Are you a Socialteer?

Earlier this month Viral Blog shared an interesting post on Coca Cola's New Social Media Policy:

Every day, people discuss, debate and embrace The Coca‐Cola Company and our brands in thousands of online conversations. We recognize the vital importance of participating in these online conversations and are committed to ensuring that we participate in online social media the right way. These Online Social Media Principles have been developed to help empower our associates to participate in this new frontier of marketing and communications, represent our Company, and share the optimistic and positive spirits of our brands.

COMPANY AND AGENCY ASSOCIATES’ ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES

The Company respects the rights of its associates and its authorized agencies’ associates to use blogs and other social media tools not only as a form of self‐expression, but also as a means to further the Company’s business. It is important that all associates are aware of the implications of engaging in forms of social media and online conversations that reference the Company and/or the associate’s relationship with the Company and its brands, and that associates recognize when the Company might be held responsible for their behavior.

The following 10 principles guide how our Certified Online Spokespeople should

represent the Company in an online, official capacity when they are speaking “on behalf of the Company:”

Online Social Media Principles

1. Be Certified in the Social Media Certification Program. All associates who wish to officially represent the Company online must complete the Social Media Certification Program prior to beginning or continuing these activities.

2. Follow our Code of Business Conduct and all other Company policies. Our Code of Business Conduct provides the foundation for these Online Social Media Principles: “As a representative of [the Company], you must act with honesty and integrity in all matters.” This commitment is true for all forms of social media. In addition, several other policies govern your behavior as a Company spokesperson in the online social media space, including the Information Protection Policy and the Insider Trading Policy.

3. Be mindful that you are representing the Company. As a Company representative, it is important that your posts convey the same positive, optimistic spirit that the Company instills in all of its communications. Be respectful of all individuals, races, religions and cultures; how you conduct yourself in the online social media space not only reflects on you – it is a direct reflection on the Company.

4. Fully disclose your affiliation with the Company. The Company requires all associates who are communicating on behalf of the Company to always disclose their name and their affiliation. It is never acceptable to use aliases or otherwise deceive people. State your relationship with the Company from the outset, e.g., “Hi, I’m John and I work for The Coca‐Cola Company....” This disclosure is equally important for any agency/vendor/partner/third party who is representing the Company online. They must disclose that they work “with The Coca‐Cola Company.”

5. Keep records. It is critical that we keep records of our interactions in the online social media space and monitor the activities of those with whom we engage. Because online conversations are often fleeting and immediate, it is important for you to keep track of them when you’re officially representing the Company. Remember that online Company statements can be held to the same legal standards as traditional media communications. Keep records of any online dialogue pertaining to the Company and send a copy to online.relations@na.ko.com.

6. When in doubt, do not post. Associates are personally responsible for their words and actions, wherever they are. As online spokespeople, you must ensure that your posts are completely accurate and not misleading, and that they do not reveal non‐public information of the Company. Exercise sound judgment and common sense, and if there is any doubt, DO NOT POST IT. In any circumstance in which you are uncertain about how to respond to a post, send the link to online.relations@na.ko.com.

7. Give credit where credit is due and don’t violate others’ rights. DO NOT claim authorship of something that is not yours. If you are using another party’s content, make certain that they are credited for it in your post and that they approve of you utilizing their content. Do not use the copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or other rights of others without the necessary permissions of the rightsholder(s).

8. Be responsible to your work. The Company understands that associates engage in online social media activities at work for legitimate purposes and that these activities may be helpful for Company affairs. However, the Company encourages all associates to exercise sound judgment and common sense to prevent online social media sites from becoming a distraction at work.

9. Remember that your local posts can have global significance. The way that you answer an online question might be accurate in some parts of the world, but inaccurate (or even illegal) in others. Keep that “world view” in mind when you are participating in online conversations.

10. Know that the Internet is permanent. Once information is published online, it is essentially part of a permanent record, even if you “remove/delete” it later or attempt to make it anonymous. If your complete thought, along with its context, cannot be squeezed into a character‐restricted space (such as Twitter), provide a link to an online space where the message can be expressed completely and accurately.

Online Social Media Principles (12/15/09)

Also of interest are Sun's Guidelines on Public Discourse. Large or small Social Media shall affect them all! As a Socialteer, make sure you are crafting a simple to follow Digital Code Of Conduct for your company.

~ Now it's your turn to comment & keep the conversation going!