Stakeholder interaction which changes a business

The Guardian launched its video on open journalism a few weeks ago. The video examines the case of the three little pigs in modern times. It transforms a well-known fairy tale into a complex news story on which everyone has something to say. The video shows how the story progresses, with the input of experts and the influence of the public, to the stage where the three little pigs are convicted of insurance fraud (the wolf has asthma it seems and, even so, a strong blow seems hardly enough to cause a house to fall down), sparking riots and a national reform debate.

The video is clever and well put-together and it conveys in just over 2 minutes the Guardian's approach to journalism: an open one. They don't want people to just read a news story. They want people to share it, to contribute to it, to join the discussion and to help find the truth behind the story.

From a brand perspective it’s genius. The Guardian is no longer seen as a brand that is just trying to report the news, but instead as a brand that is playing a positive role in helping society find the truth. There’s also a lot that can be learnt from it in terms of how increased stakeholder interaction could actually change the way businesses operate.

Whilst many businesses have realised they need to play a more proactive role to engage their audiences in their communications, e.g. through providing feedback mechanisms, having social media pages or creating interactive games, most are yet to consider what this change in the communications landscape could mean for the way they do business, like the Guardian has.

We're already beginning to see crowd-sourcing to emerge within businesses e.g. GE Ecomagination but perhaps one day we will see it play an even more prominent role. Will we see supermarkets stocking their shelves with 90% pre-ordered items, reducing costs and waste? Will we see more businesses which are run and managed by an online community of stakeholders?