One solution is to bring in outside resources. There are myriad consultants and agencies who will help you set up focus groups and other tools to find new ideas or sort out a better strategy. If the results you're obtaining satisfies the need there may be no reason to read further.
If you wish to explore some new directions, follow along. During the last decade Mr. Lafley, then head of Procter & Gamble, began to think that he needed to pursue some new strategies for developing new products and for developing brands. It was through Don Tapscot (Wikinomics), Bob Johansen (Get there Early) and other such writers that we began to hear terms like 'creative commons', development wikis and etc. Those who now hold the reins at Procter & Gamble are benefiting from Lafley's development which now is providing some of the best strategies and products they bring to market.
For PetLynx Corporation, a long time client, we pursued a 'beyond ourselves' strategy that in 2006, developed the Summits for Urban Animal Strategies. These five annual events bring together the thought leaders in their industry to look at the present and future issues. The strategy has been very successful at creating a more trusting and creative environment within the industry. However, the real wins for this client and the industry have happened more recently when a technology called 'OpenSpace' was introduced by facilitator Karen Dawson. OpenSpace allowed 'crowd sourcing' to determine the issues and conversations that would make up each Summit. We are now pursuing ways to make this innovation for PetLynx a truly web based experience that can be driven by the trust and relationships developed in the Summit program.
So, by now you must know where this is leading and you can be forgiven if you feel somewhat uncomfortable. Developing a crowd sourcing aspect of your social media programs so that you acess the best ideas and strategies is my suggestion. There are lots of stories about pursuing this approach. Some of the good ones are still in the making. However, I believe we will see crowd sourcing become a standard element of development and process in most arenas. It already reaches into shopper marketing, funding, medical research, business development, political action and many other facets of our world.
Earlier this month McKinsey Quarterly published an article entitled, "The Social Side of Strategy". The link is provided below. My experience would dictate the sooner you begin developing this capability the better things will be. In this article, McKinsey shows other benefits like industry and organizational alignment.
Think about where your brand could make the most significant gains from alignment, better ideas and strategy. Share them in the comments area if you wish.
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