The Dragonfly Effect - by Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Dragonfly Effect" shows how to tap social media and consumer psychological insights to achieve a single, concrete goal. The text features original case studies of global organizations to demonstrate how they achieve social good and customer loyalty.

Book Synopsis

Proven strategies for harnessing the power of social media to drive social change

Many books teach the mechanics of using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to compete in business. But no book addresses how to harness the incredible power of social media to make a difference. The Dragonfly Effect shows you how to tap social media and consumer psychological insights to achieve a single, concrete goal. Named for the only insect that is able to move in any direction when its four wings are working in concert, this book

• Reveals the four "wings" of the Dragonfly Effect-and how they work together to produce colossal results
• Features original case studies of global organizations like the Gap, Starbucks, Kiva, Nike, eBay, Facebook; and start-ups like Groupon and COOKPAD, showing how they achieve social good and customer loyalty
• Leverage the power of design thinking and psychological research with practical strategies
• Reveals how everyday people achieve unprecedented results-whether finding an almost impossible bone marrow match for a friend, raising millions for cancer research, or electing the current president of the United States

The Dragonfly Effect shows that you don't need money or power to inspire seismic change.

From the Back Cover

Many books teach the mechanics of using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to compete in business. But no book has addressed how to harness the incredible power of social media to make a difference. The Dragonfly Effect shows you how to tap social media and consumer psychological insights to achieve a single, concrete goal.

Named for the only insect that is able to move in any direction when its four wings are working in concert, The Dragonfly Effect reveals how four key actions can come together to produce colossal results. By learning how to effectively Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, and Take Action, everyday people can achieve unprecedented results--whether they are looking to ignite a corporate program, save a life, or change the world. Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith show how individuals, armed with only an Internet connection, were able to find an almost impossible bone marrow match for a friend, raise millions for cancer research, create widespread corporate engagement with consumers and employees alike, and even elect the current president of the United States.

Featuring dynamic, original case studies of global organizations like Gap, Starbucks, Kiva, Nike, eBay, and Facebook, as well as start-ups like Groupon and COOKPAD, The Dragonfly Effect shows how they achieve both social good and customer loyalty by leveraging the power of design thinking with practical strategies. With additional "Expert Insights" from key thought leaders and social media strategists Charlene Li, Randi Zuckerberg, Robert Scoble, Avinash Kaushik, and Oren Jacob, The Dragonfly Effect shows you how to bring people together in the age of distraction, and how to inspire widespread change without money or power.

For more information, please visit: www.DragonflyEffect.com

Review Quotes

Marketing gurus (and married couple) Aaker and Smith turn Aaker's popular class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business into a handbook on using the power and popularity of social media to do good in the world. They employ real-world examples--an e-mail campaign to register bone marrow donors for hard-to-match patients, a Colombian engineer who used Facebook to organize a protest against the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Obama's grassroots campaign, the microlending site Kiva--to illustrate their mantra F+GET: "Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, Take Action." This is the "Dragonfly Effect," named for the insect's ability to move in any direction when its four wings work together. Specific, practical advice teaches readers how to translate anything--a product, service, community concern--into a powerful narrative that invites participation, how to communicate with potential supporters, how to craft a compelling video, and more. A fascinating, comprehensive guide for how to take your cause and compassion viral. (Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, July 26, 2010)

About the Author

A social psychologist and marketer, JENNIFER AAKER is the General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. Her research focuses on time, money, and happiness, and how small acts create significant change--fueled by social media. Her work has been featured in a variety of media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BusinessWeek, Forbes, and NPR, as well as CBS MoneyWatch.

ANDY SMITH is a principal of Vonavona Ventures, where he advises companies on marketing, customer strategy, and operations. Over the past 20 years, he has served as a high tech executive, leading teams at Dolby Labs, BIGWORDS, LiquidWit, Intel, Analysis Group, Polaroid, Integral Inc., and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.