1. BSI HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA HELP YOUR BRAND STRATEGY WHEN THINGS GO WRONG Marketing 2.0 Conference, Paris 2010

2. Jointheconversation MARKETING 2.0 CONFERENCE www.marketing2conference.com

3. The Social Web, Crisis Response & Reputation Rejuvenation Christopher Barger Director of Social Media, General Motors Twitter: @cbargerMarketing 2.0 Conference 22 March, 2010

4. Social networking, GM and Chapter 11 Created temporary extended social media team to engage everywhere possible “Live Tweeted” from every live interview or press conference Engaged in multiple social networks and platforms Ensured that traditional media knew of efforts @cbarger

5. Lesson #1: You cannot overcommunicate For general engagement & “normal” business, it’s better to strategize & choose right channels for your goal… In a crisis, answering as many questions as possible & letting people know you’re listening is vital – both because those affected expect it, & because it introduces your perspective into the conversation – so a broad, all-platforms approach is most effective The best balance is weighted strongly toward answering questions and addressing concerns, not just pushing information @cbarger

6. Reaching out to influencers @cbarger

7. Lesson #2: Let others tell your story Others will be interested in how you handle your crisis from a social media perspective. So tell them, and let them tell others. We didn’t contact anyone in hopes that they would turn into an advocate. We just wanted them to tell the story – and knew that the story would drive people to us. Perceived loss of control is always terrifying, but especially during a crisis. Do it anyway. (You never really had control anyway.) @cbarger

8. Results Between Twitter, Facebook and blogs, we engaged in >800 conversations that week Reaction online to our activity was almost universally positive Got 40+ new GMers engaging on Twitter Reinvention website garnered half a million views Traditional media noticed, covered, even used our feeds FB fan page growth @cbarger

9. Lesson #3: Measure, and report There will be skeptics inside the organization who don’t think a social web play at this time was smart – and who will be looking for reasons to pull back. You will need lots of examples of why they’re wrong. Use them. Show the shooters every positive tweet, every measurement report, every metric you can think of to justify/add credibility to the effort. You’ll have momentum to take you to the next step. @cbarger

10. Hands on Engagement Product and Technology showcase Invited 100 consumers, influencers and bloggers to experience GM “Hands On” Trip included exclusive tour of GM Design showcasing forthcoming products and concepts, PPO build shop to witness Chevy Volt production, full product ride and drive at Milford Proving Grounds and TweetUp Guests were encouraged to share their experience throughout the program @cbarger

11. Hands on Engagement “After this event it is safe to say, I can say I feel GM has a real future and great product in the pipeline” – Joelfeder.com “General Motors made me feel like my opinion mattered. (They asked for it. A lot.) Not only was this a huge ego boost for me, but it says a lot about the company, to want so many opinions.”– Notes of Cheerful Calamity @StephanieclickThere are not enough good things to say about yesterday's event. So grateful that I was invited. Trying to process all that I saw! @cbarger

12. Lesson #4: Follow up matters Community will expect continued engagement. Reputational repair begins with demonstrating change, and the sense that you value the relationships forged during the crisis. Absent significant follow up, community could see your reputational efforts as PR/marketing. @cbarger

13. Listening to consumers “Michaelbanovsky: Sweet! #GM actually listened for once! Now I know I talked to #fritz about the #G8… http://tr.im/wHpq” Nsap: is impressed GM is listening when it comes to product...good for them! Keep it up!! @gmblogs @bpgjim @cbarger” @cbarger

14. Listening to critics @cbarger

15. Expanding customer service @cbarger

16. Becoming more open “The Lab seems to be a solid first step in engaging designer and customer in a productive, conversational way. This marks a turning point in the use of social media as a truly two-way street into and out of automotive companies outside of the PR department” – Downsideupdesign.com New GM Media site incorporates social tools – makes news more sharable, and now open to all forms of media @cbarger

17. New approaches to video @cbarger

18. Redefining influence @cbarger

19. Lesson #5: Provide value Community’s wants/needs/interests come first. This is always true but especially so during a reputational rebuild. Listen as much as you talk. Demonstrate change. Do some things people wouldn’t expect from you. Show that you’re listening as well as talking. Adopt “one at a time” as your mindset, not just your mantra. Broad gestures often don’t mean nearly as much as small ones. Every person won back is a win, no matter how much effort has to go into winning them back. Treat them like family even after they’re in the family. If you want them to be advocates, you have to let them advocate. Give them what they need to be effective – information, product, or whatever it takes. Remember that real life really matters. Incorporate real life interaction into your online relationships – experiential marketing is a huge component of reputational repair. As Spike Jones has said, 90% of word of mouth still happens offline. @cbarger

20. In Action: Chevrolet @ SXSW 2010 Goal: Re-establish Chevrolet within social web Objectives: Drive buzz/enthusiasm for Chevrolet among influencers Generate attention and buzz for Chevrolet Volt Begin or build upon relationships with digital influencers Drive followers/fans to Chevrolet social properties to continue the relationship Strategy: “Help people have the experience they came to SXSW to have.” Be part of the experience, not impose upon it “We’ll get credit by not taking credit”

21. See The USA in a Chevrolet: A SXSW Road Trip 8 teams of social web players from across the US embarked on a 4 day road trip to Austin Along the way, they engaged in an “Amazing Race” style contest – needing to achieve 50 “challenges” before arriving in Austin Challenges were in 5 categories: Charity, Collections, Physical Challenge, Interaction and Digital Missions were “crowdsourced” via Twitter @chevrolet + each team’s Twitter community Follow along on team sites, Chevy sites (lifestreaming, Twitter, FB) All teams received: Chevy-funded Tweetups in their hometown after SXSW Chance to drive the Chevrolet Volt in Austin VIP passes to Chevy SXSW events @cbarger

23. Other SXSW tactics “Catch A Chevy” – shuttle/taxi service around Austin VIP Volt drives (closed course) Short, informal video shot and published immediately TweetHouse party opening night (open to public) Private influencer party Major technology debuts: Augmented Reality iPhone app QR Codes Partnered with Gowalla for location-aware brand interaction

24. Chevy @ SXSW: Results

25. What the social web thought “Who won the marketing and promo prize? My vote goes to Chevrolet who scored big with interoperable, viral, smart branding and promotion–online, offline, and in-line.” -- Peersuasion “I take my hat off to Chris Barger and his Chevy/GM team for really being the marketing darling of SxSW with their Volt activation.” – Jaffe Juice “Chevy showed up in a big way and really showcased that they knew how to work directly with this community.” – C.C. Chapman “Chevy gets it. Chevrolet's Posterous blog is one of the best examples I've seen of a major corporation embracing casual video.” – Steve Garfield

26. What the traditional media said

27. Lessons learned: final thoughts Open, candid engagement can win admiration, mitigate negativity Need to be engaged prior to crisis to have earned credibility Engagement during a crisis only goes so far: you have to back it up after the crisis with sincerity and action Success in the social web is about joining the community and being part of it, not executing within its channels Success is only half in executing your program; the other half is telling people about what you’re doing. There is no “over.” @cbarger