At TomorrowToday, we are passionate about understanding the Connection Economy. We’re convinced that companies need to focus more and more attention on WHO they are, and not just on what they sell (or what they tell people about what they sell). Who you refers to a number of key issues: (1) your people, and what they believe and what they do (if your CEO has an affair, is that important? if your staff members are caught out smuggling drugs, does that impact whether people will buy from you?); (2) what causes and social issues your company supports; (3) your “triple bottom line” status – your social investment and your environmental impact; and (4) what institutions, political parties, causes you support.
This last point made the cover story of a recent edition of Business Week. The main point is that in an America currently more polarised by politics than at almost any time in its history, customers are choosing where to shop based on which political parties a store is known to support. This is the impact of the Connection Economy. And companies around the world need to take notice.
Read the story here (login required), or an extract below.

Companies In The Crossfire
From: Business Week,