Posts Tagged ‘real gifts’

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Time reporter Dan Fletcher recently tried to use Facebook as his florist, with mixed results.

He chronicled his adventure in a piece titled:
Gift Giving on Facebook Gets Real

This tongue in check portrayal illustrates the challenges that retailers will have as they attempt to move from virtual gift selling to the real deal on Facebook.

Dan attempted to use a Facebook application to purchase and deliver some actual roses to three women on his “gift list”.

In the end, only his mother would take the roses from him, and here is why…

Facebook is not designed to be a convenience store. If retailers are looking for another distribution channel like 7/11, they will fail in this space. Purchasing convenience is not what social networker’s need when they come to Facebook. They are there for something different.

Facebook is a friend and family gathering system with the potential of being a fabulous retailing format. It can be the perfect place for passing out real gifts to people who WANT to stay connected. But the key is not the convenience of the purchase; rather it is the simplification of the gift sharing process. Even then the sharing must be a part of the engaging conversation within the Facebook experience. Retailers who can facilitate the sharing of gifts within these walls will find the gift selling process simplified.

Facebook is more like a party than a convenience store. Retailers who can inject a fun atmosphere of a group activity within the gift giving process will fit the Facebook model perfectly.

Until Dan’s real flowers can join the Facebook party, they will wilt in the delivery box.

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

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This statement represents the PartyWeDo “Cause”…

Our cause began as a result of real events, and the passion for it is based upon real emotions and real needs.

There are three supporting pillars to the cause:

People

Memories

Giving

Genesis Statements:

* The love for our family is real and is the most powerful motivation for our actions.

* The years of real memories have addicted us to the need to keep generating more.

* Support for those we love requires real giving, which cannot be virtually substituted.

To Sarah and me, the PartyWeDo cause is very personal. We are motivated to contribute because of the people and the memories that we love.

You may have similar people and memories in your life, for which this cause might be valuable as well. If so, we hope that you will join us in making the internet experience like REAL.

The AlbinoPhant party, and the others that will follow, make gift giving on the internet as real as possible.

We are passionate that the virtual experience should somehow send people back into the real world and provide real support.

Memories are not built in a vacuum, so these parties should link real people into an activity that adds to the stories, emotions, and the laughter of great personal connections.

It is hard to stay real in a world built on keyboards, bandwidth and servers. Nevertheless, our cause is to make some of this virtual world like REAL.

NOTE: Thanks to Jesse Stay for suggesting that we publish our Cause for you to read…

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists

There is a growing feeling that Facebook and other social properties will begin to join forces with online retailers to sell real products on their networks.
In fact when Catharine Taylor asked thought leaders to consider what is ahead for 2010, John Dudley, an editor at Hampden-Sydney College suggested that “At least one major retailer will develop an e-commerce Facebook app that will replace its entire “traditional” e-commerce Web site.

What does this really mean?
Can it mean that retailers will just increase their efforts by beefing up their fan page or throwing up some additional advertising on the walls?

No.. Mr Dudley is suggesting that e-commerce will move an actual sales channel into Facebook. This effort would require that a retailer build a storefront on the Facebook super highway. With a social network based store, users could stop and shop without leaving the Facebook system. They could use their regular profile, their recognized PayPal account and have UPS deliver the goods to their door. They would find shopping and sharing with distant family and friends a seamless experience.

What type of retailer would take that risk?
We suggest that gift merchants are the perfect group for the move toward an e-commerce/Facebook partnership, and here is why:

* Gift giving among family and friends sends about $115 Billion dollars into cash registers every year, in just the US alone.

* The concept of sharing gifts (virtual, at least) in Facebook is not a new concept, so selling real gifts through this space is not a giant leap.

* Facebook users have demonstrated that they want to stay connected and supportive to even the most distant contacts.

* Established affiliate sales systems provide the framework to track and administer the sales efforts.

Adding to this concept of e-commerce on social networks, a year end discussion on advertising trends suggest that; “Social media will provide a new sales channel for establishing product awareness and commercializing brands to better support traditional advertising or text-based ads”.
The keyword in this statement is the mention of a new sales channel, supported by advertising and other internet based tools. The integration of retail sales and online tools will provide the wise e-commerce pioneers with a head start into this emerging opportunity.

Which e-commerce retailer could take advantage of this emerging trend?
Amazon should be on the list, and so should Ebay. But Wal-Mart or Target could make a big move with this effort as well. Then there is Buy.com, Overstock.com and other 2nd tier online retailers, who might be looking for some differentiation from the big dogs in e-commerce.

It might be interesting to explore the possibility that an e-commerce retailer could use an engaging Facebook application to assist in gathering family and friends together to purchase gifts and share with each other.

We really like this idea…!!!

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PartyWeDo
The AlbinoPhant Creators
Your Party 2.0 Specialists