In part one of this post we talked about some of the basics of Design Thinking and how they are relevant to engaging consumers using Social Media.
We talked about the sweet spot of Design Thinking being where three key considerations meet. They are:
Human – is it desirable?
Business – is it viable?
Technology – is it feasible?
I summed this up as being:
Understanding your consumers, and then doing something that addresses (at least some of) their, needs, desires or wants – and doing it for sound and understood business reasons with the appropriate use of technology and tools
We talked about how, for example, the notion of rapid prototyping in Design Thinking could be used in Social Media. We now have the landscape where we can quickly analyze and understand what messages – what connections and engagement – work and what don’t.
Another principle of Design thinking is that of Contextualizing messaging & touch points
It’s quite likely that the relationship consumers will have with a brand will vary over time. I have, for example, literally just booked my first ever flight with Qatar Airways. I haven’t, as yet, received any form of communication from them welcoming me to my new brand relationship.
There is an opportunity here for them to kick-start a (possibly) great and long relationship with me with communication that would be very different from what they might choose to adopt with a seasoned Qatar Airways customer.
What might you say to someone who walked into your business for the first time?
I’m at a very different stage of my journey with QA as a brand. How they may or may not choose to communicate with me right now could well impact on the length of that journey.
Social Business
Although I was presenting at a Marketing Seminar and although the idea of Social Media largely grew out of evolving traditional marketing activities, it’s clear now that Social Media is now Social Business. It’s Social Business by name and Social Business by nature in so much as the opportunities offered by Social Media extend right across all the activities of most businesses.
We talk a lot about multi disciplinary teams in Design Thinking – the idea that the best innovation happens when lots of people share ideas. Those people come from different parts of the business – some may be involved with sales, some with R&D and some might be engineers or UI designers.
As we move towards Social Business permeating all aspects of business the adoption of those principles we now are learning in the context of Social Media need to start resonating with all departments and functions across a business.
As I summarized in my presentation:
- Really think about your customers – not as numbers but as real people – understand them, demonstrate this and get included in their attention streams
- Align your Social Business activities with solid and understood business objectives
- Use technology relevantly and appropriately as an enabler NOT as a driver
- Be prepared to change and welcome and embrace the Social Business way of doing things right through your organization
