                  -                   140 Chinese characters      <300
      NetEase Weibo    32 million           4.3 million        1.2 million         163 letters                 -
      Sohu Weibo       20-30 million        -                  -                   Unlimited                   <100


                                Top 5 accounts ranked by followers (Data until 12 Apr 2011)
                         Sina Weibo                  Tencent Weibo              NetEase Weibo               Sohu Weibo

       No.1        Yao Chen 7,452,554           Liu Xiang 14,645,392         Ye Zi Feng 1,632,321    Liu Ye 2,666,144

       No.2        Xiao S 6,52,732              Kai-Fu Lee 14,225,521        Liu XiaoQing1,503,088   Zhang ChaoYang 2,034,719

       No.3        Zhao Wei 6,027,141           Mo WenWei 14,215,355         Hu Jun 1,483,347        Liu YiFei 1,975,869

       No.4        Cai KangYong 5,865,495       Ma YiLi 14,099,693           Yi NengJing 1,441,911   Cui YongYuan 1,236,463

       No.5        Xie Na 5,305,830             Cai KangYong 13,690,456      Yang Lan 1,357,016      Zhao BenShan 1,070,882


  Source:CIC Research Team

IWOM WATCH                                                ISSUE Special                                                         6
What is Chinese Microblog
    The microblog, unlike a traditional blog, is obviously limited by content volume. However, also differs in terms of structure, spread
    pattern and social communication model. So, what is a microblog and what are the key points of difference when compared to
    other social media platforms?

      140 characters

      Main body is limited
      to 140 characters,
      demanding precise
      and clear execution.

     Follow                       Comment                       @ Retweet                     #Customized Topics#       Direct Messaging (DM)

     Following another user is    Making comment as you         Another innovation in         By adding double hash     DM is the private part of
     doesn’t require reciprocal   would with a conventional     Chinese microblogging is      tags, a user can create   a microblog’s open
     confirmation; an openness    blog is a unique quality of   the ability to integrate a    custom topics that can    platform. Users can
     not offered by SNS.          Chinese microblogs.           comment with a retweet,       be tracked and easy       communicate via chat-
                                                                with out sacrificing          accessed in searches      like private messaging.
                                                                original content.             for similar topics.

      What the Chinese microblog has that Twitter doesn’t?
                  Emoticons                      Embedded multi-media           Built in IM
                                                                                                                 Adding emoticons, photos,
                                                                                                                 video, voting and the soon to
                                                                                                                 be launched IM feature are key
                                                                                                                 areas that differentiate the
                                                                                                                 Chinese microblog from Twitter.
    Source:CIC Research Team

IWOM WATCH                                                      ISSUE Special                                                                       7
The Microblog’s Unique Qualities

                                                                                                             Microblog vs Traditional
                                                                                                             Media
                 LV City Guide - Through photo,
                 video and text, LV’s luxury culture                                                         Microblogging is all about
                 is presented in a single Tweet.                                                             real time sharing of key
                                                                         @奔驰Smart Retweeting of              elements of content, to the
                                                                         Kobe’s Smart Car ad spread the      right audience and in a
    Customized Contents – In addition to 140
                                                                         original content 10241 times.       timely, flexible manner;
    characters, links, photos and videos can be added
    for richer, more in-depth content customization.                                                         something that traditional
                                                            Easy Viral Effect – Through retweeting of an     media’s prolonged
                                                            original message with new comments and fresh     planning processes simply
                                                            perspectives, conversations can grow naturally   will not allow.
                                                            and cohesively, allowing a brand to maintain a
                                                            relationship with their followers.

                                                                                           @姚晨 Retweeting a friend’s tweet of a photo
                                                                                           showing her with Karl, itself retweeted 4286 times.
                                                                                           Friend-of-Friend Effect –
      Followers of @seeisee showed similar trends in                                       With the more involved retweeting feature of
      their engagement activity; focused around 10am.                                      Chinese microblogs, brands can allow followers
     Real-Time & Flexible Communication – It takes                                         to retweet their brand messages and recommend
     only a short time to plan and execute via microblog.                                  to their own followers, effectively boosting
     So, brands can interact with followers in their most                                  credibility and brand loyalty. Quite simply,
     active time periods, becoming deeper involved with                                    consumers believe in their friends more than in
     consumer’s online behavior.                                                           advertisements.
   Source:CIC Research Team

IWOM WATCH                                                     ISSUE Special                                                                     8
Microblog’s Disadvantages
                                                                              Netizen 5                            Netizen n+1

                                                                              Netizen 6                            Netizen n+2
                                         Netizen 2                            Netizen 7                            Netizen n+3

                                                                              Netizen 8                            Netizen n+4
         Netizen 1
                                         Netizen 3
         Initiator                                                            Netizen 9                            Netizen n+5

                                                                              Netizen 10                           Netizen n+6
                                         Netizen 4
                                                                              Netizen 11                           Netizen n+7

                                                                              Netizen 12                           Netizen n+n


    Crisis Management – Microblogs are designed to facilitate the free flow of information in real-time. So, any viral content
    can be spread in matter of hours. The same also applies to potential online crisis. With negative sentiment spreading
    beyond control, brands face the challenge of defusing a crisis that spreads like wildfire, fanned by millions of potential
    retweets.

    Follower Maintenance – When a microblog’s followers amount to tens of thousands, or even millions of netizens,
    maintaining open and clear lines of communication with them all is extremely difficult. So much so that it can result in a
    portion of your followers feeling isolated and their loyalty misplaced.

    Employee Social Media Policy Implementation – Time and time again we see employees tarnish corporate image by
    engaging in behavior unsuitable for the brand via a corporate account.

    24 Hours Maintenance – A microblog, like all internet platforms, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s quite
    possible for a crisis to hit outside business hours and constant maintenance can be costly.
   Source:CIC Research Team
IWOM WATCH                                                ISSUE Special                                                          9
The Miocroblog's Top 4 Features for Brand Building

                2


                                                    The Miocroblog’s Top 4 Features
                                                    for Brand Building

                                                    1.   140 Chinese Characters – Compared to
                                                         English 140 Chinese characters can present
                                                         3-5 times more information.
 1                              3
                                                    2.   Embedded Content – Embedded multi-media
                                                         contents allow brands to deliver more
                                                         attractive material to followers.
                                                    3.   Open API Platform – Open API allow brands
                                                         to create their own Apps. These can open
                                                         new channels of interaction between users
                                                         and the brand.
                                                    4.   Celebrity Based Microblogging – Celebrities
                            4                            in microblogs can interact with their followers
                                                         in real-time. For SINA Weibo, users are
                                                         notified on which celebrity is following which
                                                         brand, promoting both through respective
                                                         influence.




 Source:CIC Research Team

IWOM WATCH                          ISSUE Special                                                      10
IWOM WATCH




     Vol.2
     SINA Weibo Case Study Sharing




IWOM WATCH            ISSUE Special
SINA Weibo
   SINA Weibo was launched for public beta on the 28th of August 2009, by one of the largest portal sites in China, Sina.com. After over
   a year of development, SINA Weibo revived the microblog market in China, attracting over 80 competitors into the space, including
   the other top 3 portal sites: Tencent, Sohu and NetEase. According to current activity on of each site, SINA Weibo is clearly leading
   the pack through innovative product development that focuses on differentiating itself from Twitter and creating a top quality user
   experience. Today, SINA Weibo has 100million registered users with over 60,000 verified public figures, from top brands to the media.

      2009.02.28        2009.11.02                                       2010.04.28                   2010.08.28           2010.11
      Public            1st Million                                      1st 10 Million               30 Million           50 Million
      Beta      66 Days Users                     177 Days               Users          122 Days      Users                Users

                                                        2009.07.28
                                                                                           Sina Weibo Registerer
                                                        Sina Weibo                         Users
                                                        Open API Launch                    •Male – 57%
                                                                                           •Female – 43%
                                                        According to Sina Weibo at
                                                        the November 2010
                                                        Developers Conference, the         Sina Weibo Active
                                                        Open API has over 800 Apps,        Users
                                                        connecting Sina Weibo to over      •Male – 35%
                                                        10,000 sites.                      •Female – 65%




                                                                                            In SINA Weibo female users are 30% more
                                                                                            active than male users.

                                                                                 Source:SINA microblog white paper published on 9 Sep 2010

   Source:CIC Research Team
IWOM WATCH                                                   ISSUE Special                                                                   12
Gradiated SINA weibo account
                                                     Circle I:Brand Weibo Account     Circle I:A brand’s official Weibo account is its
                                                                                           frontline for consumer interaction.

                                                                                      Circle II:The SINA Weibo platform houses
                                                                                           brand related information and provides a
                                                     Circle II :SINA Weibo Platform
                                                                                           source for potential consumers.
                                                                                      Circle III:Total User Volume is the wider pool
                                                      Circle III :Total User Volume
                                                                                           of users, including current and potential
                                                                                           followers.

                                                       Circle IV:Brand Weibo Events Circle IV:Branded promotional events
                                                                                           promoting online and offline engagement.
                                                        Circle V:Brand Weibo App
                                                                                      Circle V:A Weibo app that’s either produced
                                                                                           by the brand or by a third party.

                       Brand Weibo
                         Account     1   2   3 4 5




                                                                             About this model:A brand’s Weibo account can
                                                                             give it a valuable voice within the online
                                                                             community, providing a key platform for consumer
                                                                             engagement and effective source of user insight.
                                                                             Promotional events launched from this platform
                                                                             can go even further in developing consumer/brand
                                                                             communication and promoting brand values.
                                                                             Weibo apps enhance user experience and
   Source:CIC Research Team
                                                                             augment brand affinity.
IWOM WATCH                                      ISSUE Special                                                                            13
Weibo case study sharing
       Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour



                              Just realized I lost my iPad on plane..


                              The destiny of Xuzhen was not "call forwarding" this time, but
                              "weibo forwarding“ (PS: Xuzhen is Starring in Movie “Call for love”)




                                                        I picked up //…… (one of cabin crew
                                                        claimed she saw the iPad and picked up)

                                                                                                              The receipt from lost
                                                                                                              property, stating "iPad"

   Summary

   On the 24th of February at 00:23, the famous Chinese actor Xu Zhen tweeted to his SINA Weibo that he misplaced his iPad, leaving
   it on a flight that night. Fearing a leak of personal content, he mobilized his followers. Xu’s original post was retweeted over 751 times
   with 466 comments, even with someone commented that the principle of six degrees of separation could connect to people from
   China Eastern Airlines and other passengers from the Xu’s flight. At 1:38 am, @smile瑶啊瑶 identified herself as cabin crew from
   Xu’s flight (MU5115) and let him know she’s picked up his iPad.

   Time elapsed between Xu reporting missing iPad and it’s recovery: 1 hour, 15minutes

IWOM WATCH                                                    ISSUE Special                                                                     14
Weibo case study sharing
       Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour

                                                                                                           We checked with the aircraft crew of this
                                                                                                           flight, they did pick up an iPad and already
                                  Hi, we will help you reach our aircraft
                                                                                                           pass to China Eastern Airlines baggage
                                  crew on duty about your iPad and send
                                                                                                           tracing department on the ground, you can
                                  direct message to you asap, thank you
                                                                                                           get that from "Lost property" section in
                                  for your trust in China Eastern Airlines
                                                                                                           terminal 2. … (link)
                                  (link)
                                                                             Sample quotes:
                                                                             China Eastern Airlines staff is so “gelivable” (link)
                                                                             Best interactive practice between brands & consumers!(link)
                                  @smile瑶啊瑶 @smile瀟 Let's help,              So amazing! I will take flights from China Eastern Airlines in future. (link)
                                  we are on duty that time, should be        Many hands make light work, weibo of China Eastern Airlines is great!~
                                  easy to find out... (link)                 (link)
                                                                             Good for China Eastern Airlines! (link)
                                                                             It's so nice that China Eastern Airlines flight attendant found Xu Zhen's
                                                                             iPad.! (link)

   CIC View

   In just over an hour, Xu was able to find his missing iPad and SINA Weibo played a significant part in the process. As Kai-Fu Lee wrote in
   his book <Weibo Changed Everything – 微博改变一切>, SINA Weibo has changed the way people communicate with each other online.
   China Eastern Airlines’ participation showed that as one of the leading air travel company in China, they are actively participating in social
   media.

   Crisis management in the new social media age has pushed brands to face real problems in real-time. For airlines, customers late for
   boarding, flights delayed and other cause for complaint can be found in platforms like SINA Weibo. Reacting to these complaints is a
   challenge considering the wide coverage and real time processing qualities of social media. For a brand to establish an official Weibo
   account, they must appreciate that there is now a new channel of communication that allows customers to voice their problems as soon
   as they arise and to expect a response just as quickly.
IWOM WATCH                                                       ISSUE Special                                                                               15
Weibo case study sharing
     Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications
       Weibo APP – VANCL DIY and uto WOM

    Vancl copy application (link)
    Copying Vancl ads has become a popular form of User Generated Content
    (UGC) circulating SINA Weibo. This is a third party app that’s designed to auto-
    generate a Vancl customization for each user and so far, it’s been used by over
    260,000 users and attracted 34222 followers to its official Weibo account.

    Auto IWOM application (link)
    This app was designed by SINA officially for Weibo. A user can @汽车口
    碑 (Auto IWOM official Weibo account) with a specific car model and receive          SINA Weibo’s Official “Most Creative Apps” Ranking
    an automated reply with the car’s full specs, along with comparable indices.




                                                                             Post a message on microblog like "Accord @汽车口碑", you
                 Vancl copy application can auto
                                                                             will get the result of WOM in 1 minute.
                 generate the ad from your image

   Summary
   On the 28th of July 2010, SINA Weibo launched an open API for developers to design third party applications, including those that
   can be used for brand promotion through the Weibo platform. These apps come in two distinct forms; one is tailored to the desktop
   version (for example, the DIY Vancl Ad), the other is designed for a mobile interface and integrates Location Based Services for
   smart phone users. These apps tend to be more costly and less viral than desktop equivalents.
IWOM WATCH                                                        ISSUE Special                                                              16
Weibo case study sharing
      Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications


                                                                                                                                1 Mug

                                                                                                                                1 Vancl coupon

                                                                                                                                1 Mug

                                                                                                                                Vancl Voucher in 100 RMB

                        @VanclDIY      link                         The lucky draw prizes are Vancl mugs and vouchers. link

   CIC View:
   The Vancl effect
   1. Brand Education – the process of user interaction with the app is an educational one; presented with the unique characteristics of a brand’s
      culture.
   2. Viral Spread – Vanclized ads can be easily posted to SINA Weibo, the user’s followers can then retweet and make the content viral,
      especially if the creator is a popular e-fluencer.
   3. Interactive Marketing – organizing events within the group and offering them Vancl products as prizes will further motivate them to be active
      within SINA Weibo, attracting more users and increasing brand awareness.
                                                                                        CIC View:
                                                                                        Apps like @汽车口碑 are highly attractive to users who are
                                                                                        prospective buyers of the product; in this case, a car. SINA
                                                                                        Weibo’s retweet function makes it an easy route to viral.
                                                                                        This is as yet un-explored field of microblog marketing for
                                                                          Link          many brands. An branded app can link them to users in fun
                                                                                        and interactive way, spreading brand culture, creating
                                                                                        awareness and promoting trust and loyalty. Apps are
                                                                                        particularly recommended for franchises, digital brands,
                                                                                        FMCG and sport utility products.

IWOM WATCH                                                        ISSUE Special                                                                            17
Weibo case study sharing
      Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore

                                 Emile Sherman, Academy Award                Author’s Study Series: Well known
                                 Winning Producer of <The King’s             British author Alan Silitoe’s (1928-
                                 Speech>, Andrew Garfield, best actor        2010)study, more details access our
                                 in a supporting role for <The Social        online bookstore
                                 Network> and star of 2012’s <The            http://sinaurl.cn/h5AI6k
                                 Amazing Spider-Man> all wore Louis          (link)
                                 Vuitton suits to the Academy Awards.
                                 (link)

         Louis Vuitton weibo account in fashion & luxury style                  BananaFish Bookstore weibo account in books culture style

                                Emile Sherman, Academy Award                  Stockholm Library: photo
                                Winning Producer of <The King’s               from @colourphilosophy at
                                Speech>, Andrew Garfield, best actor          Stockholm Library’s furniture
                                in a supporting role for <The Social          show, more in his Douban
                                Network> and star of 2012’s <The              profile:
                                Amazing Spider-Man> all wore Louis            http://sinaurl.cn/hqgoMa
                                Vuitton suits to the Academy Awards.          (link)
                                (link)

  @路易威登 (Louis Vuitton), the world famous luxury brand, opened their          BananaFish Bookstore is considerably less well known. The offline
  SINA Weibo account on the 15th of October 2010. Within 4 months,            bookstore is in Shanghai but it’s popularity is very high online. They’re
  they had successful established the brand’s luxury image on Weibo with      amongst the most popular publication related SINA Weibo accounts,
  only 76 tweets, attracting 71708 followers. That’s an average of 943        with 48856 followers for 876 tweets; a respectable average of 55
  followers per tweet.                                                        followers per tweet.
  How does a brand establish its culture in SINA Weibo? Through these two distinctly different brands, we’ll show you that customized content and the
  sophisticated presentation of your brand culture is very significant in successfully leveraging SINA Weibo.

IWOM WATCH                                                        ISSUE Special                                                                           18
Weibo case study sharing
    Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore

                                                                                                              Today, over 5000 brands have established
                                                                                                              their verified SINA Weibo accounts and are
                                                                        Louis Vuitton describing the          using Weibo to organize and communicate
                                                                        source of inspiration for Spring      with consumers. We has seen differently
                                                                        2007.                                 positioned brands approaching followers in
                                                                                                              their own distinct way, customizing their
                                                                                                              approach to accommodate their brand
    CIC View                                                                                                  culture and followers’ behavior.
    What did Louis Vuitton’s Weibo do right?
    Picked the correct theme – from launch, every tweet from LV’s official SINA Weibo account has been entirely focused on it’s luxury brand culture,
    creating an online representation to match it’s impressive brand image.
    Adapting to users – instead of posting luxury products at high prices, LV has chosen to be more approachable, providing their followers with
    fashion news that can be spread easily.


                                                                                                                    LV is a top end brand with
                                                                                                                    formidable brand influence and
                                                                        Buenos Aires (Capital of                    awareness, what about the
                                                                        Argentina) is the world book                lesser well known brands, how
                                                                        capital in 2011                             can they establish a strong
                                                                                                                    presence in SINA Weibo?

    CIC View
    What have we learned from Banana Fish Book Store?
    Culture positioning – knowing their limited cultural influence, Banana Fish chose to leverage the broader idea of book culture, attracting followers
    by providing interesting content, like “World’s Interesting Book stores”.
    Customized rewards – we have seen too many iPhones and iPads as prizes on SINA Weibo. BananaFish bookstore had their own ideas, with
    custom made, special edition books as prizes, not only promoting their brand but also attracted more followers looking for something different.


IWOM WATCH                                                        ISSUE Special                                                                            19
Weibo case study sharing
       7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign




                @美团 #valentine's day# Retweet this weibo and @ your
                lover's name with a love letter. The best one will be posted
                on meituan.com on 15th Feb 2010. Your confessions will be
                witnessed by millions of people. link




                        Event Time:14th February Valentine’s Day 2010
                        Event Rules:Retweet, @ a lover with a love letter
                        Event Reward:the best love letter will be posted on
                        Meituan.com (in all the cities)


   Summary
   It’s no secret that brands are using the microblog to promote themselves. Microblogging campaigns are becoming more common,
   with raffle draws for iPads and the like cropping up all over. These promotional methods are tend to require a user to retweet the
   promotional message and @ a certain number of their followers. After the initial hype died away, doubts about their authenticity and
   complaints of spamming started to become more and more popular. In a vote hosted on SINA Weibo, over 8400 users called for
   tighter regulations.
   For Valentine’s Day last year, Chinese group buy site Meituan.com launched a special promotion for lovers to “Express Their Love”.
   Within 24 hours, it was retweeted 3596 times.
IWOM WATCH                                                  ISSUE Special                                                                 20
Weibo case study sharing
       7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign
                                                                                        7 Key Elements of Microblog Campaign Planning:

                                                                                        How to identify your event’s theme?
                                                                                        In Meituan’s case, it’s leveraging Valentine’s Day and ways to express
                                                                                        love.
                                                                                        How to motivate user participation?
                                                                                        Expressing their love on this special occasion is exactly what users
                                                                                        want to do.
                                                                                        How to set the entry level bar?
                                                                                        Both "Micro-Novel" and "Micro-Love-Letter" were easily accessible to
                                                                                        users.
                                                                                        How to choose right reward?
                                                                                        The reward should match the event’s theme, not just the trendiest
                                                                                        product.
      Left:Timing is everything, Valentine’s Day and “Micro-Love-Letters” is a          How to use third party applications in campaign?
      perfect match, especially when users are accustomed to writing micro-             Meituan had the choice of utilizing existing on-site (Meituan.com) blogs,
      stories via Sina’s own event “Micro-Novels”.                                      avoiding the need to host everything solely on SINA Weibo.
                                                                                        How to explore extra promotional channels?
      Right:The winning love letter, posted on Meituan.com, not only                    Meituan posted the event information to it’s regional SINA Weibo
      promoted the user but also the site itself.                                       accounts, simultaneously promoting across the country.
                                                                                        How to transform events into revenue?
                                                                                        To find out the final result, users have to click through Meituan’s group
                                                                                        buy site.
   CIC View
   Initially, brand accounts are focused on number of follows and retweets, often neglecting their real brand values. That can result in a failure to present
   the right information and increase sales. This phenomenon is referred to as “Pure Account Marketing”, not Brand Marketing.

   “Pure Account Marketing” overlooks user experience, making it difficult to communicate high quality information and bringing accusations of
   spamming.

   This is a common practice in microblog promotions. Planning ahead is crucial to campaign effectiveness. Hopefully, our 7 key elements can aid this
   process.

IWOM WATCH                                                          ISSUE Special                                                                               21
Weibo case study sharing
         Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo


                       Dang! Dang! Dang! I’m coming.                                        Feel so good after shower~it’s
                                                                                            said I looks more like my father,
                                                                                            is that mean I looks more and
                                                                                            more ugly?!                             Link
                                                               Link


                                                                                                My dad’s attention is so weird!
                       Be patient                              Link




    Above: A day before birth the baby already has a SINA Weibo
    account.
                                                                                                                                     Link
    Right: Contents of this baby’s Weibo account includes his daily
    life and also his parents interests and retweets.

   Summary

   The net generation is growing accustomed to living their lives online. Amongst them, soon-to-be moms and dads are establishing
   their unborn child’s internet identity.

   Often, the tweets are written in first person, from the baby’s perspective that has an unique quality in it’s interactivities.


IWOM WATCH                                                      ISSUE Special                                                               22
Weibo case study sharing
         Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo




                                                       2
                                                 1
                                                       3




   CIC View
   For the parenting and child care market, this means brands don’t need to focus purely on promotion but also on sharing content in a
   friendly and personal manner with potential customers. We’ve singled out 3 methods by which brands can initiate campaigns:

   A “Baby Weibo” Competition – encourage young moms and dads to create Weibo accounts for their babies, sharing parental
   experience. In this way, you’ll define potential needs, potential customers and generate positive IWOM, boosting brand image.

   Operate a Professional Parenting Account – share parenting experience through photos and videos, be friendly, attentive, active and
   unbiased.

   Start a Wei Group (微群) – Start a Wei Group based on the content from the Parenting Account. Groups are designed to concentrate
   potential consumers in one social space for more efficient education of brand culture. The group has to be well maintained; spam free
   and active.
IWOM WATCH                                                  ISSUE Special                                                                  23
IWOM WATCH




     18 Tips on Managing Brand Accounts
     (There is no perfect microblog marketing strategy, different campaigns
     focus on their own goals and need customized methodologies to reach
     them. Here are our suggestions)




IWOM WATCH                            ISSUE Special
Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions:



        Be time sensitive; generally speaking, users are most active 10 - 12 AM and 10 - 12 PM; least active from 3 - 7AM


        Be the first on the scene; you should be breaking the news about your own brand.


        Want to engage your fans? Tweet with question marks and start a conversation.


        Avoid spamming; keep your tweets relevant to products and services, posting in a timely manner.


        Go beyond the brand; share exciting industry information to attract new fans and increase loyalty.


        KISS (Keep It Short and Sweet); tweets that are easy to understand are easier to engage with.




IWOM WATCH                                             ISSUE Special                                                        25
Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions:



        Don’t just retweet; add comments to retweets to take the conversation a step further.


        Create topics in tweets; use #hashtag# to initiate a running microblog program, helpful in managing SEO.


        Comment on the top trends; link related events to your brand and position yourself at the centre of discussion.


        Be content clever; add attractive multi-media content where appropriate.


        Be brand aware; use the search function to find key words and topics related to your brand, then engage on them.


        Social media synchronicity; aggregate your brand’s activity on various platforms via your microblog.




IWOM WATCH                                             ISSUE Special                                                       26
Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions:



        Social media synchronicity; aggregate your brand’s activity on various platforms via your microblog.


        The tweet tone; use a voice appropriate to the brand and be professional; avoiding online arguments.


        Involve and include; organize promotional events that educate fans about your brand’s culture.


        Make yourself attractive; design a template for your microblog, from background wallpaper to product profiles.


        Name drop; use the @ function to mention and invite key opinion leaders and efluencers to join the conversation.


        Tweet savvy and with purpose; create an editorial calendar for microblog activity and wherever necessary, employ copyright
        protection water marks.




IWOM WATCH                                             ISSUE Special                                                           27
ABOUT IWOM watch: A Monthly Guide to Internet Word of Mouth


                    MAKING SENSE OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY*




              Listen听                              Know识                                          Participate融
                  Topic                             E-Culture                                      Communication


             Listen to the                     Know the culture
             buzz and find                     and context of                                      Participate in the
             out what’s hot                    the internet                                        conversation.
             online.                           community.


                              * CIC-LKP Model, Defined by Daisy Zhang, 2007 Feb. For more on this definition, see our blogs here (EN) and here (CN)


IWOM WATCH                                         ISSUE Special                                                                                      28
OUR BLOGS:
        www.seeisee.com (Chinese)
        www.seeisee.com/sam (English)


        Our SINA WEIBO:
        weibo/seeisee


        OUR WEBSITE:
        www.ciccorporate.com


        OUR SERVICE PLATFORM:
        www.iwommaster.com


        CONTACT US:
        info@cicdata.com




    This document is for private commercial use only. Distribution to third parties
    and/or publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed
    written consent of CIC.


    本文件是针对CIC客户的相关品牌和企业的商业文件。未经CIC的书面许可,
    本文件或文件中的任何内容不得转交给第三方, 同时也不得发表本文件或文
    件中的任何内容。



IWOM WATCH                                                              ISSUE Special

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IWOM WATCH: 18 Tips for Managing Your Microblog Brand Account

  • 1. IWOM WATCH S 网论观察 pecial 2011 网络口碑趋势观察1月特辑 IWOM WATCH 微博专刊 Special Edition: Microblog IWOM WATCH © 2010 CIC © 2010 CIC ISSUE Special IWOM WATCH
  • 2. CONTENTS IWOM WATCH Microblog Landscape SINA Weibo Case PAGE.4 Study Sharing Microblog Development in China PAGE.14 Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour 18 Tips on Managing PAGE.16 Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications Your Brand Account PAGE.18 Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore PAGE.24 PAGE.20 There is no "right way" to market. Brands and organizations need to keep finding new and creative 7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign means of microblog marketing depending on brand PAGE.22 positioning and purpose. There are some basic rules though and here we’ve provided 18 tips for reference Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special
  • 3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IWOM WATCH Microblog Special Edition The microblog is a specialized social media platform that constrains users within a concise, 140 character limit. Originating with the launch of Twitter back in 2006, which was itself an evolution of RSS aggregator Odeo, the microblog medium was emerging in China as early as 2007 as a series of Twitter clones. In August of 2009, Chinese Internet giant Sina.com introduced SINA Weibo and set the stage for a new evolution of the microblog in China. From BBS, SNS and conventional blogging, to the global embracing of the microblog, Web2.0 applications have provided a steady stream of new ideas and communication concepts to engage and connect people, both online and offline. Some form of self-published social media is now common practice and the increasing popularity of microblogging looks set to usher in a new era of expression and development self-made, user generated digital media. Within 140 characters, users can share heart felt emotion or the hottest news, their private lives or work experience. It’s also a good platform for brands to communicate product, industry and corporate operational information. The microblog, at once a seemingly fractured yet innately cohesive information source, is fast becoming an important platform for conversation between brands and users. In this special issue of IWOM Watch, we’ll examine Chinese microblog development, history and brand application, based on solid data and detailed industry analysis, culminating in an 18 tip guide on best practice when managing your branded microblog account. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special
  • 4. IWOM WATCH Vol.1 Microblog Development in China IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special
  • 5. China Microblog History 2007 1st wave of 2009 2nd wave of Initiation microblogs emerged microblogs emerged Development Stage Stage 14th APR Jiwai 8th FEB Digu China’s first 20th JAN NetEase microblog 22nd MAY 9911 12th MAY Fanfou 6th AUG Follow 5 1st APR Tencent 9th JUL Zhuosha 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010年 21st MAR Odeo 12th MAY Plurk 16th AUG 139 Twitter’s predecesor Sina China Microblog History 28th AUG The first wave of pioneering 15th JUL Twitter microblogs, launched in 2007, Twitter was a 14th DEC Sohu generally failed due to complicated prototype born within Odeo industry challenges. The second wave, spearheaded by SINA Weibo, 22nd DEC People.com.cn emerged in 2009. Since Tencent launched its microlbog in 2010, we’ve seen strong industry competition. Source:Information collected from Zhihu.com,CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 5
  • 6. China Top Microblogs Rankings User data of China’s top 4 microblogs Brand Registered Users Active Users Tweets/Day Words Limits Accounts Sina Weibo 100 million - 25 million 140 Chinese characters >5000 Tencent Weibo 100 million - - 140 Chinese characters <300 NetEase Weibo 32 million 4.3 million 1.2 million 163 letters - Sohu Weibo 20-30 million - - Unlimited <100 Top 5 accounts ranked by followers (Data until 12 Apr 2011) Sina Weibo Tencent Weibo NetEase Weibo Sohu Weibo No.1 Yao Chen 7,452,554 Liu Xiang 14,645,392 Ye Zi Feng 1,632,321 Liu Ye 2,666,144 No.2 Xiao S 6,52,732 Kai-Fu Lee 14,225,521 Liu XiaoQing1,503,088 Zhang ChaoYang 2,034,719 No.3 Zhao Wei 6,027,141 Mo WenWei 14,215,355 Hu Jun 1,483,347 Liu YiFei 1,975,869 No.4 Cai KangYong 5,865,495 Ma YiLi 14,099,693 Yi NengJing 1,441,911 Cui YongYuan 1,236,463 No.5 Xie Na 5,305,830 Cai KangYong 13,690,456 Yang Lan 1,357,016 Zhao BenShan 1,070,882 Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 6
  • 7. What is Chinese Microblog The microblog, unlike a traditional blog, is obviously limited by content volume. However, also differs in terms of structure, spread pattern and social communication model. So, what is a microblog and what are the key points of difference when compared to other social media platforms? 140 characters Main body is limited to 140 characters, demanding precise and clear execution. Follow Comment @ Retweet #Customized Topics# Direct Messaging (DM) Following another user is Making comment as you Another innovation in By adding double hash DM is the private part of doesn’t require reciprocal would with a conventional Chinese microblogging is tags, a user can create a microblog’s open confirmation; an openness blog is a unique quality of the ability to integrate a custom topics that can platform. Users can not offered by SNS. Chinese microblogs. comment with a retweet, be tracked and easy communicate via chat- with out sacrificing accessed in searches like private messaging. original content. for similar topics. What the Chinese microblog has that Twitter doesn’t? Emoticons Embedded multi-media Built in IM Adding emoticons, photos, video, voting and the soon to be launched IM feature are key areas that differentiate the Chinese microblog from Twitter. Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 7
  • 8. The Microblog’s Unique Qualities Microblog vs Traditional Media LV City Guide - Through photo, video and text, LV’s luxury culture Microblogging is all about is presented in a single Tweet. real time sharing of key @奔驰Smart Retweeting of elements of content, to the Kobe’s Smart Car ad spread the right audience and in a Customized Contents – In addition to 140 original content 10241 times. timely, flexible manner; characters, links, photos and videos can be added for richer, more in-depth content customization. something that traditional Easy Viral Effect – Through retweeting of an media’s prolonged original message with new comments and fresh planning processes simply perspectives, conversations can grow naturally will not allow. and cohesively, allowing a brand to maintain a relationship with their followers. @姚晨 Retweeting a friend’s tweet of a photo showing her with Karl, itself retweeted 4286 times. Friend-of-Friend Effect – Followers of @seeisee showed similar trends in With the more involved retweeting feature of their engagement activity; focused around 10am. Chinese microblogs, brands can allow followers Real-Time & Flexible Communication – It takes to retweet their brand messages and recommend only a short time to plan and execute via microblog. to their own followers, effectively boosting So, brands can interact with followers in their most credibility and brand loyalty. Quite simply, active time periods, becoming deeper involved with consumers believe in their friends more than in consumer’s online behavior. advertisements. Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 8
  • 9. Microblog’s Disadvantages Netizen 5 Netizen n+1 Netizen 6 Netizen n+2 Netizen 2 Netizen 7 Netizen n+3 Netizen 8 Netizen n+4 Netizen 1 Netizen 3 Initiator Netizen 9 Netizen n+5 Netizen 10 Netizen n+6 Netizen 4 Netizen 11 Netizen n+7 Netizen 12 Netizen n+n Crisis Management – Microblogs are designed to facilitate the free flow of information in real-time. So, any viral content can be spread in matter of hours. The same also applies to potential online crisis. With negative sentiment spreading beyond control, brands face the challenge of defusing a crisis that spreads like wildfire, fanned by millions of potential retweets. Follower Maintenance – When a microblog’s followers amount to tens of thousands, or even millions of netizens, maintaining open and clear lines of communication with them all is extremely difficult. So much so that it can result in a portion of your followers feeling isolated and their loyalty misplaced. Employee Social Media Policy Implementation – Time and time again we see employees tarnish corporate image by engaging in behavior unsuitable for the brand via a corporate account. 24 Hours Maintenance – A microblog, like all internet platforms, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s quite possible for a crisis to hit outside business hours and constant maintenance can be costly. Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 9
  • 10. The Miocroblog's Top 4 Features for Brand Building 2 The Miocroblog’s Top 4 Features for Brand Building 1. 140 Chinese Characters – Compared to English 140 Chinese characters can present 3-5 times more information. 1 3 2. Embedded Content – Embedded multi-media contents allow brands to deliver more attractive material to followers. 3. Open API Platform – Open API allow brands to create their own Apps. These can open new channels of interaction between users and the brand. 4. Celebrity Based Microblogging – Celebrities 4 in microblogs can interact with their followers in real-time. For SINA Weibo, users are notified on which celebrity is following which brand, promoting both through respective influence. Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 10
  • 11. IWOM WATCH Vol.2 SINA Weibo Case Study Sharing IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special
  • 12. SINA Weibo SINA Weibo was launched for public beta on the 28th of August 2009, by one of the largest portal sites in China, Sina.com. After over a year of development, SINA Weibo revived the microblog market in China, attracting over 80 competitors into the space, including the other top 3 portal sites: Tencent, Sohu and NetEase. According to current activity on of each site, SINA Weibo is clearly leading the pack through innovative product development that focuses on differentiating itself from Twitter and creating a top quality user experience. Today, SINA Weibo has 100million registered users with over 60,000 verified public figures, from top brands to the media. 2009.02.28 2009.11.02 2010.04.28 2010.08.28 2010.11 Public 1st Million 1st 10 Million 30 Million 50 Million Beta 66 Days Users 177 Days Users 122 Days Users Users 2009.07.28 Sina Weibo Registerer Sina Weibo Users Open API Launch •Male – 57% •Female – 43% According to Sina Weibo at the November 2010 Developers Conference, the Sina Weibo Active Open API has over 800 Apps, Users connecting Sina Weibo to over •Male – 35% 10,000 sites. •Female – 65% In SINA Weibo female users are 30% more active than male users. Source:SINA microblog white paper published on 9 Sep 2010 Source:CIC Research Team IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 12
  • 13. Gradiated SINA weibo account Circle I:Brand Weibo Account Circle I:A brand’s official Weibo account is its frontline for consumer interaction. Circle II:The SINA Weibo platform houses brand related information and provides a Circle II :SINA Weibo Platform source for potential consumers. Circle III:Total User Volume is the wider pool Circle III :Total User Volume of users, including current and potential followers. Circle IV:Brand Weibo Events Circle IV:Branded promotional events promoting online and offline engagement. Circle V:Brand Weibo App Circle V:A Weibo app that’s either produced by the brand or by a third party. Brand Weibo Account 1 2 3 4 5 About this model:A brand’s Weibo account can give it a valuable voice within the online community, providing a key platform for consumer engagement and effective source of user insight. Promotional events launched from this platform can go even further in developing consumer/brand communication and promoting brand values. Weibo apps enhance user experience and Source:CIC Research Team augment brand affinity. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 13
  • 14. Weibo case study sharing Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour Just realized I lost my iPad on plane.. The destiny of Xuzhen was not "call forwarding" this time, but "weibo forwarding“ (PS: Xuzhen is Starring in Movie “Call for love”) I picked up //…… (one of cabin crew claimed she saw the iPad and picked up) The receipt from lost property, stating "iPad" Summary On the 24th of February at 00:23, the famous Chinese actor Xu Zhen tweeted to his SINA Weibo that he misplaced his iPad, leaving it on a flight that night. Fearing a leak of personal content, he mobilized his followers. Xu’s original post was retweeted over 751 times with 466 comments, even with someone commented that the principle of six degrees of separation could connect to people from China Eastern Airlines and other passengers from the Xu’s flight. At 1:38 am, @smile瑶啊瑶 identified herself as cabin crew from Xu’s flight (MU5115) and let him know she’s picked up his iPad. Time elapsed between Xu reporting missing iPad and it’s recovery: 1 hour, 15minutes IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 14
  • 15. Weibo case study sharing Get your iPad back from China Eastern Airlines in just over an hour We checked with the aircraft crew of this flight, they did pick up an iPad and already Hi, we will help you reach our aircraft pass to China Eastern Airlines baggage crew on duty about your iPad and send tracing department on the ground, you can direct message to you asap, thank you get that from "Lost property" section in for your trust in China Eastern Airlines terminal 2. … (link) (link) Sample quotes: China Eastern Airlines staff is so “gelivable” (link) Best interactive practice between brands & consumers!(link) @smile瑶啊瑶 @smile瀟 Let's help, So amazing! I will take flights from China Eastern Airlines in future. (link) we are on duty that time, should be Many hands make light work, weibo of China Eastern Airlines is great!~ easy to find out... (link) (link) Good for China Eastern Airlines! (link) It's so nice that China Eastern Airlines flight attendant found Xu Zhen's iPad.! (link) CIC View In just over an hour, Xu was able to find his missing iPad and SINA Weibo played a significant part in the process. As Kai-Fu Lee wrote in his book <Weibo Changed Everything – 微博改变一切>, SINA Weibo has changed the way people communicate with each other online. China Eastern Airlines’ participation showed that as one of the leading air travel company in China, they are actively participating in social media. Crisis management in the new social media age has pushed brands to face real problems in real-time. For airlines, customers late for boarding, flights delayed and other cause for complaint can be found in platforms like SINA Weibo. Reacting to these complaints is a challenge considering the wide coverage and real time processing qualities of social media. For a brand to establish an official Weibo account, they must appreciate that there is now a new channel of communication that allows customers to voice their problems as soon as they arise and to expect a response just as quickly. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 15
  • 16. Weibo case study sharing Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications Weibo APP – VANCL DIY and uto WOM Vancl copy application (link) Copying Vancl ads has become a popular form of User Generated Content (UGC) circulating SINA Weibo. This is a third party app that’s designed to auto- generate a Vancl customization for each user and so far, it’s been used by over 260,000 users and attracted 34222 followers to its official Weibo account. Auto IWOM application (link) This app was designed by SINA officially for Weibo. A user can @汽车口 碑 (Auto IWOM official Weibo account) with a specific car model and receive SINA Weibo’s Official “Most Creative Apps” Ranking an automated reply with the car’s full specs, along with comparable indices. Post a message on microblog like "Accord @汽车口碑", you Vancl copy application can auto will get the result of WOM in 1 minute. generate the ad from your image Summary On the 28th of July 2010, SINA Weibo launched an open API for developers to design third party applications, including those that can be used for brand promotion through the Weibo platform. These apps come in two distinct forms; one is tailored to the desktop version (for example, the DIY Vancl Ad), the other is designed for a mobile interface and integrates Location Based Services for smart phone users. These apps tend to be more costly and less viral than desktop equivalents. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 16
  • 17. Weibo case study sharing Interactive Microblog Marketing – Vancl Copy & Auto IWOM Applications 1 Mug 1 Vancl coupon 1 Mug Vancl Voucher in 100 RMB @VanclDIY link The lucky draw prizes are Vancl mugs and vouchers. link CIC View: The Vancl effect 1. Brand Education – the process of user interaction with the app is an educational one; presented with the unique characteristics of a brand’s culture. 2. Viral Spread – Vanclized ads can be easily posted to SINA Weibo, the user’s followers can then retweet and make the content viral, especially if the creator is a popular e-fluencer. 3. Interactive Marketing – organizing events within the group and offering them Vancl products as prizes will further motivate them to be active within SINA Weibo, attracting more users and increasing brand awareness. CIC View: Apps like @汽车口碑 are highly attractive to users who are prospective buyers of the product; in this case, a car. SINA Weibo’s retweet function makes it an easy route to viral. This is as yet un-explored field of microblog marketing for Link many brands. An branded app can link them to users in fun and interactive way, spreading brand culture, creating awareness and promoting trust and loyalty. Apps are particularly recommended for franchises, digital brands, FMCG and sport utility products. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 17
  • 18. Weibo case study sharing Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore Emile Sherman, Academy Award Author’s Study Series: Well known Winning Producer of <The King’s British author Alan Silitoe’s (1928- Speech>, Andrew Garfield, best actor 2010)study, more details access our in a supporting role for <The Social online bookstore Network> and star of 2012’s <The http://sinaurl.cn/h5AI6k Amazing Spider-Man> all wore Louis (link) Vuitton suits to the Academy Awards. (link) Louis Vuitton weibo account in fashion & luxury style BananaFish Bookstore weibo account in books culture style Emile Sherman, Academy Award Stockholm Library: photo Winning Producer of <The King’s from @colourphilosophy at Speech>, Andrew Garfield, best actor Stockholm Library’s furniture in a supporting role for <The Social show, more in his Douban Network> and star of 2012’s <The profile: Amazing Spider-Man> all wore Louis http://sinaurl.cn/hqgoMa Vuitton suits to the Academy Awards. (link) (link) @路易威登 (Louis Vuitton), the world famous luxury brand, opened their BananaFish Bookstore is considerably less well known. The offline SINA Weibo account on the 15th of October 2010. Within 4 months, bookstore is in Shanghai but it’s popularity is very high online. They’re they had successful established the brand’s luxury image on Weibo with amongst the most popular publication related SINA Weibo accounts, only 76 tweets, attracting 71708 followers. That’s an average of 943 with 48856 followers for 876 tweets; a respectable average of 55 followers per tweet. followers per tweet. How does a brand establish its culture in SINA Weibo? Through these two distinctly different brands, we’ll show you that customized content and the sophisticated presentation of your brand culture is very significant in successfully leveraging SINA Weibo. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 18
  • 19. Weibo case study sharing Build Weibo Brand Culture - Louis Vuitton and BananaFish BookStore Today, over 5000 brands have established their verified SINA Weibo accounts and are Louis Vuitton describing the using Weibo to organize and communicate source of inspiration for Spring with consumers. We has seen differently 2007. positioned brands approaching followers in their own distinct way, customizing their approach to accommodate their brand CIC View culture and followers’ behavior. What did Louis Vuitton’s Weibo do right? Picked the correct theme – from launch, every tweet from LV’s official SINA Weibo account has been entirely focused on it’s luxury brand culture, creating an online representation to match it’s impressive brand image. Adapting to users – instead of posting luxury products at high prices, LV has chosen to be more approachable, providing their followers with fashion news that can be spread easily. LV is a top end brand with formidable brand influence and Buenos Aires (Capital of awareness, what about the Argentina) is the world book lesser well known brands, how capital in 2011 can they establish a strong presence in SINA Weibo? CIC View What have we learned from Banana Fish Book Store? Culture positioning – knowing their limited cultural influence, Banana Fish chose to leverage the broader idea of book culture, attracting followers by providing interesting content, like “World’s Interesting Book stores”. Customized rewards – we have seen too many iPhones and iPads as prizes on SINA Weibo. BananaFish bookstore had their own ideas, with custom made, special edition books as prizes, not only promoting their brand but also attracted more followers looking for something different. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 19
  • 20. Weibo case study sharing 7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign @美团 #valentine's day# Retweet this weibo and @ your lover's name with a love letter. The best one will be posted on meituan.com on 15th Feb 2010. Your confessions will be witnessed by millions of people. link Event Time:14th February Valentine’s Day 2010 Event Rules:Retweet, @ a lover with a love letter Event Reward:the best love letter will be posted on Meituan.com (in all the cities) Summary It’s no secret that brands are using the microblog to promote themselves. Microblogging campaigns are becoming more common, with raffle draws for iPads and the like cropping up all over. These promotional methods are tend to require a user to retweet the promotional message and @ a certain number of their followers. After the initial hype died away, doubts about their authenticity and complaints of spamming started to become more and more popular. In a vote hosted on SINA Weibo, over 8400 users called for tighter regulations. For Valentine’s Day last year, Chinese group buy site Meituan.com launched a special promotion for lovers to “Express Their Love”. Within 24 hours, it was retweeted 3596 times. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 20
  • 21. Weibo case study sharing 7 Key Elements of Meituan’s Microblog Campaign 7 Key Elements of Microblog Campaign Planning: How to identify your event’s theme? In Meituan’s case, it’s leveraging Valentine’s Day and ways to express love. How to motivate user participation? Expressing their love on this special occasion is exactly what users want to do. How to set the entry level bar? Both "Micro-Novel" and "Micro-Love-Letter" were easily accessible to users. How to choose right reward? The reward should match the event’s theme, not just the trendiest product. Left:Timing is everything, Valentine’s Day and “Micro-Love-Letters” is a How to use third party applications in campaign? perfect match, especially when users are accustomed to writing micro- Meituan had the choice of utilizing existing on-site (Meituan.com) blogs, stories via Sina’s own event “Micro-Novels”. avoiding the need to host everything solely on SINA Weibo. How to explore extra promotional channels? Right:The winning love letter, posted on Meituan.com, not only Meituan posted the event information to it’s regional SINA Weibo promoted the user but also the site itself. accounts, simultaneously promoting across the country. How to transform events into revenue? To find out the final result, users have to click through Meituan’s group buy site. CIC View Initially, brand accounts are focused on number of follows and retweets, often neglecting their real brand values. That can result in a failure to present the right information and increase sales. This phenomenon is referred to as “Pure Account Marketing”, not Brand Marketing. “Pure Account Marketing” overlooks user experience, making it difficult to communicate high quality information and bringing accusations of spamming. This is a common practice in microblog promotions. Planning ahead is crucial to campaign effectiveness. Hopefully, our 7 key elements can aid this process. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 21
  • 22. Weibo case study sharing Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo Dang! Dang! Dang! I’m coming. Feel so good after shower~it’s said I looks more like my father, is that mean I looks more and more ugly?! Link Link My dad’s attention is so weird! Be patient Link Above: A day before birth the baby already has a SINA Weibo account. Link Right: Contents of this baby’s Weibo account includes his daily life and also his parents interests and retweets. Summary The net generation is growing accustomed to living their lives online. Amongst them, soon-to-be moms and dads are establishing their unborn child’s internet identity. Often, the tweets are written in first person, from the baby’s perspective that has an unique quality in it’s interactivities. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 22
  • 23. Weibo case study sharing Parents’ Use of Baby Weibo 2 1 3 CIC View For the parenting and child care market, this means brands don’t need to focus purely on promotion but also on sharing content in a friendly and personal manner with potential customers. We’ve singled out 3 methods by which brands can initiate campaigns: A “Baby Weibo” Competition – encourage young moms and dads to create Weibo accounts for their babies, sharing parental experience. In this way, you’ll define potential needs, potential customers and generate positive IWOM, boosting brand image. Operate a Professional Parenting Account – share parenting experience through photos and videos, be friendly, attentive, active and unbiased. Start a Wei Group (微群) – Start a Wei Group based on the content from the Parenting Account. Groups are designed to concentrate potential consumers in one social space for more efficient education of brand culture. The group has to be well maintained; spam free and active. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 23
  • 24. IWOM WATCH 18 Tips on Managing Brand Accounts (There is no perfect microblog marketing strategy, different campaigns focus on their own goals and need customized methodologies to reach them. Here are our suggestions) IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special
  • 25. Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions: Be time sensitive; generally speaking, users are most active 10 - 12 AM and 10 - 12 PM; least active from 3 - 7AM Be the first on the scene; you should be breaking the news about your own brand. Want to engage your fans? Tweet with question marks and start a conversation. Avoid spamming; keep your tweets relevant to products and services, posting in a timely manner. Go beyond the brand; share exciting industry information to attract new fans and increase loyalty. KISS (Keep It Short and Sweet); tweets that are easy to understand are easier to engage with. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 25
  • 26. Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions: Don’t just retweet; add comments to retweets to take the conversation a step further. Create topics in tweets; use #hashtag# to initiate a running microblog program, helpful in managing SEO. Comment on the top trends; link related events to your brand and position yourself at the centre of discussion. Be content clever; add attractive multi-media content where appropriate. Be brand aware; use the search function to find key words and topics related to your brand, then engage on them. Social media synchronicity; aggregate your brand’s activity on various platforms via your microblog. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 26
  • 27. Brand Microblog Maintenance Suggestions: Social media synchronicity; aggregate your brand’s activity on various platforms via your microblog. The tweet tone; use a voice appropriate to the brand and be professional; avoiding online arguments. Involve and include; organize promotional events that educate fans about your brand’s culture. Make yourself attractive; design a template for your microblog, from background wallpaper to product profiles. Name drop; use the @ function to mention and invite key opinion leaders and efluencers to join the conversation. Tweet savvy and with purpose; create an editorial calendar for microblog activity and wherever necessary, employ copyright protection water marks. IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 27
  • 28. ABOUT IWOM watch: A Monthly Guide to Internet Word of Mouth MAKING SENSE OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY* Listen听 Know识 Participate融 Topic E-Culture Communication Listen to the Know the culture buzz and find and context of Participate in the out what’s hot the internet conversation. online. community. * CIC-LKP Model, Defined by Daisy Zhang, 2007 Feb. For more on this definition, see our blogs here (EN) and here (CN) IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special 28
  • 29. OUR BLOGS: www.seeisee.com (Chinese) www.seeisee.com/sam (English) Our SINA WEIBO: weibo/seeisee OUR WEBSITE: www.ciccorporate.com OUR SERVICE PLATFORM: www.iwommaster.com CONTACT US: info@cicdata.com This document is for private commercial use only. Distribution to third parties and/or publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written consent of CIC. 本文件是针对CIC客户的相关品牌和企业的商业文件。未经CIC的书面许可, 本文件或文件中的任何内容不得转交给第三方, 同时也不得发表本文件或文 件中的任何内容。 IWOM WATCH ISSUE Special