Kenya Coconut Production Presentation by Dr. Lalith Perera
091123 Shanghai Spanish Chamber Of Commerce Event 0.2
1. BLOGGING – Voices your business
can’t ignore
Jeremy Woolf
Global Social Media Practice Lead
Text 100 Public Relations
Nov 23, 2009
2.
3.
4. Social media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose
of sharing and discussing information and
experiences with other human beings
The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology,
social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures,
videos and audio
This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented,
depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of
shared meaning among communities.
5. How about if I deceive people
authentically, transparently and
passionately?Photo by: Robert Sanzalone, (Creative Commons BY)
6. The global blogosphere
300+
million
bloggers
Source: Universal McCann global survey, March 2008
34% post
opinions
about
products and
brands on
their blog
36% think
more positively
about
companies that
have blogs
500
million
readers
11. Survey methodology
11
449 technology, news and lifestyle bloggers across 21 countries
Three regions: Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe (EURO), and the USA
Text 100: respondent identification and recruiting
Aha! Research: online survey, analysis, reporting of the results
Survey offered in English, Korean, Traditional and Simplified
Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and French
Survey period: April 6 to May 18, 2009
13. All bloggers are
different. Do not
underestimate
their influencing
power.
ONE: Growing Influence
Corporations are
increasingly
recognising the
influence of bloggers
13
Don’t treat
bloggers as you
would treat
reporters and
understand that
bloggers are
potential partners.
Not being a professional
journalist doesn't mean
unprofessionalism in
writing or content.
(Finland)
14. 93% 87% 89%
APAC EURO USA
Contact with PR people
14
Bloggers generally welcome contact from PR firms or a corporation
to provide information, comments, and suggestions. Bloggers in
APAC are slightly more welcoming than their counterparts in the
USA and Europe
(2008: 66%)
Q.1: Do you welcome any contact from Public Relations (PR) firms or any corporation to provide information, offer comment or suggest people you might be
interested in talking to? (n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
15. Situation:
• In the Summer of 2005, Dell was increasingly
under attack for poor customer service and
shady business practices
• Popular blogger and reporter Jeff Jarvis writes
a series of posts entitled “Dell Hell”
and…well..all hell breaks loose.
Dude…get an Apple
16. “With our direct model, we feel like we already
have a good, two-way communications channel
with our customers.”
Dell spokesperson
Dude…get an Apple
From The Houston Chronicle July 8, 2005
17. Goals:
• Improve customer sentiment
• Improve overall tonality of relevant
conversations
• Decrease customer service calls
Dude…get an Apple
18. Embracing change
“Every day, we receive reports from a search string in
Technorati and other blog search engines, and we
meticulously analyze the results. When we find someone who
has an unresolved issue with their Dell computer or our
services, we reach out to offer assistance.”
A year later, Dell launches Direct2Dell Blog. In
November 2006, a Dell blogger wrote this:
19. Embracing change
• IdeaStorm allows users to make suggestions and then vote
whether to “promote” or “delete” an idea.
• Dell then provides results, closing the loop with consumers by
informing them what user-initiated ideas have been executed
and what suggested items are forthcoming.
In April 2007, Dell opens IdeaStorm:
20. Embracing change
“These conversations are going to occur whether you
like it or not, O.K.? Well, do you want to be part of
that or not? My argument is you absolutely do. You can
learn from that. You can improve your reaction time.
And you can be a better company by listening and
being involved in that conversation.”
In October 2007, Jeff Jarvis writes a
BusinessWeek article, “Dell Learns to Listen.”
Michael Dell says this in the article:
21. Facing the new world
Results:
• At start of program, 49% of blog posts were negative.
BW article says overall tonality is 22% negative
• Direct2Dell ranked at 700 on Technorati—one of the
highest ranking corporate blogs
• More than 5M unique views per month
• Over 7000 ideas submitted via IdeaStorm according
to BW article
22. Embracing change
In Spring 2008, Dell invades the Twittersphere.
Almost 120 Dell employees are on Twitter actively
engaging in discussions.
23. Press releases don't work for bloggers,
we are not journalists, we don't need
to copy and paste nonsense we get
sent. Plus, the big issue with coverage
on a blog is being first, if you are
sending the same release to the
press, why would I want to blog
about it? I am not unique then and
am the same as a paper (Ireland)
PR too often just seem to throw
the standard press release with
very little extra effort (comments),
usually just with the implied
message "can you write about it".
(Finland)
Corporate News
Releases are out
23
TWO: Social Media Releases
More than 90
percent of PR
people generally
send us the usual
press releases....
So I don’t
participate in their
activities
proactively
(Korea)
27. Social Media Releases
27
Q.10c: Compared with a year ago, to what extent are companies using Social Media Releases to communicate with you and other bloggers?
(n= APAC:112, EURO:72, USA:7)
68%
63%
57%
APAC EURO USA
Bloggers generally experienced an increase over the
past year in the usage of SMRs by companies to
communicate with them
(note: smaller USA sample size)
28. Social Media Releases
28
Q.10c: Compared with a year ago, to what extent are companies using Social Media Releases to communicate with you and other bloggers?
(n= APAC:112, EURO:72, USA:7)
Bloggers generally experienced an increase over the
past year in the usage of SMRs by companies to
communicate with them
(note: smaller USA sample size)
29. Social Media Releases (APAC)
29
Awareness of a Social Media
Releases (SMRs) is the highest
in Australia and lowest in Japan
Among those aware of a SMRs, New
Zealand bloggers give them the highest
score on “effectiveness as a means to keep
bloggers updated on corporations”
Q.10a: Have you ever heard of a Social Media Release (definition provided in the questionnaire?
(n= AU:11, CN:41, HK:25, IN:37, JP:12, KR:12, MA:24, NZ:15, SG:34, TW:22)
Q.10b: How effective do you think Social Media Releases are as a means to keep you updated on corporations? (7-point scale)
(n= AU:9, CN:24, HK:9, IN:14, JP:3, KR:4, MA:14, NZ:7, SG:20, TW:8)
3.67
3.78
4.25
4.5
4.67
4.71
4.71
5.1
5.13
5.29
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Japan
Australia
Taiwan
Korea
Hong Kong
India
Malaysia
Singapore
China
New Zealand
25%
33%
36%
36%
38%
47%
58%
59%
59%
82%
Japan
Korea
Hong Kong
Taiwan
India
New Zealand
Malaysia
China
Singapore
Australia
% who are
aware of the
SMR
Mean score on
7-point scale
30. Use of SMR elements (APAC)
30
Past year usage of SMR elements has been highest in Greater China
and North Asia and will continue to grow next year across all
countries surveyed
Q.10d: In the past year, how often have you taken elements (video, quotes, pictures, links) from a Social Media Releases to use in your own blog postings?
Q.10e: In the next year, how often are you likely to use elements from a Social Media Release for use in your own blog postings?
(n= AU:9, CN:24, HK:9, IN:14, JP:3, KR:4, MA:14, NZ:7, SG:20, TW:8)
5%
7%
14%
21%
22%
25%
33%
33%
46%
63%
Singapore
India
New Zealand
Malaysia
Australia
Korea
Hong Kong
Japan
China
Taiwan
Past year usage
22%
33%
57%
60%
64%
71%
71%
75%
78%
88%
Australia
Japan
New Zealand
Singapore
Malaysia
China
India
Korea
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Next year intent to use
% who “very often” or
“always” took elements
from SMR
% who plans to use
elements more often
in the next year
31. 31
If your company is not
making their information
available via RSS feeds,
you are missing
opportunities.
THREE: RSS is Key
32. Information sources
32
Q.12: Please indicate how important each of the following sources are for information about corporations? Please use this scale where 1 is
“not important at all” and 7 is “very Important”. You may use any number from 1 to 7
(n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
7-point scale where 1=“Not important at all” and 7=Very important”
“Other bloggers”, “Corporate websites”, and “RSS feeds” are the
surveyed bloggers’ most important sources of corporate information.
Traditional media is of less importance.
APAC EUROPE USA
4.0
4.1
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.9
4.9
5.4
Television
Social…
Magazines
Newspapers
Micro-blogging sites
Corporate bloggers
Social networks
Corporation…
RSS Feeds
Other bloggers
3.0
3.9
3.9
4.3
4.4
4.6
4.8
4.9
5.3
5.8
Television
Social…
Magazines
Newspapers
Social networks
Micro-blogging sites
Corporate bloggers
Corporation…
RSS Feeds
Other bloggers
2.8
3.1
3.4
3.6
4.0
4.7
4.7
4.9
5.2
5.4
Social…
Television
Micro-blogging sites
Social networks
Corporate bloggers
Magazines
Newspapers
RSS Feeds
Other bloggers
Corporation…
33. Types of content
33
Q.8a: Now let’s talk about your preferred content for your blog. For each of the following types of content, please use this scale where 1 means
you are not interested at all and 7 means you are very interested in this content.
(n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
7-point scale where 1=“Not interested at all” and 7=“Very interested”
3.5
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.4
4.8
5.2
5.0
5.5
5.3
3.1
3.9
4.3
4.2
4.8
4.7
5.0
5.4
5.2
5.6
3.5
3.8
4.3
4.3
5.2
4.7
5.6
5.0
5.0
6.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
Corporate news announcements
Long-term and strategic related content
about corporations
Event announcements
Competitive product analysis
Product announcements
Market trend and forecast/analysis
Interviews with key people
Products to review
Opinionated responses to your blog posts
Research, insights, new product development
news
USA
EURO
APAC
The most preferred
content by bloggers is
news of new product
developments and
review products, as well
as feedback from readers
and interviews with key
people. Bloggers are
least interested in
corporate news
announcements
34. 34
Q.9: How frequently have you used each of the following content formats on your blog over the past 6 months?
(n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
Content formats used
15%
16%
34%
41%
88%
13%
26%
43%
44%
88%
15%
15%
37%
37%
74%
Audio podcast
Video podcast
Video streaming
Charts and graphs
Photographs
USA
EURO
APAC
Photographs are the
most frequently used
content format while
podcasts are least
frequently used
35. Nokia Singapore –
Cultivate brand ambassadors
Objective
•To embrace the power of social media and extend reach to key online influencers
•To reach lifestyle and business group-specific online influencers
Solution
•Develop criteria to identify key online influencers based on credibility, authority, popularity and
relevance
•An extensive review of Singapore’s online influencers and a 6-week monitoring period to develop a
dynamic top list of 15 online influencers
•Each blogger classified according to interests and areas of expertise
•Formal and customized engagement developed for individual blogger
RESULTS:
Over 360% increase in blog posts about Nokia amongst dynamic list
You guys get it – it’s the right level
of engagement and I look
forward to it. Other companies try
to do blogger engagement but over
do it...To the point where I’ve asked to
be taken off the list.
I like that Nokia doesn’t
reach out to anyone and
everyone in the
blogosphere (sic) so it feels
exclusive when we get a chance
to preview devices.
Cultivate brand ambassadors
36. 36
The majority of
bloggers are still part-
timers – adjust your
strategies accordingly
FOUR: Part-time Bloggers
37. 37
Time spent blogging
APAC bloggers spend the least amount of time blogging
while USA bloggers spend the most
Q.13: How much of your working week is spent blogging?
(n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
18%
18%
40%
24%
31%
13%35%
21%
More than 16 hours 9 to 16 hours
4 to 8 hours Less than 4 hours
41%
22%
30%
7%
9+ hrs /
week:
36%
9+ hrs /
week:
44% 9+ hrs /
week:
63%
APAC EURO USA
38. Lenovo Premier Web 2.0 PC Vendor
Challenge
• Change Lenovo perception to being the leading Web 2.0 PC vendor
Strategy
• Create strong momentum for Lenovo’s latest netbook: IdeaPad Lite
S9/S10
• Develop and spread a viral video teaser on S9/S10 and upload to
Facebook and YouTube
• Organize bloggers gatherings with most influential IT bloggers
• Showcase full range of S9/S10 during the catwalk show
• Encourage interaction with Lenovo executives
• Arrange lucky draw for S9/S10 to wow the bloggers
Results
• Viral video generated 40,000 views in just four weeks, building awareness
for new products
• 23 bloggers participated, including local, influential bloggers like
Jonathan Sin, Sidekick and Jansen Lu
• Drove ongoing discussion of Lenovo brand and products among bloggers
and in new media
• Established a model for other Lenovo country teams across APAC
39. 39
Micro-blogging
Q.14a: Micro-blogging sites such as twitter, Plurk and Fanfou are increasingly popular alternatives to blogging (and social networking).
Do you use a micro-blogging site? (n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
Q.14b: IF YES: Since starting to use a micro-blogging site, has your blogging… (n= APAC:177, EURO:153, USA:22)
76% 81% 81%
APAC EURO USA
The impact of micro-
blogging on normal
blogging
29%
27%
18%
APAC EURO USA
96% of Hong Kong
bloggers use a micro-
blogging service such
as twitter
40. Micro-blogging (APAC)
40
Micro-blogging services such as
Twitter is popular in most
countries except in Korea and
China
Bloggers in Taiwan and China report an
increase in blogging since starting to use
micro-blogging services
Q.14a: Micro-blogging sites such as twitter and (in Taiwan: Fanfou) are increasingly popular alternatives to blogging (and social networking).
Do you use a micro-blogging site? (n= AU:11, CN:41, HK:25, IN:37, JP:12, KR:12, MA:24, NZ:15, SG:34, TW:22)
Q.14b: IF YES: Since starting to use a micro-blogging site, has your blogging…
n= AU:11, CN:8, HK:24, IN:32, JP:9, KR:5, MA:24, NZ:13, SG:33, TW:18
20%
42%
75%
82%
86%
87%
96%
97%
100%
100%
China
Korea
Japan
Taiwan
India
New Zealand
Hong Kong
Singapore
Australia
Malaysia
0%
0%
9%
22%
24%
25%
38%
38%
50%
67%
Japan
Korea
Australia
India
Singapore
Malaysia
Hong Kong
New Zealand
China
Taiwan
% who uses a micro-
blogging site
% who’s blogging has
increased since starting
to use micro-blogging
42. 3.4
3.8
3.9
4.1
4.1
4.3
4.5
5.7
1.7
2.4
2.8
3.3
3.8
4.1
4.1
6.0
1.6
1.9
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.6
6.3
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
SMS
Instant Messaging (IM)
Telephone
Social networking invitation
Micro-blogging
Comment on blog
Face-to-face
Email
USA
EURO
APAC
42
Q.3a: Please indicate to what extent you prefer each of the following means of contact from PR firms or corporations on a scale of 1 to
7, where 1 is “Very low preference” and 7 is “Very high preference” (n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
Q4: Do you indicate your most preferred form of contact on your blog? (n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
7-point scale: 1=“Very Low preference”; 7=“Very high preference”
Preferred means of contact
Email is the most
preferred means of
contact with bloggers,
while SMS and IM are
least preferred. APAC
bloggers seem to be
more flexible in their
preferred means of
contact
43. 43
Acknowledging sponsorships
Q.16: There has been some discussion in the blogosphere regarding bloggers making positive posts in return for some sort of
compensation. Some say that ethically, bloggers should acknowledge that their blog or post is ‘supported’, while others disagree. Do you
agree, or disagree, that bloggers should acknowledge corporate sponsorship for: (n= APAC:233, EURO:189, USA:27)
Bloggers in the USA are more likely to agree that they should acknowledge
that their blog or post is ‘supported’ when making positive posts in return
for some sort of compensation
71%
74%
85%
64%
81%
89%
68%
80%
85%
58%
80%
89%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
APAC EURO USA
Product reviews Advertorials Posts that support a blogs advertisers Incentives or gifting to report
44. 44
Association with employer
Agreement is highest in the USA that bloggers should
always clearly state their employer or association if
blogging on issues or topics that relate to their businesses
Q.17: there has been some discussion in the blogosphere regarding corporate bloggers that don’t clearly indicate their association with an
enterprise or organization. To what extent do you agree, or disagree, that “bloggers should always clearly state their employer or association if
blogging on issues or topics that relate to their businesses?” (n=449)
75%
87%
96%
APAC EURO USA
45. 45
Anything that hasn't been sent
to a dozen other blogs in my
niche. Anything that indicates
the company is prepared to
listen to its customers. Anything
that *gives* more than just
advertising. "How-to" type posts
... the latter is what my readers
really need. PRs need to
think about what the END
READER's needs are, not
what they themselves
want to say.
47. The China blogosphere
Source: CNNIC, July2009
35.3%
are
active53.8% of
total
Chinese
netizens
182
million
bloggers
47
48. Trustworthy media channels
Recommendations from friends and family
Consumer product review from websites
Product labels on packaging
Expert product review from websites
Consumer opinion in blogs
Independent reviews in publications
Consumer opinion on message boards
Consumer opinion in chat room
Manufacturers/brands website
E-mail newsletters
Magazine ads
TV ads
Products/brands that appear in movies or within TV programmes
Ads that appear on search engines
Newspaper ads
Radio ads
Recommendations from other consumers who you do not personally know
Ads at the cinema before the movies starts
Ads on posters, buses/bus shelters
Ads that have been sent to you by e-mail
Banner ads on websites
Ads in virtual worlds
Ads in video games
Ads via mobile SMS
Popup or pop-under web ads
Who do people trust
48
49. • Chinese bloggers are more open and welcome PR people’s contact
• Proper self-introduction is important
• Email and IM are most preferred communication tools, while social
networking is regarded as private
• Social media releases are increasingly accepted
• Other people’s blogs and traditional media are key information sources
• Chinese bloggers are more hesitant to acknowledge sponsorships
• Half of the respondents think that bloggers should disclose their employer
or association of blogging on issues or topics relating to their businesses
• Most bloggers respect embargo agreements
49
Topline learning from the China
survey
51. Prioritize who is important to you
• Blogger’s online and offline profile (do they have an alias?)
• Tone of the blog
• Does the blogger have an agenda?
• Hot topics and issues covered on blog
• Frequency of posts
• Volume of the comments and responses they get and from who?
• Do they already write about you or your competitors?
• Does the blog have an RSS feed button
• Method of contacting the blogger
• What formats of content do they post?
• Do they write for any other media?
• Does their blog evoke political response?
Listen
51
52. Do you have a social media communication
guideline?
Do you have the resources to develop long term
relations with bloggers?
Do you have the right content and in the right format
for bloggers?
Have you set your measurements?
Prepare
52
54. There’s no formula to a good pitch. Something that’s
good one day might be nothing the next, not
because the pitch itself has changed but because the
news has.
Engage
Charles Arthur, Guardian
54
55. Engage
Do’s
Read their blog and bio
Join the conversation
Comment first, pitch later
Ask permission to pitch
Create a very targeted list
Find out how they like to be
pitched
Find out who they connect with
Face to face meetings
Be transparent
Offer values 55
“Sometimes the public knows little
about bloggers. It is better to make
friends with bloggers first, and then
move into talk related to work. ” – a
Chinese blogger
56. Engage
Don’ts
• Attach a press release
• Spam
• Spray and pray
• Pretend to have read their
blog if you haven’t
• Just pay them to work for
you
56
“Bloggers are not hired ghost
writers. We have our own opinions
and preferences and we will write
about them.” – a Chinese blogger
72. Three core benefits
1. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine algorithms seek inbound and outbound links to
quality sites
The better the quality of your links, the better your Search
Engine Results Page (SERP) ranking
The better your ranking, the easier it is for your audiences to
find you
73. Three core benefits
2. Control
Moving conversations back to your owned media sites means
you can better control the discussion
It also helps influencers play active roles in your owned media
channels
You need to balance with valid conversations and contributions
to public media channels
74. Three core benefits
3. Measurement
Social media is extremely measurable and you’ve control over
your own channels
Your owned channels frequently have in-built measurement
tools
With the right measurement in place, it is easy to equate social
media activity with customer demand
75. Immediate opportunities
1. Assess your owned media properties to determine their
social readiness
2. Agree on a discreet business priority that has planned
marketing support
3. Define the social media landscape around this business
priority
4. Identify priority social media channels
5. Identify and train ambassadors for channels ownership roles
6. Build a goal-based marketing program that includes
integrated social media activity through the defined
channels, led by the ambassador
76. Summary – points to remember
• Good stories and storytellers will always be critical
• Social media is here to stay
• Social media will forever change the role of PR
people
• Each country is similar…yet different
• Some companies are doing a great job in social
media
• There are ways to make it easy
• You can do it!
