General Motors has launched an advertising campaign titled “Reinvention” aimed at rebuilding loyalty and trust as it emerges from bankruptcy. In order to be effective, transparency in communication is essential. Regaining the loyalty and trust for their brands from the public, despite the deluge of negative publicity and cynicism, is not going to be easy. Clearly GM understands this, and true to the name of the campaign, they are reinventing how they communicate with consumers. Their recognition of the importance of the web, particularly social media, as part of an integrated communication strategy might likely serve as a model of how companies approach “crisis management” communication moving forward.
www.GMReinvention.com
From the moment GM filed for Chapter 11 on June 1, social media tactics have been a key component of the company’s communications strategy. The GM Reinvention microsite (www.gmreinvention.com) does a great job delivering the message – and facilitating others to influence the message. A few things it does really well…
- Mission first (then product, then corporate)—the message doesn’t get lost or cluttered with product or corporate information. The content is well organized and prioritized.
- Use of multimedia to tell the story—integrating the offline campaign messaging and incorporating video stories from key executives focusing in on specific topics.
- Scheduled chat sessions—users can sign up for live chat sessions where the key people helping to reinvent GM answer your questions about the company’s progress.
- Up to date progress reporting—a spin on the old press release. Short reports are posted detailing key accomplishments and milestones. There is also an RSS feed with the latest company news.
- Use of Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook—people can connect, share, and communicate with each other. The Facebook page has attracted more than 86,000 fans to date. The Twitter page currently has over 9,300 followers.
- Tell Fritz—people can share ideas, thoughts, and suggestions directly with the CEO, Fritz Henderson (as long as it’s 256 characters or less). He commits to reading and responding to as many as possible each week.
And, there are some signs that it’s working. According to one social media assessment report which tracks positive and negative “buzz,” the campaign strategy seems to be paying off. GM social media buzz is currently at 73% positive and 27% percent negative since the campaign launched compared to 59% positive in the month leading up to the campaign launch.
Regardless of how cynical one may be about any corporate advertising campaign (particularly this one), I give GM credit for the transparency and commitment it has shown to date with its digital strategy.
