case study: yamaha's conversation with their customers

It’s been two years since Yamaha Motor launched its corporate blog (www.snowmobiles.yamahablogs.ca) Sled Talk debuted in March 2007, but what has happened since? In this engaging case study, Chris Reid, National Manager, Product Planning and Research, Yamaha Motor Canada and Maggie Fox, CEO of Social Media Group, one of the world’s largest independent social media agencies, will walk you through the process of doing it right: getting executive buy in, proper planning and pitfalls to avoid. They’ll also share some of the many benefits Yamaha has realized across their organization as a result of their brave decision to be one of the first companies in Canada to open the doors to conversation with their consumers: • Changing the rules of engagement: how establishing a blog dramatically changed consumer expectations, as one of Yamaha’s competitors found out, the hard way • Knocking down barriers – how bypassing the traditional platforms and systems of communication has significantly reduced negative chatter among consumers around recall and other issues • Product development: how product development insights have been generated, and acted upon, via interaction on Sled Talk • How to do it right: Chris will share insights into addressing the issues that trouble most executives: negative comments, legal issues and, of course, ROI We’ll also explain how Yamaha established benchmarks for consumer engagement on the blog, measured against them and established a value for the program that far exceeded the initial investment – ensuring senior executive support for many years to come.