|
|
 |
Today, while doing a bit of work on the interwebs, I ran across Bokayme.
Bokayme is owned by 1-800-flowers.com and it allows people to go online and send virtual flowers to their friends, partners and family members. The flowers are somewhat interactive, so when you visit them the next day they have opened a bit more and so on.
My first impressions were pretty favorable. Viral marketing apps like this are a great idea. Used correctly they have the potential to really explode a brand. And, this one has all the right elements. Great looking site, tied into an existing social network (there’s a facebook app) and the steps are fairly straight forward. Throw in the fact that it’s customizable, and you’ve got a winner.
Except for one small problem: They charge real money for the bokays.
“But, Justin”, I can hear you say, “charging for virtual goods is becoming an accepted institution in online marketing. Look at what facebook is doing with ‘gifts,’ or look at any number of online role-playing games. They’re all doing it, and they’re making money.”
True, but they’re doing it either as their whole business model or as a side gig. None of them are using it to supplement an already existing business.
1-800-flowers.com is just being greedy here. They’ve built a fantastic viral marketing campaign but couldn’t help cutting it’s legs out from under it before it was ever given a chance. And, I can tell you exactly how this one went:
A young guy in marketing said, “Hey, we need something viral, let’s make online flowers – there’s no cost after set up, and people will love it.”
The young guy went to his boss. The boss loved it, got it approved and hired a web development company.
When it was done someone on the board said, “How much money is it going to make us?”
The boss said, “Um, none I guess.”
Person on the board shook his head and said, “It needs to make money.”
“But” the Boss said, “this is designed to increase recognition of our brand.”
“What does that even mean?” The board member said, “I don’t care about brand, I care about money. That’s what we’re in business for, to make money. This thing either needs to cost money or it needs to be scrapped.”
In desperation, a pay scale was added to the application and the angels of marketing wept.
