Difference between revisions of "Ivory Towers in the Bazaar"
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In 2010 we were trying hard to recover from the effects of the global credit crisis. However, the aftermath of the 2008/2009 global crisis was longer than expected. The global economy only started picking up in 2011. Due to the global crisis, we have been exposed to negative publicity. This has made us wary to open up to the public too much through our websites. Moreover, due to the credit crunch, European internet legislation was sharpened. As a result, it had become more difficult for us to advertise online and provide new and existing customers with pushed information. We consider our websites as a channel to be controlled tightly and we see them more as a communication means to our shareholders than to our customers. | In 2010 we were trying hard to recover from the effects of the global credit crisis. However, the aftermath of the 2008/2009 global crisis was longer than expected. The global economy only started picking up in 2011. Due to the global crisis, we have been exposed to negative publicity. This has made us wary to open up to the public too much through our websites. Moreover, due to the credit crunch, European internet legislation was sharpened. As a result, it had become more difficult for us to advertise online and provide new and existing customers with pushed information. We consider our websites as a channel to be controlled tightly and we see them more as a communication means to our shareholders than to our customers. | ||
Due to the increased use of the web, we see that people more and more share and seek knowledge online, also with respect to our services, products and reputation | Due to the increased use of the web, we see that people more and more share and seek knowledge online, also with respect to our services, products and reputation (DF: [[Increasing democratization of knowledge]]). This can have far reaching consequences for our business. If customers are not satisfied, they can easily share this experience with their peers and influence them in going elsewhere. This ‘power of the web’ is becoming a serious threat. | ||
Our world is becoming smaller and smaller (DF: [[Globalization]]). These days, we can do business with more customers than ever and real-time. This is a great opportunity on the one hand, but on the other, it also has increased competition. By mergers and acquisitions, companies conglomerate to bigger units. In the early days of our company, we only had a limited amount of competitors in the Western world. Now, we have to compete with companies all over the world which means that we have to deal with cultural differences and different, new and still unknown business dynamics. This makes us reluctant to share information on our website. We can’t control who reads it and what people and competitors do with that information and so far, there is no governance control to manage these dynamics to secure that our privacy can be guaranteed. | Our world is becoming smaller and smaller (DF: [[Globalization]]). These days, we can do business with more customers than ever and real-time. This is a great opportunity on the one hand, but on the other, it also has increased competition. By mergers and acquisitions, companies conglomerate to bigger units. In the early days of our company, we only had a limited amount of competitors in the Western world. Now, we have to compete with companies all over the world which means that we have to deal with cultural differences and different, new and still unknown business dynamics. This makes us reluctant to share information on our website. We can’t control who reads it and what people and competitors do with that information and so far, there is no governance control to manage these dynamics to secure that our privacy can be guaranteed. | ||
Revision as of 13:29, 14 October 2009
2010-2011
The individual Internet User:
As the first decade of the 21st century drew to a close, more and more of us got connected not only physically but also virtually. (DF: Peer to Peer Interaction, Availability of Internet, Large Diversity of Access Technologies). My network of friends and associates literally became a real-time network: thanks to our mobile devices with built in GPS systems, I knew the whereabouts of my friends at every hour of the day and they could locate me too. Not only did I know where everyone was, but because we kept our status info continuously updated, (“I’m typing a scenario story…”) we all knew what we were doing and when we were doing it. (DF: Extensive network of connected users)
In my busy life, time is scarce (DF: Time is scarce, convenience is king). Wherever I can find ways to save time, I will take the opportunity. The development of online shopping meets my needs very well. I bank online; I buy my books, tickets and clothes on webshops and read magazines and news items paperless. 24/7.
The aftermath of the global crisis was longer than we had expected. I felt companies were in part to blame for the crisis (DF: Credit crisis leads to lack of trust in corporations). The scandals that were exposed on the web and the slow recovery have reduced my trust in companies. They might say that they will change their morale, but I haven’t seen it actually so far. Therefore, I was reluctant to ‘give away’ information to companies. I also saw that companies themselves were not transparent; they seem scared to expose themselves on the web. Therefore, I was reluctant to ‘give away’ information to companies. Privacy debates also hindered the dialogue amongst the companies and the customers. As a consequence, I couldn’t always find the information I needed on their sites and so turned to other sources for my information.
The Corporation:
In 2010 we were trying hard to recover from the effects of the global credit crisis. However, the aftermath of the 2008/2009 global crisis was longer than expected. The global economy only started picking up in 2011. Due to the global crisis, we have been exposed to negative publicity. This has made us wary to open up to the public too much through our websites. Moreover, due to the credit crunch, European internet legislation was sharpened. As a result, it had become more difficult for us to advertise online and provide new and existing customers with pushed information. We consider our websites as a channel to be controlled tightly and we see them more as a communication means to our shareholders than to our customers.
Due to the increased use of the web, we see that people more and more share and seek knowledge online, also with respect to our services, products and reputation (DF: Increasing democratization of knowledge). This can have far reaching consequences for our business. If customers are not satisfied, they can easily share this experience with their peers and influence them in going elsewhere. This ‘power of the web’ is becoming a serious threat. Our world is becoming smaller and smaller (DF: Globalization). These days, we can do business with more customers than ever and real-time. This is a great opportunity on the one hand, but on the other, it also has increased competition. By mergers and acquisitions, companies conglomerate to bigger units. In the early days of our company, we only had a limited amount of competitors in the Western world. Now, we have to compete with companies all over the world which means that we have to deal with cultural differences and different, new and still unknown business dynamics. This makes us reluctant to share information on our website. We can’t control who reads it and what people and competitors do with that information and so far, there is no governance control to manage these dynamics to secure that our privacy can be guaranteed.