What makes a brand social? (1)

A few months ago, I was on a study tour of one of the world’s most successful direct banks in Madrid, Spain. Over the course of a week, I learnt two fundamental lessons that continue to shape my work. These lessons speak to the issues around “what makes a social brand” (see my last week’s article).
 

Fired up and ready to burn
 

The bank’s executive team shared with me an intriguing story. The management decided to involve its employees in the process of redefining its brand values. Employees were asked to send in their individual suggestions of what the brand values should be.

Thousands of entries were received. Employees voted and the preferred choices became the new brand values of the bank. The real story here is not about the unconventional approach adopted by the executive management team.

The story lies in what they did with the rest of the “community generated brand values” that were not selected. The brand engraved all the suggested brand values on a statue of the brand’s logo. Copies of this statue were displayed prominently in all departments. They sure made interesting reading.

The brand clearly demonstrated the importance of everyone’s opinion. During meetings with various members of the organisation, I realised just how significant that exercise was to the employees. It renewed their passion, drive, commitment and zeal to do more. I recall Javier (not his real name) one of the product managers proudly taking me to a statue and showing me the brand value he had suggested. These guys were truly “fired up and ready to burn”. This was lesson number one of “what can make a brand social”. “How fired up is your team?”
 

Team work, not tim work
 

The second lesson was how teams could work seamlessly to consistently create superior products for the customer. Each product had a multi-disciplinary team consisting of at least individual specialists in product development, IT, marketing, business intelligence/strategy and operations – a minimum number of four team members. The strategy was to ensure that right from the ideation stage, all critical stakeholders are involved in shaping the ideas so that the best possible outcome is achieved. The collective wisdom of the team is harnessed at the very points where they are needed.

Sadly, this is not the case in many organisations. Frequently, teams work in silos often duplicating projects, products and efforts. Take a familiar culprit – the product team. They sometimes create seemingly “winning products/services” with minimal input from other critical stakeholders. The result – a significant number of the target audience literally go through the proverbial eye of a needle in order to find the unique selling proposition of such products or services. Stop trying to outwit the other departments. In the midst of all these fiefdoms, there lie the lost opportunities. We need a single view of the customer.
 

A social brand and its work place
 

A decision maker in a leading global fast-moving consumer goods company proudly told me that his brand had over 30 million fans on Facebook. Sadly his organisation has no active internal channels for engaging its employees. How can a brand be social when it has not created and nurtured the structures that enable socialisation in the workplace?

A growing number of employees do not believe that their opinions are valued. There seems to be a pervading atmosphere of “de-innovation”.

Any organisation that neglects the internal harmony of its employees while actively promoting a caring external image is simply living a lie.
 

From fans to cash – the missing link
 

At the end of the day, all the great stuff that happens on social media would come down to the wire – “We need to convert some of these virtual love into hard earned cash. Yes, we love the fact that you have liked and followed us all this while but now its time you gave us some of your money”.

Every member of the value chain is key to making service happen. They must be actively involved if we must achieve the expected return on effort (ROE).

Do you have adequate service recovery plans? How empowered are your employees to create “wow” moments for the customer?

Start the co-creation process within your organisation before you involve the external customer. “How social is your organisation? How social can you afford to be? Can you build a physical and/or virtual atmosphere where employees can connect, create and share in an atmosphere that is not simply another platform for company speak?”

“To lead people, first touch their heart before you reach for their hands”.
 

The making of a social brand
 

A social brand is not about its level of activity in the various technology platforms, products or events. Its perception as a social brand is reinforced or diminished with every interaction the customer has with its employees.

A social brand demonstrates its sociality in its corporate behaviour (internally and externally).

Is a social brand possible?

Yes it is. It can be formed gradually in line with a strong executive commitment to putting its internal customers first. This means deliberately creating and nurturing listening channels where employees can engage with executives without fear. It is a place where executives are demystified, chords are broken, bonds are formed, and alliances forged. It is place where a brand’s employees are its most ardent social media fans. It is a journey.

The take out for this article is simple: If we honestly believe in “People First” then it is time for some housekeeping. Charity must begin at home. Social media should not be an exception.

 

Source: punch newspaper

10 Habits Bosses Love

Every boss wants employees who do their jobs well. But even among highly competent employees, practicing certain habits can really make you distinguish yourself. Here are 10 tips for making sure you're on the boss's A-list:

1.Communicate, Communicate, Communicate  Especially at the beginning of your relationship -- that is, when either you or the boss is new to the job -- err on the side of giving your boss too much information and asking too many questions.

"There's no such thing as a dumb question," says Marianne Adoradio, a Silicon Valley recruiter and career counselor. "Look at it as information gathering."

Don't keep up the constant stream of communication unless your boss likes it, though. It's best to ask directly whether you're giving the boss enough information or too much.

2.Acknowledge What the Boss Says Bosses appreciate "responsive listening," says John Farner, principal of Russell Employee Management Consulting. When your boss asks you to do something or suggests ways for you to improve your work, let her know you heard.

3.Collaborate When your boss has a new idea, respond to it in a constructive way instead of throwing up roadblocks.

"Be willing to brainstorm ways to get something done," says Michael Beasley, principal of Career-Crossings and a leadership and career development coach.

4.Build Relationships  You'll make your boss look good if you establish a good rapport with your department's customers, whether they're inside the company or outside. Bring back what you learn -- about ways to offer better customer service, for example -- to your boss. This is also helpful for your own career development.

"Everybody wins in the long run," Adoradio says.

5.Understand How You Fit In Is your boss detail-oriented, or someone who keeps his head in the clouds?

"The boss's personality is just incredibly important," says Norm Meshriy, a career counselor and principal of Career Insights.

Equally important is understanding what your boss wants in an employee. It may be, for example, that a boss who is detail-oriented will expect his employees to be as well. But a boss who has no time for details may actually appreciate an employee who does.

6.Learn the Boss's Pet Peeves If your manager has said repeatedly that she hates being interrupted first thing in the morning, don't run to her office to give her a project update when you first get in.

7.Anticipate the Boss's Needs Once you have worked with your boss for a while, you should be able to guess what information he will want before approving your purchase order, for example.

If you provide it ahead of time, "that's a gold star," Farner adds.

8.Think One Level Up You still need to do your own job, of course. But when managers consider who deserves a promotion, they look for people who understand the issues that their bosses face.

9.Open Yourself to New Ways of Doing Things When your boss comes to you with a new idea, don't simply dismiss it. If you don't think it will work, offer to discuss it further in "a mature, responsible, adult-like way," Beasley says.

10.Be Engaged in Your Work Arguing with your boss over every request is not a good strategy, but neither is simply shrugging your shoulders and agreeing with everything your boss says. "The manager would like to see an engaged individual," Beasley says. That means both showing enthusiasm for your work and speaking up when you see room for improvement

10 Tips To Help Your Business Grow And Prosper!

No business can afford to rest on past performance. There must always be a Plan of Action for the future that will keep the business vibrant and growing. Customer memory is short and so, constant reinvention is the only way toward higher growth. Here are some guidelines that will help you expand your business.

1. Location:
If you are a new business, setting up shop in a central area might be beyond your means. Offering internet solutions to customers’ requirements with the option of home delivery would then be a good idea. Otherwise as an existing business, it would help to move to a central location if the prospect of increasing business through the move outweighs the possible negative consequences the move would have on the existing market.
2. Stable Business Plan:
Define goals and objectives clearly. Take stock of where you are now and what the road ahead is for the business. Ensure that management is in regular and open communication with all levels right down to the bottom and that there is a good understanding of what the end purpose is across the organization. The business plan should have a clear organization set-up with a list of stakeholders, managers, employees, suppliers, buyers and all other prominent people with their roles stated explicitly. It is also important to determine what the sources of finance are.
3. Product Innovation Or Reinvention:
Bringing out newer versions of existing products and adding features that trigger customers’ curiosity and fascination would aid in keeping the product fresh in the mind of the customer. In the long run, adding new products that are either conglomerate or concentric to the existing line would ensure that customers think of you as a one-stop shop for their various needs.
4. Marketing Model
Be sure you are seen. Visibility is imperative in any business. Marketing could be done through business magazines, newspapers, trade fairs, TV advertisements, university programs and so on. High public memory recall is essential for growth in business.
5. Customer Surveys
It always pays to know your customers. Find out what their expectations and grievances are through surveys. It may not be feasible to cater to every individual wish list immediately but it would give a sense of what the business could grow into some day in the future. Moreover, customers feel like their voice is heard which is vital for the growth of any business.
6. Customer Testimonials
Credible customer testimonials on your website will add a personal touch to your site and make people believe your abilities have been favorably assessed by an independent unbiased party. Word of mouth is a great reference but the written word speaks volumes for itself. This would keep the business growing as more and more customers trust you.
7. Workspace Aspect:
Give sufficient thought to the interior design of your office as this will enhance the first impression new customers have and emphasize your sound business health and sincere long-term aspirations to existing customers. A healthy mix of functionality and aesthetics will go a long way in promoting business. Tastefully decorating your workspace with plants and art will give an air of culture to your business area. Given the diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the target market today, it would be best to steer clear of controversial or biased subject matter. Business should be a symbol of integrity and professionalism. To garner maximum interest, you would do well to keep personal affiliations away from it.
8. Licenses And Franchisees
Giving out licenses to franchisees to use your name would expand your network. For an income, you would get wide publicity that could help increase business from people who don’t use your product or service currently. Similarly obtaining licenses to enter new businesses would also help in the growth of business.
9. Distribution Network
You can increase the number of channels that connect you to the ultimate customer. This will in turn increase sales and subsequently the bottom line.
10. Gain Additional Recognition
Last but not the least, donating to a social cause, winning awards and involving celebrities would increase the visibility of the business and attract newer markets.
Remember you are only as good as your latest performance. Always ensure that you have one foot in the future of the industry and your business will flourish beyond expectations.