Social Media: the Wild West of Corporate Communications

1. Social Media: the Wild West of Corporate Communications Professor Ralph Tench and Dr Brian Jones Leeds Business School Leeds Metropolitan University 26-28th October 2011

2. Key question How do businesses and corporate communication professionals manage CSR messages in an unruly, largely unregulated social media environment?

3. Social Media • Changing lives • Co-creation • Changing business • Old (media) world, new world • Web 2.0 and corporate messaging • EU communication directors survey findings • Re-thinking communication strategies

4. Core Argument We argue that the creation of value is in part determined by the co-creation of message. Co-creation of message lies at the heart of social media.

5. Social media context • Amalgam: podcasts, wikis, twitter, social network sites • Web 2.0 user generated content (OECD, 2007) • Co-creation, collaboration • Changing business and society • Downsides (OECD, 2007): - inclusion, security, privacy, cultural fragmentation

6. The world of social media

7. Communicating CSR • A redrawing of the rules for communicating CSR and Corporate Social Irresponsibility • How a company’s CSR offering is perceived and the image their audience has is not only shaped by their communication efforts, it is in part a product of social media online conversations

8. Voices, views and opinions • User generated comment is a key element of the communication mix • Social media allows a company’s stakeholders to co-create brand image and reputation • Risks have to be managed

9. Growth of On-line communication

10. On-line communities

11. Social media guidelines and monitoring tools

12. Governance structures for social media

13. Private use of social media

14. Findings and observations • Social media is used to challenge as well as defend CSR activities • Scope for communication professionals to make more use of social media • Social media is about participation, involvement and co-ownership of CSR messages.

15. Findings and observations • A good online CSR reputation can potentially strengthen corporate image and reputation, and add value and competitive advantage to the business • New empowered audience of clued up customers and 24/7 online writers and activists produce news content • Poses real challenge to companies in general and in particular to communication professionals and PR departments

16. Which direction are we travelling?

17. Summary: Wild West of social media Effective online CSR reputation management can with a degree of certainty be asserted to be about community conversation, participation and collaboration. • Quasi social interactive chaos • Ideas and opportunities emerge • Communities of interest