Stacy Eckes-Borys

Activating Stakeholders in Social

This video is from

BlogWellSan FranciscoJune 20, 2011

socialmedia.org/blogwell

SocialMedia.orgCase Studies

This presentation is from

BlogWellBay Area

August 6, 2013socialmedia.org/blogwell

Thrivent Financial: Activating Stakeholders In Social

Ask Yourself…

Can we get

20% of our customers

to do something (vote)?

20%

Case Study: Activating Members to Vote

Thrivent benefit members vote on extending our

common bond from Lutheran to Christian

Fundamental to our business and members

needed to approve or reject change

Member voice, vote, participation was crucial

Vote Timeline

• Education • Voting! • Thank you

for voting • Results

Jan - Feb March - April May June

Social Media Objectives for Vote Campaign

Increase awareness and education for vote

Trigger action – voting

Create social advocates and “word of mouth”

awareness

Listen and encourage conversation

Vote Campaign: Social Strategy

• Nothing fancy or expensive

• Apply core social media strategies

• Implement across social toolbox

• Focus on execution

Vote Campaign: Social Strategy

Additional Principles

• Pre-test campaign messaging

• Be flexible

• Prepare leaders

• Prepare team and staff

Vote Campaign: Social Tactical Plan

Employees

5,000+

Corporate

Social Sites

Field Social

Program

Lodge Social

Program

Facebook

Advertising

Advocacy Training

and Tools Member Leaders

25,000+

Listen and

Response Plan Crisis Plan

Employees

5,000+

Vote Campaign: Social Tactical Plan

Custom target ads = valuable!

• Directly reached target

audience

• Matched 50% member

emails

• Click-through-rate .05%

Facebook

Advertising

• Real members in images

• Facebook Event with vote

date reminders

• Not everything worked

Vote Campaign: Social Tactical Plan Corporate

Social Sites

Vote Campaign:

Social Tactical Plan

• Best Practices Training

• Content Series

• Generated 1,000+

posts

400+ Local Pages 20+ Local Pages

Field Social

Program

Lodge Social

Program

Vote Campaign:

Social Tactical Plan

• Use personal networks

• Initial training

• Host tools on intranet

• Ongoing “reminders”

25,000+ member leaders

5,000+ field and corp employees

As a member and an employee I urge all my Thrivent

member friends to have their voice heard & participate in

this vote – there is still time!

Thrivent Members – exercise your

right to vote!

Advocacy Training

and Tools

Vote Campaign: Social Tactical Plan

• Documented plan

• Socialized

• Trained with tabletop

scenarios

• Consistent response

• Dedicated, trained

team

• Streamlined approval

process

Crisis Plan Listen and

Response Plan

Big Picture Learnings

• Stakeholders want a voice

during change

• Real-time feedback on

messaging

• Volume, sentiment and

themes reported up-line

Listen and

Response Plan

Hands-on Team Learnings

• New territory. Typically positive brand

but those opposed were vocal in social

media. Helped internal stakeholders

keep perspective

• When to respond? And when not to?

• Focused on questions and inaccuracies

• Strong funnel for triage, but often had

too many stakeholders

Listen and

Response Plan

Examples: Stating Opinion on Vote

I HOPE YOU REMAIN ONLY LUTHERAN ...

EVERYTHING IS TOO BIG ... PLEASE DO NOT BE

TRICKED INTO SOME CORPORATION

As a Lutheran and a Christian, voting no is not an

option. As a practical, common sense, financial matter,

it’s a no-brainer. Yes!

Examples: Questions, Inaccuracies

Does anyone know how this will affect the organization’s charter? Is

there a chance that Thrivent will lose its fraternal status with this change?

Seems to be a key issue.

Thanks for thinking carefully about your vote. To answer your

question: if the vote were to pass and we were to extend our

common bond to Christian, it wouldn’t jeopardize our fraternal

status. Common bonds are unique to fraternal benefit societies.

Christianity is clearly a religious common bond shared by our

current members. We use the word “extending” instead of

“changing” because Lutherans are Christians.

Examples: Critical of Thrivent

Give me a break. You are certainly diminishing your support for the

Lutheran community. I joined a fraternal organization (AAL) specifically

because it did support that community. There is nothing wrong with an

organization open to “all Christians”, but that is not what I signed up for. I

realize that I am fighting a losing battle. This is going to be rammed down

our throats sooner or later. You are going to have to support other faiths

if you open membership. For all of you that want this to happen, why

aren’t you either starting a new company to do that or joining some

existing company that provides this “fellowship” you are seeking.

Vote Campaign: Social Results

• Traffic from social posts and

ads were 13% of total

unique visitors to microsite

Vote Results

Record Turnout

• 425,000 benefit

members voted

• Expectations

surpassed

• Social played a role!

Vote Results

Majority

of benefit members

who voted,

were in favor

of extending

the common bond.

Key Takeaways

Stakeholders appreciate place to share their

voice, and be heard

Take time to share social insights with

leaders/decision makers

Preparation and sufficient staff critical to

handling listening and responding

Core traditional strategies work --- it’s in the

execution!

Check us out…

• Facebook.com/Thrivent

• Twitter: @Thrivent

• YouTube.com/ThriventFinancial

• Pinterest.com/Thrivent

• plus.google.com/+thrivent

• Linkedin.com/company/thrivent-financial-for-lutherans

Questions: Stacy Eckes-Borys

stacy.eckes-

borys@thrivent.com

Learn more about past and upcoming BlogWells

socialmedia.org/blogwell

This video is from

BlogWellSan FranciscoJune 20, 2011

socialmedia.org/blogwell

SocialMedia.orgCase Studies

This presentation is from

BlogWellBay Area

August 6, 2013socialmedia.org/blogwell