Download Telstra`s 3 Rs of Social Media Engagement

Telstra's 3 Rs of Social Media Engagement
Purpose
Social media offers the opportunity for people to gather in online communities of
shared interest and create, share or consume content.
Telstra embraces social media as an important tool of corporate and business
engagement. It also encourages its employees and contractors to use social media
in a personal capacity, as a way to reach out and share information and views with
friends, colleagues and communities – both old and new.
This policy sets out what Telstra's expectations are when you talk about Telstra, its
products and services, its people, its competitors and/or other business related
individuals or organisations. It describes Telstra‟s 3 Rs of Social Media Engagement,
which are „guardrails‟, designed to protect the interests of employees, contractors
and Telstra.
The 3 Rs ask that when you engage in social media:
 you be clear about who you are representing;
 you take responsibility for ensuring the information you are sharing,
including any references to Telstra, is factually correct and accurate and
does not breach confidentiality requirements; and
 you show respect for the individuals and communities you interact with.
Application
This is a Company Policy of Telstra Corporation Limited and it applies to all Telstra
employees and contractors and to any other person who is notified that this
Company Policy applies to them.
If you use social media as part of your work, are officially accredited to represent
Telstra in social media, or if you are discussing Telstra or Telstra related issues in
your personal use of social media platforms, you must comply with this Policy.
This policy applies to all channels and to content and editorial comments produced
by staff across all social media platforms that make reference to Telstra.
This policy does not apply to your personal use of social media platforms, as long as
you make no reference to Telstra related issues.
If you would like to clarify aspects of this policy and how it applies to your own
circumstances, contact Danielle Clarke, Head of Online and Social Media, Corporate
Affairs.
Policy
1. Social media tools include:
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external and internal social networking sites eg Facebook, Twitter,
Linked In, MySite and Yammer
video and photo sharing websites eg Flickr, YouTube
micro-blogging sites eg Twitter
weblogs, including corporate blogs, personal blogs or blogs hosted by
traditional media publications
forums and discussion boards eg Whirlpool, Yahoo! Groups or Google
Groups
online encyclopaedias eg Wikipedia
any other web sites that allow individual users or companies to use
simple publishing tools.
2. Official Telstra presence in online communities and social media
platforms
2.1 Telstra is actively involved in a variety of online communities and social
media platforms (eg facebook.com/Telstra and Twitter handles @Telstra_news
and @Telstra). This activity is centrally coordinated to deliver the best experience
to Telstra customers and to protect and enhance the Telstra brand.
2.2 You are encouraged to actively engage in existing official online communities
and social media platforms, however you must not create your own official or
unofficial presence using Telstra‟s trademarks or name. You must not:
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imply that you are authorised to speak on Telstra‟s behalf
include Telstra‟s logos or trademarks in your postings
create social media accounts that imply a connection with Telstra.
Telstra’s 3 Rs of Social Media Engagement
3. Telstra‟s 3 Rs of Social Media Engagement are Representation,
Responsibility and Respect and apply differently, depending on whether you:
 represent Telstra in an official capacity (refer 3.1)
 use external social media tools for personal use (refer 3.2)
 use Telstra‟s internal social media capabilities (refer 3.3)
Representing Telstra on external social media platforms
3.1 You can only represent Telstra on external social media platforms if you are
officially accredited to do so. To become an authorised Telstra representative on
a social media platform, you must have approval from your one-up manager and
be accredited by Corporate Affairs in social media. This section outlines
how the 3Rs apply if you are accredited to represent Telstra as part of your
job responsibilities.
Representation
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You must
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disclose that you are a Telstra employee or contractor and be
clear about which BU you are representing, and what your role
and accountabilities are
disclose only publicly available information. You must not
comment on or disclose confidential Telstra information (such as
financial information, future business performance, business
plans, imminent departure of key executives). If you need
to clarify what Telstra information is publicly available, refer to
material available on telstra.com and Telstra‟s annual report, or
consult with the Communications teams in Corporate Affairs
or Investor Relations.
Responsibility
You must:
 complete the Telstra social media accreditation process before
you can represent Telstra in social media
 complete additional training to update your knowledge on
emerging social media trends and evolving best practice in
social media, when requested to do so
 ensure that content you publish is factually accurate and
complies with relevant company policies, particularly those
relating to confidentiality and disclosure
 ensure you publish content in accordance with the Telstra Social
Media Conversation Calendar
 ensure you are not the first to make a Telstra announcement,
unless you have received the appropriate internal clearances
and approvals, in accordance with Telstra‟s policy for releasing
information in the public domain (Policy 61)
 only offer advice, support or comment on topics that fall within
your area of responsibility at Telstra. For other matters, alert the
topic expert who is accredited for social media engagement and,
if the situation requires a real time response, let the other party
know that the request has reached Telstra for response
 not post material that is obscene, defamatory, threatening,
harassing, discriminatory or hateful to any person or entity
 not disclose other people‟s personal information in social media
venues, and comply with the Privacy Policy and the Marketing
Privacy Policy.
Respect
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You must:
 be respectful of all individuals and communities you interact with
online
 be polite and respectful of other opinions, even during heated
discussion and debate
 adhere to the Terms Of Use of the social media platform being
used, and seek to conform to the cultural and behavioural norms
 respect copyright, privacy, financial disclosure and other
applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms.
Check with your BU General Counsel if you are not sure what
you can reproduce or disclose.
3.2 Personal use of Social Media
This section outlines how the 3Rs are applied if you choose to make references
to Telstra, its people, products or services, its competitors, or other business
related individuals or organisations when you are using a social media platform in
a personal capacity. It is important in these circumstances that readers of your
posts do not misconstrue your personal comments as representing an official
Telstra position.
All employees and contractors in Telstra must complete mandatory online training
on the 3Rs of Social Media Engagement during induction training.
Representation
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You must:
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identify yourself as a Telstra employee or contractor if you refer
to Telstra, its people, products and services, its competitors or
other business related individuals or organisations
not imply that you are authorised to speak on Telstra‟s behalf
not knowingly use the identity of another Telstra employee or
contractor, or an employee or contractor of a Telstra business
partner or competitor (including name or variation of a name)
be mindful not to damage Telstra's reputation or commercial
interests, or bring Telstra into disrepute
disclose only publicly available information. You must not
comment on or disclose confidential Telstra information (such as
financial information, future business performance, business
plans, imminent departure of key executives). If you need to
clarify what Telstra information is publicly available, refer to
material available on telstra.com and Telstra‟s annual report, or
consult with the Communications teams in Corporate Affairs
or Investor Relations
not include Telstra‟s logos or trademarks in your postings.
Responsibility
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You are personally responsible for the content of your posts
online. You must:
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ensure that information you provide about Telstra products and
services is informed and factually accurate
be mindful when you offer your personal perspective on a matter
related to Telstra, that your commentary and opinion does not
cause damage to Telstra or its commercial interests
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use a disclaimer to ensure that your stated views and opinions
are understood to be your own and not those of Telstra when
you:
 refer to the work done by Telstra
 comment on any Telstra-related or telecommunications
issue; or
 provide a link to a Telstra website
use a permanent disclaimer if you refer regularly to Telstra or
Telstra related issues. For irregular Telstra references, use a
disclaimer on a case by case basis. An example of a disclaimer
is: “the views expressed in this post are mine only and do not
necessarily reflect the views of Telstra.”
adhere to Telstra‟s Policy on Acceptable Use of Telstra Provided
Services and Information Systems if you are using Telstra
provided services made available to you as an employee or
contractor. Limited personal use of Telstra provided services
(such as email, internet access and instant messaging) is
allowed, but it must be within reasonable limits and not interfere
with your work
reference only publicly available information, such as that on
telstra.com or in Telstra‟s Annual Report
ensure you are not the first to make a Telstra announcement
ensure you do not post material that is obscene, defamatory,
threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful to any person or
entity.
Respect
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You must:
 be respectful of all individuals and communities with which you
interact online
 be polite and respectful of other opinions, even during heated
discussion and debate
 adhere to the Terms Of Use of the social media platform being
used, and seek to conform to the cultural and behavioural norms
 respect copyright, privacy, financial disclosure and other
applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms.
Check with your BU General Counsel if you are not sure what
you can reproduce or disclose on social media platforms.
3.3 Using internal Social Media tools
Telstra has introduced internal social media capabilities to improve
collaboration and communication across the organisation. This section
outlines how the 3Rs are applied when you use internal social media tools.
Representation
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You must:
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be clear about who you are, which BU you are representing, and
what your role and accountabilities are
 not disclose confidential information. If you are unclear about
what is confidential, consult your one-up manager in the first
instance
 not imply that you are authorised on behalf of others
 not knowingly use the identity of another Telstra employee or
contractor, or an employee or contractor of a Telstra business
partner or competitor (including name or variation of a name).
Responsibility
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You are personally responsible for the content of your posts
online. You must:
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ensure that information you share is informed and factually
accurate
only share information you are authorised to share
state when you are offering your personal perspective on a
matter
adhere to Telstra‟s Policy on Acceptable Use of Telstra Provided
Services and Information Systems when you use Telstra
provided services made available to you as an employee or
contractor.
ensure you do not post material that is obscene, defamatory,
threatening, harassing, discriminatory or hateful to any person or
entity.
Respect
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You must:
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be respectful of all individuals and communities with which you
interact online
be polite and respectful of other opinions, even during heated
discussion and debate
adhere to the Terms Of Use of the social media platform being
used, and seek to conform to the cultural and behavioural
norms.
Breach of Policy
If you do not comply with this Company Policy you may face disciplinary action. This
disciplinary action may involve a verbal or written warning or, in serious cases,
termination of your employment or engagement with Telstra.
If you break the law you may also be personally liable.
References
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Acceptable Use of Telstra Provided Services and Information Systems
Company Policy
Marketing Privacy Company Policy
Policy 61 – Release of Information to the Public Domain
Marketing Communications Company Policy
Privacy Company Policy
Definitions
Term
Definition
Contractor
Any person, company or other contracting party engaged to
provide services to or on behalf of Telstra under a contract of
services, either directly or indirectly (for example, through a
third party). This includes agency workers, consultants,
agents and suppliers.
Confidential Includes:
Information
 information derived from the performance of your work
at Telstra
 opinions, knowledge and facts about Telstra, its
employees, its business and its customers that have
not been disclosed to the public.
Approval
Company
Policy Owner:
Tony Warren, GMD, Corporate Affairs.
Contact Person:
Danielle Clarke, Head of Online and Social Media,
Corporate Affairs