Learn from the Queen
Christina Kerley watched The Queen (a movie chronicling the British royal family's PR crisis following Princess Diana's death) with the sharp eyes of a marketing consultant. "What struck me about the film," she wrote in her blog, "were its parallels to the current business environment, and its struggles with the dynamic changes of Web 2.0."
Because the Queen failed to recognize a shift in British sensibilities, her response to the tragedy made her appear out of touch. In a similar way, argues Kerley, companies that don't respond to the way consumers now use the Internet run the risk of looking aloof or irrelevant.
You can avoid that fate by learning from Queen Elizabeth's missteps:
- Waiting for it to go away. The Queen mistakenly assumed everything would return to normal in a few days. It didn’t happen. Keep this in mind if your company operates on the theory that Web 2.0 trends are only passing fads.
- Sticking to policy. The Queen’s strong sense of tradition put her at odds with public expectations. But a that's the way we've always done it rationale doesn't fly in modern life or business.
- Staying behind the walls. The Queen considered her emotional restraint a dignified response while her subjects interpreted her attitude as cold-hearted indifference. When she stepped outside her comfort zone and reached out to the people, she won them back. Likewise, you should exploit the interactive nature of Web 2.0 to communicate with your customers—even if you'd rather not.
The Po!nt: As Christina Kerley says, if a 1000-year-old monarchy can change, even the most traditional businesses can too.
Source: C-K Blog. Read the entire blog post and comments.
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