EGM Anyone?

The marketing world is learning to become more comfortable with CGM (consumer generated media) and with Citizen Marketers. Now we also must learn to become more comfortable with EGM -- Employee Generated Media.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Big Four accounting firms are using "Employee Generated Media" to help gain an edge in the ever-competitive campus recruiting scene. Josee Rose writes ...

"To lure candidates steeped in Facebook and YouTube, the Big Four are turning to the Web. Deloitte & Touche asked employees to make short videos about their experiences at the company. The videos were a way 'of taking the aspects of social networking and experimenting on how you can use the new tools of today to move forward into a workplace of the future,' said Cathy Benko, chief talent officer. About 400 videos were made, and the 14 best will be posted on YouTube and used on campuses.[source]

Is it a scary for you to consider having employees make short videos about the experiences at your company? Are you afraid of what they will say? Are you afraid they will be off-message and off-brand? If so, sounds like you have some work that must be done to improve the employee experience at your company.

Comments

[es diferente]

Well, I spit it all out in Twitter, and see no risk, but only benefits:

- Get new ideas from other people outside my company

- Get some emotional brake from my routine :o)

But of course, what is said to the outside world is responsibility of each employee

[Ellie Rogers]

The BEST brands are authentic; true to themselves so-to-speak. Who better to tell the real story than employees? The moral of the story is that it pays to be good to your biggest asset, your people.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Well said Ellie! Be good to your people and your people will be good to you. Amen.

[Pat Nerr]

what about former employees...? I think companies can learn a whole bunch from the CGM that a former employee can spit out...

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

So "Pat" ... what should SBUX learn from your Green Apron Stories blog which is F-EGM (former employee generated media)?

[Pat Nerr]

oh, that's an easy one... That the way you treat employees yesterday, today and tomorrow will directly impact the things that people say about your company when they leave.

That, and there's a fine line between staying on message and sounding like a broken record...

[Tim Brunelle]

John -

Check out http://www.pwc.tv. We just helped launch this college recruiting site for agency Spring and client PricewaterhouseCoopers. Specifically, see Channel 2, and the film series, "The Firm." These are scripted episodes using real PwC employees to convey coaching lessions.

- Tim