Community 2.0

I'm very excited to be speaking at the Community 2.0 conference in March with my good friend and thought leader, Michael Perman of Levi's. Radar is currently conducting primary ethnographic research with consumers on the interaction between physical and virtual communities and how brands can play a positive role. Michael and I will have a lot to report, including some great video, at the conference.

As part of the exploration, I've asked a few thought to answer the question, What is Community? I'll start sharing those in upcoming blog posts, as well.

Here's more information on the conference:

Community 2.0 is the inaugural event for forward-thinking organizations that recognize the need of harnessing the network effect of community to make smarter, faster, and better business decisions.This conference will show how some of the world’s largest and most aggressive companies are using community and social networks to radically change the performance of their organizations in the areas of

Marketing- Companies spend millions of dollars each year on customer research. Learn how communities can give you that data at a fraction of the cost. Wouldn’t you want direct access to your customers, creating two-way dialogues that ultimately deepen relationships and improve the bottom line?

Product Innovation- Community interaction is shortening the product development lifecycle and creating new product opportunities. Leading companies are leveraging customer and innovation communities to create the products that they know customers already want and need.

Customer Service- By leveraging the collective knowledge of the customer community, companies are providing better customer service that is both faster and less expensive than traditional models. Communities allow your customers to help each other while keeping the lines of communication open with you.

Be sure to check out the conference blog, The Future of Communities.

Comments

[Michael Perman]

Looking forward to this conference since a) John's a great thought partner and b) I think we're at another historical inflection point in regard to community.

First, I think we as a collective group of marketers, designers and academics have helped the name "community" prosper in the digital space without regard to whether consumers believe that's the appropriate name for what it utilized. But, semantics aside, I think we are now learning more about the empty space...the "third space" that exists where traditional community and digital community have yet to fulfill.

Community by it's nature is an interactive basket of surprises and delights that help an entity or an environment grow and prosper, to establish roots for others who come by to enjoy. Community provides equity, historical reference points, learning experience and memorable voice of change. Second Life indeed has the potential for this provision of sustainable roots, but I wonder if it's complexity and infinite nature can be ultimately satisfying or just amazinlgy fun, creative and lucrative.

I am looking forward to completing our research and beginning to envsion a next wave of community. I believe there will be more substance than just convenience and entertainment. I think immediate access to specific commonalities and viral speed of messaging are now the "antes", but there is a new wave emerging..the third space that will change the current paradigm. Stay tuned.

[kate spade outlet]

Community 2.0 - John Winsor