Before Creating a Social Media Platform, Please Complete the Form (With Approvals) To

Land O’ Lakes

Social Media Intake Form

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Before creating a social media platform, please complete the form (with approvals) to

Business purpose/objective

Terms for this Authorization

You attest that you have reviewed:

• Land O’Lakes social media policy
• Response Management, Legal, and other Guidelines (Provided below)

Approved by:

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Social Account Management

Individuals (LOL or agency partners) who have access to publish on behalf of the brand need to protect the use of that account.

• Limit access: Today’s social media sites allow for various levels of access. Only give Publishing access to those who need it – and follow requirements for Approved Social Media representatives as discussed in the Social Media Policy. Access levels for reporting, advertising and other workflow roles are usually available. Be sure to remove access for employees who leave the company or no longer need access.
• Password policy: Passwords should be complex and changed at least quarterly.
• Ownership: LOL owns the handle and audience for all brand accounts. Even if this is in the name of a thought leader (ex: @JaneDoeVet_Purina), the account should be setup by LOL. In times when a spokesperson is used for promotion on their accounts (ex: Ree Drummond), terms should be explicitly stated in any agreement on the social handles used and who has ownership.
• Separate personal and professional apps: Many errors occur when the person publishing on behalf of the brand gets confused as to if they’re logged in as themselves or the brand. To combat this, you must use a separate publishing app meant for the specific purpose of the brand. For example, if you have the ability to publish from your phone, use Facebook Page Manager app instead of your Facebook app (and toggling between usernames).

Response Management

Not all conversation involving the brand is positive. But not all negative conversation should be ignored. There are many opportunities to handle customer issues and turn a negative experience into a positive one.

• Salvageable mentions: Most comments from frustrated customers can be salvaged with a little understanding. Here are some rules to follow (
• Have empathy for the angry customer.
• Respond as quickly as possible.
• Research. Figure out what happened that led to the complaint.
• Thank the customer. No matter how negative the comment, thank the customer for bringing the problem to your brand’s attention.
• Show respect. Keep in mind the conversation is public; losing your temper will only damage the brand’s reputation further.
• Correct misinformation. If commenters jump to the wrong conclusion about your company, kindly correct them with the proper information and thank them for the feedback.
• Inform them about the next steps. Customers want to know their feedback mattered. Communicate that the brand is taking the issue seriously, and explain how you’re going to address it.
• Provide contact information. Inviting customers to email you delivers double benefits: it lets customers know you welcome their input, and it takes the conversation offline so as not to damage brand reputation any further.

Also, apologize to customers after service failures occur, regardless of who is at fault, but be sure there is a context aft the “I’m sorry.” Here are some examples of expressions of a sincere and safe apology:

• I’m sorry that you had to make this post/email/call today.
• I’m sorry for any frustration you may have experienced
• I’m sorry for any inconvenience this misunderstanding may have caused you.
• I’m sorry this happened to you.
• I’m sorry for your experience.

Keep thee 3 tips in mind when stating your safe apology (Adapted from information from Myra Golden 2013):

• State only the facts of the situation. (NEVER share a hunch or your opinion as to what cause the issue.)
• Don’t assume fault for the mishap and don’t blame others.
• Apologize for the impact the situation had on the customer, not the issue itself. For example, “I’m sorry for any frustration this may have caused you.”

• Trolls: Trolls are typically people clearly setting out to be disruptive and hateful toward the brand or the community. They often hide behind anonymous usernames and are more likely to be found in forums or YouTube. Here are some ways to deal with them:
• Ignore them. If the intent is clear, then don’t engage them in conversation. Sometimes brand advocates will address them directly to balance the conversation.
• Bring the conversation offline. Trolls may just be looking for attention. By simply directing them to less public channels (800# or a customer service email), you show the community you’re respectfully addressing the issues, while not stoking a public discussion.
• Crisis Management: Conversations around sensitive issues (ex: GMO, the treatment of animals) must be dealt with in conjunction legal and corporate communications. If you see a social media issue arise, contact the . Social media “issues” include posts on our sites or third party sites that: (1) are about our company and GMOs, rBST, PETA, or animal welfare, (2) are accusatory about our product(s)/company, (3) potentially violate our Rules of Engagement; or (4) are otherwise potentially controversial subjects.

The Social Media Issues Management Team (noted below), which operates under the following guidelines (provided as an FYI, Corporate Communications and Legal provide final approval on all “issues”):

• Ignore: If a consumer posts an opinion about an issue, leave it alone and do not respond.
• Respond: If a consumer posts a question about an issue, respond using an approved response (typically prepared by the agency; Corporate Communications and Legal need to provide final approval on all posts).
• Hide: If a consumer posts content that is in violation of our Rules of Engagement (e.g., vulgar, offensive), hide content. Issues Management Team needs to approve before any content is hidden.
• Ban: If a consumer reaches a level of harassment in violation of our Rules of Engagement (e.g., repeated off-topic posts, spam, etc.), contact Issues Management team with a recommendation to ban. Issues Management Team needs to approve and screenshots need to be taken before banning and/or deleting any content.

Land O’Lakes Position & Responding to Hot Topics on Social Media

This section must be followed “as is”. If the business has a need to modify, it must be approved by .

Social Media has made it easier than ever to find people who share your causes and belief systems and provides a way for everyone to collectively share their opinions. Because some topics impact our members and consumers, as well as carry the potential to impact our corporate reputation, we address them at a corporate level. This allows our brand teams to focus on delivering their core message while these reputational issues are addressed from a corporate perspective. The most active hot topics we are tracking today include the use of GMOs, GMO labeling, on-farm animal care and sustainability.

General social media response: Refrain from responding. We don’t engage in the conversation unless asked a legitimate, non-agenda question. Responding creates more traffic and visibility around the issue, potentially sharing a position or opinion that is not ours. We hide offensive or vulgar posts that are libelous. If a user spams us three or more times, we ban them from participating on that specific social media. If you see a hot topic or have a question about Land O'Lakes responding to a conversation, please email

GMOs

• Most discussed topic on social properties
• Users post on Corporate, Dairy Foods and Feed networks
• Current “activist” Perception: “bad for people, bad for animals, bad for environment”
• How we respond: The use of approved GMOs crops provides a proven method to safely add desirable traits from nature for farmers seeking to feed the hungry in a growing global population and leave a smaller environmental footprint.

GMO labeling

• Most discussed topic on social properties
• Users post on Corporate, Dairy Foods and Feed networks
• Consumer sentiment is driving public policy
• As a member of GMA, Land O'Lakes is often part of coalitions that oppose state-by-state labeling initiatives
• Land O’Lakes supports a national, voluntary labeling standard that would allow manufacturers to label products as GMO-free

Animal care

• Second most discussed topic on social properties
• Users post on Corporate, Dairy Foods and Feed networks
• Specific issues: living/parlor environment, antibiotic use, dehorning, tail docking, branding
• Hot button event: 2009 PETA animal neglect video – any new video of animal care issues, regardless of farmer/co-op, tend to drive traffic and resurface the 2009 video
• Our position: Caring for animals is a top priority of our members; our board of directors has made participation in FARM® program is a mandatory condition of dairy membership
• More than 99% of all member milk comes from FARM-verified members; working to achieve 100% by end of 2015
• Our response: we highlight our work with FARM®, review any new videos/stories and develop statements, share our outrage and agree that type of care is wrong

Hot topic: Sustainability

• Often linked to GMOs; arises around feeding 9 billion people
• Users post on Corporate, Dairy Foods and Feed networks
• Areas of discussion: animal manure (methane), animal production is not sustainable, and tilling (putting carbon into environment)

Legal Guidelines

This section must be included “as is”. If the business has a need to modify, it must be approved by .

Review with Legal the proposed content approach.

1. SCOPE. All content that is to be posted on a social media platform needs to be reviewed and approved by the Law Department prior to posting.

• Common platforms include: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and blogs (posted on our properties or on third-party properties). This includes any content meant to generate a conversation online.

2. TO WHOM SHOULD SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT BE ROUTED FOR INITIAL REVIEW?

• Andrea Bennett: Dairy Foods marketing (Amber Stevens is back-up)
• Katie Lichty: Feed marketing (Amber Stevens is back-up)
• Amber Stevens: WinField marketing; Corporate Communications (Katie Lichty is back-up)
• Amber is also responsible for handling issues/crisis management (see #5 and 6 below) for all social media platforms (Katie Lichty is back-up)

3. ROUTING SUMMARY. Please include the following information with each request for content review:

• Where will this content be posted? (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blog)
• Will it be posted on our site or on a third-party site?
• Does it include a sweepstakes or contest?
• For third-party blogger content (a non-employee), identify the tier (Tier 1, Tier 2, etc.) or relationship with blogger.
• Is our product being endorsed by a third party?

4. STYLE GUIDE. Ensure that content (particularly blogger content) follows the appropriate brand’s Style Guide.