One of the things CGNET does is strategic IT consulting, and, these days, that means understanding social media.

On such a consulting assignment this spring, I came across an amazing success story, and, guess what? It barely involved the client’s technology at all.

This is going to be a bit vague, as I want to preserve the client’s anonymity.

The organization was struggling with its blog strategy, a bit bogged down by questions like what package of interactive apps to buy for the website, etc. Meanwhile, a VP of the company, not in IT, blogged on The Huffington Post.

A reporter from the Wall Street Journal saw the VP’s post. It turned out the reporter was working on an article on the same subject. So he called the VP, interviewed him, and quoted him in the article.  As a result of that, the VP was asked to testify before Congress on the subject. And as a result of that, legislation was eventually passed that included provisions recommended by the VP.

Meanwhile, the organization’s IT department was still deciding what blog package to get for the Website.

The moral of this story is obvious: sometimes the technology you need to reach the audience you want with the right message is being supplied by somebody else. You don’t need to build it. Or, at least, you don’t have to wait until it’s built to get things done.

I guess the question is, why don’t more people act on this obvious truth?