Stefan Schneider, Geschäftsführer von 3digitaminds, erklärt: “Ziel ist es einen Marktplatz für Beratungsdienstleistungen im Finanzbereich auf regionaler Ebene zu schaffen und Ratsuchende und Berater zusammen zu führen. Wir sehen hier eine klare Marktücke und Bedarf für zielgerichtete und qualitativ hochwertige Informationen sowohl von Konsumenten als auch von Finanzberatern.“

Warum gerade Finanzberater / die Berater-Branche?

Wer in den Suchmaschinen nach Finanzberater oder Steuerberatern, etc. sucht wird schnell fündig. Allerdings nur mit standardisierten Branchenbucheinträgen, die alle gleich aussehen und keinen Informationsgehalt haben. Buylando bietet teilnehmenden Beratern ein Tool um sich von den Standardinhalten abzusetzen und mit einem qualitativ hochwertigen Expertenprofil präsent zu sein, wenn nach ihnen gesucht wird. Potenzielle Kunden können sich somit vorab über den Berater informieren und sich ein erstes Bild machen. Bewertungen von anderen Kunden runden den ersten Eindruck ab.

Weiterhin erhalten teilnehmende Immobilienmakler und Versicherungsmakler, etc. personalisierte Web-Widgets und Banner, um selbständig mit diesen Formaten lokale Werbung zu betreiben und den Bekanntheitsgrad zu erhöhen. Beispielsweise können diese Direktmarketing-Tools auf regionalen Internetportalen, z.B. zum Thema Finanzen platziert werden. Oder in bestehende Dokumente des Kundenverkehrs integriert werden, wie zum Beispiel Emails, PDF Dokumente, Vordrucke, etc.

Buylando setzt dabei auf zwei der wichtigsten Online-Marketing Trends: Die Online-Suche und der Einfluss von Kunden-Bewertungen. Bei der Vielfalt von Beratern in Deutschland ist es wichtig dann präsent zu sein, wenn der Kunde z.B. nach einem Steuerberater vor Ort sucht. Qualitativ hochwertiger Content überzeugt den Kunden und liefert gute Suchergebnisse. Zusätzlich sind positive Bewertungen von Kunden wichtige Einflussfaktoren beim Kaufentscheidungsprozess im Internet.

Folglich erhlaten Berater die Möglichkeit ein aussagekräftiges Expertenprofil mit ihren Kompetenzen zu erstellen. Es stehen Direktmarketing-Tools bereit mit deren Hilfe die Finanzberater mehr Aufmerksamkeit in ihrer lokalen Zielgruppe generieren können. Kunden bewerten die Berater nach diversen Kriterien und geben ihr Feedback zur Beratungsleistung ab.

Ergänzt wird das Angebot von Buylando durch einen kostenlosen Versicherungs-Check, der auf Basis der persönlichen Situation des Users Empfehlungen für einen optimalen Versicherungsschutz errechnet. Ziel ist es auf eine Über- oder Unterversicherung hinzuweisen und diese Situation zu vermeiden.

Das Finanzportal basiert auf innovativen Webdesign und bietet hohen Informations- und Nutzwert.

Please contact us for further information or knowledge exchange.

Oliver Hickfang, Partner of 3digitalminds, told cookiesncode some details about his philosophy of fashion mass customization in China. Read the whole interview here:

What are your personal associations with the term “mass-customisation”- what does it mean to you?

When I first time ever heard about mass-customisation I thought, isn’t that just a new commercial buzz word or – even worse – a contradiction in itself? I asked myself, how can a company make money by following a single customer wish on a scalable mass production plattform? Now, some years and some purchases of mass-customized products later I know better: the combination of smart management, smart production processes, the interactive web and last but not least the outsourcing of tasks to the customer makes mass-customization possible. And, by the way, DIY is nothing new but a re-invention of the “do it yourself” movement from the 50s and 60s when the mass effective production took place in the western world and some people just weren’t unsatisfied with style and image guidelines from the industry. The combination of our actual production and distribution knowledge with the creative and social knowledge of the customer will create the best customized products we have seen so far.

Do you remember in which context you first came across it?

As I remember the first time ever I purchased a customized product was some years ago during an Indiatrip where I found a custom tailor for suits. After measurement and agreeing on the style details the suit was ready to wear within 5 days. I had the chance to visit the production place and was surprised about the well organized processes: each tailor was responsible for sewing just very few dedicated pieces of the suit, one tailor sewed all pieces together and one was responsible for the final quality check. The concept of mass production with a personal touch was fully understood.

Do you know why there is this sudden interest in MC and related concepts at the moment?

First: people are sick and tired of wearing boring clothes or possessing mass products which they might find in their friends place as well. A person in an affluent society who basically has everything needs the next kick which is something special, personal, and individual. Second: The social web along with borderless interaction stimulates consumers to exchange and show their creations. Nothing is more appealing and worth talking about than own achievements and nothing is more interesting for friends to share and be proud of. Third: where a demand is also a supply. Companies are aware of the trend for customization and by answering it with products and services they even more stimulate the development.

Why/ in which situation did you decide to employ MC/work with MC- a little background?

Some years ago I had the idea to open a company for mass customized business shirts but a great offer from an international consulting company came across so I skipped that idea. However, I never totally buried that idea. After living in Chinafor some years and experiencing the matchless demand of 1, 3 Billion people with black hair and brown eyes for appearing a little bit more individual I decided to open my own company in the co-creation field.

How did that work out for you- what new challenges did it raise for you and how did you deal with them?

Asian markets, especially China, are highly challenging and demanding. Not only concerning the set up and the running of a company but also the complex cultural background and history which effects consumer’s predispositions. For example, the color white in Europemeans beauty and virginity; in Chinait might be associated with death as well as the number 4. Especially Chinais facing a development from an agricultural based country to a modern industrialised country in now time. While Europeand the USAneeded some decades to introduce landline telephone to every household the Chinese just skipped the landline and introduced mobile smart phones. Very fast developments not seldom have their victims and often the law and reliably regulations stay behind the actual reality. From my opinion the biggest challenge in Chinais having a strong and reliable network, a long term vision and piece of mind.

Source: Social e-commerce in China, mass customization & personalization

Businesses and brands are no longer the ones that spread out the message. Consumers do the brand building for the brand. Brand managers have to adopt and change their communication strategy: from shouting to listening, from persuading to convincing, from being bold to being subtle, from purely delivering a message to the consumer to also delivering a consumer feedback to internal departments, from throwing products to the market that nobody needs to products that deliver real customer value.

Why need to change? Because…

• Consumers talk to consumers about a brand but not to the brand
• Consumers trust the opinions of other consumers, even though they don’t know them
• Consumer experiences influence purchase decisions
• People like to express themselves
• The tools to easily do that exist and are available to basically anybody

From consumer voices to consumer insights

It is one thing to be aware of the strength of consumer opinions but the real challenge and value is to learn from it and to transport the consumer’s feedback back into your company to improve processes, service and products. It won’t transform your company from a product-driven company to a customer-centric business if nothing else changes. But it’s a great beginning to let various departments in your company get totally new insights and different perspectives and make key people feel the power of consumer opinions.

Businesses that understand this concept and implement it into the corporate culture can truly benefit in the long term because they satisfy the client, deliver true value for the money and are talked about positively.

3digitalminds is experienced in implementing consumer-focused online concepts

This is not only theory, but based on experiences which we made with clients. We implemented these concepts in companies and as a result, clients increased their awareness in the target group, they are now neck-to-neck to competitors which they never believed they could be within one year and they use the consumer voice to improve their products and influence the corporate culture. This is truly a new experience for managers because they get to know details and opinions they have never heard or seen before about their own company and products.

You need to know more on this? Contact us, please.

And it’s based on the pure need of human beings for communication, affirmation, support and connections.

• Consumers ask for help during their decision making process
• They like to share experiences and look for confirmation in their peer group
• They look for advice
• Consumers participate in blogs, forums, product review sites, social networks and connect

Experiences backed by statistics

And to make these claims more objective, here is a recent research from Nielsen about the power of consumer opinions and their influence.

Chart:  Have some degree of trust* in the following forms of advertising in April 2009

Source: Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey April 2009 / Base: All Respondents; *E.g. 90 percent of respondents trusted “completely” or “somewhat” recommendations from people they know

http://www.my-life-in-china.com/online-marketing/the-power-of-online-consumer-voices/

By Brian Asmus, Special to the China Post
Stefan Schneider, Managing Director of 3digitalminds, spoke to the American Chamber of Commerce Marketing & Distribution Committee June 12 during a luncheon held at the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei. Schneider pointed out that Internet Penetration in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea is approximately 70 percent, while it is only 12 percent in China and 5 percent in India.In China, Schneider explained, 90 percent of consumers do research online but purchase offline when shopping for mobile phones. Similarly, 70 percent do so for purchases of consumer electronics and 50 percent each for financial and automotive.

Chinese consumers begin by searching e-commerce sites such as eBay and taobao, said Schneider, before going to search engines like Google and Baidu. Finally, they may look to word-of-mouth sources such as BBS and blogs.

Schneider recommended that companies that wish to market online first conduct Web-site analysis, including keyword research, structure, linking and duplicate content to optimize the Web site.

Christopher Fay, Co-Chairman of the AmCham Marketing & Distribution Committee and Stefan Schneider, 3digitalminds

In Phase 2, he suggested that they look at Web-site enlargement, adding fresh content, developing blogs and setting up forums. This involves linkbait and reputation buildup, and requires constant tracking and optimization, he said.

According to Schneider blogs are “everybody’s own newspaper.” In South Korea, he said, 92 percent of Internet users read blogs with 72 percent writing them. In China, the figures are 88 percent and 70 percent; in Taiwan, there are 86 percent and 71 percent and; in Japan, they are 84 percent and 47 percent.

When it comes to topics, said Schneider, 64 percent write about their private lives, and 34 percent write their opinion about brands and products.

“How should companies use blogs to further their business objectives?” asked Schneider. “These,” he said, “can be used to advertise, establish relationships within your company’s niche and market products.”

There are several important dos and don’ts when setting up blogs, he stressed. “The consumer is smarter than you think; alternative marketing tactics must be genuine and, in today’s world, transparent.” That means companies should forget about setting up fake blogs. “You will always be found out,” said Schneider.

Blogs, he added, should not contradict, but rather explain the company, its products and services. “It has to live the concept,” emphasized Schneider. “That is why blogs are not suitable for every kind of business.”

Finally, Schneider examined branded communities. The purpose of branded communities,” he said, “is to engage in a conversation with stakeholders and customers.
This enhances product development, while enabling designers to hear consumer voices, particularly creative consumers, while develop brand ambassadors, fans and influencers.

“These individuals,” he continued, “create trust around a brand for new site visitors by the quality of the comments that they make. They act like a host rather than a policeman.”

The incentive is to propel mouth-to-mouth marketing. Schneider cited the Dell Ideastorm campaign by way of an example. “The target group was its customers. Dell executives wanted to come up with new idea. The branded community ended up delivering 8,000 suggestions, 600,000 votes and 64,000 comments.”

Some results are:

• Flashy bank websites are ok for Chinese users, but not too overflashed.
• A lot of information on the homepage is no problem.
• The color scheme of German sites is a little too conservative.
• Nice pictures from daily life create an atmosphere of trust.

The whole 58-page report is available upon request. Use this contact form to get a copy.

3digitalminds is a full service Internet marketing agency with a focus on web process design, performance marketing, online brand building and online marketing consulting. It has several years of experience in the Chinese online market and many well-known international companies (mainly located in Shanghai and Beijing) trust 3digitalminds to help them grow their online business.

During many online projects in China, both for Western and Chinese customers, 3digitalminds has developed a deep understanding of how the Internet in China works and what Chinese website visitors expect. In the meantime, 3digitalminds has developed to a full-service Internet marketing agency in China and can offer the whole range of online services covering the whole online value chain:

Internet Strategy and Marketing Consulting China

We can consult you how Internet marketing in China will best fit into your marketing strategy and contribute to your marketing goals. Cross-channel marketing, performance marketing (SEO and SEM), blog marketing, web 2.0 marketing models and online brand building are procedures we are familiar with. Moreover, the analysis of your Chinese Internet marketing activities is part of our portfolio. Understanding Chinese consumers is a core factor for successful online marketing in China. It is not only Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou anymore, no, the big growth rates come from the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities like Dongguan, Wuhan, Tianjin, Shenyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Nanjing, etc.

Design and Web Development

From low-cost and simple to highly complex and sophisticated can we offer web design services. Projects done include the development of car configurators, online loan calculator, online guided tours, Internet communities, corporate websites, Intranet and Extranets.

Chinese Internet Marketing

Online marketing offers comprise search engine optimization (SEO), keyword advertising (SEM), affiliate marketing, banner and rich media campaigns, electronic direct mailings, web 2.0 marketing, blog marketing, mobile marketing.
Constant optimization of online campaigns are an essential part of our service. We put high value on optimizing return-on-investment (ROI) of the online marketing budgets and have good experience in performance marketing and online awareness building.

Research and Monitoring

Successful online businesses rely on regular monitoring and optimization of their web presence and online marketing activities. Services we offer are website heatmaps/eyetracking, focus groups, A/B tests, dropout rate / funnel analysis, clickpath and navigation analysis.

The services of Internet marketing online agency 3digitalminds China in detail:

Online Marketing services

• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Bannering and media campaigns
• Affiliate marketing
• E-Mail Marketing
• Mobile Marketing
• Virtual world and ingame marketing

Web design and online process optimization
Optimization of the online purchasing and brand funnel for lower user jump off rate and higher conversion rate.

Internet research
Find out what users think about your products and services and learn from the user’s point of view how they perceive your products and services.

Online strategy consulting and marketing consulting
A successful online business needs to follow a clear strategy. Both for itself and how the Internet business can be integrated into your existing offline business.

What you can expect from online marketing agency 3digitalminds Shanghai and Beijing

• Many years of experience in conceiving and realizing websites, configurators, calculators and informational tours.
• Creativity in online brand communication and a didactical approach for preparing complex matters (customer/brand experience).
• Successful creation of user-friendly, accessible online systems for navigation and interaction (usability/accessibility).
• Overview about current online trends and needs of online target groups. When specifying the parameters we try to meet the needs of the target groups as closely as possible (using plug-ins, Java, browser types, resolution etc.).
• Comprehensive technical know-how such as the implementation of online content management systems (CMS). We also advise you when you wish to select a CMS.
• Useful documentation of design guidelines in an online design guide. (Extent depends on project complexity.)
• Support during system activation.

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