Vattenfall launched a social media campaign to increase dialogue on climate change but it did not achieve the expected results. Stakeholders criticized the campaign as "greenwashing" and responses became repetitive arguments without understanding differing positions. While social media aims to advance stakeholder dialogue, it also risks negative effects as criticism can escalate, challenging assumptions that it facilitates open communication.

1. Online Company-Stakeholder communication:
Lessons from Vattenfall’s Social Media Campaign
on Climate Change
Rikke Augustinus Eriksen & Mette Morsing
Copenhagen Business School

2. In theory social media holds the potential for liberating dialogue
for organizations as well as for individuals.
Theories on corporate communication and public relations
assume that social media hold the potential for a more frequent
and open dialogue between companies and their stakeholders
(Birth et al., 2008; Rolland & Bazzoni, 2009), … and that social
media as such may serve as a tool for enhanced stakeholder
relations (Fieseler, Fleck & Meckel, 2010).
Media and culture studies demonstrate
how credibility towards businesses and organizations are advanced via
use of social media (Metzger, 2008), and sociology research suggests
how social media may contribute to the promotion of democracy
(Paparachissi, 2008).

3. • So, we expected to find new forms of engaged
company-stakeholeder interaction in Vattenfall’s social
media campaign
• However, this was not the case. On the contrary.

4. Vattenfall’s The Climate Manifesto
- Consumers against climate changes
• A case study of the pioneering case of energy
company Vattenfall A/S’ pan-European social media
campaign
• Start September 30, 2008 and end December 1, 2008
• Vattenfall’s objective was to increase dialogue with
and among stakeholders to mobilize awareness of
climate changes amongst the public

5. Data Analysis
1. Reconstruction of the key Climate Manifesto events
and reactions
2. Analysis of Vattenfall’s communication efforts and
reactions
3. Development of a new analytical framework

6. Data
• All online data was collected systematicall through
qualitative desk research in the first half of 2010
• Online media coverage (from September 1 till December 31)
includes systematically retrieved messages and reactions
from both Vattenfall and stakeholders from online news
media, online press releases, websites and social media such
as Facebook, Youtube and blogs
• Supplementary offline campaign data, corporate
communication, annual reports was used to inform the case
study
•

7. Data
• In the period between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, a total of 37
communication efforts and reactions related to Vattenfall’s Climate Manifesto
campaign were identified in social media. In some of the reactions both Vattenfall
and stakeholders are represented. 17 of the 37 communication efforts and
reactions were placed in interactive social media, while the rest were published in
online articles. 12 communication efforts and reactions originate from Vattenfall,
and 4 of Vattenfall’s 12 efforts and reactions were placed in social media, while the
rest were placed in traditional online media such as websites and online articles.
• 13 of the 25 stakeholder reactions were placed in social media, while the rest were
featured in online articles. Of the 25 reactions from stakeholders, 21 were
negative and only 3 were positive

8. Table 1. Data review
Date Media Sender Reactions: examples Dialogue/Interaction
29.09.08 YouTube Vattenfall 1. Film/commercial. Sign the Climate Manifesto and join the fight Encouraged, not practiced
610+1038 against climate change. 0 comments and not possible
views a) “It is true that large corporations carry a great deal of to post comments
responsibility, but it is us as consumers who buy their products and
therefore we have a responsibility too. The good news is that since
we are part of the problem we are also part of the solution – in other
words, you have a far greater impact than you think”.
b) “The solution: By establishing climate requirements and principles
we can in time reduce the number of harmful products on the
market. How can you contribute? Sign the manifesto, express your
opinion and support the politicians in making the necessary
agreements”.
c) “The manifesto consists of three requirements: one – we must set
a global price on CO2 emissions, two – we must to a larger degree
support climate friendly technologies, three – we must require
climate friendly products. Together, these three requirements can
have a remarkably positive effect in the fight against climate
changes. Do you want to join? Sign the climate manifesto”.
..........
27.10.08 Online NGO Criticism of Vattenfall and the Climate Manifesto, accusations of Vattenfall is offered advice
article hypocrisy / manipulation, comments from Gitte Seeberg (Negative) on combating climate change
“It is window-dressing and in worst case manipulation that a large from the NGO – interaction is
representative for the absolutely most Co2 emitting industry portrays encouraged
itself as the ones that do well for the climate”. Not possible to post
“WWF (the NGO) encourages Vattenfall to use the support from the comments
citizens already mobilized, to actually lift the ambition level in EU’s
large climate- and energy package, that among other thing wishes to
lower the CO2 emission with at least 20 percent in 2020”.
27.10.08 Online Vattenfall 8. Communications Manager at Vattenfall Marianne Reedtz Encouraged and indirectly
article Sparrevohn comments on the criticism practiced through third party
a) “We do not recognize the picture WWF (NGO) portrays of us (…) media – Vattenfall considers
We believe that we can document, that we are very active in each of the NGOs criticism
Denmark with wind power, bio fuel and storage of CO2. We have and comments on them – not
taken a lot of initiatives and made huge investments, and to my a standard answer
knowledge we are one of the few corporations that have constructed Not possible to post
an ambitious climate plan, to become CO2 neutral in 2050, in 2030 in comments
the North”
b) “When Vattenfall launches a climate campaign in the media
spotlight, the reason is, that we acknowledge our responsibility and
find it important, that both citizens and politicians are involved”

9. Analysis
Vattenfall changes from a clear initial bridging response strategy to a more varied
communication strategy including bolstering, clarification, transcendence,
downplay and victimization. In our data analysis, Vattenfall demonstrates 8
incidents of bridging, then 4 incidents of bolstering, 3 incidents of clarification
and 3 of transcendence, 2 incidents of downplay and 1 incident of victimization.
Table 2. Vattenfall’s communication efforts and reactions to stakeholder engagement
Date Media Vattenfall’s Issue-specific Response Strategy and Crisis Communication
Strategy
29.09.08 YouTube 610+1038 views 1. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
29.09.08 YouTube 895+247 views 2. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
30.09.08 CAMPAIGN START BRUSSELS
30.09.08 Online article 3. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
30.09.08 Website 4. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
30.09.08 YouTube 3797 views 5. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
20.10.08 Online article 6. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
21.10.08 Online article 7. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging
27.10.08 Online article 8.a) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Bolstering (C1)
8.b) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Transcendence (C2)
14.11.08 Online article 9.a) Crisis Communication Strategy: Distance strategy - Downplay (B2)
9.b) Crisis Communication Strategy: Non-existence strategy - Clarification (A2)
9.c) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Bolstering (C1)
25.11.08 Online article 10.a) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Bolstering (C1)
10.b) Crisis Communication Strategy: Non-existence strategy - Clarification (A2)
10.c) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Transcendence (C2)
26.11.08 Online article 11.a) Crisis Communication Strategy: Suffering strategy - Victimization (D1)
11.b) Crisis Communication Strategy: Non-existence strategy - Clarification (A2)
11.c) Crisis Communication Strategy: Distance strategy - Downplay (B2)
11.d) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Transcendence (C2)
11.e) Crisis Communication Strategy: Association strategy - Bolstering (C1)
11.12.08 YouTube 247 views 12. Issue-specific Response Strategy: Bridging

10. Campaign outcome
• 244.192 stakeholders signed the climate manifesto –
the signatures were in 2009 handed over to UN
Global Compact
However:
• Negative stakeholder reactions and accusations of
green washing in 2008
• Vattenfall responds by repeating its statements and
arguments
• In the same year Vattenfall was awarded the ‘Climate
Greenwash Award’ by Greenpeace

11. Case study findings
• Company-stakeholder social media interaction is
characterized by repetition of statements and
arguments without attempts to understand or adjust
positions
• Company statements consisted of repreating and
defending initial position
• Negative stakeholder reactions consisted of non-
negotiable argumentation: repetition of counter-
positions

12. Conclusion
• The assumption that company-stakeholder
interaction and dialogue on CSR issues is advanced in
social media is challenged
• Social media implies an escalating risk of the ‘double
edge of stakeholder communication” for managers
• Companies risk achieving opposite – and negative -
effects of their social media communication effort
than intended

13. The double-edge sword of a corporate social
media engagement :
On the one hand, companies feel an urge to engage
in social media to improve stakeholder interaction
and relationships, while, on the other hand, they
simultaneously expose themselves to provoking
higher levels of criticism