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c h a p t e r10: SOCIAL OBJECTS■Passions
Passions are another rich area when you’re looking for existing social objects. Dell’s
“Take Your Own Path” and Pepsi’s “Refresh” project are clear examples of the power
of a natural alignment with the passions of customer segments that are important parts
of these brands.
In the case of Dell’s Take Your Own Path, the alignment occurs around the pas-
sion of being an entrepreneur or small business owner. In the case of Pepsi’s Refresh
project, the alignment is around social good: What are the solvable social issues, poten-
tially better ways of addressing local or global problems, etc., that would be worthy of
funding? The Refresh project is all about finding—and funding—them. Note that the
social object at the center of Refresh isn’t the problem or cause itself: It’s a different
group with different needs that signs up for ending hunger versus creating interest in
sustainable energy, for example. The social object at the center of “Refresh” is the com-
mon thread between both: The desire to make a difference, and the desire to identify
for one’s self a specific cause around which to make that difference.
Look again at Dell’s Take Your Own Path. Entrepreneurs and small/medium-sized
business owners use computers and peripherals. By setting up a place for entrepreneurs
to talk about funding, work/life balance, employee retention, or transition planning, Dell
has created a place for its small and medium-sized business customers to talk about Dell
products and the ways in which they use them in the pursuit of their businesses.
Shown in Figure 10.3, Red Bull University is a community built for enthusiasts
interested in taking their passion for action sports to the next level. Beyond the program’s
entry point, student brand managers are connected to exchange best practices, tips, and
generally assist each other in the development of a variety of promotional activities, in
part by sharing information through the online social channels that form around action
sports. How could you use a program like this in your organization? Could you actually
teach your enthusiasts to become advocates? The real insight here is not so much hav-
ing a “brand university”—although that’s a pretty innovative step on its own. The big
insight is in recognizing that for nearly any fan base, there is a thirst for getting closer to
the action, for becoming part of the team. Fans don logowear for a reason: it’s an act of
inclusion. Be sure you consider this when planning your social media program, and more
specifically, consider how you can empower your fans to become evangelists.Causes
Right along with passions and lifestyles, causes—such as ending child hunger or advo-
cating the humane treatment of animals—are natural social objects. Not only are causes
easy to identify—after all, they generally form around issues that command atten-
tion—but the people involved are predisposed to talk about them, driven out of direct,
personal interest. This makes cause-related social objects great vehicles for business pro-
grams as well as a natural focal point for cause-related organizations, for two reasons.