Social Media

The journal of high-performance business

2011, Number 1

How to harness the power of social media

PLUS
Cloud on the horizon: Is outsourcing obsolete? Jumping the S-curve: How to sustain long-term performance Does your company have the talent to grow?

Outlook

Outlook Vol. XXIII 2011, No. 1 Outlook is published by Accenture. © 2011 Accenture. All rights reserved.

Editor-in-ChiefDavid Cudaback Managing Editor Letitia B. Burton Senior Editor Jacqueline H. Kessler Senior Contributing Editor Paul F. Nunes Contributing Editors John Kerr Craig Mindrum Industry Editor Wendy Cooper Contributing Writers Lance Ealey David Light Assistant Editor Carolyn Shea Design & Production IridiumGroup Inc. www.accenture.com/Outlook
This publication is printed on 10 percent post-consumerfiber.

Chairman William D. Green Chief Executive Officer Pierre Nanterme Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Roxanne Taylor For more information about Accenture, please visit www.accenture.com.

The views and opinions expressed in these articles are meant to stimulate thought and discussion. As each business has unique requirements and objectives, these ideas should not be viewed asprofessional advice with respect to your business. Accenture, its logo and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture. This document makes reference to trademarks that may be owned by others. The use of such trademarks herein is not an assertion of ownership of such trademarks by Accenture and is not intended to represent or imply the existence of an association between Accenture and thelawful owners of such trademarks.

The Long View

Pierre Nanterme Chief Executive Officer Accenture

New ideas, new opportunities
During my 28 years at Accenture, I have always been passionate about helping our clients use innovation to drive growth and achieve high performance. So it is both a privilege and pleasure to be CEO at a time when so many exciting new things are happening around theworld. I believe that innovation transforms companies, and this has never been truer than it is today. Part of my job is to introduce each issue of Outlook, our journal of high-performance business. This is something I look forward to, because Outlook helps shape Accenture’s innovation agenda by showcasing our best thought leadership and chronicling how the world’s top companies are leveraging newtechnologies. Drawing on our latest research and client experience, this issue of Outlook is a source of fresh ideas for leaders to consider as they seek to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive marketplace. The cover story focuses on a particularly critical innovation in customer relationship management—the use of social media and digital marketing to become more relevant tocustomers. Another article explores new ways to attract and retain the best talent—an essential source of innovation for every company—while a third piece looks at how the cloud has fundamentally redefined outsourcing relationships. Innovation is not limited to the private sector, of course; readers will also learn how it can dramatically transform the delivery of government services. Just as innovationinforms the rich content of Outlook, it also defines who we are and what we do at Accenture. Today’s world is one of new opportunities, driven by new ideas. I look forward to sharing them with you in future issues.





1

From the Editor’s Desk

Growth through collaboration
It’s one of the most important facts of economic life in a multi-polar world: The complexity and volatility thatare permanent features of global markets mean that no organization can succeed on its own. Collaboration, in other words, is essential to high performance. It is also a theme that runs throughout this issue. Take the electronics business. Few industries are more competitive or change more quickly. As our industry professionals demonstrate in one article, the best electronics and high-tech...