Case submission

1. Julia Su | Lee Pei Xuan | Nathania Christy | Sean Ling
Full Steam Ahead
Evaluating Maersk Line’s B2B Social Media Marketing
1 May 2015

2. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you
think are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s success in
social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on and
why?

3. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Reasons for social media success
3 key reasons why Maersk Line succeeded
Source: McKinsey, Case Material, Team Analysis
Seeing social media as a
strategic marketing effort
in a B2B, traditionally
conservative, industry
1
Authentic interaction with
customers and creating
sticky content with moving
stories
3
First shipping company to
move into social media with
a head-start on multiple
platforms
2
Paradigm shift
First-mover
advantage
Engagement
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5

4. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Key drivers of success
Maersk‘s social media success is driven by 6 pillars
Source: Jonah Berger: STEPPS, Mickinsey, Case Material, Team Analysis
Visually engaging
Showcase Maersk Line’s rich
history of ships, seascapes and
ports through photos and videos
1
Consistent voice and presence
Empower locals to post on a
single global platform. User-
generated content ensures they
are authentic and personable
2
Crisis management
Respond quickly to rumours or
accidents via Twitter or FB,
improving transparency
3
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5

5. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Key drivers of success
Maersk‘s social media success is driven by 6 pillars
Source: Jonah Berger: STEPPS, Mickinsey, Case Material, Team Analysis
Raise rand
Awareness
Buy-in from management
Support from upper
management, integration of
social media operations into
Maersk’s corporate structure
4
Segmentation of platforms
Sharing stories on FB, twitter
and Instagram to reach out to
fans and customers, while
sharing industry news and
service updates LinkedIn and
Google+ for business purposes
5
Keeping costs down
Low costs of social media
marketing lead to higher ROIs
6
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5

6. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you think
are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s success in
social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on and
why?

7. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Content appeals to a wider
audience
Content strategy
Think B2C – breaking the notion of a boring B2B company
Source: Team Analysis
Differentiated and innovative content:
time-lapse videos, thought-provoking
branded journalism, hip photos of Maersk
Liners on Instagram.
Focused on telling stories about Maersk
to engage customers, sharable content
appealing to the wider public rather than
business or sales content
Social media marketing effort
doesn’t translate directly to
sales
Brand becomes memorable
as content is Unexpected
(following the SUCCES
framework)
Q1 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5Q2

8. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Content Strategy
Source: Facebook, Team Analysis
Use of powerful stories and visuals
Maersk shares both positive
and negative stories about the
company
Constant updates about
shipping industry and other
current news
Posts serve as social currency
which drive shares and
mentions
Honest stories humanize the
brand and make it more
relatable to people
Maersk becomes
trustworthy and appears to
be a socially responsible
company
“It is about not making false pictures about who you are.
That is where the crises occur, when suddenly there is a
hole in the image you have created. Then you see the ugly
reality.” – Wichmann
Q1 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5Q2

9. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Content Strategy
Employees as content creators
Source: Team Analysis, Case Material, Maersk website
Establishing employees as
thought leaders in the industry
Provide rich content for
Maersk Line’s digital presence
Employees help create and
respond to online discussions
about the industry
Marketing is done with
minimal budget
Underutilized potential
which can be used to
generate leads
Empowerment: employees
feel more involved and
engaged by being able to
contribute to the brand
Q1 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5Q2

10. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you think
are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s success in
social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on and
why?

11. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Channel specific content development
Delivering the right content to the right audience
Source: Case Material
Notes: Before Maersk engaged in Social Media marketing, it clearly identifies the different platforms that it wants to
utilize and the purpose, audience, and focus for each platform. The rationale is to assist Maersk in setting
achievable engagement goals and developing appropriate content based on four key areas of focus listed above.
Q1 Q2 Q4 Q6Q5Q3
Rank Segment Develop Content
Ranking social media
channels from least to most
corporate
4 target audiences:
• Fans
• Customers
• Experts
• Employees
4 key areas of focus:
• Communications
• Internal Usage
• Customer Service
• Sales
1 2 3

12. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How does Maersk stack up?
Social engagement channels
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
Success
Channel
and
Reach
Target
AudiencePurpose
1.1 million likes 81,000 followers
Mostly fans Fans, employees, experts
Create engagement through
stories and visuals in a
conversational way
Share news with the industry,
humanize the brand, and interact
publicly with various stakeholders
Platform is suitable for general
audience and raising brand
awareness
Platform is suitable for quick
sharing (re-tweets)
Q1 Q2 Q4 Q6Q5Q3

13. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How does Maersk stack up?
Channels for corporate use
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
Success
Channel
and
Reach
Target
AudiencePurpose
48,000 followers 1,266 followers
Customers and experts Customers, press
Industry news, focus on social
commerce, expert discussions
and customer engagement
Used for Google Hangouts to
hold small press briefings when
launching new initiatives
Platform is suitable for
communication with customers
leading to sales
Platform is useful for discussions
and input, but underutilised and
can be further explored
Q1 Q2 Q4 Q6Q5Q3

14. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How does Maersk stack up?
Channels for video sharing
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
Success
Channel
and
Reach
Target
AudiencePurpose
(focused on
function, not reach)
(focused on
function, not reach)
Fans Fans
Maersk Line’s primary video
channel. Videos are shared
through other channels such as
Facebook and Twitter
Supplementary video channel to
consolidate all videos on one
platform for synergies across A.P
Moller-Maersk Group)
Platform is suitable for its function
as Maersk video hosting solution
but cannibalises YouTube
Platform is useful for discussions
and input, but cannibalises
Vimeo
Q1 Q2 Q4 Q6Q5Q3

15. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How does Maersk stack up?
Primary and secondary channels for visuals
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
Success
Channel
and
Reach
Target
AudiencePurpose
(focused on
function, not reach) (focused on
function, not reach)
Fans Fans
Use of hashtag #maersk and
#maerskline to build extensive
collections and create trends
Showing brand stories, collection
of photos
Suitable platform to promote and
share their brand worldwide
quickly
Useful for outreach purposes but
diffuses social media presence
across multiple platforms. May
not justify cost of maintenance
Q1 Q2 Q4 Q6Q5Q3
702 followers

16. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you think
are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s
success in social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on and
why?

17. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Global competitor landscape
Maersk Line leads the field with a massive social media presence
Source: Statistica: Leading Container Shipping Companies Worldwide as of April 2015
Note: Geographies are for illustrative purposes. Competitors service ports globally.
4,184 FB likes
1,205 Twitter followers
11,000 FB likes
27,832 LinkedIn followers
68,000 FB likes
6,821 Twitter followers
Non-existent
5,825 FB likes
15,546 LinkedIn
followers
1.1 mil FB likes
115 k Twitter followers
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q6Q5Q4

18. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How will competitors react?
Competitors may stick to status quo in the short run
Source: Forbes
Currently ambivalent as they continue to believe
that the traditional and low-profile container line
industry does not fit social media programmes
Prevailing industry view
15% 40% 45%
Proven, measurable
impact
No measurable
impact
Find impact difficult
to measure
Competitors are unlikely to catch up to Maersk in the short run
Industry marketing managers know the
importance of social media, but find metrics
difficult to implement
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q6Q5Q4

19. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How will competitors react?
Competitors will seek to match Maersk’s success eventually
Source: Press Search, Team Analysis
Build a strong
foundation
1. Put together a team focused on
social media strategy
2. Establish objectives –
incorporate industry conversion
instead of self-promotion
Launch a counter-attack
1. Concentrate on where your
audience is - Engage users on
targeted platforms
2. Share relevant industry and
company news, then use them
for lead generation
3. Showcase core
competencies
Measure the impact
Come up with metrics to measure
social media performance: % of
positive/negative brand sentiments,
number of FB/LinkedIn followers,%
reduction in support costs
As digital and social fronts become increasingly important in the B2B sphere,
competitors will not sit idly by and cede control of this sphere to Maersk
Possible competitors’
gameplan
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q6Q5Q4

20. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you think
are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s success in
social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on and
why?

21. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Future challenges
4 key tailwinds shape the future of social media
Source: Digital Information World, Social Media Examiner, Business2Community
Redefining real-time
marketing
Companies focusing on
the right time to
engage the right clients
rather than rapid
response
Greater information
density
Cutting through
background noise to
capture limited
consumer attention
will be a challenge for
companies
Content marketing will
continue to grow
Companies will
continue to prioritise
engagement and
metrics for social media
success
Visual web
Visual platforms like
Pinterest, Instagram
and Tumblr will
increase in popularity
as customer
engagement platforms
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5

22. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Implications of trends
Maersk can ride the tailwinds of change
Redefining real-time
marketing
Share relevant content
with the right
audiences on the right
platforms
Greater information
density
Achieve consistent and
coherent brand image for
sticky impression
Content marketing will
continue to grow
Integrate social media
marketing with strategic
marketing efforts and
update organizational
structure to support
marketing changes
Visual web
Keeping abreast of
changes in social
media and
implementing
technologies to engage
consumers eg. CRM
and digital marketing
tools
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q6Q5

23. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Agenda
 Question 1: Why do you think Maersk Line was so successful in social media? What do you think
are Maersk Line’s key drivers of success?
 Question 2: Evaluate Maersk Line’s content strategy.
 Question 3: Evaluate how Maersk Line executed on its social media plan and platforms.
 Question 4: How do you think Maersk Line’s competitors will react to the company’s success in
social media?
 Question 5: What are the challenges facing Maersk Line in social media going forward?
 Question 6: What should Maersk Line do next? What areas should the company focus on
and why?

24. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Where should Maersk Line focus on next?
Augmenting social media marketing in the overall business
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6
Communication Sales
Employee
usage
Customer
Service
Role
Where
does
Maersk
stand?
Develop brand
awareness
Wide reach
across 10 SM
platforms
Generate leads
through expertise
Content not
directed towards
leads generation
Build employee
engagement
Employees as
content
generators
Encouraging
customer
conversation
Lack of focus on
customer service
procedures online
Internal External
Maersk’s current SM efforts are unable to drive sales and post-
purchase experience

25. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Current SM efforts lack impact on bottom line
Maersk can master its digital journey to unleash full potential of SM
Source: BCG, McKinsey, Case Material, Team Analysis
Impact on Bottom Line
Interestgeneration
Maersk in China
News updates,
humanizing brand
Public visibility
(#maersk)
Business news,
press briefings
Photo / video collection
Business news,
customer interaction
By transforming SM marketing into a
key strategic effort, Maersk can
harvest untapped value pools
Value
Pool
Illustrative
Maersk needs to further develop its social media efforts to drive
bottom line growth
Sharing stories /
pictures
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6

26. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Maersk Compass Campaign on social media
Insights and best-practices sharing will drive bottom line growth
Source: Maersk, Team Analysis
Thought Leadership
Maersk is established as the go-to shipping
provider for clients with its expertise
1
Information Source
Producing useful insights for potential customers to
bring down costs and optimise shipping solutions
2
Value Co-creation
Encouraging sharing of best practises and
customer dialogue
3
Insights, webinars, industry best
practices and customer collaboration
Maersk can leverage its social media presence with Compass to drive
top-line growth
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6

27. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
How Maersk Compass works
Leverage strong awareness to generate business opportunities
Source: Case Material, Team Analysis
1 2
• Maersk publishes
technical insights and
information on industry
best practices on
LinkedIn
• Information is shared
through other channels
to leverage on its
existing fan base
• Customers engaged
with technical insights
and recognize the
economic value
proposition of working
with Maersk
• Top-of-mind
awareness created
amongst potential
customers
• Sales team works with
clients to propose
tailor-made solutions
and optimizing their
shipping processes
• Continual outreach
through social media to
gather client input and
share shipping best
practices
Maersk can leverage its social media presence to drive top-line growth
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6

28. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Julia Su | Lee Pei Xuan | Nathania Christy | Sean Ling
End of Main Presentation Deck
---
Further Appendix Slides Follow

29. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Maersk Line social media objectives
Source: McKinsey, Case Material
Raise Brand Awareness Customer Loyalty Customer Insights
Employee Engagement Control News Flow

30. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Successful Voyage into Social Media
Multiple Platforms
Source: Maersk Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Raise rand
Awareness
Raise
Brand
Awareness
1.1 million likes
115,000 followers
31,600 followers
And others…

31. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Information type?
How it drives bottom line
and generates leads?
Best channel?
Social media information types
Understanding what Maersk’s customers look for on social media
Source: McKinsey, Case Material, Team Analysis
Company history,
general information and
statistics
Establishes Maersk’s pedigree
and track record as the leading
shipping company
Current news, updates
Provide customers with
transparency and influences
Technical knowledge
and insights
Thought leadership informs and
engages customers
Customer conversation
Engaging potential customers,
value co-creation
Present
Lacking
Present
Present

32. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Ranking of channels
Least corporate
Most corporate
LinkedIn
• For experts and
customers
• Professional forum
• Element of social
commerce
Google+
• For experts and
journalists
• Hangouts for small
press briefings
• To generate topical
discussion and ideas
Vimeo
• Video hosting
solution
Twitter
• Substantial following
from journalists and
shipping press
• News channel
• 10 official tweeters
across Maersk Line
Flickr
• Photo
collection site
Facebook
• B2C channel
• News and fun facts
• Glocal approach, managed by
local corp. comms team
Instagram
• B2C channel
• Visual display of Maersk
ships and operations
• User generated content
from spot #maersk
movement

33. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Differences in B2B and B2C SMM
Social Media drives different touchpoints along each decision path
Source: McKinsey, Team Analysis
Consideration Buy
Active evaluation
Loyalty
Experience
Trigger
Consideration Buy
Evaluation by
buying centre
Loyalty
Use and serviceTrigger
Formal RFP
B2C B2B
• Less complex value chain with end
consumer in mind
• Customers segmented into targeted
groups
• More complex value chain (influencers,
deciders etc.) and buying process
• Customers require tailored offerings with
strong economic value proposition

34. Prepared for Professor Ashwin Malshé
MKT352 Social Media Marketing
Appendix Slide
Who are Maersk’s clients?
Client Mix (%)
25
10
15
50
Large clients
Key client intermediaries
Other intermediaries
Small clients