Speaking at a reception earlier this week hosted by the legal impresarios Farrer & Co, Lord Browne spoke passionately about the growing need for businesses to be more connected with their audiences. Trust has been eroded, he said, between some governments and corporations and many financial institutions. He further discussed how these organisations have sometimes lost touch with many of their publics, in particular the younger generations. 

This struck a chord and reminded me of the changing landscape of the world we now live in and how this affects us as communicators and marketers.

Technology and new media channels mean two things. Firstly, there is very little room for companies or organisations to hide mistakes or bad practices. It is inconceivable that we will stop making mistakes, but today’s level of transparency now means that companies have to try to eradicate bad practices and hold their hands up when genuine mistakes are made. Social media has enormous power. It brought down bad governments in the Arab Spring and will definitely bring down bad companies.

Secondly, people now expect companies to communicate more information, more often, and via many different touch points. It is no longer appropriate or sufficient to think that the comms department can or should control and initiate all communication. Employees now have more powerful communication technology in their pockets than the communications department has on its desktop.

In order to thrive in a connected world, companies need be open and honest, to encourage communication and strive to become better firms.