To begin our discussion of transparency and authenticity I will look at two case studies from the online magazine Wired. The first is a fictional example that gives us a good look at what transparency is. In Wired’s “What We Can Learn from The Office”, transparency is described to the extreme. The premise behind The Office is a small paper-supply firm brings in a documentary team to gain publicity for their company. The audience sees a no-holds-barred look at the personal lives of the employees and a boss who does not self-edit himself. The result is a very candid and transparent look into an office environment.
While Dunder Miflin may be fictional and the transparency involved extreme, it is a valuable lesson to businesses. Show your company in a candid way, with the good and the bad, and your stakeholders are more likely to respond in a positive way.
In a real example, that ties transparency and authenticity to new social media, Wired’s “Operation Channel 9,” discusses how Microsoft employees are utilizing podcasts. These employees post interviews of engineers talking about their jobs and new products. These videos are largely unedited, and anyone can see them and comment on them. This shows an open and frank view of Microsoft as a company. It is a great example of how a company can utilize social media to be transparent and get employees involved in the process.
Employees are a great tool for this effort because they give credibility to the messages. The information is coming from the inside of the company and not from the corporate communications department. Not only do employees have the knowledge to talk specifically about what they do, they can give a behind-the-scenes look at what the company does.
See Microsoft’s Channel 9 project here.
Elaine Bussjaeger's Blog 