60% of Fortune 1000 Companies to use Online Communities by 2010

Some new research just out by Gartner, one of the world's leading IT research company, states that 'More Than 60 Percent of Fortune 1000 Companies With a Web Site Will Connect to or Host a Form of Online Community by 2010.'

In what is one of the most interesting looks at online communities so far, albeit it US-biased, the report highlights both the reasons for success AND failure. Specifically, Gartner has sited the lack of 'mutual purpose', and the necessary skills to engage with and meets the needs of Generation Virtual as a major failure factor.

Dub's response to this has always been to support communities with skilled Community Managers (CM), thus going beyond simply delivering a piece of web-based technology, albeit it leading-edge. Our CM' work with clients at the beginning of a project, and throughout the life of the community to ensure that it is sustained, grows, and is a safe place to interact, among other things.

The report goes on to say that 'A key benefit of establishing a community is the amount of information an organization can gain about its customer base, which can be used for short-and long-term customer relationships,' said Adam Sarner, principal research analyst at Gartner. 'Data can be collected and used for product development, customer feedback, loyalty management, customer segmentation, campaign targeting, and individual or group customer satisfaction management. This wealth of data can be used for marketing, in particular, as well as an entire customer-focused organization.'

However, establishing an online community isn't without challenges. Gartner predicts that by 2010, more than 50 percent of companies that have established an online community will fail to establish mutual purpose, ultimately eroding customer and company values. To combat this, marketing organizations will need new skills to meet the needs of Generation Virtual.

'Companies will be challenged with what applications to use, who ultimately "owns" an application or interaction and the management of socialization itself, from measuring success and mitigating negative interactions to sourcing and cultural restraints,' said Mr. Sarner.

Unlike previous generations, Generation Virtual (also known as Generation V) is not defined by age or gender, social demographic or geography but is based on demonstrated achievement, accomplishments and an increasing preference for the use of digital media channels to discover information, build knowledge and share insights. The definition of Generation V derives from the recognition that these common behaviors, attitudes and interests are starting to blend together in an online environment.

When doing business with Generation V, marketers will need to attract online personas by creating multiple, engaging online destinations and provide tools for Generation V individuals population to socialize and express their different personas. By creating these destinations, marketers can gain a deeper understanding of Generation V. Marketers should provide, or connect to, online destinations from selling-focused sites and community forums to brand-aware, persistent, 3-D virtual worlds to get customers to their sites and promote socialization in the community. From there, marketers can lead prospects to products and services while gathering relevant information about their future wants and needs.

'To dive deeply into what different personas want, what and who they are influenced by, and for help on predicting future behavior, marketers will need to rely heavily on the social sciences for insight into the evolving needs of their customer base,' said Mr. Sarner. 'They also will need proficiency in game design to create highly engaging, highly relevant environments to promote customer interaction. The Chief Marketing Officer should plan to attract these skill sets today, because, in less than 10 years, they will comprise much of what the marketing organization will look like.'

Categories: Co-creation.

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