Thursday, November 10, 2011

Eat Your Own Dog Food

What do these mean to you?
Loyalty, Branding, Community, Advertising, Self-Promotion?

If you spend so much time getting your name, or your companies, out in the world, online or in print or wherever, don't you think you should also use your own tools to do that job?

Sure an auto company does not sell financial software packages but they do employ many designers and graphic artists....yet do these same people create their advertisements? They could and maybe should. Leave the wording to marketing. But why do they go outside for that part? I understand they go outside because others have connections to get them specific places or headings or promotional opportunities, but to outsource the advertising itself? Why?

And so when a technology company wants to impress people shouldn't they also be using their own software to produce websites or newsletters or apps rather than using a competitors solutions?

Think about your company, do you outsource what could be done inside by someone? The benefits to the employee are huge. They get to tell their friends to watch for the new ad or app or design. They will have a renewed sense of ownership in the greater community you call your organization and you will save some money and not make your employees feel stupid or wasted.

If you can't or don't want to use your own employees, or community members as one may say in social business arenas, what message does that send?

4 comments:

  1. I prefer the term "drink your own champagne" (better mental image).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Question the other way round:
    Are you as a consumer deciding which car to buy, due to the question if the company that build the car does IT with own resources or in India via outsourcing?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anon,
    Wasn't asking the "Do you only buy American". This was not about consumers but about the companies themselves.
    So many people lose jobs, get outsourced or whatever you want to say and yet the same companies outsource what they already have.
    Pointing out that companies should use their own resources.
    I as a consumer may care sometimes about where or how something is manufactured, but not always.

    ReplyDelete