Through various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, brands not only have an avenue to engage with customers, but a way to build a personality and express the brand’s values. And it doesn’t stop with brands. These platforms, along with opportunities to contribute content to well-established media outlets, enable executives to express their perspectives, interests and company successes, as well as connect and communicate with customers.

With increased connectedness and transparency, there is increased responsibility. Traditionally, companies and leaders have avoided joining political conversations in fear of alienating customers. However, that approach may now lead to the outcome they are trying to avoid. According to this study, when a “values-oriented” company took a stand, 24 percent of participants made unplanned purchases, but when the brand did not comment, failing to meet the expectation of the customer, the number of unplanned purchases dropped to 9 percent.

Luckily, brands and CEOs are becoming more open to the idea of speaking out. In 2014, 36 percent of global executives thought it was important to take a stance on policy or political issues. In just two years, that number has increased by 10 percent with 46 percent of executives from large companies preferring that companies speak out on issues such as climate change, gun control, immigration and LGBT rights. The number climbs even higher, to 63 percent, when considering CEOs that work with “world-class” organizations.

With the contentious political climate we’ve seen an increase in the number of executives and brands taking a stance on policy. While many have been praised for sharing their insightful perspectives or committing a brand to a promise that aligns with its values, there have been instances in which speaking out has not led to positive results. For example, the vice president of public affairs at New Balance publicly expressed the company’s objection to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, leading customers to boycott New Balance and even going so far as to share images of the shoes in the garbage or burning on social media.

Clearly, speaking out on politics can still present its issues, so when choosing to do so, do so in a thoughtful manner, be well prepared and consider all potential outcomes. Here are a few tips to contemplate when commenting on political topics.

1. Make a clear connection between the brand and the policy. As seen with the travel ban, many brands and executives spoke out against it. However, when speaking out, the executives explained why they disagreed, many of them citing the companies’ inclusive company cultures and diverse, global workforces as some of the reasons for their strong objection. A clear connection will allow people, even those with differing perspectives, to better understand your desire to comment and the nature of your comment. In addition to watching larger policies and the resulting discussions, monitor the changing political landscape in your industry specifically to determine if there is an issue you feel passionate about, or that you are expected to comment on. It may not get the same pickup as the widespread policies; however, it will likely capture the attention of others in your industry, establishing you as a thought leader.
2. Take action or offer a solution. To be frank, nobody likes to hear people whine. If you plan to speak against a policy, explain a proposed change or solution. Help people understand your logic by illustrating different ways to approach the situation. Or, if the situation is more white and black, show how you plan to commit your brand to follow the company’s values despite the current landscape. For example, in June, President Trump chose to withdrawal the United States from the Paris Agreement, yet 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses are negotiating directly with the United Nations to show their commitment to sustainability efforts and maintaining the standards of the agreement. Michael Bloomberg said they are “[doing] everything America would have done if it had stayed committed.” This action clearly demonstrates the dedication and values of these cities, organizations and companies. They are talking the talk and walking the walk, likely earning them more respect from potential audiences.
3. Stick to your messaging. As with any topic, have clear, concise messaging prepared. This is especially important in situations that involve commenting on politics, as you are more than likely to receive negative feedback and hear from audiences that disagree with your position. In addition to this, political conversations tend to get emotional, so having messaging (and some supporting evidence) to fall back on will ensure that all of your statements are thoughtful and effective, leaving a lasting impression on your audiences.

Since its 2013 social media crisis, when a photo of an employee licking a stack of taco shells surfaced online, Taco Bell has risen to be an exemplary – and often hilarious – model of a business that uses social media for customer engagement and that shows off its brand personality while doing so.

What did the Taco Bell social media managers do to achieve this success? The answer is almost too simple: They react on social media as if they were actually human – go figure! Unlike other businesses who respond like robots with automated responses, Taco Bell fosters authentic conversations between the brand and its customers.

With its engaging, conversational and personal approach to twitter, Taco Bell generates opportunities for consumers to build a connection with the brand. These opportunities, often found in the form of taco-related puns or memes, are usually “retweet”-worthy, leading to exponential exposure of the brand.

So what exactly are Taco Bell’s social media managers’ main tactics?

 

1. They encourage user-generated content.

 

remember when I told you guys I was gonna get my senior pictures at taco bell and you thought I was joking pic.twitter.com/GiJK5mNZRf

— brittany (@mogirlprobs) August 7, 2015

Senior picture goals. https://t.co/2IxlLNMr2Y

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) August 7, 2015

Taco Bell has proven it values the content its customers produce. Lately, there has been an influx in students taking their senior photos at Taco Bell – so much so that Taco Bell has a portion of their website dedicated to celebrating them. Instead of posting pictures of highly stylized tacos with studio-perfect lighting, Taco Bell welcomes all (appropriate) photos taken by their customers. In the case of the tweet above, the simple act of retweeting silly senior photos not only generates positive PR by creating more exposure, it also gives recognition to whoever tweeted the photos and therefore inspires other users to engage with the brand in the same way.

 

2. They target opinion leaders and influences (such as celebrities):

 

https://twitter.com/acaciabrinley/status/335239874498154496

Instead of spending money on sponsored posts that many users ignore, Taco Bell has been known to send unique gifts with authentic, handwritten notes to its influential fans with strong social media presence. For example, Acacia Brinley Clark’s Twitter post about the custom Taco Bell ring she received went out to 749K followers – hitting a larger and more engaged audience than a blanket sponsored post likely could.

 

3. They respond to – just about – everything:

 

@lamenesss Roar.

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) October 8, 2013

A tweet from heavy hitters like Michael Jordon obviously deserves a response, but what about all of the other “little people” out there in social media land like you and me? Taco Bell doesn’t discriminate. Timely and frequent responses to its customers’ tweets signal that Taco Bell prioritizes making their fans feel valued and important. Have you ever gone to a concert and afterward felt like you knew the artist personally? Taco Bell’s social media responses create the same effect. This personal connection may impact sales, but most importantly it fosters a positive interaction with the brand, something all marketers dream of.

 

4. They are innovative in new ways for user engagement:

 

#TacoEmojiEngine pic.twitter.com/4tBNTTcOX8

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) June 14, 2017

The notion that “if you aren’t moving forward, you are moving backward” unquestionably applies to social media. Taco Bell succeeds in moving forward by creating unconventional ways to engage its online followers. For example, the #TacoEmojiEngine encourages users to tweet at Taco Bell with a taco emoji and an emoji of their choosing. Taco Bell then creates a meme, GIF or other photo mashup, almost instantaneously, to tweet back. The new emoji content generated by Taco Bell will likely be retweeted multiple times, expanding the reach and encouraging customer interaction with the brand.

 

It should be evident that a strong social media presence relies heavily on the ways in which consumers engage with brands. A surefire way to create personal connections and positive engagement is simply to be human. Consumers today value authenticity, and a business that can let their true personality shine on social media is a business that will be successful.

Earlier this month, Communiqué PR had the opportunity to help Richmond Capital Partners announce the acquisition of Irvine, Calif.-based Smartlabs, which also included $7.3 million in funding for the internet of Things (IoT) company.

Smartlabs is the parent company of Insteon and Smarthome, and is the world’s leading authority on electronic home improvement and automation. According to a report published by Business Intelligence, by 2020 the U.S. residential market will have 193 million devices in connected homes with almost 50 percent of those devices in Smartlabs’ core electrical, lighting and sensor market. The global smart electrical control market is expected to grow to $10.8 billion over the next five years.

“There are two incredibly interesting IoT spaces in technology today—the car and the home,” said Rob Lilleness, who will assume the role of chairman and CEO for Smartlabs. “Over the next five to 10 years, it is inevitable that a large portion of electrical nodes in the home will be ‘smart’ and addressable via the internet. With Insteon’s patented dual-mesh technology that communicates both wirelessly and via the home’s own electrical wiring, Smartlabs has the most reliable and scalable technology for electrical control and communication, which is critical to meet consumers’ expectations.”

The Seattle-based investment firm turned to Communiqué PR to drive editorial coverage around the news. We worked closely with Richmond Capital Partners to provide counsel around the timing and strategy for the announcement, and then developed key messaging for its target audiences, and drafted the press release. Communiqué PR also developed an email pitch for targeted journalists to secure briefings with Richmond Capital Partners around the transaction, and conducted outreach to local and industry publications.

Below is a list of the coverage to date about the transaction:

1. Seattle startup vet Rob Lilleness acquires Smartlabs, investing $7.3M in the home automation company – GeekWire, 6/13/17
2. Irvine’s Smartlabs Acquired – Orange County Business Journal, 6/13/17
3. Cash infusion could bring Smartlabs more recognition – Los Angeles Times, 6/13/17
4. Serial Seattle tech exec buys 25-year-old Irvine IoT company – L.A. Biz, 6/13/17
5. Seattle tech veteran buys first IoT company with new investment firm – Puget Sound Business Journal, 6/13/17
6. Smartlabs to open Seattle office after it’s acquired by Richmond Capital – Seattle Times, 6/14/17
7. Smartlabs Acquired By Richmond Capital Partners, Raises $7.3M – SoCal Tech, 6/14/17
8. Internet of Things News of the Week, June 16, 2017 – Stacey on IoT, 6/16/17
9. Insteon, Smartlabs Acquired; New CEO Wants to Make Powerline Great Again for Home Automation – CEPro, 6/19/17

We congratulate the teams at Richmond Capital Partners as well as Smartlabs, including Rob Lilleness, and look forward to their continued success in the fast-growing automation and IOT sectors!