Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Social Media Encourages Co-opetition

One of the things that's always struck me about social media is the level of sharing that occurs on the many networks, sites, blogs, etc.

I'm not talking about the ceaseless flow of status updates, geographical show & tells, or video postings. I mean how willing we are as professionals to be completely candid about our work in very public areas, and how open we are about sharing our successes, failures and lessons.

While those mired in the old way of doing things bristle at the idea of giving away information, the savvy marketer knows that in the current search-heavy environment, customers don't necessarily care where they get information from; they just want it. And the company that provides the information without restriction is the one that will command attention. Chris Brogan cleverly refers to this dichotomy as Gatekeepers vs. Gatejumpers.

Gate Jumping in Michigan
When I announced my intention of moving to Detroit to join the automotive industry, I was greeted with open arms by my counterparts at GM. Christopher Barger and his able team leading social media efforts there were very excited about having another social media colleague in the area.

We all agreed that rather than being in direct competition, GM and Ford could benefit from the collective brainpower that social media would bring to the area. Because we've both been busy with a number of work-related commitments, Chris and I didn't get to meet up for dinner until I was nearly 8 weeks into my job, but we both reaffirmed our commitment to the industry as well as to our respective companies.

We noted that we should think of this as "co-opetition" - a mash-up of cooperation and competition. While we'll be competing for vehicle sales, we'll also be able to advance the auto industry in the social media space.

And speaking of co-opetition, here's Ford's gesture to GM on its 100th anniversary today:

This is the kind of corporate magnanimity that makes be proud to be associated with Ford Motor Company. Happy anniversary to my friends at GM. May our companies continue working together throughout the next 100 years.

Photo credits: buglug (top) Ford Motor Company (bottom)

Labels: Ford, social media

Posted by Scott Monty at 8:44 AM

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About Scott

The best way to describe Scott is "Renaissance Man." Friends and colleagues that know Scott from one facet of his life are very frequently surprised to learn of his interests and talents in other areas.

Scott is a marketing and communications professional focused on the digital industry — specifically on social media. His career spans a number of industries such as healthcare, pharma, biotech, travel, automotive, tech, and communications, and includes a wide range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Currently on the staff of corporate communications in Ford Motor Company, Scott heads up the social media function and holds the title Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager. He is a strategic advisor on all social media activities across the company, from blogger relations to marketing support, customer service to internal communications and more, as social media is being integrated into many facets of Ford business.

Prior to joining Ford, Scott served as Consigliere for crayon and spent a number of years with PJA Advertising + Marketing, a boutique BtoB agency specializing in health sciences & high tech.

In addition to his consulting and agency background, Scott is an active blogger and podcaster. He writes about the intersection of advertising, marketing and PR at The Social Media Marketing Blog and also writes The Baker Street Blog, a literary undertaking. Scott has been featured in numerous news and business publications, on a variety of podcasts, and on national television. Scott is a recognized thought leader in the social media industry and frequently speaks at industry events.

Scott received his Master's in Medical Science from Boston University's School of Medicine concurrently with his MBA from BU's Graduate School of Management. He lives in the greater Detroit area with his wife and two young sons, golfs all too infrequently, and has a hidden talent for voice over work.

Oh, and one last little-known fact: Scott coined the term "tweetup."

You may download a headshot here, courtesy of C.C. Chapman and a PDF version of Scott's bio here.

Disclosures/Relationships

Scott is on the Advisory board of SavvyAuntie
Scott is on the Advisory board of Business Smart Tools
Scott is a judge for the SAMMY Awards
Scott is on the judging panel for The Hive Awards
Named one of iMedia's 25 Top Internet Marketing Leaders & Innovators
This blog's content is also syndicated on Social Media Today
Plaid occasionally does web work for me and designed this site
No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.

Speaking Events

Scott speaks on social media at events, seminars and conferences around the world. His topic generally focuses on corporate use of social media, and specifically on the progress that Ford has made in the recent past. If you're interested in booking Scott to speak at your event, please send an email to speaking [AT] scottmonty [DOT] com. Scott's bio and headshot can be found here.

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