Set Forward The New Media Phenomena

Leading at Light Speed is a must-have leadership book by Eric Douglas highlighting the 10 Quantum Leaps to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization.

In Chapter 8, Communicate in 12-D, Eric talks about Mobilizing the “New” Media.

If you did a Google search for “GM Bailout” during 2009 when rumors were swirling that the U.S. might force the once-mighty automaker into bankruptcy, you would have gotten two million hits. 2 million. To put it in perspective, in 2000, when the dot com bubble was bursting, you would have found slightly more than two hundred references online to “dot com bubble.” That’s how explosively our media world has changed.

Put yourselves in the shoes of GM’s vice president for global communications. You will be responsible for two million media press statements, blogs, press releases, YouTube presentations, financial statements, academic reports, tweets and other media propoganda. Think about it. What is your plan of action? How would you respond?

The appropriate method, of course, is not the path that GM chose. GM had not adapted to a light speed world. It continued to manage its communications with an eye toward control rather than leveraging the tools of social marketing and social networks. It provided selective press interviews; it sent reassuring letters to shareholders; it made an unsuccessful appeal to Washington for help. GM had the potential to unite hundreds of thousands of current and former customers and shareholders to assist with its plea in Washington had it been ready to lead at light speed. But it was not. No preparation was made for years.

In a light speed world, your organization needs to lead the conversation, because that’s how you build trust with customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers, regulators and all the other people who care about you and your organization. You do that by defining your message box, mobilizing new media, and communicating in so many different forums that your messages are the ones that people hear.

What do I want to convey by referring to “mobilize new media”? Every form of media can be your friend or your foe, depending on how well you understand the media’s versatility and potential. The opportunity exists for you to mobilize, whether you utilize social marketing, web pages, email mediums, blogs, e-newsletter, or tweets. The bridge between “new media” and “old media” is slowing diminishing. Newspapers and magazines are investing as much energy and resources into interactive media as they are into traditional ink and paper. The lines may disappear altogether as all forms of media become more interactive, searchable, and customizable.

If used smartly, you can mobilize tens of thousands of people to your cause. One notion to implore with the revolution is that the innovate media are within your reach. It is a distant memory where you had to convince an editor or reporter that your story is worthwhile. You have the capability of outreaching to millions of people by way of the Internet. In order to mobilize the media, you can use your web page to express your message. If you’re sending regular e-newsletters to your customers, shareholders, and employees, you’re leveraging new media. If you’re using social marketing to connect to networks of customers and potential customers, then you’re really mobilizing the media. You are in the mix when you integrate social networks with text messaging to lobby Congress. If you’re sharing your expert views via blogs and tweets, you’re mobilizing the media. In short, mobilizing the media hinges on leveraging all the different forms of media to lead the conversation and establish relationships with different groups in ways that build trust, generate engagement and ultimately advance your goals.

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