What do you think?
Rate this book
A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive
Just like the meteor that likely precipitated the end of the dinosaurs, social media is having a monumental impact on the world's economy; a change so dramatic that it has created a new business era. Welcome... to the Social Age.What does the Social Age mean for your business? Containing stories, analysis of real-world scenarios, and indispensable guidance, A World Gone Social gives you the tools and information you need to survive--and thrive--in a business climate in which customers hold all the cards... jobseekers have the power to easily find out what working at your company isreally like... and expertise has become more democratic than ever as employees collaborate with each other, as well as with vendors, customers, and even competitors.You'll discover what the "Death of Large" and " The New Black" mean for you and your organization, how to build a socially enabled team that puts the customer experience first, and what it means to create an "OPEN" network of partners, collaborators, and brand champions. Filled with fascinating stories of success and failure at organizations including Barilla, Zappos, Bank of America, Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Southwest Airlines, and more, the book reveals how to avoid the dangers of insincerity as well as what it takes to become a "Blue Unicorn"--the social leader. Finally, you'll learn how to objectively assess the fitness of your company's current culture and social presence.In the Social Age, companies unwilling to change will play the role of the destined for extinction. A World Gone Social gives you the keys to avoid this fate--and lead your organization into this exciting business climate.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
15 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Ted Coiné
8 books4 followersTED COINÉ is a Forbes Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer and an Inc. Top 100 Leadership Expert. He is cofounder of Switch and Shift, a blog focused on leadership, culture, and change.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 18, 2014
I have this really great problem … I cannot decide what I like most about A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive by Ted Coine and Mark Babbitt.
This book has so many helpful and well-written sections that I cannot decide which is the most important or useful to us. For example:
The authors "get" the impact of the social age on our society and on business in ways large and small.
They focus on real engagement (top down and personal) throughout the book, while providing a wide variety of real-world examples of how we are living into a social world, whether we recognize the ongoing transformation or not.
This book is a well-researched and organized summation of how the business and social landscapes have changed over the past few decades and years. If you already feel the change and understand the reality of our increasingly social world, you will find your head nodding often in agreement with what Ted and Mark have to say. If you are not yet convinced of the impact that technology is having in the areas of recruiting, marketing, selling, customer service, and engagement, you will find ample information that will help you understand better.
They include some useful tools, such as the rules for social engagement listed on page 60 and referenced throughout the book,which provide extra value. Other value-added sections include the rules for community engagement in the social era (pages 68-72) and the diagnostic question list for organization readiness to be Social (page 147), either of which would easily and quickly return value to the organization way beyond the price of the book.
Ted and Mark talk not just about the business applications of social for recruiting, customer service, and engagement, among other functions, but also talk about the strong potential for doing good in the world. They avoid the terms “Social Media” and “Social Networking” by using the more widely applicable term “Social” to describe this world change.
Some of my favorite horror stories about customer service nightmares are included, such as the "United (Airlines) Breaks Guitars" YouTube fiasco and Target’s Very Black Friday (actually the Thanksgiving Thursday they “asked” employees to work) to illustrate the power of online communication for customers and employees who feel mistreated. However, they are also even-handed enough to point out the dangers of Social, including an excellent dissection of “trolls” and an emphasis on the need to verify online information (think critical thinking skills).
Bottom Line: Wherever you are in the knowledge curve around the impact of social on business, this book will better equip you to roll on down the road to our future.
John
Disclaimer: Yet another book received to review as part of a book launch.
This book has so many helpful and well-written sections that I cannot decide which is the most important or useful to us. For example:
The authors "get" the impact of the social age on our society and on business in ways large and small.
They focus on real engagement (top down and personal) throughout the book, while providing a wide variety of real-world examples of how we are living into a social world, whether we recognize the ongoing transformation or not.
This book is a well-researched and organized summation of how the business and social landscapes have changed over the past few decades and years. If you already feel the change and understand the reality of our increasingly social world, you will find your head nodding often in agreement with what Ted and Mark have to say. If you are not yet convinced of the impact that technology is having in the areas of recruiting, marketing, selling, customer service, and engagement, you will find ample information that will help you understand better.
They include some useful tools, such as the rules for social engagement listed on page 60 and referenced throughout the book,which provide extra value. Other value-added sections include the rules for community engagement in the social era (pages 68-72) and the diagnostic question list for organization readiness to be Social (page 147), either of which would easily and quickly return value to the organization way beyond the price of the book.
Ted and Mark talk not just about the business applications of social for recruiting, customer service, and engagement, among other functions, but also talk about the strong potential for doing good in the world. They avoid the terms “Social Media” and “Social Networking” by using the more widely applicable term “Social” to describe this world change.
Some of my favorite horror stories about customer service nightmares are included, such as the "United (Airlines) Breaks Guitars" YouTube fiasco and Target’s Very Black Friday (actually the Thanksgiving Thursday they “asked” employees to work) to illustrate the power of online communication for customers and employees who feel mistreated. However, they are also even-handed enough to point out the dangers of Social, including an excellent dissection of “trolls” and an emphasis on the need to verify online information (think critical thinking skills).
Bottom Line: Wherever you are in the knowledge curve around the impact of social on business, this book will better equip you to roll on down the road to our future.
John
Disclaimer: Yet another book received to review as part of a book launch.
August 20, 2014
Mark Babbitt and Ted Coiné have written a book you MUST read, A World Gone Social, if you don’t want to fall prey to Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Mark and Ted make it clear, with concrete examples, that the Social World’s implications for 21st Century business are enormous:
Customers have more power than they’ve had before; Settling for mediocre won’t work!
Employees have more power than they’ve had before; Their ideas and insights matter!
Command-and-Control is a delusion; Wake up and get flat(ter)!
Top talent chooses where it wants to go; Would you want to work for you?
Transparency is a requirement and expectation; If you’ve got something to hide, forget it!
Transparency is foundational to me on at least 2 levels:
First, when information is open, available, accessible and shareable, awesome can happen. Ted and Mark’s concept of OPEN: Ordinary People | Extraordinary Network gets right to this (Chapter 9). My life has always been about the network, so of course I’d love OPEN. I measure my professional success by my ROImpact - my form of ROI. The broader, deeper and mover diverse your network, the larger the impact you can have. Ted and Mark state “No matter who we are, the more OPEN we are, the more global our impact.” OPEN is how we connect diverse expertise around the world to solve wicked problems. It’s how we democratize knowledge, access and opportunity. OPEN truly makes the ordinary extraordinary – something each of us can do.
Second, when everything is OPEN, walking the talk isn’t a cliché it’s a requirement. Your products, services, customer support - all your interactions have to be consistent with who you say you are and what you say you stand for. Does your organization really care about your customers? Does it truly want to understand their problems and create meaningful solutions? In A World Gone Social, it’s not about what you get (output), it’s about what you can give (outcome). Some do this because they think it’s the route to success, which it is. But those who cherish and relish giving do it because it’s a route to making the world a better place – from making it easier to get your prescription drugs or pick up the dry-cleaning to stopping malaria or providing emergency housing in natural disasters. We may never know the fabulous outcomes of connecting people together, but we know fabulous things happen.
Get A World Gone Social. Read it, mark it up, share it, give it away – but most importantly, live it!
Customers have more power than they’ve had before; Settling for mediocre won’t work!
Employees have more power than they’ve had before; Their ideas and insights matter!
Command-and-Control is a delusion; Wake up and get flat(ter)!
Top talent chooses where it wants to go; Would you want to work for you?
Transparency is a requirement and expectation; If you’ve got something to hide, forget it!
Transparency is foundational to me on at least 2 levels:
First, when information is open, available, accessible and shareable, awesome can happen. Ted and Mark’s concept of OPEN: Ordinary People | Extraordinary Network gets right to this (Chapter 9). My life has always been about the network, so of course I’d love OPEN. I measure my professional success by my ROImpact - my form of ROI. The broader, deeper and mover diverse your network, the larger the impact you can have. Ted and Mark state “No matter who we are, the more OPEN we are, the more global our impact.” OPEN is how we connect diverse expertise around the world to solve wicked problems. It’s how we democratize knowledge, access and opportunity. OPEN truly makes the ordinary extraordinary – something each of us can do.
Second, when everything is OPEN, walking the talk isn’t a cliché it’s a requirement. Your products, services, customer support - all your interactions have to be consistent with who you say you are and what you say you stand for. Does your organization really care about your customers? Does it truly want to understand their problems and create meaningful solutions? In A World Gone Social, it’s not about what you get (output), it’s about what you can give (outcome). Some do this because they think it’s the route to success, which it is. But those who cherish and relish giving do it because it’s a route to making the world a better place – from making it easier to get your prescription drugs or pick up the dry-cleaning to stopping malaria or providing emergency housing in natural disasters. We may never know the fabulous outcomes of connecting people together, but we know fabulous things happen.
Get A World Gone Social. Read it, mark it up, share it, give it away – but most importantly, live it!
August 30, 2014
Amazing! I got a review copy, and I thought this was a great book for business leaders to help them really understand the new drivers of consumers (and therefore their business).
March 25, 2015
An excellent book on the multiple aspects of social media. The authors explain how social media changes everything. The way to communicate with customers and employees, the way things are bought and sold, the way companies are organized and managed. The book seems to be directed mostly at large companies and smaller companies competing with them. It talks about how social media relates to marketing, recruiting, holacracy and flat organizations, OPEN, mobile, the cloud, big data, and analytics.
Here are some quotes:
“If you can't embrace social, get used to obsolescence.” – Jim Claussen, IBM
“For this book, we looked at many brands that have built a strong online presence, that have built a community around their brands, solidifying their position among consumers, influencers, and, in some cases, even voters. Here's how they did that—and here's how you can lead your brand to community status, too:
* They are social from the top down | It must be said that the brands that have done amazingly well in the Social Age benefit, first and foremost, from a common denominator. They believe in what author Stan Phelps says best: 'Social is not a campaign. Social is a commitment.' And that commitment — like every other critical aspect of success in the Social Age — is a top-down issue...
* They build on a common purpose | The number one rule of community: Build around a common need, purpose, or agenda. Brands that build community to sell product fail. Those that think a specific platform — a Twitter chat or a Linkedln Group, for example — forms a community fail. Those that start a community to push a message or rebuild their reputation fail. Those that attempt an online community just to broadcast at the members fail. Every time. Your community must be built on a common purpose and fostered through mutually beneficial communication. Not sure where to get started? Answer these two questions for your brand: (1) What difference are you making? (2) What problem are you solving? Once you have the objective answers to these questions, that forms the basis of a mission worthy of emotional investment. Don't know the answers to these questions? Struggling to articulate your mission? It is entirely possible your organization isn't quite ready for a community.
* They put the community first | Effective communities that grow organically put the goals of the community first...
* They go where the community members live...
* They are consistent facilitators...
* They enable the community to self-moderate and self-protect | When trolls attack (and at some point, they will), well-established communities do not need the organizers/moderators/facilitators to protect their members, or even their brand. The community does it for them...
* They encourage sharing and self-learning...
* They promote individual thinking | Solid communities that survive in the long term avoid one of the largest community-killing traps: groupthink...
* They cultivate a "red velvet rope" mindset: They make community members feel special...”
"The authors declare large companies in great peril from the social and other trends:
* Be nimble or be dead | Few large companies are capable of the agility needed to remain relevant in a constantly evolving marketplace.
* Go nano or go home | Nano corps, or fluid, self-forming groups that move from one organization to another, will get most projects done.
* Management is unnecessary | Engaged knowledge workers armed with collaboration technology mean there is now no need for hierarchical management.
* Managers cost too much | Companies can no longer afford to pay the low-ROI 'management tax.'
* How far can you scale flat? | In our social economy, scale is the only barrier to a company's growth.
* Small is here to stay | The strongest companies—those with enormous annual revenue and market caps — will have few employees; they will be in no danger of collapsing under their own weight.
* Social will be the bane of large | What makes today so different from 2008? Or from 1908, for that matter? What used to be cute and interesting (the small, flat organization) is now compelling; social and collaboration technology turn the nimble, flat organization into an irresistible force of nature."
In one chapter, the authors offer a set of 10 questions to ponder. Here are the first two:
“1. What is our social media strategy, and how integrated is it with the rest of our corporate strategy?
2. What is our policy regarding social media use at work? Why? Who set it?
* Question 1: Social media strategy | If your company has a 'social media strategy,' that is a problem. Certainly, your marketing department should be working with PR, advertising, sales, and customer service to represent the brand best in the public eye. However, your organization should have a clear business strategy—and your social media should wholly support that strategy. Having a separate strategy for social — one not fully integrated into your overall mission — is a huge red flag. (Sorry for the trick question.)
* Question 2: Social media policy | Your employees are going to use social media at work. It's social, and they're human—it's what we humans do. Social used to be standing around the watercooler or taking a cigarette break. Now it's Twitter and Facebook. If your folks are huddling outside with the smokers to take a Twitter break because they aren't allowed access at work, there's a bigger problem than just their inconvenience. Or if the dinosaur at the front of the leadership pack is worried about staff goofing off on social during work hours, then you have a trust issue, not a social media issue.”
Here are some quotes:
“If you can't embrace social, get used to obsolescence.” – Jim Claussen, IBM
“For this book, we looked at many brands that have built a strong online presence, that have built a community around their brands, solidifying their position among consumers, influencers, and, in some cases, even voters. Here's how they did that—and here's how you can lead your brand to community status, too:
* They are social from the top down | It must be said that the brands that have done amazingly well in the Social Age benefit, first and foremost, from a common denominator. They believe in what author Stan Phelps says best: 'Social is not a campaign. Social is a commitment.' And that commitment — like every other critical aspect of success in the Social Age — is a top-down issue...
* They build on a common purpose | The number one rule of community: Build around a common need, purpose, or agenda. Brands that build community to sell product fail. Those that think a specific platform — a Twitter chat or a Linkedln Group, for example — forms a community fail. Those that start a community to push a message or rebuild their reputation fail. Those that attempt an online community just to broadcast at the members fail. Every time. Your community must be built on a common purpose and fostered through mutually beneficial communication. Not sure where to get started? Answer these two questions for your brand: (1) What difference are you making? (2) What problem are you solving? Once you have the objective answers to these questions, that forms the basis of a mission worthy of emotional investment. Don't know the answers to these questions? Struggling to articulate your mission? It is entirely possible your organization isn't quite ready for a community.
* They put the community first | Effective communities that grow organically put the goals of the community first...
* They go where the community members live...
* They are consistent facilitators...
* They enable the community to self-moderate and self-protect | When trolls attack (and at some point, they will), well-established communities do not need the organizers/moderators/facilitators to protect their members, or even their brand. The community does it for them...
* They encourage sharing and self-learning...
* They promote individual thinking | Solid communities that survive in the long term avoid one of the largest community-killing traps: groupthink...
* They cultivate a "red velvet rope" mindset: They make community members feel special...”
"The authors declare large companies in great peril from the social and other trends:
* Be nimble or be dead | Few large companies are capable of the agility needed to remain relevant in a constantly evolving marketplace.
* Go nano or go home | Nano corps, or fluid, self-forming groups that move from one organization to another, will get most projects done.
* Management is unnecessary | Engaged knowledge workers armed with collaboration technology mean there is now no need for hierarchical management.
* Managers cost too much | Companies can no longer afford to pay the low-ROI 'management tax.'
* How far can you scale flat? | In our social economy, scale is the only barrier to a company's growth.
* Small is here to stay | The strongest companies—those with enormous annual revenue and market caps — will have few employees; they will be in no danger of collapsing under their own weight.
* Social will be the bane of large | What makes today so different from 2008? Or from 1908, for that matter? What used to be cute and interesting (the small, flat organization) is now compelling; social and collaboration technology turn the nimble, flat organization into an irresistible force of nature."
In one chapter, the authors offer a set of 10 questions to ponder. Here are the first two:
“1. What is our social media strategy, and how integrated is it with the rest of our corporate strategy?
2. What is our policy regarding social media use at work? Why? Who set it?
* Question 1: Social media strategy | If your company has a 'social media strategy,' that is a problem. Certainly, your marketing department should be working with PR, advertising, sales, and customer service to represent the brand best in the public eye. However, your organization should have a clear business strategy—and your social media should wholly support that strategy. Having a separate strategy for social — one not fully integrated into your overall mission — is a huge red flag. (Sorry for the trick question.)
* Question 2: Social media policy | Your employees are going to use social media at work. It's social, and they're human—it's what we humans do. Social used to be standing around the watercooler or taking a cigarette break. Now it's Twitter and Facebook. If your folks are huddling outside with the smokers to take a Twitter break because they aren't allowed access at work, there's a bigger problem than just their inconvenience. Or if the dinosaur at the front of the leadership pack is worried about staff goofing off on social during work hours, then you have a trust issue, not a social media issue.”
March 21, 2015
Beware of revolutionaries, because they're usually full of it. Coiné and Babbitt have an interesting take on how social media have changed the hiring world -- not too surprising, since this book exists so they can get hired for consulting jobs -- but their cries of how any CEO who doesn't follow their leadership into the "Social Age" are overblown to say the least.
Yes, social media offers some fantastic opportunities for communication, collaboration, and customer service. People are doing new and great things -- but money and political power still rule the roost in the business world. Coiné and Babbitt can call the Industrial Age companies dinosaurs all they like, but they're more likely to co-opt or crowd out the newcomers than be destroyed by them.
Even the new age of hiring isn't all they crack it up to be. "Nano-companies" are great if you're a consultant, especially if you can get paid for selling people on the idea of them. But a lot of workers don't have the skills and inclination to run their own businesses, and a lot of them DO want a reasonably predictable wage and health insurance. Coiné and Babbitt's world gone social may be a brave new world for them, but if you're not in the consultant class it's a promise of more outsourcing and job insecurity.
Yes, social media offers some fantastic opportunities for communication, collaboration, and customer service. People are doing new and great things -- but money and political power still rule the roost in the business world. Coiné and Babbitt can call the Industrial Age companies dinosaurs all they like, but they're more likely to co-opt or crowd out the newcomers than be destroyed by them.
Even the new age of hiring isn't all they crack it up to be. "Nano-companies" are great if you're a consultant, especially if you can get paid for selling people on the idea of them. But a lot of workers don't have the skills and inclination to run their own businesses, and a lot of them DO want a reasonably predictable wage and health insurance. Coiné and Babbitt's world gone social may be a brave new world for them, but if you're not in the consultant class it's a promise of more outsourcing and job insecurity.
May 7, 2015
This book was eye-opening for me. I'm a midcareer leader in a company where social engagement is done by specific people in the marketing department. I have a LinkedIn & Facebook account, as well as a Twitter account that I rarely use. I had looked at social networking as mainly a time suck or fun way to keep in touch with specific people, but this book convinced me that I need to be using it more as a tool to engage my employees, potential customers and future employers. Written from the business perspective, the book covers a lot of ground, but the main premise that these tools are meant to "engage" people in conversations that can brand you and your company as a thought leader, as well as a customer service leader. The kids probably get all this already, and it's likely that those who are GenX or older would really benefit from giving this a read.
October 24, 2016
A book about the next revolution in business and work: the social component. Take it with a pound of salt because it describes how much more extreme the world will change because "social", while sounding like propaganda. I still recommend this read because it is always better to have some awareness of things to come than realizing it only afterwards.
October 10, 2014
What is that little two character phrase that will mean a lot to many social media addicts which describes this book perfectly? Ah, yes - +1!
You’ve not already been convinced? You better get used to it. Social media and social networking is here to stay. The “Social Revolution” has started and shows no sign of abating. Even today many businesses are messing up in the social media space and many senior people still “don’t get it”. To put it bluntly, you wouldn’t represent your brand on live, nationwide television and knowingly drop the f-bomb so why do the equivalent on social media?
Social media is no longer something that should be left to the “kids” in your company either. Everybody in an organisation must be aware of the pitfalls - as well as the benefits - of social media and “think social” with their interactions. Already many top executives do get it. Peter Aceto, CEO of ING Direct, says that he would rather engage in a Twitter conversation with a single customer than attempt to attract the attention of millions in a Super Bowl commercial, as having people discuss your brand directly with you - actually connecting one-on-one - is far more valuable, not to mention far cheaper!
Wise words indeed. This book - which is deceptively compact - is crammed full of great, actionable, informative knowledge that you cannot fail to benefit from. We are in exciting but potentially scary times. Traditional methods and hierarchies of business are being thrown out of the window at breakneck speed. Businesses are being increasingly held to account by customers who are better informed, better connected and better equipped to unravel potentially millions of dollars of business by a few clicks. The stone has not yet stopped rolling either and the power given to customers through social media will only get stronger.
You need to get your act together before it is possibly too late. This book can help. It won’t provide the total solution - you need to do the hard work and institute change within your company. Even if you think your company has “social media” covered you might be advised to consult this book anyway - perhaps there’s something you can still learn, refine or at the very least receive further confirmation that you are on the right track. Don’t get complacent though.
Social media can also have its upside too. Virtual karma even. Sometimes doing the right thing by your customers or just a little unexpected extra can create a further social media storm - but a storm of positivity. One great example is given where a branch of a major chain restaurant took action to provide an off-menu bowl of soup for a dying grandmother. The request was from just an ordinary customer, with no threats or expectations and local management agreed to help. A small “thank you” was posted on the company’s Facebook page.
Boy, did things explode! Within days over 500,000 “likes” were received (that is not a misprint) and over time this has risen to over 800,000 plus about 35,000 positive comments praising the brand. You could not buy this sort of publicity and probably could not plan it. All this goodwill for a few dollars of soup to help a dying grandmother who just wanted a break from hospital food and to taste something she had previously enjoyed just one more time.
Don’t worry… the book also has a lot of examples of how a company has dropped the ball with social media too. If nothing else, and without a wish to gloat, one can learn from the mistakes made by others. Someone has to make the mistake in the first place but isn’t it better that it isn’t us?
This book has everything going for it. Great, gripping content; a low price; easy to read and an effective master plan of future action. Can you really afford to miss out?
This review closes with a very thought-provoking and quite obvious quotation from the book: “No one knows what the future of social, or its impact on business, will really be. No one yet understands its full potential. In our experience, those who claim they do know are likely trying to sell you something. And they probably bill themselves as “ninjas” or “gurus.” Proceed with caution. Because they don't know what the future holds in store. We don't know. You don't know.”
A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive, by Ted Coine & Mark Babbitt and published by AMACOM Books. ISBN 9780814433263, 256 pages. YYYYY.
You’ve not already been convinced? You better get used to it. Social media and social networking is here to stay. The “Social Revolution” has started and shows no sign of abating. Even today many businesses are messing up in the social media space and many senior people still “don’t get it”. To put it bluntly, you wouldn’t represent your brand on live, nationwide television and knowingly drop the f-bomb so why do the equivalent on social media?
Social media is no longer something that should be left to the “kids” in your company either. Everybody in an organisation must be aware of the pitfalls - as well as the benefits - of social media and “think social” with their interactions. Already many top executives do get it. Peter Aceto, CEO of ING Direct, says that he would rather engage in a Twitter conversation with a single customer than attempt to attract the attention of millions in a Super Bowl commercial, as having people discuss your brand directly with you - actually connecting one-on-one - is far more valuable, not to mention far cheaper!
Wise words indeed. This book - which is deceptively compact - is crammed full of great, actionable, informative knowledge that you cannot fail to benefit from. We are in exciting but potentially scary times. Traditional methods and hierarchies of business are being thrown out of the window at breakneck speed. Businesses are being increasingly held to account by customers who are better informed, better connected and better equipped to unravel potentially millions of dollars of business by a few clicks. The stone has not yet stopped rolling either and the power given to customers through social media will only get stronger.
You need to get your act together before it is possibly too late. This book can help. It won’t provide the total solution - you need to do the hard work and institute change within your company. Even if you think your company has “social media” covered you might be advised to consult this book anyway - perhaps there’s something you can still learn, refine or at the very least receive further confirmation that you are on the right track. Don’t get complacent though.
Social media can also have its upside too. Virtual karma even. Sometimes doing the right thing by your customers or just a little unexpected extra can create a further social media storm - but a storm of positivity. One great example is given where a branch of a major chain restaurant took action to provide an off-menu bowl of soup for a dying grandmother. The request was from just an ordinary customer, with no threats or expectations and local management agreed to help. A small “thank you” was posted on the company’s Facebook page.
Boy, did things explode! Within days over 500,000 “likes” were received (that is not a misprint) and over time this has risen to over 800,000 plus about 35,000 positive comments praising the brand. You could not buy this sort of publicity and probably could not plan it. All this goodwill for a few dollars of soup to help a dying grandmother who just wanted a break from hospital food and to taste something she had previously enjoyed just one more time.
Don’t worry… the book also has a lot of examples of how a company has dropped the ball with social media too. If nothing else, and without a wish to gloat, one can learn from the mistakes made by others. Someone has to make the mistake in the first place but isn’t it better that it isn’t us?
This book has everything going for it. Great, gripping content; a low price; easy to read and an effective master plan of future action. Can you really afford to miss out?
This review closes with a very thought-provoking and quite obvious quotation from the book: “No one knows what the future of social, or its impact on business, will really be. No one yet understands its full potential. In our experience, those who claim they do know are likely trying to sell you something. And they probably bill themselves as “ninjas” or “gurus.” Proceed with caution. Because they don't know what the future holds in store. We don't know. You don't know.”
A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive, by Ted Coine & Mark Babbitt and published by AMACOM Books. ISBN 9780814433263, 256 pages. YYYYY.
December 7, 2014
Coiné and Babbitt make the case that the future of business--any business, any industry--is social. Every company, big or small, business to business or business to consumer, must not only have a presence on social media, but an active, interactive presence. They need to make social media presence not just a marketing tool but an integral part of how the company operates, at every level and in every function.
And on the "every level" point: They also maintain that the best-run, most successful companies will be those that make their organization as flat as possible, ideally so flat that only the CEO has a title, and only because that's necessary to represent the company to the government and the media. The goal of this book is to both make the case for this radical viewpoint, and to lay out the basics of achieving it.
One of the unifying themes is that everyone is in the service business; you are either serving your clients and customers, or you are serving the people who do. This is not an area where there are a lot of hard numbers demonstrating direct return on investment. The authors make their case with both personal experience--including a rather compelling personal anecdote of trying to buy shoes from Zappo and instead buying from Topo Athletic because the Zappo team was asleep at the switch that day, and a Topo intern was paying attention to the right hashtags on Twitter. In addition, they use examples of other companies that have made significant gains by successfully leveraging social media to be both useful and highly responsive to current customers, potential customers, and even people who might at some point be potential employees.
They're very clear about the need to be genuine on social media. If you're there only to promote yourself, your company, or your product, your efforts will be counterproductive. They also, to the extent it's possible with the rapidly moving target of social media, attempt to lay out some clear guidelines for moving an entire major enterprise from traditional management and marketing approaches to the flat and social future. Therein may lie the rub for some potential readers; this really isn't aimed at the individual looking to use social media to make themselves more useful, more valuable, more connected. This book, despite some impressive if not necessarily persuasive happy talk about how social media has shifted all the power to the employee in employer/employee relations, is really aimed at those making decisions for the entire company, whether large or small.
That's not really a criticism. It's what the book's target audience is. But it does mean that the cover and early parts of it will attract readers who really aren't looking for this book.
Recommended with reservations.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
And on the "every level" point: They also maintain that the best-run, most successful companies will be those that make their organization as flat as possible, ideally so flat that only the CEO has a title, and only because that's necessary to represent the company to the government and the media. The goal of this book is to both make the case for this radical viewpoint, and to lay out the basics of achieving it.
One of the unifying themes is that everyone is in the service business; you are either serving your clients and customers, or you are serving the people who do. This is not an area where there are a lot of hard numbers demonstrating direct return on investment. The authors make their case with both personal experience--including a rather compelling personal anecdote of trying to buy shoes from Zappo and instead buying from Topo Athletic because the Zappo team was asleep at the switch that day, and a Topo intern was paying attention to the right hashtags on Twitter. In addition, they use examples of other companies that have made significant gains by successfully leveraging social media to be both useful and highly responsive to current customers, potential customers, and even people who might at some point be potential employees.
They're very clear about the need to be genuine on social media. If you're there only to promote yourself, your company, or your product, your efforts will be counterproductive. They also, to the extent it's possible with the rapidly moving target of social media, attempt to lay out some clear guidelines for moving an entire major enterprise from traditional management and marketing approaches to the flat and social future. Therein may lie the rub for some potential readers; this really isn't aimed at the individual looking to use social media to make themselves more useful, more valuable, more connected. This book, despite some impressive if not necessarily persuasive happy talk about how social media has shifted all the power to the employee in employer/employee relations, is really aimed at those making decisions for the entire company, whether large or small.
That's not really a criticism. It's what the book's target audience is. But it does mean that the cover and early parts of it will attract readers who really aren't looking for this book.
Recommended with reservations.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
October 15, 2016
Just finished reading another book that talks about the importance of social media for business. More importantly, it addresses the need for employees at all levels of the organization to use social media to advance the objectives of the organization. This is not necessarily a new theme. It is one I have been reading about for the past couple of years. However, the message seems to be more pointed—leverage social media or become extinct.
In their book, A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive
*, Ted Coiné and Mark Babbitt emphasized companies must move from an industrial age to a social age mentality. The manner in which the world communicates has significantly changed; however, most companies continue to operate as though nothing has changed to include my past and current employers. Read more
If you can't embrace social, get used to obsolescence. ~Jim Claussen
In their book, A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive
*, Ted Coiné and Mark Babbitt emphasized companies must move from an industrial age to a social age mentality. The manner in which the world communicates has significantly changed; however, most companies continue to operate as though nothing has changed to include my past and current employers. Read more
January 30, 2015
This book is definitely a book that should be on everyone's list to read for 2014. Ted Coiné and Mark Babbitt have taken years of experience and research and put it in a concise and engaging read. It talks about the impact of the social age on leadership, employee engagement, customer experience and innovation. It goes beyond the number of followers you may have, to the influences and influencers that affect business today. I would recommend that any Leader or CEO in an organization read this book to gain better insight into how we have moved into an era of accountability and transparency.
May 15, 2016
This was outside my normal reading genres, but it contained information I felt I needed to know as part of being "properly informed." The authors' basic thesis of "social" seems sound and correct in most respects. I found the book something of a slog and was tempted to put it down several times, all because much of the writing was repetitive and, in parts, carried the flavor of a pep talk. I ended up skimming the latter half. Still, I would recommend the book, particularly for those in the business world.
December 5, 2014
This was a breath of fresh air. Real examples make it the more believable. A must for any company that is serious about thriving in the 21st Century. Ted and Mark put their heart and expertise into this masterpiece. Enjoyed it to the last full stop!
If you want to engage with these two fine authors, I managed to chat with them. "Go Social Or Go Broke" http://bit.ly/15SIiWC
If you want to engage with these two fine authors, I managed to chat with them. "Go Social Or Go Broke" http://bit.ly/15SIiWC
January 6, 2016
Ted and Mark wrote my truly standout book in 2014 - it is full of quotable, tweetable commentary and advice! Whilst reading it, it opened up my thinking to some fantastic possibilities, both then and for the future!
If you haven't read this book still, get a copy today and immerse your mind! We are now in the Social Age and time is moving on ... fast!
If you haven't read this book still, get a copy today and immerse your mind! We are now in the Social Age and time is moving on ... fast!
April 8, 2015
Awesome book on how to use social media for your company or personal brand. Even if you're already active on social media, this books is a very useful read packed with new ideas. Definitely won't regret reading it!
June 15, 2017
The industrial age is over. It's the social age now. From crowd-sourcing, to tweeting, to online petitions, a paradigm shift has occurred for employers and employees. Full of real world examples of both effective and disastrous uses of social. Really good read.
March 26, 2015
A strongly written book about the power of social media. Forward thinking, this book has many applications to the military and organizations like DEF as well. Highly recommend!
March 21, 2015
Like it!
Gives a lot of "food for thought", although I can bet that many C-level executives will not understand it.
Gives a lot of "food for thought", although I can bet that many C-level executives will not understand it.
May 2, 2016
Just listened to this. This will be very valuable to go through again in text.
April 23, 2019
A World Gone Social is one of the best books I've ever read about life in the social age. It's astounding now how connected the world has become, and anybody who doesn't keep up will get washed out. It's easy to think "Well, I just stay away from social media" but the reality is that the "real" world and social world are now one and the same. Even if you're not an active social media user, your life is still being affected by what's happening on social media.
"A World Gone Social" gives an excellent guide for leaders to follow as we continue to grow in the very young social age.
"A World Gone Social" gives an excellent guide for leaders to follow as we continue to grow in the very young social age.
September 27, 2018
A bit dated at this point. To be fair, I started this, like two years ago, and stumbled back across it and finished it. Good refresher though.
August 19, 2020
good few points but the author seemed to me over enthusiastic about the social media presence, and about non hierarchical firms.
January 17, 2016
It was OK for me, but I bet It's great for corporate dinosaurs
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews