aflac social media authenticity

James P. Wisdom

The Power of Authenticity

Waypoints

1. Context: A reason to care

2. Aflac Social Customer Service:

Authenticity in action

3. The Aflac Duck: Defining an authentic

mascot

4. The Aflac Cancer Center Causes

Campaign: Case Study

“The Old Days” “What We Know”

“What We’re Trying to

Deal With”

• People will be less likely to tell the

world that you stink if they know

you and believe that you will at

least try.

• People are less inclined to abuse

those that they know.

• Every unhappy customer is an

opportunity.

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Processes Policies People

Personas Behaviors

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Question/issue/comment posted on social

networking site

AflacPhyllis determines need for correct

answer/resolution

Question/issue presented to operations

SME who determines answer/resolution

Aflac operations executive management sends

go/no go response

AflacPhyllis posts response to social

network

Social media response process typically

takes less than 12 hours for Monday

through Friday posts.

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Processes Policies People Personas Behaviors

Case Study:

The Aflac Duck and the Aflac Cancer Center:

Color Carl’s Car Campaign

Serendipity & Reality

Campaign Lead-Up & Surprises

+ =

Tactics: Integrating the Message

Leveraging

Sponsorships P.R. Campaign Reaching

Ultimate Goals

On September 8th, two days after the Color Carl’s Car PR event

26,039 were joining each day or 16 per minute.

Launch

Momentum

Results

• Finished 10/6 with 851,215 new members and a total donation pool

of more than $1.16M, claiming the title of Causes' "top fundraising

Cause".

• Color Carl’s Car received placements on ESPN, CBS Evening News,

CNN and NASCAR.com, and more, generating more than 114 million

impressions

• The Duck also enjoyed a spike in popularity during the campaign –

a tenfold increase in daily Fan growth on Facebook over the prior

month.

“Aflac is the first to understand how to fully maximize Causes. Most clients

put it out there and hope – you guys had a fully integrated campaign across

channels with a strong grassroots element. I didn’t believe you’d make it,

but I gladly stand corrected.” – Causes Exchange