OK, so you are starting to act like a more open, honest, available, "social" company... You know it's less about testing Facebook and making your people Twitter ... but really thinking about how to be more "social" in the traditional sense - listening and reacting. Hard stuff to manage for sure.
The only way to take advantage of Digital and New Media is to apply it's awesome flexibility around your current circumstances.
You know I am BOTH a fan and a critic of the latest Internet thrills... but please remember that going "Digital" means taking advantage of the real and proven efficiencies of things like:
- Less paper printing that gets old and kills trees
- Cheap distribution of your message and electronic materials over the Web
- Automated customer conversations... make money while you sleep!
- A mobile workforce more productive on the road
- Easily produced video that can be fun and functional
- Listening and communicating with customers the way THEY want
... whether they want to use Twitter or a one-click call back from a smarthphone ... etc.
The key word in that list is "Proven" ... there are enough examples of success with Digital that you need your plan of action and next steps to do it better.
Brian Solis dedicates his new book, End of Business, to asking us to "adapt or die" because of the market changes and (flexible) opportunities. He describes two certainties:
1) The consumer is reachable but you need to change how you support your communication efforts to, well... communicate and sell.
2) This will happen at your company when management participates in New Media themselves. Only then will they learn why they need to adapt.
Change is most definitely happening... particularly for companies with business models that are several years (or generations!) old. See my previous post on the importance of change and adaptability with this nautical quote: "You can't direct the wind but you can adjust your sails."