Author: Alasdair Munn
Our shift from the industrial age to the information age has been led through our ability to make better-informed decisions. To achieve a competitive advantage we have had to have instant access to real-time information, harness our collective expertise and intellectual property and ensure we are nimble and efficient when adapting to change. Technology has played a starring role in this transformation, however, we are rapidly realising that the value of technology goes beyond chips, computers or software.
The industrial age was characterised by economies of scale through standardisation, retrospective measurements such as ROI and market penetration through demand creation. The information age has seen a shift, led in part through changing consumer behaviour and expectations. We are increasingly living, working and interacting in real-time.
It is estimated that within a year the amount of digital information in the world will double every 11 hours. This information is largely unstructured and will be produced in a multitude of formats, originating from an ever-increasing number of intelligent devices. To stay informed and nimble we need to change the way we structure our organisations and analyse our data.
Capturing, processing and analysing relevant data so it is seen in context and helps direct and inform decisions is essential. The ability to recognise patterns, to analyse content in motion and present this information so it allows for effective management and decision-making is the new competitive advantage. Managing your content through a permissions based hierarchy so it can inform, grow, have value added to it and be accessed when and where it is needed is an organisation’s new intellectual property.
Social media has an important role to play within this eco-system. The collaborative and real-time essence of social media, be it across open or closed networks fuels the information age. The tools and thinking behind social media, applied in relation to an organisation’s unique business rules and objectives drives this shift.
In this context, social media is not just about brand or reputation management. It is about giving organisations the tools they need to succeed in an age where change is rapid, collaboration essential and expectations are real-time.
Photo by The Rocketeer
Dear Mr Munn
I agree wholeheartedly that Social Media is a vehicle for change, and, as your other blogs have so correctly pointed out, if we don’t understand what it is we are trying to change, and who we are trying to change the ‘what’ for, no amount of technology or clever content will create a relevant shift. The intelligence is all in the understanding of the communication, and then the understanding of how to deliver it and to whom. This post around the term “CQ” ties nicely into yours — http://claremunn.com/2009/04/social-medias-value-proposition/
Thank you for your writing, I look forward to it and hope to see you present in person in the near future. I was very sorry to miss your panel at the African Gathering in London a few weeks ago.
All the best,
EFS
I like this post. Thank you. I am happy technology is finally here. I am happy we all agree content is important and understanding the strategy is important. AND yet, I am very concerned about the visual display of technology. It is horrific. As a designer, I have no idea how any sustainable change can occur with the drabness available online today. I am on a mission to sort this out. We need a play box of creativity to revolutionize the way we see online.
Fonts that make people feel and react.
Color for the people to play and interact.
Why not?
I’d like to discuss this directly with you Alasdair, and hear your thoughts. Thank you.
@Sonja WONDERFUL that you have said this. “Bad design is just rude” Absolutely design is an important part of the equation and is often left out. Just as the technology needs to be right for the audience, so too does the design. An important part of who we are, how we learn and how we interact depends upon our learning styles.
Getting your design wrong means that you have failed to understand your audience, or you choose to ignore what they want. Either of those scenarios are rude.
Alasdair, a very timely and insightful post!
“Capturing, processing and analysing relevant data so it is seen in context and helps direct and inform decisions is essential. The ability to recognise patterns, to analyse content in motion and present this information so it allows for effective management and decision-making is the new competitive advantage.”
I couldn’t agree more…but I think it’s the context that orgizations will struggle with. Given Clare’s topic on CQ (brilliant, by the way), context can’t always be looked at with an IQ mindset…I think this is where EQ and CQ come into play. Context is easier to understand if have a connection (EQ) and you’ve been communicating in an on-going manner (CQ). A lot of organizations (whether internally or externally) don’t take the time for either.
“Managing your content through a permissions based hierarchy”
How do you envision this being done?
@Beth It is wonderful to have your input here. There are two battles going on, one against the “industrial” organisational structure and mindset, the other against the “social media is purely about brand management” mindset. It is hard to have both those conversations at the same time.
“Managing your content through a permissions based hierarchy” is looking at where you want your content to go, who can see it and who can add value/grow it. So for example instead of having different websites, or destinations for different audiences (internal or external) within an organization, it would be a lot more seamless if there was one destination where your access to specific content was managed by your level of permission. Content is no longer stationary, and as a result there should be no reason for us to go and look for it. Relevant information should be made available to us based upon our profile structure. For example you may want me to read a piece of content and have the ability to comment on it but not alter it. Similarly you may want the head of marketing to be able to edit, add or alter the content as well as read and comment.
Social media tools such as creating profiles, tagging, flagging, mapping, intelligent search, cache’s, rating etc, in conjunction with learning management or content management systems allows us to do this.
social media tools and networking is teaching us that the era of market domination over consumers is ending.
marketers should now rethink markets for the common good. this can be influenced by marketers listening to the market thru social networking methodology.
modern consumers need to know that goods and social values are properly valued to todays criteria. only then will consumers begin to feel confident in the goods and services available online or on the high street.
marketers should realize, accept and practice their profession bearing in mind that today’s consumers are aware that there are moral limits to markets. honesty always has been the best policy and valuable consumer spending power must make marketers aware of this fact.
greed and self interest are no longer the driving forces of politics, business or happy lifestyles. social media can spread this story to those decision makers who so desperately need to hear it. (for their own middle to long term sakes!)