In a corporate climate where
communications are multifaceted and roles are over-lapping within an
organization, I agree that Argenti, Howell, and Beck’s characterization of
communication as part of an organization’s overall strategy is key to the organization’s
success. The integration of roles should
be considered when we think about developing communications because we
sometimes need clarity on what messaging the various roles will be
disseminating. Gaining clarity such as
this is beneficial and should come from leadership so that the organization is
aligned on their overall goals and objectives.
Chapter 18 of Socialnomics covers a
question top executives often ask, where and how “social media be structured
within an organization?” (Qualman, 2012, p. 267). While it’s impossible to provide a “one size
fits all” strategy, there is an overarching theme in the various cases
presented by Argenti, Howell, and Beck that the communications be clear,
concise and honest. However, there is a fine balance with the level of control
and balance senior leadership allows the organization to have with
communicating and engaging with various levels inside and outside of the
organization. The level of regulation the organization is required to follow
will help provide guidance on how they should be communicating, at what level, to
which audience and via the most appropriate channel of traditional and/or
social media.
With regards to how this
characterization applies to Marketing, Advertising and IMC, there is a similar
strategic planning process across all of these elements that Argenti, Howell,
and Beck describes; one of which discusses selecting the appropriate target
audience. From there, any of these
elements can determine how that target makes decisions so that they can best
position their marketing strategy, harmonize communication and create synergies
across the various media outlets and social media tools (Percy, 2012, p.439).
A prime example of integrating a
strategic communication plan with marketing elements is Dell’s strategy of
encouraging employee sharing via blogs, inviting customers to join Michael Dell
in Google+ hangouts for feedback, and crowdsourcing for insights from
influential users (Breakenridge, 2008).
REFERENCES:
Breakenridge, D. (2012). Social Media
and Public Relations Eight New Practices for the PR Professional. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Percy, Larry (2008) Strategic
Integrated Marketing Communications (Kindle Locations 439-441). Burlington,
MA: Elsevier, Inc. Kindle Edition
Qualman, Erik (2012-11-09).
Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business (p.
267). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
Hi Tara,
ReplyDeleteGood post. I am a little unclear on the point you are making between the characterization you provide related to where social media "fits" in an organization versus targeting markets for IMC efforts.
Are you suggesting that, in the case of social media, they be used broadly by people in the company but that people in the company are directed to address/communicate to specific targeted audiences? Or, are you saying the the selection of the medium itself should be targeted, with social used only in some cases, some niches, some demographics?
Can you see a benefit or detriment to either (or both) concepts I've asked about?
Mike
Ah yes, I see now where I could have been more clear in my explanation. I do think it's a little of both, depending on what the company's culture is. For instance, a technology company like Apple or Dell may be more comfortable using social media more broadly because they are seeking creative consumer feedback, whereas a pharmaceutical company may restrict themselves with selection of medium and target a bit more due to the nature of their business. I still agree that social media should fit into the organization and as we saw in Chapter 18 of Socialnomics, there are various models organizations use that best fit their culture; there was a good review of pros and cons to using each.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that as younger generations enter the marketplace and as older generations adopt social media practices, expectations will change. Therefore, more and more organizations need to adopt the practice of incorporating social media into their overall communication strategy. Do I see a detriment to this...absolutely. Knowing how viral communication can run in a social environment, it's crucial that cross functional roles work closely together to strategically plan how these assets will be used and who in the organization will use them so that negative situations are handled properly as they arise (and they will happen). Overall though, because our communication habits are changing end users may be more accepting of minor issues, especially when they are participating the solution.
Tara,
ReplyDeleteDell is a nice example of a socially-minded company. I'd add customer service to your list of things Dell does well on social media. What I like about their accounts is that they are properly segmented; @DellCares is for customer service, @DellOutlet shares deals and discounts, etc. This segmentation strategy enables them to effectively share messages with audiences without "spamming Twitter feeds with useless information or the company’s replies to disgruntled customers" (Wakefield, 2012).
Kait
References:
Wakefield, K.J. (2012, May 18). Lessons from Dell's dedication on Twitter. Contently. Retrieved from: http://contently.com/strategist/2012/05/18/lessons-from-dells-dedication-on-twitter/#!uzfjw
Good example, Kait. Use of social media for customer service was actually something I covered in the short paper we submitted last week.
DeleteIn my research, I found the work of Carolyn Heller Baird and Gautam Parasnis from 2011 where they said "consumers are willing to interact with businesses if they believe it is to their benefit, feel they can trust the company and decide social media is the right channel to use to get the value they seek" (p. 33).
I really think that hits the mark and the Dell example is a fitting one. Good stuff.
Mike
Reference:
Baird, C. & Parasnis, G. (2011). From social media to social customer relationship management. Strategy & Leadership 39(5), 30-37. doi: 10878571111161507
Mike & Kait,
DeleteThank you for incorporating the Customer Service aspect into our conversation.I manage Consumer Relations for my organization and we are definitely seeing more and more consumers turn to our Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to interact with us. What's interesting about their engagement is that many consumers provide answers to some of the questions/concerns posted by others. At times they even defend the brand if a consumer is airing a specific frustration. I find the dynamic of that community outlet to be insightful and do feel it's our obligation to acknowledge and address their inquiries and complaints within those social media tools. I can appreciate the Baird & Parasnis quote Mike provided and also think that it's especially important to exchange conversations in the space that the consumer has initially chosen to contact your organization vs. redirecting them to another contact method. In the Dell case, they have done a good job of that.
While Dell is a larger organization with great social customer service, there are lots of smaller brands taking notice of the power of social media, too. One that immediately comes to mind is Birchbox. The beauty subscription service doesn't use much marketing; their customers do it for them, mostly on social media. Even better, they have outstanding customer service (I speak from personal experience!) and have proven that they actually listen to feedback and reviews from their subscribers.
DeleteNo matter if a brand is established or emerging, strong customer service - especially via social media - can help build that valuable word-of-mouth marketing.
Nice post this week, Tara!
Hey again Tara!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you state that there is no "one size fits all" strategy for companies to follow. This is so important. Every single company is different and is going to approach situations differently. Social media is one way of communicating but one company may not use it as much as another and that is all based on their strategy.
You also mention that there are some similar strategic plans that companies follow. Can you think of any of these strategies that are used by many companies in general and are altered a bit for each company? I think of social media. Many companies use it as a communication line but for different reasons.
Nice post!
-Michele
Thanks Michele!
DeleteI think the approach to how organizations may share similar strategic communications should always begin with identifying the audience or audiences they want to reach. Where I think organizations fail is when they start with a social media plan they want to implement because other brands are doing it or because it has a creative appeal (i.e. QR Codes, useless hashtags). In planning the long-term success, identifying the audience is what should lead what tactics will be used followed by the best media vehicle to reach that audience. The Reebok article I posted earlier eludes to a theme of simplifying the process to define what your end goal is, but ties it all back to the audience first and foremost.
Tara,
ReplyDeleteGreeting from Joanna on Team 1.
Very nice post.
I like how you integrated corporate climate into your discussion. In any organization, the tone of the culture must be driven by communication.
Your post and reply posts touch on the younger generations and social media in the market place. This generation is going to play a crucial role in social media in businesses. I found this weeks reading very interesting on this concept. First, this generation Millennials (Generation Y) (pg. 44) (Qualman, 2013) has grown up on social media. My niece is 12 and she knows Facebook and Twitter like a marketing pro. While Qualman notes these generations need more guidance in management skills, project planning, and business communication (pg. 45), this skills can be taught on site. Having advanced skills in social media will be extremely valuable in the market place.
Qualman also notes, marketers need to adjust their way of thinking, because it’s no longer about building out the existing database. Instead, you could be in communication with fans and consumers on someone else’s database (Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, Twitter, etc.) (pg41) (Qualman, 2013). This is just what organizations will require in the future. Social media is a tool of the future for organizations.
article
Thank you,
Joanna
References
Qualman, E. (2013). Social econiomics- how social media transforms the way we live and do business. (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9781118232651/firstsection
Thanks Joanna, I 100% agree with your post. The evolution of social media ties back directly to how generations want to communicate. Their habits have driven the shift in how we communicate and has set expectations for turn-around time, platforms for where communication can occur, and anticipation of the organization's engagement with their responses.
DeleteI attended a presentation just 3 years ago led by Pete Blackshaw - he worked for Nielsen Insights at the time - and he talked about how consumers were engaging with brands. One thing he said that has stuck out to me since that presentation was that email would essentially become obsolete in the next few years. I think we are seeing this happen since tools like Twitter, Facebook and forums have provided a platform that makes it easier and more convenient to communicate. I personally feel that the Millenials prefer to communicate in a forum where others can see what they are discussing and airing. This will eventually force more companies to integrate more social media into their overall communications strategy.
Warning...warning...old guy comment coming up:
DeleteDon't count email out yet. I work at a college where students aged 18-25 tell me email is dying. Yet, every college, most major corporations, major governmental organizations, and mom-and-pop shops still use it as the main form of internal and external, one-on-one communication.
I believe in the power of social media, just as I believe in the power of a good journalists. However, email remains the only form of communication an employer can give every employee and can have comfort that they can hold them responsible for its use (and the information they give and receive via it).
The dawn of television was going to kill radio, yet radio is stil one of the most powerful forms of commuinications -- even Pandora which is internet-delivered but is still, in essence, radio.
I think email has a longer future than most because it has a dominant position in companies of all size. Person-to-person personal communication is changing much more quickly than business communication.
Agree? Disagree?
Mike
Mike -
ReplyDeleteYour opening line line made me chuckle - definitely not an old guy ;)
I personally don't think email will officially kick the bucket anytime soon, but I do think that the younger generations are using tools like Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Mobile text to communicate more than email. I believe part of it is the convenience of using app based tools from their mobile devices vs. logging into to an email account. Part of it is the opportunity to air their voice in a public space where they can be heard/
One example where I've seen texts replace phone calls or emails is with the recent snow storms and announcements of school closures and/or delays. Many parents I know received notification of the school's status via text and/or school forum page.
I do agree with you that in a work and school environment email is the dominant communication preference. However, I do believe we will continue to see shifts in communication mediums being utilized as technology trends continue to emerge. Hence the need of IMC being used by organizations.
Hi Tara & Mike,
ReplyDeleteThis week Qualman notes “E-mail has held on through the years as, arguably, the king of the Internet, used by the old and the young. However, the new inbox is shifting toward social media (pg. 38) E-mail isn’t going away entirely; it just may not be the first means of digital communication in a Socialnomics world. Messaging is much easier to manage within mobile social media versus e-mail because it acts like a real conversation among friends” (pg.39) My thoughts on this is that each social media platform has a specific audience and tone that it represents. Tara, like you mention, organizations are utilizing IMC into their communication strategy to provide real time communications with consumers.
infographic email vs. social media
References
Qualman, E. (2013). Social econiomics- how social media transforms the way we live and do business. (2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9781118232651/firstsection