Swedish agency B-Reel has possibly succeeded for the first time in bringing a real shopping experience online. The online shop they built for telecom operator 3 mirrors the best aspects of in-store interactions and allows customers real time face-to-face conversations with a salesperson. Thanks to a revolutionary multi-touch environment this salesperson can directly interact with the customer by showing products and its features such as different colours, monthly cost and even enables him to close the deal at the end.

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And lots of them for that matter…

Kachiwachi is an individual and a customer of Logitech who interacts on Logitech's customer support forum. In the last few years Kachiwachi has posted around 40,000 comments on Logitech's customer support forum and has earned the status of "Logi Legend". Since June 2006, when he joined the forum he has posted an average of around 900 comments per month, or 45 per working day. If Kachiwachi worked for Logitech he would probably be as productive as a part time customer support agent!

Imagine what this guy saves Logitech on a yearly basis in customer service alone. Now imagine what kind of added value he brings to the brand, by informing and inspiring (future) Logitech customers.

Ever questioned the ROI of social media? Well, here’s your answer.

Now, how do you get customers to grow to become genuine Kachiwachis? On a strategic level, I believe this is a clear case of building WinWin-relationships.

Water facilitates the natural growth process.

Giving is the best way of receiving. Develop your customers’ intrinsic value by feeding them the right substance in the right amounts. Just as any living object on earth only tends to grow to its full potential when provided with the right amount of the natural resource that is water. No use in trying to defy the natural growth process by spraying chemicals, artificials and synthetic growth enhancers as it will only damage the entire ecosystem sooner or later.
Besides, you will need vertile ground in the first place. In other words, make sure your brand or company is social before you act social.

Identify the cream of the crop.

Even with the right amount of water, not every seed will grow out to the point where they spread seeds of there own. That is why it is key that you are able to identify your hi-pos early on. There are a plethora of social media monitoring tools on the market to do so, both paying (e.g Radian6 and Attentio) and free (e.g. Social Mention).

Nourish to flourish.

Once you’ve identified your hi-pos you will have to put some extra effort in them. Keep feeding them, give them something to talk about and make sure they are the first to know. But next to that you should truly nurture and cherish them. Heck, Logitech should have given Kachiwachi a statue by now.

But I guess he will have to do with the eternal respect and gratitude of the entire Logitech community just for now…

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