In their BlogWell Chicago presentation, MillerCoors' Digital & Consumer Outreach Specialist, Lisa Zimmer, and Digital Media Specialist, Sonal Mehta, share how they're approaching social within a stictly-regulated industry. Lisa and Sonal go into detail about how they're using social media to simultaneously manage big-picture corporate and grassroots brand messaging.

1. SocialMedia.org
Video Case Studies
SocialMedia.org
This video is from
Case Studies
BlogWell
San Francisco
June 20, 2011
This presentation is from
socialmedia.org/blogwell Lisa Zimmer &
BlogWell Sonal Mehta
Chicago
July 18, 2012 Approaching Corporate Social in
socialmedia.org/blogwell Big and Small Ways

2. Approaching Corporate Social in Big
and Small Ways
Sonal Mehta, Digital & Social Media Specialist, MillerCoors
Lisa Zimmer, Digital & Consumer Outreach Specialist, Tenth and Blake

3. MillerCoors and Tenth and Blake

4. Regulations
Age Verification Translation
(as set forth by the Beer Institute)
“Placements made by or under the control of the Brewer Facebook: built-in A/V
in magazines, newspapers, on television, on radio, and
in digital media in which there is no dialogue between Twitter: in Beta test with Age Gate Tool, can
a Brewer and user, may only be made where at least only respond to, RT those following us
71.6% of the audience is expected to be adults of
legal drinking age.”
Brands just NOW getting onto Twitter
“Placements made by or under the control of the Brewer
in digital media in which there is a dialogue between Proceed with caution, must have user data for
a user and a Brewer may only be made where a user Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.
confirms that he or she is of legal drinking age.”
Solutions
@MillerCoors manually requests all birthdates of followers, until Beta A/V
tool rolled out industry-wide. Non-submission within timeframe = block.
@TenthandBlake still not active, personal account with employment
disclosure used to build community.

5. Audience Media, Distributors, Other Brewers, Beer
Consumers, Prospective Bloggers, Beer Geeks,
Employees. Industry News
Goals To spread information To be available when
and knowledge about the people come looking for
company, corporate Tenth and Blake
initiatives and the beer information
industry
Not a substitute for brand information, but a supplement
Tools @MillerCoors, Facebook @Zimmerino, Facebook

6. Other Objectives
• Crisis Prevention, Product Recalls, Advertising Issues, create an
avenue responses or statements if necessary.
• Consumer Affairs, personal approach to solving issues or direct
traffic to support center.
• Build the MillerCoors Brand and generate goodwill for the
corporation.

7. Other Objectives
• Contribute authenticity – a group of true beer geeks who want to
be in the craft community.
• Availability; you can find me online quickly, with quick response
time. A “direct line” to someone inside.
• Response both to product inquiries and debate and discussion
about the industry.

8. How We Work: Small
• Stay informed:
• Review competitor sites for best practices, tips
• Serve as consultant for brands moving into the space
• Educate, educate, educate (myself, our brand teams, legal, leaders)
• Build network
• Recognize that we have a very diverse customer and consumer base;
know who those people are and respond appropriately.

9. Working Small: A little help from our friends
6 PM on a Sunday
night, plus no specific
mention of us, but a
swipe at our
company.
Evan is a journalist,
maybe stirring the pot
but also throwing me
a bone. (And sending
me an alert.)
Evan mediates a little.
Greg is a little
exposed, takes
the high road.
I respond in good
humor, keep it light.

10. How We Work: Big
• Stay connected
• Build content
• Consult for big brands on how to move into the space
• Work on enterprise wide initiatives: listening tools, employee social media
guidelines, enhance social media experience within the larger organization

11. Big Picture: Community and Response
• Typically avoid snarky comments, unless it’s about major
issue. Let the community handle.
• Sometimes they even clarify more detailed queries on our
behalf.

12. What we’ve accomplished
• An internal structure that fosters both “little” and
“big” mentalities and conversations
• Relationships ranging from smaller breweries to
large media outlets
• Effective response strategies and tactics across
the board
• Built a community for both MillerCoors and
Tenth and Blake

13. What’s in store
• Continue building communities and developing
individual relationships with influencers in our respective
areas
• Help support our brands as they start to build their
online communities (@MillerLite, @CoorsLight)
• Working with our legal team to promote engagement
while following the letter of the ever-changing laws
• Empowering employees to engage in social media &
become ambassadors with us
– Social media 101 course
– Employee policies

14. Questions?
• Sonal Mehta: @MillerCoors, @SonalMehta
• Lisa Zimmer: @TenthandBlake, @Zimmerino

15. SocialMedia.org
This video is from
Case Studies Learn more about past and
BlogWell
San Francisco
June 20, 2011
upcoming BlogWells
This presentation is from
socialmedia.org/blogwell
BlogWell socialmedia.org/blogwell
Chicago
July 18, 2012
socialmedia.org/blogwell