The answer is fairly simple: in most cases the company and the consumer are adversaries. Jake and I were in Florida yesterday talking about social networks with a client and I thought a concept he brought up was worthy of a short blog post this morning (before I catch up with the numerous emails and phone calls I need to address).
The oldest form of company-to-consumer communication took the form of a company telling a consumer something through advertising. More recently companies created channels for their consumers to talk back. This two way communication results in conversations that at times can be somewhat adversarial ~ i.e. us vs. them. Imagine a communication channel that wasn’t about ‘us or them’, instead what if you could both talk about something else, something you both inherently cared about ~ i.e. a higher calling?
If you can determine what your company’s higher calling is you can direct your communication with your clients through this new channel. By working with consumers to answer this ‘higher calling’ the communication is no longer adversarial, but cooperative. Building a community around a higher calling can be very effective and fruitful for both the consumer and the company. You are no longer ‘company’ or ‘consumer’ but partners working toward a positive goal you both care about. What do you think? [reposted from my blog]
ShopSavvy Coverage -
March 29th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Some might say it boils down the humanization of companies, further helping them become active participates in their consumers communities. Play this out to the end, can companies fulfill on the promise of helping users reach there goals when their sole responsibility is maximize profits?( I’m thinking LLC’s, publicly traded companies here). There are a few companies that are doing it, mostly because of strong private ownership and a willingness to do things that are “right” regardless of profitability. (Ironically if you read Yvon Chouinard’s book, he points out that every time he’s taken a potentially risky stand with his company, it’s resulted in greater brand affinity and profits long term.) This is a rich topic, that I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. Thanks for the post.
Tara Hunt also has some interesting thoughts on Higher pupose over at HorsePigCow: http://www.horsepigcow.com/2007/02/04/more-on-higher-purpose/
March 29th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
In a world of rapidly evolving technology and business models shifting at an accelerated pace, how can companies expect to be in existence 5 - 10 years from now? The threat of displacement and disruption looms greater each year. Perhaps it’s on an alternate plain by which companies must now begin to compete. The “be great” comments that Tara mentions in many of her postings are what could potentially become a competitive advantage, one that is much more difficult to replicate than a new efficient process or methodology. A higher calling may be one approach which a company could aspire toward and an approach that could ultimately guide the continued development of the business. It would certainly anchor the strategic direction instead of listening to the whims of the board after they read about the latest technology trend in Continental’s inflight magazine….. I myself am aspiring to produce a company and community which together chase a higher calling.
March 29th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
I really like this topic. I’m trying to define a higher purpose for my organization–a colocation provider with our own datacenter and provider of T1/DS3/OC3+ dedicated Internet connectivity to the Chicago area. We’ve been working on ways to redefine commodity services and that will go live with our new site … but a higher purpose? That’s proven difficult.
I’d love to see quick cases of organizations doing this successfully. Selfishly, I’d rather see B2B organizations in the technology sector. But, anything to get the juices flowing
April 2nd, 2007 at 7:51 am
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April 2nd, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Having come from the Internet consulting sector seven years ago, I naively believed that things would be the same in education. I thought there would be acceptance for something that used technology to fix a big problem in schools - discipline management. Taking everything we learned in the tech sector and sharing the best with educators to help kids find their voice became our higher calling. However, it can be very frustrating when we’re seen as the “outsiders” because we’re not former educators (even though I’ve taught college classes off and on for 24 years) and judged as unable to contribute anything of value. It can be frustrating when phone calls aren’t returned, meetings are missed or emails aren’t answered. But it is so wonderful when kids tell us they feel “valued and validated” and we’ve given them the first opportunity to “tell their story all the way through without being interrupted.” We see kids as our customers even though educators are our buyers. And, our higher calling will always be what helps kids believe in what can be through the sharing of their voice.
June 18th, 2007 at 10:57 am
[...] ‘activate’ your community? We have talked about the idea of understanding your ‘higher calling‘ for sometime. The idea is simple, If you can determine what your company’s higher [...]