In a recent 2007 Holiday report released by OneUpWeb they profiled 10 of the hottest products of the holiday season and how they are using social marketing. Pleo, the robotic dinosaur is a client that Crimson has been working with for some time to help create a vibrant social community that has resulted in their inital product inventory being completely pre-sold online and a lot of buzz about the robotic life form. Pleo is a great example of excellence in social marketing that has some lessons for marketers:

Key Take-Aways for Marketers:

• Leverage social tools. Use forums and blogs (or in Pleo’s case - Plogs!) to give enthusiasts a platform for expression. This creates buzz and demand for your product.
• Embrace the influencers. Every market has its online influencers, embrace them, get in the dialog with them and - most importantly - listen to them.
• Be transparent in your communications with customers. When Pleo’s release was delayed, Ugobe was transparent and open in its communication with customers through the community and as a result they built trust and loyalty with early-adopter enthusiasts.
• Offer product owners some exclusive benefits. An exclusive “owners only” section of the community will offer some unique benefits including a social network for Pleo owners and the ability to download sounds and behaviors.
• Embrace User-Generated Content. Even though the product is just hitting the market, Pleo enthusiasts have created videos, songs, cartoons, poems and even custom clothing in anticipation of this robotic life form’s arrival! This creates tremendous excitement and fun around your product.