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CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA STUDY
HOW ASIAN COMPANIES ARE
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS ONLINE
October 2010
Burson-Marsteller Asia-Pacific
burson-marsteller.asia
Burson·Marsteller
TABlf Of (ONHNT)
Introduction 4
Executive Summary 5
Methodology 6
Corporate Use of Social Media 7
Microblogs 13
Social Networks 15
Corporate Slogs 17
Video Sharing Channels 19
Use of Social Media by Country 21
Australia 22
China 23
Hong Kong 24
India 25
Indonesia 26
Japan 27
Malaysia 28
Philippines 29
Singapore 30
South Korea 31
Taiwan 32
Thailand 33
Approach to Corporate Social Media 34
Company-Country Index 38
Further Reading 39
Acknowledgements & Contacts 40
This report focuses on the use of top social media platforms by Asia's leading companies (as listed in
the Wall Street Journal's Asia 200 Index), specifically their use of social networks, corporate blogs,
microblogs and video sharing channels for global and domestic corporate marketing and
communications.
It is clear that top companies across Asia-Pacific are some way behind their western peers in this area.
Few companies are approaching this area strategically; most appear largely driven by short-term
marketing considerations, or are hampered by concerns about resourcing, cost or lack of control.
It is perhaps no accident that top Asian companies most aggressively using social media tend to be
those most focused on international expansion. As Asian firms turn ever more aggressively to foreign
markets, they require deep knowledge and insight into local customer and opinion-former needs,
expectations and behaviours. They are likely to have to fight harder for recognition and acceptance.
Social media is no sideshow - it is a fully mainstream activity that dominates media consumption in
many markets. Indeed, for most young people, it is a way of life. To take full advantage of this trend,
top Asian companies have no option but to make social media a core component of their marketing and
communications, both at home and abroad.
This report is the first in a series that will chart their progress. We hope you find it interesting and
useful.
Sincerely,
fd
Bob Pickard
President & CEO
Burson-Marsteller (Asia-Pacific)
Email: bob.pickard@bm.com
Twitter: @bobpickard
fXfCUTIVf ~UMMARY
Top Asian companies have been slow to set up and use branded social media channels
• Asian companies are significantly lagging their international peers in their use of
social media for corporate marketing purposes. 40% of Asia's top companies are
using dedicated branded social media channels, compared to 79% of leading
global firms 1 .
• This reluctance can be explained by a variety of factors, including concern that social
media results in a loss of control of messaging, timing and content, and has largely
unknown ramifications in terms of skills, resources and budgets.
• Of those Asian companies with branded social media profiles, some 55% of these
profiles are inactive, suggesting that most Asian companies remain unsure how to
use these channels.
• The high percentage of inactive accounts may also be explained by the short-term
nature of consumer marketing. Companies more focused on building their corporate
reputation over the long-term are much less likely to set up and then abandon their
social media channels.
• On average, only 18% of companies surveyed are promoting or have integrated their
branded social media channels on their website homepage, implying that they are
deliberately testing social media independently of their 'core' online channels.
Companies are focused on pushing information, rather than engaging with users
• Of the channels covered by this study, social networks are arguably the most
intuitively conversational. However, while social networks are the most popular social
media channels in Asia, they are used principally for consumer marketing purposes -
their use for corporate activities is secondary in most instances.
• Only 8% of leading companies in Asia have set up dedicated channels on top video
sharing channels such as YouTube, Youku in China or Nico Nico Douga in Japan. This
compares to 50% of global companies using such channels.
• The high volume of user views of existing branded video sharing channels suggests
that companies are missing a significant opportunity to engage users by not providing
structured access to online video and multimedia.
METHODOLOGY
This study assesses corporate marketing activity on top social media channels by 120 of
Asia's leading companies. Companies were selected from the Wall Street Journal Asia
200 Index ranking Asia's leading companies, as determined by executives and
professionals across Asia-Pacific. The top 10 companies were selected per country. A full
list of companies surveyed is available on page 38 of this study. The countries included
Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Social media analysed were the top social networks, microblogs, video sharing and
corporate blogging platforms per country - the latter either website-based or
integrated with third-party channels. Accounts were considered 'active' if they had at
least one post by the company between July 1-31, 2010.
Data was collected between July 2010 and September 2010 by Buron-Marsteller
Asia-Pacific's digital and research teams.
6 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
(ORPORAH U~f O~ ~O(IAl MmlA
Social media is mainstream. Asians are enthusiastic users of social networks, whether of
international platforms such as Facebook or local services such as Renren in China, Orkut in
India or South Korea's CyWorid. Indonesia, the Philippines and India now rank in Facebook's
top 10 markets".
Microblogging rates are exploding, not least in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where
Twitter is recording some of its heaviest user volumes worldwide. Online video is also
grabbing share of mind. Japanese Internet users spent nearly 17 hours a month watching
videos, while their counterparts in Hong Kong and Singapore recorded 12.7 hours and lOA
hours respectiveli.
Further, Asians are not just passive consumers of web-based content but are active
contributors. In China alone, there are over 221 million bloggers 3 • And the Chinese rank
amongst the most active creators of online social content, far outstripping most western
markets4 .
1. CheckFacebook.com
2. com Score Video Metrix, July 2010
3. China Internet Network Information Centre, December 2009
4. Forrester Research, September 2009
8 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
On the f1ipside, organizations are concerned that social media outreach result in a loss of
control of messaging, timing and content (in short, their reputation), and has largely
unknown ramifications in terms of skills, resources and budgets. It can also be difficult to
quantify its value.
This study shows that Asia's top companies have been hesitant to set up and use branded
channels on top local and international social media platforms for corporate marketing
and communications. Sixty percent of companies surveyed have no branded presence.
With few exceptions, they are significantly lagging their international peers in this area -
according to Burson-Marsteller's Fortune Global 100 Social Media Check-Up study
(February 2010), 79% of Fortune 100 companies have at least one 'owned' or branded
social media channel. By contrast, only 40% of Asian companies have an equivalent
branded social media channel. (See Figure 1.)
In Asia, social networks are the preferred social media platform for corporate marketing
and communications purposes, with almost a quarter of companies surveyed using a
global (eg. Facebook) or local (eg. Renren in China) social network.
The study also finds that, unlike their global peers, top Asian companies appear less
enamoured of microblogs, with only 18% of companies using these for corporate
purposes (as opposed to 65% of global companies). Corporate blogs (12%) and video
sharing platforms (8%) are even less popular with leading Asian firms. (See Figure 2.)
However, this masks considerable differences in approach across the Asia-Pacific region.
Companies in South Korea are much more actively using social media, especially social
networks and corporate blogs. By contrast, leading companies in the Philippines,
Singapore and Taiwan are barely using social media at all for corporate marketing and
communications. (See Figure 3.)
All Channels
Three Channels \ S%
3% \
Data was collected between July 2010 and September 2010 among the Wall Street journal Asia 200 companies. Top 10 companies from
12 countries in Asia-Pacific were selected. Total sample size = 120 companies.
20%
Thailand
Taiwan
South Korea
Singapore
Philippines
Malaysia
Japan
Indonesia
India
Hong Kong
China
Australia
10 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Inactive accounts
The study also finds that 55% of branded social media channels surveyed are inactive.
These have either been registered and are being saved for future use, used only privately,
or have been used and abandoned. Others are apparently being 'squatted' by third parties,
presumably looking to cash in at a later date, or perhaps use the channel for negative
purposes. Some were not updated during the study research period. (See Figure 4.)
The high percentage of inactive accounts may also be explained by the relatively
short-term nature of most consumer marketing. Social media, not least the management
of branded channels, requires long-term commitment, resources, budget and clear
ownership. Companies more focused on building their corporate reputation over the
long-term are much less likely to set up and then abandon their social media channels - a
strong case for the PR department to be closely involved in the ongoing management of
these channels.
The high percentage of inactive accounts strongly suggests that many companies have yet
to figure out how to use these channels - in isolation, or as part of a broader social media
or multi-channel communications strategy.
Lack of integration
Very few (18%) of companies surveyed are actively promoting their branded social media
channels on their website homepages, or through other online channels.
The multi-disciplinary nature of many branded social media channels, which often support
a mix of communications, marketing, sales, customer service and other activities, means
they work best when closely aligned and integrated with other business functions and
channels - both online and offline.
20%
9%
Inactive accounts refer to accounts with no activity from July 1-31, 2010.
The majority of companies covered by this study are from four industries: technology
(consumer and 828), telecommunications, consumer goods (including retail and tobacco)
and financial services. The study finds that companies in these industry sectors are using
social media quite differently, according to their respective sectors.
Technology companies are the most enthusiastic users of social media for corporate
marketing and communications, closely followed by telecommunications firms. The
majority of companies in both sectors are using microblogs and social networks, while at
least a third of these firms are using multiple channels. (See Figure 5.)
Online video channels are being used to a greater degree by Asia's top technology and
telecommunications firms - perhaps as they have a vested interest in being seen to walk
the data and social media talk.
Conversely, consumer goods and financial services companies across the region are
hardly using social media, at least for corporate marketing purposes. Perhaps
unsurprisingly, given that firms in these sectors are primarily focused on consumer
marketing, the most popular channels are social networks, through which some
corporate messages are also being communicated.
60%
33%
T his study finds that top companies across Asia-Pacific use microblogs less than
they use social networks. Only 18% of companies use microblogs for corporate
purposes, as opposed to 6S% of global companies.
This is likely in part to be due to the late consumer adoption of microblogs in the region,
relative to the u.s. and Europe. While the English-language version of Twitter has led the
way across Asia-Pacific, local language versions of the platform tended only to emerge
later. Equally, locally-grown microblog services such as Sina Weibo in China (where Twitter
is blocked) or Ameba Now in Japan have only recently started to gain real traction.
South Korean companies are taking the lead in using microblogs for corporate purposes,
posting much more actively than their peers in other Asian markets. Companies in Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan and India - all markets with significant numbers of Twitter users-
are also posting more actively to their microblog channels.
On the other hand, top companies in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines are opting
not to use micro-blogs for corporate marketing purposes, largely due to their focus on
consumer marketing on these channels.
Across the region, companies are having mixed success in terms of attracting and
engaging with their audiences. While Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Indonesian
firms are gaining relatively high numbers offollowers, companies in Australia, Hong Kong
and Thailand are having less success. Companies in South Korea and Indonesia are putting
more effort into engaging with their audiences on microblog platforms, evidenced by the
number of responses they are making to their followers.
Yet only in China and South Korea, countries with deep cultures of sharing content, are
there significant numbers of mentions and reposts of company information and views,
often viewed as a measure of a company's success in engaging and activating their
audiences on microblog channels. Companies prefer to focus on corporate social
responsibility initiatives on microblogs, with some evidence of broader media and
influencer relations activity.
1513
128
43
12
Australia China HongKong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand
Average number of posts from July 1-31, 2010.
··_·
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. . .·····
-
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• I -
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• • •
- -.
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.
-
.
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-
'"'"
.:-. Main Focus of
Microblog
Corporate
Reputation &
Australia 1297 123 28 28 1
Responsibility,
Recruitment
Corporate
China 27892 388 3126 18 899 Reputation &
Responsibility
Corporate
Hong Kong 2809 329 69 4 0 Reputation &
Responsibility
Corporate
India 4349 231 76 7 12 Reputation &
Responsibility
Corporate
Indonesia 6366 460 7 121 11 Reputation &
Responsibility
Corporate
Reputation &
Japan 10147 9998 64 73 26 Responsibility,
Marketing
Campaigns
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Corporate
Reputation &
Responsibility,
South Korea 9187 3784 1568 637 573
Media & Influencer
Relations, Marketing
Campaigns
Taiwan
Corporate
Thailand 1578 1547 0 5 0 Reputation &
Responsibility
14 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
SOCIAl NnWORK~
S ocial networks are Asian companies' preferred social media platforms for
corporate marketing and communications, with almost a quarter of companies
surveyed using a top global or local social network.
Equally, the study finds that top companies in South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia tend to
be more active in communicating with their corporate audiences in terms of the average
number of posts they are making to their branded channels. Despite their open-ended
and conversational nature, top companies across the region prefer to view social
networks primarily as channels to distribute content. True engagement involving
two-way dialogue, as measured by the average number of fan posts and average number
of corporate responses to their fans/followers, remains limited.
Aside from consumer marketing campaigns, which form the focus of many companies'
use of social networks, the preferred topics for corporate marketing tend to be related to
corporate social responsibility, alongside some broader media relations/outreach
activities and, in isolated cases, use of social networks for issues and crisis
communication.
Meanwhile, despite enthusiastic use of social media by consumers and netizens in China
and Japan, firms in these countries do not use social networks for corporate purposes. In
China, this is likely to be due to the number of large, state-owned firms included in this
survey, which tend to have less incentive to talk directly with their customers, even if they
are in relatively competitive consumer environments.
On the other hand, despite being largely consumer-facing, Japanese companies are not
using social networks for corporate marketing, even if they are using them, sometimes
extensively, for consumer marketing.
80
Australia china Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand
•••.-':-."-'
• .
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... "
•
-
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--:-.,
••
.
.• .
'.
t.
...
't
,
•
-
Main Focus of the
Social Networks
Corporate Reputation
Australia 22621 50 53 5
& Responsibility
China
Japan
Corporate Reputation
Malaysia 42496 26 111 4 & Responsibility
Philippines 662 2 o 4 Marketing Campaigns
Corporate Reputation
Singapore 19S79 14S8 1647 3.7
& Responsibility
Corporate Reputation
& Responsibility,
South Korea 8421 15 31 3.8
Media & Influencer
Relations
Taiwan
Corporate Reputation
Thailand 67 25 36 4
& Responsibility
Tonality is weighed on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the most negative and 5 the most positive.
F
ew leading Asian companies are using blogs for corporate marketing and
communications, activity being limited principally to firms in South Korea, China
and India, though a few companies in Japan, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines
and Thailand are also blogging.
Many of these blogs are not proactively maintained, though companies in Japan, South
Korea and the Philippines are making a greater effort to update these channels on a
regular basis, sometimes posting content several times a day.
Generally speaking, companies updating their blogs more frequently also see greater
interaction with their users. This is particularly true of South Korea and China, where
corporate blogs attract a high volume of user comments.
In Japan, where corporate blogs are widely used by companies of all sizes, levels of user
interaction tend to be lower. This may be explained by the reluctance of Japanese
enterprises and people to get involved in public conversations, or to question something
openly.
It is also notable that many Japanese firms prefer to use blog platforms principally to
distribute messages and content - the ability for users to post comments is sometimes
limited or turned off.
Similar to other social media channels, companies are using them chiefly to talk about
corporate social responsibility-related topics. There appears little evidence of companies
using blogs to extend and deepen their media and influencer relations, for CEO/leadership
communications and other corporate activities.
100
Australia China HongKong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand
Australia
Indonesia
Malaysia
Stakeholder Relations,
Philippines 0 0 Media & Influencer
Relations
Singapore
Corporate Reputation &
South Korea 588 3.8 Responsibility, Media &
Influencer Relations
Taiwan
Corporate Reputation &
Thailand 0 0 Responsibility,
Marketing Campaigns
Tonality is weighed on a scale of 1-5. with 1 being the most negative and 5 the most positive.
F
ew top companies across Asia-Pacific are using online video to enhance their
corporate communications; official video sharing channels for corporate
marketing and communications are less popular than social networks,
microblogs and corporate blogs.
The survey (Figure 9) shows that companies in India and Japan are most proactive in terms
of the number of videos they are uploading - around one per working day. Elsewhere,
adding content is much less frequent, and often depends on the archived materials
available.
For now, corporate video channels are mostly failing to attract significant numbers of
subscribers/followers. However, the total average volume of video views per channel is
over 90,000, and notably higher in Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan,
confirming the popularity of video from a user perspective and suggesting that
companies are failing to exploit opportunities to bring their stories to life using video (as
well as other multimedia formats).
However, dialogue on video channels remains limited in all countries. Watching video,
even online, is ostensibly a 'lean back' activity. And some companies prefer to limit the
ability for users to comment on their video channels.
In addition to product marketing, companies are using online video channels to talk about
their corporate social responsibility activities, to interview senior management and relay
corporate events and announcements; some companies are also using video to support
their crisis and issues communications.
Few companies are using video for media and influencer relations, CEO/leadership
communications or corporate recruitment marketing, at least in any systematic manner.
17
Australia China Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand
20 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Stephanie Aye
AUSTRAliA
While Australians tend to be somewhat conservative by
nature, and are not natural contributors to online
communities or creators of online content', consumer
• 30%
• Active Accounts
Lead Digital Strategist
Email: stephanie.aye@bm.com
Twitter: @steph_aye
_Inactive Accounts
22 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
. .-.... . Zaheer Nooruddin
Director, Lead Digital Strategist
.J
Another issue to keep in mind is that Twitter, Facebook
... __
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-_.... . .~~~~
.. '._ _-_
--_._----_
_-""_..
- ..
'
...... ..
and YouTube are blocked in mainland China.
Accordingly, global campaigns built for those
platforms must be re-strategized, translated into
Source: http://blog.sina.com.cnlcmrililbs
Chinese and re-posted or re-created on China's
China Mobile regularly provides corporate news and dominant social media platforms. China's social media
updates, and comments on telecommunications industry
platforms are conceptually similar to major
trends through its corporate blog (pictured) and
microblog, hosted on top web portals Sina and Sohu international ones, but each platform has its own
respectively. In so doing, it has set the standard for Chinese unique qualities and dynamics.
companies on how to apply these tools to communicate
with the media and other audiences.
1. China's New Pragmatic Consumers, McKinsey Quarterly, October 2010
24 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Palin Ningthoujam
Digital Strategist
--_.
._---------- __
------_ .. _..-...._... _ ... _._--
.. _----
Source http://www.infosysblog!>.(omI
.=::-"='"-
integrate their websites and activities on third party
social media platforms. While Indian companies
appear relatively comfortable with corporate blogs,
In addition to a slew of blogs on its products and most companies are still experimenting with
partnerships, management and experts at IT firm Facebook and are not yet ready to join their various
Infosys tackle topics from global economics and business online channels at the hip.
regulation to innovation, leadership and employee
motivation and retention on their Flat Earth and
Leaderati blogs (pictured). 1. InlernelWorldSlales, November 2008
~ KALB£ "UAdllevemenl,24~20101lttp://bll·~fdYllo.l:
.000lOt>o:rlht7:~ ..... Sclo<~TOIftllleo--.ntl.loe
From the high percentage of inactive social media
QI>e fanM Wortsnop "tlutJltlOMl Support to( c.anc... ""Milt"' KOllo\S VI POL accounts in Indonesia, it is clear that Indonesian
tAl. Malof'lg,29Stpttm!lef2(l10http://bLIy/bplSg\V
.0Ct<JbIr12.t7"O"""'_~1_ISCoImlenlUoo companies are mostly still taking a short-term
I.U
Ka!befanu)rel COngtessrJThe PACTlUMS (I'6tt-As>onCOrnmltteefO(
TrNlmt'nt al'ld Flnurdlln M~ Sdtrosis) ~://b'A.Iy/elTJt.o approach. We expect this to change as the Internet
.OC!Dbe'12at7:0,," ... SeledWT"'l'f!I·ee..-.tu..
KoIlber;lnn<lHartp.an~ru~Voksln~Ilttp://bIt.Iy/bkVYvg
and social media expand their reach beyond the urban
loUt • 0<_12I!J:«cro.~~1_l:f;·e-1
£)S"".... lU'If..,,-.
Uoo
areas, broadband becomes more pervasive and
Source: http://www.facebook.com/KalbeFarma.Tbk companies develop a greater understanding of the
Pharmaceutical company Kalbe Farma uses Facebook to need to build close relationships with their
highlight industry research into Alzheimer's, cancer and sta keholders.
other illnesses (pictured). The page also highlights health
workshops the company holds for local communities,
and the Research and Technology-Kalbe Science Awards 1. CheckFacebook.com, October 2010
(RKSA) that it holds beinnially to reward Indonesian 2. Sysomos, January 2010
researchers for their achievements. 3. http'!/en.wikipedia.org/wikilPrita_Mulyasari
26 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Cindy Low
Yet after a hesitant start, Japanese people have taken Microblogs Social Networks Corporate Blogs Video Sharing
to social media with some gusto. Microblogs, especially
Twitter, are proving highly popular, and while social corporate blogs and video channels, it is striking that
networks such as Mixi have struggled to advance no companies in this study are using major Japanese
beyond the 20 million user mark, social gaming, the (such as Mixi or Gree) or international social networks
latest big hit, looks likely to last the distance. to communicate with journalists and other corporate
stakeholders.
Unlike many small businesses, which see the Internet
and social media as a cost-effective way to cut through Strikingly, neither are companies using corporate
the consumer clutter, Japan's top companies have been blogs, apparently contradicting Burson-Marsteller
more wary, using social media sparingly for research ' that found that corporate blogs are used by
consumer/product marketing, and little as a means to a number of leading Japanese firms (none of which are
build their corporate reputation. covered in this study). Yet the bulk of these blogs were
targeted at specific markets - mostly the US - as
Of the companies surveyed, there is a high proportion opposed to global or local Japanese channels.
of inactive accounts. Why? Most likely as Japanese
enterprises are still feeling their way in this area, and Furthermore, Japanese companies often review blog
are sitting on their channels until they have decided posts before they are posted, or turn off the ability for
how to move forward in a systematic manner. users to comment, thereby limiting open dialogue and
turning the channel more into another content
Ofthose companies that are actively using social media distribution arm.
while there is some experimentation with microblogs,
It is also apparent that major Japanese companies are
Nissan - Media 8c Influencer Relations not taking advantage of the Japanese love of video
and the country's high speed 3G networks to tell their
-- .. - ---...
story, opting instead to host videos on their own
--- .............
lll....I:;"('S.')-7>t7., :.-J!tlIIIlUl• •7l"...,.. ~.-a"
".c~o:~~'.t..ltl
_ _10:7771.0 IP'B~1J~
,... websites, and then mostly to support their consumer
marketing programmes.
----
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....
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=-::.,:.- \\1---
:.=.::.=-=.::.==-
While large Japanese companies may not be
aggressive users of social media, this does not mean
Source: http://twitter.com/'!/nissan that they are not paying attention to trends in media
Drawing on press conferences, trade shows and other consumption nor to the requirements and behaviours
events, Nissan communicates its corporate activities, of their stakeholders and customers. Strong demand
including environmental and community programs, using
for social media monitoring services in Japan is
its website, Twitter and live video streaming service,
USTREAM. Aimed principally at the Japanese market for
evidence of this interest.
now, such an approach can help Nissan to extend its
corporate reach to other markets.
1. Global Social Media Check-Up, Burson-Marsteller, February 2010
~
An essentially conservative and non-confrontational
culture, the most trusted form of communication in
Malaysia is through face-to-face interaction and word
of mouth. Accordingly, top companies are mainly using Microblogs Socia! Networks Corporate Blogs Video Sharing
social media to distribute company news and facts,
rather than as a tool to connect and engage with their opportunity, as video can be a highly engaging way to
stakeholders. tell one's corporate story, whether it is to bring
management closer to the customer, to explain the
For example, Malaysia's Employee's Provident Fund (not background and meaning of key corporate
covered in this study) recently launched new Facebook announcements, or to illustrate corporate
and Twitter channels, though the company has stated responsibility and community programmes.
that both platforms will only be used for
announcements. Nevertheless, both corporations and government
institutions are starting to realise that the benefits of
A similar approach is practiced by the majority of a direct and interactive approach outweigh the
companies surveyed, who are using social media as challenges and risks. This is especially true of
additional channels for product promotions and to consumer-focused sectors, such as
announce corporate updates. Almost all companies shy telecommunications, consumer technology, and
away from the core purpose of these platforms - direct tourism and travel.
interaction with their users. It is striking that no
companies in the study are using blogs, at least for Amongst the companies surveyed, DiGi
corporate purposes. Telecommunications showed the highest level of
activity, using Facebook and Twitter to make
Neither are local companies exploiting Malaysians' announcements and as channels to address consumer
appetite for online video. This appears to be a missed complaints quickly. While DiGi's Twitter-stream is fast
becoming an avenue for customers to air their
DiGi • Corporate Social Responsibility grievances publicly, the company moves fast to
respond, with its posts also shared on Facebook. This
provides transparency whilst building good corporate
DiGi image by depicting itself as a company that cares.
28 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
PHlliPPINf~ :DIll
Jinny Jacaria
Account Group Director
Strategic Edge, Inc
Email: jjacaria@seinc.com.ph
A good example is mobile company Globe Telecom, Microblogs Social Networks Corporate Blogs Video Sharing
which actively uses Facebook and Twitter to increase
awareness of its products and get closer to its Instead, the great majority are hanging back until they
customers. And with some success - the company now train their communications teams, have the necessary
counts over 230,000 fans on Facebook and 35,000 investment to sustain the relevance and interest in
followers on Twitter. their social channels and are satisfied of the legal
implications of sharing company information and
Even the top local banks, insurance and other financial views on the Internet and in social media.
services companies are experimenting with Facebook
(though not with microblogs, video sharing, corporate Philippine companies are also concerned about how to
blogs and other forms of social media). Yet it is mostly measure the success of social media as a platform for
experimentation - the majority of accounts were corporate marketing. It is perhaps only when
inactive during the period of research for this study. companies are able to see the real value of social
media engagement in their broader marketing efforts
Meantime, few Philippine companies have begun to use that they will be able to justify it as a corporate
social media for corporate marketing and marketing tool.
communications and, where it exists, it is mostly to
highlight corporate citizenship activities. A notable Meantime, most Philippine companies remain in
exception is the Ayala Corporation conglomerate, website mode. Having spent sometimes large
which maintains an active Facebook page, a corporate amounts of money relatively recently on these
blog and a YouTube channel. channels, they are keen to see a return on their
investment.
Ayala Corporation - Leadership Communica-
This is a missed opportunity. Web traffic in the
Philippines is already dominated by search engines
and social media, and traffic to company websites
often in decline as people spend more in social
networks and other media.
Based on its strong trading economy, business-friendly • Active Accounts _Inactive Accounts
It is also apparent in the relative lack of two-way Microblogs Sodal Networks CorporateBlogs Video Sharing
interaction with users. Most Singaporean companies
prefer to take a 'push' approach to social media, using One Singapore company - Starhub - is actively using
Facebook and other channels largely to disseminate Facebook and other channels, though primarily to
press releases and other corporate statements. communicate product promotions and discounts and
to provide customer service support. The firm's use of
This 'push' approach comes at the expense of two-way social media for corporate marketing and
online interaction between companies and their users; communications appears to remain a low priority.
few companies are giving the impression that they are
actively listening to their stakeholders' requirements While Singaporean companies have been holding back
and opinions. The dearth of corporate blogs used by on the use of social media for corporate purposes,
Singaporean companies in this study, as well as more those that are experimenting in this area are mostly
broadly, is instructive in this regard. focused on 'warmer' topics such as corporate
responsibility, which are arguably less likely to be
This is not to say that Singapore's top companies are contentious. An example is OCBC Bank's annual Cycle
wholly shying away from two-way communications. Singapore campaign, which uses Facebook and,
latterly, Twitter to build awareness and increase
DBS Bank - Issues & Crisis Communications participation.
@dbsbank
Companies also realise social media can be a useful
08$""', tool when faced with an issue or crisis. During an ATM
Read a personal message from Piyush, our service interruption in July 2010, Singapore-based DBS
CEO, about last week's service disruption.
Bank used Twitter to communicate updates to its
http://www.dbs.com/sg/pages
jannouncement.aspx customers. Once the issue was resolved, DBS has
continued to use the account to answer broader
Retweeled by vi)eshkk and 4 othENs enquiries about its products and service.
It,i'l!l .a
Soufce:http://twitter.com/dbsbank
30 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
~OUTH
Margaret Key
Market Leader
TAIWAN
Group Director
Compass Public Relations
Email: luna.chiang@compasspr.com.tw
Third, while a number of major Taiwanese companies It is perhaps little accident that HTC, along with other
are active in social media, they are using these channels top consumer technology players such as Acer, regard
almost exclusively for consumer marketing and product themselves as global companies with global
promotions. These channels are localised to meet the ambitions. To reach today's consumer technology
requirements and behaviours of consumers in specific buyers in all parts of the world, HTC understands it
markets - a global approach is rare. has little option other than to be online, and be where
their consumers increasingly are - in social media.
HTC - Media & Influencer Relations However, to stay the long course, even the more
global Taiwanese companies will need to move
beyond product marketing and look to build trusted,
long-term relationships with all manner of
stakeholders, and proactively look to build a good
Source: http-;'www.youtube.comtwatchhzyai2u3nVlN4
corporate reputation .
32 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Jeremy Plotnick
Knowledge Director
Source:
_
--~--
_ --
--~-
http://www.(p<lII~.com.l.Iome/blog.itsplC
Top Thai firms are not yet exploiting the
conversational opportunities of social media.
Bumrungrad Hospital, for instance, actively uses
Thai conglomerate CP All uses its corporate blog to talk Twitter but almost exclusively as a one-way channel to
about a number of issues important to its business,
provide health tips and information about hospital
including sharing anecdotes and best practices from
services.
franchises of its 7-Eleven stores: previous histories of
store owners, how and why they started doing business
with CP All, how they dealt with problems, the key to their
1. Checkfacebook.com, October 2010
success. 2. http.llwww.facebook.com/Abhisit.M.Vejjajiva
o Monitor Continuously
Discussions online don't conveniently take place during work hours - they can
happen anytime, on any channel and any topic. Make sure you are tracking
top influencers, forums and other online channels in order to identify
potential issues early and proactively enter into relevant conversations.
II Clarify Objectives
Many organizations stray into social media without a clear idea of what they
are looking to achieve, and using rudimentary metrics and tools to evaluate
their performance. Having a clear set of objectives will make the programme
more effective, easier to sell and simpler to evaluate.
II Align Messages
Until recently, different stakeholders could be treated separately using
different sets of messages and materials; the internet now gives all audiences
access to much the same information. The need for consistent messaging to
all audiences and across all channels is becoming increasingly important.
Be Flexible
Whilst it is preferable that your message and content are as clear and
consistent as possible in today's faster, flatter communications environment,
the dynamics of online conversations can turn on a dime. Try to retain some
flexibility both in your messaging and in its delivery.
m Speak as a Human
People expect to be talked to as human beings, not as constituents of a
demographic or members of a database. When interacting with customers
and other stakeholders on the internet, it is essential that your voice and
tone are both personal and true to your organisation's values.
m Don't be Heavy-Handed
Be careful about getting into fights with people on the Internet - large
organizations rarely tend to win spats in the broad court of public opinion.
Furthermore, the use of legal actions or threats often only makes matters
worse, alienating your audiences and helping spread the fire.
m Optimise Continuously
It is increasingly easy to track online conversations relevant to your
organization, as well as monitor use of your branded social media channels
on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Such data can be enormously helpful in
ensuring that your approach is appropriate. It can also help fine-tune your
messages.
36 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Next Steps
Below are some initial actions for organizations considering planning and implementing
corporate social media programmes.
o Understand Audiences
Few organizations get a grip on what their audiences think about them,
beyond those they already know well. It is also important to appreciate their
behaviours, in terms of preferred sources of information, approaches to
research, relative spheres of influence etc - both online and offline. What
people say and do online does not necessarily reflect what their offline lives.
Cascade Learnings
II While often the best way to develop capabilities in any area is through the
implementation of communications programmes, also consider how best to
develop a system for sharing social media knowledge and learnings within
and across your communications teams, and ensuring these stay top of
mind.
38 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
~URTHfR RfADING
Burson-Marsteller regularly publishes analysis and points of views on topical
communications issues. Recent examples relevant to readers of this report
include the publications listed here, which can be found on our Delicious
bookmark page http://www.delicious.com/bm_apac/BMJnsight.
The following employees at To speak to one of the authors of this report, or for
Burson-Marsteller and its affiliates across further information, please contact:
Asia-Pacific have contributed to this study:
Adeline Heng, Anoushka Bhar, Betty Ng, Charlie Pownall
Carly Yanco, Cindy Low, Craig Adams, Elliza Director, Lead Digital Strategist
Abdul Rahim, Haruehun Airry Noppawan, Burson-Marsteller (Asia-Pacific)
Jeremy Plotnick, Jinny Jacaria, Jonathan 65.9655.7997
Hoel, Luna Chiang, Margaret Key, Monica Email: charles.pownall@bm.com
Meer, Natashia Jaya, Palin Ningthoujam Twitter: @cpownall
and Stephanie Aye.
Zaheer Nooruddin
Director, Lead Digital Strategist
Burson-Marsteller (Greater China)
852.5303.0394
Email: zaheer.nooruddin@bm.com
Twitter: @zooruddin
Steve Bowen
Managing Director, Marketing & Training
Burson-Marsteller (Asia-Pacific)
65.9151.2778
Email: steve.bowen@bm.com
Twitter: @steve bowen
Christine Jones
Managing Director, New Business
Burson-Marsteller (Asia-Pacific)
61.2.9928.1557
Email: christine.jones@bm.com
40 BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC