As the CEO of Cisco said in an interview, the new paradigm will change the way business is and will be conducted, the fifth P, People also undergoes changes and it creates more oppertunities than ever before.
The term Wikinomics comes to my mind. The trend to outsource processes and functions, and utilize the intelligence of (a set of) the Internet population.
The P of People does not only relate to the employees of the company, but also the people (target market) outside the company which replace and/or complement internal processes and functions.
Below you will find four areas that will be affected by the new stance and influence external People have.
Customer Service:
For the Customer Service department, the greater visibility offers great oppertunities. You can solve problems for individual customers, but your whole customer base and potential base can see as well how is acted upon a complaint or feedback. Treat your customers the right way and they will vouch and recommend you, again in the visibility of others.
Employ channels that encourage Customer Service efforts from the company point of perspective.
Employ channels that lower and simplify the barriers for the customers.
PR:
Your brand is what people think of it, therefore make absolutely sure the perception and attitude is in favor of your brand based on actions and interactions. Make sure your Public Relations is well aware of this. Be visible amongst the networks where your audience is, reflect and take action upon their input, be what your company stands for.
One key to success is being consistent, a brand loses trust and does not belongs to the consideration set of the customer if the brand is not being perceived as consistent.
R&D:
Customers can give valuable input on new research and the development of products and services. Your R&D team is definately capable, but your customers can input their unique insights. When co-creating with your customer base, make sure you include also your potential customers, they can give feedback and insights which your actual customers aren’t giving. This could be a reason why your potentials are not converted in customers.
People can give input on pricing, design, features&benefits, new products, produc names and this list will go on and on. Give people ownership, let them feel special.
Advertising:
Conventional advertising is disruptive and initiated by the company. There is something much more powerful and genuine, that is Word of Mouth (recommendations, reviews, comments, ambassadorship etc) from your target audience.
Enable the tools to create Word of Mouth and create portability and visibility of your brand throughout the Internet.
Marketing strategies and tactics get more comprehensive, more touchpoints and more intelligence.
Effects of the new paradigm will further influence fundaments of business, when the transformation and transition phase has reached a critical mass of early adopters. More importantly, the new paradigm must be understood by businesses.
What about the effects of the new paradigm on the employees?
Enterprise 2.0 creates lots of value increasing intelligence (see Reflection: “Introducing the Collaboration Curve” ), the fact that employees are able to communicate faster and exchange targeted information faster, adapting on the external environment will happen more accurate and with more effectivity and thus it creates competitive advantages.
Interesting issues of c0-creation and -production are:
*How to deal with the fact that the brand is increasingly getting public (in a positive way)?
*The specialism of employees, the need for it and weighed against outsourcing to the crowd?
*How will businesses interrelate with each other, will this create new kind of collaborations?
*Which department is going to employ the new possiblities or a integral new department will lead the company through these new developments?
*Will the crowd become a constant and official part of businesses?
What’s your view on this topic? What do you think the challenges will be? What other areas will be affected and influenced?
Related posts:
- Reflection: “Looking into the Future of Digital Marketing”
- 10 reasons why your CEO should embrace Social Media
- The 3 Fundaments of Online Strategy
- Reflection: “A Checklist to Choose Which Internet Marketing Channel is Right for Your Business”
- Reflection: “Forget Twitter; Your Best Marketing Tool Is the Humble Product Review”