Filed under: Week5 Topics
Throughout this term so far, we’ve thrown around the concept of relationships and relationship cultivation/management in terms of how organizations can use social media to strengthen their connections to different stakeholder groups.
But, I want to take the conversation back one step, if I may, to get your thoughts on these questions:
Why do you (or don’t you) consider yourself as having relationships with corporate, government, nonprofit relationships?
What is the best way for an organization (that you are not currently involved with) to approach you and try to begin a relationship–interpersonally, traditional communication (media stories, advertising), social media, or something else?
No right answers here! So throw out everything that ya have! 
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I do not consider myself as having a relationship with corporate organizations. Even if i frequent the same restaurant and know the manager I still do not consider myself as having a relationship with that restaurant or company. If I go to McDonalds to eat it does not create a relationship with them. This would be different If i was working for a company who had a relationship with McDonalds. Such as if I sold food products to them. This could also be different if I was helping out a non-profit such as habitat for humanity. I would develop a relationship with the people in the organization and therefore the company.
Comment by Tyler Steele September 22, 2009 @ 1:57 pmI think the best way for a corporation to get involved with me is still interpersonally. I would not to respond to a facebook message invited me to do service work, but could have a chance of being talked into it by someone I like and/or trusted.
This is a good point, Tyler and Dr. Waters I am glad you brought this up. I completely agree… I will start with the non-profits as that is my love. I do think that non-profits have an advantage on frming relationships with their stakeholders and that is partially do to the fact that they have volunteers or people interested in the cause. I am an officer for Habitat for Humanity and have been involved with that for a while. Like Tyler stated, you form relationships with these people because you are working to give someone else a better life or you are doing something good for someone else. When you know that your work has a purpose it makes you feel good. You know other people who are working with you care and share the same values and work ethic that you do. I also work with the American Red Cross as an intern and it is amazing the amount of active volunteers they have. Both of these organizations have people that truly care and want to help! Without the help of volunteers or supporters or even people who think that these organizations are a possitive influence on the community these programs would not last. But who thinks Habitat for Humanity is a bad thing? That is why relationships are so strong for non-profits because they often do not have critics or people who openly disagree with their business aproach. While on the other hand, coorporations just do not have the love behinde their organization that non-profits do (I am generalizing). But often lare coorporate organizations can not form a bond with people over something that is not really a cause. While they have a common goal it is often to make the company better or make people more money which is great but it doesn’t keep people interested or coming back because they never have a feeling of unity. Everyone is just trying to get to the top.
I think the best way for a corporate organization to get involved with their publics is to host events, sponsor organizations like non-profit. For example, Anhueser Busch is sponsor a Red Cross Ready program across the nation right now. They are donating millions of dollars to this program to get schools and organizations ready when a disaster strikes and due to their sponsorship the entire program is FREE to all participants. That is awesome in my opinion and when they form a relationship with the community or an organiaation that makes me want a nice cold BUD LIGHT LIME:)
Comment by Jane Maggie Smith September 23, 2009 @ 12:47 pmI will also approach this from a non-profit perspective, even though it’s been a few years since I worked at one
. I see the point that since you eat at McD’s you don’t necessarily feel a relationship with them. In my experience, folks that get VERY involved with a non-profit organization do feel a relationship. Especially volunteers and benefactors of that agency’s services. Often there’s an inside channel where the volunteers can communicate ideas for fundraisers or effect change in a big or small way and this is mutually beneficial. I’m not talking all sunshine and idealism here, this happened a lot at the non-profit I worked at.
I think there’s a feeling with big corporations that what you say won’t mean anything. So the idea you’d have a “relationship” with, say, General Motors, is kind of laughable. While I don’t think that social media categorically makes that idea less laughable or more plausible, it does bring it more into the realm of the possible.
I think the best way for an organization or corporation to foster relationships is simple: engage and listen. If I’m going to be your fan on Facebook, and I make a suggestion on your wall, respond. Or better yet, contact me when you’re investigating it and let me know you’re giving it consideration. Then I guess I’d feel tied to the organization. In my mind, social media is a much more effective way to get at this sort of interaction than traditional advertising and PR.
Comment by Jamie McQuiggan September 23, 2009 @ 7:25 pmI agree with Jane here. I volunteer with a nonprofit organization and we host many events. We welcome volunteers from young to old. in order to have a relationship there has to be constant communication, networking and constant/continual interaction. This will build a relationship within any organization.
Comment by lakeesha whitaker September 24, 2009 @ 8:26 pmThanks for mentioning the collaboration between Anheuser Busch and the Red Cross Ready program. It’s easy to understand how a non-profit organization can cultivate relationships with its stakeholders; it’s just as easy to see why a for-profit corporation would have a little more difficulty forming these ties. When you pair the two you’ve allowed the corporation the opportunity to attract new stakeholders and, at the same time, generated more support for the non-profit organization. It looks like everyone benefits from this type of arrangement.
Comment by Carrie Purgason September 27, 2009 @ 1:07 amI will ALSO jump on the bandwagon and approach this from a nonprofit perspective. Mainly because non profits have a great need for developing relationships with all types of publics (since usually almost anyone can provide much needed volunteer services for them).
It is much easier to feel that you have a relationship with an organization if you are actually involved with it.
For example, if I had a good volunteer experience at a local food bank I would be more inclined to help them find sponsors and recommend the organization to other service groups.
To get me to actually participate that first time, I also agree with Tyler’s idea of getting a hold of potential stakeholders interpersonally. If a volunteer coordinator came and spoke at a group meeting that I attended I would feel more attached to the organization on a personal level, and more inclined to volunteer.
Comment by Kate Hipps September 24, 2009 @ 3:37 pmI tend to agree. i don’t feel like I Have a relationship with companies, even if i like their products or use or purchase them a lot. I feel that the gap between consumer and corporation is closing, but it definitely still exists.
Comment by Paul Frateschi September 27, 2009 @ 3:38 pmI like a good website. Who doesn’t? Having that interactive and easily reached outlet goes a long way. As far as a relationship goes with a corporation, I wouldn’t say I really have one. Well, actually, over the past 4 days I feel like I have gained an extremely negative relationship with Time Warner Cable because they are evil. But that is a rare occasion. In their case, a better website would have been great. One that had separate department numbers listed so you don’t spend an hour getting bounced around. Websites have a lot of power. They can house blogs, forums, pictures, and various links. They are a powerful tool used by most everyone with various levels of effectiveness.
Comment by Taylor Morrow September 22, 2009 @ 7:08 pmI see how a website can be a good tool for interaction with organizations you are involved with, but as for ones that you are not involved with, I don’t see websites having the same effect.
For example, those obscure commercials for kgb.com. I find them interesting, and funny, and can relate to the problem with wanting to know that answer to a question so bad it’s driving you crazy! But before they used this clever approach, their commercials were just strange events and then the website! Using the website would not draw me in nearly as much as the effective commercial did.
Comment by Cameron Reed September 26, 2009 @ 9:33 pmI agree with Tyler in that I do not feel like I have a relationship with any corporate organizations in relation to the way i define “having a relationship” – hence my definition is listening to the other person and I do really feel like I am a stakeholder in any organization that would listen?? For large organizations this is a NO – The primary reason they just provide me with information and nothing more. I was thinking though that when I have a bad experience with an organization I should talk about it via twitter and see if i get a reply – this may then change my outlook regarding relationships with organizations. I think as far as approaching me to start a relationship this is a tough call. My reason is that like most people I am so busy that i don’t want to feel like an organization is bothering me! But at the same time if they have something that the know I would be interested in or could provide me with a benefit then social media is the best way for me as I am always on it through my phone. That way I can decide what to do with the information they provide. Does anyone else have any cool stories about interactions with organizations in social media????
Comment by Tim Morton September 22, 2009 @ 10:13 pmI see social media as a way of building brands, gaining information about products – how they can be improved, areas for new product development? these being the most useful way to use social media from an organizations perspective and I am not sure if a true relationship can exist when the goal seems to be to increase profit.
It’s an interesting point… but I’m not quite sure I agree that relationships can’t be created with large corporations. Will Target and I ever walk hand in hand, and will Delta assuredly respond to me when I am frustrated in Atlanta’s airport? No.
Do I think they’ll listen to me at some level? Yes. Would they listen to you? yes.
Ultimately, organizations will fail without taking the input from publics into consideration. That input will help the oragnizations profit (in a corporate mode) or help politicals and political parties gain power (in a government mode).
Do you consider yourself having a relationship with a political party? Maybe that’s a different way to conceptualize it compared to a for-profit organization? Is the ulterior motive (eg, not a profit but a vote) in politics the same as for-profit in your mindset?
I see both working simultaneously. Yes, corporations want profits and politicals want votes. But, in order to get those, relationships have to be created and maintained with stakeholders. To ignore that relationship dooms it.
Comment by rdwaters76 September 22, 2009 @ 10:53 pmPolitical parties are interesting for me – I saw and read how much the use of social media for the Obama campaign contributed to his success. Really quite amazing. But for me I have been in the USA for 6yrs – cannot vote here and don’t really have a particular party I follow closely at home in the UK…But i think a not for profit organization that I am interested in would be able to create a good relationship with me – reason they do not just want your money – they want the relationship so you attend a rally or maybe spend some of your time working with the organization on a specific project. So I do see how it can be created with these organizations but for me the driving force for so many companies entering social media is $$ related.
Comment by Tim Morton September 22, 2009 @ 10:59 pmI tend to agree with this. I almost feel that anything i particpate in, shop at, eat at, etc…i’m entering into some sort of relationship with it. It may be minescule, but its still a relationship. I expect the train to arrive at a certain time each day…will i ever interact with the driver, or people scheduling it…not likely. But if it doesn’t show up within a certain range, I feel its not holding up it’s end of the relationship. Maybe this is too narrow, but I feel the same way with just about anything. I expect in my relationship with Indian restaurant near here to provide me with some tasty Indian goodness…if they don’t, the relationship sours etc…
As for political parties I don’t necessarily feel that I’m in one per se. Sure my voting tends to lean towards one but I don’t feel attached to either one and the more I hear from them the more negative impact I feel from that relationship.
I think this is a very interesting topic…i see a lot of peoples points that it doesn’t seem like big corporations can ever have a relationship with one person, but I feel anything you interact with on that level is some sort of relationship. You give them something (money for instance) and hope or expect to receive something in that…to me its no different than giving/taking/sharing/expecting in a regular relationship
Comment by Jacob Wiggins September 27, 2009 @ 1:45 pmTim, I wouldn’t call it a “cool” story about interactions w/social media and organizations. But I was pretty amused on Friday when @Palmbeachgirl tweeted that “she was going to Blue Martini to see the latest technologies in plastic surgery” This was HISTERICAL, Blue Martini is a popular palm beach hot spot, I would say that yup the majority of their customers have undergone radical procedures to “beautify” themselves. Nothing in Raliegh compares.. trust me. So I RT her comment and about 2 minutes later I had 3 follows from various plastic surgeons and platic surgery marketing companies.
I was amused.
Comment by Lauren Gavrelis September 26, 2009 @ 2:04 pmI only feel like I have a relationship with an organization if I work or volunteer for them; otherwise, I feel a definite company/consumer hierarchy. There are organizations that I follow on Facebook and Twitter, but it feels one-sided (Grunig’s public information model would best describe it). Still, I would prefer to start a new relationship with a company via social media over other forms of communication. Social media allows me to keep aware of organizations without putting forth much effort, and if I want to expand my relationship with an organization, I can do so on my own.
Comment by Dale Mackey September 22, 2009 @ 10:58 pmI agree with you Dale. I think you said it best with “If I want to expand my relationship with an organization, I can do so on my own.”
This is a very important factor for an organization to consider. Usually it’s publics don’t want to be bombarded with information they don’t want to hear or see. So if there was a way (Social Media) to allow individuals to control what they want to hear and see that would be the best tactic for organizations to use.
Comment by Maria Martinat September 23, 2009 @ 10:43 amOr at least that’s what I personally would want from an organization- the option to get information from them as I so please.
Comment by Maria Martinat September 23, 2009 @ 10:45 amYes I agree with both of you as I indicated in my post i think people want the choice on deciding what and when they receive information from organizations. One of the things I do not really like about some organizations is that when you purchase something from them..of course they ask you for your email address. Well once you submit this you are then sent emails on a daily basis. I get these from shoes.com everyday and it really annoys me as they send out generic boring email ads that are not suited to my needs or purchasing habits. I think successful organizations use the email address to send them information that they know I would be interested based on the purchasing and demographic information that I have provided. Does anyone have a good example of a company that is really dialed in on your needs or purchasing habits??????
Comment by Tim Morton September 24, 2009 @ 3:13 pmI agree with Taylor that the best way an organization (that I am not currently involved with) to approach me and try to begin their relationship is through a website that is catchy, creative, and professional (not necessarily “professional,” but just a website that is free of errors and dead links) will always catch my eye, subsequently turning my attention to the organization.
The same goes for creative or eye-catching advertising. Skyy Vodka always receives a lot of attention for their advertisements such as this one, because it is risque and eye-catching. I definitely would not say that I am more drawn to Skyy because of their ads such as these (although some people are), but out of all the alcohol advertisements I have ever seen, Skyy’s always stand out in my mind. They have made an impact on me, whether it is positive or negative.
I also really enjoy personal accounts… I love to read funny, embarrassing, scary, unbelievable, etc., stories about other people because they play on emotions. I think this is true for a lot of people, and as long as it is a good story and a personal account is relevant for the organization, it is a good idea for them to use it.
Lastly, I think we all have relationships with corporate, government, and/or nonprofit organizations, whether we realize it or not. Many of us have Time Warner Cable, and even if we are not the ones specifically paying the bill for it, we watch the television. Therefore, TWC is personally providing us with a service. I don’t usually think of myself as having “a relationship” with an organization, but isn’t that what being a member, a volunteer, a customer, or an employee really is?
Comment by Marie Basista September 23, 2009 @ 1:15 amI agree, Marie, that a personal account of how an organization has impacted someone’s life can be very effective. For example, I laughed out loud when I read about the story submitted to P&G’s beinggirl.com site in Groundswell. A good story about how the employees in an organization went above and beyond for a stakeholder can also be very effective for me personally.
Comment by Carrie Purgason September 27, 2009 @ 1:31 amI don’t consider myself to have a relationship with a corporate company. I think this is mainly because I don’t really try or make any effort what-so-ever. Coming from the world of public relations, it’s obvious that most corporate companies are out to get your money and time- two things that I value very highly (and usually it’s for something that you don’t really need and can live without). So why let them in? Why let companies try to take your money through suave marketing techniques?
Now when it comes to nonprofits, I understand that they are also wanting your time and money but usually it’s for a good cause, something that will in the end make a difference some where. Here I can say that I do have a relationship with a nonprofit- but only because I chose to do so and I sought out ways to interact with them. This is much different that being seeked out by a corporate company.
In terms of the government, I am not really sure if I would consider myself having a relationship with them. Obviously, citizens of the U.S. are allowed to voted and express their own opinion, but other than voting how are we really heard by them? This one is a toss up.
Overall, if a company, nonprofit or government facility wishes to create such a relationship there are a few important things they must consider first. Each organization must have a specific target audience. For most audiences, these individuals can be reached via social media. For example, if a new nonprofit is trying to get started, they could easily advertise this on Facebook or Twitter and ask for volunteers in return for recognition on their Web site or give out some sort of free but small gift. This easily gets word out, especially in a college environment. Secondly, besides social media, these organizations should personally reach out through television commercials and even ads in magazines and local papers. There is no limit to what a company should strive to do if they want to create a relationship with their publics.
Comment by Maria Martinat September 23, 2009 @ 10:41 amI think everyone is making good points here. And what I’ve noticed the key point is that: relationships are two-way. No matter how hard an organization pushes, if a consumer doesn’t want to let them in they won’t. And it does help if a consumer seeks out an organization. We often do this by, looking for coupons on the web, for example…rather than waiting to get coupons in the mail. Although, if consumers always seek(ed) out organizations there wouldn’t be a need for public relations or marketing, etc…
Comment by Amanda-Faye Perron September 25, 2009 @ 8:57 pmTo start a relationship with me, I like for companies to offer special discounts, promotions, or frequent customer rewards. And then consistent customer service keeps me coming back. I live near a Trader Joe’s, Subway, and Wendy’s that always seem to have friendly employees who at least smile and get your order done quickly and right. There are several other grocery stores and fast food places nearby, but I continue to go to these particular ones because of the service (and the prices!). However, I wouldn’t say I have a relationship with the company on a whole. I do agree with Richard’s reply that I think the company may listen if I ever sent in a comment or complaint or had a suggestion, but I still feel like I’m connected only to these particular stores, not the whole company.
I think it’s a tenuous relationship with corporations, but I’d break it off with any of them for better service and better deals on the similar products.
Comment by Sean Garrison September 23, 2009 @ 1:25 pmSean, I like your point about Trader Joe’s. As I was thinking about my answer for this post I was originally thinking, like you, that’s it’s coupons and discount offers that initially catch my eye (advertising, in other words) and then the customer experience that keeps me beyond that. But that’s not my experience with Trader Joe’s, and I love them. (More on whether I have a “relationship” with them in a bit.) Trader Joe’s, as you’re probably aware, is a California company, so they’ve been out there for years. I’m a native Californian so I knew them there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coupon from Trader Joe’s. They just have great products and great service.
In 2003 there was a huge strike in southern California by unionized grocery workers and several of the major chains were affected. (The strike ended up lasting from October to January so over the holidays and everything—it was miserable.) A lot of the smaller grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s, started carrying a lot more staples and seeing a lot more business due to the strike, and I think the increase in business continued after the strike finally ended. That may not be an example of an individual having a direct relationship with the store but I do think it was a relationship Trader Joe’s as a corporation had with the southern California communities affected by the grocery workers’ strike.
As for whether or not I personally have a relationship with TJ’s… Well, I’ve never communicated directly with them but like Sean I’m confident the company would listen if I did have a problem. I can tell you when I found out we were moving to the Triangle I was pretty happy when I discovered there was a TJ’s in Cary. And when my husband and I were househunting I had two questions for the realtor for every house we saw: How far is it from Jordan Lake (where my husband works) and how far is it from Trader Joe’s. (Ok, I’ll concede that’s more of an attachment than a relationship, but still.)
Comment by Peggy Harvey September 25, 2009 @ 9:34 pmPeggy, I love your comment about the importance of being close to a Trader Joe’s! I have told my husband repeatedly that we cannot move to a town that does not have its own Target. It is my big box store of choice and I just don’t want to have to drive too far to get to one. You can imagine my delight a couple of years ago when I found out they were putting a Target in the new North Hills shopping center which is right outside my neighborhood!
Comment by Ellen Richardson September 26, 2009 @ 10:23 pmI agree that customer service is key in how I feel about my relationship with any organization. When I was considering whether or not I have a relationship with any organizations, my first thought was of non-profits. But there are also for-profit organizations that I feel I have a relationship with, and in those cases it is a result of the organizations treatment of their stakeholders, whether that is customers, employees or stockholders. If an organization is honest and treats these groups fairly then I could consider having a relationship with them.
For example, I was already a fan of Costco after my first visit. Besides the clean store and tons of great deals on anything you can imagine, I really liked their 100% satisfaction guarantee, which says if you’re ever unhappy with your membership or a product you can have a full refund.
Then, I saw a profile on 20/20 of Jim Sinegal, CEO of Costo. Sinegal pays his employees 40 percent higher wages than Sam’s Club, provides health care coverage to more than 90 percent of his workers and promotes almost 100 percent from within. He talked about guys who started pushing shopping carts in from the parking lot that are now Vice-Presidents. When you consider a href= http://wakeupwalmart.com/facts/ rel=”nofollow”>how companies such as Wal-Mart allegedly treat their employees, there’s no question where I’d rather spend my money.
Comment by Carrie Purgason September 27, 2009 @ 2:09 amI don’t really feel like I have a relationship with a large organization. I tend to think that the majority of organizations that try to form relationships are like, Maria said, after your time and money. It’s difficult for an organization to call or e-mail people and get a good response because customers seem to have filters in which they see these e-mails or hear people on the phone and they automatically tune them out. I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t use a filter like this because I do. When I’m not at home, school or work, I like to relax my mind and I generally block out organizations trying to form relationships whether through phone calls or commercials.
With that being said, it is hard for organizations to form relationships with people like myself. However, the best way would probably be some kind of cool website that lets me personalize things. A site that I enjoy going to and feel like I have something to gain by visiting this organization’s site would be key. I think a commercial that applies directly to me has a lot of influence as well. The Internet becomes a tough tool though for me. When I get online, I generally have a purpose of what I’m going to do and I really don’t pay a lot of attention to an organization’s Twitter or something along those lines. But there, the most effective strategy becomes catching my attention and have an aesthetic appeal to it.
Comment by Michael Thompson September 23, 2009 @ 1:26 pmI consider the place where I currently work to be a corporate friend. Why? you may ask. First, my organization gives me (and my husband) health insurance, even though I am not full-time (I typically work 30 hour weeks). My organization also pays for my grad school classes. When I hurt my back (which I do pretty often), my organization bought me a kneeling chair and raised the height of my desk, so that I could stand at work (sitting for long amounts of time really bothered me). All of these actions have relayed a strong, positive message to me. And yes, as corny as it sounds, I would consider this relationship important and in some ways life changing.
Another important organizational relationship i have is with Whole Foods. Although, I don’t always have the big bucks to buy what ever it is I want there. I will always go there for homeopathic remedies. The people in the herbal section are phenomenal people; I honestly think they care (probably not every single one, but a majority). I also worked at Whole Foods while I was in undergrad (thats about 8 years ago), and I loved working there. Again, I really think they know how to form good relationships. When I walk in the store, I always get free samples (this earns big points with me), the people there really know what they are talking about, and I share a vision of organic food and sustainable culture.
While I did initially form either of these relationships using social media, I do maintain them with social media. My company has a office Web site where people blog and there is a Craig’s List type of thing. With Whole Foods, I have started to view them on Twitter.
Comment by meghan Baran September 23, 2009 @ 6:41 pmI like your post it is very interesting.. Do you have relationships with these organizations because you worked for them and were part of the organization? got pulled in or feel part of the organizational culture? I think this is much different from an organization trying to start a relationship with someone that does not have any link or identification with the organization from a previous experience. I think it is great how your organization has helped you that is really awesome by the way!!
Comment by Tim Morton September 24, 2009 @ 3:17 pmWhile I do have a relationship with these organizations because I worked for them, I still think these organizations are using a PR strategy. I just introduced you to two organizations, you may not have considered: –(United Research Systems) URS and Whole foods-using a blog. BOOM! BAM! PR strategy. If I believe in a company and wholeheartedly think they are good, I spread the word through the Groundswell.
On another note, my husband was just fired from a company by finding his job posting online and inquiring why his position was posted. The company was like, “oh, yeah. We were going to tell you…we want to let you go.”
There is the Groundswell again! First my husband found his job or Craigslist and I also spoke against this company using my new Twitter account (I was inspired by the Dr. Waters Twittering experience with Lowe’s.)
So, even though these relationships are not directly created by the Groundswell, they feed the Groundswell, creating or destroying relationships. Man oh man..its all so intertwined; I am not sure you can separate Groundswell from not-Groundswell!
Thanks for the response by the way! No one has directly responded tomy postings (which is understandable because there are a lot of postings!) It makes me think about what I am writing much more
Comment by meghan Baran September 26, 2009 @ 10:49 amTim, I have racked my brain trying to come up with an answer to your question from you other post above (couldn’t get my comment to add up there though) about a company that does use email to send targeted messaging based on my purchase history or demographics. I thought this would be easy because I get emails from about 20 different retail companies updating me on sales or promotions. But all of them are generic sale updates and none of them are targeted to products I would be likely to buy based on my purchase history. In fact, now that I’m really thinking about it, most of them I just delete as soon as they come in. I guess I should take the time to unsubscribe and free up some space in my inbox!
Comment by Ellen Richardson September 26, 2009 @ 9:35 pmThroughout my life, my family always went to the same restaurants and got to know the people that owned it. We not only loved the food, but we also formed relationships with the people working there. The way in which they got us to keep coming back was because they were so friendly and welcoming, almost as if they were becoming family. They remembered certain stuff about us and constantly ask how things were going. For example if I had a big competition coming up, they would ask me weeks after how it went. They were genuine and honostly cared about the people who came to their restaurant and spend their money there.
For me the way a company can build a relationship with me is to really care about me as the consumer. I want them to really care not just for me, but to genuinely appreciate what they produce and want me to like it. I know this is far fetched but in this economy I think that the reason small businesses thrive and survive.
Comment by Emily Swicegood September 23, 2009 @ 11:02 pmI think that this is great that there are still organizations out there that treat their customers as individuals and not just another number. However, (like you suggested) I see this only working with smaller organizations or your “mom and pop” stores – since large conglomerates are taking the “person” out of “personal” haha. I do believe organizations “get more” out of loyal customers by treating them right. You create long term relationships that are more beneficial for your organization.
However, I believe that relationships can be formed with these conglomerates. But, you’re right, it won’t be personal or have that feeling of family.
Comment by Amanda-Faye Perron September 25, 2009 @ 8:50 pmThe only relationship I have with an organization right now that I would consider to be “a relationship,” as I define it, would be the organization I intern with. I have a strong bond with the people that work there because I’ve formed relationships with these people and really gotten to know them. In high school, I would have considered myself to have a relationship with the service organization I was a part of because I would help out in the community on a regular basis, and once again I formed relationships with the people who worked for the organization. However, today, any other organization I wouldn’t consider myself to have a relationship with. I never deal with the same people when I enter a store or use a service so there’s no time to build any meaningful relationships with the individuals that work there. I don’t have any restaurants I go to on a regular basis where people know my name or any regular hang out spots. I think you can only have a true relationship with an organization if you have some sort of personal tie to them, or deal with them on a regular basis.
Comment by Kristen Mattox September 24, 2009 @ 11:33 amI feel as though I do not have a relationship with corporations, government,etc., mainly because there is a large bureacracy that ususally surrounds them. Let me throw out a few names: Wal-Mart, Target, Food Lion. None of these corporations have given me anything except a product that I pay for; an indirect, impersonal relationship that is mutual. What could a corporation who doesn’t have a realtionship with me do to get it? Well, I am a consumer and I do not care about relationships with companies. Like I said earlier, it is impersonal and direct; you sell me product, I pay you money. If a company wants to gain relations with me then drop prices or create specials. If a corporation wants to attempt to gain a personal relationship with me, then sure create a Twitter account or Facebook account or come to NC State and sponsor a bloo drive or something. But really though, how personal am I going to get with a corporation or government? Hardly any. If a representative of Food Lion or Target or the Senator’s office comes and perosnally gives me a high five and talks to me, then yeah that is great. BUT, is Food Lion or Target or the Senator itself coming and hanging out with me, getting to know me? No, therefore, it doesn’t really matter.
Comment by Ian Dunne September 24, 2009 @ 11:32 pmYou’re right. Sometimes it hard to look past the fact that corporations are sooo…umm…corporate…and they seem to just care about how to get that dollar from you. But I think that these corporations do a lot of research and marketing to form relationships with you. They want to know what you’re thinking, how and why you are buying, what are your likes and dislikes – so that way they can catch your attention in unique ways and keep you buying whether you are aware of it all or not. They may not feel like relationship to the consumer, but they are relationships to the organization.
Comment by Amanda-Faye Perron September 25, 2009 @ 8:42 pmSeeing if I can’t knock out one more posting before I have to go into work…
I LOVE this question – and I’ve been alluding to an answer since day one of this class!
I’ve been wondering this question myself lately with all of this blogging and lecture-watching focused on companies and how they are using social media. I’m a pretty social media accessible and Google-able guy. I like a lot of very specific products and companies. I wouldn’t mind being in relationship to some of the stuff that I choose to surround myself with.
So how best to get in with me? It depends. (I think if you did a word cloud analysis of my blog postings for this class that “it depends” would come up right smack dab in the middle in bold.)
Right now I choose to relate to companies via email. I live and breathe through my email. This looks like random emails that I get every day or every once in awhile – but the key here is that I CHOSE to receive these emails from these companies and about these products.
I’m getting better about developing relationships with companies via Twitter – my newest interest/addiction. The good thing? I can also choose whether or not to follow them. The so-so thing? If I do follow companies, sometimes their Tweets are crap and they just fill up my screen with 140 characters of wasted energy. Those I quickly un-follow.
Facebook. Not so much yet. Although, I don’t access my FB as much these days.
Any other sort of online other-ness (blog, podcast, video/photo-sharing). Not so much for me. With my email and my Twitter (and my husband and job and graduate studies) to fill my life – I don’t have tons of time to go surfing around other online social networks. And I don’t currently have a passion that is so gripping whereby I would be moved and motivated to join and visit another website often enough to become a valued member of another community. (Hoping that run-on got the message across.) Not saying this is will always be true, but right now, I’m all booked up!
So, for all those companies that I know are out there and reading my public post and want my business – the answer to the question is, let me have a say and a choice in the matter!
Whew, felt good to share that.
Comment by matthewkr September 25, 2009 @ 12:32 pmI just read this blog posting from danah boyd about information overload and why she chooses to have her email inbox be her perpetual to-do list. Thought all might want to check it out – sometimes I feel like a bitch.
Comment by matthewkr September 25, 2009 @ 12:44 pmI didn’t really think her argument was compelling, I did however click on the link to the dissertation on networking in everyday life. I see comapnies such as Gmail and yahoo as trying to help us reduce the overload by providing access to all of our technologies and now you can manage multiple social media accounts in one spot.
Yahoo now has everything in one central spot, email, flickr, facebook, weather, chat functions, news/info, even the most popular youtube videos all on your yahoo home page. In this way, you can have access and participation to many social media and internet tools at once, conveniently.. the information overload conundrum is reduced. Other solutions are coming out too, like Open ID, it manages all of your passwords so you don’t have to be like me and have a notepad with every single bill and website with my various user names and paswords, so frustrating.
Also organizations can manage and maintain all of their social media outlets from centralized sites too, I think ping or something does this.. in this way organizations can update status’, provide new info etc from one central site. How wonderful! Saving time=saving money=happy businesses’ and employeess.
Comment by Lauren Gavrelis September 27, 2009 @ 2:38 pmI think that I do have relationships with organizations. Many people wrote about nonprofit relationships. I think it is easier to have relationships with nonprofits that I care about and organizations that supply me services and products that I love – because not only do they seek me out…but I seek them out…This is especially true to the Sierra Club. My boyfriend and I make donations to them, without them having to send us anything. I seek out relationships with other nonprofit groups that I care about. For example, I opted-into being on Al Gore’s mailing list because I care about the issues he addresses. Also, I do this with products that I love, especially fashion. I bookmark sites and read blogs and check websites for fashion brands that I wear.
I think everyone has a relationship with some sort of organization, whether they are aware of it or not and whether someone notices an organization reaching out to them. We all get junk mail. But that is an organization reaching out to us. Many of us vote, get magazine subscriptions, and put money in the collection tin at church every Sunday. It is commodity culture and you have to participate in it because many items are essential to everyday living – such as toothpaste!
I did notice that some student think of relationships in terms of if they know the owner of a restaurant, etc…or seem to note relationships on a very personal level. I guess by my above text, that I am thinking in a larger, more general sense.
The second part of the question about how organizations can form relationships with me if I am not involved with them is interesting! I am interning with a marketing and advertising firm. And when we market a company we try to get people to take action and create relationships with the business that we are advertising. I suppose a good way to reach people is to target locally. People who live in a 4 mile radius of the Cary Petsmart Banfield Hospital would most likely consider using that pet hospital vs. another – Instead of targeting people in North Raleigh (who wouldn’t drive that far to go there), for example.
Because of my demographic statistics (I’m 24, female), using social media would be a great way to form a relationship with me. For example, asking me to join a Facebook group or being active on a photo-sharing website (like Flickr) could get me interested in the website. Or even “old media” works. If I go to a restaurant and am given an option to sign up for a content to win free dinners or get coupons from an online newsletter – I would be into that…the list could go on and on…
Comment by Amanda-Faye Perron September 25, 2009 @ 8:36 pmI am with Amanda-Faye on this one. <a href=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861699964/relationship.html rel= no follow Encarta defines “relationship” in a few ways, the first two are:
I bring this up to demonstrate that absolutely do we ALL have relationships with corporate, public, private, govn’t, politicians, book authors, nonprofits and so on. Each of these organizations are trying to develop relationships with me to get me to choose them over another option. Support Obama or McCain? Donate to Salvation Army or Make a Wish? Volunteer my time for Red Cross or Goodwill? Read Dan Brown or Patrick Ruthfuss? Choose Timewarner or DirectTV? Like Dr. Waters analogy, companies, nonprofits, politicians are all just trying to “get your vote.” Social Media is a tool these organizations can use to do so, whether they do it well is up to how they do it.
You may not feel as though these relationships are being maintained or handled very well but they are there. Every time you pump their gas into your car and purchase a pack of gum from Circle K means at that moment you have a relationship with them instead of Citgo, whether you like it or not. The guy behind the counter may not even look up at you or care if you think their store is dirty and smells like Curry, but by choosing that organization for your needs, you are initiating/maintaining that relationship. Its organizations like Whole foods, that have such widespread support and cult like followings that demonstrate their effectiveness in online and traditional relationship building/maintaining.
I feel that we all have these relationships, what we need to evaluate is if they are good, bad, ignored, whatever. I have been especially paying attention to this concept this week because I have been through 6 PalmPre phones in 2 weeks. Have had no internet access for over a week and have been forced to increase my interactions and reevaluate my relationships with several local coffee shops offering wifi, Bestbuy, Sprint and Palm. You may not think you have a relationship with a company, but you do. Sprint is my mobile service provider, Palm build my device, and maintains its software, and Bestbuy is the 3rd party distributer. ALL three are responsible for my problem and all 3 have had to listen to my frustrations in blog postings, forums and hours and hours of phone calls with their customer service, technical support and account service departments. I have even now developed a relationship with the regional best buy and sprint representatives.
The conclusion from this week’s frustration is that their social media strategies are ineffective, weak and just plain SUCK! They are primarily using these strategies for marketing and to get customers and increase revenue. I used social media to reach out and ask for help from all three of these companies, and am very dissatisfied with the lack of response. The Palm forum, (just like one of our readings) was not even monitored by the company. Instead, you have to rely on random Joe’s whose “physic income” is going to get you through. Palm wanted to charge me to speak with a customer service rep and directed me instead to Sprint. Sprint made me so mad I almost left my 12-year relationship with them to begin anew with AT&T. Just like the
Social media should be a great way for these organizations to begin and maintain their relationships, but they MUST get everyone in the organization on the same page. How many of us go in and say, “hey, I read about this on your website”, and then they look at you like your crazy. Also as Jamie pointed out ENGAGE and LISTEN. Gosh that listening thing is so important, and so hard for organizations to comprehend.
Comment by Lauren Gavrelis September 26, 2009 @ 2:41 pmI have differing views on this topic. My first inclination is to say, no, I do not feel that I have relationships with corporate, government and non-profit organizations. There has not ever been a place (that I can recall) that has made me feel like they really care if I get involved with the organization. The ones that do, I know they just want something, whether that’s money, time, or whatever.
Comment by Jessica Farnsworth September 26, 2009 @ 9:14 pmHowever, from working in an organization that runs solely off of money from donors and time from volunteers, I’d like to think that we are building relationships with the public. I feel like we reach out to our publics by having events that include them and even some that honor them.
It’s very hard to feel like you have a relationship with an organization because you know they just want something out of you. But I think the best way for an organization to form and keep a relationship with people is to keep them updated and involved. Keeping people updated is easy now because of social media. Updating Facebook, Twitter and other sites like that can keep a lot of an organization’s publics updated. Holding events and inviting publics keeps them involved. With both those tactics, I feel like that’s the closest an organization is probably going to get to having a relationship with a person.
To have a healthy relationship, I agree with many others that listening and responding have to be involved. So I’m still a little undecided as to whether I consider myself to have a relationship with any organization. I certainly have an affinity for certain organizations (especially several nonprofits) and I’ve even had some interaction with certain organizations (I’ve filled out more than my fair share of customer satisfaction surveys after purchases). But I’d be hard pressed to come up with an example of where I could directly see that any of my interaction or feedback made a specific change within an organization.
If an organization wants to build a relationship with me, social media is not the way to get started! I have so little free time that unless it’s for this class, I’m really not very deep into the groundswell. Yes, I have a facebook page now, but I just don’t have time right now to follow what organizations are doing through this or any other online technology. Maybe when I’m done with grad school!
I think the best way to reach out to me would be through more traditional communication methods. Hosting local events or sending coupons and promotion announcements would probably catch my attention.
Also, in my mind, I would lump political parties in with nonprofits for purposes of this discussion. I think each political party sees itself as trying to make a difference in their community by supporting certain policies in much the same way that nonprofits back certain causes for which they feel strongly about making a difference. Thus, I think both have similar purposes driving their communication efforts: get more people to follow the cause.
Comment by Ellen Richardson September 26, 2009 @ 10:08 pmTonigh we wanted chinese takeout, were new to the area and didn’t know who to order from. Social media helped me decide. I did a yelp search read review and was b/w china chow and dim sum resaurants. I called the dim sun and asked for there online menu. They sent me to there facebook fan page which had pictures with descriptions for every item. I thought it was a great way for them to build relationships and encouraged 2way com. Just thought i’d share.
* sent from my phone so forgive typos please.
Comment by Lauren September 26, 2009 @ 10:38 pmI have relationships with nonprofit through my job. For example, since I produce the Green page on WRAL, I communicate with various “green” nonprofits and companies for content.
Comment by minniebridgers September 26, 2009 @ 10:38 pmI have a relationship with the government by being on various e-mail lists, some personal and some professional.
As for corporate, this is tricky. For me to have an online relationship with a corporation, I want to be getting something in return. I don’t want just self promotion. Send me a coupon, or useful data, or I don’t consider it a relationship.
The best way for an organization to approach me would be by seeing me online somewhere else already tied to the cause. For example, if I comment or write a blog about recycling in Wake County and you are part of a group with similar values, then e-mail or respond to a post. I would likely then be prompted to check out the organization.
Comment by minniebridgers September 26, 2009 @ 10:43 pmI also still like word-of-mouth information.
I feel I need to focus on the government here. For me personally, the government feels like a distant entity. (i’m going to try and avoid getting on a political soapbox here). I feel that government officals should try at least begin an interpersonal relationship with their constituents. Now I know that President Obama can’t be at my disposal every time I have a political question. But, state and local politicians with a smaller focus group should be more available to us. Has anyone ever written a letter to a politician who represents you? If an response is returned, it is a skeleton letter saying thank you for your concern and that the issue is being considered. While this does bug me, the reason I feel that my relationship with the government is one-way is because it can’t be anything else. Governments, large corporations, and large non-profits can’t be expected to personally acknowledge all of their stakeholerds…its not plausible. For me personally, I feel that I improve my relationship with the government through involvement with a political party or activist group.
Comment by Steven Fulton September 27, 2009 @ 3:45 amMost of you are saying that government is too big to have a relationship with. But I disagree. Government is really many many organizations under one umbrella term. Even just looking at one department, the DOT when you go to their site, you learn that they are even broken down into smaller segments of gov’t. Their list of Agencies is long and each uses social media to build relationships with their stakeholders in different ways, both Business to business, internal relations and their relationships with citizens.
I am actually impressed with the widespread impementation of these technologies by the government to communicate with “us.” I also found this article on how govn’t is using SM to respond to citizens. Read some of the comments posted to the article, I think you will be more optamistic toward our govn’t and thier relationship building efforts.
Comment by Lauren Gavrelis September 27, 2009 @ 3:06 pmI think personally I do have a relationship with corporate, non-profit, and governmental agencies. I say this because I want to have a relationship with them so that I can have input and so I can know what is going on around me. I get involved. Honestly a relationship is a two or multi conversation to learn about each other. It’s for a food industry to form a relationship with a customer if the customer doesn’t give feeback and have that dialogue even if the dialouge is small. It forms overtime. I make it a point to learn the names and managers of all of my favorite resturants. Now both Noodle and Ihop know my name and my usual order. Non-profits I enjoy supporting know that they can call on me for volunteer work because I make myself known. Same with government. It’s personal choice to gain a relationship with others.
Comment by Paula Hagan September 27, 2009 @ 11:38 amI think I hold relationships with some organziations and corporate businesses. I am the type of person to frequent the same bars, restaurants, fast food places, and I have my personal starbucks that I will drive past 2 others just to go to that one. I don’t think my relationship is with the company itself, but with the people who I have met that work there. I think every organozation, non-profit or profit, should employ people who are personable and outgoing if they are going to work with people outside of the compnay. When you go to a bar, you continue coming back because of the server or bartender, you could care less who the C.E.O is, the district manager or even the people that work in the back. You care about the person who is face to face with you. I think thats the same with other compnaies too. If you do not like your stock broker, you will most likley use a different company. If the car salesperson at Toyota is not personable, you buy a Honda or continue to use the bus. I think the people who are the face of the organization are the reason the public has a relationship with the organization or not.
Comment by Jennifer Rodriguez September 27, 2009 @ 12:01 pmI don’t feel like I have a relationship with any large corporations because the way I see it, a relationship between some sort of business outlet requires knowledge and interaction on both sides of the spectrum. Even though I think that many corporations do a good job reaching out to people and it sometimes seems like they’re “really listening to you,” in the end I still usually feel like the interaction that goes on between the corporation and I is still very one-sided because they have so many other people to reach out to as well and I can’t be a priority.
I believe that non-profits do a better job reaching out and creating relationships with people. I think that this happens because it isn’t a necessity for us to interact with us, but it has to be something that we need to do on our own accord, giving those non-profit groups more incentive to making the interaction between the person and the company more two-sided.
Because I appreciate businesses and companies that take the time to reach out to me, I think the best way to approach me would be word of mouth or response and interaction with things that I’m already doing on the Internet. This kind of interaction makes things more personal and isn’t just a mass message going around the web to make me feel like another number.
Comment by Jessica Dejak September 27, 2009 @ 1:22 pmMy job puts such an emphasis on establishing a relationship with our guest we are having a promotion titled “Making a connection”. I make a point to make a connection and establishing a relationship with my regulars because this is what keeps them coming back day in and day out. I will be the first one to admit I am more likely to spend my money in an establishment where they took the time to learn my name rather than going someplace that I am just another walking wallet.
I think it would be better for a company to reach me interpersonally to establish a relationship. Case in point.. I had a very bad experience with a Joe’s Crab Shack in Gwinnett County and they had a representative from the company call me personally to check up on me and my experience and that individual saw to it that I was not only reimbursed for my troubles, but also that I was satisfied the next time I went to thier restaurant. That kind of personal service has made that company always stand out in my mind.
Comment by Shelli Mayfield September 27, 2009 @ 3:17 pmI don’t quite feel like I have much of a relationship with companies, however i do feel like companies that offer interactive advertising campaigns come the closest. Things like the hardees little thickburger campaign or the sanyo xacti HD camcorder video campaign. these are the ones that i identify with the most.
Comment by Paul Frateschi September 27, 2009 @ 3:31 pmI would consider myself to have a relationship with brands and products that I am loyal to, rather than every product I come across. For example, I am a huge fan of Macintosh computers and Nikon cameras. When given the opportunity I would chose these products over competitors and even inconvenience myself to use them instead or other products. This loyalty explains my relationship with these products. I feel as though the organizations can not start the relationship with the consumer. The consumer must first become aquatinted with a product and begin the relationship from there. After which the organization’s consumer support, reliability, etc. play a role in the status of the relationship.
Comment by Katy Walls September 27, 2009 @ 3:39 pmIt is impossible not to have some kind of relationship with the organizations that we interact with. If I go to a resturant where the service is horrible I tweet
about it. When Sprint or Bank of America over charges me for something once again I tweet
about it. Twitter has become my way to provide immediate feedback on the services I recieve from different organizations. I have a relationship with all of these various resturants and I choose to use Twitter and sometimes Example
For some organizations social media is the best way to interact with them. If these organizations manage their social media outlets efficently then it can be very productive for them when working to meet their bottom line.
Like many have said before me, it helps the relationship when the organizations reponds to your various posts, but regardless there is an existing relationship. Social media gives people an opportunity to interact with organizations in ways that did not exist in the past. I have even spoken with some managers of organizations that were fearful to get on Twitter, because they were not sure if they wanted clients who were dissatisfied to be able to communicate with them on that level. This is evidence supporting the power of social media.
Comment by antoinetterussell September 27, 2009 @ 4:39 pmBelow is a story written locally that I wanted to share about how on average 17 percent of our online time is spend socializing. Is this a good or bad thing?
“” Social media sites consume more of our time; big bucks follow”“.
Comment by Minnie Bridgers September 27, 2009 @ 4:57 pmhttp://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/opinion/blogpost/6075175/
Comment by Minnie Bridgers September 27, 2009 @ 4:58 pmUntil recently, I wasn’t really into reading company blogs, but I’ve been taking a science writing for the media course where I am required to keep a blog, and it has piqued my interest in company blogs. The blog I am keeping focuses on local North Carolina residents that contribute to a more sustainable way of living and the science behind those contributions.
Through my search for story ideas and research for stories I’m working on, I’ve been looking at green companies. Many of these companies keep blogs. For me, it helps when the individuals working for a company make posts that let their customers see what their values are in a more casual way than a company motto or mission statement.
In another course, we are testing a screen capture software called Jing, and they keep a blog that captures their company in a comical, sort of geeky light, which I thought was an interesting way to keep their customers interested in their company. It’s funny to me that I or anyone else would spend my time on a blog of a software company, but the humor, wit, and individuality that blogs can bring to companies can keep its customers checking in they way they might tune in to a favorite tv show.
Comment by Nicole Black September 29, 2009 @ 6:16 pmI am very behind on my blogging because I was out all last week at my annual conference. And then the state came out with new Medicaid rates this week and all hell broke loose. However, I still want to contribute.
Why do you (or don’t you) consider yourself as having relationships with corporate, government, nonprofit relationships?
I don’t feel a connection to organizations – I feel a connection to people. I have to know, or at least feel like I know, people within an organization to feel connected. I think of all the entities I am connected to, and it is always some one I link to that organization. Organizations take a tremendous effort to “brand” the org with a face or figure. This is a great way to connect to people. For example, the line of Sprint commercials that came out with the CEO of the company talking to his publics from a personal perspective.
This can also be a big risk if that person were to get arrested or some other type of scandal. Although the organization’s mission and goals are not changed, the connection to the organization is tarnished because of the person’s reputation.
What is the best way for an organization (that you are not currently involved with) to approach you and try to begin a relationship–interpersonally, traditional communication (media stories, advertising), social media, or something else?
I am a complete sucker, but social media does it for me. Unlike email where I can get random spam from anywhere, Facebook allows to me join groups and add pages that I personally like. The emails I get are directly connected to my interests, so I don’t relate them as spam. And Facebook emails have a name and a face, not just a company name. It makes it more personal to me, even if I don’t know the person.
Twitter also helps because the company is not just making announcements or “advertising” themselves. Companies can tweet people and comment directly to my posts. If used effectively organizations can use social media to best build relationships with its stakeholders.
Comment by Amy B October 1, 2009 @ 3:09 pm[...] Looking at the big picture… Organizational relationships « COM 498 … [...]
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