Welcome to my blog--where we'll explore best practices in social media, together.
Sami posted the following great questions:
1. What are some ways companies can apply listening skills to the vast world of social media to strengthen their customer relationships and develop better strategies?
2. Can you name a company that has used listening on social media to their advantage? If not, what would you like to see from the companies you interact with?
No Ear for Twitter
There are so many horror stories of companies--and individuals--miscalculating the temperature of the Twittersphere and suffering very public consequences. The biggest examples that resonates with me is McDonald's.
McDonald's #McDStories - Not Lovin' It
In 2012, McDonald's put forth the #McDStories hashtag. The stories that ended up being shared socially were the stuff of brand nightmares--not sweet dreams. According to Hill (2012), after numerous "snarky Tweeps...they pulled the campaign within two hours." McDonald's failed to note that a health-conscious public, as well as people upset about big business practices in general, would hijack the hashtag. They just weren't listening.
Being Good Social Media Listeners
Wirthman (2013) puts it succinctly:
While marketing pushes information out, to truly understand customers, companies have to start by taking information in...Whether customers are talking about specific service problems or having broader conversations about products and services, organizations that take the time to listen can learn from customer sentiments and identify areas to improve.
In 2014, Fortune published a list of Fortune 500 companies that are also excellent social media brand managers. The list overall is worth perusing. Of the companies lauded within the piece, my favorite is Starbucks.
I like the fact that the company is not only responsive and smart, but also somewhat bold. According to Bessette (2014), "Starbucks wants to be as cool as a cup of iced coffee, and the company uses its social media presence to preserve a sense of creative exuberance."
A great example of this happened during the holiday in 2015. Starbucks was criticized for issuing a simple red holiday cup with little adornment. Some felt the cup was detracting from Christmas spirit. In reality, the cups previously presented by Starbucks had never included true Christmas themes, but rather seasonal art.
Starbucks understood the pulse of its social followers, and largely stayed out of the rabid social media war that briefly took place between supporters and detractors, according to King (2015). A quick review of Starbucks Twitter feed shows that the company stayed the course on social--promoting what they wanted to promote: their red cup drinks and a wide variety of holiday offerings, including Christmas offerings. This Vine is an example.
In a CNN Money story, Wattles (2015) quoted the company's statement on the matter as saying "The cup is meant to be a "blank canvas" that encourages "customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way," Public response? While some used #MerryChristmas hashtags directed at Starbucks, most loyal customers stayed loyal--or really didn't care--and expressed support via social media, according to Taylor in Business Insider (2015).
Stellar Sip
The moral of this social media "war" story? Sometimes, being a good listener means knowing when to be quiet, stick to tried and true brand strategies across the board--including within social media--and let the public weigh in (and calm down) at the fast pace of social distraction.
References
Hallowell, B. (5 November 2015). Starbucks responds to furor. The blaze. Retrieved from:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/11/09/starbucks-responds-to-furor-over-removal-of-christ- and-christmas-in-new-holiday-cup-design/
Hill, K. (24 January 2012). #McDStories: when a hashtag becomes a bashtag. Forbes. Retrieved
from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/01/24/mcdstories-when-a-hashtag-becomes- a-bashtag/#56d7498c193f
King, C. (12 November 2015). Starbucks response to red cup controversy? let social sort it out. Social Media Today. Retrieved from:
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/starbucks-response-red-cup-controversy-let- social-sort-it-out
Taylor, K. (12 November 2015). People are mad about the outrage over Starbucks holiday cups. Business Insider. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/no-one-cares-about-starbucks- red-cups-2015-11
Wattles, J. (9 November 2015). Starbucks plain red holiday cups stir up controvery. CNN Money.
Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/08/news/companies/starbucks-red-cups- c o controversy/
Wirthman, L. (8 August 2013). Why businesses should listen to customers on social media. Forbes.
Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ups/2013/08/08/why-businesses-should-listen-to- customers-on-social-media/#539e2b4239ff
April,
ReplyDeleteAhhh McDonald's! They seem to take some crap on social media, but for the most part seem to know when to quit and when to respond. I really liked your Starbucks example. The red cup debate was all over the news and social media. It had its own hashtag and people really got in to a debate over the holidays! Now that you point it out, Starbucks did really stay out of the fight. You can tell, however, that their response was carefully crafted. I've found though that, at least on Twitter, Starbucks doesn't seem to listen that much to its customers. They rarely re-tweet or quote tweet. Most of it is just pushing their product, monitoring, not listening. I'dl like to see them, do like Dunkin' Donuts does, and respond to tweets when someone says they LOVE their product. With that being said, you are right in that they do stick to "tried and true brand strategies." So far, it has worked. I agree with your post, just wonder what they would look like if they "listened" a little more. Do you think they would see even more engagement? Or are they already such a dominating force, they are good where they are at? I don't think they need to copy people, but I'd love to hear from them just a little more! Thanks for sharing and great conversation starter!
You know, you make an excellent point. In going through their Twitter feed more carefully, they DO push product more than they probably should. As Kerpen (2015) tells us at the outset of Likeable social media, "Listen carefully, be transparent, be responsive be authentic, tell great stories" (p. 7). Starbucks could do a lot better job at telling great stories. I did see some good retweets from customers where they are allowing the customer to present the narrative. But, if Starbucks cut down on the straight sales pitch--maybe by 10 - 20%, they'd be in better balance as far as pushing vs. storytelling. As Scott tells us "I'd suggest you should be doing 85 percent sharing and engaging, 10 percent publishing original content, and only 5 percent or less about what you are trying to promote" (p. 277).
DeleteREFERENCES
Kerpin, D. (2015). Likeable social media. New York, NY:
McGraw Hill Education.
Scott, D. M. (2015). The new rules of marketing and PR.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
However, they do seem to be listening more on Facebook. I was just scrolling through and they have a pretty good response rate. I saw an interaction with someone who posted about a drink and they responded by asking if they have ever tried a specific syrup with that. There seems to be much more conversation going on over on Facebook. In another interaction, a customer had a problem with their birthday drink and they posted within 2 hours that they were sorry and to please contact them directly. As if taking direction from Kerpen, they 1)responded quickly and publicly, 2) took the issue offline to make it private and 3) referred to the person by name (P. 83). As I continued reading other comments that same person that complained was quick to say she'll still continue going there every week. Not sure if the apology was the reason, but to Kerpen's point, sometimes even the angriest of customers will be quick to forgive you (p. 83).
DeleteKerpin, D. (2015). Likeable social media. New York, NY:
McGraw Hill Education.
Right. Again, for me, so much of what makes social media work well (when it actually does!) is application of basic principles of marketing & PR within the social media context. Thinking back to what I have learned in my other Marist classes toward the IMC degree thus far, coupled with my professional experience, a huge point of emphasis is that social media isn't the only thing, it's one thing. And the basic things that have always mattered, still apply, such as providing prompt customer service, being responsive, knowing when to interject and when to let a customer vent, and working to turn a negative interaction with a brand into a positive interaction. What Kerpen is referencing above could be applied outside of the social media context. So, I feel like social media as an organizational tool is at its best when the best practices of both marketing and PR overall, and those specific to social, are applied simultaneously.
DeleteTrista, That was a really good point about Starbuck's Facebook! I wasn't only looking at Twitter. Looking at it now, they do respond pretty well and seem engaged! It's interesting to me, because they must have done research to show that customers interact more with them on Facebook than Twitter. That is true for my company. We have found, through data, Central New Yorkers are more in tune with Facebook than any other social media. So, we spend most of our time posting, commenting, and engaging with viewers there. We are rarely on Twitter or Instagram. We have a presence, but nothing like Facebook. Maybe Starbucks noticed similar stats?? Great points everyone!
DeleteYou all make really interesting points, and drove me to actually spend some time poking around Starbucks' various social media channels. What I find really interesting about the brand is that they stick almost exclusively to posts about their product or focused on various aesthetics. Yet their values posted on their site are:
Delete"Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.
Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.
Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.
Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.
We are performance driven, through the lens of humanity."
I don't personally see these values represented in their social media strategy. None of their posts in at least the last month have "challenged the status quo." I'm not sure how a prettily-shot cup of coffee helps to create warmth and belonging. Though I will give them, with their response to followers on Facebook, they do seem to do a good job being present and connecting; now they just need to extend that strategy onto Twitter!
Great examples with McDonalds and Starbucks. Both of these reiterate that it really does matter what companies say, and don't say in return. I had a bad experience with an airline and I emailed them, tweeted and even filled out the online complaint form, and surprise surprise I never got a response. Really? Even a short apology would have given me a sense that you were listening and cared even the slightest bit. So the lack of response, especially when the experience is negative can actually hinder the brand's reputation even further. I may never have been an active advocate against the brand had someone taken some time to respond.
ReplyDeleteIn an opposite scenario I had a poor experience at a Marriott and complained and not only did they send me an apology email with bonus points they actually had someone call me to follow-up. Granted, those interactions weren't via social media, but my reaction to that was to post something positive online in recognition of the great service and support I'd gotten from their team.
In today's social world where every interaction and every conversation can be positive or negative to your brand reputation, how you respond matters. Sometimes shutting it down before the conversation goes to far (McDonald's), or letting the dust settle and having pro-brand users make arguments for you (Starbucks) is the best approach. In both situations though the brand was engaged and listening, which is ultimately why neither brand image was really affected by the outcomes.
Colleen, great points all. Whether companies choose an active or passive response, they definitely seem to get into the most trouble when they aren't listening to begin with. Nestle comes to mind as perhaps the most egregious example of just not being present period. Granted, their completely tone-deaf moments happens a few years back when we were all in something of an infancy on how to handle bad social "press"--but still, common sense didn't even seem to come into play. They didn't respond to big controversies, and tried most of all to control the story--control the postings, limit the images, etc. They ended up coming off as uncaring and wholly out of touch. There are numerous pieces on the matter, but techeye.com had a great one: http://www.techeye.net/internet/nestle-fails-at-social-media
DeleteApril, you are absolutely right on the faux pas of trying to control a bad situation. The companies I work with often ask me if they should delete bad posts from people who aren't being reasonable and dragging their name down, and I always point to things like Nestle to tell them not to! Even those instances, where the person is being unreasonable, is an opportunity for the company to turn it positive. Steady internet users know how to tell trolls and unreasonable people; we don't give much to a really negative review when it's the only one on a page of positive reviews. In fact, when I see a really unreasonably hateful post, I tend to roll my eyes and ignore it; but when I see the company has responded to that post with professionalism, politeness, and outlining all the things they're willing to do, even for this unreasonable person, my opinion of the company grows immensely. Showing you're willing to listen, even if you can't ultimately do anything about it, is the key to a strong social media presence.
DeletePS Colleen, I promise I am not calling you an unreasonable person! :D
What a great post! I really love how you brought in multiple forms of social media as examples; most are only focusing on Twitter, but listening for companies can and should happen anywhere, as the conversations on their products and services are happening everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Starbucks Red Cup debacle is an example that businesses I work with point to on why they /shouldn't/ use social media--they're worried that they're going to get embroiled in stupid internet arguments about things that don't really matter. But you discussed the perfect solution: sometimes doing nothing, even while you're aware of what others are saying, is the thing to do. Those conversations would have been going on even without Starbucks being present on social media. The fact the company stayed true to their message while still engaging gave voice to the majority of their customers who didn't care, rather than all the focus being on the crazy few.
Excellent points made! And great sources, I enjoyed checking out things I hadn't previously known about, like the Forbes list and the Vine.
I cannot truly enable but admire your weblog, your weblog is so adorable and great.It has given me courage to try scarier things. I tend to steer clear of them but not anymore.
ReplyDeletePackers And Movers Hyderabad
Packers And Movers gachibowli Hyderabad
Packers And Movers jubliee hills Hyderabad
Packers and Movers Pune Provide High Quality ***Household Shifting, Home/Office Relocation, Insurance, Packing, Locading, ###Car Transportation Service Pune and High experiences, Top Rated, Safe and Reliable, Best and Secure Packers and Movers Pune Team List. Get? ?? Affordable Rate Charts and Compare Quotation and Save Money and Time.
ReplyDeletePackers And Movers Pune