Turning the Web 2.0 Tide to Your Advantage

Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li, both of Forrester Research, have an article in the Spring issue of the MITSloan Management Review titled "Harnessing the Power of Social Applications," which, for now at least, is available in free full text to non-subscribers, as part of an Online Preview.

It's a very smart article, worth reading in full. It's especially addressed at companies who might be apprehensive or even outright fearful of the various signs of a major shift in control from company to consumer which they gather under the term "groundswell":

Many are fascinated with the phenomenon but terrified that their companies might become the next Comcast, AOL or Dunkin' Donuts. Some recognize the powerful potential of the groundswell but have no idea how that force can be turned to their advantage. Behind all of this is a significant cultural issue: Engaging with the groundswell means admitting that consumers are taking power and that corporations are not in control. It's a scary and difficult first step to take.

The real benefit Bernoff and Li offer is a set of concrete steps corporations can take and a set of strategies they can use to get started, including:

• Research and Development Applications ("Listening")
• Marketing Applications ("Talking")
• Sales Applications ("Energizing")
• Customer Support Applications ("Supporting")
• Operations Applications ("Managing")