A Social Media juggernaut is unleashed when Apple and Nike resigned from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
They do not concur with the Chamber on climate policy, and its contention that greenhouse-gas regulation will virtually destroy the United States.
Joining them are Pacific Gas and Electric, Exelon, PNM Resources, the San Francisco Chamber and Levi Strauss.
Johnson and Johnson, Shell Oil and General Electric have issued statements that they do not support the U.S. Chamber’s policy but have retained their membership at press time.
All of these companies want the Chamber to take a more progressive approach to the issue of climate change. When they could not move the Chamber, they opted to step aside, socially.
Social Media sphere of influence has been activated.
- Blogs are bringing more pressure to bear on existing members. One example is NRDC’s Pete Altman, whose blog has been invaluable in keeping us current on the matter. Another is Jane Sasseen’s blog post adding pressure on Toyota to resign. A law firm blog is also joining the conversation.
- YouTube video on a new website has been spawned called Who Does The Chamber Represent. The simple yet effective one page site also contains news and Twitter feeds of the controversy. It’s a great example of the ability to enlist grassroots advocacy through simple Social Media.
- Twitter discussion of the issue remains high and mounting.
Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook as well as legacy media continue to put pressure on more companies, including Toyota, Anheuser-Busch and others, to resign from the U.S. Chamber.
U.S. Chamber doesn’t understand the following:
- Participation: Instead of being part of the conversation, and having a voice in it on their site and throughout Social Media, the Chamber has until recently, remained nearly silent since issuing their policy statement.
- Engagement: Chamber has not engaged on other important websites where the discussion is taking place.
- Response: Their blog now has two somewhat caustic posts on the subject. These emanated as a retort to the Washington Post article, which attacks its author and is defensive rather than participatory and proactive. Those posts have only two comments, further testimony to the U.S. Chamber’s present inability to successfully engage in Social Media, on their home turf.
- Empowerment: Instead of being part of the unavoidable torrent, the conversation has thus moved entirely outside their sphere, leaving the Chamber socially unempowered and voiceless.
- Humility: U.S. Chamber seems to have totally forgotten that social graces apply to Social Media too. They’ve never expressed humility or acknowledged public passion about this important issue. The Chamber has not made any statement recognizing just how wide-spread the discussion and the negative sentiment have become. And lastly, we’ve seen nothing about what in all earnestness must be occurring behind Chamber doors, from a need to rethink their position as well as their communications, plus some appreciation therefor.
The lessons to be learned.
- Effects of Social Media can harm your business no matter what size. Don’t underplay its importance and don’t wait to understand it and use it to the best of your ability.
- Join in the conversation on your home turf (website, blog), as well as elsewhere, and dialog openly and transparently with others in order to remain relevant.
- Learn how to work with and engage when there is difficult, negative sentiment.
Note: This topic is made yet more relevant by the upcoming International Day of Climate Action.