Social Business Experience • 1997-2015

In 1997, long before we’d heard of anything called “social media,” I led the team that launched the world’s first enterprise social network, for MCI Worldcom. Our software platform let employees build and maintain a profile, link to colleagues within MCI, and share personal content and information. Since those very early days, I’ve been involved with numerous social projects for the Marketing, PR and Customer Care teams at several major brands.

Social Business Strategy is a transformative specialty practice that helps align operations, resources, process, and brand interactions with customer desires and preferences. Since my early career days working for General Motors in 1979, I know very personally that internal organizational and process change are rarely easy, but when done well, the experience always generates tangible business results.

In a nutshell, being aligned with your customers leads to preference, loyalty and conversion.

These days, I am more an agency leader than strategist. But here are some of the projects I’ve been involved in as strategy or account lead:

ALASKA AIRLINES: social customer care program, engagement training (2012)

ATB FINANCIAL: social advisory (2010)

BC HYDRO: Foursquare campaign for the 2010 Olympics (2010)

BROWN-FORMAN: Jack Daniels international campaign (2014)

HEWLETT-PACKARD: social business strategy (2011), social org design (2011-2012)

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE: social advisory (2011-2013), social business strategy (2011), listening strategies and reporting (2011-2012), social team recruitment (2012), content distribution & syndication strategy (2013)

HTC: employee social advocacy strategy (2012-2013), engagement training (2013)

IHOP RESTAURANTS: social campaign planning (2012-2013)

INTEL: Facebook campaign & presence (2010)

JACK IN THE BOX: social advisory (2011-2012), social business strategy (2011-2012), listening and reporting counsel (2011-2012), social loyalty program (2011), social resource planning (2011), crisis comms planning (2012), social customer care program (2012), franchisee social certification (2012), engagement training (2012)

JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS: social org design, resourcing business case (2013)

KPMG: social media playbook (2011)

MARINE HARVEST: integrated traditional + social strategy (2010)

MCI: the very first enterprise social network (1998)

MERCK (Claritin brand): social strategies (2013)

MICROSOFT: influencer engagement (2008)

NATURE’S PATH FOODS: social marketing strategy (2007-2008)

NORDSTROM: social media playbook (2011)

PERRY ELLIS: social advisory (2009)

PUGET SOUND ENERGY: community strategy (2008)

STARBUCKS: social content planning (2008)

TEMPUR BRANDS (TempurPedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster): social business strategy (2014-2015)

TESCO: social shopping strategy (2012)

T-MOBILE: influencer engagement program (2011)

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE: their first social marketing strategy (2008)

ZURICH INSURANCE: social business strategy (2015)