From Online Conversations to Actionable Insights:

How to Develop Key Takeaways for Monthly Reports

1. Collective Insights

Instead of itemizing netizens’ comments, group together comments with similar content/topic and discuss insights on a macro-level perspective.

Highlight the most prevalent opinions

Highlight deviant but significant opinions

Collective Insights

Instead of itemizing netizens’ comments, group together comments with similar content/topic and discuss them on a macro-level perspective:

Majority of the posts were positive, and consumers shared how they have used their Toyota cars for long years and were pleased with their mileage and durability. Many of the commenters were repeat customers, with as much as six Toyota cars in the family and still intending to buy a new Toyota car. Toyota cars were said to be “magnificent” and the “best” owners had driven. Camry Atara, Rukus, Yaris, Corolla, and Aurion were the most mentioned models.

The following suggestions were, however, made to increase preference for Toyota cars: 1) bring back the wide-body Camry design, 2) produce more RWD and AWD cars; 3) produce Camry and Corolla turbo models; 4) include diesel option for many of its ranges; and 5) improve car features such as adjustability of seats.

From Hothouse Toyota – Brand Audit

Example:

2. Co-mentions

Highlight comparisons:

Why are the brands/products mentioned together?

Which brands/products are getting favorable/unfavorable comparisons and why?

Sample co-mentions

There are 77 hits for Westpac AND ANZ.

Enter the keyword combination - Westpac AND ANZ will capture posts with mentions of both keywords. The results will depend on the search parameters.

Sample co-mentions

Both Westpac and ANZ were mentioned as options. Further analysis could lead to insights on preference for co-mentioned brands.

In this sample post with Westpac and ANZ co-mention, a netizen is looking for a place to exchange his A$ to NZ$.

3. Specific Products / Issues

Using buzz clusters and keyword search, find which products, brands, issues and campaigns are gaining online traction.

Find out which new products/campaigns are not getting online traction.

Specific Products / Issues

1. The BNZ KiwiSaver and Westpac Hand Outs TV commercials were also called out for the songs used. The line, “I’m going to work till I die”, in the BNZ radio advertisement was disliked, and the use of the track, “Zorba the Greek” by Westpac in the Hand Outs TV commercial, led to mentions that it was “racist”, and “offended” a group of Greeks in New Zealand. The high engagement for Westpac Hand Outs was due to different interpretations of the advertisements posted by commenters. The Old Flatties advertisement received a few negative comments but was said to be “gold” and one of the “best” advertisements in years.

2. A few negative comments were obtained for the failed refer-a-friend functionality of the Toyota RAV4 contest where participants could win points for every referral who would join the contest.

Example:

4. Social Media Context

Views or perspectives on issues/brands/products could vary per channel. Compare brand pages not only in terms of various KPIs, e.g. likes, shares and

comments, but also in terms of quality, content and context of comments or replies.

BUZZ COMPARISONS ACROSS CHANNELS

Social Media Context

Highlight opposing views across channels

Which channels are positive/negative about the issue/brand/product?

What is the prevailing general opinion about an issue/brand/product in specific channels?

What is the tone of discussions about an issue/brand/product in specific channels?

BUZZ COMPARISONS ACROSS CHANNELS

Social Media Context

Example:

Facebook – Toyota Fan Page – Wall and Facebook – Nissan Australia Fan Page – Wall had the highest number of positive posts for Toyota. Toyota Land Cruiser was often mentioned on Nissan’s Facebook page and was found to be better in terms of product quality and customer care. Nissan sales outlets were found to have an inefficient customer service in resolving car problems and to sell expensive spare parts. Those who have experienced driving a Nissan either as their new car or as a rental wished to drive their Toyota cars instead. The Toyota website was also said to be better than Nissan’s.

Negative comments on Facebook – Toyota Australia Fan Page - Wall were about the “boring” and “bland” looks of Toyota cars, especially Corolla, and the exclusion of spare tires for the late 2012 86 GTS production. Charges on supposedly free replacement of faulty injectors and higher prices of Toyota cars in Australia were also some of the concerns.

- Emphasis on + perception on Nissan’s page and negative on Toyota’s own page

BUZZ COMPARISONS ACROSS CHANNELS

Social Media Context

CHANNEL ACTIVITY

Do not just mention which channels have the most buzz. Instead:

Mention which channels are constantly moving up and down in the rankings

Highlight increasing/decreasing interest in said channels in relation to a brand/product

Find out what types of buzz are specifically prevalent in a channel (e.g. contests, debates etc.)

Social Media Context

CHANNEL ACTIVITY

The top 10 channels consisted of Twitter – New Zealand, the five banks’ Facebook fan pages, and forums. Buzz on Twitter and Facebook were mostly about new products and services, as well as customer service situations such as technical glitches and account issues. On Geekzone Forum – Off Topic, Westpac cards were recommended for use in travels due to lower foreign exchange fees, good credit limit, and lower/waived overseas transaction fees. In various Trade Me Forum sub-channels such as General Discussions, Trade Me Discussions, and Christchurch quake, commenters discussed the best bank advertisements, fees, services, and insurances. The Lumley insurance through Westpac was one of the most recommended, and one commenter shared that s/he could not find a fault in Westpac’s Lumley insurance service.

Example:

5. Time Factor

Take note of the changes that occur over a considerable period of time:

Is buzz trend consistently increasing/decreasing? Why?

Is sentiment for specific brands/products consistently increasing/decreasing? Why?

Is there a gradual shift from positive to negative and vice versa in specific platforms?

Can gradual shifts be tied to specific actions being done by the brand (e.g. increasing number of comments about improved response rate/services over time)?

High fees

The significant number of posts for the month pertained to Westpac’s high fees. Old customers shared that one of the main reasons they left the bank years ago was because it “rips off” customers and pays the CEO a large amount. Current customers mostly reported high fees for automatic payment and overdraft, and incorrectly charged fees for already paid services.

Account management issues

Issues on account management that have repercussions on the side of customers were discussed. Examples of such cases were: 1) An overseas customer filed a complaint about “poor” bank processes; 2) A customer asked to close an insurance account but continues to receive a bill and was told by staff that there was no record of him applying to close the account; 3) Another customer was told she had more than NZ$500 in her account when the balance was only NZ$72; and 4) She is now on overdraft of NZ$296 for spending a part of the NZ$500.

Time Factor

Westpac Kiwibank BNZ ASB ANZ0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

63

41 40

89

110

56 59

31

9787

7570

105

76 75

February March April

3-Month Negative Buzz

Time Factor

Westpac Kiwibank BNZ ASB ANZ0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

27

56

78

108

3426

6962

100

3645

58

78

113

31

February March April

3 -Month Positive Buzz

“Best” and “awesome” branches

Customers continued to comment that Westpac branches were the “best” in terms of amenities. A user posted on Instagram the “coolest” Westpac Queens St branch while another retweeted that the Westgate branch was the “best”, with no reasons mentioned.

“Awesome” mobile banking app

Many users “love” the new mobile banking app that can used in both iPad and iPhone. The app was deemed “brilliant” for making it easy to personalise and attach photos on a mobile banking account.

6. Voice

Consider the number of unique voices that participated in discussions for a topic/issue.

Observe how regular netizens react to KOLs.

7. Current Events

Look for breaking news not only about the monitored brand/product, but also about the industry.

Current Events

Commenters on the Fair Play on Fees – Suing the Banks thread (150 posts) on Trade Me Forum – Trade Me Discussions had varied opinions about the possible outcomes of the lawsuit and whether it was appropriate to sue the banks in the first place. Negative outlook on the outcome was influenced by the perception that the terms and conditions signed by customers are legally binding and that customers should be responsible for handling their own accounts. Others believed that the current fees are too high and not proportionate to the work done by the banks to manage accounts; the restructuring of a fee schedule was suggested.”

Example:

8. Locations

Look for location-based insightsAre netizens coming from key cities/locales?

In which cities do most commenters come from?

Determine if location check-ins are relevant

Look for mentions of specific branches or outlets

Locations

Customers expressed how they love their local branches, citing the music played, the ambiance, the “lovely” people and other amenities such as cafes and iPad units.

(local branches = branches near them in general as this seems to be the general look and feel of Westpac branches.)

Example:

9. Target segment

Find out which group of consumers commonly discuss a product or service:

Does the product/service predominantly appeal to a consumer segment? Why?

Is this segment currently being targeted in promotions? Is this an untapped market segment?

Does the product/service appeal more to a specific gender? Income level? Educational background? Why?

Target segment

More women, mostly mothers, used and commented about Toyota Kluger, especially on The Bub Hub Forum – General Chat and Essential Baby Forum – What do you think?. Few men commented about the model and referred to the car as a “family” car or the “wife’s car”. Key points for both sexes were space, comfort, and safety for long driving across the country. Women were also concerned about space for extended family and children’s friends. Other market segments did not mention of these factors.

Example:

10. Practical Insights

Avoid impractical/non-actionable comments.

Search for

CONTEXT

When netizens say that something is “bad” or “done poorly”, is it mentioned why?Did they mention specific products/services?Did they give specific insights on how a product or service could improve?Do netizens agree or understand a brand/company decision?

11. Brand Ambassadors/Representatives

Look for insights on brand ambassadors:Are they well-liked by netizens online? Why?Which brand endorsers gain the most traction/bring the brand close to netizens?

Look for insights on key company personnel:Do they inspire netizens to patronize a product/service, or even work for the brand/company?Do netizens attribute poor decisions/quality of services and products to them?

Sensitive issues – be careful when reporting insights on key company personnel to ensure that morale and trust of employees are not

compromised.

12. Switching Behaviour

Find out which factors trigger switching behavior among consumers:

Are netizens willing to pay a higher price for a better after-sales service?

Are frequent trips to service centers/customer service calls a deterrent for repeat purchase?

Do unresolved issues influence switching decisions?

Does a promising product development make netizens reconsider a brand?

Collective Insights

Target Segment Co-mentions Specific

Products/Issues

Social MediaContext

Brand Ambassadors/

RepresentativesTime Factor Voice

Practical Insights

CurrentEvents

Locations Switching Behaviour

From Conversations to Insights:

QC TEAM

Thank you!