Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

And yet, too many of these types of campaigns worry too much about the masses, with Marketing types opting to allow consumers to upload not only photos, for example, but also video... or just and email... or just a tweet... too few guidelines which leads to no relevant participation.

I think Burberry makes the classic mistake of asking for something from their community before giving anything away. Moreover, they have no community manager here, or brand personification. In social media, the brand comes first, then who represents the brand, then comes the magic.

I think the majority of people that saw the site last week and shared it didn't look close enough to realize it was asking for UGC (myself included).

The more pressing question to me is, what's the motivation for people to actually do the work here?

This just seems like another digital tactic hanging out in the wind with no strategy.

Craig and Bud: You both make valid points. I go, I visit, I MAY leave a comment. Then I never return. What's bringing me back, keeping me engaged?

Bud, you're right in that they've made the mistake of implementing with no strategy or long-term plans. Both are crucial to social success.

.Sarah Jo

Marketing activities based on UGC are a tough nut, especially if you're expecting good content. I wrote a series on UGC here: http://koolaidantidote.wordpress.com/category/consumer-generated-content/

The primary obstacles for Burberry is a) their desire for visual content and b) there isn't a compelling reason to post. Good visual content requires a high degree talent, experience, desire...and time - something 99.9% of us don't have. And even if I did, what's fun about shooting Burberry products?

I'm not sure whether that the site is an effective means of generating UGC, but I have to hand it to the Sartorialist; he is a helluva photographer. And the site has received quite a bit of buzz in the webosphere, perhaps incited by the NY Times article.

I have to hand it to Scott and his photography. I love it. Interestingly, his work for Burberry is waaaaay better than the canned ad work he shot for DKNY with the forced styling.

As a diehard Burberry addict, this site is an expression of what I love about the brand. It IS the the rigid rules that uphold the brand's integrity.

People like me (brandvocates) are excited that the brand would be willing to let me participate in a living document like this site. And, if my image is selected, I'd be the first on FB connect, sharing it with my social footprint.

From a business perspective, consider the 'walled' communities vs those that let everyone in. It's the former that survive, not the latter. Club Penguin, a site known for their rigid rules, was v. popular with parents for that very reason. And the Penguin just sold to Disney for $350 million after only 2 years in existence.

Another example - Facebook vs MySpace. The former, with its 'walled garden approach' is valued in the billions and the latter, where everyone can freely express themselves, is struggling to keep its network intact.

Back to Burberry -- I agree with Jonathan that Scott's iconic imagery captures the essence of Burberry which also helps fans want to participate in the exercise. Click on any of the images and you'll already see hundreds of likes an comments already bubbling for each photo and the site is only a couple of weeks old.

Tom: I enjoyed your series on UGC. Thanks for sharing. Though I disagree that amateurs can't produce creative, inspiring, g-rated content. If their heart is there and the reward (whether personal or public) is enough, they can and will. I agree time also plays a major role.

Jonathan and Lori: I love Scott's photos too, but I really wanted to see more stylistic variety. And the only way to get that is from more photographers. It's good. I just want to see more.

When will an amateur's work make it on the site? Lori, did you submit a photo? I would love to hear if/when it does make it to their site.

Thanks for commenting all and hope to see you back again.

.Sarah Jo

Sarah, a really interesting blog. I'm a huge Burberry fan and the art of the trench website - have spent loads of time on it and agree with what Lori said about the rigid rules upholding the brand's integrity.

I was however interested in seeing UGC and their quality so have kept going back. Have to admit if you click on 'view latest' you'll see lots of photos that have gone up since the site launched and i'm really impressed with the quality so maybe it is working. Am going to upload my own this weekend and will let you know.

Overall, i agree the UGC story can get old quickly, so will be interested to see how they move forward with more collaborations as they mention in their about section, but have to admit think it's just brilliant brand work.

Tough Rules:
1. Portrait
2. Outdoors
3. Person must be wearing a Burberry coat
4. Both person in photograph and photographer must consent

Are those really tough rules?!

Is a great promotional tool but you need to ask if its right for the company...certainly its not right for all.

Lex: I have returned to the site too and was surprised to see more photos uploaded by other (seemingly amateur) users.

Peter: When you think about the young side of the Internet audience Burberry is hoping for, those are tough rules. I noticed that they even let one slide by posting a picture of a man and a child what appears at an inside locale.

Woody: Burberry is using social to attract a younger audience. That strategy cannot stand alone. They need to employ ways to keep them there, keep them coming back and keep them engaged. Otherwise, this is just another short-lived campaign.

Still, I'm loving all of your feedback and the conversation around this. Keep it coming.

.Sarah Jo