24 Oct

MONTREAL, QUEBEC and TORONTO, ONTARIO and MEXICO, MEXICO and PARIS, FRANCE–(Marketwire – Oct. 24, 2012) – Parta Dialogue (TSX VENTURE:PAD) (“PARTA” or the “Company”), experts in Social Campaign Optimization and Social Learning, issues comments from Tom Liacas, its Chief Social Media Strategist, on the widely reported changes to Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm, that has global advertising giants up in arms.

This past September, Facebook made adjustments to its Edgerank algorithm, the mechanism that determines how often and how prominently content from different sources appears on a given user’s wall. Given the fact that some global brands have spent millions buying ‘likes’ for their Facebook Pages and that the new changes in Edgerank dramatically affect the reach of branded content, they have been publicly decried by advertising execs, notably those at Ogilvy and WPP.

Tom Liacas, Chief Strategist of Parta Dialogue’s #engagementlabs division, welcomes the changes. “At #engagementlabs, we have always maintained that the best ROI from social media efforts is achieved when money is put on engagement strategy rather than paid audience acquisition. Social media is a conversational medium so it is only natural that Facebook seeks to further reward content that generates interactions between users and give less reach to promotional messaging,” states Liacas.

Liacas points to results obtained from Parta Dialogue’s eValue™ Social Media ROI Suite, a software as a service tool currently measuring the performance of over 20,000 corporate Facebook accounts. “Time and again, results show that a smaller Facebook community, if it generates high levels of engagement, can outperform a much larger community. As brands pay more and more to reach the same audiences, engagement is the only variable that can be used to measure the cost-efficiency of social media campaigns,” states Liacas.

More information on the eValue™ Social Media ROI Suite can be found at the following address: http://www.evaluesuite.com

About Parta

Parta offers Social Media and Social Learning solutions to its clients from offices in Montreal, Toronto, Paris and Mexico and is the developer of leading eValue™ Social Media ROI Suite: www.evaluesuite.com

Many visionary businesses already employ Parta’s solutions for internal and external online engagement. Among these are Renault, Orange, Michelin, Hydro-Québec, Iusacell (Mexico), Dassault Systems, Nestlé Waters and Crédit Agricole. www.partadialogue.com
PARTA is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PAD and operates through two subsidiaries:

#engagementlabs, an all-digital agency offering a targeted range of social strategies, customized engagement platforms and analytic tools to measure performance and ROI totally focused on social engagement & optimization: www.engagementlabs.com.

edu-performance, totally focused on internal engagement and productivity, Edu-Performance offers customized Social Learning and online training solutions: www.eduperformance.com.

Other Information

Completion of the acquisition of M30 has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. but the TSX-V has in no way passed upon the merits of the acquisition of M30 and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

“Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.”

Contact Information

Paul Allard, President & CEO
Parta Dialogue Inc.
+1 (514) 831-4245
paul.allard@partadialogue.com

Tom Liacas, VP Social Media
Parta Dialogue Inc.
+1 (514) 771-5120
tom.liacas@partadialogue.com

09 Oct

Can you Measure the ROI of your mother? We think so!

#engagementlabs Blogpost, eValue, Facebook, Social Media

140 Conference eValue Social Media ROI Suite Gary Vaynerchuk Mom Montreal ROI Tom Liacas

Social media pundit Gary Vaynerchuk famously asked – “What’s the ROI of your mother?” implying that the benefits of doing social media well for business are real, but hard to quantify. At #engagementlabs, we beg to differ. Not to say that we don’t think a mother’s love is priceless. Just that, if you had to, you could come up with some concrete factors that support the higher value you attribute to your mother over some stranger passing you on the street. Points could be attributed to the various factors that make mom so lovable and, before you know it, you would have an ‘emotional value meter’ that you could apply to just about anyone in your life. Sound weird? Well, on Facebook, an algorithm like this is busy every second calculating the value of shared content by the comments and likes, in short the love, it receives. The more people are seen to value the content, the more it gets seen by others.

At #engagementlabs, we have modeled the eValue Social Media ROI Suite on the logic used by social networks to calculate engagement to measure whether or not a company’s social efforts are getting the returns they deserve. See what it’s all about here: http://www.evaluesuite.com/

In the video below, you can hear our Managing Director Tom Liacas defending the necessity of social media ROI calculation at the 140 Conference in Montreal this past summer.

30 Aug

Back-to-School on Social Media

#engagementlabs Blogpost, Facebook, Pinterest, Social Media, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube

Sears Target

It’s that time of year again. The kids are going back to school, and whether it’s the first day of kindergarten or the last semester of college, they all need back-to-school supplies. Stores and name brands in clothing and office supplies are out on social media in full force to help students pick that perfect top and matching pencil case.

Back-to-school sales are nothing new. Every store has them, and they’re advertised all over each brands social media accounts. Some take it a step further by creating giveaways and contests where you “like” or “tweet” them to enter and win. All these tactics are fine and well, but does it translate into more notebooks bought? In this case, new clothes and supplies for school become a necessity, and retailers expect a boost in sales at this time every year. The market has become not a question of if they’re going to buy, but what are they going to buy?

It’s that age old question. Who are the social influencers deciding what your kids want to get in order to impress their friends at school? Believe it or not, it’s not the clothing or school supply brands, or the retailers, or even celebrities. It’s the girl with the fashion / makeup / relationship video blog your kids are watching online who decide what they need for that oh so important first day of school. You should never underestimate the power of a 14-year-old girl or a twenty something showing off on YouTube all the super cute stuff they just got at Target.

These videos, Tumblr pages, and Pinterest posts full of real people’s purchases are the best shopping guides ever made. Its hundreds or thousands of trendy young people letting millions of others know the awesome deal they just got on that perfect pair of jeans, and they have no problem with naming brand names and telling you where they like to shop. Brands and marketers have yet to capitalize on all this literally free publicity.

We live in a time where someone with a webcam, basic knowledge of iMovie or Photoshop, and an opinion on anything can be a moderate to huge internet sensation. Kids these days have become so “camera ready” that they already know to not say anything too inflammatory online to avoid getting ridiculed by their peers, or worse, turned into a meme. They also know the art of proper lighting and acoustics in a room to best present whatever they have to say to an online audience.

These are all things brands pay ad agencies for. We should use these self-promoters who promote their favorite things; because one person’s post about their favorite backpack is a brand’s extra few hundred sales. Whether its back-to-school supplies, or makeup, or what they had for breakfast, those with followings and fans on their YouTube pages and other social media accounts are the influencers of this generation. But more importantly, those millions of people watching them are buying what they are inadvertently selling.

21 Aug

The Mining Industry in Social Media

#engagementlabs Blogpost, Social Media

Barrick Gold Kinross Gold Mining

When you think about what a mining company does, it usually involves big machines moving mountains of dirt to discover an immense treasure-trove of precious minerals or resources hidden below. Believe it or not, parallels can be made when using social media for your business. We use advanced techniques to sift through all the social media clutter to discover market potential. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are using social media in this exact way. The mining industry should be no different. But what do they really have to gain by tweeting and making fans on Facebook?

Social networks have been used for everything from recruitment to public relations. But all of that can go bad really fast due to a poorly worded post on a company wall or an insensitive tweet. The mining industry is extra susceptible to this because of the nature of what they do. Perception is important, but also the kind of perception a company is portraying in social media. Those in the industry already invested in social media like Barrick Gold or Kinross Gold use their social media platforms as a way to let the public know of their achievements in the industry and establish a corporate culture. They position themselves as environmentally aware and outline their own social responsibilities through the various programs they initiate in order to be seen as honest and transparent companies.

That’s all fine and good, but what’s the point of all of this pandering to the masses? The goal of every mining company using social media should be social acceptability. Like any highly industrial operation, mining companies can be seen in a positive or a negative light in the media. However, that doesn’t mean industries like these should just pack up and leave. Using social media is an opportunity to gain social license to do the work you do and have it be deemed socially acceptable. This acceptance by the public is what a mining company should strive towards, because this allows for more public support and company awareness in communities all around the world.

Gone are the days of a faceless mining company. A company’s image is no longer solely based on what they do. It’s about the people who work there, the lives they affect, and the changes they make for the greater good of everyone involved. Social media has become the greatest way to humanize a company by turning that company into a community. The pitfalls are many, and one false step can demonize you just as fast. But the rewards for engaging with the millions on social media networks can make it all worthwhile and grow your company in new and exciting directions.

07 Aug

High Fashion Brands in Social Media

#engagementlabs Blogpost, Facebook, Social Media

Alfred Dunhill Armani Burberry Cerruti Dior Dolce & Gabana Hermès Ozwald Boateng Yves Saint Laurent Zegna

Right off the bat let me say that I don’t know much about the high fashion clothing industry. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy. And let’s face it; most of these brands are way too cool for school, or in our case Facebook. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn anything from how they do social media. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t know where to begin, but thankfully a female co-worker of mine pointed me in the direction of some well-known, and some not-so well-known high fashion brands for my little analysis.

When you hear the term “high fashion” what first comes to mind? You get your Armani’s, your Dolce & Gabana’s, and your Dior’s, maybe even an Yves Saint Laurent thrown into the mix. Believe it or not, those names you can come up with off the top of your head have significant social media followings. Despite the fact that most of us can’t afford a tie from these places let alone anything else for that matter, they have mainstream appeal because they’re trendy.

You may never own something from Burberry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the style, and that’s exactly what millions of people on Facebook have done by liking their page. It’s online social recognition, not a measure of consumer base, or potential sales. Here’s where some companies falter, because they try to sell on Facebook. Whereas the brands mentioned above do everything but sell their wares. They establish a lifestyle and build notoriety, not pander for sales to the masses.

This is why some ultra-high fashion brands that you’ve probably never heard of and are even less likely of purchasing are on Facebook, because they want the same amount of exposure. Take UK designer Ozwald Boateng for example. Their brand page looks like that of a small business. Yet their clothes are worn by the rich and famous, a fact that the brand has yet to truly capitalize on. For niche brands like those in obscure high fashion, this is what Facebook is for, to turn their esoteric label into a mainstream name.

The not-so well-know high fashion brands like the Zegna’s, the Hermès, and the Cerruti’s of the world use Facebook and other social media to build a brand, not sell a brand. A distinction some companies fail to see. Social media is a great place to show people what your business has to offer. But as these brands have shown, social media can be used as a building tool to acquaint the rest of the world with what they have to offer. The better we understand the various uses of social media, the better we can take advantage of a brands potential.

02 Aug

Online Social Distortion

#engagementlabs Blogpost

Bank of America Dollar Shave Club Lassonde Patagonia Shell Warby Parker

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead

This quote is even truer today than when it was first written over half a century ago. We are witnessing a revolution that is unparalleled in recent times. Social media and mass collaboration tools allow individuals or small groups the ability to create change in ways that would have been impossible until recently. The accessibility to government, corporations and individuals has never been easier.

There are numerous examples of how social media has helped change the course of business, politics or shine light on a company’s bad behavior. A few noteworthy ones include the recent Faux Shell Gas Website that turned out to be Greenpeace, Bank Transfer Day and most significantly the Arab Spring. The public in general is infatuated by the new-found power that it holds. There will be more and more of this and the affects on all institutions will be profound.

There is another side to this phenomenon that has the potential to change the business landscape with great speed. This comes from a growing minority of companies that are able to leverage social media to disrupting the norms of their industry by shining light on their company’s culture, policies and actions.

It’s common knowledge that a viral video can increase the visibility of your brand and that a small but effective social media team can achieve results that would have cost millions in media spend years ago. What sets these companies apart is their ability to change the topic of conversation. These companies are changing public expectations when it comes to intent, transparency and tone.

Here’s a few that do it well;

Warby Parker a new entrant in eyewear, exposed overpriced designer glasses, and is frank about the product that they provided. The tone is lighthearted and fun, while their content is as focused on company culture as on their products and service.

Patagonia is a company that is long known for their quality outdoor products and environmental consciousness. They distanced themselves from the competition in a very brave campaign encouraging consumers to buy less. Wither intended or not, by encouraging the reuse and resale of their product, they not only increased the perceived quality of their product but entered in a unique dialogue for a consumer facing brand. If competing solely on quality and longevity, the ball is definitely in Patagonia’s court.

Dollar Shave Club is another brand that has effectively used this new-found power to change the discussion in their sector. Their hilarious launch video criticized the common marketing and pricing of their competitors products, while highlighting their product in a video that immediately resonates with users. The freshness of their approach went viral, leading to the crashing of their site and a shout out from Sir Richard Branson.

These companies and others like them are changing public expectations; they are consistent in their actions and strike a chord by doing a few things effectively;

Not every action is tied to immediate economic gains
Use of transparency as an advantage
Maintaining a colloquial tone
Creating ways that employees can connect with customers

The focus on engagement cannot be understated. Jumping on every Internet meme might be effective in the short term but it’s not creating true value. There are hundreds of “social media guru’s” that make overarching claim about social media, in reality every industry and segment is different. A company must adapt to their situation. If a company can do that and maintain an honest and transparent dialogue, they are bound for marketing success.

30 Jul

eValue-ating The Canadian Automotive Sector

#engagementlabs eValue

(at)eValueSuite Chevrolet Dodge Ford Honda Hyundai KIA Mazda Nissan Toyota

Nothing makes me happier than driving down the highway in my 1982 Toyota Cressida. I have pictures of my sweet yet reliable car all over my Facebook page. People love showing off their sick set of wheels. But which ride reigns supreme online? Well eValue has got you covered with our suite of Social Media ROI tools. Check out our report on the Canadian automotive sector. Leave a comment below, and lets us know how high your whip ranks.

eValue Report: The Canadian Automotive Sector

View more presentations from Engagement Labs

26 Jul

Top Canadian Brands in Social Media

#engagementlabs Blogpost, Facebook, Twitter

(at)eValueSuite Blackberry RIM Roots Tim Hortons

The social media landscape in Canada is always evolving. 50% of the entire Canadian population are now on some form of social network, and these numbers are only going up. More and more people are turning to Twitter and Facebook to connect with friends, family, and their interests. There’s no better place to show off that Michael Kors watch you got for your birthday, or the view from your room at the Marriot. Facebook’s got it all, from Aston Martin to Ricky Martin. If you’re in to anything, there’s most likely a fan page for you and millions of your closest friends, and if there isn’t one, you can just make one yourself. But rather than allowing any Tom, Dick, or Harry to run something as important as the official Facebook Page for Bud Light Lime Premium Light Beer with 100% Natural Lime Flavor. Budweiser and millions of other brands are taking it upon themselves to put their best foot forward online.

Canadian brands are no exception. Roots Canada on Facebook has become a place to get a great deal on a hoodie and to post a picture of you wearing it. Canadian Tire encourages their fans on Facebook to share stories about biking, camping, and to talk about all those pesky home improvement projects all your neighbours are working on. What all top Canadian brands have in common is there tendency to tap into what makes them genuinely Canadian. That’s why it’s no surprise that good old reliable Tim Hortons is one of the top Canadian brands in social media. They just scream Canadian. Along the TransCanada, a Tim Hortons sign can be mistaken for the Canadian flag, and it’s a comforting sight to see after a long drive, or a night out on the town. Their fans on Facebook alone are equivalent to 5% of the entire population of Canada. That’s 1 out of every 20 Canadians who likes Tims. That’s a lot of coffee. But you can’t run on Timbits alone. Their recent partnership with American ice cream parlor chain Cold Stone Creamery shows they are willing to expand in a new direction. A fact they have yet to capitalize fully on in social media.

You know that picture of a Tim Hortons coffee cup on your wall most likely came from your friend posting it from his Blackberry during his lunch breaks. That goes to show you that there’s always an exception to the rule, and in this case that would be Blackberry. You wouldn’t even know that they’re Canadian unless someone told you, because their appeal goes beyond the snowy Canadian border RIM emanates from. On Facebook alone they currently run 34 Blackberry Pages from Canada to Thailand and everywhere in between. Simply consolidating communities would raise their global profile tremendously. For a while it became the most popular phone with young people due to their BBM messaging service. But the kids have moved on to greener apple tree lined pastures. If their new Blackberry 10 promo is any indication, they certainly know that they need to change or at least play to the current Apple dominated market to stay relevant.

Canadian brands are on the rise, and an easy way for them to gain marketshare online is to latch onto one of the most influential brands out there, “Made in Canada”. As changes within these companies occur in order to serve a wider audience, so should their social media strategies. When you think Canadian, you think of friendly and inviting, and these Canadian brands online are doing just that.

19 Jul

Global vs Regional Pages The Battle for Engagement

#engagementlabs Blogpost, eValue, Facebook, Social Media

(at)eValueSuite Greenpeace Honda Nike

All international companies eventually come across one question: should I localize efforts or have a global strategy? Many of these companies opt for having a different social media account for each of the major countries or regions in which they are present, each with its own local news or promotions. Others choose to have a global account with general information. The first step in deciding which path to take and how to create the proper mix is to define your company’s goals. Both scenarios offer different benefits for organizations; a localized approach can provide a deeper relationship with customers as you understand their specific needs, while a general approach shows brand unity and consistency, elevating trust in consumer minds.

Not only are sales affected, but engagement too. Usually regional or local accounts have a smaller number of followers, yet the community has higher levels of engagement. Global accounts are easier to find by people than regional ones and carry a lot more subscribers. True, given the vast amount of followers, there will always be conversations happening and the account will look very active, however, proportionately they usually don’t have as much engagement as local ones and conversations focus on very generic topics, sometimes even unrelated to the brand. So should the company build on a smaller community with a higher engagement or go for the big numbers? We have analyzed different products and services from a variety of industries to gain some insights on the subject.

Greenpeace International has an eValue score of 49 on its Facebook page, while eight of its regional pages have an average score of 85. At a first glance the decision seems clear: let’s close the global one and open a couple regionals instead. Well, the Greenpeace International page has 1.1million subscribers, while the Greenpeace Deutschland page (with an eValue score of 95) has little over 60 thousand; not such a simple choice now. Without a doubt the final decision should be based on the company’s specific goals. A higher number of fans or followers will certainly boost awareness scores, and that is always the place to start, but what will you do once they’re aware of your existence?

Greenpeace proved local accounts drive more engagement. Now let’s take an example from the auto industry, which is extremely active on social media: Honda. Out of 19 regional Facebook accounts studied, the lowest eValue score registered is 51 for Honda Turkey. The generic Honda page has a very low eValue score of only 9, still consistent with our theory of local accounts being more efficient engagementwise. Why is this happening? First we have to keep in mind that having both regional and global pages actually creates competition for yourself, especially when having that many different ones. A lot of people won’t follow your brand on 5 different places, and more importantly, they won’t comment 5 times. They’ll choose the one that is closest to their interests and focus their attention on it. It’s general reasoning that if you follow the same brand at different places, you’ll get similar posts from it and you don’t want to clog your timeline with repeated content. Sadly this came to be after a lot of brands actually practiced, and still do, this huge mistake. Having regional accounts might backfire on your global account and steal fans and interaction from it. If your company has both types of pages make sure there’s a very notorious distinction between their content.

Regional accounts might seem to be a better investment since they result in higher engagement, but it’s not always the case. Brands need to consider which regions actually have a market interested in their products. Take Nike Football for example, their India Facebook page only scores an 18 on eValue. This proves either poor community management or a lack of regional interest. On the other hand, Nike Football Turkey or Israel both have scores above the 80’s. People from India who are actually interested in the subject and are looking for a more engaging community are most probably not going to look into Turkey’s page though, and here’s also where the global page comes into action: to provide a space for those who don’t fit into a region or look for more than what their regional page offers.

In summary, both regional and global accounts serve their unique purpose and a perfect scenario involves a balance between them. The crucial point for deciding on how much effort to put towards each path, is to review your company’s goals and current situation. Regional accounts will help deepen consumer relationships and therefore increase brand loyalty. Global accounts will boost brand awareness, and have a wider reach, providing a space for consumers who don’t fit in regional divisions.