This Valentine’s Day companies are taking a closer look at the relationship they have with consumers.  While most are focusing on growing a future with their customers, one company, ExactTarget, is taking a look at the dreaded break-up.  The “Social Break-Up” to be exact.  In a study published earlier this month, ExactTarget takes a look at the reasons consumers unsubscribe from email, Facebook and Twitter.

• Over 90% of consumers have unsubscribed from opt-in emails.
• 54% unsubscribed because emails were too frequent.
• 49% unsubscribed because the content was repetitive or boring.
• 47% unsubscribed because they receive too many emails and need to get rid of some.
• 55% of Facebook users have “unliked” a company they became a fan of.
• 44% “unliked” because the company posted too frequently.
• 43% “unliked” because their walls were too crowded.
• 26% opted -in for a one time offer and were no longer interested in communicating with the company.
• 41% of Twitter users have stopped “following” companies they once followed.
• 52% stopped “following” because content was repetitive or boring.
• 41% stopped “following” because their feed was too crowded.
• 39% stopped “following” because the company was sending too many “Tweets”.

Whether through e-mail, Facebook or Twitter, one thing is consistent among the reasons consumers walk out the door: communications that, in some way, leads the customer to believe the company doesn’t care.  With over 95% of online consumers using e-mail, 65% using Facebook and 9% active tweeters, understanding the reasons that consumers disengage will allow companies to grow their relationships as well as their business.

Facebook’s stock is trading at more than $16 on SecondMarket Inc., an exchange for shares of privately held companies, said a person familiar with the latest pricing data. That would put its worth at about $41 billion, more than EBay’s $39.3 billion valuation on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Facebook only trails Amazon.com Inc., worth $74.4 billion, and Google Inc., valued at $192.9 billion, among U.S. Internet companies.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-15/facebook-passes-ebay-in-value-becoming-no-3-u-s-web-company.html

How many of you can see this picture, and totally relate? Working for any company that directly works for others, you want to do the best to provide for your clients every need, want, and whim. Lets face it, sometimes things fall through the cracks. We all have those 1 or 5 clients that are known for either being very particular, very demanding, or very needy. How do you successfully handle, and appease those clients as well as maintaining your standard of quality for the rest of your clients?

What would have been the best course of action for Steve, the designer? Should he have gone to Mr. Jones and “reminded” him that it had been a week, 2 weeks, etc. and he still had given no content? Or should have Steve taken it upon himself to create something after the first week, even without the input from Mr. Jones?

As I see this illustration, I can place myself in both sets of shoes. As Mr. Jones, I am probably very busy. A friendly weekly reminder email would have been greatly appreciated. If I received 2 emails, that would tell me that it had been 2 weeks since meeting with Steve, and he was being held up by me. I could not expect Steve to stand by his initial deadline because of MY inability to deliver what I promised.

In this same scenario, myself as Steve, after I sent the 2 initial reminder emails, I would create everything I possibly could, and send Mr. Jones what I came up with. Thus (hopefully) giving Mr. Jones the visual motivation to get the content delivered. That way Mr. Jones knows that even though I have to wait for him to complete the job, I am at least pro-active enough to do what I can with the knowledge I have. This would also look better in his eyes, knowing that I care enough about him as a client to not wait for him to begin the job.

I know for a fact, I would be as pro-active as I could, in either role. As Mr. Jones, I would not expect Steve to turnover my website immediately if I had held him up. I would understand that I am not his only client, even if he makes me feel, and provides quality work as if I were. If I were Steve, I would do my best to be pro-active enough to stay on Mr. Jones and remind him that he said he would get the content. I would try to do everything to remedy the situation before it became a much bigger issue.

The two CKE Restaurant fast-food chains are launching their own loyalty mobile apps to reward customers for “checking in” at any one of their 3,000 locations around the country. The app, for iPhones and Android phones, called Happy Star Rewards, allows users to reveal their locations to CKE Restaurants in exchange for free food and prizes, as well as share it with friends through Facebook, Twitter and other networks.

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=146961

Their new tagline: “It’s amazing what soup can do.”

Their new ads, which will not challenge rival company Progresso, will show how consumers from all walks of life turn to Campbell’s Soups to reach a “happier place”. They’re different from past efforts in that they don’t just focus on bestsellers (such as chicken noodle and tomato soups), they features products like Healthy Request, Select Harvest, Chunky, and microwavable cups and bowls. Campbell’s wants to introduce consumers to the different ways that they can cook with or serve their soups, as well as the ingredients that go in/out of them (for example, they cut the amount of sodium in condensed soups this year).

Campbell’s is targeting kids, adults and seniors in their new strategies. Since they have tweaked their portfolio over the years, consumers might not be aware of all the changes and new products; the campaign will focus on the variety and quality of the company. A total of fifteen spots (focusing on different soup offerings) will air through March, and print ads will be running in popular cooking, shelter, sports and women’s magazines. The New York offices of BBDO and Young & Rubicam are the two lead agencies working on the account, handling all creative duties.

Experts say that with the most recent round of soup wars turning some consumers off to the category, this less aggressive approach will be a good way to help tune them back in.

Here are some steps to follow to ensure that you don’t miss out:

1. Observe. No matter the size of your company, it’s fairly easy to get involved. Before you do, however, pay attention to what bigger brands are doing and make an effort to follow their lead (after all, they’re doing the major research and are investing in this space). Location-based social networks are expected to generate $3.3 billion in revenue by 2013; Foursquare—a prime example—announced on June 30 that they have raised $20 million in venture capital, raising the company’s valuation to nearly $95 million.

2. Get involved. Explore the space yourself by downloading some of the many existing applications on your smart phone (examples are Layar, Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook and Brightkite). Starts using the tools as an individual, monitoring what customers are saying about your business; this will provide an understanding of what you need.

3. Create your content. Give your business a digital footprint by writing a review, defining your location on Foursquare and Brightkite, tweeting about your spot, and/or creating a Facebook fan page. Sync your website and promote your social media savvy on your business website, and then talk back.

4. Keep a close eye out and react. Listening is a major aspect of marketing that many do not utilize correctly. Monitor what is being said about your business and take the time to respond to questions, complaints and compliments. The more proactive you are, the more digitally savvy your business will appear.

5. Location-aware engagement and contests. This concept is all about incentives and driving participation: offering such things as coupons for checking in nearby gives people a reason to come by. Once they stop by, utilize your physical location with signage or targeted marketing over the networks (which will in turn drive participation).

Taking all of these steps might not show immediate returns monetarily, but the customer engagement and loyalty will ultimately help you in the long run.

Thanks to our project manager and our creative director, that now includes our office here at Interactivity Marketing. No, we’re not all driving hybrid cars or using solar power, but we are making one tiny—yet important—change: recycling. Water and soda bottles, plastic cups (including fast food products), plastic silverware, paper, and boxes/cardboard are all placed into a separate container and sent over to a local recycling center. It might not seem like much to some, but hey—it all contributes to the big picture.

Here are some other ways that you can “go green”:

• Cut down your energy costs: set that thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. Save yourself a few bucks by bundling up with a blanket in January and using those ceiling fans in August.
• The same concept applies to your clothes: use cold water whenever possible (as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water) and use a drying rack instead of your dryer.
• There are three major reasons to walk or bike instead of drive: exercise (which everyone could use more of!), gas costs (use that $30 per week toward groceries or bills), and less air pollution. If you have to drive, carpool. If you have the time to walk, do.
• Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs and dairy whenever you get the chance. In addition to the health benefits, purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy. Your body and your wallet will thank you.
• Avoid bottled water. I repeat: avoid bottled water! Purchase a re-usable water bottle (preferably aluminum rather than plastic) and fill it up with tap water whenever you need it. Your teeth will get the fluoride they need and you’ll avoid contributing to the large amounts of container waste from bottle water.
• Instead of tossing your old cell phone or computer, recycle it. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics, and is a growing environmental problem.
• Make your own non-toxic cleaning products; it’s simple to do! Baking soda, vinegar, lemon and soap will do the trick and you will save yourself money.