the social ceo - how to steer a brand in the digital age
DESCRIPTION
Personalizing your brandWhy CEO’s have to learn how to say ‘sorry’Building relationshipsThought leadership needs an edgeTRANSCRIPT
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Lars Voedisch Communications Strategist [email protected]
The Social CEO How to steer a brand in the digital age
@larsv
The Social CEO How to steer a brand in the digital age
• Personalizing your brand
• Why CEO’s have to learn how to say ‘sorry’
• Building relationships
• Thought leadership needs an edge
Human-
izing
Your
brand
Your reputation is precious…
• Communications Strategy
• Traditional & Social Media Relations
• Crisis Preparedness
• Internal Communications
• Media Training
• Analysis, Measurement, Research
Our services,
Your value!
Lars Voedisch
Communications Strategist
@larsv
Social Media affecting our lifes…
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 4
Source: What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds - Rosa Golijan
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Source: What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds - Rosa Golijan
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It’s not about technology,
It’s about relationships!
• Be (Seen) Innovative – But Please Don’t Take Any Risk, Use Only Proven Methods
The BIG Cultural Dilemma
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 7
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
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 8
• 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
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 10
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 11
Social Media to be leveraged across a company: Different functions, uses and values
Source: Socialize your organization – Richard Binhammer / Dell © 2012 by PRecious Communications 12
Social Media to be leveraged across a company: Different functions, uses and values
Source: Socialize your organization – Richard Binhammer / Dell © 2012 by PRecious Communications 13
Source: CEOs Who Tweet Held in High Regard - eMarketer
32%
11%
13%
45%
Social Media’s Internal Impact CEOs Who Tweet Held in High Regard
82% of
employees trust
a company
more when the
CEO and
leadership team
communicate
via social
media.
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 14
32%
11%
13%
45%
Social CEO Index
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 15
Social Media is about Content What Should We Be Talking About?
Source: Developing your conversation sphere - CommsCorner
Your… products, offers, service,
people
Industry…
trends, news,
data, advice E.g. Technology,
Legislation,
Competition
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Showing Off Your CEO? Get to Know Their Personal Story First
• Learn their story: How do you distinguish your CEO from the
pack? Get to know the CEO as an individual, and discover what his or her personal story is. How did this CEO rise to one of the highest job titles in the business world?
• Make them human: Humanizing the CEO and relating the
individual’s background to the vision of the company is a proven formula for success.
• Expand the range of your CEO: In other words, have
your CEO be comfortable with speaking about macro-trends, whether it relates to the Chinese economy, job growth or issues of the day. Thought leadership should be about more than just a company’s specific market.
Source: Showing off your CEO – PR News
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 17
Showing Off Your CEO? Get to Know Their Personal Story First
• Learn their story: How do you distinguish your CEO from the
pack? Get to know the CEO as an individual, and discover what his or her personal story is. How did this CEO rise to one of the highest job titles in the business world?
• Make them human: Humanizing the CEO and relating the
individual’s background to the vision of the company is a proven formula for success.
• Expand the range of your CEO: In other words, have
your CEO be comfortable with speaking about macro-trends, whether it relates to the Chinese economy, job growth or issues of the day. Thought leadership should be about more than just a company’s specific market.
Source: Showing off your CEO – PR News
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 18
Showing Off Your CEO? Get to Know Their Personal Story First
• Learn their story: How do you distinguish your CEO from the
pack? Get to know the CEO as an individual, and discover what his or her personal story is. How did this CEO rise to one of the highest job titles in the business world?
• Make them human: Humanizing the CEO and relating the
individual’s background to the vision of the company is a proven formula for success.
• Expand the range of your CEO: In other words, have
your CEO be comfortable with speaking about macro-trends, whether it relates to the Chinese economy, job growth or issues of the day. Thought leadership should be about more than just a company’s specific market.
Source: Showing off your CEO – PR News
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 19
Source: 2012 IBM Global CEO Study
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 20
How CEOs are engaging with social media – today and in the future
Source: 2012 IBM Global CEO Study
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 21
What are the most used customer interaction methods?
Source: 2012 IBM Global CEO Study
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 22
What are the most used customer interaction methods?
Source: 2012 IBM Global CEO Study
CEOs are changing the nature of work by adding a
powerful dose of openness, transparency
and employee empowerment
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 23
Source: Fortune 500 Social CEO Study – CEO.com
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 24
Source: Fortune 500 Social CEO Study – CEO.com
Haven’t we heard similar things when
EMAILs became mainstream?!
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 25
Stand up and be proud
After I became CEO, the former head of the Bundesbank one day took me aside and gave me some valuable advice: “From
now on, you must remember that you are two people. You are the person whom you and your friends know, but you are also a symbol for something. Never confuse the two. Don’t take
criticism of the symbol as criticism of the person.” Josef Ackermann, Former CEO, Deutsche Bank
Source: Leading in the 21st century – McKinsey
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Source: Fortune 500 Social CEO Study – CEO.com
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 27
Are we too proud? Sorry seems to be the hardest word…
• Don't RE-act right away
• Acknowledge - Don't be angry
• Admit the mistake and apologize
• Take ownership
• Ask for forgiveness and make the needed changes – use the magic words: “I’m sorry” and “thank you”
Source: When You're Wrong, Say You're Sorry - SOLUTIONS: Social Media © 2012 by PRecious Communications 28
Source: Not So SMRT: A Case Study of Communications Failure - Skribe
Key Learnings
1) Speed is critical (on Twitter) 2) Honesty is a virtue 3) Make your CEO visible (in the right way) 4) Brands have to be on alert in order to
correct any false assumptions before they reach critical mass
5) Track it
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 29
Importance of Employee Engagement
What drives perceptions within a company •Management is approachable, easy to talk to •I am given the resources an equipment necessary to do my job •Management keeps me informed about important issues and changes
How to engage employees – Executive level •Trust: Speak with passion •Communication: Priority in frequency, appropriateness and depth (what and why) •Culture: Hold themselves and peers accountable in building the right culture that fuels high performance and engagement
Trust in executives can have more than twice the impact on engagement levels
than trust in immediate managers!
Source: The importance of employee engagement – NBRI
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 30
Effective Communication: Skills that make leaders stand out
Effective Communication should pulse like a heartbeat
• It’s not solely the responsibility of communication functions, but must rest with management at all levels
•Leadership communications are a skill set that can (and should be) learnt
•What’s the desired (behavioural) change of your communications efforts?
Leading, Involving, Listening, Informing
•Traditionally over-emphasis on Informing •Nothing beats Walk-the-talk
It triggers down to a fundamental
question: Whose responsibility is communication?
Source: Effective Communication – Mercer
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 31
Thought Leadership Needs To Be Leading!
Some Ingredients •Closeness to the customer
•Understanding your customers’ needs for
communication and technology access
•A strong editorial voice
Do you want to have a point of view or mainly
aim for agreement?
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 32
Some Examples: Mahindra
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 33
Some Examples: Forrester
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 34
Must-Does for CEOs in Social Media
1. Realize you shine bright in
social mediums
2. Recognize your role as Chief
Narrator
3. Anticipate social remarks
being a part of a permanent
public record
4. Don’t court controversy if
you can’t take the heat
5. Despite the inherent risks embrace your humanity
Source: The Five Must-Dos for CEOs In Social Media – Forbes
© 2012 by PRecious Communications 35
• 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
Facebook.com/PReciousComms
Twitter.com/PReciousComms
Who is… Lars Voedisch? International Communications Strategist
• Lars is an experienced global communications and business professional with 15 years expertise in growing, managing and defending leading global brands’ reputation across industry sectors.
Background & Expertise
• Clients include: AT&T, Citi, Coca Cola, DBS, GIC, Honda, ING, Macquarie, Motorola, Panasonic, Porsche, Procter & Gamble, Yahoo!, VMware
• Companies he worked for: Hitradio Antenne, AIESEC, DHL, Fleishman-Hillard, Dow Jones, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Experience in public relations, internal communications, marketing, journalism, as well as M&A, crisis and change management
• International working, training and team leadership experience on five continents
• Sought-after moderator and speaker on social media, public relations and communications thought leadership
Personal Background
• German by birth; living in Asia (Hong Kong / Singapore) for 9 years
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