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the power of meaningful conversations online

Social responsibility, sustainability and “green” business are definitely all the craze right now. We have witnessed this revolution (if that’s what you want to call it) first-hand and spoken to a variety of companies who are in the midst of significant change but, more importantly, we have noticed a shift in people’s understanding of what all this really means. It does NOT mean that everyone is suddenly interested in saving the world. It does mean our expectations of companies and organizations are changing… significantly. It is simple: consumers, employees and other stakeholders are just demanding more.

As an example, Ryan recently posted a great critical analysis of Timberland’s efforts to communicate their social responsibility and sustainability values. In short, communications about social responsibility and sustainability require engagement through meaningful conversations not traditional marketing. For companies, big and small, there is a lot to consider and learn from the tremendous success of online platforms used in this year’s election. As a subscriber to a number of these political communities, I have to admit that Barack’s use of this new style of communications is the most personal, transparent and meaningful. In fact, TechCrunch recently named Barack the most tech-enlightened Democratic candidate. Barack’s ability to authentically extend his leadership online to mobilize millions is nothing short of awesome. How would your company or organization leverage this kind of direct access to people?

Regardless of who we end up voting into office, companies should take note on how these new communications platforms are used beyond the election to forge personal and meaningful relationships with a variety of stakeholders. I can’t wait.