Making the Golden Rule Work...

As time goes by, I realize that as a consumer I am not doing my due diligence to use social media to my advantage in gaining information about some of the brands I have supported through my activity as a consumer or potential customer.   So when posed with the question, which brands do you engage in that follow the golden rule, I found a good deal of difficulty in trying to identify at least one brand that I have consistently engaged to adequately respond.  I generally engage with corporate brands when I feel like they have wronged me, and look for a public acknowledgement that would solicit a response for resolution.   As storied on my Twitter feed, Verizon Wireless has been engaged the most.  

Then I realized that there is one brand that I have been engaging for years, and it may not be a traditional business, but it certainly needs to follow the golden rule to remain successful.   The brand is Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity.   Truth be told, I have a history with the organization.  I was an active member through my undergraduate life, currently advise a chapter, was the former chairperson of their Alumni Association, and currently sit as a regional governor for 42 chapters in the Northeast US.   However familiar I am, I make the conscious effort to use their social media platforms, mostly Facebook, to provide feedback to the organization as well as share their activities to active members, potential members, and music educators within my sphere of influence on social media.  

Defining the audience is fairly simple, Kappa Kappa Psi seeks to engage active members of chapters throughout the country.   However, their scope is broadening.   By promoting programs like the National Intercollegiate Band, which is open to all college/university band members – not just members of the fraternity – the organization is actually marketing to schools without chapters in an effort to expand its reach.   What was originally thought of as a narrow target, is actually much broader than what is originally seen.  

The social media posts for the organization generally ask for user engagement – this speaks to both making the posts not about the brand, but the consumer as well as knowing your target audience.   Posts like, “what is your chapter doing to celebrate our National Month of Musicianship?” or “are you looking to apply for our National Scholarship Programs?” lead the student to respond to the question with their activity, publicly share that post with their social circles, or ask questions if they are unfamiliar with the program.  For alumni or advisors, the push is made to share these posts so that your home chapter may engage with the post and then essentially, the program that is being referenced.   The posts are never celebrating the brand itself, but recognizing and honoring those that engage back with the brand.   It seems that celebrating student and chapter successes drive the media plan moving forward.  

As a former administrator on their social media accounts, I also saw the influx of messages that poured into our accounts after posts regarding our press releases or program announcements.  In recent years, the organization had to revoke a charter for a chapter because they were found in violation of our hazing policy.  Well, when word went public, so did the outcry.  People flooded our social media accounts looking for answers, wanting full disclosure about the events – asking for names and trying to place blame.   As an organization whose primary aim is to enhance student life through active participation, it was clear that responses to name names would not be in the best interest of the organization, nor could we protect the privacy of students involved in the investigation.   It should be noted that the events of the investigation never rose to a criminal level, it was still important that the organization protect the privacy of all involved as well as speak to the anti-hazing policies within the organization.    The official statement closed with, “Chartered in 1919, the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity promotes the advancement of college and university bands through dedicated service and support to bands; comprehensive education; leadership opportunities; and recognition; for the benefit of its members and society. We remain committed to the advancement of college bands, and our thousands of members at more than 200 colleges and universities will continue to strive for the highest and work for greater bands on their own campuses and nationwide” (kkpsi.org, 2015).

I think the key in an organization’s success is not just living by the Golden Rule in social media situations, but to also ensure that the organization’s culture engages is internal stakeholders as well as external audiences in a manner that supports the brand message and attitude in a positive manner.   For instance, should Kappa Kappa Psi only responded to the charter revocation that spoke only in a way of a punitive message to that university, the general public may believe that hazing is a value at the core of the organization.   “Being transparent doesn’t mean you have to share everything about your organization, but the more honest insight you provide, the better” (Kerpen, p. 121, 2015).  By reinforcing the ideals of the organization’s value set and mission statement, the public can see how that chapter was the exception – not the rule. 

References:

Kappa Kappa Psi. (2015, March 5). Statement Concerning The Omega Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. Retrieved from https://www.kkpsi.org/omega-chapter/

Kerpen, D. (2015). Likeable social media: how to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be amazing on facebook, twitter, linkedin, instagram, pinterest, and more. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.