By: Published under: Agency, Content Creation, Authenticity
To delve a bit deeper into what it means to be authentic, we will be taking a look at transparency.
As consumers become increasingly interested in the strategic aspirations of businesses, the push to publish information that would have once been clearly marked as “Internal Use Only” has seen a significant uptick.
Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company’s YouTube videos discussed in the previous post are an excellent example of this transparency. As a company well-known for closely guarding their secret recipe, Coca-Cola notably released this video outlining a marketing strategy that supports the company-wide goal of doubling revenue.
Zappos
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, has been famously quoted as saying “your culture is your brand.” Employees within the company undergo extensive customer service training and must meet a cultural litmus test before being hired. Journalists working on stories about Zappos are encouraged to walk around the business and talk to anyone; no one is off limits. Additionally, Hsieh routinely tweets the emails sent out to employees regarding facility operations.
The company also releases customer service recordings, both the good and the bad, to show consumers that they are always working to improve their experience.
Foundry Group
Brad Feld of the Foundry Group has allowed his investors to openly discuss the details and dollars of their deals. He also co-authored a book with Jason Mendelson that describes term sheet progress and provides insightful help on navigating investment deals. He continues to provide help to entrepreneurs via his blog, Startup Revolution.
Feld uses true examples from his own experiences to help start-ups avoid costly mistakes and capitalize on opportunities.
Being transparent is about sharing the inner-workings of your business; both the triumphs and the fails. Everyone knows that companies struggle, that there are times when situations could have been handled better. Publishing these occurrences lets your customers know that you can handle tough situations and that you learn from them.
Being transparent lays the groundwork for a relationship with your customers built on trust.
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