The Social Reef An Industry PerspectiveStoryboard #2By Jeremiah Owyang

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The social web industry is a lot like living reef.

Both are complex ecosystems that undergo constant change.

Let’s explore the ecosystem…

Key players

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Fish : People

Fish : People

• Fish are like people, users, or consumers.

• The come in many different colors, sizes and species.

• Collectively, they band together and form communities.

• Species: Over 6.77 billion varieties and counting

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Fishermen : Brands

Fishermen : Brands

• Brands are like fishermen, they are constantly seeking fish.

• They try many different tactics to reach fish, some are successful and many not.

• As brands come, some fish are scared away, while others are attracted.

• Species: Dell, P&G, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Ford.

The incumbents

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CMS : Rocks

CMS : Rocks

• Content Management Systems (CMS) are like rocks, a stable web publishing system powering brand websites.

• These slower moving web systems will struggle with adapting to the social web.

• As a result, these systems are developing social features –or will soon acquire them.

• Species: Vignette, Interwoven, Documentum, Fatwire, Percussion

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CRM : Octopus

CRM : Octopus

• Customer Relationship Systems (CRM) are like octopuses, they’re reaching to multiple systems to grab data.

• Soon, they will develop features to enable brands to better find prospects, market, and support communities.

• Expect to see more partnership between CRM systems and social networks and community platforms.

• Species: Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and Rightnow.

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Brand Monitoring : Jellyfish

Brand Monitoring : Jellyfish

• Brand monitoring firms are like jellyfish, they rapidly absorb information.

• These firms are quickly tying with CMS systems, or developing their own features.

• Brands need these firms to find fish.• Species: Nielsen BuzzMetrics, TNS

Cymfony, Dow Jones Insight, J.D. Power & Associates, Visible Technologies, and Radian 6.

The challengers

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Social Networks : Kelp Forest

Social Networks : Kelp Forest

• Social Networks are like kelp forests, a rapidly changing haven for communities to assemble.

• These ever-wavering communities are thriving with customers –yet are fragile and young.

• As a result, brands try to fish –often unsuccessfully in these forests.

• Species: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn

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Community Platforms : Coral

Community Platforms : Coral

• Community Platforms are like coral, which allow any brand to have their own social network.

• These living organisms attract customers, bringing them closer to brands, soon they will be tightly integrated with CMS systems (rocks).

• A shakeout is due in this overcrowded space of over 100 players.

• Species: Jive, Telligent, Mzinga, Awareness, Liveworld, Lithium, Leverage, Kickapps, Pluck

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Applications : Anemones

Applications : Anemones

• Applications are like anemones, ever-moving with limitless varieties.

• These applications are depending on social networks (kelp), but will soon extend to community platforms (coral) and cms (rock).

• People and applications are dependent on each other.

• Species: Slide, RockYou, Widgetbox, Gigya, Clearspring, and Newsgator.

External Factors

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Venture Capital : Algae

Venture Capital : Algae

• Venture Capital is like algae, injecting needed resources into the ecosystem for growth.

• Venture capital fuel social networks, applications, community platforms –even during a recession.

• Venture capital influences deals, partnerships, and vendor strategy.

• Species: August, Benchmark, Allegis, Scale, and Garage.

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Detractors: Pollution

Detractors : Pollution

• Detractors are like water pollution, they clog up the system and someone has to clean it up.

• Wherever communities thrive, detractors infiltrate.

• As a result, the system is forever trying to expel the unwanted.

• Species: Trolls, Spammers, Hackers.

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A-Listers : Blowfish

A-Listers : Blowfish

• A-Listers are like blowfish, as they vie for others attention, yet inflate when defensive.

• These influencers are essential for new technology adoption –yet many tools are never adopted mainstream.

• Approach with caution, many cause indigestion if consumed.

• Species: Although few in numbers, they are easily identified with distinguishable marks

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Recession : Low Tide

Recession : Low Tide

• The recession is like a low tide, forcing innovation and bringing the ecosystem closer.

• Consumers have increased their adoption of social technologies: they connect to each other, learn from one another, and some have…more time.

• As a result, it will force innovation with fewer resources and more competitors.

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Industry Analyst : Marine Biologist

Industry Analyst : Marine Biologist

• Industry analysts are like marine biologists, who examine, identify, and analyze the ecosystem.

• Industry analysts who cover the ever-changing social reef struggle to keep up with this nascent industry.

• As a result, they resort to slideshows filled with colorful pictures to explain what they do to their friends and family.

• Species: Forrester, Gartner, IDC, eMarketer, Compete, and Comscore.

Summary

• The social web is an ever-changing space –perhaps the fastest changing industry the world has ever seen.

• Despite the attention and growth, it struggles with monetization, privacy, and cultural boundaries.

• Expect this space to continue to innovate rapidly over the next few years.

• Eventually, this industry will mature, as these communication tools become ubiquitous

Come fish with me.

Jeremiah Owyang

web-strategist.com/blog

@jowyang

Photos used with creative commons attribution license.

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