Can You Hear Me Now…Good

This Verizon Wireless slogan ensures customers that they can have a phone conversation anywhere.  This is no longer the only conversation that is important to Verizon.  The company wants to hear their customers and now want their customers and employees to communicate, too.

One of the most well known competitive markets is the cell phone industry.  A day doesn’t go by that consumers won’t see cell phone brands competing against one another.  In this economy competition is a serious factor in the marketing department.  How are competing companies reaching their consumers, and is it more efficient than their own techniques?

Well, Verizon has grasped the importance of interactivity through social media in order to help relate to customers and provide valuable information.  Verizon’s website is very simple to follow and clearly categorized to ensure easy usability.  If you visit the Verizon Homepage you have the option of choosing between the residential, business, or wireless side of the company.  Not only do these three sections provide information specific to their category, but they also provide something more. 

Social media tools are used as links to guide customers and provide even more information.  In the residential homepage Verizon provides consumers with forums and a news center update.  In the business homepage there are podcasts discussing better business ideas, such as going green, and they have also have links for the Verizon News Center.  In the wireless homepage there are links to community forums, a view of the weekly calendar, and a sign-up to receive email updates.

There are so many social media tools that we could discuss, but the two main tools that provide the most information is the community forums and the Verizon News Center.  The community forum provides categories for consumers to post a comment within the correct category. This allows such a larger company with numerous products to help to direct customers efficiently.  Along with the ability to post comments or suggestions, Verizon provides a few social interactive design tools.  Customers have the option to give posts kudos and developed a ranking system for each post.  Interactive design tools are a creative way to excite consumers and keep them intrigued in the site.  You can find more information on interactive design in a previous post of mine, “Future with Interactive Design“.

The Verizon News Center provides updates on breaking news, past announcements, background information, and media relation’s contacts.  There are also links to press releases, videos, and fact sheets etc.  Even though this is not essentially interactivity it is still a great form of social media to provide stakeholders with information.

The Verizon website is a great way to keep customers informed, but Verizon also has a policy blog to discuss a variety of topics.  Just like the website the Verizon PolicyBlog is categorized.  Topics range from broadband, wireless, video, web 2.0, and policies etc.  The blog is written and updated by the communication and media relations department.

In combination with the Verizon PolicyBlog and website, Verizon has truly grasped the idea of social media and web 2.0.  Will Verizon come continue to come out with even more social media?  Or will they continue to strive in what they have all ready implemented?  One thing is certain, to remain a top competitor Verizon has to continue using their social media tools to the best of their ability.

Communication on a Cruise Ship

The advertisement for Carnival Cruise Lines is part of Carnival’s campaign strategy to show people of any generation can have fun the way they did as children. This campaign is part of the “Funville” interactive feature.  This interaction design is one of the social media outlets Carnival has developed to enhance their communication and relationship with its consumers.

Carnival is one of the many organizations implementing different forms of social media to develop interactivity and increase their marketing strategy.  A case study done by Innovation Insight on their Intel 3.0 blog posted an interview with Carnival  Senior Manager for Interactive Marketing Strategy Jordan Corderra and Social Media Strategist Stephanie Leavitt.  The interview discusses how Carnival worked to establish their social outlets.  They also mention Carnival’s different forms of social media such as Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, Flickr, a personal blog, a virtual tour, and their own company social network. 

Levitt uses Twitter to communicate with customers and supply online guest with updates.  One recent tweet stated that the cruise director wanted to make “open deck” available in the moonlight to create a beautiful setting on the boat.  Other tweets include personal messages to possible employees asking about job offers and guests discussing fun activities available on the ship.  The Twitter page also provides a link to the Carnival website. 

Cruise director John Head writes the Carnival blog.  His personal blog began with a focus on one specific ship, but Carnival decided to redirect his blog to broaden the topics.  He discusses his opinions suggests his ideas to gain the best experience on a Carnival cruise.

Carnival Connections is Carnival’s social network environment.  After further development it has become a site to experience virtual tours, customer interviews, and discussion forums.  This page provides a several ways to connect and communicate with employees and previous guests.  One of the virtual tours combines videos and interviews of vacationers on the ship, so newcomers can see the atmosphere of the ship with real Carnival guest’s feedback.

One of the most recent interactive forms to communicate with consumers is developed as a social interaction design.  The “Funville” section of the Carnival website has campaign videos and interactive games for users to explore.  One of the games lets users play with the beach ball or piñata from the Carnival commercials.  Another activity is to learn how to make your own animal towel, just like the ones you find on your bed.  The last element to the “Funville” corner is to enter information to receive updates and communicate with Carnival.

These Carnival features market their vacation atmosphere to consumers.  Even though each style doesn’t provide a direct contact with the company the interactive tools all spark the interest of users and keep them intrigued.  Through this involvement Carnival is able to establish a connection with its consumers, and keep them returning for future family vacations.  There are many other corporations that implement social media as effectively as Carnival and others that can learn from their technologies.

Social Media Incorporates Social Interaction Design

Imagine logging into your Face Book account. The first thing you notice is a new friend request from five people. Instead of seeing the words friend request, you see “five sorry lots think they’re your mate”. This lingo is an element of Face Book known as pirate talk. The pirate talk application is an interactive design feature to establish a unique world within the social network environment.

Interaction design is defined as the behavior of a product or system and the user that interacts with it. The goal of interaction design is to minimize confusion and create an accurate and efficient way of connecting with people and corporations. Today with the increase of social media interactive designers are going one-step further.

Designers are developing new ways to make social networks more appealing to users. Corporations are even implementing design features into their blogs and personal social networks to draw in more users and cater to stakeholders.

When social networks were first established the design was minimal. Creators focused on the site and its functions rather than the attraction to keep people returning to their site. Even though interaction design is not necessarily conversation between people it is the returning of users that will initiate interactivity between other users.

As networks such as MySpace, Face Book, and LinkedIn continue to thrive, the design elements continue to increase. Designers use their talents to create an environment within the site. Each network has different characteristics that create a unique world. Designers work to make this world more real to users.

Social interaction design is reflected through a variety of elements. The Social Degree blog archive explains the importance of implementing interactive designs into social networks. Everything in a site right down to the labeling of buttons is used to create the interactive environment.

Even though social interactive design is more prevalent among social networks, blogs and corporate sites are beginning to implement unique designs to keep users returning. Also social network applications can be used to connect users to corporations and navigate them to a company’s blog or website.

A website created by Adrian Chan is called a Social Interaction Design Consultancy. This site describes in detail the importance of social interaction design and how it differs from conventional software designs. The website also describes and gives advice in creating interesting design elements and features. If you’re looking for interesting ideas for your own company site, check out what Chan has to say.

I am going to begin looking into different case studies and how social networks and corporate blogs are using interactivity to the best of their ability.

A Future with Interactive Design

Interactivity in social media stems from the connections users make with one another.  Many connections are made based on similar interests or meeting someone through a friend-of-a-friend.  Connections are established through blog subscribers, mini-blog subscribers, or social network users.  Even if a connection is made that doesn’t mean interactivity has occurred.

Connections must be acted upon.  Interactivity requires a dialogue with other users to create solid relationships that are beneficial to each person.  Rules of interactivity are simple, maintain conversations and respond to questions and opinions.

It is important to remember that users control interactivity.  The easier and more attractive interactive tools are; the more likely they will be used.  Users are looking for features to entice them to want more.  Interactive design is the perfect way to attract users.

Most blogs incorporate interesting designs, but the biggest place for interactive designs are social networks such as Face Book and Twitter.  However, each social network goes about their design concepts in different ways.

Face Book applications provide fun and exciting ways to meet new people and make more connections with people sharing similar interests.  Through these new connections Face Book then provides a simple way to view what your friends are doing.  Their design displays one status feed that represents your updates and those who update to you.

This design feature is convenient, but not the only option.  According to, A Social Interaction Design (SxD) blog on Web 2.0 and Social Media, a blog written by Adrian Chan Twitter does not follow the standard design elements to create ease and excitement for users.  The design is simple, but shows two-way update feeds.  Chan explains that this provides a more open and flexible way of communicating.  Twitter gives users the option to tweet on a “whenever/wherever” basis.  Some feel this could cause problems.  Many people feel everyone will not respond automatically, and the purpose of tweeting for one person may not be received in the same manner as another.

Interactive design is growing within each social network.  New applications and tools are being designed and improved everyday.  The Johnny Holland Magazine’s blog is solely based on interaction.  In the blog post, “Social Interaction Design Primer II: 6. What’s next”, they describe the future of interactive designs and the effects it will have on social media.  These ideas are important and will continue to update users on the current actions and status’s of their connections.  It will create more communication, as well as better relationships.