Many companies are entering the social/green/community space, with hopes of impressing customers, yet despite their best intentions, they could come across as inauthentic, and be damaging their own brand. Companies should first take a self-assessment of their brand to see if they’re ready before they decide to enter the social space.
Companies should first assess their culture and ask:
- Is the company ready to talk about the good –and bad– with the market?
- Is the internal culture ready to embrace customers on their own terms?
- Is the culture ready to make changes based on the request of customers?
Launching a corporate blog is easy, a Twitter account even easier, yet if companies culture doesn’t match the values they’re telling the market, they risk brand damage through reduced credibility. You’re not fooling anyone.