Visible Technologies Social Media Monitoring Blog

It is great to see such growth in social media use over the past year by the Fortune 500–not always quick to move as are smaller companies. Larger brands are beginning to see results that, in turn, allow them to expand and incorporate social media into more corporate programs. American Express is a great example, leveraging Twitter as a way to enter for a chance to win VIP tickets to Conan O’Brian’s sold out tour.

Hey @americanexpress I want to be with Coco in (insert city from list below). Pick me! http://bit.ly/bEUqsh #amexConan

So how have things changed in 2009 over 2008?

A longitudinal study from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research shows steady uptake of social media marketing activities by Fortune 500 companies, with Twitter a clear winner.

Fortune 500 firms increased adoption of public blogs from 16% in 2008 to 22% in 2009, according to the research. A plurality of these blogs belong to the 100 largest companies in the group, though smaller companies ranked 401 through 500 gained share from 10% to 18% of the total over the time period.

Even more Fortune 500 companies have a Twitter account—35% (Twitter usage was not studied in 2008). Four out of the top five corporations on the list post regularly to their Twitter accounts. As with blogs, the top 100 companies have the greatest share of social media presence.

Many of the Fortune 500 are integrating their social efforts; 86% of those with blogs have a link to their Twitter account, for example. Three in 10 Fortune 500 blogs include video blogging, and 19% feature podcasts.

“The continued steady adoption of blogs and the explosive growth of Twitter among Fortune 500 companies demonstrate the growing importance of social media in the business world,” said Norah Ganim Barnes, senior fellow and research chair of the Society for New Communications Research and Chancellor Professor of Marketing at UMass Dartmouth, in a statement.

“These large and leading companies drive the American economy,” she said, “and to a large extent, the world economy.”

Previous data from the Center for Marketing Research showed that Fortune 500 companies were being outpaced by smaller, more nimble firms in the Inc. 500—a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US. More than one-half of the group used Twitter in 2009.

It’s only a matter of time before social media is thoroughly infused with all Fortune 500 companies, allowing new combination’s for direct interaction with customers over blogs, Twitter, and the next great social space.

Blake Cahill

Visible Technologies

“A good name, like good will, is got by many actions and lost by one.” – Lord Jeffrey

Lord Jeffrey’s adage from the 19th century rings true today, particularly in the timely case of Tiger Woods, the golfing hero turned shamed adulterer. Since news broke of Tiger’s multiple extramarital affairs in the end of 2009, conversation about him has been almost universally disapproving and gossipy. With new content constantly churning out on Twitter, blogs and top newspapers and magazines, Tiger’s misdeeds continue to overshadow his successful golfing career – specifically his ‘Google juice,’ or search engine results. Even after his televised public apology, Tiger’s online reputation has been seriously damaged – leading to a potentially unalterable reputation crisis for the best golfer in the world.

Now more than ever, celebrities, public figures – and even brands – need to keep tabs on their online reputation, ensuring search engines have the most accurate information, whether it’s a fire drill or a regular Friday. Search is one of the most important ways to learn and discover online, and putting one’s best foot forward is a crucial part of online reputation.

To help brands, celebrities and high-profile individuals manage their online reputations, Visible Technologies today released truREPUTATION 2.0, an end-to-end solution that facilitates the proactive management of a brand or individual’s online reputation through search engine results tracking and analysis capabilities that deliver immediate insights within a single dashboard.

A full-service suite, truREPUTATION 2.0 enables marketers to get ahead of crisis situations and proactively manage search results that influence public perceptions of their brand. The key components of the truREPUTATION 2.0 suite include:

• truREPUTATION Manager: A comprehensive, proactive search result management service for domestic and international search engines that promotes positive content and provides access to truREPUTATION 2.0, dedicated customer support and advanced business intelligence.
• truREPUTATION Monitor: A hands-on service that includes access to truREPUTATION 2.0, weekly monitoring, tracking and reporting and advanced business intelligence.
• truREPUTATION Viewpoint: A deep-dive report of current search engine content collected and scored for sentiment using truREPUTATION 2.0, paired with specific recommendations on how to improve rankings.
• truREPUTATION Snapshot: A short summary and analysis of current search engine content, collected and scored for sentiment with truREPUTATION 2.0.

To learn more about truREPUTATION 2.0, please see today’s press release on the news here.

Blake Cahill

Visible Technologies

I have been part of the social media generation – professionally and personally – for a number of years, but last week was the first time I found myself social networking in the midst of a potential crisis situation – the Hawaiian Islands Tsunami Warning while vacationing in Maui.

Being jarred out of bed at 6 a.m. on a Saturday during vacation by the sound of emergency sirens blaring across the island is not something I will soon forget. The Tsunami Warning announcement slipped under our door from the Maui Westin Resort staff didn’t offer much comfort and advice either, especially given the hotel wasn’t even built the last time a major tsunami hit this island in 1960. To make matters even more concerning, our oceanfront room was roughly 1,000 feet from the pristine West Maui beach.

This was not the way I envisioned spending our last day of vacation.

The warning estimated the tsunami would strike Maui at 11:40 a.m., three hours before our scheduled flight back to Boston, a city where people would have trouble pronouncing the word tsunami let alone survive one. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but I immediately flipped open my laptop and started searching for Hawaiian emergency sites before I even turned on the TV to see what local newscasters and CNN were reporting.

Working for a social media listening company over the years has taught me that the fastest way to find out the latest is from the wisdom and information-sharing of the online crowd. As Google loaded sites onto my laptop, I grabbed my Blackberry and headed for the hotel lobby to see what the in-person crowd had to say.

Maybe it was my previous background as a reporter for United Press International that kicked in, where you always put out snippets of breaking news as they occurred, but by the time the elevator reached the ground floor I posted my first update on Twitter.

The lobby was filling up fast with other information-seeking tourists and it was easy to see the hotel staff was ill-prepared for an event of this magnitude. Nervous-looking staff at the registration desk were telling people that the coastal highway leading inland and to the airport was closed by emergency officials at 7 a.m., something I found out later from people online was untrue. I thought it was pretty ironic that Maui was shutting down what they had designated to be one of the island’s main evacuation routes. Any thought about fleeing to higher ground or getting to the airport was now a moot point.

When the hotel broadcast an emergency announcement that all guests would be moved above the 4^th story of each tower in preparation for the first wave, I really got to thinking this could be the real deal. We’ve all seen the video of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

So while some people started heading to a nearby convenience store to stock up on supplies, I returned to my hotel room with the idea of riding out whatever the storm might bring and getting as much information as possible from others on Maui and across the other Hawaiian Islands. The first waves were scheduled to hit the Big Island 20 minutes prior to Maui, so finding live Web cams of that area seemed like the place to start, particularly ones on the west side near Keauhou Bay that matched up to our west side location in Lahaina, Maui.

As I sped through finding new sites to track – the Hawaiian Civil Defense, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and The NY Times Live Twitter feed – local TV newscasters were having trouble reporting anything of substance. In the meantime, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle looked like she was auditioning for ‘Amateur Hour’, apparently with technical broadcast issues before finally opting for a blurry-image address via Skype.

Over the next two hours leading up to the estimated arrival time of the first wave, I shared everything that seemed relevant from what I heard on-site or from other people in the same situation as us, including updates on road closures, businesses shutting down, planned emergency power outages, and unusual water conditions in other areas of the island. Like any emergency situation, there is always a ton of bad information put out by people, but I found the good far outweighed the bad. I was also surprised that Starwood Hotels, owners of the Maui Weston, did not leverage their Twitter presence at all to broadcast emergency information to guests at their multiple Hawaiian resorts.

When the deadline finally passed, people started to finally lighten up, but it wasn’t until an NOAA official announced that “Hawaii had dodged a bullet” that everyone really started to relax, an announcement shared online roughly 20 minutes before it was carried by CNN.

Within minutes of my first online update, I began to receive dozens of reactions from friends, family and many strangers too, wishing us the best of luck, offering safety tips, and thanks for the updates from the island. It was really comforting to know so many people were listening and cared enough to send a message. I’m hoping that was the first and last time I’ll be part of such an event.

As member of the WOMMA Membership Ethics Committee for the past year I have had the privilege of working with and shaping some of recommendations and best practices for marketers, brands, and agencies who are active in Word-of-Mouth Marketing.

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued some guidelines concerning “The Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” and WOMMA responded to member demand for additional meaningful disclosures recommendation and best practice guidelines for social marketing. This has always been a critical platform for WOMMA and its members that was started in 2008. This platform has included:

• Launching the inaugural Living Ethics process in November 2008 at the WOMMA Summit, leading to meaningful changes to the WOMMA Code in 2009;
• Convening an expert panel in September 2009 to address transparency and disclosure in social media;
• Creating the Living Ethics Blog to allow comments/questions concerning transparency and disclosure in social media;
• Incorporating feedback from the Living Ethics Blog to create the first draft of this WOMMA Guide to Disclosure;
• Presenting the preliminary Disclosure Guide at the 2009 WOMMA Summit (myself, Paul Rand and David Bindowski) and re-opening the Living Ethics Blog from November 18 thru January 4, 2010 to obtain public comments and:
• And then formalizing the final recommendations for industry use which are included below.

Here are the recommendations that we propose to marketers/brands:

Social Media and the Responsibilities of Advertisers, Marketers and Bloggers
With the rising popularity of social media websites from blogs to Twitter to Facebook, the issue of ethical word of mouth marketing has taken on new prominence. Many brands and agencies are designing word of mouth marketing programs to foster relationships with social media participants. (Those participants or speakers are referred to in this document as “bloggers.”) Consumers have a right to know the sponsor behind advertising messages that could influence their purchasing decisions, but key information is not always adequately disclosed in a social media context. Thus, for testimonials and endorsements delivered to consumers through social media - - whether by consumers, experts, celebrities, or organizations - - the FTC requires advertisers and bloggers to disclose all “material connections.” Such “material connections” may be defined as any connection between a blogger and an advertiser that could affect the credibility consumers give to that blogger’s statements. Important examples of “material connections” include (a) consideration (benefits or incentives such as monetary compensation, loaner products, free services, in-kind gifts, special access privileges) provided by an advertiser to a blogger, or (b) a relationship between an advertiser and a blogger (such as an employment relationship).

Scope and Purpose of the WOMMA Guide to Disclosure in Social Media Marketing
This document provides best practices in light of the FTC Guide that was released last year. It is not WOMMA’s intent for this document to replace your company’s legal advice or practices but rather to enhance it. As social media is ever-changing, the WOMMA Disclosure Guide will be a living document – continuing to be refined to reflect evolving industry best practices.

Key online platforms covered in this Guide include, but are not limited to blogs, microblogs (e.g., Twitter), online comments, social networks, video sharing websites, photo sharing websites, and podcasts.

Clear and Prominent Disclosure
No matter which platform is used, adequate disclosures must be clear and prominent. Language should be easily understood and unambiguous. Placement of the disclosure must be easily viewed and not hidden deep in the text or deep on the page. All disclosures should appear in a reasonable font size and color that is both readable and noticeable to consumers.

Disclosure Best Practices
As stated above, bloggers are required to disclose “material connections” to advertisers. Listed below is sample disclosure language, organized by the platform used. Alternative, but substantively comparable, language may also be used where appropriate.

Personal and Editorial Blogs
• I received _____________________ from _____________________
___________________ sent me ___________________

Product Review Blogs
• I received _____________________ from _____________________ to review
• I was paid by _____________________ to review
Additionally for product review blogs, WOMMA strongly recommends creating and prominently posting a “Disclosure and Relationships Statement” section on the blog fully disclosing how a review blogger works with companies in accepting and reviewing products, and listing any conflicts of interest that may affect the credibility of their reviews.

Providing Comments in Online Discussions
• I received _____________________ from _____________________
• I was paid by _____________________
• I am an employee [or representative]of _____________________

Microblogs
Include a hash tag notation, either:
• #spon (sponsored)
• #paid (paid)
• #samp (sample)
Additionally, WOMMA strongly recommends posting a link on your profile page directing people to a full “Disclosure and Relationships Statement.” This statement, much like the one WOMMA recommends for review blogs, should state how you work with companies in accepting and reviewing products, and listing any conflicts of interest that may affect the credibility of your sponsored or paid reviews.

Status Updates on Social Networks
• I received _____________________ from _____________________
• I was paid by _____________________
If status updates are limited by character restrictions, the best practice disclosure requirement is to include a hash tag notation of either #spon, #paid or #samp. Additionally, WOMMA strongly recommends posting a full description or a link on your social network profile page directing people to a “Disclosure and Relationships Statement.” Note that if an employee blogs about his or her company’s products, citing the identity of the employer in the profile may not be a sufficient disclosure. Bloggers’ disclosures should appear close to the endorsement or testimonial statement they are posting.

Video and Photo Sharing Websites
Include as part of the video/photo content and part of the written description:
• I received _____________________ from _____________________
• I was paid by _____________________
Additionally, WOMMA strongly recommends posting a full description or a link on your video and/or photo sharing profile page directing people to a “Disclosure and Relationships Statement.”

Podcasts
Include, as part of the audio content and part of the written description:
• I received _____________________ from _____________________
• I was paid by _____________________
Additionally, WOMMA strongly recommends posting a full description or a link directing people to a “Disclosure and Relationships Statement.”

I am privileged to be a part of this process and to have worked with the amazing team of WOMMA folks, brands and agencies that make up the Ethics sub-committee. I look forward to further feedback and collaboration with both WOMMA members and the industry at large.

To hear more details there will be an interactive webinar on this topic on Monday March 1st at 9AM Pacific/12PM Eastern. Register here.

Blake Cahill

Visible Technologies

Sometimes instead of talking it pays to step back and listen to what’s going on in your business and industry, especially when you work in the consumer listening space. That’s what I did for awhile and I learned a lot over the past several months by paying close attention to what our clients and other companies are looking to accomplish in social media in the near future.

One of the things that continues to surprise me is how much has changed in the last 12 months in this business and how much more I think it will change over the next 12 or so months. I’m not going to try to predict the future like so many people a lot smarter than me have done since the start of the year. That said, I don’t need to be The Amazing Kreskin to spot some emerging trends that are moving up the ladder in importance as the new year unfolds. Here are a few gaining some real traction in my opinion;

Organizational Design: Without a doubt, one of the most overlooked components of the entire social media business today is the development of a strategic organizational roadmap for brands to implement. One of the biggest corporate takeaways in 2009 was the natural migration of social media listening from one group to multiple groups. While not yet at a full-scale enterprise level, this evolution of more widespread listening will continue this year, and it is already spreading at a pace that strains the capabilities of many listening providers.

Any discussion about social media listening, measurement, and the now white-hot ‘customer engagement’ area without a full blown (global) organizational strategy is pretty much fruitless. This will continue to be a major issue in 2010 because, by and large, many companies haven’t yet recognized they have the need for it.

If I was running an agency or consultancy practice today, this is where I’d be aligning my thinking and resources for the immediate future. There’s been some work in this area by other firms besides ours, but nothing that I’ve seen that would make a Fortune 500 brand stand up and take notice.

Integrated Insights: Social media listening as a standalone data set has a life expectancy of less than 24 months, in my opinion. It may live longer in non-strategic or measurement adverse areas of a company, but it has no long-term lifespan with the real corporate decision-makers, internal brand strategists and research insights leaders.

I’m convinced more than ever that social media will grow in importance within the corporate environment, but just not the way it looks and feels today without a strategic facelift. This type of change will take place in the yet-to-be tapped world of social media data integration with other forms of traditional research and exploratory data mining. The recent Millward Brown, Dynamic Logic and Cymfony partnership is a step in this direction.

When this becomes more commonplace, listening and measurement will really begin to provide brands with a more robust level of actionable business insights and ROI measurement. Companies will demand that and those who don’t provide it will not be around for the long haul. Most people would be shocked how much more you can get from social media when you view it through the prism of other data sources. I expect companies to step up work in this area in 2010.

Brand Activation Analysis: Over the past couple of years it seems like everyone has been enamored with online customer outreach and pushing brands to get out there and address customer problems and issues on the Web. Call it the “Twitter Effect” if you like, but the focus has been more on the need to do something, especially if your competitor is already actively participating in social networks.

For brands already in the second and third generations of their social media strategy, the honeymoon period for brand activation is starting to wear off and fast. The novelty of “participating” is giving way to an increasing demand to understand the impact of this new generation of B-to-C (brand to consumer) communications. Like listening, brand activation is also starting to spread across companies with a real plan. The concept of the single Community Manager is starting to give way to integrated teams activated across different disciplines, such as customer service, marketing, crisis communications, sales, and other departments. It’s not widespread yet but the handwriting is already on the wall.

This new level of corporate engagement is also putting pressure on the development of new models of brand activation metrics and analysis. That may not sound so hard when you have one corporate responder on Twitter, but meaningful outcome analysis gets a lot more difficult when there is a global cross-functional team online. Measuring the impact on the brand gets a lot trickier. Dial-up your local social media listening provider and ask which button in their application will spit out that type of report. Good luck. Again, I have seen some work in this area, luckily some by our own company, but we all have a long way to go in this area.

The calendar has turned the page to another interesting and challenging decade, and as usual, I welcome your feedback, ideas and experiences in these areas.

Mike Spataro
Visible Technologies