Several companies have realized the importance of these new opportunities and have slowly started joining the conversation. Paradoxically though, many forget the most important step: listening. The Oxford English dictionary defines ‘conversation’ as an “informal exchange of ideas spoken by words”. Organizations must ensure that this ‘exchange’ happens and that they aren’t simply spreading their own messages. Remember what Ivy Lee said: PR is a “two way street”. The ability to hear what customers and stakeholders have to say is one of the great benefits of the new ecosystem; companies might as well be taking advantage of it. They should use each bad comment, complaint or protest as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and improve. By doing so, they will be rewarded. Their consumers will feel valued, appreciated and acknowledged and will trust them increasingly in exchange (and in the current situation they could use some extra trust). Not only will this improve the relationship they share with their community it should also increase their revenues as they will technically have produced a product or service that better suits their stakeholders needs. It becomes a win-win situation.
As Andy Marken states in the Public Relations Quarterly, when facing consumer complaints and questions companies should aim to: “Calm that individual down, help him get the right assistance/answer and the company has not just saved a sale but more frequently has gained another company/product advocate who will speak favorably about the firm and experience with others”. Remember that every consumer they convert will potentially help the PR team do their job by praising the company’s actions. And knowing that consumers place so much trust in what they hear online, companies should capitalize on the situation. There was never any good reason not to listen to customers!
Last but not least, I firmly believe that public relations should increasingly become part of the management strategy. It has too frequently been used to resolve problems instead of preventing them. Having a PR counsel work as a part of the management team would help companies make the appropriate choices and decisions to maintain a proper image and preserve stakeholder trust. Edward Lordan states in one of his Public Relations Quarterly articles: “Public relations should be integrated into the strategic decision-making process in an organization, not exclusively as a reaction to events inside and outside the company.” I must say that I totally agree. Many scandals could have been prevented if their management system had been organized in such a way. In fact, The PR counsels could have helped the companies take appropriate ethical decisions, maintain high levels of transparency and preserve employee and stakeholder relationships.
Blatant misconceptions of the field, plummeting consumer trust and the new media ecosystem should all be reasons for companies to readapt their PR goals and strategies. Although it is already late, it’s better to reform now than never. Moreover costs shouldn’t be an issue because it will cost less to adapt now than to compensate for the failure to do so. As Gerald Kane states in The Harvard Business Review: “companies as diverse as Kaiser Permanente, Comcast Domino’s and Amazon have learned that not having a social media team can cost far more than having one [...] each learned it’s lesson the hard way.” So here is my advice to companies: embrace the new media landscape, listen to your stakeholders, build your corporate practice and guidelines off of their advice & opinions and remain open to suggestions. You will rapidly see the return on investment, as you won’t be on your own anymore. You will be a better company backed by better customers. Do yourself a favor, and take the opportunity while its still here!
