BACKGROUND + RESOURCES
The inaugural 2008 study examined the work of more than 140 organizations in building and deploying online communities in various marketing-related functions.
2008 RESOURCES: Coverage | Charts | Presentations | Webinars | Buttons
Over the course of 2008 Beeline Labs, Deloitte and the Society of New Communications Research produced the first study of its kind to learn from the early experiences of more than 140 organizations on how they’re managing communities, measuring success, and deriving business benefits. The survey and interviews examined online community initiatives at a mix of business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies, as well as non-profits, with communities ranging from fewer than 100 members to more than 10,000 members.
The study surfaced valuable insights, lessons learned, and best practices for moving forward. Below and at right are highlights and resources for learning more.
THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS #1: Communities are about Delivering Game-Changing Results
- Communities can increase revenue per customer dramatically, i.e., 50%
- Communities will increase product introduction success ratios
- Communities amplify everything you do- increasing effectiveness and decreasing costs
#2: The Rise of the CMO 2.0?
- Communities should be an important part of the CMO’s toolset (but for many large companies - there is an under-investment and scale problem)
- Companies should evolve the role of the CMO into Chief Community Officer (but that will require drastic changes in attitude and approach to marketing)
- If done properly, communities will transform the way marketing works (reduced costs, improved effectiveness, new opportunities)
#3: The Need for New Management Thinking
- Mismatch between community goals and associated investments
- Major gaps between Community Goals and what is being measured
- Communities have yet to combine with major talent initiatives
- Communities will transform most business processes
#3.5: The Worst Practices Enjoy Wide Adoption
- The “build it and they will come” fallacy
- The “let’s keep it small so it doesn’t move the needle” phenomenon
- The “not invented here” syndrome
COMMENTARY + CONTEXT
For more information on the study, including citations of the scores of articles written about it and dozens of helpful graphics from the slide deck, head here.
