The Connected Class

Brandon Geary and his team in our Account Planning group did great work for our Digital Outlook Report. Their efforts resulted in several insights that every marketer should think about. How do we, as consumers, portray ourselves online?  How many social networking profiles are we willing to maintain? How many digital devices do we really need? What role should marketing play in our communication platforms? Read on for some of Brandon’s thinking on these issues…

To better understand how user behavior is evolving, Avenue A | Razorfish conducted in-depth interviews with 25 people between the ages of 18 and 34 who exhibit a high propensity for using a variety of digital platforms. We call this segment of the population the Connected Class and believe they represent a bellwether for predicting digital behavior.

The proliferation of the digital you

What do we mean by the digital you? Much has been written about consumer empowerment, the power of self-expression, digital conversation, user-generated content (UGC), and the rise of social behavior. Indeed, Time magazine made “You” their Person of the Year over a year ago. The digital you is how you express your individuality using all of these channels.

But in our research, we found connected users are beginning to do more to build their digital you than we could have imagined. They aren’t just using the new technology, social, and communication platforms they’re using them to express different sides of themselves in both obvious and nuanced ways.

People have always shown different sides of themselves the person you are at work is perhaps different from the one that rides a Harley-Davidson on weekends. The punk rock fan may never have dropped into a half pipe. But today, digital platforms are rapidly perpetuating the phenomenon of the multi-dimensional self.

Users are leveraging every digital tool at their disposal to show these different sides of themselves- who they are, where they fit, what they think, and what they think of others and the digital context plays a critical part in determining which part of themselves they show. They display these different aspects of their personalities through the devices they use, games they play, and conversations they have. And while that may sound merely interesting, we believe it has significant implications for both marketers and communicators in 2008 and beyond.

The proliferation of the profile

Social networking is not a zero-sum game

Much of the discussion around social networking aims to pick a winner in the space. Will Facebook eventually eclipse MySpace? Will users tire of requests to join specialized and company-sponsored communities? Will users look to aggregate their various profiles onto a single site?

We found users surprisingly willing to maintain a presence on multiple social networking platforms, so long as a critical mass of people remains. More importantly, we found users actively expressing different sides of themselves on different communities and even managing multiple profiles on a single platform: “I have both a party profile and a business profile on MySpace.” (Tory, 26)

Alternatives to Facebook and MySpace, like Yelp, 43 Things, and Bebo, are recognized as having their own sort of relevant culture and place in the digital world: “People on Yelp are really into the Yelp scene.” (Sarah, 25)

Despite the emergence of two social networking titans, there may still be room for more- or different. And for marketers bent on leveraging social media, it’s critical to use the appropriate platform for the appropriate purpose. That is, identify a specific purpose for a gaming social platform like XBOX Live, another for Facebook, and perhaps another for MySpace.

The proliferation of the platform

Every device has a self-expressive purpose

Despite user requests for a single mobile, PC, or gaming device to do everything, we found users increasingly willing to embrace multiple devices, even when those devices possess overlapping capabilities. For instance, a Nintendo Wii for the whimsical side of their gaming lives and an XBOX 360 for competition. A laptop for managing the business of life and another littered with stickers for fun. A smart phone for e-mail and a flip phone for weekends.

We found users unwilling to make the compromises that come with an all-in-one while willing to embrace devices for different highly specialized aspects of their lives: “We bought my brother-in-law an iPhone specifically so we could get him to check his e-mail. Nothing else seemed to work.” (Laura, 26)

For retailers and manufacturers keen on helping consumers make just the right choice in a particular consumer electronics category, the best choice may be to choose more than one.

The proliferation of communication

A social hierarchy takes shape

Much has been written about the emergence of various forms of digital communication and the increasing frequency with which people use things like SMS, IM, and microblogging tools such as Twitter.

We found users actively seeking to specify communication methods to other individuals either based on the nature of the relationship (family vs. friends) or, more specifically, the relative value placed on the relationship.

While text messaging was described as “to the point” and “direct,” it was often reserved for some of the most personal and important relationships: “I only text my boyfriend when we are fighting.” (Sarah, 25) “My sister texts me when she wants me to convey something to my Mom.” (Lauren, 26)

For members of the Connected Class, the phone conversation appears to be increasingly reserved for non-users of more nascent forms of communication. It’s often described as a bit of a chore, as digital channels evolve to one-way broadcasts to large groups of friends: “Calls can be too long; if you just have a quick question, you don’t want to hear what they’ve been doing forever.” (Jillian, 21)

From a marketing perspective, forms of communication like SMS and mobile e-mail remain incredibly personal and relevant for a select set of direct-response-oriented brands able to integrate into the upper rungs of the user’s social hierarchy.

The proliferation of self-promotion

Social activity has real social value

Sharing different sides of your personality is a lot of work�it might require uploading photos, maintaining multiple profiles, constantly adding new friends, and simply keeping up with the technology necessary to do so.

We found that users are keenly aware of the level of interaction and sophistication demonstrated by themselves and others. Suspicion arises when a friend shows no social activity at all. (”What do you have to hide?”) Someone who constantly updates their profile and posts photos of last night’s cocktail party may be revealing their social insecurities. A small friend list may have people wondering whether or not that person is worthy.

This notion of hierarchy was particularly evident when users described the difference between personal conversations conducted using Facebook’s private e-mail function and those using the public Wall function where they can broadcast to entire Facebook groups: “People converse on the Wall because it shows everyone how active their life is.” (Laura, 26)

It also illustrates the degree to which new technology plays a critical role in keeping up with the Joneses both physically and socially. If the photos on your Facebook page are taken with a 1-megapixel camera, they aren’t going to look too good. If your phone lacks wireless Web capability, you can’t update your status as regularly.

This poses an interesting question for marketers. Is it enough to simply put up a profile and see who comes, or are users ready for a brand or brand-based character to actively aim to elevate its social status through constant status updates, direct communications, and events?

The proliferation of active participation

The proliferation of the digital you has additional implications for marketers

Media planners should consider some level of participation on social and mobile platforms, even if the majority of media activity is display- or response-based. Users’ increasing reliance on the Web as a communication tool suggests they’ll soon expect all relevant brands to be where they are and will question those who are not.

Direct marketers should define the communication channel appropriate for the level of relationship they expect to create with their consumers. Texting and mobile social networking, for instance, remain extremely personal forms of communication. Can you develop an offer or information resource worthy of this level of inclusion?

Brand managers should consider the elasticity of their brands. Can they stretch to show unique attributes or personality traits across various social platforms to effectively fit in with the environment? Even as new communication devices and platforms change how people present themselves, the concept of the fragmented digital you looks to be a permanent part of the fragmented media landscape.