How SMI Companies Utilize Social Media

1. HOW SMI COMPANIES UTILIZE SOCIAL
MEDIA

2. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
In July 2009, Burson-Marsteller USA carried out a study of the utilization of social media by
American Fortune 100 companies. Based on the US study, Burson-Marsteller Switzerland
analysed the utilization of social media by Swiss companies in the Swiss Market Index.
We analysed which of the 20 SMI companies make use of Facebook pages and groups,
Twitter accounts or blogs for corporate communications. The data was gathered between
10th and 21st August 2009.
The only social media presences which were included were those which can be found through
a reasonable amount of effort. This includes searches either at Google, Facebook, Twitter or
at the relevant corporate website.
Only social media presences which could be unmistakably identified as official were included
in the study. In cases of doubt, the companies were contacted by telephone. Profiles of
brands or products, as well as presences of local branches of the companies, were not
included. (This applies both to Facebook as well as to Twitter.)
A blog was included only if a reference was made to it on the corporate website or if the blog
could be quickly found in Google. Here too, country-specific blogs as well as product blogs
were not included.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA UTILIZATION BY COMPANIES
IN THE SWISS MARKET INDEX

4. SOCIAL MEDIA UTILIZATION BY SMI COMPANIES

5. COMPARISON: UTILIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY
FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES IN THE USA

6. SMI COMPANIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Proportion of SMI companies which make use of Twitter, Facebook or a blog for
corporate communications.
One platform
Two platforms
All three platforms
No usage
Companies which are only active on one platform also frequently make use of Twitter and Facebook.
If a company is present on two platforms, then it tends to be Facebook/Twitter rather than a combination
with a corporate blog.

7. SMI COMPANIES WHICH UTILIZE TWITTER

8. SMI COMPANIES WITH A TWITTER PROFILE
20% Active on Twitter
80% Not on Twitter

9. HOW TWITTER IS UTILIZED BY SMI COMPANIES
SMI companies make use of Twitter primarily …
… to publish news and updates of the company
… for specials and promotions
As is evident in the Fortune 100 study from Burson-Marsteller, technology companies are
clearly leading the way in matters concerning social media. This is also the case
in Switzerland. Swisscom is the prime example for the use of social media platforms.
Syngenta is also active on two platforms – Facebook and Twitter.
On the other hand, Fortune 100 companies make use of Twitter in many more different ways
than SMI companies. Among others, they use Twitter for customer services and to publish job
vacancies.
In addition to the official Twitter profiles of SMI companies there are also very many local
branches. Adecco Canada, for example, is very active. Moreover there are some unofficial
profiles which are maintained by private parties. Holcim has an unofficial profile where they
stream news.

10. HOW TWITTER IS UTILIZED BY SMI COMPANIES
News, updates,
announcements
Specials, promotions
Customer service
Job vacancies
News/updates/announcements: News, announcements of products and events, updates at the corporate website
Specials/promotions: Specials, competitions and promotions
Customer service: Customer complaints/enquiries about products are received and processed
Job vacancies: Listings of vacancies at the respective company

11. COMPARISON: HOW TWITTER IS UTILIZED BY FORTUNE
100 COMPANIES IN THE USA
News, updates,
announcements
Specials, promotions
Customer service
Job vacancies
News/updates/announcements: News, announcements of products and events,
updates at the corporate website
Specials/promotions: Specials, competitions and promotions
Customer service: Customer complaints/enquiries about products are received and processed
Job vacancies: Listings of vacancies at the respective company

12. COMPANIES THAT STREAM NEWS VIA TWITTER
Syngenta operates a Twitter profile in which only news is Novartis operates a Twitter profile in which only
streamed. news is streamed.

13. SWISSCOM USES TWITTER FOR SPECIALS/PROMOTIONS
Swisscom also publishes information about specials and promotions on Twitter.
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14. TWITTER FOLLOWERS (AS OF 9th SEPTEMBER 2009)
SMI companies have an average of 1,390 followers.
With 2,843 followers, Novartis is the front runner.
The company with the least followers (291) is Swisscom.

15. SMI COMPANIES WHICH UTILIZE FACEBOOK

16. SMI COMPANIES WITH FACEBOOK PAGES AND GROUPS
Active on Facebook
Not on Facebook

17. HOW FACEBOOK IS UTILIZED BY SMI COMPANIES
News, updates,
announcements
Specials, promotions
Customer service
Job vacancies
Dialogue with visitors
News/updates/announcements: News, announcements of products and events, updates at the corporate website
Specials/promotions: Specials, competitions and promotions
Customer service: Customer complaints/enquiries about products are received and processed
Job vacancies: Listings of vacancies at the respective company
Dialogue with visitors: Communicative exchange with fans/visitors

18. FACEBOOK PAGES AND GROUPS
The pages and groups primarily include
News, updates and announcements
Specials and promotions
Many members comment on postings by the company. The companies do not,
however, enter into a dialogue.
Examples of
Swisscom
and Swatch

19. USE OF FACEBOOK
Only 20% of the SMI companies are active on Facebook.
Swisscom and Syngenta are the only ones present on Facebook and Twitter.
Many companies have unofficial pages and groups on Facebook. For example, an unofficial
Facebook page exists for Nestlé with around 77,000 members.
In some cases also employees operate Facebook groups. However these are not considered
as official communications channels of the companies.

20. NUMBER OF FANS (AS OF 9th SEPTEMBER 2009)
Facebook pages of SMI companies have an average of 18,212 fans.
With 65,848 fans, Swatch is the clear front runner. This also artificially drives the average
upwards.
Actelion has the least number of fans (97).

21. SMI COMPANIES WHICH
RUN A CORPORATE BLOG

22. SMI COMPANIES WITH A BLOG
With blog
Without blog

23. BLOG ANALYSIS
Only one company maintains a blog: Swisscom.
Among others, the Swisscom blog publishes information about new products,
and answers customers’ questions.

24. MAIN FINDINGS
Only a very small circle of ‘early adopters’ in the Swiss Market Index make use of social media
in corporate communications.
Even the early adopters use the new channels in primarily classic ways; i.e. to publish news
and specials. The potential of social media for dialogue is not yet being utilized.
Twitter is the most popular platform. Most of the companies in the SMI which use social
media have never even run a blog, but have jumped directly into using Twitter and Facebook.
In terms of social media communications, the Swiss companies are still lagging far behind the
companies listed in the Fortune 100 index. (See: Social Media Use by Fortune 100 Companies
by Burson-Marsteller USA.)

25. CONTACT
We would be happy to support you in your entry to the world of social media.
Please contact us.
Burson-Marsteller Crossmedia
Konsumstrasse 20
3000 Bern 14
Tel: +41 31 356 73 00
Mail: daniel.joerg@bm.com
http://crossmedia.b-m.ch