“Our people are our greatest asset.””Our differentiator is our relationships.””Product X is great but it’s our people and our culture that really makes the difference.””Our competitors could walk into this place and look around. They can even copy everything we do, but they can’t copy our culture or our people.”Have you ever heard these statements? I have. Many times.David Meerman Scott (in Real Time Marketing and PR) has nailed a fundamental shift in communication:

…the web has actually brought communication back full circle to where we were a century ago… communication is once again real, personal and authentic… word of mouth has regained its historic power…Humanise your company.

If you believe these statements, if you truly believe them, then place your trust in your people and culture, and let them wow the world. Give them the tools – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and whatever else is next – to share that very same culture and grow those same relationships – in real time.If your people and culture can’t be copied then surely that is the one thing you can fearlessly make public.