What is your business doing to stay ahead of the game in these rapidly changing times?
If the answer is, “Not much,” you’d better start getting busy.
All businesses, including big brand companies like Best Buy, Reebok, McDonald’s, and many others, know only too well how crucial it is to have their “go-to teams” completely fixated on actively ramping up new on-and-offline innovations and sales campaigns in terms of greater consumer capture while staring down the future.
Several big-brand companies are making huge strides in the areas of technology and product breakthroughs. The one I’m especially fond of is P & G’s (Procter & Gamble) Connect+Develop open innovation strategy.
Their “business incubator“ is hungry for ideas. Brand manager for P &G, Nicole Malcolm, is busy fast-tracking all sorts of innovations. For instance, Mr. Clean Car Washes and Tide-branded dry cleaners.
Me? I think we’ve got some important “internetwork” to do as companies like P & G, Best Buy, and the others roll out these innovative services.
My Internet “To Do” list includes:
*Celebrating the day that everybody has to use their real names online.
Imagine how much more realistic, responsible, and accountable the Internet would be if you had to register online using your own real name. No obscure screen names to hide behind, no goofy made-up email addresses where you can be obnoxious in the email to others and simply cut and run.
Just think: You have to be YOU online. Scary thought, I expect, for those who enjoy terrorizing others, submitting inflammatory comments, and just plain being a pain in the neck for everybody else because you can’t be personally held accountable. I like that concept, a lot!
*Allowing more people to be able to work online via “live” websites by telecommuting from their homes.
Less gas would be wasted by employees driving to work simply to a job that they could just as easily do from their homes. Fewer car accidents and fatalities from those commutes. Less time lost to lack of productivity for coffee breaks and smoking breaks – workers could drink all the coffee they want while on the job and smoke whenever they want.
Inevitably, a lot more work would get done. By those who really love their jobs. And gas could be saved. Yay!
*Anybody who sends out spam needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Consider that when you submit your website to a reputable search engine – like Google, Yahoo, and others – there are all sorts of “spam restrictions” put in place by those search engines. When you violate their spam policies, what happens? You get banned from the search engine. Your website is still indexed, but you are dead meat in terms of search engine results.
As the Internet continues to grow and evolve, wouldn’t it be great if those who violate spam policies were thrown into jail or so severely penalized that others would never want to walk in their footsteps?
That’s what I’m talking about.
*Absolutely excellent customer service available from every website – instantly – no matter what time of day or night.
Contemplate, for just a minute, what a far less stressful world this would be to live in where you could pop onto a website, click on the “customer service” tab and actually find yourself greeted by a real human being who is paid for no other reason than to serve you.
Ah, the bliss…the exquisite deliciousness of actually getting help with a problem when you need it! Having bill payment discrepancies handled with efficient ease. Receiving 100 percent personal attention. No being put on hold over the phone. No standing in line. No stupid email auto-responders.
Just you and another human being.
Yes, I do believe that a perfect world is out there and we will one day become advanced enough to live and work in it.
Until then, P & G is definitely on the right track by asking us what we need and want.
It’s an open ballpark, people. Get in there and pitch!
Debi Ketner is a professional internet marketer. Read her here each week and share your thoughts!