Riff: Social Media Darwinism?

Riffs are posts from my notebook. They are more like talking points rather than complete thoughts, or a full blog post. They could be the basis of future blog posts. I stole this idea from Warren Ellis, in case you were interested.

• McKinsey report (2009) highlights difficulty corporations are having incorporating social media into existing silos.
• Bolt on does not work? Who is having success building communities around a brand with bolt on strategies? Are people still having trouble with this?
• If social media is a tool, like a hammer, shouldn’t everyone be able to use it?
• Social media is not just another marketing channel.
  • If it were, it would not be difficult to add it to existing communications strategies.
  • You would not require specialized knowledge to succeed.
• Problem is cultural. 100 years of organizational theory and hierarchical thinking have lead to new fiefdoms.
  • Social media requires cross-functional engagement of both internal and external partners.
  • Requires a rethink of how you relate to customers, organize the business, brand your products.
  • Silos are anathema to Social Media. If you can’t engage a customer fully, you are wasting your and their time.
• That means a loss of power for apparatchiks. And they hate losing power.
• Is the rise of social media a evolutionary moment for business?
  • How many companies can make the cultural shift?
  • If they don’t, is it curtains?

Tagged as: riffs, social media