Why does informal communication assume such considerable importance when we’re talking about the company’s marketing strategy?
I wrote in my last article “that in everything we do (at Cleverti), the idea is to contribute to the sharing of good knowledge and content in the area of software development”. However, I must add this should be done with the involvement and dedication of all employees, which is ensured by the Marketing Department through constant and informal communication.
Why does informal communication assume such considerable importance when we’re talking about the company’s marketing strategy? Well, I think it’s pertinent to mention the Informal Networks: The company behind the chart (Harvard Business Review July-August 1993), where the authors distinguish formal and informal communication. The first one is the skeleton of a company, and the second one the “central nervous system driving the collective thought processes, actions, and reactions of its business unit”. If it’s the nervous system that’s responsible for the body’s actions, it makes no sense for companies to focus on progression in the sales funnel without considering the benefits of informal communication, which I will explain in the illustration below:
Common knowledge tells us that at the top of the funnel (brand awareness) brands need to make themselves known and showcase their products and services, so we can predict what and who might be useful to them. In my opinion, there is no better way to produce fresh and relevant content than involving employees, giving them a voice and the autonomy to disseminate their knowledge. Blogs, YouTube channels or white papers are some ideas. Therefore, seems crucial to nurture internal relations through informal dialogue, while ensuring its visibility and extracting all the juice from it. Having said this, we also decided to enhance the open-space and knowledge sharing environment, bringing conversations between developers to a podcast format.
Consequently, we accepted the challenge of producing a podcast in a relaxed format, that at the same time deals with concrete themes in the life of a developer. The solution was, in the first instance, to create an operational group for the purpose, managing the expectations of our employees and eliminating some pressure inherent to the situation (“It is supposed to be a corridor conversation. Interesting, but relaxed”). The company’s strategy was directly communicated to them, which involved broadcasting the podcast through digital channels, to set the tone for what we call a knowledge-sharing economy. Although it is extremely early to properly evaluate the results, since we merely have two episodes, there was a vigorous reaction from the employees, who revealed the willingness to help and participate in future events.
Honestly, I firmly believe the path of 21st-century companies requires bringing knowledge to the public square instead of captivating it within their space. Cleverti, as an IT company, can and must set an example. We tried to do our part with Machine Learning Talks and now with Cleverti Podcast. We now request other companies to help us keep the sharing principle that the internet was made of in the 90s.
Written by Mário Martins / Marketing Assistant at Cleverti
