The Next Big Thing is not Social “XYZ”

Co-creation is what makes Social CRM and Social Business Design work

Over the past months I’ve been writing about Social CRM and Value Co-creation in an attempt to define both. As it appears, to me at least, both are highly linked if not of the same kind: Co-creation is at the center of Social CRM or Social Business Design. One can not have Social CRM or Social Business Design or what have you, without applying the principle of (value) co-creation. Co-creation is not only at the center of all, it is the heart of it all. Co-creation is what makes it work (and not technology).

Social CRM nor Social Business Design is “the next big thing”

Come to think of it, it is not that mind-blowing. We understand for a while now that Customers, employees and partners can be great resources when it comes to listening to them and understanding what is happening with them and in between them and that this understanding is a good source for improvement. We did not need Social Media to understand the principle. Furthermore, most of us know and experience in our daily business lives, that in order to be successful in whatever you are doing in (business) live, one needs to collaborate. Also not a lesson told by Social Media. And good collaboration requires good communication and sharing of knowledge between stakeholders. Much like communications, value co-creation requires parties to work together to make it happen.

More recently, but still over a decade ago, we have discovered that stakeholders are not only good resources of knowledge, but that they are very willing and able to be part of the value-creation process as well. And it is human nature, or even the law of evolution, that we must adapt to changing circumstances. With an ever changing world around us we are in constant need of adaption, also called innovation. The fact that Customers are talking and networking is not new either, the fact that they do it on-line in a newly facilitated highly networked environment is just one of those changes that we need to adapt to.

Mind-blowing is, that it took us so long to “get it”

I thus come to the conclusion that there is nothing mind-blowing or shocking about Social CRM or Social Business Design and alike, nor to my Social CRM Strategic Framework Statement. The thing that is mind-blowing is that it took us so long to “get it” (and we’re long from everyone “getting it”), To conclude this part: Social CRM and/or Social Business Design is not The Next Big Thing. It has been common sense all along and we’re just late implementing it.

If Social XYZ is not the Next Big Thing (NBT), what is?

I have to excuse myself. I really do not know the answer, or best guess at this stage (yet). Before I can get to that I need to understand what the last (and one or two prior to last) NBT of the past was. I’m counting on you to help me with that: what do you think the last NBT was and what will be it next. Or do you not agree with my statement above? Please let me know too!

Thanx for sharing, looking forward to the debate.