Hack
Hack: Dell's grassroots, internal conference on social media
by Bill Johnston - Head of Global Community at Dell
January 13, 2011 at 12:33pmContribution Summary
Summary
Dell's marketing and communications organizations rely more and more on social media and community (SMaC), with some people blogging on internal or external sites, others developing community-focused sites, and still others reaching out to external communities focused on the areas of Dell's business. To share the learnings of these many efforts, we organized a one-day Unconference, bringing together 200 employees who are passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. Anyone could present a session based on something they had learned or were trying in social media -- and 37 of them presented in different tracks during the day. It was an effective and energizing (not to mention relatively inexpensive) way to share best practices throughout these MarComm teams and identify where our strengths were and where we needed to apply more study. It was so successful that we have since repeated the program, taking it on the road to Dell facilities in China and the United Kingdom.
Moonshot(s)
Problem
Communications professionals throughout Dell, in many different departments, have been learning a lot about social media as they integrate it into their communication efforts (and their personal lives). The company could have invested millions bringing in social media experts to dispense best-practice advice based on their research and observations. But executives also realized that with so many people working on so many different things -- one person blogging, another managing outreach to social media channels, a third developing a community-focused site -- they had plenty of expertise and learnings to share from the people in the company.
Solution
To share the learnings, we borrowed from a techniques from other open, spontaneously organized conferences to createa a simple one-day conference. We called it the Unconference, because it aimed to be informal. Anyone with some interesting learnings on social media and community (SMaC) could sign up to lead a session.
The response was tremendous: 200 employees with 37 focused sessions on topics like
The response was tremendous: 200 employees with 37 focused sessions on topics like
- So You Want to Run a Twitter Contest
- Full-Time Listening: A New Model for Engagement
- Managing Product Leaks in Social Media
- KPI Revolution at Dell
Practical Impact
We learned a lot about our interest in social media and community and came away with an assessment of Dell's position on SMaC:
Social media should be an integrated part of any campaign or initiative. It's no longer a separate push or an afterthought, but part of the planning of any program.
We should measure relationship success rather than individual success. Since social media is about building lasting relationships, we must find metrics that idenitfy that success and give credit for it.
Use social media to give Dell a human face. As our customers get to know us as real people, through our blog posts and conversations online, we can move away from formalities like stock photos on web sites (why not use real employees?) and blogs that are overproduced.
Our expertise and opinions -- our thought leadership -- are in demand by customers. In community spaces, customers respond well to our contributions. This kind of leadership needs to be integrated throughout our marketing and communication efforts.
We're on the leading edge. There was a consensus that Dell is walking the walk on SMaC, looking at social media as a lasting change in the way that companies and customers talk to each other.
Social media should be an integrated part of any campaign or initiative. It's no longer a separate push or an afterthought, but part of the planning of any program.
We should measure relationship success rather than individual success. Since social media is about building lasting relationships, we must find metrics that idenitfy that success and give credit for it.
Use social media to give Dell a human face. As our customers get to know us as real people, through our blog posts and conversations online, we can move away from formalities like stock photos on web sites (why not use real employees?) and blogs that are overproduced.
Our expertise and opinions -- our thought leadership -- are in demand by customers. In community spaces, customers respond well to our contributions. This kind of leadership needs to be integrated throughout our marketing and communication efforts.
We're on the leading edge. There was a consensus that Dell is walking the walk on SMaC, looking at social media as a lasting change in the way that companies and customers talk to each other.
Challenges
Once we decided to have this, we didn't get a lot of pushback because managers instinctively understood what we're going for and agreed that it was a worthwhile experiment.
For our sessions in London and China, there were the obvious challenges of preparing for an event remotely and finding a local person to help us get the necessary resources for a one-day meeting. There were also some cultural issues around shyness: whereas at Dell in Texas, people had leaped at the opportunity to lead and join sessions, the concept of self-organization may not have been as familiar and so it took a little nudging to get people to step out. Once they did, they became comfortable with the concept.
If we run a second round of Unconferences, we expect there may be a challenge in ensuring that the material is different enough to justify another day's investment.
For our sessions in London and China, there were the obvious challenges of preparing for an event remotely and finding a local person to help us get the necessary resources for a one-day meeting. There were also some cultural issues around shyness: whereas at Dell in Texas, people had leaped at the opportunity to lead and join sessions, the concept of self-organization may not have been as familiar and so it took a little nudging to get people to step out. Once they did, they became comfortable with the concept.
If we run a second round of Unconferences, we expect there may be a challenge in ensuring that the material is different enough to justify another day's investment.
Credits
Manish Mehta, Liz Bullock, Amaris Tennison, and Kerry Bridge were also instrumental in setting up the series of Unconferences.
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Comments
Allen Roberts
January 15, 2011 at 1:31pmOffering the credits at the end is a key element in giving this concept life, as it offers a profile, indicates a willingness to put your self out there, takes responsibility, and indicates a willingness to share and build expertise and knowledge.
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Christine Ferrere
January 20, 2011 at 5:32amExcellent challenging initiative and nice to see that the International angle is part of the game (Would love to see the outcomes with UK and China). Furthermore SM should not only integrate the communication departments and my so-called "direct customer bubble", it should in my mind be the root for any delivered outgrowth within an organization.