So you want to be social?
As companies clammer to become “social” there is a certain internal dynamic that they need to recognize and respond to. Companies can only be as social as they are OFF the grid or OFF the Internet. Firms that demonstrate the right touch, sensitivity and sensibilities in ALL customer engagements are the only ones that can truly pull off the value from ‘going social’.
And get this … even IF a company were 123% social + environmentally ‘perfect’ and meets every criteria of every shade of criteria on what constitutes social responsibility, 1 or 2 emotionally guided nay misguided responses can fan a fire of consumer or activist fury that can drown out the Brand.
Check out the recent spat involving Nestle. While I am definitely NOT anywhere close to an expert on the palm oil-kills-orangutan issue, my business sense tells me that Nestle is also struggling with this new media meets marketing channel like many other organizations, large and small. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20000805-36.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0
