GETTING ON THE ROAD TO ELDORADO: HOW CAN COMPANIES FIND A DIFFERENTIATOR?

I work in an industry dogged by low perceived used value. My industry is Public Relations and just any guy, who has honed his skills in journalism and citizen publishing, feels he can ply my trade; hence everyone jumps in until we get to a point where no one feels the need to pay for our service. So, how do we survive? And what is the attraction for our continued participation anyway? I reckon this applies to every industry. The need to find a differentiator, one that delivers value and keeps you in business is one question that keeps CEO's awake at night. But, the answers get tougher as one survey the landscape.

1.       At the Beginning – Far from Having a Product , Companies Saw a Need to Build Reputation

Everyone has an image, but building reputation takes careful planning, hence the need to hire someone on the outside, looking in and orchestrating a road-map – from the sessions with critical stakeholders, the interviews on Radio and TV, the Press Release to the Social Report – everything must tell a story aligned to the desired end state. But beyond that, Companies focused on keeping the quality of their products or service high as a basis for continued patronage and good reputation.

The marriage was fluid and pleasant until quality became a buzz word and clutter slipped into the media environment on the back of the worldwide web.

2.       From the Era of the Media is "Us" to the Era of the Media is "Me"

After centuries of brandishing quality as a differentiator and latching on to the traditional media for corporate story-telling, a big bang occurs and the world is thrown open. Now every company must come to the table with quality and people are able to communicate with anyone in the world graphically and visually in real time about their experiences of competing companies offerings. And as this changes kicked-in, things came tumbling out of control.

With the changes brought clutter and confusion, and as things progressed, the question on the mouth of future-oriented companies became - from the email, to the blog, the podcast and now with social media - how do we build the needed differentiator for our offerings? How do we tell the corporate story to the right audience and be sure they are listening and in turn helping to shape the desired perception? Suddenly, the name of the game changes from having a consumer who is content with shopping for the same products under different labels to a consumer who is not only individualistic and informed but one who seeks to be involved in the production or service process.

3.       Under the New Era – How Do We Tell the Corporate Story?

Under this era of individualism with the consumer drawing expression and association with all that he encounters, based on the connection he feels with each product or service, rather than the perceived quality of the product or service, telling the corporate story becomes a complex game. In building communication that connects, the demand on business therefore became to understand not just what the consumer wants but how the consumer wants it.

So away from onground reality, shaping perception also became complex. And in trying to simplify things, the print journalist jumps in, wielding data on the circulation figures as well as the demographics of the readers, claiming “it can never be better than knowing precisely where your crowd has been for decades and knowing it really does not change”. Excuse me? Never changing demographics or never changing consumption patterns? Does that really exist?

Still trying to make things easier, the broadcaster comes knocking, claiming “the crowd is still with me and I know because there is a TV and a radio in most homes”. Hey, whatever happens to the proliferation of electronic media? How does this affect gathering the crowd?

Still seeking Eldorado, the Social Networker and  Citizen journalist breaks in saying, “I am the new deal, try me for size and you’ll see the beauty of your story come through with immediacy of feedback”.  Looks good and Interesting, but how about unintended consequences?

In an attempt at finding an Eldorado, everything changes as everyone stakes a claim to the crowd and what the crowd wants remain elusive. What is even sadder still, is the fact that the Public Relations professional whose duty is to seek out what the crowd wants is considered a middleman and in today’s business logic, everything must be done to get rid of the middleman because he not only reduces turn-around time and increases cost, he also prevents personalization and customization. The take is, why do I need a Public Relations professional? “I know what my desired reputation is and I figured I can hire a guy who speaks the PR language and I can deal directly with the media – whether old or new – on my own!

And as changes continue to happen in both the social and business environment, new challenges erupt raising new questions and demanding specialist knowledge. But guess what? The business buff finds a way around it. “I reckon I can talk to each platform directly and just maybe, my crowd will pick it up and run with it”. But in telling the story, he fails to recognise that each platform places a demand. And in telling the same story, there is a need to vary it based on the nuances of each platform. He then hits a brick-wall. And still in search of the Eldorado, he keeps trying the same things and hoping for a different result.

4.       The New Game is About Building a Community of Followers.

In today’s complex business and media environment, the only way to avoid clutter is to build a community of followers who share your values and are ready to openly associate with you.

The Social Media teaches a good lesson in building communities as communities once built, become a centre for telling a corporate story and having members tell their experience. And as the storytelling becomes a two-way game, the true picture about how a business is perceived emerges and keeps emerging as new things happen in the external environment.

Truth is, in building a community and ensuring continuous participation, Public Relations regains relevance but in regaining relevance, new skills are demanded of the Public Relations practitioner. He remains an arbiter but no longer a middleman. The Public Relations professional must become as immersed in the story as the owner of the story and must participate in the feedback process as ardently as the average member of the community. But even as the new skills are honed and owned, the search for Eldorado continues, because the world is ever changing.

5.       Building a Corporate Stature – Its More About Dynamism than Heritage

And away from the Public Relations professional, businesses must strive to be different with every encounter in the storytelling process. But beyond finding a difference, the intrinsic value of the business must have a dynamic basis as this deepens the experience; because a story is just as good as the experience of the product and service in the moment of truth. And given that today’s consumer is intensely curious, easily bored and always searching for something new, legacy and heritage cannot stay static, it must have a dynamic basis with the value it brings remaining ever new to the consumer.

Once upon a time, Microsoft ruled in personal computing and Nokia reigned in the world of mobile device. The story changed as the divide between both became blurred and in came the almighty Apple which became ubiquitous as it built a closed community of ardent and fanatical followers.

But that soon changed as Android soon busted the bubble and Samsung became the new word for sexy and smart. But the story is indeed a labyrinth  with no end but only layers and pit-stops, so the way to find your place under the sun, is to keep changing to meet the needs of thirsty consumers with fleeting loyalty.