crowdsourcing | storytelling | citizenship | social data
People’s Insights: Volume 1, Issue 47
Small Business Saturday
What is Small Business Saturday? A purpose-inspired movement, founded by American Express, which encourages Americans to shop small on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. People spent $5.5 billion during this period in 2012.
forbes.com
Built around a powerful shared purpose AmEx highlighted the role of small businesses in creating jobs and contributing to local communities and the national economy, thus establishing a strong shared purpose around which people united.
momgenerations.com
Mobilizes small business owners Small business owners leveraged tools and materials provided by AmEx to promote themselves. Tools included free online ad credits, marketing materials and tips to make their businesses social.
1) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday, 2) prweekus.com
Also mobilizes people AmEx provided supporters with a map to find participating stores and encouraged supporters to do four things: shop small, rally friends, spread word and share photos on Instagram.
1) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday, 2) in.5thvillage.com
Incentives for customers AmEx also incentivized participation for cardholders, rewarding them with a $25 credit for spending $25 at a participating merchant, and allowing them to redeem membership points for Shop Small gift cards.
1) thepointsguy.com, 2) facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday
Support from public figures The movement was also promoted by advocacy groups, city and state governments, and public figures, including President Obama, who tweeted his support and participated by shopping at a local bookstore.
twitter.com/whitehouse
Movement becomes bigger than the brand Quite a few people who participated in the movement did not realize it was an AmEx initiative. Marketers point out that this is true – and necessary – for most successful branded movements.
MSLGROUP’s Now & Next: Future of Engagement report on Grassroots Change Movements
AmEx still benefits AmEx reported a 21% increase in card transactions on Small Business Saturday 2012. Thinkers point out the movement also helped AmEx gain the goodwill of small business owners.
businessweek.com
Stories to spark participation AmEx encourages participating small businesses to share their stories to sustain momentum of the movement, to encourage more participants and to provide a feel-good to shoppers who supported the movement.
facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday
Sets precedent for more movement marketing Small Business Saturday was awarded two Grand Prix awards at Cannes, drawing attention to this type of program and carving a role for grassroots change movements in the future of engagement.
adage.com
More People’s Insights Weekly reports Every week, we dive into one topic for discussion on the MSLGROUP Insight’s Network and discuss insights and foresights, in four key areas: crowdsourcing, storytelling, citizenship and social data.
Crowdsourcing
Storytelling
Citizenship
Social Data
Mahindra Spark the Rise
@MarsCuriosity
#Kony2012
MTV Fantasy Election
For more reports, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/
Read People’s Lab insights and foresights The People’s Lab team shares the insights and foresights from the MSLGROUP Insights Network on the People’s Insights weekly blog and the People’s Insights Quarterly magazine.
MSLGROUP Insights Network
People’s Insights weekly blog
People’s Insights Quarterly magazine
50+ MSLGROUP planners share and discuss inspiring projects on corporate citizenship, crowdsourcing and storytelling.
We deep dive into conversations around one project -- on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on the broader social web -- to distill insights and foresights.
Every quarter, we will compile the best insights from the network and the blog in the iPad-friendly magazine, as a showcase of our capabilities.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com
People’s Insights Annual Report In early January 2013 we will publish the ten-part People’s Insights Annual Report, in which we synthesize our insights from 2012 and provide foresights for business leaders and change-makers for 2013.
Now & Next: Future of Engagement
Part 1: Crowdfunding
Part 2: Behavior Change Games
(coming soon as an iPad app) Subscribe to the report at: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/annual-report/
People’s Lab: Crowdsourcing Insights & Innovation People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insight for innovation, storytelling and change.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com
For People’s Lab solutions, contact pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com