Kyle Braatz, CEO
I am the co-founder of Netgen. When I am not initiating and stimulating creative ideas, I am training for triathlons or working on my charity: Typically Canadian. I am dedicated to living an adventurous life and using my fortunate experiences to help others.
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Integrity-Based Marketing
The internet has created a customer that is in control; a customer that is smart, connected and has an opinion, a customer that wants you to listen. With this new world of complete transparency, companies need to start paying attention and embrace the opportunity to accept and create a dialogue about their brand; a dialogue based on trust and openness.
A quick google search can show you how many dissatisfactions their are with North American business practices. Check out http://www.complaint.com and search the database to see what people are saying about your brand or major players in your industry. It is obvious that criticism, bad practices, faults of the company will be discussed online now a days, so what is the solution?
The first solution is for companies to open up to these people, increase transparency and allow people to discuss, and criticize the company, products, services. operations, policies etc, online. Allow the good, the bad and the ugly, and show that you are addressing it. Defense is not the best strategy; empathy is. The advantages associated with openness including trust, confidence and respect outweigh the disadvantages of not being open which include suspicion, fear and contempt.
The second solution is based on cultural change amongst your company and amongst yourself. This is a long term investment that will take work and time, but will benefit yourself and your company into the future.
A great article and tips to create integrity within your corporate environment can be found at http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2004/07/13/the-principles-of-business-integrity
Overall integrity and transparency are both equally important and compliment each other. The internet makes transparency a necessity and not a choice. Information will be published online about you and your company and It is therefore crucial to always practice business and life with the utmost integrity.
This is one of the best investments you will ever make.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.—Alan K. Simpson
