Strength of transparency
Thomas Jefferson, essential custodian of freedom, wrote "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter". If we understand the context of this phrase, it would seem much more modern that when it was pronounced in 1777. US platform of journalism is based on the first constitutional amendment, freedom of speech and, at the principle of journalism, transparency: Two foundations that social networks mandate today in our society.
Appearance of social networks has transformed our life style. Social networks are not an era of changes, but a change of an era. Nowadays, more information is produced in 30 days that in the first 10,000 years of humanity. It is unacceptable to manipulate the information and much less to try to manipulate the perception of the entire society.
Several companies and even governments have not realized that they cannot and must not try to manipulate information; in the strict sense, they should learn from it, addressing success or, if applicable, failures through their own actions and facts. To admit transparency in daily activity will allow the generation of knowledge and prestige. Transparency will allow to express sincerely the companies and brands’ reason to be, their mission, vision and, accordingly, their value proposal.
The old idea of hiding information due to fear to vulnerability and manipulation through publicity campaigns and unilateral messages must be ignored. Instead of that, it must be accepted that nowadays transparency creates knowledge and prestige, and that this will grant validation and certification when turning the company-brand into an authority leader due to trust and credibility.
Taking advantage from the great opportunity that transparency offers for building a brand (personal, commercial and governmental) and obtaining at the same time the dominion of validation allow to conquer two basic foundations in a successful business model.
Transparency strengthens a brand instead of making it vulnerable.