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Many of you know that Richard and I are in the midst of a two-week plus trip around the world as part of a discovery phase of a Web 2.0 research and communications project for the United States Marine Corps. One of the coolest, most important projects we have ever been associated with by far. Thank you JWT – the finest agency on the planet. It is truly an honor for us to be associated with the Corps and to help thousands of families connect and communicate with their loved ones who are on, recently back from, or soon headed to active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Since last week, we have traveled to 6 installations (photo below is from the last leg of our journey) with two more to go in the next week.
 Although I cannot give you much information in this forum for a few reasons: 1) the project just started, 2) the work is confidential, 3) I’d have to kill you (and now I know a little more about that sort of thing ;) – there are a few big insights we’ve taken away from the first half of the trip that I think could be applied to all of our clients and just about any company or organization in America, or the world for that matter.
One – Marines have a suck job – it’s dangerous, they don’t get paid a lot, and they are typically deployed for half the year, every year – away from their wives, children and parents alone in the desert of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan. Next time you see one (or the wife or child of one) -- say hello or thank you, buy them a beer, let them move ahead of you in line at the pharmacy, give them your first class upgrade or your tickets to the game one night. They would never ask for it, but I know they would be most appreciative.
Second – and this goes out to the CEOs out there – no more excuses please. I have written many times in this space about the importance of listening to and connecting with your customer and now more than ever with consumer confidence at all time lows. When I started in this business, the job of listening and customer feedback used to be the terrain of market research departments siloed somewhere far away from the executive suite. It was fairly expensive and not easy to sample the opinions of your customers, advocates and even detractors. Today, so much has changed – I don’t care if you call it Web 2.0 or not – the point is, figure out how to listen to those who matter. If one of the highest ranking Marines in the world can find time to efficiently monitor blogs, message boards and other feedback devices – both official and non-official -- to take the temperature of the younger, tech-savvy men, women and families under his charge, and their families – so can you.
Third, Marines like any other constituency within your orbit seek ways to help and make things better. I have to be honest; we have done a lot of talking and a lot of listening these past few weeks to numerous groups connected to the Marine Corps. Before I left for Camp Lejeune I was not sure what to expect. How would Generals, young officers and infantrymen take to a long-haired nasty civilian from Cambridge who sat them in a semi-circle and asked time to talk about family? The short answer is beautifully – if only because I respected them, asked them what they think and guaranteed them that their words would go from my ears to the top of the chain. My favorite moment was when one of the Gunnery Sergeants told me he was uncomfortable in this girly-like scenario I presented to him, but since the subject was family, he was willing to abide for the 90 minutes. We have learned a hundred things from these meetings that may never have been uncovered otherwise. Do the same – and when you’re done take the best five ideas and execute.
Next stop, Okinawa.
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