The need for business to evolve over time.

Since early on, technology has always been a valuable part of business; irreplaceable in fact. No matter where or what business you were in, there was the use of technology somewhere along the way. The use of computers to laptops; moving through to the influence of the Internet; to building a connection; and managing these relationships using a sales forces, and now, to social media.

So how has this new technology that’s being used, help businesses with their business?

Well according to James “Mick” Andzulis, Nikolaos G. Panagopoulos, and Adam Rapp (2012), who have written a journal article reviewing social media implications to the selling process, “argue that using current social media applications must be viewed as a living, dynamic process in the firm. It is a strategy that will require substantial commitment and continuous monitoring.” This argument cannot be truer, don’t you think?

When I first came across this article, it was interesting to read that they compared social media to Darwin’s theory of evolution. It is the perfect analogy. Just as Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on random genetic mutations which occur within an organism’s genetic code, keeping all the most beneficial mutations to aid survival (Nelson Bridgeford, 2009); so too has computers, laptops, the Internet, and social media, been the beneficial mutations in which evolved all businesses today; evolving ‘the way we do business’ in order to survive. 

In order to stay competitive, stay relevant, and stay in tune with the connections you have with your customers, constant developments need to be made to a business in order to adapt to the changes that surround them. In other words, to create, deliver and communicate superior customer value. 

Just so as the Internet was estranged to businesses once, so too is social media now. But the gradual acceptance of each of these has proven to be invaluable adaptations made in business in order to keep up, and survive. We see this everywhere; take a look at Olympians. Every year they come back with a better pair of running shoes, a firmer grip or better racquet's, to the specific materials used in making swimsuits to allow swimmers swim faster. 

Domino’s Pizza made the jump to social media. They used to be solely reliant of traditional methods of marketing through newspaper and advertisements in magazines and TV. But now in recent years they started using social media and incorporating it into their marketing strategy through the use of Facebook. It opened up an entirely new revenue for feedback that Domino's never had previously. It let them inform their customers of upcoming special deals and tried to get feedback of new toppings for upcoming pizzas for instance.

Allowing the incorporation of social media is to design and deliver something different, something unique, something that gives them the chance to differentiate themselves from their competitors; to stay ahead, stay competitive, and survive. 

Evolution in business.