Online reputation (or e-reputation) is a 2010 buzzword but this is a serious subject to handle. This presentation is here to help marketing and communication executives to better understand how the digital world is working and the consequences for their brands. It also give some key to handle your digital strategy.
Text of Online Reputation: Get ready for war
Online reputationThe art of war - 2011January 2011Gregory
[email protected]
YEAH !Online reputation wasthe buzzword of 2010
But thats a problem.
(Online) reputation is not a buzz word.Its a hardcore
reality.
then what are wetalking about ?
OMG !The Media Worldhas shifted.OK there are tons of statistics
about the web and more specifically theSocial Web.Im sure youve
seen your share,, but youre still not convinced.Heres just one fact
: according to a Forrester study from December2010, Americans spend
as many hours online as they do in front oftheir TVs (give or take
13 hours/week).
Waityoure not in the U.S. ?
Dont worry, the situation is or will be thesame in your
country, too. Soon. Number of friends Internet Have a people stay
in Penetra)on social prole contact with on SM 80% 58,1% 53 USA 40%
74,5% 74 BRAZIL 43% 79,3% 47 RUSSIA 36% 68,4% 50 CHINA 65% 53,2% 40
FRANCE I should point out that these figures are based on people
that connect to the web at least onceevery 2 days For more
international statistics check out this presentation
It used to be easy For years, marketers assumed that consumers
started with a large number of potential brands in mind and
methodically winnowed their choices until theyd decided which one
to buy. After purchase, their relationship with the brand typically
focused on the use of the product or the service, itself. Source :
CDJ Mc Kinsey Study
but brand relationships have changed.Consider & buy
Evaluate & Advocate BondMarketers often New types of media have
madeoveremphasize the the evaluate and advocate If a consumers bond
with aconsider and buy stages stages increasingly relevant. brand
is strong enough, theyof the journey, allocating 70 Marketing
investments that help repurchase without cyclingto 90% of resources
to consumers navigate the evaluation process and spread through the
earlier decisionbuilding awareness through word of mouth can be as
stagesadvertising, and encouraging important as building
awarenessbuying through promotions. and driving purchases. Source :
CDJ Mc Kinsey Study
Nowadays, more than 60% of consumers of facial skin care
products worldwide do online research about them after purchase. Do
you work on this touchpoint at your company ? Source : CDJ Mc
Kinsey Study
What are some consequences ?
F***!Youre spending your moneyin all the wrong
places.David.C.Edelman coleader of McKinseys Global Digital
Marketing Strategy.Management still focuses on working media spend
- the portionof a marketing budget devoted to what is known today
as paidmedia which doesnt make sense unless you consider owned
andearned media, as well.i.e. : A VIRAL VIDEO IS WORTHLESS if the
product gets badreviews, or worse -- if no one is talking about
it.
Im sure you get the point, but
90% of digital budgets arestill allocated to websites.(When
only 1 out of 10 consumers visitcompany sites to get
information)Source : CDJ Mc Kinsey Study concerning electronics
goods
So maybe you dont?
This presentation is here tohelp you.
The rule of branding havechanged.Your online reputation is
defined by all (visible) content available about your company,
itsproducts/services, employees, partners, affiliates, clients and
suppliers.Earned media (be it negative, neutral or positive) is
more trusted by consumers/candidates/partners by far, meaning it is
important to monitor what is being said on the web and to work
onthese touchpoints.Your online reputation has to be built over a
long term process and not a one-shot campaignstrategy.
How can you manageyour online presence ?
#1 Understand your online reputation# 2 Organize yourself
internally# 3 Work on the basics# 4 Evaluate the type company youre
in# 5 Get Prepared for War#6 What about R.O.I. ?
#1 Understand your online reputation Conversations evolve
within a global ecosystem In-house Platform(s) Dedicated spaces on
third party platforms Third party sites In-house platform(s) :
company website, corporate blog, webTV Dedidated space(s) :
Facebook page, YoutubecChannel Third Party sites : Forums, blogs,
third-party Facebook pages The idea IS NOT to bring everybody back
to the corporate website (even if your site represents 90% of your
digital activity so far - I thought so) but to create and manage
conversations within these 3 different types of spaces.
Hold on
#1 Understand it Dont run into Facebook, Twitter or any other
shiny objects You have to understand that above all Social Media
Facebook + Twitter only In 2011, THE WEB IS SOCIAL and discussions
are taking place everywhere. Never ever decide to put your company
on Facebook just because you have to be on Facebook. A strategy
based on social media tools is the quickest path to failure.. or at
least to disappointment.
#1 Understand it Understand your consumers decision journey
Analyze and understand how your customers make decisions in order
to determine which touchpoints are priorities and how to leverage
them. You might be surprised.
#1 Understand it Understand your consumers decision journey One
of McKinseys clients, after discovering that consumers often
eliminated them from their decision set, set out to find out why.
They studied consumers actively searching for a TV and found :
Off-line channels are only influential in the consider phase During
the evaluation stage, people use search engines much less than
Amazon and other retail sites that show consumer reviews and allow
product comparisons Display ads are only relevant if they include a
promotional offer and only when consumers are already ready to buy
1/10 consumers visit the brands website Consumers have strong
relationships with several brands after purchase Consumers often
talk about and rate their purchases after the fact Consumers tend
to turn to review sites for troubleshooting advice
#1 Understand it 6 types of content to work on Credibility 4 5
6 Oine content 2 3 1 Accuracy 1. Content created and controlled by
the brand on its website 2. UGC content (User Generated Content)
controlled to a certain extent by the brand on its website 3.
Content created and controlled by the brand on sites other than its
own site 4. UGC Content controlled by the brand on sites other than
its own site 5. UGC content 6. Media content
#1 Understand it#2 Organize your company internally# 3 Work on
the basics# 4 Evaluate the type company youre in# 5 Get Prepared
for War#6 What about R.O.I. ?
#2 Organize your company internally Its not (just) about
marketing ! During McKinseys study, a consumer marketer realized
that every new product requires a company to create more than 160
pieces of content involving more than 20 different departments and
reaching 30 different touch pointswithout even counting other
departments like HR. Marketing Human Customer & commun Retail
Legal Others Resources services -ications An organization with a
customer-centric approach is a huge challenge to create. Someone
(usually a CMO) has to have a complete view of all customers
touchpoints in order to provide a coherent customer experience.
This should be done at an international level (meaning every
country uses the same tools in the same way).
#1 Understand it# 2 Organize yourself internally#3 Work on the
basics# 4 Evaluate the type company youre in# 5 Get Prepared for
War#6 What about R.O.I. ?
#3 Work on the basics. Ensure the visibility of your in-house
platform (s) local website local website website local Mobile
website Application Dedicated spaces on third party platforms Third
parties Domain name Strategy is key : Alphabetic (russian, arab..);
Geographic (extension), Sector (.mobi, .travel.); Linguistic
(accent); Typographic (mcrosoft, mikrosoft); product universe
(Iphone 5, 610) SEF & SEO SEF (Search Engine Friendly) make
sure that the structure of your website is optimized for search
engines SEO (Search Engine Optimization): make sure to refresh
content on a regular basis and have a netlinking strategy (an
abundance of incoming links)
#3 Work on the basics. TIPS ! A Social Media Center can help
Definition: A social space within the brands website that collects
social media conversations about the brand. Advantages : It shows
the openness and richness of the brand. It generates indexing
content and positions the website on keywords related to the brand.
It stimulates search engine spiders with fresh content Be careful
when allowing UGC content. Both positive and negative content can
show up if you arent monitoring properly. Example H&M
(http://www.hm.com/fr/socialmediaroom__socialMediaRoom.nhtml)
#3 Work on the basics. Begin your S.M.O. strategy with content
you already have In-house Platform Flickr Youtube Third parties
Wikipedia SMO (Social Media Optimization) Allows people to find
your brand in other places (Flickr for photos, Youtube for videos,
or any local platforms) when surfing the web. This also offers the
chance to discover another side of the brand and to avoid squatted
or irrelevant UGC or competitor-created content. On Wikipedia make
sure the existing definition is precise and improve it (if
necessary) while respecting Wikipedias rules. You might also want
to check the online presence of your managers,
products/services.
#1 Understand it# 2 Organize yourself internally# 3 Work on the
basics#4 Evaluate your brands personality# 5 Get Prepared for War#6
What about R.O.I. ?
#4 Evaluate your brands personality #1 Basic #2 Functional #3
Exciting #4 Vital Source : Synthesios presentation At Monitoring
Social Media Conference 2010
#4 Evaluate the type ofcompany youre in. If you dont know which
type of brand you have, YOU ARE an online mapping can HERE help
(even if you thought you knew) A mapping is a snapshot of your
brand online. It allows you to understand where your brand is
talked about online, how (sentiment), and how much. This is an
ESSENTIAL for going digital.
#4 Evaluate the type ofcompany youre in. An in-depth analysis
of your brands statistics can also be helpful When analyzed with
the purpose of feeding your communication strategy, statistics (for
example, how people arrive at your website..) can lead to important
insights that can help your creative team.
#4 Evaluate the type ofcompany youre in. Basic Brand Very Weak
Medium Strong Strong Volume of conversations Sentiment Presence on
social media Number of comments A Basic brand typically means
products/services for which people dont usually talk about, mostly
because there isnt much to say. A basic brand can do or create
funny or useful content to set itself apart. Surprise consumers,
differentiating yourself easily from the market.
#4 Evaluate the type ofcompany youre in. Basic Brand Blendtec
is a famous basic brand. Blenders are basic, inexpensive and easy
to use. Its not the kind of product you spend hours talking about,
and Blendtec managers know that. They created a web series called
Will it blend ? where they successfully surf on trends (Ipad, Old
Spice Actor). They now have 58 000 + fans on Facebook and are most
certainly the most discussed blender brand.
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Functional Brand Very
Weak Medium Strong Strong Volume of conversations Sentiment
Presence on social media Number of comments Most brands are
functional (even if they dream of being something else). People
mention functional brands at length online because people have
questions about how their products or services work The brand
should engage and answer wherever discussions are taking place (and
not expect the consumer to use the funnel the brand decided (from
CRM to SRM). Engaging through social media should help decreasi the
others funnels (R.O.I) > meaning increased satisfaction,
marketing insights (an advantage of digital information) and
decreased customer service costs.
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Functional Brand
People are going to shop with companies they think really care.
Brian.J. Dunn Best Buy CEO You dont have to go above and beyond
people are just looking for answers to their questions be quick,
short and relevant. Twelpforce is an efficient customer service on
Twitter because Best Buy succeeded in uniting all of their
specialists of all of their products in one place.
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Functional Brand
Websites inuence more than 50% of our in- store sales, and about
30% of customers ordering online opt to pick up their purchases in
a store. Brian.J. Dunn Best Buy CEO
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Exciting Brand Very
Weak Medium Strong Strong Volume of conversations Sentiment
Presence on social media Number of comments Exciting brands have
self-made fans on Facebook and around the web that talk about them.
A lot. (Nike, adidas, Apple, Sony). Theyre the kinds of brands that
are always in speakers presentations because what theyre doing
seems inspirational. Unfortunately, not many brands are quite as
exciting These brands should focus on regularly creating top-notch
content so that enthusiasts can dig in and enjoy. To determine the
R.O.I. for this type of brand, the best is to compare the buzz
around each campaign and make sure that the volume of conversations
is growing (and that sentiment is improving).
#4 Evaluate the type ofcompany youre in. Exciting Brand Harley
Davidson is a unique brand followed by diehard enthusiasts (how
many other brands have been tattooed like this ?) yet they dont
have to work as hard as other brands online. Rain or shine, their
fans will follow. TIPS ! Encouraging REAL LIFE meetings can foster
community feelings and behavior
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Vital Brand Very Weak
Medium Strong Strong Number of conversations Sentiment Presence in
social media Number of comment There are some brands that affect
people in a very direct manner (health, the environment). These
brands should listen carefully to what people are saying to
discover meaningful insights. The second stage of attack is
identifying sympathetic ears that can serve as force multipliers
(opinion leaders like journalist or bloggers are an example) in the
case of a crisis, when internal specialists opinions will fall on
deaf ears.
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. TIPS ! #1 basic #2
Functional Whichever type of brand yours may be : Start small but
think big (and long term) Monitor online conversations and respond
(to questions, negative comments, extremely positive comments) with
a community manager Accept that you might not know what your best
strategy is (between us : no one does reallybut I wont tell) #3
Exciting #4 Sensitive but you have to test, even if your boss wants
immediate results Dont box your brand into just one type
#4 Evaluate the type of company youre in. Your objective is to
be present and monitor every conversation taking place right now
local website local website website Mobile Community App site FB YT
Wikipedia Slideshare Twitter Local Platforms Flickr Forums Twitter
Tumblr FB Wikipedia Linkedin Blogs Dont try to be on every single
platform (this schema is just one Online example). Maximize
conversations and monitor them. press In-house Platform(s) You have
to choose the tools that best suit your customers behavior and
assign a role to each platform. Dedicated spaces on thid party
platform(s) The goal is to create a coherent experience for
Internet users throughout the web. Third Party sites
Wondering if traditional marketingactivities are irrelevant
?
Wrong!The social web makes iturgent that companies getthe
basics rightPatrick Barwise, Marketing Professor London Business
SchoolThe social web is NOT REINVENTING MARKETING or your brand.On
the contrary, you have to go back to the basics. You cant
hidebehind advertising anymore (Wikileaks will make sure of that
for somecompanies). DO : Offer and communicate a clear, relevant
customer promise Build trust by delivering on that promise Drive
market share by continually improving on that promise Gain an edge
by innovating in your market
#1 Understand it# 2 Organize yourself internally# 3 Work on the
basics# 4 Evaluate the type company youre in#5 Get ready for war#6
Whats about R.O.I. ?
#5 Get ready for war Today anyone armed with a hundred dollar
digital camera and an internet connection is a potential Spielberg
or Riefenstahl. Two military scholars Bullets and blogs
#5 Get prepared for war Hold on !
#5 Get prepared for war Can a real crisis really occur on the
social web ? There are different kind of crises that can arise
online. The most common are communication crises that can cause
short-term damage but wont mean the end of your company (i.e. they
wont impact sales or stock rates). However, certain crisis can
directly effect your core business and products. Beware of these
types of crises
#5 Get prepared for war What happened in Vegas wont stay in
Vegas anymore. Even more than ever with the rise of Wikileaks,
online crises are a future certainty Its impossible in 2011 to
present online reputation without talking about Wikileaks. The
winds they are a-changing From now on, everything that concerns
your company (particulary non-ethical matters, as well as the
interactions with employees, partners, competitors, and consumers)
risks to be exposed. Businesses will have to change, and so will
your ways of communicating.
#5 Get prepared for war The Bank of America already lost 3% of
its value. On a rumor. Wikileaks announced that a bank will be
targeted in January 2011. Just the simple rumor that it might be
the Bank of America caused it to lose 3% of its current value. This
is just a foreshadowing of the consequences that Wikileaks may have
on brand reputations and their values. This can also help to
understand how companies may have to allocate their communication
budgets differently.
#5 Get prepared for war How can you ght back ?
#5 Get prepared for war New media can be your friend. Attacking
is the best defense : Begin by defining all sensitive subjects that
concern your company. Identifying and listening to weak signals on
the social web can help you to determine whether you need to change
company policies or develop corporate communications for a
particular subject before a crisis occurs. Use the Social Web :
There are two sides to the social web : threats and opportunities.
When used properly (and ethically), the social web can provide
advantages. A YouTube video can be much more effective than a
formal press release. People may be surprised to see a corporate
executive on YouTube, but that can become a story in itself
(Eurostar, Dominos Pizza, Chevrolet).
#5 Get prepared for war New media can be your friend Managers
may hesitate to engage with (social) media but if you fail to adapt
to and use your adversaries best tactics, you cede on the eld of
battle. Leslie Gaines- Ross Chief Reputation Strategist at Weber
Shandwick.
#5 Get prepared for war Find sympathic third parties. Force
Multipliers: You certainly have in-house experts but in the case of
a crisis theyll be the last people consumers will trust. Develop a
network of independent third parties willing to take your side.
Bloggers, journalists, and forum administrators can help you
maintain a positive or (at least) neutral position. You may not
have as many diehard enthusiasts like Harley Davidson, but if you
provide reasonable arguments, you might find some. Develop
long-term relationships with a small number of well-targeted
bloggers chosen with an online influencer mapping.
#5 Get prepared for war Respond quickly Quickly doesnt mean
poorly The web is real-time thanks to social media tools like
Twitter. The majority of companies are not. By the time a board or
team of directors has decided to react, the damage has usually
already started to spread. Monitor (I cant stress that enough) to
identify weak signals as soon as they arise. Train someone to
answer quickly and efficiently. Find internal shortcuts for
validating answers more quickly (a response chart can help) and
understanding the social web.
#5 Get prepared for war Avoid any show of force The David vs
Goliath law rules the web A typical companys reaction to an online
attack has been a juridical approach or show of force. Neither has
ever been a good idea. A juridical approach is lengthy and cannot
reflect on your company as well as a reasonable and humane approach
-- even if youre in the right. People dont care who leaked the
information, they just want your company to be responsible. If your
company is in the wrong, apologize, reform, and show that you are
addressing properly the problem.
#5 Get prepared for war Empower your team People talk with
people People dont want to hear the rose-colored version from a top
executive. They want to talk with a real employee. Empower your
employees to express themselves. You might be surprised what
amazing stories theyve got. N.B. Your employees can also be a great
resource in the case of a social media crisis. If you give them the
tools, guidelines, and opportunity to represent the company at all
times (at the office and at home) they can be a great resource,
period.
#5 Get prepared for war Treat your team well. You are only as
strong as your weakest link Make sure that your employees are happy
at work. Employees are the most influential people for your company
and could be your greatest threat. If we go back to Wikileaks, they
could be the ones doing the leaking.
#5 Get prepared for war Prepare your company ! Youre next Ok,
maybe youre not but you should act as if you are What if Wikileaks
effects your company ? Identify vulnerable subjects, improve them,
plan for the worst, and develop plans for action. This isnt just
about communications ; this is about the entire board.
#5 Get prepared for war TIPS ! Sadly enough, a crisis is
(often) THE reason for CEOs to dive into the social web. OK, this
isnt a tip but if you look at the companies that are now admired
for their social web strategies, youll discover that almost all of
them have suffered crises (Dell, Comcast, Starbucks..) An argument
to help you convince your CEO?..maybe not. Check out the Social
Media Screw- up presentation
#1 Understand it# 2 Organize yourself internally# 3 Work on the
basics# 4 Evaluate the type company youre in# 5 Get Prepared for
WarWhat about R.O.I. ?
What about R.O.I. ?Who cares ?The Social Web is cool !
What about R.O.I. ?OK your boss seems like hemight care(or
maybe the accountant?)
What about R.O.I. ?How are you going to monetize this I think
is the wrongquestion.The right question is How am I going to deepen
myrelationships with my customers and employees.Brian.J. Dunn Best
Buy CEO
What about R.O.I. ?Whoever he is,that dude still looks
prettyskeptical.
What about R.O.I. ?Focus on the right objective for
yourcompanys prole Directly Financial # 1 Financial # 2 Risk
Management Perspective Is your brand better Did your actions help
prepared to respond increase sales ? to attacks? (how much would it
cost if not ?) Short term Long term # 3 Digital Perspective # 4
Brand perspective Has your brand Has your brands enhanced its
digital relationship with its presence? customers improved ?
Undirectly Financial Forrester report The ROI of Social Media
Marketing july 2010
What about R.O.I. ?What about R.O.N.I ?Risk Of Non Investment :
its not whether investing 1 will make an impact, but what
willhappen if you dont :1. Misunderstanding of customer
expectations2. Missed opportunities to improve CRM3. Failure to
make up for the decline in efficiency of classic advertising4.
Failure to connect with generation Y and their behaviors5.
Inability to manage potential crises before they begin . * Source :
Francois Guillot- Internet et opinions
Key takeaways ?
You need me to manage your strategy !
Ok - just kidding
Back to the key takeaways !+ The media world has shifted and
the Internet is no longer just an option+ Communication in the
digital world is long term (short-term buzz is nice but wont make a
difference over time)+ Understand your customers decision journey
to plan your strategy accordingly+ Understand your brands online
presence and your company profile to determine your priorities+ Go
back to the basics for corporate branding+ Prepare yourself because
your brand doesnt belong to (just) you anymore+ Be humble. We are
all learning. Be curious.
THANK YOUGregory Pouy I
@gregfromparisgregory.pouy(at)gmail(.)com All pictures are from Ben
: http://www.ickr.com/photos/h2-blog