John Stevenson
@johnrstevenson
I joined Memphis-based International Paper’s (IP) marketing and communications team as an intern in January 2013 and was privileged to witness and assist with the development and execution of the paper and packaging company’s social media rollout.
Many businesses have joined the social media universe in recent years. However, IP’s activity on social media was mostly nonexistent, aside from a Twitter feed of job postings and a few pages for the company’s consumer-oriented brands. That changed in July 2013, when began a years-in-the-making launch of its companywide Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
But why in 2013, years after the social media boom, did IP decide to plunge into the virtual domain of tweets, hashtags and timelines?
Consumers and businesses' perception of the paper industry is complex, especially in regards to the environment. Unfortunately, numerous misconceptions exist surrounding the use of paper. These myths fuel anti-paper campaigns from entities that desire a paperless world. Since social media usage generally constitutes a two-way digital "conversation," IP's leaders were concerned that social media pages would give anti-paper advocates a public platform upon which to criticize the company. But IP's competitors were increasingly leveraging social media platforms to connect with customers and the general public.
With extensive research and data from inside and outside of the company, IP's social media team demonstrated how these tools could benefit the primarily business-to-business company. While social media pages would give paper-use critics a platform to voice their dislike of IP, those pages would give IP an opportunity to respond publically with fact and tact.
But IP had to be prepared to talk back. In a social-media brainstorming meeting in mid-2013, I recall one of my supervisors reminding the team that we could not respond to heated messages solely with fact. Fortunately, IP is a green-thinking business with an increasing focus on sustainability. The company has an abundance of facts and data to support their Earth-friendly efforts.
However, responding to a passionate (and upset) opponent of paper-use with mind-numbing data or statistics would not reflect the company's investment in the environment. Therefore, IP's social media team developed a strategy for responding to potential anti-paper messages.
So what did I do? I helped with a variety of tasks related to the rollout. From reviewing internal communication plans to creating a “Social Media 101” tutorial, I was able to assist with numerous areas of the project. I was even able to write content for inclusion in the social media editorial calendar.
IP has constructed a smart and thorough social media strategy that leverages the company's respected name and brand in the digital world. Never would I have imagined the amount of behind-the-scenes work that would go into creating “just” a Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page. This experience has completely changed my idea of social media implementation and has given me knowledge and insight that I can apply to the social media strategy of any business or organization, large or small.
One year later, I have a newfound respect for social media and online marketing professionals. Managing social media activities is a demanding, time-consuming job, especially for a global company like International Paper.
There is still much for IP to do in their new digital frontier, and I am looking forward to continuing to help with its ongoing launch.
Follow International Paper on these social media platforms:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InternationalPaper
Twitter: http://twitter.com/IntlPaperCo
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/InternationalPaper1
@johnrstevenson
I joined Memphis-based International Paper’s (IP) marketing and communications team as an intern in January 2013 and was privileged to witness and assist with the development and execution of the paper and packaging company’s social media rollout.
Many businesses have joined the social media universe in recent years. However, IP’s activity on social media was mostly nonexistent, aside from a Twitter feed of job postings and a few pages for the company’s consumer-oriented brands. That changed in July 2013, when began a years-in-the-making launch of its companywide Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
But why in 2013, years after the social media boom, did IP decide to plunge into the virtual domain of tweets, hashtags and timelines?
Consumers and businesses' perception of the paper industry is complex, especially in regards to the environment. Unfortunately, numerous misconceptions exist surrounding the use of paper. These myths fuel anti-paper campaigns from entities that desire a paperless world. Since social media usage generally constitutes a two-way digital "conversation," IP's leaders were concerned that social media pages would give anti-paper advocates a public platform upon which to criticize the company. But IP's competitors were increasingly leveraging social media platforms to connect with customers and the general public.
With extensive research and data from inside and outside of the company, IP's social media team demonstrated how these tools could benefit the primarily business-to-business company. While social media pages would give paper-use critics a platform to voice their dislike of IP, those pages would give IP an opportunity to respond publically with fact and tact.
But IP had to be prepared to talk back. In a social-media brainstorming meeting in mid-2013, I recall one of my supervisors reminding the team that we could not respond to heated messages solely with fact. Fortunately, IP is a green-thinking business with an increasing focus on sustainability. The company has an abundance of facts and data to support their Earth-friendly efforts.
However, responding to a passionate (and upset) opponent of paper-use with mind-numbing data or statistics would not reflect the company's investment in the environment. Therefore, IP's social media team developed a strategy for responding to potential anti-paper messages.
So what did I do? I helped with a variety of tasks related to the rollout. From reviewing internal communication plans to creating a “Social Media 101” tutorial, I was able to assist with numerous areas of the project. I was even able to write content for inclusion in the social media editorial calendar.
IP has constructed a smart and thorough social media strategy that leverages the company's respected name and brand in the digital world. Never would I have imagined the amount of behind-the-scenes work that would go into creating “just” a Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page. This experience has completely changed my idea of social media implementation and has given me knowledge and insight that I can apply to the social media strategy of any business or organization, large or small.
One year later, I have a newfound respect for social media and online marketing professionals. Managing social media activities is a demanding, time-consuming job, especially for a global company like International Paper.
There is still much for IP to do in their new digital frontier, and I am looking forward to continuing to help with its ongoing launch.
Follow International Paper on these social media platforms:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InternationalPaper
Twitter: http://twitter.com/IntlPaperCo
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/InternationalPaper1