At this moment someone could be talking about your company. Worse they could be criticising your service, your products and your staff and, even worse, they could be sharing this criticism on the Internet. They could be starting Wikis, blasting you on forums, slagging you off on their Facebook page, Tweeting about you … the list goes on and on. But it may not all be negative, they might be singing your praises, making suggestions for improvements to service or products; but the biggest problem is that through conventional marketing or public relations you have no control. Your brand is what your customers say it is.
This scenario is becoming more common and it’s one that traditional marketing communications executives are ill equipped to face. Enter Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff who work for Forrester Research and who have written a life raft for companies who are facing up to the opportunities and threats from the Internet and social media in particular.
The book is not a dull as ditch water academic research but a vibrant study of how social media can benefit your company by opening up new channels of communication not only with existing customers but potential new target audiences as well. Groundswell is littered with real life case studies from the likes of Dell through to Proctor and Gamble showing that new technology is not just for new technology companies and products. It is just as valid for washing powder as it is for the latest HTC Android phone.
Li and Bernoff provide a solid background to how and why the Groundswell is so important and include a vital tool – the Social Technographics Profile – which enables marcomms professionals to examine the players in your customer base and discover how that group is participating in the groundswell. Once you have a feeling for the tools and how your client base is using it Li and Bernoff introduce a series of strategies, many of which go against conventional marketing "wisdom" and which advocate the importance of listening before charging in like a bull in a china shop!
Groundswell is more than a book to read and start dropping key phrases around to show how switched on you are. It’s a map through uncharted territory that will guide you through the hazards to come through the other side a new and enlightened company that can achieve the ultimate aim of getting your customers to act as your sales team and advocates.
Groundswell is published by the Harvard Business Press and available from the Web2 and More Amazon affiliate store which is accessible from the Web Store tab at the top of this page.
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