Many of our clients are excited about the emerging possibilities of social media, but often hit road blocks when talking about the social web with company executives.

Concerns often center around damage control from rogue “social” employees, an unclear return on investment (ROI), or a perceived decline in productivity from team members who are now tweeting, blogging, and friending on the web rather then getting their primary job done.

These are all legitimate concerns but need to be looked at from a broader context that includes quickly shifting consumer behavior, the future business communications landscape, and the tremendous positives that many companies are generating from participation on the social web.

It’s not suprising that many executives are skeptical of the social web. I assert that this scepticism comes, in large part, from a very limited understanding, as well as limited participation in the social space by most executives.

Paula Drum, former VP of Marketing at H&R Block put it this way in a recent blog post:

“One of the most popular questions that I get asked is how to build support at the C-level.  Having a clearly defined objective is critically important to gain support of any initiative.  However, everyone is always focused on the ROI or return on the investment.  I have defined ROI a little differently in this new and emerging space as Risk Of Ignoring. There is an absolute change occurring in how we communicate and seek information as a society.  The millennial generation is the first digital native generation with very different expectations of companies and marketing.  In the not so distant future the millennials will be a larger purchasing demographic than the boomers.  Not understanding this segment will be detrimental for future marketers.”

We’ve collected a few current resources that may assist you with building the case for social media with your “C” suite. Most executives honestly do have the current and long term interests of their organization at heart. I look at it as a simple education process to deepen their understanding of a world that appears very foreign. That is the spirit in which these resources are shared. We would also appreciate your comments on the challenges you face, and success you have in building a more complete understanding about the social web in your organization.

An Executive Guide to Social Media: Business Week

How to use Twitter for Customer Service

A Journalist’s Guide to Twitter

Final Idea: Play this video to put the Social Web in context for your leaders.

Who would have known that my new favorite rock star would be sporting a sweater vest and tie, accessorized with a big laminated name-badge on a lanyard? Meet Ajay Bhatt, co-inventor of the USB and the star of Intel’s newest ad campaign dubbed “Sponsors of Tomorrow.”  He can make even the geekiest geek swoon with admiration and a touch of envy.

According to an article on Forbes.com, Intel’s newest campaign is also its biggest in nearly three years and is a first to spotlight the promotion of the Intel brand instead of a processor product. 

The Forbes article quotes Deborah Conrad, Intel Vice President and General Manager of the Corporate Marketing Group.  She says “For more than 40 years, Intel has been delivering tomorrow’s ‘normal’, and our new marketing campaign is a way for the world to be made aware of this fact.  We’re hoping to convey that we’re not just a microprocessor company, but a move-society-forward-by-quantum-leaps company.” 

In essence, this new campaign is one that reflects the culture of Intel – not simply a product.  Having worked with Intel on numerous projects and programs over the past four years, it’s refreshing to see the company break away from “speeds and feeds” to focus on what’s really fabulous and fascinating about the company – its people, their innovation, their willingness to take calculated risks in the effort to push our world forward. 

The Sponsors of Tomorrow campaign is actively leveraging Intel’s company culture to build the Intel brand – a key component of internal-external marketing alignment.  Your company culture is the channel through which you deliver your brand to the world. It’s your people who bring it to life for your customers. 

In the case of Intel, it’s people like Ajay Bhatt.  He may have very few opportunities to interact with Intel customers, but he is a powerful contributor and ambassador of Intel’s culture, which ultimately shapes the brand.

Who are the unseen rock stars that shape your brand?  How do they contribute to the culture within your company?  We’d love to hear from you.

Starbucks has recently launched a new ad campaign that Senior VP of Marketing Terry Davenport calls a “long-term story telling campaign” that will focus on the quality and value of the product and the values of the company. The ads are intended to help build the brand and product value by showing what Starbucks is all about. An article in the Wall Street Journal says the ads are a direct response to competition from McDonald’s, who has also begun a national advertising campaign to promote its new line of low-priced coffee drinks. 

No matter what the bottom-line intention of the campaign, Starbucks is demonstrating a powerful example of internal-external marketing alignment. The company is leveraging the influence of its employees, or “partners”, as they are called by Starbucks, to support the advertising campaign and integrate it into the customer experience. 

In a video posted on YouTube, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaks directly to employees about the new campaign. He explains the rationale behind the messages and encourages employees to talk about the ads with customers. He points out that the ads not only represent what the company stands for but are representative of “you” – meaning the employee. 

By engaging employees and encouraging the development of a strong internal culture, Starbucks is helping to fulfill its brand promise to customers. As stated on the company’s website, the Starbucks mission is “To inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” What better way to fulfill that mission than starting with your employees? They’re the ones who can truly create an experience for customers that will bring the mission to life and keep them coming back for more coffee — no matter what the price.

Tell us how your company leverages its culture to build a customer experience. What brands do you think are most successful in this space?

Another blast of creativity from Nike for the viral world. One of their best yet. Nike does so many things right in creating a culture around their product and around their company that continues to foster creativity and risk taking. If you ever get a chance, visit one of the campuses in Beaverton, Oregon or in Hilversum, The Netherlands.  I simple visit to either campus for a meeting or project inspires my entire week. Great job Nike on continuing to invent your future in exciting ways and keeping us all interested.