The world is shrinking! The world is shrinking! Unlike Chicken Little, this statement is somewhat true. As the far corners of the world continue to connect, businesses will have to find more and more ways to elevate themselves from the rest of the bunch.
Earlier this year I was able interview a head designer for a locally-based furniture manufacturer. He talked about timeless truths and how technology and design can help us interact with those truths in new ways.
He gave an example regarding sunsets. Whether it was 100 years ago or 100 years from now, people will still find sunsets beautiful. That is the inherent truth. A healthy mix of design and technology can alter the way people interact with a sunset, hopefully for the better. The same thinking applies to businesses. The consistent differentiators for companies, whether it was 100 years ago or 100 years from now, will be their relationship with the consumer.
Everyone likes to go to the business where everybody knows their name (play Cheers theme song). People like brands that they can get behind and identify with. Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology even global companies are able to interact with their consumers on a personal level. My favorite example of this is what Ford is doing with social media.
Scott Monty, Ford’s social media guru, has changed the way Ford is connecting with their consumers and potential buyers on a personal level — giving a global giant the feel of a mom-n’-pop shop. CEO Alan Mullaly has been known to hold conversations via Twitter and has even made personal phone calls to potential Average Joe buyers. Ford has used technology to open up honest and frank two-way communication with the public. The company has also used human-centered research to enhance their vehicle designs.
By opening the brand up for more meaningful relationships backed by well-designed products it has differentiated itself from the rest of the pack.
The Fiesta Movement campaign
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