Trusting your audience to do the hard work
Posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 1:11pm. #
So, your business is changing name - and it’ll be against the terms of your contract to still use it in less than 60 days.
You’ve just realised that you’ve tens of thousands of images on your website, many with the old name (whether stamped into the images, or simply as logos in the background). And you’ve also realised that while tens of thousands of images are fun to go through, it would be easier if someone else did it.
The station currently saddled with the name “Virgin Radio” are in this pickle. So, step forward, Spot the Virgin, another shining example of the intelligence of that online team (and notably Anthony Abbott, their web editor).
For absolutely no reason whatsoever - well, for a new badge on my profile - the station has graciously allowed me, and you, to help with this mammoth task. And I’ve spent a considerable amount of time doing so.
I saw my old team on Friday night - waving goodbye to one of Golden Square’s IT department who’s joined the rather strange exodus to the O2 - and was amazed to hear that in less than a week, their users have already checked over 20,000 images.
A more controlling broadcaster would not have trusted their audience to do such a job - this is compliance with a legal requirement, after all, to remove the beardy Branson brand. But, what with their corporate blog - including a post by their outgoing programme director - this is a company showing a tremendous amount of trust in their employees and their audience.
Trust that is, as I’m reminded every day in my day job, markedly absent elsewhere in the industry.
Anthony Abbott said at July 19th, 2008 at 4:49pm 
