Authenticity, Transparency, & Ethics

Meghan Cole

@MeggieCole

Nick Lorenzini

@nlorenzini9

On Monday the 23^rd of 2012, Kelli Matthew’s  (@kmattews) J412 Strategic Social Media class, actively listened and engaged in lecture discussing the topics of authenticity, transparency, and ethics in relation to companies and social media. As a class we were asked to take an in depth look into ‘Transparency’ and how it affects companies in the world of social media. We learned that in order to be socially successful, now more then ever, human recourses and costumer service can no longer ignore poor business.

One of the key elements of ‘Transparency’ is to remember that ‘someone is always watching.’ Many examples were given of how this thought can positively and negatively affect a company. The key to being successful is responsible communication or being O.P.E.N.  (Objectivity, Purpose, Esteem, Navigation).

• Objectivity:  demonstrating honesty and integrity
• Purpose: Backing your words with credible action
• Esteem: Factoring in the affects of ‘esteem’ your actions will have on your company’s employers, stalk holders etc.
• Navigation: being able to respond quickly and honestly when a problem comes to surface.

Many examples were given in class about companies who were successful and unsuccessful in responsibly communicating with their communities:

• @nlorenzini9: Summary of Ford/Ranger Station dilemma fastcompany.com/blog/allyson-k… #J412ssm
•  @nickjstevens: 9Here is the article about the Jetblue Flight Attendant. #J412ssm nytimes.com/2010/08/10/nyr…
• @Meggiecole : JetBlue recap social media adage.com/article/news/s… #J412ssm