The answer is fairly simple: in most cases the company and the consumer are adversaries. Jake and I were in Florida yesterday talking about social networks with a client and I thought a concept he brought up was worthy of a short blog post this morning (before I catch up with the numerous emails and phone calls I need to address).

The oldest form of company-to-consumer communication took the form of a company telling a consumer something through advertising. More recently companies created channels for their consumers to talk back. This two way communication results in conversations that at times can be somewhat adversarial ~ i.e. us vs. them. Imagine a communication channel that wasn't about 'us or them', instead what if you could both talk about something else, something you both inherently cared about ~ i.e. a higher calling?

If you can determine what your company's higher calling is you can direct your communication with your clients through this new channel. By working with consumers to answer this 'higher calling' the communication is no longer adversarial, but cooperative. Building a community around a higher calling can be very effective and fruitful for both the consumer and the company. You are no longer 'company' or 'consumer' but partners working toward a positive goal you both care about. What do you think? [reposted from my blog]