Alan and Shel on the BBC

Last week? I was a keynote speaker along with Shel Israel of Naked conversations , at the NMK marketing 2.0 - content 2.0 conference.

Shel and I - had a head to head conversation about Trust, Communications, and Marketing.

It was an enjoyable hour spent in discussion.

Shel has already blogged about the event in Boeing 777 and community building

Shel says

Alan and I, it would turn out, agreed on almost all issues regarding social media--except one. He believes that Companies can build communities of passionate customers. I don't.

I'm of the opinion that people build communities and these communities are excerpting the power that companies and other large organizations have traditionally held. I believe that all traditional marketing tactics are rapidly becoming impotent in their efforts to build, exploit and sell through communities.

Well Shel, I think companies have no option other than to engage. However I will say this, traditional companies, with a traditional mindset, trying yo usurp the opportunities of a more social world will inevitably fail.

My Tour de France example, or in fact Lego and the Santa Fe Train story , I hope demonstrates what I mean, in terms of building trust between companies and communities. And what is Jonathan Schwartz COO of sun Microsystems or Bob Lutz doing if they are nor trying to build trust between their corporations and the interested communties/stakeholders/customers that surround them?

Also remember, business is the community.

No its not easy, and I agree with Shel that command and control are over, but so is set piece competition.

The very survival of some companies depends on how they respond to the challenges ahead of them.

Shel and I were also interviewed by the BBC, you can listen to it here

Shel great to meet you and our book is on its way to you, with my very best of wishes

Comments

[GrahamHill]

Alan

Many people recognise that we are entering an interesting new period where the traditional two forms of production (organisational production directed by the organisational hierarchy and market production directed by prices) will be supplemented by social production directed loosely (if directed is the right word) by social networks and peer pressure.

All three are likely to co-exist and indeed to co-evolve over time. Organisational hierarchies as a means of production are not going to go away nor will the command and control that goes with them. What we are instead likely to see are hybrid forms of production that bring the best of each of the three forms together. Just like we have hybrids between organisational and market forms of production today.

It is thus meaningless to write that "that command and control are over". Command and control will be with us for the forseeable future, whether we like that or not.

Graham Hill
Independent Management Consultant

[Alan Moore]

Dear Graham,

Thank you for your comments. I don't believe it is "meaningless" to say command and control is over.

Companies are faced with real challenges in terms of how they are organised, how information flows, evidence shows that we do not want to live in a command and control world.

Sure, as you say, command and control will be with us for the forseeable future, I think we know that, but lets take Kryptonite for example who nearly went bankrupt beliving in a command and control world. Joseph Estrada, then president of the Phillipines overthrown by a smart mob in 2001.

OhMyNews the Korean online newspaper written by 50,000 citizen journalists.

2nd Life built by the community to a value of $147m in programming time

Jamie Oliver taking on the government and food companies in Jamies School Dinners.

ebay? Why is education struggling, because it is C&C is not about empowerment or experience.

I could go on. May I suggest its flip to pander to organisations belief their world has not changed.

If Command and Control was still on the menu, why did Murdoch buy Myspace.com?

Because he saw the difference in where value was being created. I am bored by companies that still belive in brand "management", that are arrogant and are into ripping us off.

I would rather push the boundaries of what is possible to make a better world today than sit on the fence, saying its going to take some time.

cheers

Alan

[Harsh Dhundia]

Dear Alan

I listened to the conversation between you and Shel on the BBC and also read what you and Shel have to say. Essentially, I think both of you are talking about the same phenomena but youe definitions of the term community are different...

Since I wanted to reach both you and Shel with the comment, so I've reasoned it out on my blog for both of you instead of having to type it out. Ah...sometimes the ethics of blogging confuse me!

Harsh

[Shel Israel]

Alan,

The funny thing is you and I are poart of the same community. Please send me your email address, so I can send you a copy of Naked Conversations. Let me know when you are in my neck of the globe, so we can get together.

[alan moore]

Dear Shel,

since you have my email I guess you mean to direct this to haresh?

Cheers

Alan

[Harsh Dhundia]

I believe Shel already has my email address. I recently got in touch with Shel about my startup (www.linknsurf.com).

I think, though, the book was meant for Alan. However, I wouldn't mind receiving a copy ;-)