DIRECTIONS

SUPPLEMENT
october /
november 09

Still feeling
that social media
is an alien planet?
It’s time to join
the conversation
 Social media – OMG* it’s so hard and so not corporate!
Without question, digital technologies and now social media
have radically changed the way we operate and communicate as
businesses, corporations, families and friends. The capacity to talk
and share online in real time is amplified by social media. What social
media has provided us with is the ability to share our message and
connect with audiences much more than before and with more visible
Mel McVeigh
Head of Digital results. More importantly, in today’s climate, it gives equal voice to
mmcveigh@salterbaxter.com your customers, consumers, critics and competitors.

Communicating, sharing, learning, But social media is so much more than

collaborating and participating are natural
human traits. Obvious, non? It’s because we
all love to talk, share and be part of a network.
We all thrive when these activities are in place;
we learn, adapt, innovate and improve. A key
outcome of this is that we tend to trust what
our network shares with us rather than a piece
of communication, advertising or promotion.
Think about your own experiences as a
consumer; friends, family and peers have
often recommended products and services
that you remember, value and engage with.
The companies that listen to you, include you
in the process and respond to your feedback,
ultimately keep you as a valued and repeat
customer. As a customer, a consumer, or
an employee you want to be part of the
process as it contributes to a more enriching
experience and one that’s more real and
relevant to you.
So if, as individuals, we thrive in these
networks, why are so many companies
cautious and resistant to embracing this
way of communicating?
At salterbaxter, we have a lot of conversations
with our clients and our peers who tell us
that social media doesn’t or won’t work for
the corporate sector. The mantra is that it is
not appropriate to embrace social media in a
corporate context. ‘Facebook is banned’ and
‘we don’t have access to YouTube’. Many fear
how this approach would work within existing
company culture. Marketing teams know they
can’t ignore it but don’t know where to start.
And some who do embrace social media
then wonder why it doesn’t work, when they
broadcast the same old messages via these
channels rather than recognising that they
are part of a network.
Facebook and YouTube. It is now an integral
part of the communications media mix.
Digital and social platforms are increasingly
the predominant way that messages
and communications are absorbed.
We would argue that social media technologies
are useful tools, and when used in the right
context, help organisations to innovate and
participate in conversations that engage
stakeholders and keep your customers happy
– so ultimately support shareholder value.
But engagement in social media and networking
needs consideration like any other engagement
strategy. Companies need to determine what
the right channels and networks are for
them and their communities and how best
to provide value.
We recognise that in some cases there are
barriers to overcome and you are not alone.
But it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
Does it really work? We think so, and to
illustrate the point we are highlighting some
companies who are finding real value in
communicating, collaborating and sharing
using social media.
Follow us on twitter
@salterbaxter
Read our recent Directions reports and supplements
on Slideshare – http://www.slideshare.net/salterbaxter
Check out our latest photos
on Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/salterbaxter

* Just in case... OMG = Oh My God

Directions Supplement
October / November 09

Corporates using social platforms as

a way of engaging their communities
It’s early days, but we expect to see more companies integrating
social media with traditional online communications over the
next 12 months. These examples show companies that are
successfully embracing social media.

Corporate websites
ASDA Corporate website
http://your.asda.com/
Is this the future of corporate websites? They
certainly don’t need to be static or conventional
reporting channels. This social platform for
ASDA is a great example of a strategy to
regularly communicate to their core audience.
What is so great about it? ASDA haven’t
siloed their social media activity from their
existing communications, but have created
an integrated experience.

Other corporate websites integrating

social media:
International Hotel Group http://www.ihgplc.com/

Corporate responsibility
FedEx Citizenship blog
http://citizenshipblog.fedex.designcdt.com/
If you are looking to engage your audience frequently, then
25%
of search results for the
reporting on your sustainability programme every 12 to 18 months world’s top 20 largest
with old data will not meet that business requirement. Create a brands are links to user
platform that is scalable and flexible to handle frequently updated generated content.
content from various sources and then share them across the web
and other social networks like YouTube.
What’s so good about that? It gives people a reason to keep coming
back. FedEx’s citizenship blog is frequently updated – every week.
There is an active community who share, comment and feedback
as well as a loyal audience of repeat visitors. A great and consistent
way of sharing your stories, performance and activity.

More corporate responsibility websites exploiting social networking

and content:
Gap inc http://www.gapinc.com/socialresponsibility/
The Guardian Newspaper http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainability
Networks & forums
American Express
http://www.openforum.com/
Representing your company is not all about sending out
messages promoting products and services. Drive value by
providing services that make your customers jobs and lives easier.
This creates a more positive and continuous customer experience.
Open Forum highlights relevant information, encouraging browsing
through the site. Engaging with content across a variety of issues
and problems to inspire and inform the business community.

Other great networks and forums:

Centrica http://www.centrica.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=
58&blogger=simonhenderson
HSBC http://network.hsbc.co.uk/category/Forums/3

Campaign for change

Marks & Spencer (UK)
http://plana.marksandspencer.com/
Communicate with a campaign mindset. Get your employees involved and promote
all the good activity out there. Imagine the impact and influence we could have with
regards to company issues if we engaged people in solving them.
Marks & Spencer’s Plan A campaign shows that companies can be open and
work with partners and communities to drive as well as promote real change.

More great campaigns for change:

CSR campaign by Liberty Mutual (us) http://www.responsibilityproject.com/
Co-operative Bank (uk) http://blog.goodwithmoney.co.uk/topics/campaigns/
Co-operative Bank (UK) http://www.co-operativecampaigns.co.uk/toxicfuels/

Online conversations happen beyond the boundaries

of your website. Are you part of the conversation?
Conversations are happening in many places across the internet. Are
you aware of where your company is being discussed and debated?
And if you want to engage your users and stakeholders do you need
to join the existing conversation rather than creating your own?

Don’t communicate with everyone in the same way

Timberland Sustainability
www.timberland.com/earthkeepers/index.jsp
http://www.timberland.com/corp/index.jsp?page=csr_strategy
www.timberland.justmeans.com/
Effective communications should be targeted to each of your stakeholder
audiences. Engaging youth culture is vastly different to engaging corporate
CR professionals. Should you communicate with them through the same
channel? Not necessarily, you could publish in multiple sources specific to
that audience.
The benefit of such an approach is your capacity to tailor your
communications and also exploit social mediums used specifically by close
stakeholder groups.
Other companies spreading their message:
Nestle http://www.nestle.com/csv, http://www.youtube.com/user/NestleCSV

1.5m
pieces of content – links
to news stories, blog posts,
notes, photos – are shared
on Facebook every day.
Content first, platform second
The Fun Theory by Volkswagen
34%
of bloggers post
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw opinions about
products and brands.
If the web is a mass of conversations, make something
worth talking about. Engaging content – think viral. Who
is going to share a boring report or come back to a website
that is never updated? What value does it have? Who
would be interested in sharing and discussing it? Create
content and services worth passing on. Make it easy for
your stakeholders and your fans to spread the word.
Volkswagen’s fun theory received 1.2 million+ views in
the first four days.
The best of the best
Ford and social media
http://www.thefordstory.com/
Who is doing it best? Discussed in many social media
channels and for good reason, Ford has an integrated view
of the importance of social media across all their user and
stakeholder groups from customers and fans to employees
and stakeholders. The same frameworks apply and with
measureable success. As of March 2009, Ford is mentioned
on average in 12 million blogs compared with Chrysler
averaging less than half at around 5 million*. Even better,
there is also a site that aggregates all their activity so
you can see where they have a social media presence.
Read in more detail about their statistics and impact:
*http://mashable.com/2009/05/18/ford-social-media/
http://www.socialmedia.org/blog/social-media-case-study-
from-scott-monty-of-ford/
Videos worth watching
In the interests of sharing, here are some 100 Greatest hits of YouTube in 4 minutes
videos that we’ve seen over the last couple http://www.youtube.com/
of months that have made us sit up, take watch?v=BudhFVnN2o0
notice and occasionally smile. And one more, just for fun. How many have
you been sent via email?
Social media revolution?
http://www.youtube.com/ A different ending
watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8 http://www.youtube.com/
Still think it’s a fad? watch?v=JFVkzYDNJqo
Not for profit campaign to prevent knife
Did you know 4.0 crime in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com
watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8 Crisis of Credit
Want to know about the latest shifts http://www.crisisofcredit.com/
in behaviour? Want to understand the credit crisis better
and how it all started?
Wake up freak out and get a grip
http://wakeupfreakout.org/film/tipping.html
A great video on the impacts of climate change.
Know your meme
http://knowyourmeme.com/
Fantastic site explaining the logic behind
all the latest fads.
 About us
Contact:
Louise Dudley-Williams
Salterbaxter advises companies
ldudley-williams@salterbaxter.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7229 5720
on strategy, branding, corporate
Emily Measor communications and design.
emeasor@salterbaxter.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7229 5720

We name companies, re-invent companies, re-position

companies and re-brand companies.
About Directions We help companies communicate with shareholders and
Directions is a series of their employees and we advise them on how to address
research and insight pieces corporate responsibility. We create brands, complete
covering the full range of
corporate communications
company communications programmes and global
issues. These supplements guidelines. We design, build and manage websites,
support the main annual
Directions report which
e-commerce sites and all things interactive. We develop
focuses on corporate climate change campaigns and bring sustainability to life.
responsibility. If you’d like
to contribute please get
in touch.
In short we apply strategic and creative thinking to the
directions@salterbaxter.com
full range of corporate communications issues.

Our clients are extremely varied and include FTSE 100 and
Euro 100 companies; some of the world’s most exclusive
brands; independent, entrepreneurial businesses; world
leading educational establishments; law firms; private
equity firms and media companies.

We have a range of strategies, tools and services that can

help companies develop effective approaches to social
202 Kensington Church Street
London W8 4DP
media and all things digital – we’d love to share these
Tel +44 (0)20 7229 5720 with you, so please get in touch.
Fax +44 (0)20 7229 5721
www.salterbaxter.com

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