Social Media for the Common Good – The Business of Customers

For many years, companies have planned their existence based upon a fundamental falsehood – that they controlled their brands. And this charade was easy to perpetuate as hired pollsters, paid for by these companies, would create reports based upon the limited metrics available to them reinforcing their preconceived perception of what their customers were saying. Enter social media. Companies are now finding out that they do not control their brands – the customer does. Proposed: Social Media Departments become a separate and distinct segment of the corporate org chart, reporting to the CEO, and that Chief Community Officer (or a Social Media worded equivalent) be a permanent C-Suite position, tasked with independently (outside of influence from marketing; operations or product) engaging the company’s customer base and participating in a two-way conversation for the betterment of all.