A conversation from Digital Conversations – social media, creative, technology, user experience &  SEO.

http://www.readingroom.com.au/blog/category/technology/

“The rise and rise of social shopping.

While sites like E-bay and Amazon have opened up a new, global   marketplace to ordinary consumers, the simple fact is that simply buying online doesn’t fulfill many of the psychological quirks that makes us humans so interesting.  Social commerce goes beyond merely allowing consumers to make purchase where they happen to be already – i.e a social network, rather than dragging them back to your website.  We’re not satisfied by mere convenience: we’re social animals, and clever marketers need to use social influence heuristics to connect more deeply with consumers in a noisy marketplace.

Referral programs, reviews, wishlists and forums are all excellent ways of appealing to our innate need to, if not follow the crowd, at least know what the crowd thinks.  Trading reviews, information and favours (“I’ll tell you about this great deal and you’ll reciprocate”) is a simple way to reinforce social relationships and build an online word of mouth campaign.

Another of the things that makes us ticks is influence. Either by positioning ourselves as influencers (“she knows where all the coolest deals / products are”) or by choosing items that are endorsed by people we see as authorities in a given area, influence is at the heart of social commerce. According to Gladwell and many others, trends are often made or broken on the endorsement of a few pivotal “hyperconnected” people.

Group deals or buy-in programs are another great way of combining the classic marketing “scarcity” tactic with social proof. They also appeal to our natural desire to find affinity with one another.

We’ve already seen a great deal of social integration with e-commerce in 2010 and Facebook is increasingly the venue of choice to promote anything from fashion collection to car launches with its ambition to turn pages into storefronts. iTunes Ping is a clear move into social shopping, building a recommendation that acts as a social network for music lovers and providing purchase recommendations based on your connections as well as a huge amount of data and insight derived from learning about users’ libraries through Genius and the iTunes store.

The launch of Google’s Boutiques.com and major investment in the Facebook E-Commerce apps are a strong indication that social shopping will go mass market. After all, why spend all that money engaging with people in social spaces only to drag them off to a traditional shopping site.  Paradoxically, according to the CEO of Facebook app provider BigCommerce, the 25 percent of BigCommerce customers who use the app report that it has resulted in 17 percent more traffic to their sites, on average. It’s early days but it certainly seems that by offering consumers the chance to shop where they want, there’s a consequent improvement in brand loyalty.

Facebook’s bold claim is that by 2015 10 to 15 percent of total consumer spending in developed countries may go through sites such as Facebook. The question is whether this will be beneficial or detrimental to the social experience; for example, certain types of shopping experience, like auctions, are more suited to social spaces than others.

This year Facebook’s exclusive deal with oodle.com, who provide the Classified ads you find in the Marketplace, comes to an end, and if Facebook chooses to open up its online retail capacity, there will be everything to play for.”

Click here for further conversations

http://www.readingroom.com.au/blog/category/technology/

“Mentoring has become one of the popular management tools of the decade.

While it has always existed informally in communities and organisations it has now achieved the formal status of professional development. It seems that everyone needs a mentor.

A mentoring relationship is one where a wiser and more experienced person assists another person to grow and learn.

The ideal mentor is a person who can be thought of as a tribal elder or trusted adviser. They can be particularly valuable in times of transition and can assist mentees to manage a new role or promotion, negotiate maternity/ paternity leave or new working arrangements.

A mentor can be the person who explains the software of senior corporate life to those aspiring to be a part of it.

In the modern workplace where change is a given and diversity an ideal, there is a need for people to have more one-on-one support.

Mentoring is a cost effective way of addressing these issues. “ McCarthy Mentoring.

Since 1998 McCarthy Mentoring has been providing independent mentors to people in leading companies across the Australian business, government and not-for-profit communities. Clients include major public corporations, not-for-profits; statutory authorities and individuals.

McCarthy Mentoring programs create formal one2one relationships between mentors and mentees. These are designed to enhance the mentees skills, knowledge and confidence, to clarify professional and personal goals, and expand professional networks. Mentors provide support and advice to mentees enabling them to develop strategies and apply their learning to the workplace.

For more information see the McCarthy website or the recent article in Vogue.

http://www.mccarthymentoring.com/profile.htm

vogue Australia Jan 2011

WINNERS of the Corban & Blair STORY BOOK

As it is Christmas we have decided to have 3 winners instead of one for the final draw of

The Story Book competition.

The lucky Winners are:

• Rafael Despradel from Redfern in Sydney

• Natalie Hibbert from Beaumaris in Victoira

• Geraldine Simpson from Bondi in Sydney

Congratulations!

We hope you write up some great stories, histories, poems or personal chronicles.

Sarah Mandelson CEO of Serendipity Ice Cream spoke about the steps and savings her company has made. Strategies that use green energy while they also recycle, reuse and involve their local community. Not only making reductions, but also using a process, that educates others.

As part of the meeting we visited The Bowery Co-Op a non-for profit business that collects, fixes and sells a wide range of used items and Reverse garbage who have a great gallery as well as their large shed full of fascinating perused or unused materials.

For more information Ph 956 93132 Email info@reversegarbage.org.au. Follow on Twitter & Facebook

* Reverse Garbage is one of the few places in Sydney who will accept computer technology for recycling..

These businesses can be found in the grounds of 142 Addison Road, Marrickville. Sydney. NSW

For more information about Target Sustainability – a Marrickville Council initiative. Contact Ph 933 62222 or sustainability@marrickville.nsw.gov.au

Visiting these businesses makes a fascinating family and creative outing.

Fleur Heazelwood who bought her orange journal from David Jones in Bondi Junction. Fleur will receive her frames next week.

Congratulations Fleur.

(all unsuccessful names will stay in the draw for the next 2 months)

The Life in Style trade show this year has many gorgeous things.

We are showcasing new life style ranges, our Poems to Share cards-a collaboration with the Red Room Company (www.redroomcompany.org/).

Along with items for kids and of course albums, journals and stylish frames. The photos below are taken with my iphone not the best quality but will give an idea of our stand.

Kids Ranges

Life Style Ranges

The family- Amanda, Adam ( Melbourne) Helena (HongKong)

Wall of frames

It is the end of the working year (for many of us) at last. Seasons greetings to all.

Corban & Blair wish you a relaxing break and an exciting 2010.

Corban & Blair celebrating