Brands, today, have a unique opportunity to gain significant insights into their customer segments by leveraging interest graph data. Interest graphs are generated by the feeds customers follow (e.g. on Twitter), products they buy (e.g. on Amazon), ratings they create (e.g. on Netflix), searches they run (e.g. on Google), or questions they answer about their tastes (e.g. on services like Hunch). Scott Monty, head of Social Media for Ford Motor Company, recently published the following post regarding the importance of Twitter and Four Square and social context:
“If you’re a regular user of services like Twitter orFoursquare, you’ve undoubtedly been met with skeptics and naysayers who wonder aloud, “Why would I want to tell anyone what I’m having for lunch?” or “Why would I care if someone is having a ham sandwich?”
Fair enough, but the inquisitors fail to take into account the all-important factor in any conversation, whether it’s in person or online: context.
Context is what allows us to make sense of much of the world around us. “He’s so bad!” could have two very different meanings, depending on the the rest of the conversation surrounding it. With that in mind, a ham sandwich may be more than just a ham sandwich. What if it’s the best ham sandwich you’ve ever had? Or if it’s at a restaurant that’s offering a discount of 50% off all sandwich orders?
This new video helps to put Foursquare’s services into perspective for people who wonder “What’s the value of ‘checking in’?” As if 15 million of them didn’t already know…
