PEOPLE’S INSIGHTS MONTHLY BRIEFS
See what’s Inspiring us in January 2014
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FoEo I am delighted to introduce the first issue of the People’s Insights monthly briefs, which pulls together inspiring initiatives and emerging trends shared by our global team of 120+ strategic planners, researchers and insights experts. 2013 was an exciting year for People’s Insights. We published the tenpart annual report Now & Next: Future of Engagement (also available as a Kindle eBook), crossed one million views across our global social properties and launched the People’s Insights iPad app ‘Now&Next.’ In 2014, we continue to focus on projects that are pushing the boundaries of engagement with clients, consumers, employees and other stakeholders. We look forward to sharing these with you as monthly briefs, and showcasing our latest thinking as quarterly magazines. Feel free to write to me at pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com to share your feedback on this report, or to start a conversation on how we can help you win in the area of engagement. Pascal Beucler SVP and Chief Strategy Officer, MSLGROUP
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TrdCto We are delighted to share the new People’s Insights monthly reports. In our first issue, we feature 11 initiatives and emerging trends. §
Chipotle. Fast food company Chipotle promises ‘naturally sourced’ food and aggressively promotes its Food With Integrity mission to distinguish itself from other fast food companies.
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Aftermath of the Bangladesh factory collapse. The Bangladesh factory collapse in April 2013 catalysed a movement to hold fashion brands responsible for their suppliers and sub-suppliers. The media’s consistent campaign against the fashion industry may lead to mainstream popularity of Fair Trade Clothing and more transparency about where our clothes are created.
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Amazon Fulfilment Centres. Undercover exposés about the poor working conditions at Amazon Fulfilment Centres in the US, UK and Germany have led to a growing unease amongst Amazon customers. 2014 may be the year in which people choose better labour practices over low prices. Chipotle’s iPad game The Scarecrow changes the way we think about food.
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Tweets from the deep. UK’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organization is overcoming the fishing industry’s negative reputation by telling its story from the perspective of the small boat fisherman. NFFO’s campaign Tweets from the Deep focused on a day in the life of a fisherman and intrigued the media and public into listening to their point of view.
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Why don’t you come over? Romania’s leading newspaper Gandul reacted to discrimination from the UK government with a positive and humorous campaign, “We may not like Britain, but you will love Romania.” Gandul invited Romanians to create their own posters, share their couches and post jobs to welcome the Brits and the campaign received widespread international coverage
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Netflix. Video streaming brand Netflix relied on innovation to overcome its tarnished reputation. After irking users with a pricing change in 2011, the company rebuilt its reputation with its successful foray into original programing, with hits like the House of Cards.
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People’s Pope. Pope Francis won over many hearts –Catholic and beyond – with his actions since becoming Pope. Photos of him kissing and praying for a severely disfigured man and washing a Muslim woman’s feet have given credibility to his call for mercy and compassion.
Pope Francis won over many hearts with his acts of compassion.
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Volunteers do not seek recognition. Following a bomb blast in Beirut, Offre Joie launched “Volunteers do not seek recognition” to draw public attention away from the political blame game and redirect it to restoration efforts carried out by anonymous volunteers.
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Gap #MakeLove. After ads from its #MakeLove campaign were defaced with racist comments, Gap took swift action on Twitter to replace the ads and stand behind its #MakeLove positioning. It’s swift response led to positive press and a boost in followers.
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Change.org. 50 million people in 196 countries are using Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform, to pressure organizations, governments and companies to change. A new feature, Decision Maker accounts, now allows business representatives and elected leaders to respond directly to petitioners with a public post and email, and to engage in two-way dialogue.
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Allianz Reputation Protect. Insurer Allianz’s Reputation Protect product provides organizations with up to €10 million of coverage to fund a professional response to reputation crises. As part of the policy, organizations will have to undergo an annual risk assessment and will be advised to implement preventive measures, thus forcing them to identify and address potential weaknesses. Women activists are petitioning brands to be more women and family friendly.
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These initiatives and trends indicate a renewed interest in where our their stuff comes from – from our food to every product we purchase online – and a strong, often vocal, appreciation for brands, organizations and public figures that show empathy and authenticity. In addition, brands are learning to be quicker in their response and are gaining tools and products that help them become more prepared and proactive in dealing with citizen activism. We hope you enjoy reading this issue. Do share your feedback and tips for future issues @PeoplesLab on Twitter. Nidhi Makhija Senior Manager – Insights, MSLGROUP Annie Sunny Account Executive, India, MSLGROUP
Change.org’s new Decision Maker account gives leaders a chance to talk back to petitioners.
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Chipotle Food with Integrity
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Amazon Fulfilment Centers
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Aftermath: Bangladesh Factory Collapse
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Gandul's Why don't you come over?
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NFFO’s Tweets from the Deep
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People’s Pope
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Offre Joie – Volunteers Do Not Seek Recognition
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Gap #MakeLove
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Netflix
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Change.org
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Allianz Reputation Protect
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IptE D H TerT
#Food with integrity #Where our food comes from Chipotle Mexican Grill is a USbased chain of fast food restaurants, famous for its ‘Food With Integrity’ positioning. The company has been sourcing ‘naturally raised’ food since 2001 and this mission features prominently in its stores and advertisements. While there are no government standards for ‘naturally raised’ food, Chipotle defines it as food raised without antibiotics or hormones, raised outdoors, and sourced locally while in season. Chipotle requires suppliers to sign an affidavit and conducts audits to ensure its high standards are met.
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Chipotle’s message made headlines in 2011, when the brand released the animated film Back to the Start (8 million views), which shows how farmers moved from good ‘natural farming’ to ‘bad industrial farming’ – and why some are moving back. In 2013, the brand released another animated film The Scarecrow (11 million views) and accompanying iOS game, which are set in an exaggerated over-industrialized world in which ‘natural’ food is a rarity. Both films shocked audiences not used to seeing such messages from fast food chains. Chipotle’s message was clear and direct: Chipotle is not part of the problem. Chipotle is different from other fast food chains. Back to the Start, Chipotle’s first ever TV ad, contributed to a 23.4% increase in sales and a jump in market share from 14.1% to 16.7% in the US in 2011 (via AdAge). The film was awarded the first branded content grand prix at Cannes Lions 2012. However, Chipotle was – and is – still subject to the negative halo effect of the fast food industry. Critics like the Better Business Bureau challenged Chipotle’s claims (and found they were true), and several social conversations show that some people are still unwilling to trust the fast food industry. Over the years, Chipotle has launched several initiatives to back up its claims of sustainability and integrity.
Video: Back to the Start
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Chipotle joined the Fair Food Program in 2012 amidst pressure from human rights NGOs following its sponsorship of the largely anti-fast food documentary Food Inc. In 2011, Chipotle created the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation non-profit "dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthful and equitable food future." The company has organized several fund-raisers and donated funds to the foundation and related causes. CEO Steve Ellis has also brought visibility to Chipotle’s mission as a judge for NBC's America's Next Great Restaurant. Journey ahead While Chipotle is making large strides in ethical food sourcing, sustainable building of stores and sustainable packaging, a major reputational issue that plagues the fast food industry is employee wages. Chipotle pays minimum wages but touts its structure for growth – 98% of managers at the chain’s stores were hired from within. It helps that Chipotle doesn’t follow a franchise model and owns all its stores. But the halo effect may affect it negatively on this issue too, and the company may have to address employee wages with the same zeal as it does food sourcing. Not an easy feat with its premium food prices already higher than market, a weak economy and competitors like Taco Bell offering competing products (which happen to be cheaper and contain less calories). Not to mention the fact that while people intend to buy green, they don’t always do so.
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Azn LflEn Enes
#Old-age labour practices In the months leading to Christmas 2013, news sites across the US and Europe posted undercover exposés of working conditions at Amazon warehouses, likening these to ‘slave camps.’ These reports have sparked a growing unease amongst online shoppers who don’t expect the new-age company to employ old-age practices. The Huffington Post sums up some of the negative coverage plaguing Amazon: “In recent years, there have been media reports of warehouse workers fainting from heat exhaustion, with air-conditioning installed only many months later. Some U.S. employees are suing, claiming that they have not been
In the documentary Panorama: TheTruth Behind The Click, BBC investigated working conditions at a UK based Amazon warehouse.
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paid for work or that Amazon employs tactics to avoid paying unemployment benefits. German colleagues went on strike over Christmas.” Amazon Fulfilment Center employee reviews on Indeed.com note that the company pays well and rate their experience highly. But they complain that the 10 hour work shifts are physically exhausting, walking on concrete all day takes a toll on their body, the performance targets are too high, the breaks are too short (and don’t include the time it takes to walk to the employee stations) and the queues to pass through security are too long. Other worker stories note that the conditions are typical of working in a warehouse and that the seasonal jobs are popular among audiences like college students and RV-driving ‘workampers.’ The temp jobs are physically demanding, but pay well, offer many incentives, allow plenty of voluntary and mandatory overtime hours (at over time pays), and provide a ‘great workout.’ Just like the employee reviews and media exposés, people’s reactions to these stories are diverse. Most denounce the exploitation of labour to maintain high efficiency and low costs, and are beginning to boycott the online retailer. Some however, note that physical intensity of the job can’t be helped and that the perks sound reasonable.
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Gawker’s Hamilton Nolan points out one reason Amazon is making the news: “With Amazon's business model on the rise, it is important to seek out an inside view of life as an Amazon worker. These curious retail-warehouse hybrid jobs are becoming a staple of many middle American communities.” A communications problem? Amazon’s response to these claims seems predictable – the company denied BBC’s claims that the warehouse jobs lead to increased mental illness, and insist that employee safety is a top priority. But what most news sites don’t highlight – and what Amazon doesn’t promote adequately – is that Amazon UK recently “increased pay levels for all associates and moved to a four-day week shift schedule that provides associates with three days off per week.” One possible reason is the public’s increasing misgivings towards technology companies. Backlash against Silicon Valley People have a fair number of reasons to extend their deep mistrust of corporates to include technology companies. Claims that people’s data is being sold to advertisers, or worse handed over to the NSA, have hurt brands like Facebook, Google and even Apple. Silicon Valley’s impact
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on San Francisco has been another sore spot – the influx of tech millionaires has driven up real estate rates, pushed out former inhabitants and sparked a culture clash. As the backlash continues to grow, tech companies are now the target of online outrage, online petitions, calls for boycotts and even protests. In 2014, we’re eager to see if and how Amazon responds to growing pressure and negative buzz.
theverge.com
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NgaeH Ctr claS
#Social activism #Corporate accountability In the 1990s, Nike became synonymous with sweatshops and labour exploitation. The brand spent a decade coming to terms with this perception and another decade on addressing the issue. In April 2013, the fashion industry faced similar accusations after the collapse of the Rana factory in Bangladesh killed a thousand workers and injured two thousand. Activists and the media revealed that a number of major American and European brands were manufactured in the Rana factory and demanded that the entire industry be held accountable for the state of the factories they work with.
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Political leaders and figures, including Pope Francis, have criticized the environment Bangladeshi textile workers are made to work in and the extreme low wages they are paid. In a very short amount of time, activists, unions and NGOs mobilized people to protest and petition the brands involved to sign The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh – a five year legally binding agreement to fund and uphold minimum safety standards in the Bangladesh textile industry. 90,000 people signed the petition and less than a month after the collapse, 42 brands signed the agreement. Today, over 100 brands have signed the accord. In addition to the accord, activists are also now demanding that brands involved in the Rana factory collapse contribute to a $40 million compensation fund to be paid to the families of the victims. Clamour for accountability Activists and the media are now targeting brands that have refused to sign the accord and to contribute to the compensation fund. Seventeen American brands including refused to sign the accord, choosing instead to create the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety – a five-year plan that calls for ‘shared responsibility’ between the brands, the Bangladesh government and factory owners in funding the safety measures.
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Activists and unions have criticized this approach and have mobilized people to petition the brands to uphold their responsibility to workers and families of victims and ‘End their Deathtraps.’ The media have focused the debate around the issue of accountability. Another brand to face the brunt of negative coverage is Mango. Mango refused to contribute to the compensation fund, alleging that they had only place an order for samples and had not yet entered a formal relationship with the factory. On December 31, 2013, Mango’s refusal to compensate victims’ families was featured on the front page of the New York Times print edition. Clothing Trends With the increase of textile industry calamities, two trends are emerging: Fair Trade Clothing. Smaller clothing retailers, like Fair Indigo, are beginning to use Fair Trade Clothing as a differentiator. Fair Trade Clothing is also part of a wider Slow Fashion Movement, which calls for sustainable production of clothing, with respect to natural resources and wages. Know Your Factory. Small clothing retailers, like Everlane, have begun to document the stories of the factories where their clothes come from. Nike offers a comprehensive interactive map of its factories following its crisis in the1990s. In May 2013, NPR launched and successfully crowdfunded a project to document the creation of its Planet Money T-shirts from the source of the cotton to the creation of the t-shirts in factories in Bangladesh and Columbia. top: NY Times story on Mango bottom: Nike interactive map
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Y o’T o cm oe?
#Country branding #Guerrilla activism In January 2013, a year before EU labour border restrictions expired, The Guardian reported that the British government was considering an anti-nation branding campaign to dissuade Romanian and Bulgarians from migrating over. The news raised ridicule and speculation of what such a campaign would look like. The Guardian invited readers to submit posters around this theme. Frustrated by the state of their economy and the affairs of the government, several readers did. Europeans and, in particular, Romanians weren’t amused by the news or the crowdsourced posters. Leading Romanian newspaper Gandul retaliated with a positive,
theguardian.com/uk/gallery
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humorous Why Don’t You Come Over campaign, with the message: “We may not like Britain, but you will love Romania.” Gandul launched a series of amusing posters comparing the two countries, with messages like “Half our women look like Kate. The other half, like her sister.” As international media and audiences picked up the story, Gandul launched an app that allowed Romanians to create their own messages, a couchsurfing initiative that invited Romanians to offer their couches for visiting Brits (and vice versa), and a job board where Romanians could post vacancies. Romania’s biggest image campaign The campaign could be considered Romania’s biggest image campaign and was applauded for its positive approach to fighting the discrimination. The UK didn’t go ahead with its anti-nation branding campaign. Instead, journalists came over to verify Romania’s claims (which proved mostly true) and several people shared their intent to visit Romania in social conversations, saying the campaign ‘gave them a good reason to go over’ to a country they always wanted to visit. According to Gandul, the campaign generated €2 million of free coverage and increased Gandul’s readership by 30%.
top: Video: Why Don’t You Come Over? bottom: whydontyoucomeover.gandul.info
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No’S Ees Frm tE E
#People 2 People #Changing perceptions As part of its efforts to change the media’s negative perception of the fishing industry, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organization in the UK decided to turn to Twitter. For one day, the NFFO would turn over its Twitter account (#NFFO_UK) to veteran fisherman David Warwick, to show the media and people what a fisherman’s life really looks like. On August 14 2013,David tweeted from his trawler, answered questions from Twitter users and participated in phone interviews with the media. In a blog post, David wrote: “Newspapers call us sea barons and pillagers, accusing us of plundering
twitter.com/BBCCornwall
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oceans for commercial gain. Yet the reality could not be more different… “I followed my father’s footsteps into this industry and I hope, if he chooses, my two year old son will do the same. Many of my fishing colleagues feel as I do and we are working hard to ensure the industry is there in the future for our children and our children’s children.” Tweets from the Deep brought out the human side of their argument. It encouraged the media to listen to the fishermen’s point of view and allowed people to have direct exchanges with David – assigning a real human face and story to the people represented by the organization. As social media becomes more accepted as a mainstream medium, it will increasingly become part of a campaign’s media mix for both B2C and B2B campaigns. NFFO’s Tweets from the Deep campaign shows that it’s the idea, the insight and the ability to evoke emotions that counts. NFFO’s larger approach to place fishermen at the heart of debates on overfishing has helped it received more positive media coverage and position itself as a credible source to comment on fishing industry issues in 2013.
top: twitter.com/SharkTrustUK bottom: Video: Tweets from the Deep
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oL’S P
#Empathy #Changing Perceptions In March 2013, white smoke appeared from the Sistine Chapel. It was a sign that the Catholic Church had found its new Pope to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was chosen as the 266th Pope and he chose the name Francis in honour of the humble Saint Francis. In a short span of time, Pope Francis has captured the hearts of millions and has established himself as a new age Pope who is making the Catholic Church relevant to the 21st Century. Pope Francis was formerly a janitor, a nightclub bouncer, a chemical technician and a literature teacher. His humble slideshare.net/edahn
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upbringing is reflected in his leadership and lifestyle. He has made it clear that the Roman Catholic Church should be a "poor church, for the poor." After getting elected, Pope Francis decided not to move into the papal apartment used by his predecessors; he preferred moving into a simple suite at a Vatican Hotel. His sermons focus on the need to look after the needy and sick, as well as the natural world. He will also be auctioning a Harley- Davidson donated to him to help raise funds for the homeless. Pope Francis leads by example – an approach that bolsters his credibility. Indeed, for most people, it’s not just Pope Francis’ words that are important but his gestures. He once visited a man with a disfiguring skin disease, kissed him on his forehead and prayed for him. He also washed a Muslim woman’s feet during the Holy Thursday service last Easter. Pope Francis emphasizes mercy and compassion, over doctrines. On being questioned by a reporter on homosexuality, he replied, “Who am I to judge?” These words don’t change the Church’s doctrines, but rather the tone of the Church. This is the same approach Pope Francis has taken on various subjects like unwed mothers, atheists and divorcees, and has been successful in reaching out to people who were repelled from the Church due to its strict dos and don’ts. Citing the “Pope Francis effect” Italy’s Center for the Study of New Religions reports a significant rise in church attendance since Francis was elected as Pope. It’s not just Catholics, people outside the faith are inspired by his acts as well.
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Not only has Pope Francis embraced the right message, but the right channels too. He has more than 10 million followers on Twitter, topped Facebook’s trending topics of 2013 list and is the darling of social media. He has had a few viral hits too, including his selfie with a few millennials, and a photo of a little boy hugging him on stage during a homily. Pope Francis has charmed and motivated many people with his out reach to non-Catholics, concern for poor and his humility. He has changed the tone and perception of the Catholic Church. It’s easy to understand why Time magazine chose Pope Francis as the Person of the Year 2013. Video: Person of the Year 2013: Why TIME Chose Pope Francis
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LuteS n’T Sk rcGntO
#Authenticity #Citizenship In October 2012, a bomb blast shook Beirut, killing 8 people, wounding 80 and leaving many more homeless. Politicians and public figures spoke out about violence and their blame games took center stage in Lebanese media. Meanwhile, volunteer work to rebuild the attacked area went unnoticed. NGO Offre Joie launched the campaign “Volunteers Do Not Seek Recognition” to divert attention back to the victims and restoration efforts. Offre Joie’s campaign captured images of volunteers working on the site without showing their faces. The film moved people emotionally and drove home the
Video: Offre Joie "Volunteers Don't Seek Recognition”
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message of anonymous volunteerism. On Facebook, Offre Joie urged people to join the movement by changing their profile pictures to an image from Offre Joie’s album. These images showed the backs of people with the word “citizen” on it. As more people participated, the campaign garnered more media attention. Some volunteers also appeared on a talk show “Men el Ekhir” on MTV hiding their faces from the camera to emphasise on the message “volunteers don’t need recognition”. The campaign also attracted the attention of the popular socio-political programme Kalam Ennas (Talk of the People). The show took a break from its regular feature of politicians and dedicated a special two-hour episode to the victims of the blast and the volunteers. During the show, Lebanese president surprised all with an open letter on air and honoured Offre Joie with the nation’s highest distinctions, the National Order of the Cedar. “Volunteers Do Not Seek Recognition” generated more than $1,136,000 in earned media and engaged 45% of Lebanon’s population of 4 million. More importantly, it inspired 2,000 people to volunteer and help rebuild 80 homes before Christmas.
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P #KV
#Quick social media response In November 2013, Gap launched the #MakeLove holiday campaign featuring a diverse range of artists including filmmaker Quentin Jones and Sikh designer and actor Waris Ahluwalia. The ‘culturally inclusive’ campaign attracted a lot of praise from the Indian-American Sikh community and media watchers– but also a fair share of racist comments and hate graffiti. When writer Arsalan Iftikhar (@TheMuslimGuy on Twitter) came across one of the defaced ads in a New York subway, he tweeted a photo of it to his 37,000 followers. Within 24 hours, Gap’s social media team noticed the tweet and took action.
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Gap did three things: asked Iftikhar for the location of the ad, sent out a team to replace the defaced ad, and – the cherry on the top – changed its Twitter header image to the Waris Ahluwalia ad. People noticed immediately, and praised Gap for its quick response and for standing up against racism. Gap witnessed a jump in its number of Twitter followers for a few days and an even stronger loyalty from the Sikh community. The community created a Facebook page called Thank You Gap (now “Portraits of Sikhs”) and curated photos of Sikhs wearing Gap clothing, modeling in the same pose as the Waris Ahluwalia ad, and standing next to the ad at Gap stores, as well as individual member’s thoughts on the #MakeLove campaign. By acting proactively and staying true to its campaign message, Gap ensured conversation around its brand remained positive. As The Globe and Mail’s Susan Krashinsky points out, “being quick and offering up a genuine, human response can pay dividends.” However, no brand campaign is an island. Gap’s 15 minutes of social media fame also attracted social media activists, eager to draw attention to the brand’s stand on the Accord on Factory and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Gap refused to sign the accord – which holds brands to maintain minimum safety conditions at factories that product their clothing – following the tragic factory collapse in Bangladesh earlier in 2013. top: twitter.com/gap bottom: facebook.com/PortraitsofSikhs
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#Original programming #Innovation Netflix is a provider of on-demand video streaming of movies, documentaries and television shows in the Americas and Europe, and DVD rentals in the US. Established in 1997, Netflix overcame a major reputation crisis in 2011 to retain its position as a market leader, with 40 million subscribers, in 2013. Business model, innovation and risks paved the path to both its crisis and recovery. Pricing & Qwikster Debacle of 2011 A business built partially on providing real-time gratification, Netflix should have anticipated real-time customer feedback – and backlash – when it announced its
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new pricing strategy in September 2011. Netflix was separating its monthly unlimited video streaming + DVD rental package (priced $9.99) into two separate packages ($7.99 each, $15.98 for both). Customers were not impressed by what was essentially a $6 price hike out-of-theblue and criticized the move – the package only made sense as a whole since the two collections complimented each other, they argued. Two months later, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced the reason behind the pricing change – the company was separating the two services into separate companies to develop both formats deeper. The streaming service would continue as Netflix and the DVD rentals would continue as Qwikster… and the online websites for both not be integrated: reviews posted on one site would not be reflected on the other, and customers would receive two entries on their credit card statements. The apology post did more harm than good as customers reiterated their earlier stance, complained about the lack of convenience and simplicity and hated on the name Qwikster. Three weeks later, Netflix scrapped the Qwikster plan. But it was too little too late - 800,000 subscribers cancelled their accounts in Q3, 2011 and moved to other providers.
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Bounce back of 2013 ‘Will Netflix ever Recover?’ media watchers asked across news sites and blogs throughout 2011 and 2012. Surprisingly, it was a different move of 2011 that helped the company bounce back – its plans to acquire original content. Netflix’s first original program House of Cards debuted in February 2013, immediately followed by Orange is the New Black and a fourth season of the formerly cancelled Arrested Development. In addition to attracting Arrested Development’s cult following, Netflix also received 14 Emmy nominations and 3 wins, 6 Golden Globe nominations and 1 win, and1 Academy Award nomination for its original shows. All this combined with its aggressive content expansion has ensured plenty of buzz for Netflix in 2013 – most of it positive for a change. Netflix still has a tough journey ahead with stiff competition from Apple’s iTunes and Amazon Prime Instant Video and unforeseen regulatory changes with the scrapping of net neutrality. Nevertheless it’s a remarkable example of how quickly a brand reputation can tank and how quickly it can come back – albeit with bold steps and constant innovation.
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aG.R
#Social activism #Power to the people Change.org is the world’s largest petition platform and empowers people to create the change they want to see. 50 million people in 196 countries use this platform to transform communities. Ben Rattray founded Change.org in 2007 to help activists in mobilizing people for change by creating petitions. It has given voice to individuals and has catalysed the shift in power to the masses. Through the years, the site has gone through a lot of transitions. Today, it has a business model which uses business for social good. Anyone can go to Change.org and create a petition. "Petitions are just the start," says UK campaigns change.org
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director Brie Rogers Lowery. "They have to have a compelling story, a tangible ask and be mobilising the people who sign it. Rarely is a petition just going to win on its own." The Change.org editorial team helps generate campaigns that not only attract the attention of the media, but also engage the public, who then go on to spread the petition through social media. Change.org Success Stories People have used Change.org to pressure governments and companies to change course. For instance, one woman created a petition against the disturbing practice of “corrective rape” in South Africa and gathered support from 171,000 people in 175 countries. She then mobilized people to protest in front of the parliament. Due to the international pressure the South African government agreed to launch a National Task Team to end “corrective rape”. In India, Change.org petitioners pressured the government to regulate the sale of acid in the open market. In the US, petitioners pressured the Boy Scouts of America’s National Council to end their ban on gay youth. In addition to fueling political debates and better laws, Change.org has also given voice to the consumer. Many petitions have led brands to change their policies to better reflect the interests of their customers. Video: Time 100: How Ben Rattray’s Change.org goes Viral
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For instance, when Bank of America decided to introduce a $5 monthly fee on its debit card, a petition was raised against the fee. 306,890 people joined in the campaign, fueling the national movement against the charge. In less than a month the bank dropped the fee. People have also used Change.org to pressure The Bank of England, US telecom companies SPRINT and Verizon, Google, Apple, and Seventeen Magazine to change their policies. Currently, people have created petitions against M&Ms Candies, Johnson & Johnson, CocaCola, Walmart and Amazon. New face of social activism Change.org has leveraged the power of personal stories and the viral nature of social media to direct the attention of people to various causes. It offers supporters a range of actions – they can get contribute to change through a simple virtual signature, by sharing the petition online or by taking to the streets. Change.org’s new Decision Maker tool allows people to direct their petition to the decision maker (such as an elected official or business representative) and allows the decision maker to respond directly. As Forbes’ Emily Canal notes, Change.org “is trying to alter the way people communicate with elected officials” – and potentially brands too.
top: cnn.com, bottom: Verified Decision Maker’sPage on Change.org
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Lin PuaiN Otc
#Reputation risk #Crisis management In 2013, the Insurance Journal listed Reputational Risk Policies as one of the Top 10 Hot New Markets in the insurance field. As geographic boundaries shrink and digital technologies shift power to customers, protection of brand reputations has become ever more important. While rolling out the Allianz Reputation Protect product in 2012, Allianz quantified the value and risk of a reputation:
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24% of a company’s value is in their brands
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Any listed corporation faces an 85% likelihood of experiencing a significant corporate crisis in any 5-year interval
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Companies which manage to transform crises witness a 10% gain in share price the following year, while those who fail witness over a 15% drop in share price in the same period (Oxford Metrica)
How it works The Allianz product offers a coverage of up to €10 million and supports companies in putting together a professional response that addresses all stakeholders across multiple media channels. Companies that avail of this product undergo a reputational risk assessment and workshop provided by Media Tenor International. Companies are then encouraged to take preventive steps before a crisis hits. Should a crisis arise, companies would have 24/7 access to a panel of crisis management experts and global service network, generous limits to fund a response – including production of PR and advertising, media spend and legal fees. Allianz also offers to personalize the product to suit a company’s individual risk profile. Benefits of reputation policies Five insurers offer reputational risk policies today. The initial analysis, preparation of a response plan and access to funds will help shift companies to the offensive when a crisis strikes. In the long run, insurers will no doubt contribute to the measurement and analysis of reputation, as they begin to, literally, put a cost on reputation.
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Policy extensions In January 2014, Allianz announced an expansion of its reputation policies, with the Allianz Cyber Data Protect. This product insures against cyber attacks, specifically against the cost of responding to the attack and restoring data, losses that arse from business interruption and civil liability claims that arise as a result of data privacy violations. The product offers coverage of up to â‚Ź50 million.
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AbU PePE’S InIh 100+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects – that are driving engagement with stakeholders – on the MSLGROUP Insights Network. Every month, we pick the best projects and analyse conversations around them, on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself and also on the broader social web, into an insights report. Every quarter, we compile original insights from the MSLGROUP global network into the People’s Insights Quarterly Magazine. In our first year and half, we focused on inspiring consumer projects around social data, crowdsourcing, storytelling and citizenship. We synthesized the insights to provide foresights for business leaders and change-makers in the ten-part People’s Insights annual report titled Now & Next: Ten Frontiers for the Future of Engagement, also available as a Kindle eBook and an iPad app. In 2013, we launched “The Future of” series with a focus on Citizenship, Money and Employee (Re)Engagement. In 2014, we continue to track inspiring projects that are shaping the future of engagement, with a focus on reputation, employee engagement and citizenship. Subscribe to receive our insights reports and quarterly magazines.
People’s Insights iPad app “Now&Next”
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oT oL’S b People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insights for innovation, storytelling and change. The People’s Lab crowdsourcing platform helps organizations build and nurture public or private, web or mobile, hosted or white label communities around four pre-configured application areas: Expertise Request Network, Innovation Challenge Network, Research & Insights Network and Contest & Activation Network. Our community and gaming features encourage people to share rich content, vote/ comment on other people’s content and collaborate to find innovative solutions. The People’s Lab crowdsourcing platform and approach forms the core of our distinctive insights and foresight approach, which consists of four elements: organic conversation analysis, MSLGROUP’s own insight communities, client specific insights communities, and ethnographic deep dives into these communities. The People’s Insights reports showcase our capability in crowdsourcing and analyzing insights from conversations and communities
For People’s Lab solutions, please contact: pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com
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