image credit: jhritz
Although I originally submitted a variation of post below as an entry for the
That’s okay. It just means I get to share it with you sooner:
Product has historically been branded as a combination of physical properties, supporting service, and symbolic value: the Lexus has leather seats, is covered by a substantial warranty, and perhaps above all else, is a symbol of status.
The Internet in all of its social splendor is revolutionary, some would say the most revolutionary change in the the history of the world when to comes to the way humans communicate.
It’s opened doors for some (e.g. Facebook), posted huge challenges for others (e.g. publishing), and disrupted all of our lives.
But the present experience of revolution isn’t new. Consider this from Cory Doctorow’s Content (links mine):
image credit: Dave Bleasdale
Dear Colleague:
As a fellow member of the publishing industry, I’ve been struggling a bit lately to wrap my head around our emerging role on the internet, in the marketplace, and in society.
In that struggle, I hope to point to a few basic and critical issues at the heart of the debate. From what my research is telling me thus far, the primary issue for us—even beyond copyright considerations—is (and I don’t mean to be flip here) remembering the how the internet works.
image credit: Feliciano Guimarães
In my most recent post, I asked if enterprise should think small. But as a close friend said to me, it’s one thing to suggest that enterprise should change; it’s another to lay out a clear path for it.
I won’t pretend I have all the answers (or any really), but I do think that with a little critical thinking, together we can talk about practical, actionable steps that translate some of the advantages of small business/startup culture into enterprise business processes.
image credit: DeaPeaJay
As social business concepts emerge, there is a clear and growing divide between those companies that have embraced social modes of work and those that are still operating under the rigid rules of twentieth century enterprise.
This of course has lead to all sorts of misguided and mostly useless debate about whether or not the shift to Enterprise 2.0 is important.
But I’d argue that point is not whether or not social business models are “better” than traditional industrial models, nor is it about what’s profitable right now. The importance of this conversation is about how human connectedness through technology is changing the way we interact and do work.
image credit: A. Drauglis Furnituremaker
It’s one thing to talk about how to leverage new social platforms to do business better. It’s another to talk about shifting business models to adapt to the current state of the web.
I think we’re doing well to address the former. My RSS reader is brimming with shining examples of how to engage, execute and measure social media tactics. But the critical conversation that I don’t hear as much about (and maybe it’s because I’m looking in the wrong places) is about how to shift our business modles themselves to better fit into a world where networks are no longer the exception but the norm.
photo credit: Ryan Holst
One of the smartest people I know, is of all things, a truck driver named Jim. He’s been driving for over 30 years, long enough that people jokingly say he bleeds diesel fuel. I’ve taken the time to listen to his advice from time to time, and here are some of most important things I’ve learned:
One of Jim’s oft-repeated precepts is “use the right tool for the job.” That means if you need a screwdriver, don’t try to use a knife.
a campaign by @shanemacsays
Running a business, executing a successful marketing campaign, analyzing your sales data, all of this can be very complicated. But the experience your customers have shouldn’t be.
Today I gave $5 to charity: water, partly because I believe in the cause (giving people access to clean drinking water), but mostly because Shane Mac asked me to. Shane explained to me that if he raises $5,000 (enough to build one well), charity: water founder Scott Harrison will play him in a ping-pong match in NYC.
Image Credit: Thanachart R.
When we talk about the practice of community management, we often speak only of the external relationship between an organization and its customers. I contend that organizations must weave together the practice of active online customer engagement with the management of in-house culture.
Considering that 60% of employees are considering jumping ship for new opportunities as soon as the recession ends, I’d say we have some work to do in company culture development.
What’s scary is that your company’s culture is important not just internally, but externally as well. As Bradford Shimp remarks:
Image Credit: miamiamia
This past weekend, my wife’s grandmother passed away. Sitting in an intensive care waiting room I did what any other person in need of an escape would do—I started Tweeting.
Mostly it was a way to distract myself, but being on Twitter was far more valuable to me than grabbing a magazine or watching TV.
The reason? Human connection.
When the internet was born, the availability of products at good prices is what drove commerce. Think of the Amazon empire—a store smart enough to provide you with personalized recommendations for products you’d probably like. For Amazon, product is king.
