This document discusses sustaining trust in the digital age. It notes that in today's networked market, a digital strategy requires more than just a website, as consumers can easily find diverse information about companies from many sources online. Brand management has become more complex, and past mistakes may undermine reputations. It emphasizes the importance of consistent values and practices, as well as cross-sector collaboration to help companies understand social concerns and build trust.
Social media: making it work for brandsAnn Longley
Social media is having a big impact and changing how people interact online. It allows users to collaborate, share content and opinions. This presents both threats and opportunities for brands. Successful social media strategies empower consumers to interact with brands through content, communities and conversations. Metrics now focus on influence, engagement, and building intimacy rather than traditional advertising measures. MEC helps brands engage customers through social media to understand perceptions and improve service.
The document discusses the need for businesses to be "provoked" or challenged in their social media strategies. It outlines 7 social media provocations for businesses to consider, including: (1) Customer service is now a public service, (2) Customer stories are the new brand slogans, and (3) Unlock your assets to uncage community value. The provocations are meant to encourage businesses to think differently about social media and how to integrate it more fully into their overall strategies to become more customer-centric and gain competitive advantages. The document advocates breaking down silos between social media and other communications to better connect with customers and thrive in today's business environment.
5 Ways Digital Will Annihilate your BusinessAnn Longley
We have all heard about businesses who have ignored digital disruption and found themselves in serious trouble. In some cases, they have become extinct.
I've scanned the market and identified x5 ways your business could get killed by digital and x5 ways you can protect yourselves from such a fate.
This presentation was delivered at the Monitoring Social Media Conference in London on Nov 17, 2009 (#msm09 on Twitter).
It is also posted on the conference Slideshare profile.
http://www.slideshare.net/oursocialtimes.
It was selected top presentation of the day on Slideshare on Dec 9, 2009.
From Social Media to Social Business - Marketing in the 'Social Age'Stefan Pfeiffer
Presentation on how Marketing needs to change in the 'Social Age' from Mass Marketing to 1:1 Marketing taking in particular Social Channels and behaviors into consideration. A bit of a focus on Healthcare due to the fact, that this was presented for one of our Healthcare customers.
Lithium Get Serious About Online CommunitiesLithium
This document summarizes key findings from a 2013 study on online brand communities. It finds that experimentation among brands increased while cohesive strategies decreased. Top performers from 2012 saw lower scores, and new industries like telecommunications emerged. Best practices around user reviews, tools/widgets, and community managers saw higher adoption. Mobile integration with communities remains low despite some examples. The presentation encourages brands to view communities as content and engagement hubs across devices and social networks.
The document discusses the importance of customer engagement and participation (wikibrands) in today's marketplace. Some key points:
1) Engaged brands see 18% higher value while non-engaged brands decrease 6% in value. Customers want brands on their own terms through social media.
2) The focus for business success is now on customer experience. C-Suite priorities are customer service and experience.
3) 80% of online engagement now happens away from the originating website so brands must engage customers elsewhere. However, less than half of businesses have an online customer engagement strategy.
4) Marketing has an opportunity to leverage new customer engagement strategies and tactics to become
Social media: making it work for brandsAnn Longley
Social media is having a big impact and changing how people interact online. It allows users to collaborate, share content and opinions. This presents both threats and opportunities for brands. Successful social media strategies empower consumers to interact with brands through content, communities and conversations. Metrics now focus on influence, engagement, and building intimacy rather than traditional advertising measures. MEC helps brands engage customers through social media to understand perceptions and improve service.
The document discusses the need for businesses to be "provoked" or challenged in their social media strategies. It outlines 7 social media provocations for businesses to consider, including: (1) Customer service is now a public service, (2) Customer stories are the new brand slogans, and (3) Unlock your assets to uncage community value. The provocations are meant to encourage businesses to think differently about social media and how to integrate it more fully into their overall strategies to become more customer-centric and gain competitive advantages. The document advocates breaking down silos between social media and other communications to better connect with customers and thrive in today's business environment.
5 Ways Digital Will Annihilate your BusinessAnn Longley
We have all heard about businesses who have ignored digital disruption and found themselves in serious trouble. In some cases, they have become extinct.
I've scanned the market and identified x5 ways your business could get killed by digital and x5 ways you can protect yourselves from such a fate.
This presentation was delivered at the Monitoring Social Media Conference in London on Nov 17, 2009 (#msm09 on Twitter).
It is also posted on the conference Slideshare profile.
http://www.slideshare.net/oursocialtimes.
It was selected top presentation of the day on Slideshare on Dec 9, 2009.
From Social Media to Social Business - Marketing in the 'Social Age'Stefan Pfeiffer
Presentation on how Marketing needs to change in the 'Social Age' from Mass Marketing to 1:1 Marketing taking in particular Social Channels and behaviors into consideration. A bit of a focus on Healthcare due to the fact, that this was presented for one of our Healthcare customers.
Lithium Get Serious About Online CommunitiesLithium
This document summarizes key findings from a 2013 study on online brand communities. It finds that experimentation among brands increased while cohesive strategies decreased. Top performers from 2012 saw lower scores, and new industries like telecommunications emerged. Best practices around user reviews, tools/widgets, and community managers saw higher adoption. Mobile integration with communities remains low despite some examples. The presentation encourages brands to view communities as content and engagement hubs across devices and social networks.
The document discusses the importance of customer engagement and participation (wikibrands) in today's marketplace. Some key points:
1) Engaged brands see 18% higher value while non-engaged brands decrease 6% in value. Customers want brands on their own terms through social media.
2) The focus for business success is now on customer experience. C-Suite priorities are customer service and experience.
3) 80% of online engagement now happens away from the originating website so brands must engage customers elsewhere. However, less than half of businesses have an online customer engagement strategy.
4) Marketing has an opportunity to leverage new customer engagement strategies and tactics to become
Social Media and Electronic Communication--Classroom EditionBovee and Thill
Students can learn about social media and electronic communication in this presentation. Be sure to download the accompanying script at http://www.slideshare.net/Bovee/script-for-teaching-social-media-and-electronic-communicationclassroom-edition.
http://www.scoop.it/t/business-communication-2-0-social-media-and-electronic-communication/p/952303710/teaching-social-media-and-electronic-communication-instructor-edition-by-bovee-thill
Lithium whitepaper: Hey, Tech! Get Serious About Social Customer EnlistmentLithium
Learn about the current state social for tech and why social customer enlistment is a game-changer. Learn how to get social customers to co-create value with you with
gamification—done right. Get sustainable social strategies from Lithium.
Building Social Excellence: Insights on the Construction IndustryBrandwatch
In the following report, we analyze the online conversation of 20 leading construction companies from the US and UK and highlight opportunities for growth using social intelligence. Specifically, we reveal:
- The Construction Social Index: ranking construction companies across important social presence metrics
- How construction brands and their audiences interact online
- The impressions different types of Facebook content have on audiences
- The growing role of social media in construction industry recruitment
Role of social media networks in penetration of internationalAlexander Decker
This study investigated the role of social media networks in helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya penetrate international markets. It focused on SMEs located at Yaya Centre in Nairobi. The study found that social media networks had a statistically significant positive effect on SMEs' ability to penetrate global markets. Specifically, social media networks explained 62.8% of the variation in SMEs' global market penetration performance. The study concluded that social media networks play an important role in helping Kenyan SMEs internationalize their business and access overseas customers.
Financial Services Firms Claim the CX Advantage Lithium
- The document discusses trends around customer engagement through social channels based on surveys of over 1,386 consumers. Customer experience is found to significantly impact brand loyalty, repeat business, and word-of-mouth recommendations.
- While industries like retail and hotels score high on customer experience, financial services firms like banks and credit card companies show a large gap between leaders and laggards, indicating room for improvement.
- Younger consumers increasingly want brands to provide customer support and listen/respond through social media, suggesting financial companies should focus on improving social customer interactions.
1. The document summarizes research on the social brand experience from both marketer and consumer perspectives, finding that consumers want more engagement, experiences, and rewards from brands on social media than brands currently provide.
2. Consumers are open, engaged, demanding, loyal, and willing advocates for brands they love, but have high expectations that brands often fail to meet, such as fast and helpful support.
3. Brands that provide more engaging experiences, opportunities for consumer connection, and special rewards and status will gain advantage over competitors in attracting consumer loyalty and support through social media.
Technology management in the age of the customerLithium
Don’t look now, but your company is losing control. Customers are now in the driver’s seat. Learn more by reading this Forrester Report on "Technology Management
In The Age Of The Customer."
This document discusses the importance of e-reputation management in today's digital world where customers can instantly share their experiences and opinions online. It notes that negative feedback online can quickly go viral and damage a company's reputation. While e-reputation management is important, it is often an afterthought for many companies. The document advocates for proactive e-reputation strategies like search engine optimization, content management, and social media monitoring to optimize a brand and encourage positive customer interactions online. It also stresses the importance of responding to customer complaints to build trust and loyalty.
The 2014 Global Traveler Study offers hotel and restaurant executives detailed insight into the mind of the modern traveler. Global consumer surveys across a wide range of demographics has uncovered traveler preferences for the use of mobile devices, social media, and loyalty programs in their interactions with hotels and restaurants. Findings reveal that consumer purchasing patterns are shifting towards increasingly mobile transactions. Meanwhile, loyalty is evolving to value personalized offers and rewards, and social media has potential to become a valuable channel for ecommerce. The valuable insight contained in this 2014 Global Traveler Study can help operators shape their digital engagement strategies on an ongoing basis.
Learn about social customer care told by Kate Leggett Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, Inc and Katy Keim Chief Marketing Officer at Lithium Tech
The document discusses how brands need to adapt their strategies and marketing approaches to be successful in a digital world where conversations have replaced campaigns and content is king. Specifically, it recommends that brands optimize their use of media and networks, focus on producing high-quality content to drive conversations, make conversations an essential part of their strategies, and ensure digital is integrated into every aspect of their overall strategies.
One-in-two mobile owners in the US owns a smartphone, and many more own tablets. As most of these same consumers adapt their personal lifestyle to be “mobile first,” they expect their employers to be there to meet them. With the growing number of personal mobile devices in the hands of users, as well as increasingly remote organizations , there’s a great opportunity for organizations to increase productivity of their employees by allowing the use of these personal devices. Taking this on seems daunting, as IT has less ability to enforce a single standard than ever before. Not taking action, however, and ignoring this trend risks exposing corporate data to public clouds with no visibility on the part of IT. Enforcing a single standard will do a lot to serve all users partially, but none particularly well. "Power to the People: Identify and Empower Your Workforce," the new report by Altimeter Group analyst Chris Silva explores how companies are deploying mobile strategies to meet the the specific needs of their employees and the organization at large.
Five Principles for Storytelling in a Multi-Screening WorldOgilvy Consulting
The increase in multi-screening, coupled with time spent on social channels, means content creation strategies need to evolve. Here are five principles to help you succeed.
This document summarizes a cloud management startup called Mist.io. It provides unified management, monitoring, and automation for cloud infrastructure from anywhere via a mobile-friendly and open source platform. The startup aims to optimize cloud management and control infrastructure from mobile devices. It has a freemium business model and plans to grow through startup accelerators, mobile marketplaces, partnerships, content marketing, and conferences. The founding team is based in Greece and aims to close a follow-up investment round and set up an office in San Francisco while keeping product development in Greece.
Big Brands & Facebook: Demographics, Case Studies & Best PracticesCharlene Li
- Facebook currently has over 44 million active users, half of whom return daily. The demographics of Facebook users are shifting to include more users aged 35+ and those outside of college.
- Successful brand marketing on Facebook requires communicating rather than traditional advertising. Case studies found targeted campaigns, engaging communities, and conversations were more effective than direct advertising.
- The best practices for Facebook marketing are to anticipate changing demographics, create unique and engaging experiences on sponsored pages/groups, actively participate in discussions, and make applications that model natural friend sharing behaviors.
Digital Influence is one of the hottest trends in social media, yet is largely misunderstood. "The Rise of Digital Influence," the new report by Altimeter Group Principal Analyst Brian Solis, is a 'how-to' guide for businesses to spark desirable effects and outcomes through social media influence. The report helps companies understand how influence spreads, and includes case studies in which brands partnered with vendors to recruit connected consumers for digital influence campaigns. Brian evaluates the offerings of 14 Influence vendors, organizing them by Reach, Resonance, and Relevance: the Three Pillars that make up the foundation for Digital Influence as defined in the report. Also included are an Influence Framework and an Influence Action Plan to help brands identify connected consumers and to define and measure strategic digital influence initiatives.
This document provides an overview of social media marketing practices. It includes an agenda for a social media marketing course covering topics like Facebook fan marketing, Twitter, social networking, best practices, social graphs, and industry adoption. It discusses concepts like the global village, engagement levels of different activities, and generational trends in social media use. Principles of social influence from social psychology are related to opportunities in social media including reciprocity, consistency, authority, scarcity, and social proof.
[Report] The State of Social Business 2013: The Maturing of Social Media into...Brian Solis
Altimeter Group conducts regular social business surveys to learn how social media is evolving within enterprise organizations. Analysis of survey results between 2010-2013 reveal that social media is extending deeper into organizations and, at the same time, strategies are maturing. What was previously a series of initiatives driven by marketing and PR is now evolving into a social business movement that looks to scale and integrate social across the organization. The following report reveals how businesses are expanding social efforts and investments. As social approaches its first decade of enterprise integration, we still see experimentation in models and approach. There is no one way to become a social business. Instead, social businesses evolve through a series of stages that ultimately align social media strategies with business goals.
Complex organizations must integrate social into how they do business despite the shifts needed to make it happen. Contact David.Armano[at]Edelman.com for more information on Social Business Planning and how it can help your organization integrate social at scale.
Success in the "Pull Economy" means understanding that a number of significant business principles have changed. In a hyper connected world information flows much faster and more freely. Organisations as a result are subjected to a growing level of collective intelligence and value creation from outside the company's walls brought on by the increased collaboration of customer/consumers, consumers, employees and suppliers in what is now a much larger ecosystem of data, conversation, innovation and participation. There needs to be a knowledge framework to help companies manage this transformational change and maximise as much value from it in a way that benefits the business and the customer/consumer.
This executive summary from the Toolkit 2016 report identifies six key marketing challenges for the coming year:
1. Identifying the right "moments" to target consumers using data on consumption patterns and digital targeting.
2. Developing both data and creative skills internally to blend data-driven insights with creative work.
3. Using sophisticated models of consumer behavior to develop connection strategies that root creative and media plans in consumer data.
4. Addressing issues with digital advertising like viewability, ad fraud and ad blocking that are challenging how brands use digital.
5. Taking a more strategic approach to video by utilizing expanding formats and platforms beyond short-term campaigns.
6. Developing strategies for engaging
Social Media and Electronic Communication--Classroom EditionBovee and Thill
Students can learn about social media and electronic communication in this presentation. Be sure to download the accompanying script at http://www.slideshare.net/Bovee/script-for-teaching-social-media-and-electronic-communicationclassroom-edition.
http://www.scoop.it/t/business-communication-2-0-social-media-and-electronic-communication/p/952303710/teaching-social-media-and-electronic-communication-instructor-edition-by-bovee-thill
Lithium whitepaper: Hey, Tech! Get Serious About Social Customer EnlistmentLithium
Learn about the current state social for tech and why social customer enlistment is a game-changer. Learn how to get social customers to co-create value with you with
gamification—done right. Get sustainable social strategies from Lithium.
Building Social Excellence: Insights on the Construction IndustryBrandwatch
In the following report, we analyze the online conversation of 20 leading construction companies from the US and UK and highlight opportunities for growth using social intelligence. Specifically, we reveal:
- The Construction Social Index: ranking construction companies across important social presence metrics
- How construction brands and their audiences interact online
- The impressions different types of Facebook content have on audiences
- The growing role of social media in construction industry recruitment
Role of social media networks in penetration of internationalAlexander Decker
This study investigated the role of social media networks in helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya penetrate international markets. It focused on SMEs located at Yaya Centre in Nairobi. The study found that social media networks had a statistically significant positive effect on SMEs' ability to penetrate global markets. Specifically, social media networks explained 62.8% of the variation in SMEs' global market penetration performance. The study concluded that social media networks play an important role in helping Kenyan SMEs internationalize their business and access overseas customers.
Financial Services Firms Claim the CX Advantage Lithium
- The document discusses trends around customer engagement through social channels based on surveys of over 1,386 consumers. Customer experience is found to significantly impact brand loyalty, repeat business, and word-of-mouth recommendations.
- While industries like retail and hotels score high on customer experience, financial services firms like banks and credit card companies show a large gap between leaders and laggards, indicating room for improvement.
- Younger consumers increasingly want brands to provide customer support and listen/respond through social media, suggesting financial companies should focus on improving social customer interactions.
1. The document summarizes research on the social brand experience from both marketer and consumer perspectives, finding that consumers want more engagement, experiences, and rewards from brands on social media than brands currently provide.
2. Consumers are open, engaged, demanding, loyal, and willing advocates for brands they love, but have high expectations that brands often fail to meet, such as fast and helpful support.
3. Brands that provide more engaging experiences, opportunities for consumer connection, and special rewards and status will gain advantage over competitors in attracting consumer loyalty and support through social media.
Technology management in the age of the customerLithium
Don’t look now, but your company is losing control. Customers are now in the driver’s seat. Learn more by reading this Forrester Report on "Technology Management
In The Age Of The Customer."
This document discusses the importance of e-reputation management in today's digital world where customers can instantly share their experiences and opinions online. It notes that negative feedback online can quickly go viral and damage a company's reputation. While e-reputation management is important, it is often an afterthought for many companies. The document advocates for proactive e-reputation strategies like search engine optimization, content management, and social media monitoring to optimize a brand and encourage positive customer interactions online. It also stresses the importance of responding to customer complaints to build trust and loyalty.
The 2014 Global Traveler Study offers hotel and restaurant executives detailed insight into the mind of the modern traveler. Global consumer surveys across a wide range of demographics has uncovered traveler preferences for the use of mobile devices, social media, and loyalty programs in their interactions with hotels and restaurants. Findings reveal that consumer purchasing patterns are shifting towards increasingly mobile transactions. Meanwhile, loyalty is evolving to value personalized offers and rewards, and social media has potential to become a valuable channel for ecommerce. The valuable insight contained in this 2014 Global Traveler Study can help operators shape their digital engagement strategies on an ongoing basis.
Learn about social customer care told by Kate Leggett Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, Inc and Katy Keim Chief Marketing Officer at Lithium Tech
The document discusses how brands need to adapt their strategies and marketing approaches to be successful in a digital world where conversations have replaced campaigns and content is king. Specifically, it recommends that brands optimize their use of media and networks, focus on producing high-quality content to drive conversations, make conversations an essential part of their strategies, and ensure digital is integrated into every aspect of their overall strategies.
One-in-two mobile owners in the US owns a smartphone, and many more own tablets. As most of these same consumers adapt their personal lifestyle to be “mobile first,” they expect their employers to be there to meet them. With the growing number of personal mobile devices in the hands of users, as well as increasingly remote organizations , there’s a great opportunity for organizations to increase productivity of their employees by allowing the use of these personal devices. Taking this on seems daunting, as IT has less ability to enforce a single standard than ever before. Not taking action, however, and ignoring this trend risks exposing corporate data to public clouds with no visibility on the part of IT. Enforcing a single standard will do a lot to serve all users partially, but none particularly well. "Power to the People: Identify and Empower Your Workforce," the new report by Altimeter Group analyst Chris Silva explores how companies are deploying mobile strategies to meet the the specific needs of their employees and the organization at large.
Five Principles for Storytelling in a Multi-Screening WorldOgilvy Consulting
The increase in multi-screening, coupled with time spent on social channels, means content creation strategies need to evolve. Here are five principles to help you succeed.
This document summarizes a cloud management startup called Mist.io. It provides unified management, monitoring, and automation for cloud infrastructure from anywhere via a mobile-friendly and open source platform. The startup aims to optimize cloud management and control infrastructure from mobile devices. It has a freemium business model and plans to grow through startup accelerators, mobile marketplaces, partnerships, content marketing, and conferences. The founding team is based in Greece and aims to close a follow-up investment round and set up an office in San Francisco while keeping product development in Greece.
Big Brands & Facebook: Demographics, Case Studies & Best PracticesCharlene Li
- Facebook currently has over 44 million active users, half of whom return daily. The demographics of Facebook users are shifting to include more users aged 35+ and those outside of college.
- Successful brand marketing on Facebook requires communicating rather than traditional advertising. Case studies found targeted campaigns, engaging communities, and conversations were more effective than direct advertising.
- The best practices for Facebook marketing are to anticipate changing demographics, create unique and engaging experiences on sponsored pages/groups, actively participate in discussions, and make applications that model natural friend sharing behaviors.
Digital Influence is one of the hottest trends in social media, yet is largely misunderstood. "The Rise of Digital Influence," the new report by Altimeter Group Principal Analyst Brian Solis, is a 'how-to' guide for businesses to spark desirable effects and outcomes through social media influence. The report helps companies understand how influence spreads, and includes case studies in which brands partnered with vendors to recruit connected consumers for digital influence campaigns. Brian evaluates the offerings of 14 Influence vendors, organizing them by Reach, Resonance, and Relevance: the Three Pillars that make up the foundation for Digital Influence as defined in the report. Also included are an Influence Framework and an Influence Action Plan to help brands identify connected consumers and to define and measure strategic digital influence initiatives.
This document provides an overview of social media marketing practices. It includes an agenda for a social media marketing course covering topics like Facebook fan marketing, Twitter, social networking, best practices, social graphs, and industry adoption. It discusses concepts like the global village, engagement levels of different activities, and generational trends in social media use. Principles of social influence from social psychology are related to opportunities in social media including reciprocity, consistency, authority, scarcity, and social proof.
[Report] The State of Social Business 2013: The Maturing of Social Media into...Brian Solis
Altimeter Group conducts regular social business surveys to learn how social media is evolving within enterprise organizations. Analysis of survey results between 2010-2013 reveal that social media is extending deeper into organizations and, at the same time, strategies are maturing. What was previously a series of initiatives driven by marketing and PR is now evolving into a social business movement that looks to scale and integrate social across the organization. The following report reveals how businesses are expanding social efforts and investments. As social approaches its first decade of enterprise integration, we still see experimentation in models and approach. There is no one way to become a social business. Instead, social businesses evolve through a series of stages that ultimately align social media strategies with business goals.
Complex organizations must integrate social into how they do business despite the shifts needed to make it happen. Contact David.Armano[at]Edelman.com for more information on Social Business Planning and how it can help your organization integrate social at scale.
Success in the "Pull Economy" means understanding that a number of significant business principles have changed. In a hyper connected world information flows much faster and more freely. Organisations as a result are subjected to a growing level of collective intelligence and value creation from outside the company's walls brought on by the increased collaboration of customer/consumers, consumers, employees and suppliers in what is now a much larger ecosystem of data, conversation, innovation and participation. There needs to be a knowledge framework to help companies manage this transformational change and maximise as much value from it in a way that benefits the business and the customer/consumer.
This executive summary from the Toolkit 2016 report identifies six key marketing challenges for the coming year:
1. Identifying the right "moments" to target consumers using data on consumption patterns and digital targeting.
2. Developing both data and creative skills internally to blend data-driven insights with creative work.
3. Using sophisticated models of consumer behavior to develop connection strategies that root creative and media plans in consumer data.
4. Addressing issues with digital advertising like viewability, ad fraud and ad blocking that are challenging how brands use digital.
5. Taking a more strategic approach to video by utilizing expanding formats and platforms beyond short-term campaigns.
6. Developing strategies for engaging
Manifesto Document October 2014 updatedPenny Power
The Digital Business Britain Manifesto 2011 aims to increase UK economic output by encouraging businesses and individuals to adopt a digital mindset. It calls for closing the digital skills gap through training, developing digital strategies, embracing ethical online behavior, and recognizing the value of digitally-connected home-based businesses. The 8-point manifesto promotes treating digital business as a critical sector, improving the UK's digital trading position, ensuring national inclusion in the digital economy, and providing digital skills for all.
CES 2015: A No Gadget Report for Marketers & BrandsBen Grossman
A fresh, no gadget take on the 2015 International CES, this report covers the top trends marketers and brands need to know as they enter 2015. Based on the evolution of the CES show over the last several years, the report also documents the rising in notoriety and popularity of CES within the marketing and advertising industry, now rivaling events like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and SXSW Interactive.
After 48 years in existence, the event shows no signs of slowing down. 2015 marked the largest CES in history, with over 170,000 industry professionals in attendance and more than 2.2 million net square feet of exhibit space occupied by exhibitors. Today, the show sits comfortably at, as the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has dubbed it, “the center of convergence among content, services and products.”
The Digital Future: a game plan for consumer packaged-goodsAidelisa Gutierrez
The CPG industry is fast approaching a tipping point;
companies need to plan for a “1-5-10” market in the U.S.
over the next five years. The experience of other sectors
demonstrates that early movers often establish tough-totrump
positions and advantages.
This document discusses the importance of ethics in digital marketing. It notes that customers now demand more ethical practices from companies, including honesty in testimonials and transparency about data collection and privacy protection. The document also outlines some key ethical issues in digital marketing, such as the digital divide creating disadvantages, social exclusion of those without internet access, privacy concerns, and risks of marketing directly to children. Overall, it argues that as businesses increasingly operate online, adopting ethical digital marketing practices is important to build trust and protect customers.
Todays consumer behaviour demands a new data modelPaul Kennedy
The consumer society of 2013 enables commercial opportunities that were previously not possible but it also brings massive challenges. How should all of these digitally recorded actions, movements and behaviours be interpreted and used to help us engage with consumers and promote our offerings? What customer journeys are being enacted offline, online and on premise?
Marketing data should reflect the buyer decision process and therefore what people are doing, feeling and thinking. What needs are being satisfied? What preferences, interests and influences come into play? How relevant is context and place?
2015 q1 McKinsey quarterly - Marketing & salesAhmed Al Bilal
This document provides an overview of the Winter 2015 issue of the McKinsey Quarterly. It discusses the lead article on the evolution of marketing and the opportunity for marketers to master science, substance, storytelling, simplicity and speed. It also previews additional articles on digital transformation in sales and distribution, understanding business customers, exploiting big data, and the perspectives of marketing leaders from Google and Daimler. The summary notes that the issue is slightly slimmer as content is increasingly being delivered through digital channels.
International business has grown dramatically in recent years due to factors like saturated domestic markets, opportunities in foreign markets, lower costs of labor abroad, and increased global competition. Technological advancements in communication have enabled greater international connectivity and collaboration. Major trends driving further growth include the emergence of robotics and virtual workforces, personalized marketing approaches, and new supply chain management models that improve resilience against disruptions.
The document discusses how social media data can be used by brands to understand customer sentiment, protect their reputation, and enhance customer relationships. It details a partnership between Barclays and Market IQ, a social media analytics company, to build predictive models from social data. Through their collaboration, Barclays and Market IQ developed dashboards to forecast the impact of outages, measure real-time customer perceptions through a Social Net Promoter Score, and quantify a brand's effectiveness at resolving customer complaints on social media through a metric called "S-Delta". The partnership demonstrates how social data and analytics can help brands become more proactive, understand customer needs, and strengthen customer trust.
1. The document discusses digital business, including how digital technologies are used to create new business models and customer experiences.
2. Some benefits of digital business mentioned include the ability to rapidly enter new markets, form new partnerships, and reach more customers. However, digital business also faces challenges like security, privacy, and maintenance issues.
3. The article outlines some key steps in developing a digital business like identifying customer problems and solutions, achieving product-market fit, and determining customer willingness to pay. It also discusses strategies like increasing market share and revenue.
The document discusses the shift from paid (bought) media to owned and earned media for brands. It introduces the concepts of bought, owned, and earned media, with bought being paid advertising, owned being content and platforms controlled by the brand, and earned being user-generated conversations. It argues that brands should allocate more resources to developing owned and earned media through useful content and communities in order to build advocacy. Examples are given of how brands like Best Buy and Starbucks have successfully utilized owned and earned strategies to drive engagement and sales. Developing a long-term digital platform requires investment in content, conversations, and communities to facilitate sharing and discussion.
In response to requests to better understand how brands and marketers are responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the team at the Pico Group explored this with a group of 28 clients.
The Web Summit 2014 document provides a summary of the key topics, trends, learnings, and insights from the annual technology conference. Some of the major discussions included the continued exponential growth of technology and how it is decreasing the time needed to create value; the shift to more engaged audiences who are creators rather than just consumers; and the importance of storytelling and focusing on the consumer for both tech companies and brands. Privacy, big data, and the future of virtual reality were also highlighted as important issues covered at the event.
HOW DO YOU STEP-UP YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION & RECOVERY CHANCES IN THE POST...Jim Boukouray, PhD
The document summarizes 7 rules for retailers to follow in order to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted retail businesses worldwide. The rules are: 1) Accelerate digital transformation and prioritize omni-channel systems. 2) Focus on sustainability and frugal innovation to adjust to changing consumer behaviors. 3) Emphasize health, wellness and organic products that saw less impact. 4) Leverage livestreaming and social commerce to enable indoor shopping. 5) Adopt virtual reality, robotics and gamification. 6) Develop adaptive learning and agile organizational strategies. 7) Maintain a sense of the changing landscape and shifting consumer trends. Following these rules will help retailers beat the "
How multinational businesses can keep up with the new global consumer.
The way businesses need to organize and behave has fundamentally shifted. Across industries, companies, and organizational functions, we have heard many of the world’s most innovative companies echo the same challenge: businesses must urgently embrace a more nimble and entrepreneurial approach in order to stay competitive. We call this challenge of how big companies can leverage scale while staying innovative “big entrepreneurship.” The Rising Billion is one of five pieces in our report, Big Entrepreneurship, aimed at deconstructing some of the complex challenges around big entrepreneurship and provide actionable insights for business leaders.
This report was created by Fahrenheit 212, a global innovation strategy and design firm. We define innovation strategies and develop new products, services, and experiences that create sustainable, profitable growth for our clients. We challenge the belief that innovation is inherently unreliable and have spent the last decade designing the method, building the model, and assembling the minds to make innovation a predictable driver of growth for our clients' businesses.
The document discusses digital trends in 2013 and provides insights into how consumers are using digital technologies. It notes that internet usage has increased across all age groups in the UK, with 76% of British homes now connected. Marketers are advised to focus on creating engaging mobile experiences like apps to interact with constantly connected consumers. Data from social networks and other sources can provide valuable insights about customers, but brands must balance sharing content with avoiding overwhelming users. Omnichannel marketing that provides a seamless experience across channels is an important strategy.
New horizons in Retail by Patryk Powierża.pdfpatryk48
The document discusses several new horizons in retail, including the rise of online shopping and phygital experiences, changing flagship store models, the growing retail media landscape, and increasing automation. It notes that the pandemic accelerated e-commerce growth while physical stores still provide value when integrated digitally. Influencers are emerging as new "flagship" retailers through social commerce. Meanwhile, retail media is becoming more competitive as Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers grow their advertising businesses and challenge Google/Meta dominance. Automation is also expanding through technologies like robotic shopping assistants, couriers, and warehouse workers.
Red Ant is a digital strategy firm established in 1999. The document discusses Red Ant's services and expertise in digital strategy, planning, and campaign delivery. It also provides biographies of several key executives, including the CEO, CIO, Commercial Director, and heads of mobile and film/TV. The document emphasizes Red Ant's focus on measurable ROI and outlines the typical stages involved in building a digital strategy: planning, creation, actualization, and evaluation.
The RSA.org Digital Summit Final Report and Recommendations 020221 compresse...Ann Longley
The document summarizes insights from an RSA Digital Summit aimed at informing the organization's digital strategy and plans to improve the Fellowship Experience. Key insights include:
- Unlocking the potential of the 30,000+ Fellowship is critical for increasing RSA's impact but currently not being realized.
- Digital tools and empowering the Fellowship, not just engagement, can help RSA scale its impact while putting people first.
- Technology should augment and enable RSA's mission by solving real human problems, but requires a design approach and new mindsets within the organization.
- Immediate actions include defining a clear vision and roadmap for the Fellowship Experience with Fellow input, experimenting to actively engage Fellows, and adopting modern, collaborative
Personas drivers of transformation or hollow profit? Ann Longley
A short presentation describing how personas can be used effectively in product / service design and cultural transformation. It raises questions about the motivations of using personas as well as their limitations. It offers a way forward for developing meaningful personas and empowering stakeholders through participatory design.
Ann Longley gave a presentation on augmenting impact with digital for charities and non-profits. She discussed the challenges facing civil society in the digital age, and how organizations can create a digital vision and transformation strategy. She emphasized starting with organizational change and bringing in digital experts. Partnerships, new ways of working like design thinking, and building resilience can help non-profits reap rewards from digital and futureproof their organizations.
The document discusses how design can help address existential threats facing the world such as climate change, population growth, and resource depletion. It outlines several tipping points that could trigger irreversible changes to complex interconnected systems. However, it also highlights promising solutions and progress, such as countries committing to reduce emissions and brands incorporating social and environmental goals. The document argues we are at a decisive point where interventions can make a difference, and offers 10 things designers can do now like applying design thinking to problems, engaging in activism, and using skills to accelerate progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Successful digital transformation has more to do with people than technology. Presented at Scot-Tech / Digit's Digital Future's conference, 23 Feb 2017
Understanding social narratives: PR as narrative seminarAnn Longley
This document discusses how social media has changed storytelling and public relations. It notes that no single source can now control a story as narratives are made up of many voices across social media. Storytelling has become participatory, spawning new genres and changing views of history. Traditional institutions are transforming as social media offers transparency and accountability. Strong creativity is needed for brands to overcome media fragmentation in this new environment. Examples of Red Bull, the Australian government, and the UK health department effectively using social media storytelling are provided.
This document discusses anti-consumerism activity online. It provides examples of groups and campaigns that promote reducing consumption and critique consumerism. These include Buy Nothing Day, which encourages reducing shopping, and Occupy Wall Street, which protests corporate influence and economic inequality. The document also discusses how some see consumerism as unsustainable and argue for more sustainable patterns of production and consumption. It provides examples of businesses and celebrities supporting more sustainable approaches.
1. Nowhere
to hide
A View white paper written by
Ann Longley Planning Director/Head of CSR
2006
Sustaining trust in the digital age
2. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Contents
Introduction
Key lessons for the networked market
In the networked market, a digital strategy is more than just having a website
The networked market means a more complex brand management challenge
Cross-sector collaboration is a tool for effective brand management
Launching ethical products and/or creating social product marketing divisions
is a further possible response
Smart companies use interactive applications to build stakeholder engagement
and improve market intelligence
Success requires a focus on content
Your brand values need to be embedded in the search engine marketplace
Conclusions and forward looking principles
2
4
4
5
7
8
9
10
12
13
3. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
In practice CSR encompasses a range of
activities many businesses now engage in
to demonstrate their commitment to positive
social and environmental impacts.
In response to a number of converging factors, including public intolerance
of perceived corporate greed and corruption, an increasing interest in
ethical consumption, and protection of the environment, Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a key business concept in the
21st century.
In practice CSR encompasses a range of activities many businesses now engage in to
demonstrate their commitment to positive social and environmental impacts. This is done with
a view to protecting financial performance from reputational damage and it represents a major
shift in the way businesses operate.
This change in approach is not as some say, diluting the purpose of business. Rather, many
businesses are now aware that to do well they must at least be seen to be doing good, and that
by doing good they may do even better. For consumers and investors who care, the good news is
a proliferation of ‘so called’ ethical products now on the market.
One of the most high profile of these is Bono’s recently launched ‘Red’ product line distributed
through a range of mainstream business partners including the Gap and American Express. This
is a range of products sold on ethical terms and with a substantial share of the profits going to
fight HIV/aids and underdevelopment in Africa.
Given a consistent rise in ethical consumption and investment each year in recent years, the
changes we are seeing are hardly surprising and can only be expected to accelerate. The Co-
operative Bank’s 2004 Ethical Consumerism Report found that UK consumers spent close to
£25 billion on ethical goods and services in 2004, an increase of 15% from 2003.1
Against this
backdrop, companies are now eager to establish themselves as ethical brands as a means of
gaining market share, and consequently many traditional companies are establishing social or
‘green’ enterprises to fuel their business growth.
However in the digital age, such positioning is not necessarily enough to convince consumers of
corporate integrity even when celebrities like Bono are involved. The critical business challenge
today is sustaining stakeholder trust in a highly fragmented and instant communications
environment where almost every company is trying to promote their ethical credentials and
people frequently use digital tools to share negative information.2
Introduction
One of the most high profile of these is
Bono’s recently launched ‘Red’ product line
distributed through a range of mainstream
business partners including the Gap
and American Express. This is a range of
products sold on ethical terms and with
a substantial share of the profits going to
fight HIV/aids and underdevelopment
in Africa.
www.joinred.com/red.asp
1
Interestingly, the fastest rising category is ethical investments (5.5M GBP in 2004), Cooperative Bank, Future Foundation,
NEF, 2004 Ethical Consumerism Report.
2
Research commissioned by Wirthlin Worldwide (now part of Harris Interactive) found that people were more likely to
share negative information if it impacts their personal finances, health or public security or is from a credible source,
“Online Corporate Reputation and Crisis Management”, The Wirthlin Report, V.13, No. 1, 02 2004, p1.
4. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Introduction
Use of new media allows product weaknesses
and brand inconsistencies to be exposed quickly
and in a far more public and transparent way
than in the past.
In this context, the digital age represents an opportunity but also a risk. It ushers in new channels
to market and can help create demand for products and services, but it can also be used by
consumers and others to highlight the shortcomings in a business operation. Use of new media
allows product weaknesses and brand inconsistencies to be exposed quickly and in a far more
public and transparent way than in the past. Moreover, with the aid of digital tools such as email,
blogs, discussion boards, and mobile phones, activities such as boycotts, demonstrations and
labour migrations can now be organised in a matter of minutes. When mainstream media pick
up on the issues, what started out as an isolated protest online can easily reach a critical mass
and company revenues can suffer.
These threats are real. According to the Co-op Bank research the total value of boycotts
in 2003 rose to £3.2bn, a growth of £600 million on the previous year. This represented a
significant increase in the boycotts of brands associated with poor environmental performance
or questionable labour practices. There is also evidence to suggest that companies that have
suffered damage to their reputations, may also have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified
staff, obviously a key concern in today’s knowledge driven economy.3
This paper examines some of the risks and challenges for business in today’s digitally enabled
marketplace.4
It also provides signposts to some of the opportunities relating to CSR, specifically
the integration of CSR into communications and indeed core business strategies in the
digital age.
A key argument is that while most large companies are now investing sufficiently in their
online communications strategies and to some extent on ethical product development, few are
integrating their thinking across these areas to make the most of the investments being made.
Consequently, the remainder of this paper is divided into 2 sections. The first sets out key lessons
that all business leaders now need to take on board in the new circumstances. The second sets
out five principles developed by View to guide action in the digitally networked market.
Kyptonite Locks sales were adversely
affected after a video proving that the locks
could be broken with a ballpoint pen was
shared across the internet.
http://shannonc.blogs.com/
shannonsays/2004/10/prooving_the_cl.html
www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.
php?id=4637
www.wired.com/news/
culture/0,1284,64987,00.html
3
“Online Corporate Reputation and Crisis Management”, The Wirthlin Report, V.13, No. 1, 02 2004, p4.
4
Also referred to here as ‘the networked market’.
5. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
1. In the networked market, a digital strategy is more than
just having a web site
Digital technology has transformed communications facilitating
knowledge sharing across time and space. Those of us with
connectivity have access to more information from more diverse
sources and we can share this information across our social networks
faster then ever before. Email, search, chatrooms, SMS/MMS,
pod casting and blogs are powerful tools that have changed the
communications landscape irrevocably.
Most companies now understand the importance of digital media
at least at a superficial level. In the UK broadband penetration has
reached 60% of the population, e-commerce is no longer new and
people are using digital channels, including mobile, for a variety
of purposes. Uses include searching for information to inform
purchasing and investment decisions, enhancing one’s
social network, banking, making job applications and interacting
with government.
Not surprisingly, people are also using these tools to organise around
issues of concern often with impressive results. In the 21st century,
the potential for digital tools to empower social networks should not
be underestimated.5
Yet in spite of this situation, many companies still have a very narrow
focus to their digital communications strategies. Often they miss the
opportunity to use the web to develop deeper relationships with a
full range of stakeholders. By focusing on their own often-narrow
communications objectives, they do not effectively contextualise
their strategies within the broader context of the networked market
and other relevant online initiatives. As a result, they are missing
many chances to strengthen their brand and use the medium to
proactively shape the debates relevant to their industry.
Coca Cola
The Killer Coke campaign, for example, effectively uses the Internet as
an awareness raising tool and in combination with a range of factors,
e.g. a more health conscious society, is undoubtedly contributing to
damaging Coke’s reputation.
http://killercoke.org/
www.cokewatch.org/
www.freeradicalmedia.com/cocacolaandexploitation.htm
Coke is addressing some of the issues raised by the campaign directly
on its website -
www2.cocacola.com/presscenter/company_statements.html
but is the company doing enough to manage these issues online?
Key lessons for the networked market
5
For a full discussion of the how the Internet is being used by citizens, please refer to
Howard Rheingold’s definitive text The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the
Electronic Frontier, (MIT Press: 1993)
6. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Key lessons for the networked market
2. The networked market means a more complex brand
management challenge
In the networked market, consumers and investors are assessing
brand integrity and consistency more easily and thoroughly than
in the past. People can search the Internet for information about a
company from many sources and can pass on information to each
other informally or through organised viral marketing campaigns.
The challenge of shaping what customers think about a particular
company has never been
more complex.
A recent BP strategy provides an interesting illustration of this point.
BP has embarked on a highly visible multi-channel campaign with
the intention of re-inventing itself as a ‘green’ business. BP’s digital
strategy includes targeting ‘influencers’ within their social networks
by advertising on reuters.com, ft.com, the economist.com, and a
range of other mainstream media sites. In the past, this might have
been enough.
Now, however, it has to consider that these influencers may be
accessing a wide range of divergent views on the company based
on alternative sources of information such as Corporate Watch and
Ethical Corporation Magazine
www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=290
www.ethicalcorp.com/content_list.asp?m=s
www.thecorporation.com/index.php
Consequently, rather than take BP’s green business campaign at
face value, some in BP’s stakeholder community may accuse BP of
“greenwashing”, i.e. trying to cover up perceived environmental
misdeeds or human rights abuses with clever marketing. The same
can be said for GE whose recent investment in green power looks
good on paper and on the web
http://ge.ecomagination.com/@v=03062006_1150@/index.html,
but does not eclipse its poor environmental record as evidenced
by the millions of dollars it has paid in fines for the damage it has
caused over the years.6
In the digital age, past and current mistakes may haunt companies
far into the future making people sceptical of what they perceive to
be empty marketing messages or outright manipulation. This is not
to say companies can’t change, but that trust is difficult to establish
and maintain and is usually based on consistent good behaviour over
sustained periods of time.
Not surprisingly, the green business trend is particularly common now in
the energy sector and relevant companies are using the web as well as
other channels to communicate their environmental objectives:
www.bpalternativenergy.com/liveassets/bp_internet/alternativenergy/
index.html
http://ge.ecomagination.com/@v=02262006_0953@/index.html
www.npower.com/At_home/Juice-clean_and_green/About_Juice.html
6
Joel Bakan, The Corporation, Constable Robinson Ltd, London: 2005. P 75-79.
7. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
2. The Networked Market Means a More Complex Brand
Management Challenge (...continued)
An additional related challenge is the fact that search engines
may direct people to unexpected information sources instantly
undermining carefully crafted reputations and expensive offline
campaigns. Type Proctor Gamble into google.co.uk, and the top
entries condemn the company for its alleged animal rights abuses
urging people to boycott its products.
www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=procter+%26+gamblebtnG=
Google+Searchmeta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB.
In the networked market, what a company says can be contrasted
with what it does and with what ‘independent’ third parties have
to say about it. If these third parties are highly trusted NGOs, a
company’s position can be seriously undermined. In this regard
the campaigns against conflict diamonds run by Global Witness,
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have been
particularly effective eventually leading to the Kimberly Process
(designed to exclude conflict diamonds from legitimate trade) and a
commitment from leading manufacturers like De Beers not to trade
in them.7
www.google.com/search?domains=hrw.orgsitesearch=www.hrw.
orghl=enie=ISO-8859-1q=diamondsGO.x=17GO.y=12,
www.hrw.org/editorials/2000/ken-sl-july.htm
Key lessons for the networked market
Some companies never fully recover their reputations. A high degree of
scepticism greeted Nestle’s recent foray into the fair trade market with
its launch of its fairly traded instant coffee due to its poor track record
which began many years ago when it marketed nutritionally deficient
baby formula in Africa. Bad feelings towards the company are still very
much alive as evidenced by the enduring baby milk campaign and the
recently launched Bodyshop Boycott triggered by L’Oreal’s recent take-
over of this highly regarded ethical business. (L’Oreal is in part-owned
by Nestle).
www.stopanimalcruelty.co.uk/bodyshop/
www.babymilkaction.org/
7
That said, it should be noted that the story does not end with establishing the Kimberly
process – there are still many issues in the diamond trade to be overcome, for more
information see www.diamonds.net/selectednews.asp?list=4
8. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
2. The Networked Market Means a More Complex Brand
Management Challenge (...continued)
Clearly, the best way to protect a brand is to ensure the company
develops values and practices, which it consistently communicates
and upholds both internally and externally. These policies and
practices are the infrastructure of an ethical company. In spite of
the complexities of operating in global markets, people now expect
companies to behave consistently at home and abroad. In the
networked market, people will be able to find out what is going on
in different parts of the world using a range of alternative sources of
information.
Shell is an interesting example in this regard. Although Shell has
had ongoing challenges with its brand integrity8
, it has established
comparatively open communications via its corporate website about
these issues.
www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=royal-enFC2=/royalen/
html/iwgen/environment_and_society/key_issues_and_topics/
zzz_lhn.htmlFC3=/royalen/html/iwgen/environment_and_society/
key_issues_and_topics/dir_issues_and_topics.html
In addition, the company’s close working relationship with reputable
NGOs has to a great extent helped protect its reputation through
difficult times. For example, Shell worked with Transparency
International, a leading NGO in the field of anti-corruption, creating
Business Principles for Countering Bribery helping to enhance Shell’s
credibility with in relation to this important practice area.9
Key lessons for the networked market
3. Cross-sector collaboration is a tool for effective brand
management
Increasingly, NGOs are helping companies develop their ethical
agendas. For companies this can, as in the case of Shell, offer a
kind of brand insurance and protection since NGOs can provide
them with the insights they need into the social, economic and
environmental concerns that their own operations might be
impacting upon. Moreover, as public trust in NGOs is generally
high10
, businesses can benefit from association with them. For many
NGOs, the collaboration can offer a real opportunity to influence
business practices in a new ethical direction and have
a wider impact.
The importance of this cross sector collaboration has also increased
in recent times as the private sector has been drawn into new
practice areas. Public-private partnerships, in which the private sector
organisations play a bigger role in the delivery of public services,
expose business to accountability measures that go beyond the
shareholder community and onto the terrain of public satisfaction
and democratic accountability. Again, NGOs and their wider
social networks can help business to understand and adapt to the
challenges in these areas.11
8
For example over Brentspar, the size of its oil reserves, and its ongoing problems in Nigeria where militants claim its operations continue to contaminate water sources and keep local
people impoverished.
9
www.transparency.org/global_priorities/private_sector/business_principles
10
See www.edelman.com/insights/
11
For example, see www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/livelihoods/unilever.htm for an evaluation of Unilever’s impact on poverty reduction in Indonesia conducted by Oxfam
9. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Vodafone has created a new product
marketing division focusing on products
with a high social value.
3. Cross-sector collaboration is a tool for
effective brand management
The situation moreover, can be a win-win
since cross-sector collaboration is becoming
an increasingly common and effective way to
address some of the world’s most complex
social, environmental and health problems
and there are a growing number of examples
of such partnerships. An interesting one is
Pfizer’s partnership with the Edna McConnell
Clark Foundation to address the devastating
effects of the eye disease trachoma. The
Clark Foundation had spent 25 years funding
research and through its partnership with
Pfizer had an opportunity to leverage this
experience and see its research applied
in affected communities. For Pfizer the
partnership provided the opportunity to put
its value of providing care to those in need in
action. Together they’ve been able to make a
greater impact than either of them could have
achieved on their own.12
4. Launching ethical products and/or
creating social product marketing
divisions is a further possible response
Increasingly, not only are the boundaries
between the sectors becoming less clear, but
new approaches within organisations are
emerging too. Vodafone, for example, has
created a new product marketing division
focusing on products with a high social value.
While there may be clear business benefits for
Vodafone to design products for people,
in this case, with disabilities, it can also be
argued that these customer segments can
benefit from greater access to the modern
communication tools that Vodafone provides.
However, Vodafone cannot build good
reputation and social value in one area of
its operations alone. An equally pertinent
question for Vodafone, given its new direction,
is how it then deals with the brand consistency
issues relating to some of its other product
categories such as adult content. In this
regard, its child protection policies are vitally
important and provide necessary back up to
its ethical positioning and new social product
division.
http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/
Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_
nfpb=true_pageLabel=Page_BOS_
MainContentpageID=AV_0043
Key lessons for the networked market
12
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=1731t=nonprofit
10. Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
5. Smart companies use interactive applications to build
stakeholder engagement and improve market intelligence
Being responsive to people’s needs is obviously a great way to
extend good will as well as develop new business opportunities.
In practice, this means being in touch with your target audiences
through stakeholder research and other proactive engagement
strategies.
Of course, for many industries (e.g. mining, energy,
telecommunications), ongoing stakeholder engagement is the key to
retaining a license to operate and potentially to securing competitor
advantage. In short, it is simply good business. But what was
previously only seen as good business for some is now good business
for all and companies should continuously develop their relationships
with key stakeholders.
In this regard, digital channels are ideal instruments. Due to their
‘2-way’ capabilities, they can easily be used to build relationships
and gather important market intelligence. For example, targeted
opt-in subscription services (e.g. email newsletters, mobile alerts)
can keep stakeholders up to date on the availability of information
they are seeking, while online surveys can be used to inform content
strategies and validate designs to ensure positive and credible brand
experiences are provided online. Extensive use of feedback forms,
product reviews, and other interactive features including discussion
forums, polls, ratings, and referrals are mechanisms companies can
use to build both a sense of community online but also a sense of
shared ownership, commitment and brand loyalty. If people are
happy with what a company has to offer they will use their digital
social networks to spread the word.
Key lessons for the networked market
Several years ago, in response to concerns about its lack of transparency
and possible involvement in human rights abuses, particularly in Nigeria,
Shell launched an online forum, ‘Tell Shell’ to enable its stakeholders to
communicate with each other and with Shell about issues of concern.
Digital technology has helped transform people from passive receivers
of information to content creators and internet users generally expect
to be able to have their say. Having this functionality communicated a
great message about Shell’s new openness and offered the company
new sources of information about its own business and its impact
on others.
Engagement and Improve Market Intelligence Although the ‘Tell Shell’
strategy is currently being reworked, other companies can benefit
from the lessons learned. Indeed the time may now have come for
major companies to consider more structured approaches to online
stakeholder engagement including moderated online events and
consultations, giving people online access to key decision makers which
in turn can help inform company strategy and, potentially, new product
development.
To view the Tell Shell archive visit:
www.shell.com/home/tellshellen/html/iwgen/tell_shell/app_frame_
tellshell.html
11. 10 Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Key lessons for the networked market
If you work in a controversial sector, why not try to help shape and
stimulate debate by hosting topical forums on your site? The French
nuclear energy company Areva provides expert views on topical energy
issues from their own company as well as other organisations. They also
invite interested stakeholders to register to join their discussion forums.
This enables them to use the digital channel to develop relationships
and gain insights without having everything played out in public. By
publishing summaries of these discussions they could take this process
a step further providing a greater degree of transparency while creating
interesting content for their site.
www.areva.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=arevagroup_en%2F
Opinion%2FOpinionFullTemplatecid=1052727346067theme=1052
727345296
6. Success requires a focus on content
Taking full advantage of the new opportunities while managing
the new risks to corporate brands requires effort and ongoing
investment. Many companies launch their corporate websites
and then leave their content to stagnate. However, people expect
dynamic and interactive content on the web and a digital media
savvy approach is required if companies really want to extract value
from their corporate web sites. Moreover, research suggests that if
companies proactively use their web sites to deal with challenging
issues, they can potentially minimise reputational damage as most
people will seek to validate negative information by visiting a
company’s website.13
Given the exponential impact email forwarding can have, use opt-in
email newsletters or SMS alerts to communicate on an ongoing
basis and not just during times of crisis is highly recommended.
In addition, dynamic, accessible and topical content capturing the
hearts and minds of stakeholders is essential on digital channels,
especially for non-transactional sites, as people not only need to be
able to find what they are looking for, but also to have a reason to
come back.
13
“Online Corporate Reputation and Crisis Management”, The Wirthlin Report, V.13,
No. 1, 02 2004, p3.9.
12. 11 Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
6. Success requires a focus on content
An editorial strategy should be developed and suitable resources
allocated. It is not enough though to reproduce printed materials
online. The real power of the web is through digital storytelling.
That means providing contextual links, cross-referencing to relevant
external sources, and the appropriate use of interactivity
and multi-media.
Most companies have vast amounts of interesting and relevant
content buried too deeply inside their corporate web sites for
anyone to take notice of it. However, with the right approach, it can
quite easily be adapted and enriched for the online environment.
That said, ideally content should be created on a bespoke basis with
the unique features of digital channels in mind.
Most companies miss the opportunity to give their perspective
on controversial issues in spite of the fact that many people go to
corporate websites to find out about corporate positions on the key
issues. British American Tobacco is an exception in this regard:
www.bat.com/oneweb/sites/uk__3mnfen.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO6
HADSB?opendocumentSID=DTC=TMP=1
Large companies need to devise responsible content and editorial
strategies that will reinforce brand integrity and transparency and
help build trust. Efforts should be made to demystify the company
and its activities within its industry sector (including lobbying) to
facilitate a broader understanding of its public policy positions.
Explaining the way the business works in an open and transparent
manner will bring rewards in terms of brand integrity. Inclusion of
the perspectives of consumers, local communities and independent
third parties will further enhance transparency and credibility.
Key lessons for the networked market
14
The Global Reporting Initiative, for example, is aiming to standadise reporting:
www.globalreporting.org/
This process is beginning to happen. CSR reporting online is on the
increase. Indeed some companies including Rio Tinto and GSK only
report online. It is therefore vitally important to make the most of the
online medium by providing frequent updates relating to progress on
key issues. Reporting is an area where forward-thinking businesses can
break new ground. In the digital age, reporting need not and should
not be an annual event. Moreover companies should consider providing
their report information in more engaging and interactive formats. All
the effort that goes into reporting to expert audiences can be leveraged
to enhance corporate reputations with the right editorial approach for
more general users.
In addition, to give the report greater substance and make comparisons
easier, clear targets should be established and reported against on a
sector wide basis.14
CSR reporting online is on the increase.
Indeed some companies including Rio
Tinto and GSK only report online.
13. 12 Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
7. Your brand values need to be embedded in the search engine marketplace
Search engines, however imperfect, are still the most widely used tools people use to find
information online. It is therefore important to understand how to create content and code to
optimise your search engine results.
In addition, basing promotion and content strategies on how people actually search for
information will help make them more effective. So in addition to monitoring search engines
for ‘sabotage’ as with the PG example sited earlier, it is important for a business to identify
the subjects and key words it wants to be associated with and to align itself accordingly. This
alignment can then be strengthened through the provision of balanced editorial content online
and other relevant online resources.
If, for example, a company can legitimately claim to help a certain condition or provide
substantial relevant online information resources in relation to it, then it can optimise for high
rankings or even purchase sponsored links for the most commonly used related search terms.
Such efforts can be extended to social marketing campaigns and other sponsorship activities
that can be advertised on search engines and other high traffic media sites as a means of raising
public awareness about issues as well as company profile.
www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=c
lean+%2B+coalbtnG=Google+Search
meta=
www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=fai
r+%2B+tradebtnG=Searchmeta=
Key lessons for the networked market
14. 13 Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Conclusions and forward looking principles
In the networked market, companies need to move away from simply ‘managing’ perceptions
and reputations and actually ensure their values, actions, and indeed core product offers are in
alignment with their ethical positioning. It is pointless developing great policies unless they are
going to be consistently implemented. Because today, people will use their digitally enhanced
social networks to speak out and potentially take action against your company.
The best defence is to make good products, provide good services, and behave consistently in
an ethical and responsible manner while using new media to bring the full range of stakeholders
into what is in effect an extended version of the enterprise. You can then employ someone to
evangelise on your behalf without being accused of hypocrisy. Moreover, your customers will
become your advocates and do the job of selling for you.
Getting there is a challenge but one most companies can meet if they stick to the following
principles developed by View:
Principle 1: Practice responsible communications
In the networked market, your stakeholders can cross check information from many sources.
Whenever possible, your company should address controversial issues proactively and holistically.
Don’t be afraid to include the perspectives of your critics. Moreover, independent evaluations
should be conducted for all community engagement and environmental programmes to ensure
that positive claims are credibly validated. Ideally, these trusted third parties should also help you
set meaningful targets. Finally, always include testimonials from your intended beneficiaries; don’t
just use their pictures. You do not want to be accused of mis-appropriating their images.
Principle 2. Communicate to the highest common denominator
Keep ethical consumers, activists and discerning prospective employees in mind when devising
communications strategies. These influencers are the people who will cause your business the
most damage in the new environment, so make sure you understand and cater to their needs
and expectations. Market awareness of ethical issues is on the increase and you need to position
yourself accordingly. You will also be seen to be helping to develop the ethical market if you take
the lead.
Principle 3: Meaningfully engage with stakeholders
In order to understand the needs of key stakeholders and influencers, leverage the potential
of digital channels to develop relationships and gather market insights. Conduct regular online
surveys and face to face interviews to ensure that your strategies are effective otherwise your
online investment may be wasted. It is equally important to invest in tools (e.g. subscription
services, editorial content, discussion forums) that will help you build relationships with
stakeholders based on their information requirements as well as your need to get your
perspective across to them.
Robert Scoble, for example, has
done a great job blogging for
Microsoft but his impact would be
even greater if his employer had
fewer anti-competitive lawsuits in
the courts, that is greater
brand integrity.
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/
15. 14 Nowhere to hide - Sustaining trust in the digital age
Principle 4: Make sure your digital communications objectives are joined up with your
broader corporate strategy.
Due to the inherent challenges of managing brand consistency in the networked market, it is
essential that company departments work together effectively. That means integrating CSR into
digital communications and core business strategies. It is essential to have a good infrastructure
in place to ensure you have positive and credible stories to communicate.
Principle 5: Invest appropriately in your digital strategy and use channels to their
full potential
Digital tools are incredibly powerful, are evolving rapidly, and enjoying increasing uptake and
penetration. Digital strategies therefore need to befluid and responsive to evolving stakeholder
expectations and new technological developments that can enhance communications and
support your business objectives. It is therefore essential for you to monitor developments and
trends to ensure you are making the most of the potential of digital channels and investing
accordingly. The internet has a key role to play in shaping as well as managing your corporate
reputation, in the digital age you cannot afford to ignore it or let your strategy stagnate.
Conclusions and forward looking principles