As 2014 comes to a close, marketers are forecasting the trends and challenges 2015 will bring. In this Forbes article, “11 Trends to Watch for in 2015,” the author notes that radical transparency will be key for marketers and that there will be a growing focus on internal communications.
Let’s look at radical transparency first. Radical transparency is the idea that everyone, employees and customers alike, know everything. The goal of radical transparency is to increase the openness of an organization and thereby increase organizational performance. How does this affect marketing? In the age of the customer, consumers continue to exert power and influence as they take ownership of the buying journey. This creates a unique opportunity for companies to provide customers with accurate and real-time insights into what the company and employees are doing in the interest of the consumer. The idea of bringing radical transparency to marketing can only be effective if employees have the knowledge and insight to deliver a clear, compelling and consistent corporate message.
Radical transparency works when employees are able to accurately and consistently bring the corporate message to life, which is why there will be a growing focus on internal communications.
Companies are now realizing that internal communications is, in fact, a marketing asset. Engaged employees create engaged customers. To be effective, the corporate message must be woven into the fabric of the organization through internal marketing programs that ensure employees understand it and are able to bring it to life in their every day work life.
In B2B marketing, the customer owns the buying journey. In 2015, the companies that take a partnership approach to their customer relations are the companies that will experience the most consumer engagement.
