October 28, 2008www.gaspedal.com/blogwellwww.blogcouncil.org
© 2008 GasPedal LLC. You may share this presentation if it is not altered in any way.
You Can Do It We Can (Still) Help You Can Do It. We Can (Still) Help. Social Media and The Home Depot
Nick Ayres
10.28.08
Where Do You Shop?
Today it just depends2
Today, it just depends.
Overview of the Landscape
Traditionally, The Home Depot has been synonymous with home improvement expertise and best-in-class customer servicecustomer service
In recent years this reputation has come under fire
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In recent years, this reputation has come under fire, impacting our brand preference
A Very Public Trial
March 2007 MSN article: 7,000+ comments
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The Big Idea
Social media gives us the opportunity to create lasting brand differentiation by: Recapturing ground we've lost with existing
customers, or those on the fence Connecting with a new set of customersConnecting with a new set of customers Engaging our associates in ways that are
relevant to their lifestyles
Simply put, social media is a growing part of our digital orange apron
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Example #1: Twitter and Natural Disasters
The Home Depot is a leader in natural disaster preparation, repair and recover efforts, for both
t d i tour customers and our associates The challenge: Could social media help us
reach further faster?reach further, faster?
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How Did We Engage?
Trusted
Ti l Timely
Relevant Relevant
AccurateAccurate
Appropriatepp p
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The Results
Extremely positive commentary, both externally andexternally and internally
Building block for long-term brand preference
Added a humanAdded a human face to the “online” brand
Did we drive short-term sales? Maybe. Was that
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ythe point? No.
Example #2: Video Syndication
Reality check: homedepot.com is a destination – but not the only destination – for home improvement know how
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homedepot.com/tv
Video Syndication Tactics and Results
How did we engage? Identified destinations
that made sense and were contextual to our brand promise
Started small and are building over time
Following the same rules: Be trusted, timely, , y,relevant, accurate and appropriate
Response so far? Mostly positive, always
candid feedback about
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candid feedback about content and context
Tips and Best Practices
Start at the beginning as often as possible
Fi d th t h i t b t Find others at your company who are passionate about the brand and the space, and make them evangelists
Scratch and claw for small wins, then use them to capture the imagination of an executive champion
Do not let social media turn into another "campaign”
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Q ti ?Questions?Examples from the presentation:Follow us on Twitter @TheHomeDepotCheck out our how-to videos @ homedepot.com/youtube
Nick AyresThe Home Depot
[email protected]: @nickjayresFriendFeed: nickjayres
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