Hop aboard the Cluetrain

Once upon a time a couple of guys had the idea that traditional businesses, corporations as they generally exist today, should stop and reconsider how they do business. The changes they suggested extended throughout the company: from the corporate culture to the way the company interacted with its customers. No part of daily operations was overlooked. These guys sat down and summed it all up in ninety-five friendly little bullet points, and called it The Cluetrain Manifesto. A few high points are below.

• Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.
• The Internet is enabling conversations among human beings that were simply not possible in the era of mass media.
• [People are speaking to each other in a powerful new way and] these networked conversations are enabling powerful new forms of social organization and knowledge exchange to emerge. As a result, markets are getting smarter, more informed, more organized.
• Companies can now communicate with their markets directly. If they blow it, it could be their last chance.
• Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor.
• We like this new marketplace much better. In fact, we are creating it.
• We’ve got some ideas for you too: some new tools we need, some better service. Stuff we’d be willing to pay for. Got a minute?
• We know some people from your company. They’re pretty cool online. Do you have any more like that you’re hiding? Can they come out and play?
• When we have questions we turn to each other for answers. If you didn’t have such a tight rein on “your people” maybe they’d be among the people we’d turn to.

There are two really interesting things about this document. One, it was written in 1999. Yep, more than ten years ago. Don’t you love it when people have foresight? Which brings us to number two, why haven’t you ever heard of this thing? Obviously it’s full of useful information for companies. Has no one read it?

I really don’t know the answer to this question but I truly believe the ideas put forth in this document, at least those listed above, have never been more relevant than they are today. Since most of my examples to support this statement will be their own blog posts I’m going to stop now. But take a moment to think about (and by all means, share if you want) the companies that you feel most connected to. I’d be willing to guess that you have engaged with them in some way. It may be as simple as going to their website. Or you may follow them on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook. Regardless of the connection, the ease of corporate-consumer interaction has become temptingly simple for the consumer and (often) alarmingly close for the corporations.

Read the Manifesto.

Read what Wikipedia says about the Manifesto.