Mobilize The “New” Media
Leadership Workshop (9 of 12) – Communicate in 12-D
Leading at Light Speed is a must-have leadership book by Eric Douglas highlighting the 10 Quantum Leaps to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization.
In Chapter 8, Communicate in 12-D, Eric talks about Mobilizing the “New” Media.
If you did a Google search for “GM Bailout” during 2009 when rumors were swirling that the U.S. might force the once-mighty automaker into bankruptcy, you would have gotten two million hits. Two million. To put it in perspective, in 2000, when the dot com bubble was bursting, you would have found slightly more than two hundred references online to “dot com bubble.” That’s how explosively our media world has changed.
Put yourselves in the shoes of GM’s vice president for global communications. You will be responsible for two million media press statements, blogs, press releases, YouTube presentations, financial statements, academic reports, tweets and other media propoganda. Think about it. What is your plan of action? How would you respond?
The right strategy, of course, is not the strategy that GM chose. GM had not adapted to a light speed world. It continued to manage its communications with an eye toward control rather than leveraging the tools of social marketing and social networks. It provided selective press interviews; it sent reassuring letters to shareholders; it made an unsuccessful appeal to Washington for help. GM had the potential to unite hundreds of thousands of current and former customers and shareholders to assist with its plea in Washington had it been ready to lead at light speed. But it was not. It had not been prepared for years.
In a light speed environment, your company initiates the conversation, because that’s how you create trust with consumers, shareholders, staff, suppliers, regulators and all the other people who strives to represent you and your company. You do that by defining your message box, mobilizing new media, and communicating in so many different forums that your messages are the ones that people hear.
What do I mean by “mobilize new media”? Depending your ability grasp the media’s resourcefulness and prospects, every media module can be your friend or your enemy. The opportunity exists for you to mobilize, whether you utilize social marketing, web pages, email mediums, blogs, e-newsletter, or tweets. The bridge between “new media” and “old media” is slowing diminishing. The investment of energy and resources into interactive media for newspaper and magazines is comparable to that of traditional ink and paper. The lines may disappear altogether as all forms of media become more interactive, searchable, and customizable.
With intellectual manipulation, you can recruit tens of thousands of people to your movement. One notion to implore with the revolution is that the innovate media are within your reach. Having to persuade an editor or reporter that your message is appealing is irrelevant now. You have the capability of outreaching to millions of people by way of the Internet. If you use your website to communicate your vision, then you’re mobilizing the media. A way to leverage new media is to transmit consistent e-newsletters to your clients, shareholder, and employees. If you’re using social marketing to connect to networks of customers and potential customers, then you’re really mobilizing the media. If you’re combining social networks with text messaging to lobby Congress, you’re in the game. If you’re sharing your expert views via blogs and tweets, you’re mobilizing the media. In short, mobilizing the media hinges on leveraging all the different forms of media to lead the conversation and establish relationships with different groups in ways that build trust, generate engagement and ultimately advance your goals.
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