Lode leverages Social Media for Major Employer Brands
16 November 2009
MitchelLake client Lode has developed a platform to create better transparency, relationships and communications between University talent and Employers. Recently Lode ran a successful Social Media competition with three major brands PWC, Thiess and Lonely Planet...
Social media offers a major opportunity for employers, recruiters and jobseekers to improve communications, employer branding and streamline recruitment processes. Lode is a MitchelLake client that has developed a platform that leverages Australia's first National Database of University talent, Social Media and targeted employment communications to achieve vastly more effective outcomes for University talent and Graduate employers alike.
Recently Lode ran a Facebook campaign called "get busy this summer" a competition open to Australian University students which offered exclusive internships with three major employer brands - PWC, Thiess & Lonely Planet. The basic mechanic of the competition was for students to submit in 100 words or less why they think they feel they are best placed to receive an internship with one of three top tier employer brands.
The campaign was completed recently with excellent support and great results for all parties.Read more about the Lode Facebook campaign in this excerpt from the Australian Financial Review: Lode_article_FinRev_16Nov09.pdf
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
A Crowd of Aardvarks
Hmmm, me thinks our blog hath been neglected by twitter distraction... Proceeding tut de suite.
Aardvark was apparently conceived by some smart ex-googlers and is a little like a cocktail of ask jeeves, bongo (except free), IM and social networking all in real time. Like a live suggestion / wikipedia / editorial engine drawn up out of a user network (haven't seen current stats on network numbers).
Those out there who are interested in current developments in crowd sourcing and practical trends in social media might be interested in some of the companies that we encountered recently. One that I was told to have a look at is a San Francisco based venture called Aardvark (or Vark - some may have seen the link tweeted yesterday)
Aardvark was apparently conceived by some smart ex-googlers and is a little like a cocktail of ask jeeves, bongo (except free), IM and social networking all in real time. Like a live suggestion / wikipedia / editorial engine drawn up out of a user network (haven't seen current stats on network numbers).
Basically you sign up, and are prompted to nominate a few things on which you have an opinion, or possibly even some expertise e.g. dirty martinis, hotels with pillow menus or Carlton FC...
obviously in my case your interests may be self limiting.
Once you have a profile Aardvark inserts itself as one of you contacts (IM or Email) When set up you can then begin conversations or ask specific questions by messaging Aardvark as you would any other contact.
So I signed up and gave it a try. Sure enough Aardvark was instantly available and prompted me to try a question. I couldn't think of much but I asked for a list of the top 5 restaurants in San Francisco, just to see if I knew any or had possibly been to one (pre-GFC).
Within a couple of minutes I had three different responses from connected contacts somewhere in the Varkness - actually they were from New York, Canada and San Francisco - as the Aardvark told me who and where they were. All had suggested different restaurants (with some crossover), but also asked for more specific details as to my tastes in food e.g. Thai, Modern, five star etc... I knew some of them and overall it was a quality response to a loosely framed question.
That, so my new friend Aardvark told me virtually at that moment, is the first rule of asking your network questions - be as specific as you can with plenty of detail. No one wants to waste time guessing what you are after or thinking up a topic to talk about - fair enough.
So far the Aardvark is working for me.
No obvious revenue model as yet but no doubt that will emerge. Maybe "response sponsored by" or something like that. In short they are building a useful social network by piggybacking Q&A on IM networks? Seems there is an iPhone App coming soon so that may be the starting point of a commercial proposition.
Let me know your thoughts, especially if you have met Aardvark already...
Friday, July 24, 2009
Fun and frivolities in Sydney
It’s been a hectic week of networking in the Sydney social media space, with numerous events on across the city, all adopting a different format and topical skew!
We kicked off the week with Social Media Club Sydney http://twitter.com/SMCSYD which was held at the Arthouse after a shift from the usual venue of The Supper Club on Oxford Street. This time around the crew were looking at ‘Measuring Social Media’, with speakers Matt Granfield from DP Dialogue, Nick Holmes å Court from Buzz Numbers and Jye Smith from Switched On Media. Matt’s preso was featured on the home page of Slideshare.net and can be found here http://www.slideshare.net/mattgranfield/golden-rules-of-social-media-measurement A good night was had by all as usual, no doubt a few sore heads around on Tuesday. Despite sounds issues it seems the SMCsyd team did well to execute to yet another packed house.
The Insights Exchange http://www.theinsightexchange.com/ ran an intimate and very insightful lunch on Tuesday at the Radisson, focusing on Social Media Strategies. Panelists were Aisha Hillary from SBS, Kate Leaman (Brand Communications Manager - Premium, International and Craft Beer,Fosters Group), Con Frantzeskos (Digital and Social Media Strategist) and Chris Noble (General Manager, WorldNomads.com). The panel did a great job of providing insights into the various social media strategies their brands had adopted, as well as providing an informative platform around social media – What is it? Why should brands engage? How can brands engage? What are the do’s and don’ts? Kate and Con ran us through a very interesting case study relating to the reinvigoration of the Cascade brand and the launch of a redesigned bottle for Pale Ale which was designed to appeal to a broader audience. Incidentally the bottle was smaller and people weren’t happy, which soon translated to negative online discussions about the brand, several Facebook hate groups being created and a decline in sales. Kate and Con provided an overview of how they leveraged social media tools to listen, engage and communicate with their audience directly. It seems the campaign was a success, largely being a catalyst for a change back to the regular sized bottle, an increase in sales and transforming what was a negative mood amongst their audience. Chris Noble http://www.worldnomads.com.au/ provided some great insights into how they utilise social media to “Listen, Learn and Respond” with customers.
Tuesday night and Online Divas http://www.onlinedivas.com.au/ took on a new venue at the lovely Crystal Bar at GPO in Martin Place. A great turn out, and as usual Hollie Turner put on a great spread for a room full of entrepreneurial ladies (and a few brave fellas) with the champagne cocktails, sushi and oysters going down a treat. I suspect the two guys in the audience enjoyed the burlesque show (who didn’t?) and will no doubt be attending again! Panel included Shaughla from www.swapmystyle.com and Celeste from www.aseenin.com.au Pics can be found here www.flickr.com/onlinedivas
Finally Club Ad:Tech http://www.ad-techbrain.com.au/ ran the first of their breakfast briefing series on Friday, with all seats reserved within the first 48 hours and a room packed to the rafters. Jason Chuck, Head of Marketing, Google and Daren Poole, Millward Brown presented ‘Analysis, Achievements & Anecdotes From The #1 Valued Brand In The World’. Daren and Jason both gave a great preso, interesting to look at key findings from the 2009 BrandZ Report and top 100 global brands http://www.millwardbrown.com/Sites/Optimor/Content/KnowledgeCenter/BrandzRanking.aspx. Nice to see an organiser running a well orchestrated and relevant event free of charge, attendees asked to make a blue note donation to charity on entry. Well done Club Ad:Tech, I think the breakfast briefing series will be a continued sell out and great success. Looking forward to the 17th August!
Now, bring on the weekend…..Jacinta
We kicked off the week with Social Media Club Sydney http://twitter.com/SMCSYD which was held at the Arthouse after a shift from the usual venue of The Supper Club on Oxford Street. This time around the crew were looking at ‘Measuring Social Media’, with speakers Matt Granfield from DP Dialogue, Nick Holmes å Court from Buzz Numbers and Jye Smith from Switched On Media. Matt’s preso was featured on the home page of Slideshare.net and can be found here http://www.slideshare.net/mattgranfield/golden-rules-of-social-media-measurement A good night was had by all as usual, no doubt a few sore heads around on Tuesday. Despite sounds issues it seems the SMCsyd team did well to execute to yet another packed house.
The Insights Exchange http://www.theinsightexchange.com/ ran an intimate and very insightful lunch on Tuesday at the Radisson, focusing on Social Media Strategies. Panelists were Aisha Hillary from SBS, Kate Leaman (Brand Communications Manager - Premium, International and Craft Beer,Fosters Group), Con Frantzeskos (Digital and Social Media Strategist) and Chris Noble (General Manager, WorldNomads.com). The panel did a great job of providing insights into the various social media strategies their brands had adopted, as well as providing an informative platform around social media – What is it? Why should brands engage? How can brands engage? What are the do’s and don’ts? Kate and Con ran us through a very interesting case study relating to the reinvigoration of the Cascade brand and the launch of a redesigned bottle for Pale Ale which was designed to appeal to a broader audience. Incidentally the bottle was smaller and people weren’t happy, which soon translated to negative online discussions about the brand, several Facebook hate groups being created and a decline in sales. Kate and Con provided an overview of how they leveraged social media tools to listen, engage and communicate with their audience directly. It seems the campaign was a success, largely being a catalyst for a change back to the regular sized bottle, an increase in sales and transforming what was a negative mood amongst their audience. Chris Noble http://www.worldnomads.com.au/ provided some great insights into how they utilise social media to “Listen, Learn and Respond” with customers.
Tuesday night and Online Divas http://www.onlinedivas.com.au/ took on a new venue at the lovely Crystal Bar at GPO in Martin Place. A great turn out, and as usual Hollie Turner put on a great spread for a room full of entrepreneurial ladies (and a few brave fellas) with the champagne cocktails, sushi and oysters going down a treat. I suspect the two guys in the audience enjoyed the burlesque show (who didn’t?) and will no doubt be attending again! Panel included Shaughla from www.swapmystyle.com and Celeste from www.aseenin.com.au Pics can be found here www.flickr.com/onlinedivas
Finally Club Ad:Tech http://www.ad-techbrain.com.au/ ran the first of their breakfast briefing series on Friday, with all seats reserved within the first 48 hours and a room packed to the rafters. Jason Chuck, Head of Marketing, Google and Daren Poole, Millward Brown presented ‘Analysis, Achievements & Anecdotes From The #1 Valued Brand In The World’. Daren and Jason both gave a great preso, interesting to look at key findings from the 2009 BrandZ Report and top 100 global brands http://www.millwardbrown.com/Sites/Optimor/Content/KnowledgeCenter/BrandzRanking.aspx. Nice to see an organiser running a well orchestrated and relevant event free of charge, attendees asked to make a blue note donation to charity on entry. Well done Club Ad:Tech, I think the breakfast briefing series will be a continued sell out and great success. Looking forward to the 17th August!
Now, bring on the weekend…..Jacinta
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Upbeat is the way forward
The stress and pressure of finding full-time work in recessionary economic conditions can be difficult to deal with over an extended period of time. Jobseekers whom in a buoyant market were often upbeat and dynamic can loose their 'spark' and consequently loose touch. Presenting yourself as a forward thinker and expert in your area requires a positive upbeat demur. Unfortunately as a Recruiter we encounter this scenario time and time again.
My suggestion to those who have been seeking work for an extended period of time is to think about some of the following strategies and how they might help you:
· Engagement: Remember your target market. It is essential that you read the local press, engage your network, jump on blogs and forums. You need to keep your knowledge relevant to the current market and be able to communicate this clearly in a interview.
· Education: Perhaps think about using this time for additional study. Are there any courses that may give your skillset a competitive advantage? This is a fantastic opportunity to take some time out to study and improve your skills.
· Challenge: Keep yourself challenged and thinking. Pet projects around your area of expertise are key, volunteer work is undoubtedly one of the best options here.
Remember the key is about keeping yourself sharp and progressive in your area.
My suggestion to those who have been seeking work for an extended period of time is to think about some of the following strategies and how they might help you:
· Engagement: Remember your target market. It is essential that you read the local press, engage your network, jump on blogs and forums. You need to keep your knowledge relevant to the current market and be able to communicate this clearly in a interview.
· Education: Perhaps think about using this time for additional study. Are there any courses that may give your skillset a competitive advantage? This is a fantastic opportunity to take some time out to study and improve your skills.
· Challenge: Keep yourself challenged and thinking. Pet projects around your area of expertise are key, volunteer work is undoubtedly one of the best options here.
Remember the key is about keeping yourself sharp and progressive in your area.
Monday, July 20, 2009
NICTA Techfest 2009
For those not already aware, NICTA is Australia's largest organisation for ICT Research commercialisation. Essentially NICTA is a collaboration between State and Federal Governments in addition to Australia's leading Universities and Research teams.
Current projects include things such as the Bionic Eye, Super High Speed wireless chip (1Gig per second), 3D web environments and many other seriously world class research projects.
Techfest is a showcase of many of the 40+ projects currently within the NICTA system.
Click here for a PDF details and invitation for the August 2009 event.
This is a free event but our understanding is that spaces will be limited.
Current projects include things such as the Bionic Eye, Super High Speed wireless chip (1Gig per second), 3D web environments and many other seriously world class research projects.
Techfest is a showcase of many of the 40+ projects currently within the NICTA system.
Click here for a PDF details and invitation for the August 2009 event.
This is a free event but our understanding is that spaces will be limited.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Online Divas and PayPal team up to discuss how to make money Online...
Last Thursday, June 18th, PayPal hosted an information evening in Sydney titled ‘how to make money online.’ About 25 women attended to hear Amber Jones of PayPal discuss the various ways to make websites more customer friendly. Many of the women who attended were at the fledging or early development stage with their businesses, looking for ideas on how to convert more visitors to buyers. Amber gave some interesting tips on how to make the purchasing process easier, as well as tips on what not to do! A summary of her key points:
Top Tips:
-Make sure the customer is able to see the full cost of their cart as they are shopping, this is one of the most common complaints from online shoppers.
-Ensure a customer service number is visible during the checkout process; the customer knows there is someone to call if they need assistance.
-Getting a customer to successfully purchase once is key. Once they have had a successful experience they will be more likely to come back and purchase again.
-Offering gift wrap at check-out is a great way to value add and often has a good uptake.
-Offer PayPal ‘Express Checkout,’ account holders can be done with the process in a matter of seconds, http://tinyurl.com/5vl98h
What not to do:
-Don’t require people to sign up for an account or fill in a lengthy form just to buy something. This will just put people off the whole process. You can collect people’s full details later by emailing them a special offer or discount.
-Don’t use too much flash in the checkout section of your website. Keep this area clean and neat with basic html.
-Don’t just look at your page hits, make sure you know what your cart conversion rate is and monitor where people are dropping off.
Think about a great site that you’ve successfully purchased from, what made the experience so easy?
To learn more about Online Divas check out their website http://www.onlinedivas.com.au/
We also like PayPal’s latest marketing campaign, ‘Do Stuff For Money’ - Hours of fun!!
http://www.paypal-dostuffformoney.com/
Connect:
http://www.twitter.com/msbondirescue
Thursday, May 21, 2009
If the Boots fits…
In a spot of post Rudd stimulus shopping the idea came to me that it was time for a new pair of winter boots.
Now for the ladies out there, we know that finding ‘that’ pair of boots can be no mean feat. Trailing the shops, flipping through catalogues, peering into display windows, jostling the crowds as you scramble for that perfect pair in the right size. Sometimes their too high, too brown, too black, too soft, too cheapy looking, the list can go on.
At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw, finding the right employee can be just like finding the right boot. They need to be that perfect fit for your business, able to bring to the company that unique combination of skill and cultural fit. For the job seeker this is also true, finding that perfect job is a little like finding the ideal pair of boots. Does it fit me now but allow me room to grow? Does it suit me as well as being not too far out of my comfort zone?
So with that in mind, can that give us a new way to think about the job hunt and for a business the search for that perfect employee? Firstly the search is not always straight forward nor is it a fast process. You can purchase boots quickly but you could end up regretting a rash decision when you see another pair that you prefer or a similar pair for a much better price!
Moral of the story is, think before purchasing those winter boots. Are they really the right pair for you? Have you scoped out the market and seen all that is on offer? Boots are for life, not just for winter.
Now for the ladies out there, we know that finding ‘that’ pair of boots can be no mean feat. Trailing the shops, flipping through catalogues, peering into display windows, jostling the crowds as you scramble for that perfect pair in the right size. Sometimes their too high, too brown, too black, too soft, too cheapy looking, the list can go on.
At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw, finding the right employee can be just like finding the right boot. They need to be that perfect fit for your business, able to bring to the company that unique combination of skill and cultural fit. For the job seeker this is also true, finding that perfect job is a little like finding the ideal pair of boots. Does it fit me now but allow me room to grow? Does it suit me as well as being not too far out of my comfort zone?
So with that in mind, can that give us a new way to think about the job hunt and for a business the search for that perfect employee? Firstly the search is not always straight forward nor is it a fast process. You can purchase boots quickly but you could end up regretting a rash decision when you see another pair that you prefer or a similar pair for a much better price!
Moral of the story is, think before purchasing those winter boots. Are they really the right pair for you? Have you scoped out the market and seen all that is on offer? Boots are for life, not just for winter.
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