Social media is beginning to make its impact on business, yet businesses are a long way from being social. Digital and social influences have forever changed the expectations of both customers and employees. It has affected the speed at which customers expect to be serviced. Social has redefined what “easy-to-do-business-with” really means and everyone expects a company to know at least a little bit “about me” when talking with them.
This is a stark contrast to how businesses have been built in the past with a clear hierarchy of controls, a corporate curtain over any and all communications and all products and services being built and delivered with a one-size-fits-all approach. Companies have spent decades telling customers and employees what their brand is supposed to mean.
Social now requires companies to deliver on that promise. This new age requires that companies deal with customers on their terms including when, where and how they want, and it requires that the interaction be relevant to the situation and their needs at the time.
Many brands have started to “be -social” by setting up a listening post and making content extensible on social networks. Communications are still just managed by a few people in the public relations or marketing departments and customers still get only what companies serve out.
High-performing businesses of the future will transform every part of the enterprise and enable employees to be more accessible, messages to be more relevant so that every interaction will make up the new customer experience. Ultimately, high-performing companies of the future will be required to deliver on the promise of their brands.
The innovation process should be hardwired into social media and digital communication channels, allowing companies to leverage the insights held within employee, consumer and third-party networks.
Overview
It’s difficult to recall, but there was a time in the not too distant past when communication moved at a near-glacial pace. Meetings were held, thoughts were gathered, written (typed) printed and sent off in an envelope. Days or weeks passed and a response was returned. It took time to develop ideas. Time to test, refine, pilot and promote innovations. Lots of time. Because the communication infrastructure didn’t facilitate speed, transparency or collaboration.
Enter the Digital Age. Freed from the shackles of paper and post, transferring information became instant, transparent and global. The zeitgeist of the consumer, once accessible only through focus groups or research, was laid bare by YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and a host of other online meeting places. Even though communication has changed radically, many companies have failed to harness the unfettered flow of insight now available. And innovation – a driving force in this open, fast-paced marketplace – remains siloed within research and development (R&D) functions.
Instead the innovation process should be hardwired into social media and digital communication channels, allowing companies to leverage employee, consumer and third-party networks and the insights held within each. It’s something we call, “enterprise social innovation.” By establishing an open environment that welcomes ideas, collaboration, contribution and evaluation, firms can engage their key stakeholders as active participants in the innovation process; exploding the range of possible ideas, reducing development lead times, and maximizing market impact. In short, enterprise social innovation can help deliver scale and predictability to the innovation process.
