@GreatBritain, @Israel, and @Sweden are notable examples of nations promoting themselves on Twitter. @GreatBritain is part of the ‘Britain is Great’ campaign launched in March 2012 to highlight everything that is great about the United Kingdom.

@Israel is the country’s official Twitter channel, maintained by the Foreign Ministry’s Digital Diplomacy Team. The account is one of the most followed country accounts with more than 66,000 followers and serves as the focal point for Israel’s government Twitter activity.

The Swedish government has given its official Twitter handle to the people. Every week another Swede is in charge of the @Sweden account sharing recommendations, opinions and facts about life in Sweden with over 65,000 followers. The Curators of Sweden project was launched in December 2011 and, despite some unfortunate tweets, has been copied with varying success by @Ireland and @NewZealand. The project has also inspired volunteer groups in over 20 countries to engage in what has become known as the rotation-curation movement.

The Twitter accounts of @AntiguaBarbuda, @Barbados, @Lithuania, the @Maldives, @SouthAfrica, and @Spain are run by their respective official tourism organisations to promote tourism in each country.

However, three out of five country accounts are either protected, dormant, inactive, or suspended and almost half of the 71 remaining active accounts are tweeting an automated news feed broadcasting news about the country.

“Looking at the findings it becomes clear that few governments and tourism organisations have understood the power of country branding and marketing on Twitter,” said Matthias Lüfkens, head of the Burson-Marsteller EMEA Digital Practice. “There is a huge opportunity for countries to use Twitter as part of their communications to engage with a large and growing audience.”

Data used was taken in November 2012 looking at the Twitter handles of the 193 UN member countries. Burson-Marsteller used Twitonomy (http://twitonomy.com) to analyze tweeting patterns and the Twitter history of each account.

To access the complete analysis of these findings, visit: http://twiplomacy.com/country-promotion.

###

About Burson-Marsteller

Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and communications firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 73 offices and 83 affiliate offices, together operating in 108 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a unit of WPP, the world’s leading communications services network. For more information, please visit bm.com.

Contacts:

Matthias Lüfkens
Burson-Marsteller
18, Boulevard des Philosophes
1205 Geneva
T +41 22 593 6926
M +41 79 514 47 81
http://b-m.ch
matthias.luefkens@bm.com
@Luefkens

Overall, the 811 survey respondents rated the individual performances of most Commissioners quite poorly. They believe the performance of the Barroso II Commission, both collectively and individually, has deteriorated over the past year.  Respondents seek more ambition and focus during the Commission’s last two years in office.

European Commissioner Neelie Kroes was the star performer.  She received the highest individual rating (6/10) with a very strong assessment for her work on the Digital Agenda, was identified as having showed the “biggest improvement” in performance, and she was also ranked the “best communicator” of the current European Commission.

Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, and the Vice-President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, received the most individual ratings and the worst scores by far (2/10 and 2.5/10 respectively). By contrast, Commissioners Janez Potočnik (Environment, 5/10), Kristalina Georgieva (International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, 5.5/10) and Maroš Šefčovič (Inter-institutional Relations & Administration, 5/10) were assessed as relatively strong performers.

The survey also queried into who might be in the running for the job of Commission President in 2014.

Candidates from the three main European political families stand out in the top 3 results:  Guy Verhofstadt (BE) is the clear choice within the Liberal family (17.9%), Tony Blair (UK) is the somewhat surprising top favourite for the Socialists of votes (16.3%), and Angela Merkel is the ‘preferred’ (19.3%) and José Manuel Barroso the ‘likely’ candidate for the EPP (8.2%).

David Earnshaw, CEO of Burson-Marsteller Brussels, said: “The results of our Mid-Term Review show that the Commission – as we found last year – must do better.  At a time when Europe is more necessary than ever, the Commission needs more ambition.  Less than one per cent of respondents give the Commission full marks. The message for the Commission as a whole – and also for individual Commissioners – is that they need to do a lot better!”

Daniela Vincenti, Editor-in-Chief of EurActiv.com, said: “The principal policy challenge, not surprisingly, for the remainder of the mandate of the Barroso II Commission is the economic and financial crisis. Growth, jobs and social policy were among the top two priorities of for more than a third of respondents. Looking further ahead, our survey suggests a clear desire for the next President of the European Commission to be a ‘big-hitter’.”

The 2010-2014 European Commission Mid-Term Review online survey garnered 811 respondents from all corners of the EU policy-making world (MEPs, government officials (national and European), consultancies, trade associations and corporate representatives, Media, NGOs and think tanks, …). The full list of the survey questions and methodology is also available on www.bmbrussels.eu.

The survey results are available in a summary report “The European Commission – Mid-Term Review” and in full detail on www.bmbrussels.eu. A compilation of responses to open-ended questions and the survey methodology is also available. Another article on the survey’s findings has also been published on EurActiv.com/MidTermReview.

Press contact: Mayssa Badr – Burson-Marsteller Brussels – Mayssa.badr@bm.com – Tel: +32.2.743.66.98 or Mobile: +32.476.32.14.58

The research found high levels of trust in the IT community.  Technology companies are highly trusted by IT decision-makers, with between 51 per cent claiming to trust vendors a lot.  This is reflected in the finding that 34 per cent cite corporate websites as very influential in their purchasing decisions, versus 39 per cent citing trade press as very influential.  Traditional media is still trusted by IT decision-makers more than social media, but trust in social media is rising, with approximately one in five trusting Twitter across UK, France and Italy, almost the same level of trust as radio.

The study also sought to analyse the most influential factors in any technology purchase.  Quality of products was cited by an average of 60% and 57% cited a technology vendor’s brand or reputation as key (67% in the UK said this was key).  56% said value for money was influential.

Chris Cartwright, Chair of Burson-Marsteller’s Technology Practice in EMEA, commented: “CIOs are a pragmatic group.  In these tough economic times, CIOs are focused on product quality and value for money as key purchasing criteria – far more than ‘softer’ factors such as CSR, leadership of the vendor company, or its financial performance.  However, getting this right is really just the entry-level today.  The insight that reputation is a key decision driver suggests that technology communicators need to really focus on what drives their own reputation and builds the brand.”

In order to probe further, the study asked IT decision-makers what they thought the key ingredients of market leadership were for technology vendors. “We felt this would give us an insight into what should be the base elements of any reputation-building campaign in the technology arena,” said Cartwright. “Overwhelmingly, respondents said: Innovation, Quality, Reliability.”

In spite of the trust engendered by traditional media, trust in social media is rising, with around 70% of IT decision makers citing social media as very or somewhat valuable.  Among social media properties, YouTube is identified as important in the decision-making process.  One in three IT decision-makers said that they use YouTube as part of their purchase decision making process. This combined with the use of corporate websites noted above suggests that video is a powerful tool that should be leveraged both on corporate web sites and corporate social media properties.

“This was an unexpected finding for us and an actionable one.  However, a cautionary note should be made: recent research and the experience of many in the sector  suggests that many communications directors are fighting to retain control of these channels as marketing, customer service and sales parts of the organisation, as well as dedicated ‘digital and social’ functions are exerting their influence.  If using owned media to reach the CIO is as vital as our data suggests, communications professionals need to exercise far more control in this space,” Chris Cartwright continued.

Looking at how IT decision-makers feel about their roles, the study found that they constantly battle stereotypes which they feel underestimate their value.  They are passionate about innovation, which they see as vital to their organisation’s business strategy. According to the research, 75 per cent feel that innovation is central to their organisation’s business strategy and 67 per cent see themselves as the primary source of innovation in their organisations.  Over two-thirds think that the IT department is central to their company’s business strategy – rising to 79% in the UK.

Christine Armstrong, Vice President, Penn Schoen Berland, commented: “Stereotypical attitudes to technology experts remain prevalent. The research shows a significant divergence between the day-to-day experience of the IT decision-maker role and the image held by non-IT colleagues and the wider world.  While 60 per cent of IT decision-makers agree that colleagues believe they can work miracles by retrieving un-backed-up data, 37 per cent believe colleagues think they solve problems by pushing control-alt-delete.  Over a quarter think their peers believe they spy on their emails!  IT decision-makers clearly feel misunderstood, and their contribution underestimated quite significantly.  Being seen as service-providing ‘geeks’ is a perception that CIOs would actively like to dispel.  They see themselves, rather, as strategic innovators, vital to the success of their company.”

The research highlighted a number of points worthy of further consideration in executing communications that help move CIO’s and others along the IT purchase decision path:

1. Brand and Reputation is important

There is a critical need for technology vendors to spend more time and effort working out what they stand for, what their mission, purpose, values and messages are, and what makes them different, because it really does make a difference to the IT decision maker.

2. Innovation is the defining characteristic of market leadership

Although many factors contribute to enhancing brand and reputation, our evidence suggests that if you want to build reputation enhancing programmes that will actually resonate with IT decision makers, they should focus on innovation as a key theme.

3. Products, Quality, Value

IT decision makers are most influenced by the quality of products, reputation  and value for money.  Placing these three factors at the heart of a campaign may seem like a back to basics approach, but our research suggests its effectiveness.

4. Make better use of owned media

At a time when many different departments and agencies are claiming ownership of these channels communications directors need to take more interest in the content of their web sites and social media properties.  Our research suggests that many IT vendors may be missing out on a significant channel of influence, YouTube. Producing quality videos as a way of conveying and controlling messages, either on the corporate site, or via YouTube is certainly something that technology brands should be investigating.

5. The Five Key Communications Channels

Focus communications on the five key communications channels IT decision makers pay most attention to and are influenced by the corporate web site, using video; technology and trade media; sector specific press; industry analysts; industry conferences.

More information

Baer succeeds Mark Penn, who has held the role since 2005 and is joining Microsoft as Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Special Projects. Baer has also served as Chairman of Burson-Marsteller’s sister research firm Penn Schoen Berland and will continue in that role.

“Burson-Marsteller continues to be an industry leader with strategic public relations capabilities and a global footprint that few firms can match,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of Burson-Marsteller’s parent company WPP. “I am confident the firm’s track record of success and its reputation for delivering results for its clients will continue under Don Baer’s leadership.”

“I am excited to continue building Burson-Marsteller as the most creative and effective results-oriented, ideas-driven communications and public relations firm in the world,” said Baer. “Under Mark Penn’s strong, visionary leadership and based on the legacy of our founder Harold Burson, our firm is well-established among the leading public relations forces across the globe, and I am eager to work with our excellent leadership team to continue our success and our clients to deliver results that accomplish their goals.”

“Don has been my trusted adviser and a strong contributor to our success since he joined our senior team and is well-positioned to lead Burson-Marsteller to the next stage of success,” said Penn. “He has a full sense of the firm’s culture, operations, and great potential, and I feel confident about the future of Burson-Marsteller as I leave it in Don’s capable hands.”

“The appointment of Don Baer as chief executive officer of Burson-Marsteller as it prepares to enter its seventh decade is a master stroke,” said Harold Burson, Burson-Marsteller’s Founding Chairman. “From the time I began working with him four years ago, I regarded him as one of the best-of-the-best public relations professionals I have ever encountered.  His broad experience in the corporate world, as a public relations counselor, and as President Bill Clinton’s Communications Director will reinforce the Burson-Marsteller reputation for professionalism and take the firm to new heights. Mark Penn has left a strong foundation on which to build.  My colleagues and I wish him well in his new responsibility at Microsoft.”

Baer is highly respected across business, media and politics. Before joining Burson-Marsteller, Baer was one of the top worldwide executives at global media company Discovery Communications, home of the Discovery Channel and other major media platforms. Among a range of creative and corporate leadership roles, Baer managed worldwide communications and marketing; business development, new ventures and acquisitions; new media strategy and operations; research, and public policy. He also produced award-winning programming and documentaries.

Before Discovery, Baer was a senior White House adviser to President Bill Clinton, widely recognized for his key role in the Clinton Presidency, including the historic 1996 re-election. As an Assistant to the President, Baer served as both the White House Director of Communications and Strategic Planning and, before, as Chief Speechwriter/Director of Speechwriting and Research. Before serving in the White House, Baer was a major U.S. journalist at, among other places, U.S. News and World Report, covering national affairs and serving as an assistant managing editor. Before journalism, Baer was a media lawyer based in New York City. He is a member of the boards of directors of PBS and The Urban Institute. Baer holds degrees from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the London School of Economics and The University of Virginia Law School.

The largest global companies (Fortune Global 100) are mentioned 10’400’132 times on Social Media during a month-long period. The largest growth in corporate usage occurs on YouTube: Seventy-nine percent of companies in the study are now using a branded YouTube channel compared to 57 percent in 2011. These channels each average more than two million views and 1’669 subscribers.

Still, the study found that Twitter is the most popular platform for both companies and for online discussions about these companies. Indeed, 82 percent of Fortune Global 100 companies have at least one Twitter account, while each company was mentioned an average of 55’970 times on Twitter. Since 2011, the average number of followers per corporate Twitter account has nearly tripled to 14’709 from 5’076.

Stakeholders are following global companies closely also on Facebook: The average number of likes per company page has increased by 275 percent since 2010 to 152’646 likes in 2012. “People want to interact and connect with these major companies, and these platforms are the bridge directly to the heart of these organizations,” said Burson-Marsteller Digital Strategist Lukas Sieber. “What’s even more impressive is how much companies are engaging back with followers. Seventy-nine percent of corporate accounts attempt to engage on Twitter with retweets and @-mentions, and 70 percent of corporate Facebook pages are responding to comments on their walls and timelines. These figures highlight how important it is for companies to interact on Social Media platforms”, Sieber added.

Other key findings include:

• Fortune Global 100 companies have more accounts on each platform than ever before with an average of: 10.1 Twitter accounts, 10.4 Facebook pages, 8.1 YouTube channels, 2.6 Google Plus pages and 2.0 Pinterest accounts.
• Seventy-four percent of companies studied have a Facebook page.
• Ninety-three percent of corporate Facebook pages are updated weekly.
• Forty-eight percent of companies are now on Google Plus.
• Twenty-five percent of companies have Pinterest accounts.
• Each corporate Facebook page has an average of 6’101 people talking about it.

To access the complete analysis of these findings, visit www.bm.com/social.

Whatever the rationale, this was not at all standard operating procedure and is against our policies, and the assignment on those terms should have been declined. When talking to the media, we need to adhere to strict standards of transparency about clients, and this incident underscores the absolute importance of that principle.”

Hotline: 0800 455 840

Burson-Marsteller has successfully seen many companies through difficult crises. Working with our global network of agencies, our experienced consultants can spring into action for you at the touch of a button, around the clock, anywhere in the world.

• We review your crisis readiness (Crisis Check-Up)
• We analyse the potential for crisis in your company
• We develop appropriate Issue Management
• We prepare you for crises (Crisis Preparedness)
• We help you evolve your crisis communications concept
• We provide you with a crisis manual and checklists, and work out procedures
• We give you crisis training for a media emergency
• We take charge of communications in the event of a crisis
• We appoint crisis staff for you

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
Warren Buffett

To be prepared for crises and to communicate correctly in the event of a crisis will help build confidence. To avoid putting your company’s reputation on the line, it is essential to communicate proactively, quickly and transparently during a crisis. At the same time, we will help you protect your company’s name as its most important asset.

Crisis Preparedness pays – whether your company has to get through a serious crisis or not. However, if a crisis should strike, crisis management and crisis communications are a must.