© 2013 by Precious Communications 1

HUMANIZING YOUR BRAND IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Lars Voedisch Principal Consultant

lars@preciouscomms.com

© 2013 by Precious Communications

Let’s Take A Journey Together

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Social media requires your

attention 24/7. The media landscape is fast

changing and eroding.

Brand perceptions are shifting as you read.

Customers are demanding a more human approach to

communication.

WHERE ARE YOU?

© 2013 by Precious Communications

You can not NOT communicate

• What is your brand promise?

• Do you have a personality?

• How do you earn trust?

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Branding is first and foremost about gaining trust.

© 2013 by Precious Communications 4

TECHNOLOGY VS THE SOCIAL DIMENSION

Knowing your customers, understanding trends

Consumer habits and behaviour

Demographics

Expectations

Social media and the social dimension

© 2013 by Precious Communications Source: What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds - Rosa Golijan

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© 2013 by Precious Communications Source: What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds - Rosa Golijan

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

• Be (Seen) Innovative – But Please Don’t Take Any Risk, Use Only Proven Methods

The BIG Cultural Dilemma

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

Online Engagement? Customers are very demanding!

[Brands] have to surprise me, not only meet my needs, but anticipate my needs.

By using social media exclusively, I think the company has to

answer me whenever I have a question, enlighten me whenever I complain,

and thank me whenever I compliment them.

Source: The Language of Love in Social Media - Firefly Millward Brown 8

© 2013 by Precious Communications

• From natural respect to suspicion

• Are you approachable?

• Why would people want to connect with you?

The BIG Cultural Dilemma #2

© 2012 by PRecious Communications 9

© 2013 by Precious Communications 10

Source: Digital Life 2011 - TNS

32%

11%

13%

45%

What are people saying?

© 2013 by Precious Communications 11

Source: Digital Life 2011 - TNS

32%

10%

11%

47%

What are people saying?

© 2013 by Precious Communications Source: 10 Ways to Humanize Your Brand On Social Media - Mashable

32%

11%

13%

45%

How to Humanize Your Brand

1. Think Like a Social Network

• Facebook: “We don’t draw a distinction between your mom and a bar of

soap”

2. Start With Staff

• Your employees are the most authentic expression of your brand

3. Create Access

• TaylorMade. “We are, first and foremost, golfers”

4. Treat Customers as Partners

• Levi’s co-creating content, even products,

5. Reach Out To Key Individuals

• Ford’s CEO calling influential SMB owner

6. Own Your Mistakes

7. Put Your Fans to Work

• Cisco’s Networking Academy giving fans moderator privileges

8. Be Open to Debate

• Eloqua openly asking online community

9. Be Present

• Don’t break the promise of engagement

© 2012 by PRecious Communications 12

© 2013 by Precious Communications 13

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY OF SOCIAL MEDIA

What are the pitfalls to avoid

What works on Social Media

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What content goes viral?

Content that inspires high-energy emotions far more likely to be

shared.

Practically useful, surprising, and interesting

More likely to be shared

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What content goes viral?

Humour

• 62% of ads being aired by Fortune 500 companies, 60% of viral ads were being generated by the smaller companies.

• “Humour was employed at near unanimous levels for all viral advertisements. Consequently, this study identified humour as the universal appeal for making content viral.”

Content with an emotional tone

Fame of the author

Slightly more important

than content

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What content goes viral?

• 62% of ads being aired by Fortune 500 companies, 60% of viral ads were being generated by the smaller companies.

• “Humour was employed at near unanimous levels for all viral advertisements. Consequently, this study identified humour as the universal appeal for making content viral.”

Content with an emotional tone

Fame of the author

• Slightly more important

than content

Humour or Ridicule!

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What content goes viral?

• 62% of ads being aired by Fortune 500 companies, 60% of viral ads were being generated by the smaller companies.

• “Humour was employed at near unanimous levels for all viral advertisements. Consequently, this study identified humour as the universal appeal for making content viral.”

Content with an emotional tone

Fame of the author

• Slightly more important

than content

Humour or Ridicule!

© 2013 by Precious Communications

© 2013 by Precious Communications

Still… it might actually work Just that you would have higher odds in playing the lottery!

© 2013 by Precious Communications 20

MANAGING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA IDENTITY

Connecting to your audiences through social media

Community management as a skill set

Why content rules and what you should do about it

Finding your personality: Tone, Voice, Behaviour

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What is a community?

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Groups of people who…

• share a common passion, interest or objective

• come together to learn from each other

• want to do something together

• …

An interactive group of people joined together by a common topic or interest

© 2013 by Precious Communications

So why would people want to join a band community?

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What are real people’s real intentions?

• Nike – or the love for sports

• ClubMed – or travel

• Harley Davidson – or freedom

© 2013 by Precious Communications

So why would people want to join a band community?

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Reasons people join brand communities

• Exclusive content

• Discounts

• Updates

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What tone do you like to read on Facebook or Twitter? Witty? Edgy? Angry? Why would you join – or not?

• Always be helpful, humble and friendly.

• Be wary of the metaphors and imagery you or your writer use – they say a lot about your business.

How To Choose The Right Identity?

24 Source: How To Choose The Tone For Your Content – Social Media Magic

Don’t forget: In Social Media you want to connect people

with people!

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What Social Media Tone Is Best for Your Business?

• Baby food: Use an educational tone in your social media so customers can make informed decisions

• Meaningful gifts: Invoke a humble, empathetic and enlightening tone that keeps the brand linked to inspiration

• Bags: By injecting a youthful, personable, upbeat and feminine tone in your social media, you could invite young customers across to indulge in your products

• Cookies: A playful and inviting tone works best at alluring customers to indulge in childhood comfort foods

• Designer products: Employ a serious and curious tone in its social media

What Is Your Social Media Personality?

25 Source: What Social Media Tone Is Best for Your Business – Fox Business

© 2013 by Precious Communications

What Social Media Tone Is Best for Your Business?

• Baby food: Use an educational tone in your social media so customers can make informed decisions

• Meaningful gifts: Invoke a humble, empathetic and enlightening tone that keeps the brand linked to inspiration

• Bags: By injecting a youthful, personable, upbeat and feminine tone in your social media, you could invite young customers across to indulge in your products

• Cookies: A playful and inviting tone works best at alluring customers to indulge in childhood comfort foods

• Designer products: Employ a serious and curious tone in its social media

What Is Your Social Media Personality?

26 Source: What Social Media Tone Is Best for Your Business – Fox Business

© 2013 by Precious Communications

Social Media to be leveraged across a company: Different functions, uses and values

Source: Socialize your organization – Richard Binhammer / Dell 27

© 2013 by Precious Communications 28

TRENDS, TIPS AND TRICKS FOR

YOUR DIGITAL SURVIVAL

How to differentiate your brands while safeguarding your reputation

© 2013 by Precious Communications

Future-Proofing Social Media & Public Relations Who do YOU want to be?

Critical Analytical Skills

No Analytical Skills

Strategic Business

Orientation Vanity

Publishing

Gamblers Winners

Ostriches Bluffers

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

Rules of Engagement – Things to Consider

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Get your processes right • Monitor • Analyze • Discover • Engage / Respond

What you need: • A PLAN & Resources! • Scenario planning & Reaction Plans • Guidelines

There is no one-size-fits-all • Better start small than not at all • Form a team • Have fun!

People Processes

Policies

© 2013 by Precious Communications

6 SOCIAL MEDIA RESOLUTIONS YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD KEEP IN 2013

• Learn to Filter

– Categorize contacts and make use of lists, groups, circles, and communities to keep your connections relevant and compartmentalised

• Set Objectives

– Set goals, for the number of new leads, enquiries, opportunities, or even the amount of new business you will generate via your social channels

• Tribe Up!

– Explore your current and target communities, to really get involved in

• Carrot Beats Stick Every Time

– Provide quality content, and have strong calls to action throughout your marketing funnel

• Content is Emperor

– Think about, and map out every output from social update to blog post, to eBook, to landing page, to email newsletter, to sales script, and beyond

• Without Measurement You Are Nothing

– Get familiar with Facebook Insights, Clickthrough Analytics (start with Bit.ly or Hootsuite’s Ow.ly), and Google Analytics.

31 Source: http://influenceagents.com/6-social-media-resolutions-business-2013

© 2013 by Precious Communications

‘Classic’ Case Study: Domino’s YouTube Experience

• Domino’s Pizza Chain discovered the power of viral marketing last month: two employees in the US filmed "prank" videos of themselves stuffing cheese up their noses and then putting it into sandwiches.

• The video went popular on YouTube (over 1 million views), and Twitter lit up with disgusted customer complaints.

• Domino’s apologized and put its own President on YouTube, started a Twitter response site;

• Still: In just a few days, Domino’s reputation was damaged.

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

‘Classic’ Case Study: Domino’s YouTube Experience

• Domino’s Pizza Chain discovered the power of viral marketing last month: two employees in the US filmed "prank" videos of themselves stuffing cheese up their noses and then putting it into sandwiches.

• The video went popular on YouTube (over 1 million views), and Twitter lit up with disgusted customer complaints.

• Domino’s apologized and put its own President on YouTube, started a Twitter response site;

• Still: In just a few days, Domino’s reputation was damaged.

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

‘Classic’ Case Study: Domino’s YouTube Experience

• Domino’s Pizza Chain discovered the power of viral marketing last month: two employees in the US filmed "prank" videos of themselves stuffing cheese up their noses and then putting it into sandwiches.

• The video went popular on YouTube (over 1 million views), and Twitter lit up with disgusted customer complaints.

• Domino’s apologized and put its own President on YouTube, started a Twitter response site;

• Still: In just a few days, Domino’s reputation was damaged.

So if we know all of this…Who in YOUR organization would go

on Youtube tonight?

What to wear? What to say?

Who to talk to? Are you ready?

Nobody will wait for you…!

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

Lars Voedisch Communications Strategist lars@preciouscomms.com

@larsv

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© 2013 by Precious Communications

• Independent, boutique communications consultancy

• Based out of Singapore, at home in Asia and Europe

• Globally connected via affiliation with

About Us…

+65 - 9170 2470

larsvoed

229 Mountbatten Road

#02-41 Mountbatten Square

Singapore 398007

connect@preciouscomms.com

Facebook.com/PReciousComms

Twitter.com/PReciousComms

© 2013 by Precious Communications

PRecious Partners

Some of the brands PRecious Communications and our consultants have worked with

© 2013 by Precious Communications 38

HUMANIZING YOUR BRAND IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Lars Voedisch Principal Consultant

lars@preciouscomms.com