Covered by mass media, but also covered by the media of the masses

The election of President Barack Obama reveals many shifts in politics, policy, and the overall attitude of voters in the United States. But some of the scenes from the inaugural ceremonies reminded me of another, more tangible shift, too strong to ignore.

As television cameras panned the audience in an effort to show the magnitude of the crowd… the crowd, in turn, was doing the same! There were thousands of cell phone and digital cameras panning the audience. There weren’t just two million people. It seemed like there were two million reporters... all hoping to text or email a message back home that said, “I was there.”

Thousands of free-floating images were out there this morning, in hundreds of online photo albums. It all reminded me of this fundamental truth: Your company is on candid camera. A large number of the people who shop in your stores, own your products, or experience your service… are camera-carrying reporters, ready to jump into action.

Implications: Is your company doing anything remarkable enough that customers want to click, capture, and share their shopping or ownership experience with friends?

Is your company doing anything—or neglecting anything—that you would NOT want a customer to click, capture, and post online?

It’s important, these days, to have your company “Facebook ready.” Because your next marketing campaign may not be launched by people who are under your employment.

Mike Anderson