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Fortune 500 Series: FedEx delivers success through social media

By | September 22, 2009, 10:04am PDT

Summary: From multiple blogs to multiple service-oriented Twitter feeds and even community sponsorship, FedEx has made social media a priority.

When I first started sourcing my Fortune 500 Series I put out a query on Help A Reporter Out (HARO) to seek out interesting companies and found a bunch. However, one public relations person sent me a nasty email saying that I was “negating the nature of social media” by highlighting large companies instead of small ones. I disagreed.

The importance, and purpose, of this series is to show that even goliaths are flexing to social media. Even if their programs might be raw, they are moving to embrace the model. And if a large company with hundreds of thousands of employees can flex, so can a smaller business. Sometimes, it also helps to know how they did it.

One such goliath is FedEx, a household name worldwide. The company began its trip down the social media path two years ago and has begun a phase of rapid growth. From multiple blogs to multiple service-oriented Twitter feeds and even community sponsorship, FedEx has made social media a priority.

I spoke with Matthew Ceniceros of FedEx’s media relations team to find out more about how the giant is reaping the benefits - and staying competitive - with social media.

Q. [Jennifer] How is FedEx using social media? How is your strategy defined?

A. [Matthew] Our general strategy is to form positive perceptions among key audiences by encouraging meaningful conversations about FedEx around the globe. This is done in a variety of ways by different groups at FedEx.  While I sit inside the Corporate Communications organization, my colleagues in Marketing and IT have also used social networks to communicate to both internal and external audiences.

Our specific strategy for the FedEx Citizenship blog is to:

  • Engage in a conversation with key audiences about citizenship
  • Introduce transparency into how, why and what FedEx does in citizenship areas
  • Empower stakeholders to help tell our story for us
  • Build equity and association for FedEx against citizenship platforms

The Citizenship blog (blog.fedex.com) covers the areas where we focus our corporate citizenship efforts: Community & Disaster Relief , Economics & Access, Environment & Efficiency and  People & Workplace.

Q. What tactics are you using? Where are your digital properties?

A. The FedEx Citizenship blog provides insights from our people into FedEx global citizenship programs and the The FedEx Cares Week blog is an internal blog that chronicles the annual global philanthropy event by having team members share their stories about the community service projects. We have an official FedEx Facebook page that allows us to post news and information about the company and for fans and team members to post photos and comments on the world of FedEx. Our advertising group created the wildly popular FedEx Launch A Package app. The week of launch it was one of the most popular apps on Facebook.

Next: Digital properties and Brown Bailout –>

Topics

Jennifer Leggio, aka "Mediaphyter," writes about the "social business" side of social media - including enterprise, security and reputation issues.

Disclosure

Jennifer Leggio

Jennifer is employed full-time with Fortinet, a leading network security appliance vendor. She is also actively involved in the network security community and works with the Security Bloggers Network. She co-manages the annual Security Bloggers Meet-UP at RSA Conference.

Jennifer is also involved with Silicon Valley Tweet-Up, a philanthropic networking event that brings people together to raise money for local family-oriented charities.

The blog posts here are solely her opinion and do not represent her employer or any other organization with which she may be affiliated.

Biography

Jennifer Leggio

Jennifer Leggio (@mediaphyter) has been a communications professional for more than 15 years, focusing primarily on enterprise technology and security. She is currently the director of strategic communications for a leading network security vendor. Jennifer is also passionate about all things social media, especially enterprise, security, privacy and reputation issues, which is why she writes about these things for ZDNet.

A well-connected communicator, Jennifer has led or supported interactive social networking efforts for security industry conferences including RSA Conference, Black Hat USA and SOURCE Conference, and founded the Security Twits, a community for network security professionals. She also helps run communications for the Security Bloggers Network.

Finally, Jennifer co-hosts the Quick'n'Dirty social media podcast with Aaron Strout, is a founding member of Technically Women, a communal blog project, and manages marketing and public relations for Silicon Valley Tweet-Up, a networking group that raises money for family-oriented charities. Jennifer was profiled in Silicon Valley San Jose Business Journal's "40 Under 40" edition, as a rising star for 2009.

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RE: Fortune 500 Series: FedEx delivers success through social media
just-do-it 21st Sep
@Jennifer Leggio Looking forward to seeing more from you!~!~! happy discount on uggs ugg discount uggs discount
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What BS
aep528 22nd Sep 2009
I wonder how much less their shipping costs would be if they didn't
waste money on this so-called "social media" nonsense.
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That;s the beauty of social media
Jennifer Leggio 22nd Sep 2009
It doesn't *have* to cost a lot. It works, it is proven. Deal with it. happy
@Jennifer Leggio Looking forward to seeing more from you!~!~! happy discount on uggs ugg discount uggs discount
"Our general strategy is to form positive perceptions among key audiences"

Maybe you ought to just do a good job and let the positive perceptions happen on their own.

What the heck are "key audiences". Sounds more like politics than customer relations.

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