Corporate messaging has been under fire for a long time from many a PR 2.0/social media/web 2.0 pundit, including me. I’ve been a loud defender of the Cluetrain principle that there’s no market for messages. But while I still feel that one dimensional messaging from a traditional corporate communications standpoint fails utterly on the social web, there is a role for more evolved messaging: The role of the conversation starter (conversation starter image by shadow traveller).
A good message for the social web serves a different role than drilling home a sales proposition, or highlighting a brand attribute, or controlling public perception. Instead it inspires a great conversation amongst a community. It’s a conversational lead, something that provokes raw dialogue about a relevant issue to not only the organization providing the starter, but also the community participating in the discussion.
In that sense the modern message isn’t controlled. It’s actually architected with the hope of sparking a wildfire of uncontrolled word of mouth. That means giving people something worthwhile to talk about.
So a message actually becomes Socratic in nature. It poses a question and/or causes other parties to actually think about a topic, as opposed to trying to force ideas into their head. Rather than deliver finite ideas, social web messages start the conversation, but may not end them.
In fact the community conversation may take the message and turn it upside down (AT&T iPhone pricing, Dominoes, Motrin Moms, etc., etc.). In such cases, an organization needs to be responsive to and flexible with its community. In that sense that’s where letting loose of the reigns and actively participating in dialogue really comes into play. If the message serves the community with informative conversation, than the organization who started the chat should understand that it may need to shift its position.
I need to give a hat tip to Jeremy Pepper on this post, as the outspoken PR blogger was adamant in a phone conversation with me, maybe two years ago, that in fact messaging still had its place. It took me a long time to come around to that point of view, but I agree.
oh ..a cup of coffe can make me relax .Great ..!!
As someone who was once an intern in a corporate communications department, I think this is a great idea. Turn PR releases into opportunities for discussion.
Whatever Inc. is releasing a product: what do the Whatever Inc. customers think? Instead of a scatter shot of the Whatever Inc. customers all writing on their own blogs what they think, you can have them all comment on the Whatever Inc. blog.