Brand values vs personal opinions: How to get the balance right?

Such a good question, keen to hear from other CMs about their approaches. @bjoern_schulze what have you done in the past? 

Will members be put off if a moderator is a brand robot? Doesn’t a genuine opinion make for a more rewarding conversation for everyone? How do you keep your brand team happy? 

On my previous community we had the policy to carry this disclaimer in our signature: I am an [company name] representative but the views shared here are my own.

However I haven't seen this in almost any of the many communities I have visited in the last few years any more. I personally think that the signature field can hold more meaningful (or at least fun) content than that, such disclaimers should better be found in the terms & conditions, a guideline or somewhere else.

When it comes to sharing your own views, I actually think that this contributes a lot to a positive user / brand experience on your community. Of course there should be boundaries (my former Manager @Ditte always used to say "Don’t say anything your CEO wouldn't say” as a general hand rule), but representing an own opinion helps to "show the face” behind the (usually rather unpersonal) brand.

I feel that users really appreciated that they have someone responding in a different way than the rather canned, standard responses that they would receive from e.g. email support. I believe that this helps you also build up somewhat of a credibility. All of this together makes re-visits and further engagement much more attractive, as they feel they get a genuine response back rather than transactional handling of their ticket. Until this day I am convinced that this formed a substantial contribution to the success of that community.

Needless to say, this requires a good feeling for what can and should be said. Enjoying such a freedom also comes with the responsibility of knowing the impact of your response. I would for example never be publicly criticise my own companies decisions or post anything which is completely contrary to what the brand stands for.

Here a practical tip which probably will help you more than a signature: When you start sharing your own opinion, always communicate this to your users. When you check my responses, you will find a lot of "In my opinion...” or "I personally find that...”. I have internalized to always start my sentences like this when I am speculating or sharing my own, unapproved opinion. This ensures the customer understands that you are sharing your own view, but also shields of your company from any unwanted misrepresentation of values.

Thanks, Julian. This is really helpful advice, particularly avoiding saying anything that directly conflicts with the brand values.

Interested to hear that disclaimers in a signature are becoming less used, we’ll stick to the pretty ropey puns!

I love that response, @Julian - I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Wise words from the wise @Ditte  as well. 

A community space is different (even only a little) from the on brand voice seen in emails or social media CS, and IMHO (see what I did there) it needs to be, in order to foster an environment of self disclosure, sharing and transparency. A mod, to some extent, needs to lead by example.

If it’s clearly stated as being an opinion, there’s little risk to brand reputation, but ONLY IF the tone and opinion expressed doesn’t conflict with the brand values. This probably needs mod training supported by documentation.  

We’ll get on with that, and we’ll leave our fun and/or inspirational signatures in place. 

I am indeed incredibly wise..  Thanks for the trust, gents 

Personally (see?) I find that it’s important to be consistent about when to use “we” versus “I”.

“We” is used when Brand is talking through you on your community - usually singing the praises of a new product. “I” is used when you talk from your own personal experience/expectations.

For instance: “We just launched Roam, and I’m really looking forwards to bringing it to the beach! We’ve made sure that the portable speaker is waterproof, so I’m of course going to put it through its paces. If you’re interested in the Roam, but aren’t sure if it’s for you, then our recommendation is to always make sure you give it a good listen in a hands-on environment first. I personally love the sound - I find that it’s pretty impressive for such a small speaker. I’d also suggest that, if you’re looking for a speaker for a larger space - like your patio or backyard, you take a look at the Move - mine certainly gets moved around a lot between the kitchen and the garden. Bear in mind though, that we didn’t design the Move for on-the-go the same way as the Roam is ready to be popped into a bag.”

Anyways.. Julian’s memory is pretty good - aside from keeping in mind what the CEO might say, it’s also healthy to be a little paranoid on the internet: Anyone could read what you just posted. 

Thanks for mentioning me, @timcavey. Julian and Ditte explained the way I have been handling (and recommending) it for the past 7-10 years better than I could have myself.