building a bond with citizens on facebook

Transcription

BUILDING A BOND WITH CITIZENS ON FACEBOOK
- a case study of how it affects a municipality’s brand to be on Facebook
Aalborg
Allerød
MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Marketing Communications Management
Department of Marketing
Copenhagen Business School
January 2011
Anna Sofie Brill Jørgensen
Supervisor: Luisa Gorgone
STU: 181,545 / 79.8 pages
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As the municipal brand in general is facing the challenges of a bad reputation as a service
provider and a decreasing interest in the local democracy this thesis offers valuable knowledge about how to use Facebook as a platform for getting closer to and creating a bond
with the citizens by being on Facebook. To restore or create the bond between a municipality and its citizens via Facebook, the social medium must be used appropriately.
Through a case study of the Facebook pages of two municipalities, Allerød and Aalborg, it is
evaluated how appropriately the two municipalities have approached Facebook both strategically and in practice, and what the potential is for the Facebook pages to work as a pla tform for a municipal-citizen bond. The frame of analysis is brand personality theory by Jennifer Aaker (1997) also described by Tilde Heding, Charlotte F. Knudtzen and Mogens Bjerre
(2009). From this offset, the groundswell mindset by the authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (2009) is applied to evaluate the two municipalities’ Facebook presence.
The findings are more specifically centered on the approach, the goals and the target a udience that has been expressed in the interview with each municipality’s head of communication and on each municipality’s Facebook page(s). Allerød has only one Facebook page
and since they are focused on pushing out one-way communication, i.e. information without
having defined one or more target audiences, their Facebook page is evaluated to have a
limited chance of being a platform that Allerød can use in creating a municipal-citizen brand.
Aalborg on the other hand has chosen a project or campaign-based approach with several
pages that each focuses on a specific topic. They wish to use Facebook to hear people’s opinions and activate them in the local community which is an appropriate offset for using Facebook. Even though the research shows that they have not defined their target audience,
they have a better chance of getting closer to the citizens in Aalborg through Facebook as
their pages naturally targets smaller audiences.
The research is specifically focused on the municipal side of using Facebook to strengthen
the municipal brand through the relationship with the citizens. It calls for further research to
find out how citizens actually bond with municipalities through Facebook and how other
social media can be used in municipalities to improve the general reputation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1
Problem statement and research questions .......................................................................................... 9
1.2
Delimitation ........................................................................................................................................... 9
1.3
Thesis progression ............................................................................................................................... 11
Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 13
2.1
2.1.1
2.2
The influence of pre-understanding................................................................................................ 13
Research design ................................................................................................................................... 14
2.2.1
Case study design ............................................................................................................................ 14
2.2.2
Cases ............................................................................................................................................... 15
2.3
3
Scientific standpoint ............................................................................................................................ 13
Primary Data collection ....................................................................................................................... 15
2.3.1
The structure of the interviews....................................................................................................... 16
2.3.2
Interview guide ............................................................................................................................... 17
2.3.3
Interviews with municipalities ........................................................................................................ 17
2.3.4
Interviews with experts ................................................................................................................... 19
2.3.5
Survey with stakeholders using Facebook ...................................................................................... 20
2.3.6
Observations of the case municipalities behavior on Facebook ..................................................... 23
2.3.7
Order of data collection .................................................................................................................. 23
2.4
Secondary data collection .................................................................................................................... 23
2.5
Validity and reliability of research ....................................................................................................... 24
Theoretic framework ................................................................................................................................... 28
3.1
Brand personality................................................................................................................................. 29
3.1.1
Municipalities as brands and citizens as consumers ....................................................................... 30
3.1.2
Basic assumptions ........................................................................................................................... 30
3.1.3
‘The Big Five’ personality dimensions ............................................................................................. 31
3.1.4
The brand-consumer relationship ................................................................................................... 32
3.1.5
Limitations of the brand personality approach ............................................................................... 33
3.2
The groundswell mindset ..................................................................................................................... 34
3.2.1
The POST-method ........................................................................................................................... 35
3.2.2
Strategy and objectives ................................................................................................................... 36
3.2.3
People: Target audience.................................................................................................................. 37
3.2.4
Limitations to the groundswell mindset ......................................................................................... 39
4
Analytic strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 40
5
Allerød.......................................................................................................................................................... 42
5.1
Presentation of Allerød ........................................................................................................................ 42
5.2
Allerød’s Facebook strategy as expressed in the interview ................................................................. 43
5.2.1
Allerød’s general approach to Facebook......................................................................................... 44
5.2.2
Allerød’s goals for being on Facebook ............................................................................................ 44
5.2.3
Allerød’s target audience on Facebook ........................................................................................... 46
5.3
5.3.1
Allerød’s general approach to Facebook......................................................................................... 46
5.3.2
Allerød’s goals for being on Facebook ............................................................................................ 47
5.3.3
Allerød’s target audience on Facebook ........................................................................................... 48
5.4
Evaluation of approach, goals and target audience ............................................................................ 48
5.4.1
Evaluation of Allerød’s general approach to Facebook................................................................... 48
5.4.2
Evaluation of Allerød’s goals on Facebook ...................................................................................... 51
5.4.3
Evaluation of Allerød’s target audience on Facebook..................................................................... 55
5.5
6
Allerød’s Facebook strategy as expressed on the Facebook page ....................................................... 46
Building a relationship with citizens on Allerød’s Facebook page ....................................................... 57
Aalborg ......................................................................................................................................................... 58
6.1
Presentation of Aalborg ....................................................................................................................... 58
6.2
Aalborg’s Facebook strategy as expressed in the interview ................................................................ 60
6.2.1
Aalborg’s general approach to Facebook ........................................................................................ 61
6.2.2
Aalborg’s goals for being on Facebook ........................................................................................... 62
6.2.3
Aalborg’s target audience on Facebook .......................................................................................... 63
6.3
Aalborg’s Facebook strategy as expressed on Facebook ..................................................................... 64
6.3.1
6.3.2
6.3.3
6.4
6.4.1
6.4.2
6.4.3
6.5
7
8
Evaluation of approach, goals and target audience ............................................................................ 68
Building a relationship between Aalborg and the citizens on Facebook ............................................. 75
Discussion .................................................................................................................................................... 78
7.1
Experimental approach........................................................................................................................ 78
7.2
Resources for facebook pages ............................................................................................................. 79
7.3
Facebook in a time of cost cutting ....................................................................................................... 81
Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 82
8.1
Allerød ................................................................................................................................................. 83
8.2
Aalborg ................................................................................................................................................ 84
8.3
Municipalities in general...................................................................................................................... 85
9
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................... 88
10
Perspectives ................................................................................................................................................. 91
11
10.1
Measuring how personality is perceived ............................................................................................. 91
10.2
Social media in general ........................................................................................................................ 92
10.3
Brand communities .............................................................................................................................. 92
Literature ..................................................................................................................................................... 93
11.1
Books and articles ................................................................................................................................ 93
11.2
Web...................................................................................................................................................... 93
List of figures ........................................................................................................................................................ 97
List of appendices ................................................................................................................................................. 98
Appendix 1-16....................................................................................................................................................... 99
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: Introduction
1
INTRODUCTION
Municipalities have a reputation of being secretive and closed as the common perception is
that it is difficult to get help and answers. This has often been in the limelight of the press we often hear stories in the news about how municipalities do not live up to standards and
how municipalities in general are perceived to be more trouble than help. Since the municipal reform in 2007 there has been even more focus on the municipal service and how the
municipalities are managed only making the general image of municipalities worse. The municipalities have to do better than good in order to change the public’s mind about them.
Furthermore, the municipal government is facing a decrease in participation in the municipal
elections. At the last election in 2009 the participation dropped about four percentage
points from 69.5 % in 2005 to 65.8 % (Danmarks Statistik kommunalvalg 2010). Especially
the participation of young people is low; 55 % of people aged 18-21 did not show up to vote.
Municipalities face a lack of interest in local democracy and need to get closer to the citizens
in order to engage them.
In addition, municipalities are as all other organizations experiencing how the internet is
enabling people to communicate and find information online. Citizens have expectations to
how the municipalities should carry out their online presence. Citizens today count on being
able to find out what they need about municipal services and decision making on the internet, and in addition they want to be able to get the most basic services via online selfservice. This is a challenge for the municipalities, but at the same time offers a lot of possibilities. Citizens who are requesting services digitally is less costly than servicing citizens face
to face and with the constant pressure on public expenses and the Government’s current
zero-growth plan for municipal expenses (Dr.dk Indland 2010), digitalization must be a top
priority. As communication via online tools has become more and more acceptable, municipalities can use the currently available digital tools to cut costs.
Besides the municipality’s official website, social media is gaining a footing. Currently, the
social network site Facebook is the preferred online network of the Danes with more than
2.5 million profiles (Dwarf 2010). People use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and
networks but also brands, companies and municipalities are on Facebook with a Facebook
7 / 218
page. A “page” is different from a personal profile as you ‘like’ a page, whereas you become
friends with persons (or personal profiles). Having a “page” offers the possibility of sending
out updates and post content that people who have ‘liked’ the page see in their newsfeed.
This newsfeed also shows updates of a person’s private networks and thus, the municipality
becomes part of a place of trust where people communicate with each other about their
personal experiences, problems and what matters to them in general. A person can also
‘like’ specific content posted on a page, comment on it and share the content if he or she has
an opinion about – good or bad. When a person ‘likes’ content or comments on it, it will be
shown in the newsfeed, once again making it visible for others that this person has an interest in the given municipality. With Facebook pages municipalities therefore have the possibility of being part of a conversation and send out messages and content relevant for citizens, sometimes through a person who has already approved of the municipality’s messages.
In other words, being present on Facebook is a way to brand one self, also for a municipality.
In my opinion, the mere fact that you are on Facebook signals openness and an interest in
communicating with the citizens. Facebook centers on the social element, i.e. two-way conversation and sends strong brand impressions out to the public by having a municipal Fac ebook page. But there has been limited research about this topic.
However, a successful Facebook presence requires an understanding of mechanisms of the
social network site. People can write whatever they want on the Facebook page of a municipality and if they do not live up to the expectations of citizens who use Facebook, it can
cause serious damage to the already challenged municipal brand. Facebook in an organizational context must be managed by skilled people, but municipalities do not necessarily have
Facebook experts employed who can ensure a beneficial presence. In addition, municipalities have other aspects on top of this to consider as they are public organizations The expectations to some of the larger commercial brands who have led the way for companies on
Facebook so far are different, as municipalities are financed by tax money.
A recent survey by Local Government Denmark’s newsletter Momentum (KL.dk 2010b)
shows that municipalities are increasingly moving onto Facebook. So far 48 % of the 98 m unicipalities have an official page or other pages focused on a special topic or project. Fur8 / 218
thermore, 2/3 of the respondents have answered that they will join Facebook in the coming
year. They have seen the potential of reaching their citizens with their messages, both politically and service oriented. Many municipalities are testing Facebook to see how it works and
what the benefits are. My concern in this context is that, as any other communication channel, municipalities have to recognize that their behavior on Facebook sends signals about
what the municipal brand stands for and if and how citizens want to be related to it. There
have been few studies in how public organizations can strengthen or weaken their brand by
having a page on Facebook, which makes it interesting to approach this field of research.
Facebook offers a way of getting closer to the citizens by having a conversation with them on
their preferred online social networking site and this offers great branding potential.
1.1
PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The introduction leads me to the problem statement, research interest and the purpose of
this thesis. Facebook is a communication tool that municipalities can use to post content and
act in a way that brands the municipality with the potential of changing the general bad i mage of municipalities into something positive. This can also be achieved by opening up to the
citizens in conversation about the topics that matters to them. Thus, I focus my research into
the field of municipalities on Facebook based on the following problem statement:
How does a municipality act appropriately on a Facebook page to establish and build a bond
between the municipality and its citizens?

What behavior on Facebook is recommended in the literature, by experts and by Facebook users?

What should a municipality focus on expressing through Facebook to create a bond
with citizens?
1.2
DELIMITATION
I have decided to study how municipalities use Facebook pages and if and how it in turn can
have an effect on the municipality’s brand that Facebook brings the municipality closer to its
citizens. My approach is the branding angle. I therefore delimitate the research from dealing
with what democratic or political effect it might have that municipalities go on Facebook. If
9 / 218
municipalities can get a positive branding effect by being on Facebook there is a possibility it
can affect the current local democracy, however this is not the purpose of the current
branding research.
In addition, I have chosen to focus on the issue of the municipality in this matter.. I am interested to find out how municipalities can find out about their challenges and how they can
work with the challenges concerning Facebook. This is the reason why I find it necessary to
go into depth with the municipal side of the relationship in this thesis.
Furthermore, I will focus on a certain delimitated stakeholder group – the citizens. Municipal
communication is first and foremost targeted at citizens as it is the municipalities’ fundamental task to ensure the welfare of the citizens per definition. Other stakeholders such as
the state, the press, companies, newcomers and tourists are very important stakeholders for
the municipalities as well, each in their own way. However, regarding Facebook I assume
that the first priority is the citizens and therefore this is where I will have my starting point.
I also choose to delimitate this thesis to focus only on the functionality of Facebook pages as
my initial research has shown that this is what most municipalities are using Facebook for
each in their own way. Facebook ads or using Facebook groups or other functions are not as
much used for branding purposes or in a municipal context, which is why my research will
revolve around pages. In addition, this thesis will study pages that municipalities are responsible for creating and maintaining. It would be too extensively to consider pages created by
citizens or other stakeholders about municipalities and this does not match my research interest as I will concentrate on what municipalities can do on Facebook to strengthen their
brand, not what others are doing.
Finally, I will not be looking at how suitable Facebook is as a technology in itself. I will evaluate how appropriately the municipalities use this technology as this lies within the current
research interest.
10 / 218
1.3
THESIS PROGRESSION
The structure of the thesis is as showed in the following figure.
Figure 1: Thesis progression
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
• This chapter introduces the field of research as well as problem statement,
research questions and limitations.
• Based on the research questions, this chapter explains the research methods and
design including scientific standpoint, case study approach and data collection
method.
• Here the basic assumptions of the theories are described and the arguments for
the links between the theories chosen for the thesis are presented.
• In this chapter the data collected is presented and analyzed in the theoretic
framework; first the case of Allerød and then the case of Aalborg.
• In chapter five, the findings from the analyses is discussed and the
recommendations following from this are given.
• Finally, chapter six provides the conclusions based on the findings and reflections
of the previous chapters . In the end, perspectives for further research is
presented.
11 / 218
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY
Chapter 2: Methodology
2
METHODOLOGY
In this chapter I will explain the scientific standpoint that I am working from as well as the
method for data collection. The scientific fundament is the starting point for the choice of
research methods which will also be described in this chapter. The section ends with an ill ustration of the methodology.
2.1
SCIENTIFIC STANDPOINT
The starting point for this thesis is a social constructivist view in which knowledge is recognized as a product created by social processes (Fuglsang & Olsen 2004). This approach is part
of what Fulgsang et al. (2004) characterizes as complex idealisms. Together with movements
such as phenomenology and hermeneutic, constructivism belongs in the interpretive paradigm, which is different from the positivistic paradigm (positivism and critical rationalism) or
the scientific realisms (systems theory, critical realism, Marxism etc.). These views have a
respective realistic approach and a more critical research interest (Fuglsang & Olsen 2004).
The interpretive paradigm on the other hand regards truth as dependant on time and space
of the object or phenomenon studied, and research is a dynamic process. This stands in opposition to the positivistic paradigm which seeks to uncover the objective truth about a phenomenon or subject.
As the fundamental goal of this thesis is to reach a better understanding of how the use of
Facebook is connected to branding of municipalities, the interpretive paradigm and the s ocial constructivist approach offers the best scientific fundament because context relational
interpretation based results will be regarded as valid.
2.1.1 THE INFLUENCE OF PRE-UNDERSTANDING
The choice of municipalities’ communication and branding through Facebook as research
field is a result of my interest in and work experience with the subject. I recognize that I am
influenced as a researcher by my pre-understanding of this field. I have an interest in Facebook rooted in my curiosity for the technology behind it and the functions of communicating
with friends and acquaintances through it. I use Facebook on a daily basis and a lot of the
people I know do the same. Furthermore, from working with municipal communication in
13 / 218
Local Government Denmark’s (LGDK) communications department the last two years, I have
insights into both general and specific challenges regarding municipalities’ use of Facebook.
In line with the interpretive method I have chosen, it is a given that it is impossible to study
an object unaffected by pre-understanding. I will be highly conscious of my preunderstanding of the field when I do my research to make sure it does not have an effect on
the thesis making the analyses biased. On the other hand my experience and knowledge is
useful in structuring my research as I already have a certain basic understanding of the su bject.
In the next section I will explain the practical aspects of the research for this thesis.
2.2
RESEARCH DESIGN
It is necessary to discuss and decide on the grounds for the research as it must be considered what implications the methods can have on the results (Fuglsang & Olsen 2004; Andersen 1998). Furthermore the research must support the research interest which in this
case is the use of Facebook in municipalities and how this affects the municipal brand. Below
I will give an account of my considerations regarding methodology and purposes for the data
collection.
2.2.1 CASE STUDY DESIGN
Following from the empirical character of my research, based on the research approach and
the scope and time limit I am subject to, I choose a deductive, multiple case study design for
my research (cf. Andersen 1998: 165ff). A deductive approach means concluding on cases
based on theoretical principles – instead of inductively making conclusions based on the
empirical research. The multiple case study design is chosen over a single case study, as I aim
to achieve knowledge from more than one municipality’s angle. Because of the many differences between Danish municipalities a study of only one municipality is too narrow. A single
case study would on the other hand give me the option of examining a specific municipality
more in depth, but that would according to Yin (1989, in Andersen 1998: 165ff) only be relevant if the goal is to e.g. test a theory on a specific case, if the case in question is extreme or
unique or if I wanted to reveal the effects of a certain phenomenon on a specific organiza14 / 218
tion. In this thesis the aim is to produce knowledge about two cases which can inspire and
be an eye opener to other municipalities using or thinking about using Facebook. Thus, the
multiple case study approach offers the best platform (Andersen 1998) In the paragraph
below the choice of cases are described.
2.2.2 CASES
After researching a variety of municipalities on Facebook, I have chosen to focus on the municipalities of Allerød and Aalborg. Throughout this thesis the two municipalities will only be
mentioned as ‘Allerød’ and ‘Aalborg’ to make reading comfortable. These two municipalities
have different approaches to being on Facebook as will be evident from the details given
throughout the thesis. In short, Allerød has one central Facebook page and Aalborg has several project-centered pages. Furthermore, the municipalities are located in different parts of
Denmark and they are different in size both by population and employees. These are the
details in focus for this thesis – other points of differences, for example political, are left out
as they are not within the focus or scope of the research as also pointed out in the delimitation section. I acknowledge that Allerød and Aalborg is not representative for all municipalities in Denmark, but I am of the opinion that the examples can capture some of the general
differences in how municipalities are present on Facebook which can act as an eye opener to
other municipalities. The details about the further investigation of the research topic are
explained in the section about data collection below.
2.3
PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION
To ensure that the research topic is looked at from all angles relevant, the primary data collection will include data collection from four perspectives:

The head of communication in the municipalities of Allerød and Aalborg

Two communication consultants who work with municipalities and their presence on
Facebook, and one expert in branding and social media

The opinion of Facebook users about municipalities on Facebook

The behavior and activity on each municipality’s Facebook page(s)
15 / 218
I will interview the managers of communication and the communication and branding consultants. The opinion of Facebook users will be researched through a survey. Finally I will
observe the behavior and activity on the Facebook pages in focus. This approach mixes qualitative and quantitative data, which according to Andersen (1998) is appropriate and highly
useful for case studies. The two types of data will complement each other; the qualitative
research, i.e. interviews, will go into depth with the options for branding through Facebook;
and the quantitative data, i.e. the survey, will outline and show the broader tendencies in
the public that must be considered when using social media in municipalities; the observations will function as a fundament to hold the interviews up against. The data collection in
general will focus on the current situation and thus be a snapshot of the situation instead of
for example a dynamic study over time as my research interest concerns the current situation and not the development in municipalities use of Facebook (cf. Andersen 1998). The
interviews and the survey will be explained further in the paragraphs below.
2.3.1 THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERVIEWS
The five interviews have the purpose of gaining insight to the problem area from the perspectives of the people working with it either from the municipal angle or as a consultant
external to the municipalities.
The chosen interview approach is semi-structured (Andersen 1998:205; Hair et al. 2009:182).
The semi-structured approach refers to the method of working with a set of questions, i.e.
an interview guide, while still making room for relevant new ideas, thoughts or topics that
comes forward through the interview (Kvale 2000). The alternative would be a more strict
approach in which no deviations from the prepared questions of the interviewer would be
allowed. This would limit the research from gaining important points not within the exact
limits of the questions and I thus find the semi-structured approach most appropriate (Andersen 1998; Kvale 2000).
The interviews can furthermore be characterized as experience or informant interviews, as
they focus on collecting the respondent’s knowledge towards the given topic (Hair et al.
2009). This data collection technique deviates from the classic in-depth, research interview
that aims to gain insight to the respondent’s life world including attitudinal and behavioral
16 / 218
data (Hair et al. 2009:158; Kvale 2000:19). It is not the point of the interview to reach an
understanding of the underlying personal motives for the respondents but instead get the
professional perspective on the research topic which is why the experience interview form is
the best suited for the purpose. Furthermore it ensures consistency enough to conclude on
the two municipalities’ similarities and difference which will be relevant when concluding on
the findings of my analyses.
2.3.2 INTERVIEW GUIDE
To make sure I get answers to the topic in question, I will use an interview guide as earlier
mentioned. The guide is structured in three parts according to the recommendations by
Kvale (2000):
1) Introduction and creating comfort zone – by asking opening questions in the form
such as ‘why’ and –‘what’-questions
2) Going in to depth with the research area – specifying questions in the style of ‘why’questions
3) Summarizing and closing the interview
During the interview, I will ask questions that encourage the respondent to elaborate further
on special areas or to get direct answers about special details. This can be done by probing
which can result in asking leading questions. I will strive to avoid this as this can bias the r esearch (Hair et al. 2009; Kvale 2000; Bryman & Bell 2003). Also Kvale (2000) recommends
periods of silence that allows for the respondent to think and further comment on a question if necessary.
A part of the interview guide will focus specifically on the concepts of the theoretic perspectives of the thesis that will be explained in the theory section. The questions will directly r elate to branding and the use of social media in order to have a specific link to the theoretic
tools that creates the fundament for the later analysis.
2.3.3 INTERVIEWS WITH MUNICIPALITIES
The first part of my primary data collection is interviews with the managers of communication in each of the two municipalities – Lotte Birk, Aalborg, and Jesper H. Pallesen, Allerød.
17 / 218
They are expected to have the knowledge relevant to my research interest, i.e. the overview
and understanding of the use of Facebook and the possible strategies behind.
The interviews will be carried out by telephone as this was a necessary choice because of the
limitations of time and resources. I recognize that this means an absence of visual aids and
that the respondents and I cannot use regular cues such as body language or face expressions to guide the conversation (Andersen 1998; Hair et al. 2009; Bryman & Bell 2003). The
advantage of telephone interviews is on the other hand that it will reduce the possibility of
my personal characteristics or appearance affecting the respondents or vice versa. To prevent misunderstandings, I will give as many verbal cues as necessary and make sure to ask
declaring questions if I have any doubt that my questions are not understood thoroughly (cf.
Hair et al. 2009). Also periods of silence as Kvale recommends (2000) is especially important
in the situation of interviewing by phone where I cannot tell from body language if the respondent has nothing further to add.
As mentioned by Andersen (1998) interviewing people in leading positions can be problematic because of their potential negative attitude towards young students’ lack of experience as well as the responsibility to act as a representative of the organization resulting in
diplomatic statements. It is thus necessary that I am well prepared and make sure to argue
for the purpose of my research as this can increase the likeability of more honest answers
(1998).
It must also be mentioned that it takes a lot of skills to be a good interviewer (Hair et al.
2009; Kvale 2000). There are several criteria such as listening and probing skills that are primarily attainable through experience that I as a student do not have. This can affect the interviews, but considering the extensive preparations and my experience from earlier academic projects I trust the interviews will still be of adequate quality. See Appendix 1 and
Appendix 3 for the interview guides for each municipality.
18 / 218
2.3.4 INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS
As the second part of my primary data collection I will interview three experts in communication and branding. This ensures that I get the experience from projects about branding and
being on Facebook from other angles than the ones of the municipalities.
The first respondent chosen is chief consultant at LGDK, Jesper Brieghel. His job is among
other things to advise municipalities about being present on Facebook. He is chosen because
he has great insight into the communication and branding issues facing the municipalities in
general.
Secondly, I have chosen the managing director Rasmus Møller-Nielsen from the Danish consultant company Komfo as a respondent. Komfo are the authors of a Facebook guide for the
municipalities (Komfo nyhedsstrøm 2010; Komfo 2010) and have worked with several municipalities. Rasmus Møller-Nielsen is, as Jesper Brieghel, assumed to be knowledgeable about
the situation for the municipalities at the moment and what can be done with Facebook in
that context. Furthermore Rasmus Møller-Nielsen works with other customers than municipalities which can prove to give insights different to the ones of Jesper Brieghel.
Finally, I will interview tactical activator Morten Saxnæs from the Danish advertising agency
PeopleGroup. He works in the division called DialoguePeople and is skilled and experienced
in using several social media platforms, including Facebook, for a variety of customers. He is
a relevant respondent as he works with creating dialogue in an advertising and branding
context and hence, he is focused more directly on the branding issues than the two other
experts that work more from a corporate communication starting point.
Each of these three interviews will be carried out face to face in the offices of each of the
three experts. This has the advantages, as mentioned above, that both the respondent and I
can use body language, facial expression and other visual cues to guide the conversation.
The disadvantages however is that the face to face form can affect the behavior of the respondents – for example they might not feel comfortable with the situation. Furthermore, as
experts they can have a tendency to prove themselves and try to lead the interview in their
preferred direction (Andersen 1998; Kvale 2000). Also, my lack of interviewer skills, as explained in the above, again has a risk of affecting the respondents’ reactions to my questions
19 / 218
and their reactions in general. Evaluating both the advantages and disadvantages the interview form is still suitable as I will get a great opportunity to get in-depth knowledge of how
municipalities can work with branding and Facebook. The statements from the three experts
will add a broader perspective to the research and raise the quality of the analysis I will be
able to make.
The interview guide for experts can be seen in Appendix 5, 7 and 9.
2.3.5 SURVEY WITH STAKEHOL DERS USING FACEBOOK
The last part of the primary data will be collected through a survey, i.e. a questionnaire, with
the purpose of defining the broader tendencies in the expectations and perceptions of
stakeholders about the municipalities’ presence on Facebook.
The survey has been chosen over a focus group or personal interview approach that would
have aimed at understanding the deeper personal opinions of stakeholders. As pointed out
by Kvale (2000) a qualitative approach such as interviews is not suitable when the research
aims to show the state of the mind of bigger groups of people because it would be too time
consuming and require substantial resources to interview everyone. Thus, in a case study as
the current a survey offers getting opinions from a larger sample than if I had chosen a focus
group or personal interviews.
2.3.5.1 TARGET POPULATION
According to Facebakers, a website with the newest statistics on Facebook, there are over
2.5 million Danish Facebook users (Facebakers Denmark). The survey will target the general
majority of Danes on Facebook; those in the age of 25-34 (Ibid.).
The sampling design will resemble a snowball sampling method characterized by respondents referring other people as possible respondents (Hair et al. 2009:323) and is chosen
especially according to the research objective, the time frame, resources and scope (cf. Ibid.:324f).
20 / 218
2.3.5.2 THE STRUCTURE OF THE SURVEY
As can be seen from Appendix 13 (the survey questions) I use structured close-ended questions as I wish to get answers to specific questions and because this reduces the amount of
effort the respondents need to use (Hair et al. 2009). I recognize that this means that some
answers can more or less forced. However, there will be comment boxes for the questions
asking about behavior intentions and opinions, giving the respondents the option of elaborating on their answer. This opens up for interesting insights valuable for the research. Open
questions have furthermore been left out because the respondents are assumed to have
very different knowledge and prerequisites for answering questions about municipalities.
Furthermore, the survey is built upon questions with different scales to get the answers necessary. The nominal scale is suitable for getting the precise answers that I need to understand what type the respondents are – both in his/her use of Facebook, age, location etc. as
this can be used for tabulation. Ordinal scales are appropriate for measuring state of mind
which is exactly the purpose of the survey. The ordinal scales are to be more specifically d esigned as five-point, free choice scale as they include a neutral response choice (Hair et al.
2009:354f). The survey includes both a Likert-scale that measures a mental or behavioral
belief by asking to what extent the respondent agrees/disagrees (Ibid.:370f); and a behavior
intention scale that asks if the respondents would or would not interact with a municipality
on Facebook. As earlier stated, some respondents may not have enough knowledge to answer either positive or negative. Therefore, in order to ensure the results are not skewed,
the neutral response will be given as an option in all questions except in the probability scale
as this is important for the analysis.
The questions will concern the general opinion of how Facebook users expect municipalities
to behave and some will regard the theoretic concepts that will be described later in this
thesis. I could have chosen to ask more specifically about the two municipalities studied but
this would limit the respondents to people that have knowledge and an opinion about exactly these municipalities. Instead I have chosen to let the survey focus on municipalities in
general which will then be related to Allerød and Aalborg. This delimitation is also connected
to my research focus that concentrates on the municipal side of the research area as stated
under limitations earlier.
21 / 218
Some of the questions are asked to be able to see if there are remarkable links e.g. between
political standpoint and expectations to municipalities level of activity on Facebook. Therefore I do not expect all results to be equally relevant to my analyses. The results of the survey and their relevance also depend on the results of the other parts of the data collection,
and thus, only the relevant results will be presented in the analyses.
2.3.5.3 TESTING THE SURVEY
Before the survey gets distributed it will be tested by a small group of people in the age of
25 to 34 which resembles the users of Facebook. A test is obligatory to ensure that the questions are understandable, that the questions are in a logical order and that the survey has an
acceptable length etc. (Andersen 1998).
2.3.5.4 DISTRIBUTION
The survey will be created electronically and distributed online via a link . The link to the survey will be send out by e-mail and I will continuously post the link on my Facebook profile, to
my followers on Twitter, and my connections on LinkedIn as well as encourage my contacts
to forward it to everyone they know 1. Since I have contacts to people in the bigger cities in
Denmark – Copenhagen, Aalborg, Århus and Odense – this distribution method is assumed
to be effective and thus most suitable in this situation where I am not in possession of contact data like professional research companies or companies with a customer database are.
The risk when using Facebook and other social media for distribution of the survey is that
the people using these media the most will answer the questions and the results will thus be
biased as the ones using these media less will not be fairly represented. This is a necessary
risk that must be taken as the current distribution method is the one where I reach the most
people.
The reach of the survey is important since the starting point of the research is the municipalities in general which makes it of high priority to get answers from people located in differ-
1
Twitter is a microblogging service where you do not have to be friends with which updates you follow (Wikipedia Twitter 2010). LinkedIn is an online network similar to Facebook but for professional contacts (Wikipedia
LinkedIn 2010).
22 / 218
ent parts of Denmark – this because it is assumed that the opinions will vary from location to
location.
2.3.6 OBSERVATIONS OF THE CASE MUNIC IPALITIES BEHAVIOR ON FAC EBOOK
Finally, I will observe and gather data about how each municipality behaves on Facebook
with the purpose of holding this up against how each head of communication describes their
Facebook presence in the interview. In doing so, I draw on the twenty-first century’s ethnography, the so-called netnography. A netnographic study typically revolves around an internet community and serves the purpose of gaining consumer insights much like from a survey
or a focus group (Kozinets 2002; Heding et al. 2009). However, I will only be quantitatively
studying the number of posts and likes, i.e. clicks on the like-button of posts, and who authors the posts. I will supply these observations with considerations about the type of content of the posts. These studies will make the fundament for my evaluation of each municipality’s Facebook presence stronger.
2.3.7 ORDER OF DATA C OLLECTION
I have chosen to collect all primary data at the approximately same time. There are both
advantages and disadvantages of for example carrying out the interviews after the survey
results but in order to prevent my research from the bias this might cause, I have chosen not
to.
2.4
SECONDARY DATA COLLEC TION
Besides from the primary data collection involving the people directly involved with the area
of research, I will draw on secondary data that makes up the fundament for parts of the analyses. This includes:

Statistical data about the municipalities for example from Danmarks Statistik (Statistics Denmark)

Research reports and statistics about Facebook use in Denmark and about Facebook
use in general for example from Komfo (2010; 2009), Dwarf (2010) and KL (KL.dk
2010a)
23 / 218
These facts and results of examinations of the Danish population and Facebook match the
social constructivist view that is the fundament for data collection. Society is at the same
time socially constructed and objectively real, thus these quantitative secondary data are
relevant to include in my research.
When both primary and secondary data about these research area have been collected I
have the data required for the analysis that will lead to an answer to the problem statement
for this thesis. However the quality of the research must be assessed which is the focus of
the section below.
2.5
VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF RESEARCH
Every method has advantages and disadvantages and the choices made for the current research have consequences. As the scientific point of departure is social constructivist I do
not strive to find one objective truth about the topic of research. The results of the data collection are affected by the context of data collection which involves the macro perspective,
i.e. the broader societal context, as well as a micro perspective, i.e. the situation of the interview or the setting in which the survey is answered. As a researcher I recognize this as an
inevitable circumstance that is forming the results which has also been explained in the sections above.
However, an assessment of the quality of data is in order. Quality is dependent on validity
and reliability. The relationship between these parameters can be illustrated as in the figure
below.
24 / 218
Figure 2: The relationship between reliability and validity (Hellevik 1980:158 in Andersen
1998:110)
Validity determines to what extent the data has been collected correctly. The model shows
how the validity of data is dependent on the how the theoretically defined concepts match
the variables set up in the data collection. The theoretic concepts, as will be explained further in the theory-section, are defined by acknowledged and peer-reviewed author, which
adds to the validity of definition. Furthermore, the validity of definition for the current data
collection is found to be relatively high as I work with the theoretic concepts used in the
analysis directly in both interviews and survey. Furthermore I believe the right variables are
included in the research as they are chosen on the basis of preliminary research, data and
knowledge of the field of research.
Reliability concerns how much the results of my research can be trusted and if the results
were the same if the research were repeated. As touched upon in earlier sections it can be
argued that the reliability is limited as I only work with two municipalities. The ideal study
would have taken more municipalities into consideration and thus come closer to a more
generalizable result than the current case study aims for. The aim for the case studies will
thus be to present both results specific to the municipalities of Allerød and Aalborg and to
discuss how they to some extent can be useful for other municipalities without generalizing.
The reliability of the survey is acceptable however limited. As only a small sample of respo ndents is attainable, because I do not have access to databases that can give me a representative sample of the population in Denmark, I will only use the data from this survey to point
25 / 218
me in the direction of what Danes are likely to think about social media on a certain set of
parameters. Even though I cannot do a perfect survey I still find it interesting to see what
tendencies it will show. The municipalities can put all their efforts into social media that they
want – if the target audience cannot see the purpose of the municipalities being on Facebook it makes little sense to put resources in it.
To sum up, the research methods have an acceptable degree of validity considering the general challenges to the research made as part of this thesis as well as the theoretical definitions that are prepared for the data collection. In the next chapter the theoretical tools and
concepts will be explained and I will account for the way they will be used when analyzing
the data.
26 / 218
CHAPTER 3: THEORETIC FRAMEWORK
Chapter 3: Theoretic Framework
3
THEORETIC FRAMEWORK
This chapter serves the purpose of giving an overview and explaining the theoretic perspectives that I will apply to my research. First I will briefly introduce the two perspectives and
how they are interlinked. After this short introduction I will in more detail describe each
theory’s key elements and relevance.
To examine the data described in chapter 2 (methodology) it makes sense to start in brand
personality theory as described by Heding et al. (2009) with the offset in Aaker’s (1997) work
on ‘The Big Five’ in brand personalities. Brand personality theory centers on the bond between a brand and an individual which fits the current research interest in to how municipalities can bond with their citizens. Municipalities do not have a product to sell in the same
way commercial companies do, but it is imperative that they create a relationship with their
citizens.
Brand personality theory will thus be the offset and the frame within which I am interested
in how a municipality can use Facebook to create a brand-consumer (municipality-citizen)
bond that will strengthen the overall municipal brand. In order to evaluate how a municipality can make Facebook a platform for creation of a bond with citizens it is necessary to study
how a municipality approaches Facebook and behaves on a page. In order for Facebook to
function as a platform that can serve to strengthen a municipality’s brand, Facebook must be
used appropriately. Hence, within the frame of Facebook as a tool to create and strengthen
a municipal’s brand personality, I will evaluate how the two municipalities that are in focus,
Allerød and Aalborg, act on Facebook with offset in Li and Bernoff’s (2009) mindset about
taking part in the groundswell, i.e. the conversation online about a brand. Groundswell is a
strategic mindset that can help companies and organizations to understand and be a part of
the conversation about their brand online. Furthermore, it offers a set of guidelines and recommendations to follow in order to avoid the pitfalls of using groundswell technologies, i.e.
social media such as Facebook.
The link between brand personality theory and the groundswell mindset is that there cannot
be a brand-consumer (municipality-citizen) bond, unless symbolic value is communicated
and perceived. For symbolic value to be communicated and perceived on Facebook the
28 / 218
communication must follow the basic principles of the groundswell or the communication
will not get through to the citizens. Thus, in order for Facebook to function as a platform
from which Allerød and Aalborg can create bonds with citizens through communication of
symbolic value, they need to use Facebook as a groundswell technology and what this entails. This link is illustrated in the figure below.
Figure 3: The link between brand personality theory and the groundswell mindset (own make
from Heding et al. 2009:128)
Behavior on
Facebook following
the mindset of the
groundswell
Symbolic brand value
Symbolic brand value
Brand personality
Personality of
stereotypical
consumer
Adds personality and symbolic value
This short introduction leads me on to a fuller description of first, brand personality theory
and second, the groundswell mindset.
3.1
BRAND PERSONALITY
If a person proudly describes himself or herself as a citizen of a municipality it is an expression of loyalty towards the municipality and thus a sign of brand strength. This connection
29 / 218
between the municipality and the citizen is an example of the dyadic relationship that the
brand personality approach centers on which is why this approach has been found suitable
as the frame of analysis in present thesis. The brand personality theory as proposed by Aaker
in ‘The Dimensions of Brand Personality’ (1997) and described by Heding, Knudtzen and
Bjerre in ‘Brand Management – Research, Theory and Practice’ (2009) will make up the theoretic grounds for analysis and the key elements and how I will use them are described in the
following paragraphs. I begin by stating how I will work with municipalities as brands.
3.1.1 MUNICIPALITIES AS BRANDS AND C ITIZENS AS CONSUMERS
In this thesis I view and define municipalities as brands. To be specific, I look at the municipality as a whole, i.e. both as a service provider and a democratic institution. It is my assumption that citizens of a municipality will have relations to both the service and the democratic outputs in their lifetime and thus, both aspects are included.
The next paragraphs will explain how the brand personality views brands and brandconsumer relationships. Consumers are from this thesis’ point of view citizens. This relates
to the definition of a municipality as a brand, as citizens are consumers both in the sense of
consuming services such as day-care, elderly care, housing support etc., but also as consumers of democratic services such as information about local politics, decision making and similar. I will not distinguish between citizens as consumers of one or the other types of services;
I will use the term ‘citizen’ to describe both.
After this initial explanation of my understanding of the research objects, I will describe basic
assumptions of brand personality theory.
3.1.2 BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
The central point of branding theory is what makes consumers choose one product over
another. In the personality approach it is believed that the consumer will choose the brand
that has most to offer to the consumer’s construct of self. The brand personality approach is
part of the movement from an economic approach in brand management towards a more
consumer oriented and consumer-dialog based approach. The underlying assumption is that
consumers use brands that offer them something for their identity or expression of self
30 / 218
through the symbolic benefits of the brand. If the personality of the brand matches what the
consumer needs for his or her construction of self or as an expression of self to others, the
consumer will choose this brand over others (Heding et al. 2009; Aaker 1997). Thus, a brand
should aim to signal a brand personality that matches what consumers want for their personality.
In a municipality-citizens context the above description means that in order for a municipality to create a bond with citizens, the municipality should communicate symbolic value that is
attractive to the citizen in his or her self-construction. Relating the basic assumptions to being on Facebook, it makes good sense to talk about personality as Facebook can be characterized as a medium in which the individual promotes its personality through status updates,
personal photos, content sharing etc. (Dwarf 2010). An important part of signaling one’s personality on Facebook is through pages the individual has liked. By showing one’s personal
preferences in music, politics, brands and for example a municipality, other people are able
to make assessment of that person’s personality. Based on this, I find the brand personality
approach suitable as it has its starting point in how individuals use brands to construct their
own personality – also in a Facebook setting.
3.1.3 ‘THE BIG FIVE’ PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS
The brand personality approach has especially found recognition with the work of Jennifer
Aaker in 1997 when she presented the article ‘Dimensions of brand personality’. She defines
brand personality as “the set of human characteristics associated with a brand” (Aaker
1997:347) and the article describes her research about whether ‘The Big Five’ human personality aspects from psychology can be transferred to brands. In other words, if there is a ‘Big
Five’ for brand personalities. In human psychology the dimensions are: Extroversion, Agreeable, Consciousness, Emotional stability, Openness/Cultured (Smit et al. 2003:24). Aaker’s
research suggests:
“... that consumers perceive that brands have five distinct personality dimensions: Sincerity,
Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness” (Aaker 1997:353).
These five dimensions each consist of a set of facets that describe the dimensions in more
detail to add to the accuracy of the understanding of e.g. sincerity.
31 / 218
What is important in a brand management context is that differing from how a person’s personality is perceived – i.e. through the behavior, attitudes, physical appearance, beliefs etc. –
a brand’s personality is formed through the various ways the consumers meets and interacts
with it. Aaker (1997) mentions for example the treatment the customer gets from the companies’ employees, how the CEO of the company behaves and communicates the distribution of the brand, packaging etc. Thus, both human characteristics and product-related
attributes contributes to the construct of a brand’s personality (Aaker 1997; Smit et al.
2003).
In my research I focus on how communication has importance for the construction of brand
personality as I am focusing on the possibility of making Facebook a platform for the creation of municipal brand personality and a municipal-citizen bond. Thus, the thesis is delimitated from focusing on other attributes. I am aware that this leaves me with a limited picture
of the brand personality but I find that this analytical delimitation suits the research interest
and makes it more focused.
3.1.4 THE BRAND-CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP
As earlier outlined, the center of attention in brand personality theory, from the viewpoint
of the marketer, is creating a brand-consumer relationship. If a brand has a personality, i.e.
can be linked to a set of human characteristics, it is more likely that the consumer will form
an emotional bond with it (Heding et al. 2009). The brand personality approach is characterized by a dyadic relationship between the brand and the consumer, both affecting the other.
According to Heding et al. (2009) this line of thought is closely related to the brand relationship approach in which a brand must have a personality in order for there to be a consumerbrand relationship (Ibid.:172). However, the relational approach differs by viewing the consumer as an existential being. The objective of research in the brand relationship approach is
to understand the ‘life world’ of the consumer, i.e. the deeper lying motivations for consumption in a marketing context. This research interest departs in a phenomenological
scientific standpoint that dictates only qualitative measures (Heding et al. 2009). Compared
to the brand personality approach, the relational approach more strongly views the brand as
32 / 218
‘owned’ by the consumer and the focus is on knowing how consumers individually use
brands and how brands add meaning to the individual’s life. With the current social constructivist scientific standpoint, the relationship approach is not exactly compatible.
In this thesis, I am interested in how Facebook can facilitate and work as a platform for the
creation of a municipal-citizen personality bond, as a municipal brand personality will increase the likelihood of emotional bonding with citizens. However, I choose to delimitate my
focus to the brand-side of the theory, i.e. the municipal side. This supports the focus I have
established in the problem statement of the thesis as I wish to focus on how municipalities
must act on Facebook to make it a platform for getting in contact with citizens and in that
way strengthen the municipal brand. Furthermore, also researching the citizen-side would
demand more research, time and scope than this thesis allows for. Thus, I focus on what
municipalities can do on Facebook to make it a place for communication of symbolic value
that can stimulate the emotional bonding with citizens.
3.1.5 LIMITATIONS OF TH E B RAND PERSONALITY APPROACH
So far the section has described how the brand personality relates to the current focus on
branding of municipalities through Facebook. The next section serves as an explanation to
the limitations of the brand personality approach.
3.1.5.1 CONFUSION ABOUT DEFINITION OF BRAND PERSONALITY
Smit et al. (2003) stress how the area of brand personality research and theory is challenged
by misconceptions of the key term – brand personality. Definitions vary depending on the
perspective of the researcher. From an advertising view, brand personality is a driver for
brand identity. In a consumer oriented perspective, focus is on how the brand personality is
part of the brand image as defined by the consumers. This illustrates the point earlier
touched upon, that the brand personality approach is situated between two directions within marketing management: 1) The theoretic perspectives that assume brands are in the
hands of marketers and thus focus on what marketers can do to build brand equity; and 2)
the theoretic perspectives that assume brands reside in the minds of consumers and has the
perceptions of the consumers in interest.
33 / 218
Azoulay and Kapferer (2003) continue the criticism in this respect as they find Aaker’s definitions of brand personality too loose. They argue that brand personality is only a part of
brand identity and that the dimensions proposed by Aaker does not measure brand pers onality but instead merges dimensions of brand identity. The concept of brand personality is
useful but in their perspective brand identity contains more facets than what brand personality offers.
I recognize this critique and find it relevant but I view the brand personality as suitable for
the research I have interest in. My viewpoint is that brand personality is a key driver of the
relationship between a municipality and its citizens (cf. Heding et al. 2009). From the offset
of my research, it is the relationship that can be created between municipalities if the Fac ebook communication is appropriate, that is of interest as I have delimitated my research to
center on the municipality-side of the municipal-citizen relationship. Thus, the basic assumption of the importance of a relationship with key stakeholders is the relevant part of my research and therefore the criticism can to some extent be disregarded.
As I have now explained how the brand personality theory makes up the frame of the analyses and described the key elements and how they are understood and used in the current
thesis, it is necessary to turn to the groundswell approach by Li and Bernoff (2009) that will
function as the analytical tool.
3.2
THE GROUNDSWELL MINDSET
As mentioned earlier, the frame of analysis is brand personality in the sense that communication must support and ensure that an emotional bond between a municipality and a citizen can be formed. The groundswell mindset offers the possibility to find out how a municipality uses Facebook to evaluate if a bond can be created. The purpose of this section is to
explain what elements will be applied to the data, how and why.
Because of their focus on strategy instead of technology, I find the concepts about the
movement groundswell as proposed by the authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (2009) to
be valid grounds for the analysis of municipalities’ use of Facebook. Their work is a strategic
tool to help brands make the most out of their social media presence. Groundswell is defined as:
34 / 218
“A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other,
rather than from traditional institutions like corporations” (translated from Danish, Li & Bernoff 2009:26)
The phenomenon has its origin in a behavioral change online caused by the clash between
people, technology and economy (Li & Bernoff 2009). First, people have always supported
each other – now they can give strength to each other through the internet. Second, the
technology has evolved into what Tim O’Reilly has termed web 2.0 – characterized by more
interactive software, and the fact that almost everyone has internet access 2. This means that
the people that want to use technology to communicate actually have the option. Finally,
there is a competition for the attention online because traffic means sales (Li & Bernoff
2009).
The authors stress that the groundswell cannot be ignored – you either have to learn how to
deal with it or go under in it (Li & Bernoff 2009). To explain this emphasis in a municipal context, municipalities have to learn to communicate in the groundswell at some point as the
groundswell is here to stay. People are talking about brands to each other online and one of
the tools is Facebook which is the most popular social technology in Denmark. Thus, municipalities have to learn how to use Facebook the appropriate way. In current research the appropriate use of Facebook will make it possible for the municipality to build a municipalcitizen bond. Therefore, the groundswell mindset proposed by Li and Bernoff is the key tool
in my analyses. Below I will explain and argue for the specific concepts about groundswell
that will be applied in the analysis of the data collected for the present research.
3.2.1 THE POST-METHOD
The primary element of Li and Bernoff’s work about the groundswell is their POST-method:
People, Objectives, Strategy and Technology. These are the elements an organization such as
a municipality must consider before getting involved in the groundswell and is part of planning the approach. The elements are explained in the figure below:
2
For example, in Denmark 86 % of the population has internet access in their homes (Danmarks Statistik 2009)
35 / 218
Figure 4: The POST-method (Own make, translated from Danish, Li & Bernoff 2009:83f)
People
Objectives
Strategy
Technology
• What are your stakeholders ready for?
• How do they behave online?
• What are your objectives?
• Listening, talking, energizing, supporting or embracing?
• How do you want to change the relation to your stakeholders?
• Prepare and get consent from the persons affected by the change
• After deciding on people, objectives and strategy, what
technologies should you use?
As my analyses take place at a point in time where the POST-method has or should have taken place, I delimitate my research to Strategy, Objectives and People. Facebook has been
chosen as a technology and it is not within the research interest to evaluate how appropriate
Facebook is as a technology; instead I seek knowledge about how Facebook can be made the
platform of the creation of municipal-citizen bonds.
3.2.2 STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES
I will work from the understanding, based in Li and Bernoff’s groundswell mindset, that
strategy is a municipality’s overall purpose and reasons for being on Facebook. This is linked
with the objectives, and in the groundswell mindset the goals are one of the key elements to
success. Based on their research they identify five objectives that match the existing business functions (translated from Danish, Li & Bernoff 2009:84f):
1. Listening – similar to research, except listening is ongoing
2. Talking – similar to marketing, except talking stimulates two-way conversation
36 / 218
3. Energizing – similar to sales, except when energizing you make it possible for the customers to sell each other
4. Support – similar to customer support/services, except with support you enable your
customers to help each other
5. Embracing – similar to development , except you help your customers work out ideas
with each other that can improve your services and products
Each of these objectives must be taken into consideration when an organization wants to
enter the groundswell. Translating the goals in to a municipal context, the business function
marketing can be compared to the various communication tasks the municipality carries out.
Sales and support relates to citizens services offered by the municipality. The strategies will
be explained in further detail in the analysis of my research when relevant. I will use the five
goals as offset for the evaluation of the purposes lying behind the municipality’s presence on
Facebook.
3.2.3 PEOPLE: TARGET AUDIENCE
Li and Bernoff (2009) stress considering the target audience. According to the authors any
groundswell approach must be based on how the target audience uses the internet to talk
about and discuss brands. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate what approach the municipality is taking to the citizens on Facebook. The municipality has to know what types of
people and how they interact to use Facebook appropriately.
In this regard, Li and Bernoff suggest using their tool – The Social Technographics Profile
(translated from Danish, Li & Bernoff 2009:57ff). They characterize six types of users: Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators and Inactives. Li and Bernoff’s six types of users
are however based on American users and they describe online behavior in general. Ther efore I choose another set of types for the part of my analysis that concerns Facebook. The
Danish web agency, Dwarf, has surveyed 2,545 Danes about their use of Facebook and on
this basis they describe these five user types (Dwarf 2010:19ff):
37 / 218
Figure 5: Danish Facebook users (Dwarf 2010:19ff and 36)
Online 5-6 times a week, 24-35 years old, around 190 Facebook friends. Activities:
Posting updates, commenting, sending personal messages, chatting, rarely do quizzes
The socially active
or play games. 1/3 does not want to be fans of politicians or public institutions. Facebook is about the personal network. Mean value of commercial and political involvement: 0.2.
Online 3-4 times a week, 24-45 years old, around 125 Facebook friends. Activities:
Sending personal messages and looking at photos of friends. Facebook is about surfing
The observer
and getting updated without making any public notifications. The most negative in
getting involved with politicians, 4/10 would reject invitations from public institutions.
Mean value of commercial and political involvement: 0.07.
Online 1-3 times a month, 45-59 years old, around 60 Facebook friends. Activities:
The uninterested
minimal amount of fan pages, time is spent on looking at photos of friends and send a
personal message 1-2 times a month. Does not use ‘like’ button or make status updates. Mean value of commercial and political involvement: 0.04.
Online on a daily basis, 25-39 years old, around 190 Facebook friends. The preferred
activity is games such as Farmville or Mafia Wars. Besides that, chatting, sending perThe gamer
sonal messages, making status updates and commenting on the updates of others.
Does not reject companies or organizations in general. Mean value of commercial
and political involvement: 0.39.
Always online, 18-34 years old, more than 350 friends. Activities: Updates, using the
The super user
like-button on updates etc., chatting, looking at photos min. once a week. Facebook is
a central tool to keep in touch with friends. Positive attitude towards organizations.
Mean value of commercial and political involvement: 0.32.
I find it useful to work with Dwarf’s user types as a supplement to the work of Li and Bernoff
as my analyses focus on people, i.e. the target audience for the municipalities. Using Facebook user types that have been identified in a Danish setting in my opinion gives a fair and
true analysis result.
38 / 218
3.2.4 LIMITATIONS TO THE G ROUNDSWELL MINDSET
The book by Li and Bernoff (2009) is based on their research at the highly respected and
world renowned Forrester Research institute. Since social media and the movement of web
2.0 is still a new phenomenon, I am of the opinion that a lot can be learnt from the ones
working with it and thus have pioneered the field. But in an academic perspective using Li
and Bernoff’s book (2009) can be criticized compared to for example peer-reviewed journals.
However, the broad focus on the tendencies of the groundswell is highly useful in the current research perspective and thus found applicable.
3.2.4.1 COMMERCIAL POINT OF DEPARTURE
The hundreds of companies the authors refer to as their source of knowledge about the tendency of the groundswell are primarily American companies with commercial purposes. The
ideal situation would have been if their recommendations were based on public organizations in a Danish setting. Not much research has been done within this area and the learnings are still limited. However, I am of the opinion that the perspectives and recommendations by Li and Bernoff can be transferred to a municipal context. Municipalities also have to
recognize the change in online behavior and adapt to it. Also, as the authors point out,
groundswell is about creating valuable relationships which is as relevant for municipalities as
privately held companies.
3.2.4.2 LIMITATIONS OF USER TYPES BY DWARF
Dwarf’s report on Danes’ use of Facebook is from 2009 when Facebook pages were fanpages, i.e. instead of clicking ‘like’ the option was to click ‘become fan of’. The user types are
made from the answers provided by Danes to questions about fan-pages (among other
things). Therefore the types can be somewhat outdated. As mentioned earlier the literature
and research about social media in general quickly gets outdated which also applies to
Dwarf’s study. On the other hand this study is the most comprehensive in a Danish context
and the newest. Hence, in spite of the limitations the types of users is the best option avai lable.
39 / 218
4
ANALYTIC STR ATEGY
This section has given an overview of how I will use brand personality theory as the frame
and offset of analysis. Furthermore, how the groundswell mindset will function as the tool to
analyze the strategy, objectives and target audience for each of the two municipalities, as
expressed in through the data collection.
Within the frame of brand personality I will focus mainly on the interviews with each municipality’s head of communication and the observations made on each municipality’s Facebook page. The evaluation made on the basis of the groundswell mindset will be supplemented with the recommendations found in the interviews with the experts and through the
survey of Facebook users.
To give an overview of the analytic strategy, it is illustrated below.
Figure 6: Analytic strategy
BRAND PERSONALITY THEORY
Groundswell
mindset


Interviews with Allerød’s and Aalborg’s
head of communication
Observations on Facebook pages
Experts and
survey
40 / 218
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS OF ALLERØD &
AALBORG
Chapter 4: Analysis of Allerød & Aalborg
5
ALLER ØD
In the first part of my analysis I examine the case of Allerød. This part thus serves the purpose of finding out how Allerød’s presence on Facebook has the opportunity to be a platform for creating a municipal-citizen bond. I will begin with a short presentation of the municipality.
5.1
PRESENTATION OF ALLERØD
Allerød is located in the northern part of Sealand in the Capital
Region of Denmark and has 24.169 citizens (per 1st of July,
Danmarks Statistik 2010). Allerød covers an area 67 km2 (Den
Store Danske Allerød 2010) and was not merged with any other
municipalities during the reform in 2007. However, with the
municipal reform in 1970 Allerød was merged with Lillerød,
Lynge and Blovstrød (Ibid.). In total, Allerød employs 1849 fulltime equivalent people in 13 teams and 35 companies 3 (Hussing 2010; Alleroed.dk, Forvaltningen 2010; Alleroed.dk, Virk-
Figure 7: Map showing Allerød geographically (Wikipedia Allerød 2010)
somhederne 2010).
Allerød is present on Facebook with the page ‘Allerød Kommune’ – see screen shot of the
page below. By November 21st 2010, 341 people have clicked ‘like’. This means that when
Allerød posts content to their page’s wall 341 people will potentially see it in their news
feed4. The page is administrated by the communication department which consists of head
of communications, Jesper H. P., and webmaster, Anne Glavind. Communication is a part of
the secretariat of the City Council of Allerød (Appx 2).
3
According to Alleroed.dk (2010) all day-care institutions, school etc. are one company
4
Facebook users have the option of hiding updates from both pages they have liked as well as people they are
friends with on the social network. Furthermore, stories in a person’s news feed are sorted in a reverse chronological order meaning that the newest story is always on top. Thus, if there has been a lot of updates by other
pages or friends of the person who have liked Allerød’s page, he or she might miss out on updates from Allerød.
42 / 218
Figure 8: Screen shot of Allerød’s Facebook page (21st of November, Allerød's FB-page 2010)
After this short presentation of the municipality I will now begin the analysis be examining
the strategy behind Allerød’s Facebook page. In order to present my results and arguments
in a logic order, I start off in the interview with the head of communication, Jesper H. P, and
then I move on to the observations made on Allerød’s Facebook page. For both the interview
and the observations I divide the presentation into the three areas I am focusing on in the
POST-method in the groundswell mindset (Li & Bernoff 2009): The general strategic approach, the goals and the target audience.
5.2
ALLERØD’S FACEBOOK S TRATEGY AS EXPRESSED IN THE INTERVIEW
This section serves the purpose of presenting how Jesper H. P. in the interview expressed
the way Allerød uses Facebook. The starting point is Allerød’s general approach, including
the prioritization of Facebook and the resources dedicated to it. Then I present the objectives or goals that have been identified in the interview. Finally, I will explain the target audience of Allerød’s Facebook page.
43 / 218
5.2.1 ALLERØD’S GENERAL APPROACH TO FACEBOOK
Jesper H. P. explains 5 Facebook is “… a place we could get on as a good supplement to our
homepage… that Facebook was the kind of social media that to a higher extent could be used
to inform about things that are not suited to be published on a website” (Appx 2).
Besides these considerations, Allerød however has no plan or strategy: “… we had a draft for
it but it was dismissed” (Appx 2), and it is a sideline activity with a low priority: “… not something we put a lot of effort in to at all” (Ibid.). It appears to be a project in the hands of the
webmaster:”It is like – also from the side of the webmaster like a little fun to see if that way
[works]” (Ibid.). In other words, being on Facebook is an experiment for the webmaster, who
is the only resource dedicated to it. Furthermore: “It is not a political decision that we are
there. It is neither a management decision. It is like a… Yes, now we’ll try this off” (Ibid.). This
appears to be linked to Jesper H. P.’s concern that “… there is probably soon a new social
media on the way that will take over the position Facebook has had as the hip thing among
the young people” (Ibid.).
Jesper H. P. expresses that just being on Facebook is not enough: “It’s fine to get some things
through but all the time we have to look at do we gain something by this? Do the citizens – it
is their tax money (…) and we have to legitimize it (…) We should not be there just to be
there…“ (Ibid.).
5.2.2 ALLERØD’S GOALS FOR BEING ON FACEBOOK
The section above outlined some of the goals, Jesper H. P. has expressed in the interview,
e.g. in the first statement about Facebook being a supplement to the homepage, especially
this part: “…that Facebook was the kind of social media that to a higher extent could be used
to inform… “ (Appx 2). Furthermore, Jesper H. P. says that Facebook is for the more informal
content: … the kind of more informal… e.g. Shrovetide or something like that… The homepage is the a bit more municipal official authority-site” (Ibid.).
5
All statements from Jesper H. P. and the experts have been translated from Danish to English.
44 / 218
Thus, the goal first and foremost appears to be to use Facebook as a channel for information. This is also reflected in other statements by Jesper H. P. For example he says that the
Facebook page is not for the citizens to communicate with the municipality: “ We have so to
speak made it clear to the citizens that if they want to communicate with the municipality it
is not in that way” (Appx 2). This is also evident from this statement: “… then we have tried –
can we have this running on Facebook in the way that if you have an official inquiry to the
municipality then you have to use our homepage our our @-address” (Ibid.). However, the
citizens are free to post on the page: “If you have a normal comment that you just wish to air
then you can do it here [on Facebook] without the authority coming [after you]” (Ibid.). However, there will be no dialog. In addition to official inquiries, Jesper H. P. states that “…dialog
is thickly overrated… What should the dialog run on? I mean, when is it politics? Because
then I have to withdraw myself. I can give concrete factual information but there is not much
dialog in that” (Ibid.).
Besides from focusing on how and what Allerød uses Facebook for, the interview also concerned what Allerød wishes to signal by being present on Facebook. In general terms, Jesper
describes their goals in this way: “We would of course like to signal that we are an open municipality and willing to go into a dialog on different ways, like informing in different ways (…)
So it’s primarily a question of openness… It’s to be where the citizens are“ (Appx 2). However,
in relation to their attitude towards dialog, Jesper H. P. says: “In that way you can say that
where you sometimes as a municipality can appear a bit old fashioned or like stiff, that’s because we can’t just sit and answer roundly (Ibid.).
Furthermore, Jesper H. P. was presented the five dimensions of brand personality and asked
what he found matched their aim on Facebook. Jesper H. P. answered positively when asked
about sincerity, and further expressed that“… The citizens should preferably think that they
have a fairly competent administration; people employed who they think are skilled … *Sincerity and competence] is what a public administration should have” (Appx 2). Jesper H. P.
continues and explains how the signal sincerity and competence: “…We don’t promise that
we can always be there, that we are looking round the clock… It is also creating a realistic set
of expectations” (Ibid.).
45 / 218
In addition he says that excitement is the least of what they are going for on Facebook: “Excitement, that is not something municipalities work with, I think” – or in other words: “… We
have no ambition of being “the bad boy in class” (Appx 2).
5.2.3 ALLERØD’S TARGET AUDIENC E ON FAC EBOOK
Jesper H. P. presents their focus on target audience in this way: “... we haven’t studied *the
target audience+ closely… There are many politicians and the ones who are active in the local
community… And then there are a lot of employees who think it’s funny to be friends with
their working place. And then it’s… all sorts of people, it’s very broad. There is no clear profile
at all – there are young, old, there are all sexes” (Appx 2). Thus, Allerød has not examined
the target audience but have a sense of who has ‘liked’ the page.
In that relation, Jesper H. P. argues that the decision is “… a feeling, a competence you have
as an employee” (Appx 2). In this relation, Jesper draws a parallel to the purpose of being on
Facebook: “… in that way we think it is a function that it is nice to have because there are
people out there who are watching. And that is where the art is – it has to be relevant or else
you end up out” (Ibid.).
I have now presented the general approach, i.e. the prioritization of and resources dedicated
to Allerød’s Facebook page, as well as their goals and focus on the target audience. To be
able to evaluate how Allerød acts on Facebook, I now turn to present what observations I
have made on their page.
5.3
ALLERØD’S FACEBOOK S TRATEGY AS EXPRESSED ON THE FAC EBOOK PAGE
This section serves the purpose of describing what I have observed on Allerød’s Facebook
page. The section is as the previous one structured in the general approach to Facebook, the
goals and finally the target audience that is expressed on the page.
5.3.1 ALLERØD’S GENERAL APPROACH TO FACEBOOK
Allerød has only one page on Facebook – the centralized official page (see Allerød's FB-page
2010). The activity is like other Facebook pages centered on the wall. The standard tab ‘Info’
contains information about the address of the municipality, the official website and the cen46 / 218
tral phone number. There are three other tabs that are standard on all Facebook pages:
‘Photos’, ‘Boxes’ and ‘Notes’. There are a few photos of the city arms, official buildings etc.
‘Boxes’ only contain an outdated event and there is no content under ‘Notes’.
5.3.2 ALLERØD’S GOALS FOR BEING ON FACEBOOK
Looking at a six month period from April to September 2010 6 new content has been posted
34 times equal to an average of 1.4 posts per week (see overview in Appendix 11). All posts,
except from two7, are written by Allerød. There has been nine likes to the posts in the last six
months – an average of 1.5 every month 8. Looking at how the likes are divided, about 25 %
of all posts the last six months have been liked. Furthermore, three comments have been
made which means that 8 % of posts have been commented upon. Allerød’s page has attracted 341 people, i.e. they have clicked ‘like’ on the page.
Moving on to the content of the posts, the extract below shows that the information is
about both policy making and services and what is generally going on in the municipality (all
posts are translated from Danish, Allerød's FB-page 2010):

“City council meeting Thursday 30/9 at 6.30 pm at the city hall” – September 28th

“Public meeting about the budget for 2011-14 Date: September 9 2010 at 7-9 pm
Place: City hall” – September 9th

“Take good care of the little ones in the traffic. It is in these days the new little ones
start school” – August 13th

“Summer party at Club West Friday 11/6 from 6 pm. Guest DJ: Nikolaj Rasted from
Hej Matematik” – June 3rd
6
This six-month period is chosen to give a view of the current activity on the page. This extract of the activity is
in my opinion enough to provide an appropriate characteristic.
7
One by Grøn Guide Allerød, a municipal initiative and one by a user called Jørgen about getting an event
called ‘Zulu Bio’ to Allerød.
8
Also one of the comments made on the post on June 25 has been liked. This has not been included in the
overall calculation as it is not a like to a post.
47 / 218

“Are you going abroad in the summer holidays then remember to check your passport
well in advance… “ – May 20 th
5.3.3 ALLERØD’S TARGET AUDIENC E ON FAC EBOOK
It says on the Facebook page that it is “… for people with interest in the municipalities welfare” (translated from Danish, Allerød's FB-page 2010). There is no overweight of content
towards e.g. families, elderly, school children etc. Thus, the observations show no definition
of the target audience of the page.
I have now presented the general approach, the goals and the target audience as it appears
from the interview with Jesper H. P. and on Allerød’s Facebook page. Thus, the fundament
has been created for the evaluation of how appropriate Allerød behaves on Facebook which
I will turn to next.
5.4
EVALUATION OF APPROACH, GOALS AND TARGET AUDIENC E
The purpose of this section is to compare and hold the above-mentioned findings up against
each other and evaluate them first of all with basis in the groundswell mindset and secondly,
through supplementing with the relevant statements from the experts I have interviewed,
and the results of the survey.
5.4.1 EVALUATION OF ALLERØ D’S GENERAL APPROACH TO FACEBOOK
In this first section, I focus on the findings found in the sections about the general approach
expressed in the interview with Jesper H. P. and on Allerød’s Facebook page. This evaluation
serves the purpose of evaluating the fundament for the page to work as an offset for creating a municipal-citizen bond.
5.4.1.1 STRATEGY, PRIORITIZATION AND RESOURCES
The key to success in the groundswell is to have a strategy and a plan (Li & Bernoff 2009).
Furthermore, this plan should be supported by the top management, as entering the
groundswell according to Li and Bernoff (2009) will change the organization’s relations. In
Allerød’s situation however, there is no strategy or policy. The webmaster is testing how it
48 / 218
works as a sideline activity as there has been no decision to prioritize resources towards Facebook. In the groundswell mindset, Allerød has thus approached Facebook highly inappropriately.
5.4.1.2 SUPPORTING THE CORE BUSINESS
Jesper Brieghel (LGDK) says that: “If social media is to have a situation in the municipalities,
it’s not for the fun of it and it’s not to play, it is not for anything else than supporting the core
business” (Appx 6). Several times in the interview Jesper H. P. says that at the moment it is
mostly a funny project for the webmaster, and considering the lack of strategic basis, Allerød’s approach to Facebook is only to a small extent supporting the core business. It is fair
to be cautious about using Facebook because of the fast development in social technologies
like Jesper H. P. also addresses in the interview. As Rasmus Møller-Nielsen (Komfo) says:
“There are not a whole lot of models precisely on how to do on Facebook yet. In that way
there are a lot of municipalities that are waiting a while and not really spending resources on
it” (Appx 8). Even though it is understandable this approach is problematic. A part of a
groundswell strategy is planning the presence on social media with the development in mind
and constructing the plan so that it can be refined and adapted to changes every half year or
so (Li & Bernoff 2009). Thus, the lack of strategic planning that is expressed is not in line with
the groundswell mindset and is not appropriate. With no strategy or plan, Allerød’s efforts
on Facebook have limited affect as a platform for creating a bond with citizens.
5.4.1.3 MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
The experts I have interviewed also recommend having management’s support for the decision of being on Facebook which is not the case with Allerød’s Facebook page: “It is of course
about placing education, that the people who normally has the customer contact must be
geared to be able to take the customer contact on the social media” (Morten Saxnæs, PeopleGroup, Appx 10). But it is not only the communication department, in the municipality,
that has the responsibility of communicating on Facebook: “Instead of having some communication genius sitting and communicating, then it’s about getting the entire organization to
be communicating or anyway partly geared for it” (Ibid.). The experts also stress that the
person(s) responsible for Facebook should preferably have a personal drive and interest for
49 / 218
the medium. Success is a result of the people managing Facebook, as Rasmus MøllerNielsen says: “It is also because there are some fiery souls who understand it and are passionate about it” (Appx 8). It is difficult to judge the degree of the webmaster’s involvement in
the task of updating Facebook but she has limited time and the task is of low priority and
thus, it is in my opinion difficult for her to be truly committed to it.
The few resources available for the Facebook page are also assumed to affect the look and
feel of the page and to be the reason why Allerød only has a standard page instead of a customized page by for example adding a welcome page 9, or by changing or removing the standard tabs they are not using (‘Boxes’, ‘Notes’). In this way Allerød does in my opinion not
signal that they have taken their approach to Facebook seriously which adds to the negative
evaluation of their general approach.
5.4.1.4 THE ONE-PAGE APPROACH
Allerød only has one Facebook page which is used as a supplement to their homepage. In my
opinion this is the natural offset except however, Allerød must recognize that Facebook is
not just another website. On Facebook dialog and interaction is essential, which Aller ød does
not appear to recognize by only using Facebook for one-way communication. Using Facebook only for information can however be a fair solution according to Jesper Brieghel, as
long as the information is adjusted to the target audience: “There are lots of Facebook pages
that in a way are entirely one-way communication but still work because it is made in a format where people want to read it there and it has a personal relevance or a humor or an
informal tone… But you have to have the proper editorial criteria” (Appx 6). By editorial criteria, Jesper Brieghel means the general news criteria – current interest, essentiality, identification and sensation – especially current interest and identification: “… I don’t want to be
told what just happened, I must be told what is coming up… Identification is … about more
locally, I mean the stuff has to be hyper-locally. It is not just my municipality, it is not just my
part of town, it must actually be down to almost by street-level.” (Appx 6). Even though a bit
9
Other brand pages on Facebook have customized a tab to be a welcome page with graphics and pictures.
Persons who have not ‘liked’ the page will meet this page when they search it or get a link to it. For examples
see WFF’s Danish Facebook page (WWF Verdensnaturfonden 2010), H&M’s official Facebook page (H&M 2010)
and the Sydney Opera House’s Facebook page (Sydney Opera House 2010).
50 / 218
overstated, Jesper Brieghel here states that, in order for a municipality to make their Fac ebook page work appropriately, a set of editorial criteria must be in place that recognizes the
demands of current interest and identification in a Facebook context. Since Allerød only has
one page on Facebook I find it difficult to attain this level of personal relevance for the citizens. I will elaborate on this point later on in the evaluation of the target audience expressed in the interview and on the page.
The first part of the evaluation has now shown that Allerød leaves much left to desire in
terms of strategic planning, prioritization and dedication of resources. This is not the optimal
fundament to try and build a relationship with citizens on through brand personality. The
evaluation now turns to focus on the goals of Allerød.
5.4.2 EVALUATION OF ALLERØ D’S GOALS ON FACEBOOK
Moving on to the goals described in the above-mentioned, the groundswell mindset suggests that the goals listening, talking, energizing, supporting or embracing are ways to use
social technologies to be part of the groundswell in a strategic, brand strengthening manner
(Li & Bernoff 2009). I will now explain how these goals have been expressed in the interview
with Jesper H. P. and on Allerød’s Facebook page.
5.4.2.1 GROUNDSWELL GOALS
First of all, Jesper H. P. has stated that they use Facebook to send out information to the
citizens. Instead of a groundswell-suitable goal, this points to old methods of communication
and marketing. Jesper H. P. expresses a push strategy that includes no intention of involving
the citizens or encouraging them to debate or discuss matters neither with the municipality
nor each other as a talking-strategy would prescribe (Li & Bernoff 2009). This will not have
an effect on citizens today. As Morten Saxnæs says: “… when we look at what especially the
young generation listens to today when they think brands then we are back to the point
about when brands shout at you then you don’t have the same tendency to listen as when
one of your friends do something, it’s the whole peer-to-peer line of thought” (Appx 10). Thus
by trying to use Facebook as a traditional marketing channel Allerød risks not getting
through to the citizens.
51 / 218
Secondly, Allerød allows citizens to comment on their wall, but as they do not encourage
them to do so, as it is evident from my observations, they are not using the page as a listening post from which they can get input that they can apply to their core business (Li & Bernoff 2009). Hence, besides not getting the citizens to talk about the municipality, they will
neither get valuable inputs about the municipality’s service or other matters of interest to
the citizens.
Finally, they are not supporting or embracing the citizens through the Facebook page as they
do not wish for the page to be a place where they can help citizens through dialog about
services or politics that go beyond the borders of what Jesper H. P. and the webmaster have
the competences and the position to answer. I recognize that it is not recommended that an
organization pursues embracing before having had success with one or several of the other
groundswell goals (Li & Bernoff 2009). However Jesper H. P. expresses that it is not something they plan to do at all on Facebook. They should not try to answer questions that they
are not in a position to answer, but in the view of the experts they should instead involve the
ones in the municipality that actually can, for example the employees in the citizen services
centers: “… if we want social media, well it demands not only resources from our communication department but also that we include the citizen services centre in our considerations”
(Jesper Brieghel, Appx 6). Or as Morten Saxnæs recommends: “… all those that have something of value to bring out to the citizens should in some way have insight in to [communicating on Facebook] because it is the ones closest to the decision making process that should
communicate it” (Appx 10). In spite that Allerød might be on the first level of their Facebook
presence, so to speak, they should have considered to develop their presence to include
some sort of citizen services or dialog in the future as it is a way to get closer to the citizens.
As Rasmus Møller-Nielsen says: “In some cases it is fine that you just tell about a success story and people just say, well I like this… But I mean it can also be, now we don’t know if we
should build the highway in one or the other direction… What do you think. And if you do
such things then you seriously signal down-to-earth, openness and all that. And that I believe
is the most important. Actually giving away some influence to these people in the municipality” (Appx 8).
52 / 218
5.4.2.2 CONTENT AND LEVEL OF ACTIVITY
My survey showed that updates about events and activities for citizens and information
about meetings, where people can get information about the policy making in the municipality, are ranked highest (see Appx 15). The content on Allerød’s page falls in to these categories and thus, based on the survey results, Allerød acts in compliance with the demands of
Facebook users.
Furthermore, Jesper H. P. says that they use Facebook for informal content. According to
Jesper Brighel, it makes good sense to use Facebook for informal communication with stakeholders; “… it has an informal tone… it fits in to the private sphere *on Facebook+” (Appx 6).
Thus, Allerød appears to have understood the communication style on Facebook, which is
good to start building a relationship with citizens upon. They have also understood the level
of activity as they have 1.4 new posts per week which matches the expectation shown in my
survey that 65 % expects one or more posts per week (Appx 15).
However, it appears that this content is not enough to stimulate two-way interaction – almost not even likes, which is what the Facebook users have expressed as the most likely i nteraction (Appx 15). Only 25 % of Allerød’s posts have been ‘liked’. Furthermore, only 8 % of
posts have been commented on. Neither is it possible to detect a reflection of the respondents’ preferences in the observations, as there is no overweight of reactions to posts with
cultural information compared to posts with policy-oriented content or other. Simply, there
are just very little reactions to the content. Thus, Allerød has the right approach to the informational content the citizens want but it does not stimulate interaction. Without having a
dialog or interaction it is difficult for Allerød to create a bond with the citizens because, as
Rasmus Møller-Nielsen stresses: “It is through the dialog that some kind of relationship is
made, it is not through the presence” (Appx 8).
5.4.2.3 BRAND PERSONALITY GOALS
The point about the importance of dialog naturally leads me to what Jesper H. P. has expressed that Allerød want to signal by being on Facebook. They focus on the brand personality dimensions sincerity and competence. These are the two dimensions that the experts
emphasize as the most appropriate and realistic dimensions of the five dimensions in Aaker’s
53 / 218
framework (1997) a municipality can use Facebook to signal. Especially sincerity as “…It is
what lies in the spirit of Facebook” (Rasmus Møller-Nielsen, Appx 8). Being open, seeking a
dialog, even though Jesper H. P. only means informing, and being present where the citizens
are, falls under the dimension of sincerity that includes being down-to-earth, honest, wholesome and cheerful (Heding et al. 2009; Aaker 1997). On the other hand, the findings from
the interview and the observations show that Allerød does not exactly signal the openness
they strive for. In my opinion it does not signal openness and sincerity that they are not
answering all kinds of questions on their Facebook page and as Jesper Brieghel says: “… in
that way you dismantle the possibility of developing your presence, your dialog with the citizens on this medium” (Appx 6). It makes sense that some questions are personally sensitive
and should be answered in a formal setting, but on the other hand, by opening up only to a
certain extent could in my opinion be perceived to be the opposite of sincere. As the experts
have also said, it risks disappointing the ones who use Facebook a lot, especially the young
generation (see Appx 16). They might think at first that Allerød has decided to truly communicate on modern terms and end up being disappointed because Allerød only uses Facebook
to push out information.
To continue with the next dimension Allerød also wants to signal by being on Facebook –
competence, which is expressed in “… that you take your target audience serious. And it
shows some kind of communication-wise competence that you meet the user based on what
criteria the user have“(Jesper Brieghel, Appx 6). From the presentation of the goals expressed in the interview, this is also how Jesper H. P. aims at signaling competence through
Facebook. Thus, he has an appropriate perception of how to signal competence, but in terms
of signaling it, Allerød’s goals are not groundswell-minded and therefore they do not match
the medium. Secondly, Jesper H.P.’s attitude towards dialog on Allerød’s Facebook page can
be criticized as it is in opposition to the whole line of thought on Facebook and the
groundswell in general in which the key to success lies in two-way interaction (Li & Bernoff
2009; Dwarf 2010) – and as mentioned by Rasmus Møller-Nielsen, the relationship is build
through dialog. In other words, it does not signal competence that they do not see the possibilities in dialog. Thus, my evaluation is that Allerød might signal initially that they are
competent as they have entered Facebook, however the goals expressed in the i nterview
54 / 218
and on the page indicates the opposite, i.e. that they do not have an understanding of the
groundswell or Facebook.
To sum up, the goals that Allerød have for their Facebook presence are not groundswellminded. Their goals have elements of listening and talking, but instead the aim is better described as a classic marketing goal of pushing out information with focus on one-way communication. This is done even though Allerød, in spite of having no editorial criteria, posts
content about topics of interest to citizens. The posts are however not able to stimulate an
acceptable level of two-way communication or ‘likes’ and neither is two-way conversation
the aim for Allerød, even though the brand building potential lies in the dialog. The attitude
against dialog as well as the interaction also makes it difficult in my opinion for Allerød to be
perceived as sincere and competent.
5.4.3 EVALUATION OF ALLERØ D’S TARGET AUDIENC E ON FAC EBOOK
When it comes to the target audience, my research has shown that Allerød’s presence on
Facebook has been done without any studies of how their target audience uses Facebook (Li
& Bernoff 2009). Allerød only has a vague idea of who has ‘liked’ the page and who potentially will. On the basis of the groundswell mindset (Ibid.) a proper approach must be based
on an examination of who will be interested in the organization’s messages and who will
make the two-way conversation happen.
I recognize that a part of being employed in the communication team in Allerød is to have a
feeling about the information and communication needs of the citizens but in my opinion it
is not enough to base Facebook content on what the webmaster thinks is relevant. I find it
critical that Jesper H. P. himself states that relevance to the individual citizen is necessary as
it is thus strange that no further examination of the target audience has been carried out.
The experts stress how important the personal relevance is. As Morten Saxnæs says: “…in
every update you make you have to deliver value to the user, and if you don’t do it you get
left out” (Appx 10). Relevance is a matter of personal preferences, and with no focus on target audience it is hard to ensure relevant content. Thus, Allerød’s lack of target audience
focus is inappropriate and will have an impact on the chances of creating a bond with the
citizens.
55 / 218
Furthermore, by having only one page on Facebook, Allerød pushes all their communication
through one channel, instead of spreading out the efforts on two, three or more pages with
more delimitated focus areas and target audiences. The experts emphasize using the targeting options built in on Facebook in order to make it relevant on a hyperlocal level, as Jesper
Brieghel states it (Appx 6). In order to get down to the level of citizen relevance, Morten
Saxnæs suggests to “… hit people as niche as possible and give people the possibility to get
as niche down in to a content. You see a lot of the big American companies… that range really really broad, they have 16 Twitter profiles and more Facebook sites which there of course
is a reason for, that you can… get as close to the brand as possible” (Appx 10). Municipalities
could advantageously have more than one page, because it would make it easier for the citizens to as close to the part of the brand that they have an interest in. Hence by only having
one page that centers on all citizens, Allerød makes it more difficult to get in contact with
the citizens than if they had several pages, each with their focus.
Building on the findings from the previous evaluation sections, the prioritization and dedication of resources are reflected in the target audience focus. I will assume that if Allerød had
formed a strategy before going on Facebook they would also have studied and made the
target audience a part of that strategy. As Dwarf’s research shows, the users characterized
as socially active, gamers and especially super users are more likely to ‘like’ and interact with
Facebook pages of public organizations. These users are also assumed to be the easiest to
create bonds with through Facebook. However, as Allerød is not focusing on any target a udience and neither these users, the chance of creating bonds from the Facebook platform
decreases.
On the basis of my findings, Allerød has little chance of creating a bond based on expressing
sincerity and competence on Facebook. Sincerity and competence will be understood differently by different target audiences and since they do not differentiate between target audiences the chances are small that they will express sincerity and competence in the perception of the total target audience.
To sum up, the evaluation of the target audience that has been expressed in the interview
with Jesper H. P. and has been observed on Facebook is critical as Allerød has no specific
target audience in mind for their Facebook page. This goes against the recommendations of
56 / 218
Li and Bernoff (2009) as well as of the experts. Without a target audience, Allerød’s efforts
on Facebook will have limited reach and thus limited effect. There is hence only a small
chance that the communication on Allerød’s Facebook page will work as an offset of a municipal-citizen bond as they do not know how to signal sincerity and competence in order for
sincerity and competence to be perceived as they do not know their target audience.
5.5
BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH CITIZENS ON ALLERØD’S FACEBOOK P AGE
This section serves the purpose of pulling together the findings from the evaluations and
viewing them in the frame of brand personality theory and the creation of a municipalcitizen bond on Allerød’s Facebook page. I have already throughout the evaluation sections
briefly outlined what the chances are for Allerød’s Facebook page to be a place from which
they can create a relationship and get closer to their citizens and they will now be gathered
and elaborated.
As explained in the theory-section, people use brands to create their personality both outwards and inwards (Heding et al. 2009; Aaker 1007). A brand can be significantly strengthened by being imbued with a set of human-like characters as this makes emotional bonding easier for consumers. Transferring this to the municipal context in focus, a brand personality will make it easier to create a bond with citizens that will reduce the current distance
between a municipality such as Allerød and its citizens. For Allerød to strengthen its brand
personality it has to be evaluated by the citizens as offering symbolic value they can use in
the continuous creation of their own personality (cf. Heding et al. 2009). This can only happen through Facebook if Allerød uses Facebook appropriately as my research has sought to
examine.
Through my research and evaluations I have found that Allerød has several challenges to
creating bonds with citizens through Facebook as there is a lack of strategy, resources, suitable goals and target audience approach. This has resulted in a less appropriate presence –
the page is not customized, it targets a too broad audience, there is no two-way conversation and the level of activity and interaction is low. In my opinion all these issues are a result
of the low prioritization Facebook has in the municipality and has the overall consequence of
a lack of relevance and dialog.
57 / 218
The experts have stressed that relationships are formed through dialog which the page neither has nor encourages in any way. It is thus unlikely that Facebook will work as a tool to
reduce the distance between the municipality and the citizens. The communication on Fac ebook cannot facilitate the creation of a bond with citizens if Allerød does not reach the citizens, which they have little chance of doing because 1) they use traditional methods of marketing that have little effect on people today, and 2) the general lack of relevance or dialog
because no target audience has been defined. In other words, based on my findings Allerød’s general approach to Facebook, their goals and their lack of target audience definition
does not create a platform from which Allerød can signal or likely be perceived as sincere
and competent, as they wish to, because their communication is not adapted to Facebook.
6
AALBORG
In this second part of the analysis-chapter I turn my focus towards Aalborg’s Facebook approach. This half of the analysis thus serves the purpose of analyzing how another municipality has approached being on Facebook and how this approach can work as the offset for the
creation of a municipal-citizen bond. First, I will introduce the municipality.
6.1
PRESENTATION OF AALBORG
Aalborg is the third largest of the Danish municipalities with
197,516 citizens (Danmarks Statistik 2010) and 16,735 employees (Aalborg 2010:23). The municipality is a part of Northern Jutland Region of Denmark and covers an area of 712 m 2
(Den Store Danske Aalborg 2010). Before the municipal reform
the municipality was split in the municipalities of Hals, Nibe,
Sejlflod and Aalborg.
Aalborg has great infrastructure with trains, roads and a small
airport. The city has developed from a heavy industry munici-
Figure 9: Map showing Aalborg
geographically (Wikipedia Aalborg
2010)
pality to employing 60 % in the service and education sector
58 / 218
(Den Store Danske Aalborg 2010). The University of Aalborg has affected this development
and in 2009 there were a total of 14,471 students (Aalborg Universitet 2009).
Aalborg is present on Facebook with several pages (as of November 21 st 2010):

New Budolfi Square (Ny Budolfi Plads) – 406 likes, see screen shot below (Facebook
page Aalborg 1 2010)

Cycle more (CYKL mere) – 1,051 likes (Facebook page Aalborg 2 2010)

The Trainees in the Municipality of Aalborg (Eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune) – 245
likes (Facebook page 3 2010)

The City Archives of Aalborg (Aalborg Stadsarkiv) – 606 likes (Facebook page 4 2010)
There is no head page of Aalborg on Facebook like in the case of Allerød. To make an analytical delimitation that offers more depth I will address Aalborg’s Facebook presence in general
with offset in the four pages, but when more details are necessary I will use the New Budolfi
Square page10 (NBS page). The NBS page is part of a pre-debate about a square in the middle
of Aalborg city that will be rebuild in the near future and is managed by an internal communications consultant in the Engineering and Environmental services administration (Teknikog Miljøforvaltningen). The centralized communication department consists of a team of
four full time employees, including Lotte Birk who is the head of communication, and besides them there are around six to nine decentralized communication resources in the municipality distributed on the various administrations 11.
10
This was one of the pages Lotte Birk, head of communication in Aalborg, brought up in the interview and
thus one of the pages I have most information about.
11
Aalborg has seven different administrations: The Mayor’s administration, The Engineering and Environmental
services administration, The Family and Employment services administration, The School and Cultural services
administration, The Elderly and Handicap services administration, The Supply Companies and The Health and
Sustainability services administration (translated from Danish, aalborgkommune.dk 2010)
59 / 218
Figure 10: Screen shot of the NBS page (November 21st 2010, Facebook page Aalborg 1
2010)
After this short introduction of Aalborg and the Facebook pages they manage, I will begin
the analysis. The analysis is structured in the same three parts as the analysis of Allerød’s
Facebook presence. In the first part I present the strategy that has been expressed in the
interview with Lotte Birk and on the Facebook page with focus on the general approach, the
goals and the target audience inspired by Li and Bernoff’s POST-method (2009). In the
second part I evaluate the findings from the first part. Finally, on the basis of all my findings I
argue for how Aalborg’s Facebook page can be a platform for creation of a bond with the
citizens. I find the structure suitable to support my arguments, however, as this is not a
comparative study the arguments and points I will present might have different focus than in
the analysis of Allerød and some will be similar, and then I will refer to the points earlier
stated.
6.2
AALBORG’S FACEBOOK STRATEGY AS EXPRESSED IN THE INTERVIEW
60 / 218
This section serves the purpose of presenting how Aalborg generally and specifically (on the
NBS page) uses Facebook. The offset is the interview with Lotte Birk and how the general
approach, the goals and the target audience have been expressed. First, I turn towards Aalborg’s general approach to Facebook.
6.2.1 AALBORG’S GENERAL AP PROACH TO FAC EBOOK
In the interview, the first description of Aalborg’s approach to Facebook is this: “We are out
to try off some things“ 12(Appx 4). There is no strategy behind their Facebook approach, but
Lotte Birk says “… we are in no doubt that we need a strategy for what we want and what we
do and what we don’t do – and why we do what we do”. Thus, as in the case of Allerød, being on Facebook has so far been an experiment. However, at the moment a strategy is on
the drawing board: “… we have like this communication group which is like a strategic group
where I am sitting at the head of the table and where we are actually right now planning a
feature day concerning making a web 2.0-strategy” (Ibid.). Lotte Birk here uses the term
“web 2.0”. It is Lotte Birk’s personal opinion that Aalborg should not only be looking at Facebook: “We have to know how we want to act on Facebook – and the other social media – I
don’t think that you should take Facebook alone” (Ibid.).
The thoughts lying behind are that “… we want to try to canalize some of our resources,
economy, from the printed media to some of the social media” (Appx 4). Social media, e.g.
Facebook should function as a supplement to their official website: “You have a homepage,
that’s where we have the broader perspective, it’s there we can write about everything. But if
we go on to the social media and in a way broaden up our homepage then we get the possibility to go out and say – concrete, delimitated projects, that’s here” (Ibid.).
The above-mentioned use of social media for specified projects is part of the attitude about
how to be on Facebook: “…I can’t see that anyone would be interested in being fan of a municipality of friends with a municipality. I’m thinking that we should much more use the social
media for concrete, delimitated projects” (Appx 4). Thus, in Aalborg they do not want to have
12
All statements from interviewees and Facebook have been translated from Danish.
61 / 218
a central head page but instead they focus on specific projects where the social medium can
be relevant.
Concerning the management of the pages, only the page ‘The Trainees at Aalborg’ is managed centrally, the other are initiated in one of the seven administrations. The NBS page is
as also mentioned managed by the Engineering and Environmental services administration.
I have now presented Aalborg’s general approach to their Facebook presence and will continue with the presentation of Aalborg’s goals as they have been expressed by Lotte Birk in
the interview.
6.2.2 AALBORG’S GOALS FOR BEING ON FAC EBOOK
This section will move from the general approach to Facebook to the specific goals I have
found to be expressed in the interview. In this section I will go in details with the NBS page,
still having the other pages in mind.
In the section above, I presented that Aalborg uses Facebook as a supplement to their official homepage. To be more specific, Facebook is for “…the places, where we need to have
debate and the places where we need to hear some opinions and activate people, that is
what *Facebook+ should be used for…” (Appx 4).
In regard to the NBS page, Lotte Birk says: “… It is a new way of trying to create debate, to
try to engage the local community in an area that it can be really difficult to get people engaged in, but in which case it is easy to get the complaint when the decision has been made”
(Appx 4).
Turning to what the interview included about what Aalborg wants to signal by being on Facebook, Lotte Birk states: “… what I think is a major advantage is that the young people they
see us as a modern organization that’s upbeat. We are where the action is. We are not just
some boring dry stick municipality page but we are actually out there [on Facebook] where
they move about several times a day” (Appx 4).
When asked directly if Aalborg works to signal excitement as a municipality in general, she
answers: “… not directly, we might do it a bit in some of our campaigns but it’s not like the
62 / 218
idea is standing in clear light in front of us… “ (Appx 4). However, Lotte Birk says that “There
is no doubt that we would like to signal that we are an exciting municipality when it comes to
the whole cultural area and the whole like experience part. But if we become more exciting
by being on Facebook that’s very much a question of who it is that run in to us”(Ibid.).
Turning towards sincerity and competence, Lotte Birk states that“… Sincerity should preferably permeate everything we do. I don’t know if we get more sincere by being on Facebook”
(Appx 4), and “… we will preferably want to be competent and skilled and that should draw
lines through everything we do... I don’t think we should be seen as more competent or
skilled because we are on Facebook. Besides that we by some may be perceived, like okay,
there also manage to be here” (Ibid.). Both dimensions are thus in Lotte Birk’s opinion a matter of course.
The last two dimensions, sophistication and ruggedness, are not relevant in a Facebook context of brand personality expression. In Lotte Birk’s opinion they cannot be related to Aalborg’s Facebook presence: “I don’t think… the words *sophistication and ruggedness+ you say
have anything to do with Facebook” (Appx 4).
In sum, Aalborg wants to use Facebook to create debate, listen to the citizens and involve
them in the municipality. Lotte Birk expresses the goals listening and embracing. Furthermore, they want to signal that they are modern and upbeat, i.e. exciting. Underneath signaling being modern, they want to appear sincere and competent. After having presented these
goals that have appeared in the interview, I now turn to the final focus area: The target audience.
6.2.3 AALBORG’S TARGET AUDIENCE ON FACEBOOK
This section focuses on the target audience Aalborg has in focus for their Facebook pages
and when relevant to elaborate, more specifically for the NBS page.
Lotte Birk does not state a specific or delimitated target audience that they plan to reach
through Facebook. However, generally, Lotte Birk thinks that ”… there are many more young
people who will go out and run in to us on Facebook than on aalborgkommune.dk” (Appx 4).
Concerning the NBS page, Lotte Birk indirectly describes the target audience when she says
63 / 218
in relation to the goal of the page, “… try to engage the local community” (Ibid.). Thus, even
though no target audience has been specifically defined, either generally for Aalborg’s Facebook presence or for the NBS page, there appears to be a focus on young people and the
local community.
I have now presented the general approach, the groundswell goals and the personality aims,
and the target audience focus as it has been expressed in the interview with Lotte Birk. This
leads me on to presenting the general approach, the goals and the target audience that is
signaled on Facebook.
6.3
AALBORG’S FACEBOOK STRATEGY AS EXPRESSED ON FACEBOOK
This next part of the analysis is structured in the same three parts as the previous section;
first I present the general approach, then the goals and finally the target audience. This part
serves the purpose of defining these three focus areas on the basis of the observations of
Aalborg’s use of Facebook.
As mentioned, Aalborg has four pages each with their own focus. To focus on the NBSpage in
order to get more specific, the page was created when the pre-debate started in July (the
6th) and was recently updated with thanks to those who expressed their opinion on the
page (November 9th). People who have not ‘liked’ the page are met by a so-called landing
page when they visit the Facebook page for the first time. The landing page is a specially
customized tab called ‘About New Budolfi Square’ (see scren shot below - Facebook page
Aalborg 1 2010). On this tab there is an encouragement to participate in the pre-debate: “…
you still have the chance to participate!!” (Facebook page Aalborg 1 2010). Below the pictures that can be seen in the figure below, there is a text that 1) further encourages participation in the debate, 2) describes the frame of the pre-debate and when it ends, and 3) what
will happen after the pre-debate ends.
64 / 218
Figure 11: Screen shot of customized tab ‘About New Budolfi Square’ (Facebook page Aalborg
1a 2010) – the red arrow points to the translation of the text in the bottom of the page
“There has already been made a lot of suggestions to what New Budolfi Square should
be used for in the future but we also need
your suggestion.
The debate is opened and all good ideas are
welcome in the pre-debate period until October 22nd 2010.
After the debate period we gather the ideas
and proposals including the ones we get on
Facebook.
We look forward to hearing your suggestion.”
Besides from the landing page, the page has been customized to include the tabs ‘Photos’
and ‘Links’. The wall is the place where the debate takes place and information about the
purpose of the page, which I will also elaborate in the next section, is desc ribed in the ‘Info’
tab. Furthermore, below the page’s profile picture there is a text about the page: “The lease
for Budolfi Square expires in 2012 and the future use of the site must be decided upon. What
do you think?” (Facebook page Aalborg 1 2010) – again an encouragement to get involved.
Thus, there has been put time and efforts into this page as it is not just a standard page. It
has a customized set of tabs and a landing page, all encouraging people to participate in the
pre-debate about the square. I will next turn towards the more precise goals of the page.
65 / 218
This section will consider the activity and the content on the NBS page to present what Aalborg’s goals are for the Facebook page.
Starting with the content, I will begin with referring the explanation of the goal of the page
as it is described in the ‘Info’ tab: “We wish to use this Facebook page as an active medium in
the debate about what should happen with Budolfi Square when the current lease for parking and grocery store expires” (Facebook page Aalborg 1b 2010). “An active medium” is thus
the purpose of the page, which I choose to interpret as letting Facebook facilitate the debate
by offering a platform for suggestions from citizens and using it to encourage the debate.
It makes sense to look at the activity on the page as I view it as an expression of the goals
behind it. The activity I will focus on here is the number of comments and posts by others
than Aalborg themselves and the interaction on the page as I have just stated that the purpose of the page is to facilitate the pre-debate. Looking at the NBS page from July to November, 32 out of 67 posts in total was made by the page administrator, i.e. NBS (Aalborg)
(see Appx 12). 25 were made by citizens, and the last 10 were made primarily by the architecture and design students who helped out with the project. There is thus a slight overweight of non-citizen authors (42 against 25).
The average number of new posts per week is 3.35 based on all authors. Taking only NBS as
author, it is 1.6 new posts per week. In terms of ‘likes’ almost 65 % of all posts have been
‘liked’. It has also been observed that most of the posts made by citizens have 2-5 ‘likes’ –
the posts by NBS has less ‘likes’ (see Appx 12).
Next, I turn to the content of the posts. Below is an extract of the posts by NBS/Aalborg (all
posts are translated from Danish, Facebook page Aalborg 1 2010):

“Today on the Day of Architecture students from Architecture and design present
their ideas for what will happen with Budolfi Square. Come and have a look in the
container at Budolfi Square” – October 1st

“Debate-café 2 and city tour 22 nd of September – 30 new photos” – September 23rd
66 / 218

“TV2 North news item Tuesday 21 st of September – Net-TV | TV2 North [link] – September 22nd

“How to we create an attractive urban environment? What about the historic traces?
Should we have a green oasis in the middle of the city and what about all the cars?
*link to www.aalborgkommune.dk+” – September 3rd

“see the Engineering and Environmental services committee’s decision to start the
pre-debate (item 6 in the summary) - The Engineering and Environmental services
committee [link] – August 26 th
This extract shows that there is a wide variety of content, but in general it is content that
tells more about the debate concerning the square and the decision making process. The
rest of the content is as mentioned posts by citizens and by the architecture and design st udents, the latter mostly being pictures of their proposals for the future of the square.
Thus, the goals expressed on the page are that it should facilitate the pre-debate. This is
done by posting new content a little more than once a week about the project, debate-cafés,
and meetings in the committee, news media interest etc. Now I will move on to the last part
of the presentation of my observations; those concerning the target audience expressed on
the page.
6.3.3 AALBORG’S TARGET AUDIENCE ON FACEBOOK
This last part of the presentation of the observations I have made of Aalborg’s Facebook
presence is based on the fact that they have more pages and in order to be more exact I continue using the NBS page as example.
All four of Aalborg’s Facebook pages have different purposes or support different parts of
the municipality’s business which is evident without going deeper in the behavior on the
pages. Some of the pages might have overlapping target audiences but it is reasonable to
assume that the topics will be of interest to different people. In other words, four pages with
four different topics calls for four different audiences.
To be more specific, the NBS page has the aim described in the ‘Info’ tab: “The Municipality
of Aalborg invites all interested citizens and stakeholders to participate in the debate about
67 / 218
the area’s transformation” (translated from Danish, Facebook page Aalborg 1b 2010). “All
interested citizens and stakeholders” is a broad term that it is difficult to narrow down further, however it does sort out the ones that are not interested in the square. Besides that it
describes both citizens and others that have an interest in the area, which could be companies, stores, etc.
As I have now described how Aalborg’s general approach, goals and target audience is expressed on Aalborg’s Facebook pages, the NBS page in particular, I will continue to the evaluation of the findings.
6.4
EVALUATION OF APPROACH, GOALS AND TARGET AUDIENC E
The findings from the previous sections will now be evaluated on the basis of the
groundswell mindset in combination with the recommendations made by the three experts I
have interviewed and the findings of my survey. This serves the purpose of making me able
to state how Facebook can work as a platform for the creation of a bond between the municipality and its citizens in a brand personality perspective.
As in the case with Allerød, Aalborg can be criticized for not having a proper strategy. In the
groundswell mindset a strategy is the very foundation for being able to participate in a brand
strengthening way on e.g. Facebook (Li & Bernoff 2009). A strategic offset that builds on the
municipality’s general goals is also necessary in the viewpoint of the experts. As Jesper
Brieghel says, being on Facebook must support the core business (cf. analysis Allerød and
Appx 6). In addition, the approach should also be anchored in a decision on top management
level in order for the right resources to be dedicated to the project as well as generally gearing the organization to being on Facebook (Morten Saxnæs, cf. analysis Allerød or Appx 10).
Being “out to try some things off”, as Lotte Birk says, can thus be dangerous. I find it esp ecially problematic with the decentralized approach to the management of the Facebook
pages. They risk sending mixed signals about the municipality when there are no overall
guidelines or a policy to support the use of Facebook.
68 / 218
However, Lotte Birk says that they are on the point of having a web 2.0-strategy ready. First
of all I find it interesting that Lotte Birk states that they are not looking at Facebook alone
which stands in opposition to the case of Allerød. This is highly in line with the groundswell
mindset that recommends not focusing on a specific technology like Facebook but focusing
on the general movement that people talk about brands online (Li & Bernoff 2009). This is
also stressed by Morten Saxnæs: “… you have to look at some broader platforms, I mean
something like blogging and the internet in general, that the internet has enabled people to
talk about those things” (Appx 10). With this in mind, Aalborg appears to be well on the way
to the appropriate approach to Facebook in spite the lack of overall strategy.
Secondly, I find it interesting that Lotte Birk says she does not think anyone will be interes ted in being a fan or friends with a municipality. According to the recommendations by the
experts, also mentioned in the analysis of Allerød, she has a point, because people should be
“hit as niche as possible” as Morten Saxnæs says (cf. analysis Allerød, Appx 10). The general
approach that Aalborg has taken to Facebook is to have different pages for different projects
or campaigns, which is in line with the experts’ recommendations. As Jesper Brieghel says:
“They don’t want to discuss education policy in the large scale but they might want to discuss
whether a school must be closed in the local area. The more you can narrow the subject up
for discussion down, the better “(Appx 6). Furthermore, Li and Bernoff (cf. Li & Bernoff 2009)
give several examples on how important it is to find the specific part of your brand that
people can relate to and make this the offset of your groundswell presence. The reflections
about having a project or campaign-based approach to Facebook is thus of advantage and
highly appropriate. I will return to this approach when evaluating the target audience focus
in Aalborg, as the general approach and the target audience is interlinked.
Thirdly, Lotte Birk mentions that they are thinking about canalizing some of their financial
resources from printed media to social media such as Facebook. All three experts have emphasized the sense of offering citizens services or similar through Facebook which I view as
support of Lotte Birk’s line of thought. As Jesper Brieghel says: ”… the same inquiry just gets
handled faster and easier on Facebook. The person who gets an answer to a question on Facebook does not go down manually in the citizen services centre and ask a question or writes
a letter or sends an email which are all more expensive ways …” (Appx 6). What Jesper is say69 / 218
ing is that by answering the question of one person on Facebook you potentially answer the
questions of many others with the same problem, which is why Facebook is highly suitable
for and can support the other types of citizen services.
Turning to evaluating how Aalborg has carried out their experiments with focus on the NBS
page, they have prioritized customizing the page which in my opinion signals professionalism. They have also taken advantage of the opportunity to explain the purpose of the page
and offer more information about the debate and the whole project under the ‘Info’ tab
which shows the page has been prioritized, even though there has been no decision made
about it on top management level in the municipality as recommended in the groundswell
mindset and by the experts (see Appx 16 and cf. Li & Bernoff 2009).
To summarize, it can be criticized that Aalborg has no strategy or plan yet for how they use
Facebook, but on the other hand the web 2.0-strategy that is on the way follows the guidelines given by Li and Bernoff (2009) as well as the experts. Aalborg has taken the appropriate
approach to Facebook by having pages with different projects or campaigns in focus and
they have executed the NBS page in a way that signals that they take the medium seriously.
Thus, as a platform for building a relationship with citizens, Aalborg is well on the way.
In this section I will focus on the goals that have been expressed and evaluate them on the
basis of Li and Bernoff’s (2009) five goals for entering the groundswell.
6.4.2.1 GROUNDSWELL GOALS
First of all, Lotte Birk has stated that Facebook is where they wish to hear people’s opinions
and activate the citizens. First of all, Lotte Birk expresses what in the groundswell mindset is
termed a listening goal (Li & Bernoff 2009). Facebook thus functions partly as a listening post
from which Aalborg can get to know more about their citizens. Secondly, when she talks
about activating people, it indicates a mix of strategies such as talking, energizing, supporting or embracing. These are the general goals in a groundswell mindset that Lotte Birk expresses, and their approach thus appears to follow the groundswell mindset.
70 / 218
Going more into detail by turning to the concrete example of the NBS page, it is in my opinion per definition a platform for the citizens of Aalborg to express their wishes towards the
future of the square, which falls under the category of listening (Li & Bernoff 2009). Furthermore, Lotte Birk mentions three goals: creating debate, engaging the local community
and indirectly, avoiding complaints. In my view, these goals resemble an embracing goal, i.e.
letting the customers/citizens take part in the development of the municipality (cf. Li & Bernoff 2009). By embracing, the goal of listening is included, as part of involving citizens in the
way the municipality does business is listening to the demands and inputs from citizens and
realizing them. Thus, in the interview both a listening goal in general and a more specific
goal of embracing on the NBS page have been identified. The page is however only focused
on a short period in time and therefore it might be a bit overstated that Aalborg fulfills an
embracing goal as it should be an ongoing task. It is only a step in this direction. To be on the
way is appropriate at this stage where Aalborg does not even have an overall strategy because, as Li and Bernoff (2009) recommends, embracing should only be approached when
the organization has succeeded in reaching some of the other goals.
6.4.2.2 CONTENT AND LEVEL OF ACTIVITY
Concerning the interaction on the page, seeking dialog and to some extent giving away power is the most effective way to use Facebook (e.g. Rasmus Møller-Nielsen, cf. analysis Allerød
and Appx 16). However, there has been little interaction between Aalborg and the citizens.
There is no real debate – it is only a showing of viewpoints from the citizens and updates
from Aalborg about the development of the project. In this way, the NBS is more an example
of the listening goal as earlier explained, and a one-way posting of information.
Keeping focus on the content and level of activity and working with the NBS page as an example, Aalborg has on average posted new content 1.6 times a week which matches the
level that 65 % of the respondents in my survey expect, i.e. one or more posts per week
(Appx 15). There is a lot of likes to posts – in general, but the posts of citizens get 2-5 likes
compared to fewer likes of Aalborg’s posts.
This can indicate two things. First of all it can be interpreted as a sign of many more following the debate than actually participating in it, which is, as explained in the theory chapter, a
71 / 218
typical circumstance for the use of Facebook. People might like the posts of others because
they describe what they themselves would have suggested if they were the types to express
their opinion by a post. This is also confirmed by the 406 likes to the page compared to the
25 posts. The people only following the debate might find it easier to like the posts of others
and less personal boundary-exceeding. Thus, it can be argued that by providing a page
where citizens can express their opinion they are, as part of a listening goal, following the
groundswell mindset.
However, secondly, it signals that the citizens find the posts of other citizens to be more valuable or “like-able”, i.e. that this is something they want to express they like more than the
posts of NBS. Turning towards the results the survey has given me in this respect, 34 % of
the respondents finds updates about public meetings where it is possible to get information
about projects etc. highly relevant or relevant; 33 % answers that information about how
they can express their opinion and influence decision making and content encouraging
people to express their opinion about focus areas and services are ranked high is highly relevant or relevant (Appx 15). Furthermore, 60 % would definitely or probably comment on
posts asking for their personal opinion of a matter of their interest (Ibid.). Thus, the content
and the purpose that Aalborg has used Facebook for, is highly appropriate and a good match
with the survey findings.
6.4.2.3 BRAND PERSONALITY GOALS
Moving on to the what Aalborg aims to signal on Facebook, Lotte Birk has stated that they
want to be perceived as “modern”, “upbeat”, “where the action is” and “not just some boring dry stick municipality page”. I interpret this as facets of the personality dimension excitement. Being exciting includes being daring, spirited, imaginative and up-to-date (Heding
et al. 2009; Aaker 1997) which is equal to the keywords I have just pointed out. Even though
it seems to be the underlying principle, Lotte Birk does not see excitement as the unifying
principle in their branding and communication strategy. She does on the other hand point
out that they wish to appear exciting in the cultural area but that this is depending on the
target audience. I will elaborate on this in the final evaluation that concentrates on the target audience. From the interview it appears that they to some extent want to appear excit72 / 218
ing in the sense of being modern and upbeat. I am of the opinion that it indeed signals being
modern to have a public hearing about the Budolfi Square on Facebook and as they to a
large extent are using Facebook appropriately there is a chance they also will be perceived
as modern.
Based on the findings of the survey, it makes a lot of sense to work with the personality dimension excitement. The survey showed that excitement is the brand personality dimension
most respondents agree that municipalities signal by being on Facebook (see Appx 15). It is
important to remember that this result does not say anything about what personality dimension are actually perceived to fit Aalborg on the NBS page as I have asked for the respondents’ opinion about municipalities on Facebook in general. However, living up to the
respondents’ first impression will in my opinion make it easier to bond with the citizens.
The experts have on the other hand stressed signaling the two dimensions ranked after excitement: Sincerity and competence (Appx 16). As also mentioned in the analysis of Allerød,
especially sincerity matches the personal setting of Facebook and competence can be signaled in the sense that the municipality are capable of taking new communication tools in to
use. However, as it was stated earlier, Lotte Birk considers sincerity and competence as a
matter of course in all communication from Aalborg. In other words, excitement is an add-on
to signaling sincerity and competence. In my opinion, having a debate about a public town
square on Facebook signals being down-to-earth and honest, which are some of the facets in
the sincerity dimension, because it meets the citizens on their terms, i.e. on Facebook, and
shows that the municipality is open to suggestions and opinions, i.e. they are not in high
places. Thus, it appears that Aalborg is focusing on the right personality dimensions on Fac ebook.
6.4.3 AALBORG ’S TARGET AUDIENCE O N FACEBOOK
My evaluation has now reached the final part in which the focus point is the target audience
considerations that have appeared through the interview with Lotte Birk and are apparent
on Aalborg’s Facebook presence.
73 / 218
As I have mentioned in the above evaluations, by having four individual pages on Facebook
Aalborg has made a limitation of the target audience. The four pages centers on four very
different topics – cycling, recruiting trainees, the city archives and finally Budolfi Square in
the city of Aalborg. Taking the latter as the example, Lotte Birk has expressed that this page
has the purpose of involving the local community. On the page it says citizens and other
stakeholders. In sum, the target audience for this specific page appears to be both the local
citizens and for example companies and stores in the city. This delimitation of the target
audience is reasonable in a democratic view as all interested should have a saying. However,
in a groundswell mindset an initiative such as the NBS page on Facebook should be based o n
research into how the target audience uses the internet. Recalling the user types of Dwarf
mentioned in the theory-chapter, there is a big difference in how likely Danish people are to
‘like’ and interact with public organizations on Facebook. In a situation like this it is most
likely the gamers and the super users who will be inclined to post their personal opinion on
the wall of the NBS page (cf. Dwarf 2010). The recommendation of Li and Bernoff (2009) is
to choose the technology that is best suited the target audience. As there is no strategy and
therefore no target audience definition behind Aalborg’s Facebook pages, Facebook might
not be the optimal technological solution for Aalborg and thus not the best fundament for
creating a bond with the citizens.
However, Lotte Birk mentions that the young citizens of Aalborg might “run into” the municipality on Facebook more than on Aalborg’s official homepage, which indicates that the
young people are in focus. The NBS page is not an example of this focus directly but there is
a chance that those that have ‘liked’ the page are the younger generation 13. If Aalborg focuses on the younger target they will affect more gamers and super users as they are typically in the age of 18 to 39 years old (Dwarf 2010).
I have now finished the evaluation of how the general approach, the goals and the target
audience have been expressed in the interview with Lotte Birk and on Aalborg’s Facebook
pages. This leads me to the last part of the analysis where I put the findings in the frame of
brand personality theory.
13
I have not had the opportunity to study this in more depth as it demands administrator rights on the pages.
74 / 218
6.5
BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AALBORG AND THE CITIZENS ON FACEBOOK
In this section I will gather the findings from the previous evaluations and view them in the
frame of the analysis – the brand personality perspective. This section thus serves the purpose of arguing how Facebook can function as a platform for the creation of a municipalcitizen bond between Aalborg and its citizens.
Through my analyses and evaluations I have found that even though Aalborg lacks a strategy, Lotte Birk expresses the proper strategic considerations. In other words, they match the
recommendations Li and Bernoff (2009) gives about entering the groundswell, e.g. via Facebook, quite well. Taking the NBS page as an example, they have carried out a presence that
follows the guidelines of the groundswell mindset (Li & Bernoff 2009), the three experts I
have interviewed and live up to the expectations expressed by Facebook users in my survey.
First of all, the four pages target different audiences among the citizens of Aalborg. In a
brand personality perspective, narrowing down the target audience offers the opportunity
of creating a stronger bond with the Facebook user and/or citizen. Individuals will form
stronger relations to the brands they feel offer symbolic value, i.e. relevant content about
their personal interests, matching their own personality or the personality they would like to
signal to their peers (Heding et al. 2009; Aaker 1997). This will in turn strengthen the relationship with Aalborg as a brand. As stated, Aalborg should focus more on what types of
users they target, but in terms of offering content that the citizens on Facebook finds relevant and with an appropriate frequency, Aalborg almost lives up to the demands.
Secondly, there is a good chance that the people who have posted their opinion or ‘liked’ the
NBS page will feel encouraged to bond with the municipal brand because of the sincerity it
communicates that Aalborg is listening. As the experts have said, the citizens are ready for a
serious presence, and by offering a platform that citizens can express their opinions towards
the town square in question, I think the citizens will feel that the municipality is exactly taking both the citizens and the presence seriously.
Finally, the NBS page lives up to the experts’ recommendation in relation to making citizens
part of the decision making in the municipality as it shows sincerity and willingness to open
up towards the citizens on the terms and the medium that suits the citizens. This in turn sig75 / 218
nals competence as Aalborg indicates that they have understood the potential and the need
to take social media into use to communicate with their citizens. In order for Aalborg to
create a bond, however, they need to facilitate an actual debate as the real value lies in the
dialog.
All in all, I find that Aalborg’s offset on Facebook points in the right direction when it comes
to using Facebook as a platform to reduce the distance between the municipality and the
citizens and creating a relationship through expressing a personality.
76 / 218
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION &
RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter 5: Discussion & Recommendations
7
DISCUSSION
This chapter serves the purpose of discussing the results found in the analysis chapter. In the
following sections I will discuss three general themes that I find relevant to draw forward
across the two cases.
The two cases have first of all pointed out that Allerød and Aalborg are at the moment testing Facebook to find out how they can benefit from using the social medium. I have argued
that this is problematic in a groundswell perspective but the experts have argued that it
must be recognized that this is acceptable because there are few experiences to work from
as a municipality. I will discuss this as the first subject.
Next, and in connection to the experimental use of Facebook, I address the question of r esources dedicated to the two municipalities’ Facebook pages. This has the purpose of shedding light on the issue as the resources are important but scarce.
Finally, from the discussion of resources, I round off the discussion with focusing on the related issue of the current need to cut costs in the Danish municipalities. Based on my findings, I will discuss the implications of being on Facebook in the current financial situation.
7.1
EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
As Rasmus Møller-Nielsen has said, there are not a lot of models or prescriptions on how to
behave on Facebook for municipalities yet, which is why a lot of municipalities are still experimenting and learning how this medium works. Therefore it might be acceptable that Allerød and Aalborg has not entered Facebook with a sharply defined Facebook strategy. Each
head of communication in the two municipalities have pointed out that it is a challenge to
use Facebook to its most as they have no experience with it. A lot can be learned from reading literature but I think the significant value lies in getting actual experience with the medium. It can thus be discussed whether or not it is actually inappropriate to go on Facebook
without a strategy, because it can be argued that a strategy cannot be formed correctly and
matching the terms of the medium before some experience has been made and the municipality knows what the strategy should concern.
78 / 218
On the other hand, as it is tax payers’ money that an approach to Facebook is financed by, it
might be necessary to draw on consultant aid to create the strategy instead of jumping onto
Facebook which, as my analyses has touched upon, can harm the municipal brand which
today is already challenged. Herein lies a strategic consideration about how much a consultant will cost compared to doing in on your own. However, another point made by Rasmus
Møller-Nielsen is that a lot of consultant hours can be spend – if there are no “fiery soul” in
the municipality to drive its presence on social media it will be less successful. Hence, the
strategic considerations must also include how the organization will be able to rise to the
challenge after the possible help from consultants.
The considerations are thus that experiments might be acceptable but help from consultants
can be valuable, especially if there is a fiery soul in the organization who can continue the
development afterwards.
7.2
RESOURCES FOR FACEBOOK PAGES
From the analyses I have carried out of Allerød’s and Aalborg’s use of Facebook it is evident
that they have a very different approach to being on Facebook. In Allerød Jesper H. P. has
evaluated that a head page for Allerød is appropriate whereas in Aalborg Lotte Birk does not
believe that the municipality in general is interesting for anyone. Therefore Aalborg has a
project or campaign oriented approach with pages suited for a very specific purpose. When
evaluating this difference based on the groundswell mindset and my qualitative and quantitative research, Aalborg acts most appropriately and has the best chance of creating a positive brand personality that citizens can form meaningful bonds with. On the other hand, I
find it relevant to draw attention to the discussion of how the different mindsets might have
a connection to the communication resources the two municipalities have at their disposal.
In my opinion, the amount of time and people working with Facebook is of crucial importance to the objectives and planning of a municipality’s Facebook approach.
Initially, I presented the number of citizens and employees of each municipality, including
the amount of communication workers. In Allerød there are two people, Jesper H. P. and the
webmaster to serve 24,169 citizens and 1,849 employees. In Aalborg there are around 10-15
people working with communication, including four people in the central administration that
79 / 218
Lotte Birk manages, serving 197,516 citizens and 16,735 employees. The point I wish to
make here is that there are far more opportunities with a bigger communication department
such as the one in Aalborg compared to the small one of Allerød. Of course, Aalborg has
many more citizens, actually eight times as many. The easy calculation would then be to
multiply two communication workers with eight in which case the results would be 16. In
that way you can actually say that based on number of communication workers per citizen,
Allerød scores higher than Aalborg. But in Allerød the task of maintaining and updating the
Facebook page is in the hands of the webmaster that also has the responsibility of Allerød’s
official website. In Aalborg, the NBS page was an initiative started by a decentralized communication worker in the Engineering and Environmental services administration. What I
wish to argue is that there are many more communication resources available to initiate
Facebook projects in Aalborg as the more official communication is taken care off in the centralized communication department. As mentioned in the discussion above, what leads to
the success of a Facebook page is often when a fiery soul is in charge and drives it because of
his or her personal interest and abilities. This is probably the case in Aalborg with the NBS
page, as it appears that a lot of effort has been put into the page. As I have not investigated
it further I cannot dismiss that it could be the case in Allerød too, but even if the webmaster
is passionate about Facebook she does not have much time on her hands for the task as she
is also the webmaster. This is of course a very rough picture to paint, however based on the
experts and the municipalities’ statements I am of the opinion that this is a reasonable point
to make. The solution to Allerød’s problems could based on this be presented as simply getting more communication workers. This, however, touches upon the next point that I will
draw forward about the prioritization of communication resources in the municipalities in a
time of cutbacks.
Before turning towards this point, I will round off this discussion about the resources of each
municipality. Resources can be part of the explanation to the different and more or less appropriate initiatives Allerød and Aalborg have started on Facebook. In my opinion Allerød is
doing quite a good job by being on Facebook considering their resources. If nothing else,
they get important experience in what it means to communicate on Facebook, which can be
useful for their future presence on social media including Facebook. Still, it must be recog-
80 / 218
nized that the key to a brand strengthening Facebook presence lies in the mindset. That is
where I think Allerød fails, because I am of the opinion that their however limited resources
could be put to better use if they focused on more specific topics and target audiences than
now.
7.3
FACEBOOK IN A TIME OF COST CUTTING
Branding and being on Facebook is tough to argue for and to get resources for in a time
where employees and citizens demand to know more about how they will be affected by the
need to cut costs in the municipality they live in. Allerød must reduce expenses with around
95 mio. DKK (Allerød budgetforlig 2010). In general the Danish municipalities have to cut 4
billion DKK off the budgets over the next three years (Hjortdal & Adelborg 2010) because of
the Danish Government’s plan to reduce expenses because of the financial crisis. On average
this means cutbacks at around 40 million DKK for each municipality Ibid.).
It can be questioned what municipalities should focus their communication efforts on in a
time like this because people’s patience is low as it is their children, elderly care or their job
is in danger. However, in this regard Facebook can prove to be a highly effective communication tool. All three experts highlight, that Facebook can be used for citizen services as an
addition to the physical citizen services centers around the country. In this respect I have
two important points: 1) Facebook can aid in cutbacks-communication and 2) Facebook used
for citizen services might in general be cost cutting. Both points are related to what characterizes Facebook: Everyone can access and view the communication, thus when a citizen
asks a question on a municipality’s Facebook page, other people with the same question will
potentially be helped. The one-to-many effect of communication via Facebook can have the
potential of cutting down the costs on much more expensive types of citizen services such as
face to face or by telephone. Furthermore, it might be a form of communication that will
stimulate more people to contact the municipality, whereas now these people have to go
down to the citizen services center or find the right self-service tool on a complicated municipal website14 instead of just using Facebook which more around 2.5 million Danes do regu-
14
A recent report by Dwarf has proved that municipal websites are hard to find the right information on and
that the digital self-service solutions are too difficult to use(Dwarf 2010a).
81 / 218
larly (Dwarf 2010). This way of using Facebook is the goal of supporting in Li and Bernoff’s
terminology (2009).
The experts highlight the “ease of use” as one of the crucial arguments to having some extent of citizen services through Facebook (Appendix 6, 8 & 10). In a situation where the cut
downs on services are affecting a lot of citizens, it seems relevant to use “the Danes’ preferred network” as Morten Saxnæs puts it (Appx 10), for both informing about the budgetary
decisions and the decision making in general – the latter of course only if the municipality
are ready to have the full debate and give up some of the political power to the citizens.
However, for Facebook to function as a good citizen services-channel by working as a means
to support the citizens, resources have to be dedicated to the tasks. As the analyses have
pointed out, the need for a strategy is significant and to realize citizen services and cutbackcommunication in this way calls for more means than just experimenting as the two municipalities that I have studied are doing. The municipal management has to prioritize this as it
will demand financial resources besides the salary of the responsible persons. If the municipality wants to make Facebook the platform for this communication, resources must also be
dedicated to marketing the initiative, e.g. advertising in e.g. printed media, local television
and radio, online – maybe on Facebook – in the citizen services centers etc. Thus, Facebook
has the potential of aiding in the communication about the cutbacks that all municipalities
are facing today, however this cannot be accomplished fully without taking the need for
proper amounts of resources in to consideration.
As I have now discussed the three relevant matters of the experimental use of Facebook, the
resources and the potential of using Facebook in a time of a financial crisis, I now turn to
describe what recommendations my research entails.
8
RECOMMENDATIONS
In this section I will describe the recommendations my case studies conclude in. This will be
done both specifically towards each of the two municipalities studied and in general, i.e.
how my findings can be useful for other municipalities.
82 / 218
8.1
ALLERØD
In the regard that Allerød, in line with the recommendations made by the three experts as
well as the groundswell mindset, wants to signal sincerity and competence, I will here
present three strategic recommendations.
In the overall picture, Allerød needs to investigate who their target audience is in Allerød, i.e.
how the citizens of Allerød are using Facebook. Then their goals need to be adapted accordingly and finally this should result in a strategy with a future perspective. The strategy
should include a consideration about the resources dedicated to the project in order for Allerød to be able to plan how their strategy is carried out.
Starting with the target audience, I will recommend that Allerød focus their, however limited, resources on narrowing down the target audience(s) and creating Facebook pages
centered on each target audience, thus supplementing their current Facebook page with
pages targeted at sub-groups of the entire population of the municipality. Allerød’s head
page can then become the hub for the different sub-group pages which makes great sense
as way of marketing Allerød’s Facebook presence. By focusing on sub-groups there is an increased chance of the citizens finding the content relevant and thus finding it valuable to
form bonds with the municipal brand which in turn strengthens Allerød’s brand. Allerød
must consider the different types of Facebook users, in order to decide on a strategy that is
in compliance with what behavior can be expected from the target audience.
When deciding what audiences to target through Facebook pages it might be difficult for
Allerød to decide on where to delimitate as all the municipality’s citizens must be offered
the same service. In this regard, it would make sense for Allerød to relate their Facebook
presence to the municipality’s general strategy and the target audiences in focus. As with all
other communication, Facebook should be used to support the core business and thus the
areas of strategic relevance to Allerød.
Turning towards Allerød’s objectives, they should move from only informing and having oneway conversation to stimulating two-way conversation. Their current goal must be changed
from the traditional corporate goals, e.g. pushing out marketing messages, to comply more
with the groundswell mindset in order for the citizens to perceive Allerød’s way of commu83 / 218
nicating as appropriate. It is necessary that Allerød’s communication on Facebook gets
through to the citizens as this is the only way that the page will function as a way to signal
sincerity and competence as Allerød wishes.
Allerød could benefit from trying to make Facebook more of a listening post which means
that the page will be open to citizens’ thoughts, ideas, criticism, and what else interest them.
They could start of this way, e.g. on three areas such as day-care, elder care and the school
area and see what the citizens are talking about. With time Allerød can then develop their
presence as they will know better what the citizens want to talk about and want more
about, and in a longer-term perspective Allerød could move towards other groundswell
goals.
8.2
AALBORG
Compared to Allerød, I have evaluated Aalborg to be a step ahead as their mindset is more in
compliance with Li and Bernoff’s groundswell theory. The starting point for my recommendations are thus different but still centered around general approach and strategy, goals and
target audience.
A strategy is on the way in Aalborg, and the recommendations from my study are to continue to focus on delimitated target audiences and develop their presence to be even more
suitable to the Facebook platform.
Aalborg is one of the biggest municipalities in Denmark both in terms of citizens and employees. Therefore a strategy is recommended that can streamline Aalborg’s Facebook pages
to ensure a consistent brand personality is created and perceived by stakeholders. Lotte Birk
stated that a web 2.0 strategy is in its making and it will be my recommendation that this
strategy is not limited to how the centralized communication team uses Facebook for but
that it will also contain a strategy for how to manage decentralized Facebook initiatives.
There might be different goals for each initiative but to create a consistent personality of
Aalborg it must be decided what line of communication should generally be followed. From
that starting point it will then be natural to have each page focus on a different target audience, however, this audience and the Facebook activity should be aligned with Aalborg’s
overall communication goals. Thus, Aalborg can work to optimize their brand personality
84 / 218
expression through Facebook with a strategy that all administrations must follow in their
individual Facebook efforts.
Focusing on the NBS page, the issue with this page is the lack of interaction. There is activity
and a few examples of citizen to citizen interaction but not to the extent that you get a feeling of an actual debate. A way to increase the interaction is for Aalborg’s posts to be more
facilitating instead of informative. Alternatively they could benefit from have sub-audiences
within the total target audience such that the Facebook page centered on e.g. facilitating the
younger target audience’s opinions.
8.3
MUNICIPALITIES IN GENERAL
From the above recommendations specifically towards Allerød and Aalborg some general
recommendations towards municipalities can be made. The recommendations above have
been focused on the initiatives of Allerød and Aalborg so far, and I will begin this section of
general recommendations with drawing a point forward that has relevance for both municipalities as well as municipalities in general. When I discussed my research findings, I highlighted that it would make sense that municipalities move a part of their citizen services to
Facebook. The experts have all suggested that this is both a cost saving and a brand building
way of using Facebook’s functionalities and in my opinion it signals a high extent of knowledge about citizens’ behavior on the internet, i.e. competence, if this was carried out. Furthermore, it would indeed signal openness and being at eye level with citizens. Moving the
citizen services partly on to Facebook could be a way for municipalities to get closer to their
citizens and vice versa which is indeed brand strengthening. I will only highlight the idea here
as I have outlined it earlier because it is not this thesis’ aim to evaluate citizen services on
Facebook further. My point is on the other hand to recommend that municipalities consider
offering some sort of services to citizens and make their Facebook page(s) open to inquiries
of this kind as it can provide brand strength.
Besides from using Facebook for citizen services, municipalities can use Facebook as a way
to strengthen their brand personality in the following ways:

Approach Facebook with a strategy that views Facebook as more than an experiment. It is acceptable to start out with sending out information but it is important to
85 / 218
have the resources and the mindset to develop the Facebook page into a platform
from which the municipality can communicate symbolic value that has the potential
of getting the municipality closer to its citizens through a municipality-citizen relationship.

Set goals that match the municipality’s resources and overall strategy. The goals must
be minded for Facebook and how this medium works and what is expected from a
municipality on Facebook in terms of content and level of activity. Cultural content
and more than one new post per week is a good place to start.

Approach Facebook with a concern for specific target audiences and create pages
that stimulate conversation and interaction about topics relevant for groups of individuals. Relevance is the key to engaging people on Facebook. This signals competence and sincerity as the target audience will feel that the municipality is genuinely
interested in them and at eye level.
By being on Facebook with the appropriate strategy, the Facebook-minded goals and focus
on delivering personal relevance to delimitated target audiences, municipalities have a
chance to get closer to their citizens. If they can show that they know what the citizens need
in terms of communication, information and dialog they can “blow of some of the dust” that
they are related to.
86 / 218
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION &
PERSPECTIVES
Chapter 6: Conclusion & Perspectives
9
CONCLUSION
Facebook has moved into municipal communication as it has become the Danes’ preferred
online social network site with more than 2.5 million profiles. As all communication from
municipalities contributes to the general as well as the municipality-specific brand, so does
the communication on Facebook. Using Facebook in a municipal context can cause damage
to an already challenged brand as municipalities are in general perceived to be closed, inefficient and as bad service providers. However, it also offers a potential to get back in touch
and strengthen the bonds to the citizens.
Most of the research about using social media in an organizational context has dealt with
privately held companies or public organizations in other countries, which is why this thesis
has turned the focus towards a Danish context. On the basis of the challenges municipalities
are facing I have therefore been looking to answer the question of how a municipality acts
appropriately on Facebook to establish and build a bond between the municipality and the
citizens.
With a starting point in the social constructivist view I have carried out a case study of the
two municipalities; Allerød and Aalborg that each has their specific approach to Facebook.
The purpose of a case study approach was to get results that would act as an eye-opener to
both the two municipalities in question but also as inspiration to other municipalities. The
research consisted of interviews with the head of communication in each municipality, three
interviews with experts in communication, branding and social media, and a survey with
Facebook users and observations on Allerød’s and Aalborg’s Facebook pages.
The underlying principle for the analysis has been Li and Bernoff’s groundswell (2009) mindset supplemented with Dwarf’s (2010) research and results about the Danish use of Facebook. From this offset I have evaluated how appropriately Allerød and Aalborg are using Facebook. These evaluations have then been further evaluated by applying brand personality
theory (Heding et al. 2009; Aaker 1997) to state what effect the behavior of the municipalities on Facebook has on each municipality’s brand.
In Allerød the goal is to signal sincerity and competence but they view Facebook as a oneway communication channel that can be used for pushing out information that is not suita88 / 218
ble for the municipality’s official website. This goal is not appropriate, as it does not comply
with the mindset of the groundswell. Instead they should strive to create two-way conversation both with the citizens on Facebook and the citizens in between, or make the Facebook
page a true listening post. However, considering how few communication resources Allerød
has and that Allerød is, much like other brands on Facebook, still trying to find out how this
medium contributes to municipal communication, it is fair that they are still at an informational stage in their Facebook behavior. However, the effect of this is that when Allerød does
not live up to the expectations of the citizens on Facebook it will affect the brand negatively.
Allerød’s Facebook presence should strengthen their relationship with the citizens. This can
be done if Allerød targets one or more specific target audiences and offer them relevant
content on Facebook more than once a week. In other words, if Allerød take a groundswell
approach that considers what types of people are using Facebook and what objectives and
procedures that are suitable and expected, the likelihood that they are perceived as sincere
and competent will be increased. This should be the center of attention in a communication
strategy that prioritizes Facebook and makes room for continuous development. As people
in general form bonds with brands via the brands’ personality in the construction of their
own personality, Allerød has a chance of forming bonds with the citizens, that can create
loyalty and strengthen the municipal brand, if they can offer symbolic value through meaningful communication on Facebook.
Different from Allerød, Aalborg has taken a campaign or project based approach to Facebook and I have concentrated on one of the four Facebook pages they manage: ‘New Budolfi
Square’ (NBS). Through Facebook Aalborg aims to express an exciting brand personality with
sincerity and competence as the underlying personality dimensions as guiding principles. By
opening up and telling the citizens that Aalborg is ready for input about the decision making
concerning Budolfi Square, I find that they signal openness or sincerity and being modern,
i.e. using new ways of communicating. They signal less competence as they leave more twoway communication to be desired which is the essential part of Facebook. The NBS page
does not create real two-way conversation, but works well as a listening post. If Aalborg had
an actual debate on the page it would have been similar to an embracing goal if the citizens
were to be a political partner. The approach Aalborg has to Facebook, i.e. using it for delimi-
89 / 218
tated projects etc., is in line with the groundswell mindset and furthermore follows the recommendation of the experts to have several pages each with its own purpose to hit the target audience as “niche” as possible. As relevance leads to involvement and Aalborg has delimitated their Facebook presence to certain focus areas there is a good chance that Aalborg
can connect with the citizens and be perceived as exciting, sincere and competent.
Thus, I can conclude from my research and studies of Allerød and Aalborg that it can be successful to join Facebook and try out the medium. But as a municipality it must be considered
that there are expectations to the level of activity and the content. If these demands are not
met, e.g. if the content is not relevant or the activity is too low, it signals that the municipality has not fully understood the medium and then citizens will not want to spend their time
on the page. They will in other words not find that the municipality’s brand offer symbolic
value that they can use in their own construction of personality.
Furthermore, from my discussion of the research results, I can conclude that experimenting
with Facebook can be suitable, but it must be considered to get help from external consultants to obtain the right approach. Help from consultants can be valuable but most effect
will be obtained if there is a ‘fiery soul’ in the municipality that can drive the initiative after
getting started.
It has been questioned whether or not Aalborg has the most appropriate approach to Facebook because of their lack of resources. My conclusion is that in a larger organization such as
Aalborg there will be more communication resources available to make a Facebook page
work. However, not everything can be solved with extra resources as a lot of the success lies
in the mindset. Finally, I have questioned the need and appropriateness of dedicating resources to Facebook activities when municipalities have to cut back on expenses. I have argued that it can actually work to support the municipality, as Facebook can be part of the
communication about the cutbacks or can work as a source of citizens services which will be
less costly compared to other types of citizen services today.
My recommendation is that Allerød should focus on developing a Facebook strategy that
focuses more on the target audience and on two-way communication. For Aalborg it is necessary to develop a strategy that considers the size of the organization and continues to
90 / 218
stay focused on the project-based approach. It can be concluded that currently Allerød’s
Facebook page is not a platform for the creation of bonds between the municipality and the
citizens, because the approach, the goals and the target audience considerations are insufficient, whereas Aalborg is in a better state as their Facebook pages are already closer to the
needs of the citizens.
For municipalities in general, the citizens are best addressed on Facebook via niche-pages
that concern a special or highly delimitated subject and target audience. This way there is
greater chance that the citizens will feel congruence between the individuals own personality and the brand personality communicated through focus on a subject – and the right content.
10 PERSPECTIVES
As I have now concluded on the findings of my research, I find it relevant to broaden the
perspective and view the conclusions in a bigger picture. This case study has its relevance as
it has given insights on how Facebook can be approached differently, but there are a lot of
other examples of municipal pages on Facebook and municipalities being present on other
social media. This research has pointed to some of the issues about recognizing the mechanisms of Facebook in a branding perspective however it raises several questions for further
research. I will now turn to address three of them: Measuring how personality is perceived,
social media in general and brand communities.
10.1 MEASURING HOW PERSONALITY IS PERCEIVED
My studies have researched and concluded on the municipal-angle of the problem area. As a
brand manager or head of communication it makes sense to focus on what can be done on
the municipality’s side of the table, but future research that allows for a broader scope will
benefit from including how a municipality is actually perceived when on Facebook. Measures
such as ‘likes’ and the level of activity and interaction can, as mentioned throughout my analyses, signal how successfully the communication on Facebook is. Measuring the understanding and perception of the page from the citizen-angle will however offer valuable insight into
what can more specifically be done to strengthen the bond between the citizens and the
municipality.
91 / 218
Chapter 6: Conlusion & Perspectives
Future studies about how being on Facebook can affect a brand should also consider what
Facebook means for personal branding. In the study by Dwarf (2010) from which I have used
the five Facebook user types, it is pointed out that Facebook is used to present a positive
picture of ourselves, even a bit more positive than the real picture. More knowledge about
how much people care about what pages they like in terms of personal branding would
maybe add significant insights to what it means to ‘like’ a municipality on Facebook a nd
thus, what it means to like a municipality’s page. This would lead valuable insights about
how Facebook affects the dyadic relationship between the citizen and the municipal brand.
10.2 SOCIAL MEDIA IN GENER AL
This thesis has brought attention to how Facebook should be approached and can have an
effect on a municipality’s brand personality but future research might also include social
media networks or services such as Twitter or Youtube. Some Danish municipalities are already using Twitter, e.g. The Municipality of Odder and The Municipality of Roskilde. The
behavior on Twitter is similar but at the same time different from Facebook, as Twitter has a
much lower spread in Denmark and is to some extent characterized by users who have an
interest in social media, IT, online marketing and communication and the like. In other
words, there are fewer users but they have special demands. Research could determine how
Twitter effects people’s view n the municipalities or also interesting, what the use of several
social media platforms at the same time offers in terms of brand value.
10.3 BRAND COMMUNITIES
The final perspective I will present is the concept of brand communities. Facebook pages can
to some extent be viewed as online communities where people can discuss their feelings
and experiences with a brand and show their commitment to other community members. As
I have touched upon in this thesis, municipalities have a lot of different target audiences
within the total number of citizens, and for future research it would be interesting to find
out if 1) it is possible to use Facebook pages as community pages for a certain target audience in a municipality and 2) what effect this would have on the relationship between the
municipal and the citizens.
92 / 218
11 LITERATURE
11.1 BOOKS AND ARTICLES
Aaker, Jennifer Lynn (1997): Dimensions of Brand Personality. Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), 34(3), pp. 347-356.
Andersen, Ib (1998): Den skinbarlige virkelighed: Om valg af samfundsvidenskabelige metoder. 1st edition. Frederiksberg; Kbh.: Samfundslitteratur
Azoulay, Audrey and Kapferer, Jean-Noël (2003): Do brand personality scales really measure brand personality? Journal of Brand Management, 11(2), pp. 143-155.
Bryman, Alan and Bell, Emma (2003): Business research methods. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Fuglsang, Lars and Olsen, Poul Bitsch (2004): Videnskabsteori i samfundsvidenskaberne på
tværs af fagkulturer og paradigmer. 2nd edn. København: Roskilde Universitetsforlag.
Hair, Jr. Joseph F., Bush, Robert P. and Ortinau, David J. (2009): Marketing Research In a
Digital Information Environment. 4th edn. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Heding, Tilde, Knudtzen, Charlotte F. and Bjerre, Mogens (2009): Brand management: research, theory and practice. London: Routledge.
Kozinets, Robert V. (2002): The Field Behind the Screen: Using Netnography for Marketing
Research in Online Communities. Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), 39(1), pp. 61-72.
Kvale, Steinar (2000): InterView - En introduktion til det kvalitative forskningsinterview. Kbh.:
Hans Reitzels Forlag.
Li, Charlene and Bernoff, Josh (2009): Groundswell Vinderstrategier i en verden af sociale
teknologier. København: Børsens Forlag.
Smit, Edith G., Van den Berge, Emilie and Franzen, Giep, 2003. Brands are just like real
people! The development of SWOCC's Brand Personality Scale. In: Branding and Advertising,
edited by Hansen, Flemming and Christensen, Lars B. (2003), 1st edition, Copenhagen Business School Press.
11.2 WEB
Aalborg Universitet (2010): AAU i tal: Studerende i alt. Retrieved at:
http://tal.aau.dk/studerende/samlede 23/10/2010
Aalborg, Ø. (2010):. Aalborg i tal 2010. Aalborg, Denmark: Økonomikontoret, Aalborg Kommune. Retrieved at: http://www.e-pages.dk/aalborgkommune/292/ 24/10/2010
93 / 218
aalborgkommune.dk (2010): Forvaltningerne. Retrieved at:
http://www.aalborgkommune.dk/Om_kommunen/Forvaltninger/Sider/Forvaltningerne.aspx
20/11/2010
Allerød budgetforlig (2010): Besparelser budget 2011-2014. Retrieved at:
http://www.alleroedkommune.dk/Aktuelt/Arkiv/~/media//Forvaltningen/Byraadssek/bespa
relser.ashx 25/12/2010
Allerød's FB-page (2010): Allerød Kommune. Retrived at:
http://www.facebook.com/alleroed 21/11/2010
Alleroed.dk Forvaltningen (2010): Forvaltningen. Retrieved at:
http://www.alleroed.dk/Organisation/Forvaltningen.aspx 20/11/2010
Alleroed.dk Virksomhederne (2010): Virksomhederne. Retrieved at:
http://www.alleroed.dk/Organisation/Virksomhederne.aspx 20/11/2010
Danmarks Statistik (2009) Befolkningens brug af internet - 2009. København: Danmarks Statistik. Retrieved at: http://www.dst.dk/upload/befolkningens_brug_af_internet_2009__medforside_.pdf 20/12/2010
Danmarks Statistik kommunalvalg (2010): Statistiske Efterretninger, Befolkning og valg, Valgene til kommunalbestyrelser og regionsråd 17. november 2009. Retrieved at:
http://valg.ism.dk/valg/Documents/KRV2009SE.pdf 07/12/2010
Danmarks Statistik, Statistikbanken (2010): FOLK1: Folketal 1. juli efter kommune/region,
køn, alder, civilstand, herkomst, oprindelsesland og statsborgerskab. Retrieved at:
www.statistikbanken.dk/FOLK1 22/10/2010
Den Store Danske, Aalborg (2010): Aalborg Kommune. Retrieved at:
http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_geografi/Danm
arks_kommuner/Aalborg_Kommune?highlight=aalborg%20kommune 24/10/2010
Den Store Danske, Allerød (2010): Allerød Kommune. Retrieved at:
http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_geografi/Danm
arks_kommuner/Aller%C3%B8d_Kommune 24/10/2010
Dr.dk Indland (2010): Aftale om nulvækst i kommunerne. Retrieved at:
http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2010/06/12/220653.htm?rss=true 07/12/2010
Dwarf (2010a): Kommunal Web Excellence. Sådan gør de bedste kommuner - og de værste.
Dwarf Quarterly. Retrieved at: http://dwarf.dk/dq/DQ3_Kommunal_Web_Excellence.pdf.
20/12/2010
Dwarf (2010): Forretningen Facebook - Kommercielt eller socialt medie? Dwarf Quarterly.
Retrieved at:
94 / 218
http://www.dwarf.dk/dq/0904/DQ2_Facebook_Kommercielle_og_sociale_medier.pdf.
20/12/2010
Facebakers Denmark (2010): Denmark Facebook Statistics. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebakers.com/facebook-statistics/denmark 28/10/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 1 (2010): Ny Budolfi Plads. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/nybudolfiplads 20/10/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 1a (2010): Om Ny Budolfi Plads. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/nybudolfiplads?v=app_4949752878 19/12/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 1b (2010): Ny Budolfi Plads, Info. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/nybudolfiplads?v=info 19/12/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 2 (2010): CYKL mere. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/cykelby 19/12/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 3 (2010): Eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/eleverne 24/10/2010
Facebook page Aalborg 4 (2010): Aalborg Stadsarkiv. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aalborg-Denmark/AalborgStadsarkiv/74025152089?ref=nf 24/10/2010
H&M (2010): H&M, tab: Your H&M. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/hm?v=app_4949752878 17/12/2010
Hjortdal, Marie and Adelborg, Jeppe K., 2010. Lars Løkke: Vi skal spare 10 milliarder kroner.
Politiken.dk. Retrieved at: http://politiken.dk/politik/ECE952246/lars-loekke-vi-skal-spare10-milliarder-kroner/ 20/12/2010
Hussing, Mads, 2010. Rekord antal kommunalt ansatte i 2009. Allerød Nyt. Retrieved at:
http://alleroed.lokalavisen.dk/rekordantal-kommunalt-ansatte-i-2009/20101007/artikler/101009479 20/12/2010
KL.dk (2010): KL.dk - official website of Local Government Denmark. Retrieved at: www.kl.dk
20/12/2010
KL.dk, Momentum (2010): Kommuner rykker på Facebook. Retrieved at:
http://www.kl.dk/Momentum/Artikler/76507/2010/10/Kommuner-rykker-pa-Facebook/
07/12/2010
Komfo (2010): Danske kommuner på Facebook. København N: Komfo. Retrieved at:
http://komfo.com/posts/danish/guide-kommuner-paa-facebook.pdf 20/10/2010
95 / 218
Komfo (2009): Danmarks Demografi På Facebook - En undersøgelse af de 50 største danske
byer på Facebook. Retrieved at: http://komfo.com/posts/danish/danmarks-demografi-paafacebook.pdf
Komfo nyhedsstrøm (2010): Danske kommuner på Facebook (guide). Available:
http://komfo.com/nyhedsstroem/kommuner-paa-facebook 28/10/2010
Sydney Opera House (2010): Sydney Opera House, tab: Tell us a S.. Retrieved at:
http://www.facebook.com/sydneyoperahouse?v=app_182291001781134 17/12/2010
Wikipedia Aalborg (2010): Aalborg Kommune. Retrieved at:
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalborg_Kommune 30/10/2010
Wikipedia Allerød (2010): Allerød Kommune. Retrieved at:
http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aller%C3%B8d_Kommune 30/10/2010
Wikipedia LinkedIn (2010): LinkedIn. Retrieved at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn
28/10/2010
Wikipedia Twitter (2010): Twitter. Retrieved at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
28/10/2010
WWF Verdensnaturfonden (2010): WWF Verdensnaturfonden, tab: Gør en Indsats. Retrieved at: http://www.facebook.com/WWFdk?v=app_4949752878 17/12/2010
96 / 218
12 LIST OF FIGURES
1: Thesis progression
2: The relationship between reliability and validity
3: The link between brand personality theory and the groundswell mindset
4: The POST-method
5: Danish Facebook users
6: Analytic strategy
7: Map showing Allerød geographically
8: Screen shot of Allerød’s Facebook page
9: Map showing Aalborg geographically
10: Screen shot of Aalborg’s Facebook page
11: Screen shot of customized tab ‘About New Budolfi Square’
12: Front page image from http://www.expandet.dk/sider/professionelle.htm
97 / 218
13 LIST OF APPENDICES
1: Interview guide Allerød
2: Extraction of meaning, interview with Jesper Holdflod Pallesen, Allerød
3: Interview guide Aalborg
4: Extraction of meaning, interview with Lotte Birk, Aalborg
5: Interview guide Jesper Brieghel
6: Extraction of meaning, interview with Jesper Brieghel, LGDK (Kommunernes Landsforening)
7: Interview guide Rasmus Møller-Nielsen
8: Extraction of meaning, interview with Rasmus Møller-Nielsen, Komfo
9: Interview guide Morten Saxnæs
10: Extraction of meaning, interview with Morten Saxnæs, DialoguePeople / PeopleGroup
11: Allerød’s activity on Facebook
12: Activity on Aalborg’s Facebook page ‘New Budolfi Square’
13 Survey questions
14: Survey comments
15: Summary of results of survey
16: Summary of results of interview with experts
98 / 218
APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW GUIDE, JESPER HOLDFLOD PALLESEN, ALLERØD

Introduktion af interviewer: Jeg skriver speciale om, hvordan kommuner kan brande
sig ved at være på Facebook. Jeg studerer marketing og branding på CBS. Grunden til
at jeg har valgt at kontakte dig, er fordi jeg ved, at I i Allerød Kommune arbejder med
Facebook.

Vil du først fortælle lidt om dig selv og kommunikationsafdelingen i Allerød Kommune? Hvor mange er I? Hvor hører I til organisatorisk?

Hvordan arbejder I generelt med branding af kommunen?

Har I en branding-strategi? Målsætninger?

Nu vil jeg gerne spørge ind til, hvordan I bruger Facebook.
o Jeg har set, at I er på Facebook med siden ”Allerød Kommune”
o Har I andre sider?

Hvorfor er I på Facebook? Hvorfor har I valgt at bruge Facebook til projekterne?

Hvem tror I, I kan nå med Facebook, som I ikke rammer med andre kanaler?

Hvad er fordelene? Hvad giver det jer?

Hvad kræver det af jer?

Hvordan sikrer I, at der er aktuelt indhold på Facebook? Hvem er ansvarlige for siden/siderne? Hvem opdaterer? Må alle medarbejdere opdatere Facebook siden?

Hvor hurtigt kan en bruger forvente svar, hvis de henvender sig til kommunen på Facebook?

Har I oplevet problemer eller faldgruber?

Har I en nedskrevet strategi for, hvordan I bruger sociale medier? Er der en politik for
anvendelsen af Facebook?

Er I i egentlig dialog med jeres fans på Facebook – eller bruger i primært Facebook
som en ny kanal til envejskommunikations?

Hvordan dokumenterer I afkastet af jeres ressourcemæssige investering i Facebook?

Hvilke resultater har det givet jer?

Hvilken en slags personlighed ønsker I at jeres kommunale brand skal have?
o Sincerity - oprigtighed
o Competence - dygtighed
o Excitement - spænding
o Sophistication - forfinethed
o Ruggedness? – barskhed/robusthed

Hvad vil I gerne signalere ved at være på Facebook?

Benytter I jer af andre sociale medier? YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, el. lign.

For at opsummere, så arbejder I i Allerød med branding… og Facebook…

Har du noget at tilføje, inden vi slutter interviewet?

Tak for din hjælp!
100 / 218
APPENDIX 2: EXTRACTION OF MEANING, INTERVIEW WITH JESPER H. PALLESEN,
ALERØD
Interview by phone, October 29 th 2010
(Interviewer’s statements are in italics, respondent’s are in regular font)
Kan du først og fremmest bare fortælle lidt om dig selv og jeres kommunikationsafdeling
oppe I Allerød Kommune?
Den er jo ganske beskeden. Vi er to mennesker, der arbejder med det, hvor der er en webmaster, som står for det daglige med at vedligeholde vores elektroniske medier.
Og så er der dig…
Ja, jeg står mere for byrådsbetjeningen, pressedækning.
Er det så webmasteren, der er ansvarlig for Facebook?
Det er hende, der er ansvarlig for det, ja.
I hører under byrådssekretariatet, har jeg opfattet det korrekt?
Det gør vi, ja.
Som sagt så læser jeg marketing ude på CBS, så det her speciale handler dels om marketing
og hvordan man kan bruge Facebook til branding. Hvordan arbejder I generelt med branding
af kommunen oppe hos jer?
Det har vi arbejdet med i den forstand, at vi arbejdede med employer branding, dengang der
var behov for sådan nogle ting.
Ja, hvornår var det?
Det stoppede så for 1½-2 år siden, da [finans]krisen gik i gang. Der har vi været ret fokuserede på at lave nogle områder om employer branding og få markedsført os dér – børneområdet, skoleområdet, ældreområdet, hvor der har været de største rekrutteringsproblemer. Så
der har vi arbejdet på forskellige områder med at gøre det (…). Vi arbejder ikke med branding af kommunen som helhed.
101 / 218
Det har været mest employer branding?
Yes.
Okay. Så vil jeg høre dig Jesper, har I en brandingstrategi…
Nej…
… eller lavede I en ifm. det employer branding I havde?
Ja, der havde vi sådan en overvejelse, jeg vil ikke sige, vi lavede en egentlig strategi. Vi lavede
nogle planer for det, nogle konkrete planer for nogle områder (…)
Var det noget, I kunne tænke jer at arbejde med i fremtiden?
Det kan jeg bestemt ikke udelukke, det er bare overhovedet ikke på dagsordenen lige nu.
Nej. Hvad er der i stedet på dagsordenen, Jesper?
Det er at overleve. Økonomisk.
Som jeg hører alle steder, er der jo meget fokus på det her sparekommunikation. Hvordan
har I fokus på det oppe hos jer?
Vi har ikke fokus på andet stort set. Vi har i særdeleshed været hårdt ramt økonomisk. Væsentlig mere end i mange andre kommuner, og der har vi været ude i nogle meget praktiske
løsninger på alle områder. Så når vi siger sparekommunikation, så er det det her med så godt
som muligt hele tiden at få informeret om, hvad er der sker, hvornår det sker. Også gøre
klart når man ikke kan sige noget, og hvorfor man ikke kan sige noget. Der er jo mange
spørgsmål undervejs, og dem har vi selvfølgelig prøvet at informere så meget om, både til
medarbejdere men også til forældre osv. som kan være bekymrede om, hvad der sker. Der
har vi så brugt meget også at gå i de lokale medier – og nu er der sket det, nu lægger det op
til det (…) og borgermøder der kommer op, hvor borgere kan komme med deres mening.
Når du siger lokale medier, hvad er det så for en slags medier?
Vi har to lokale medier, vi har sådan en af Politikens lokalaviser som er helt kommunal, og så
har vi Frederiksberg Amts avis som fokuserer på Nordsjælland.
102 / 218
Selvfølgelig er der stor fokus på, at der skal spares en masse penge (…) og så kan jeg godt se,
hvis branding ikke er helt så højt på dagsordenen.
Det er det ikke, nej.
Nu vil jeg spørge lidt ind til, hvordan I bruger jeres Facebook-side. Jeg har set, at I er aktive
med den side, der bare hedder Allerød Kommune. Har I andre sider end den?
Nej.
Okay. Hvad er grunden til, at I er på Facebook?
Det er fordi, vi vurderede, at det var et sted, vi kunne komme som et godt supplement til
vores hjemmeside. Vores hjemmeside er meget et sted folk kommer, når de har helt konkrete [spørgsmål], meget sådan hvornår har svømmehallen åben, jeg skal have passet mit barn
og sådan noget om dagtilbud, og hvorfor er min skraldespand ikke blevet tømt og sådan nogle ting. Meget konkret, folk går derind måske 1 gang om året eller også har de noget meget
konkret de går efter… Hvor vi tænkte, at Facebook var sådan et socialt medie der mere kunne bruges til at informere om ting, som ikke egner sig til offentliggørelse på en hjemmeside,
vi bruger også ting, der godt kan være begge steder, men den sådan lidt mere uformelle (…)
Fx nu er der fastelavn eller sådan noget. Sådan noget lidt mere uformelt. Hjemmesiden er
det de lidt mere kommunale, officielle myndighedsside. Generelt er det mit indtryk, at Fac ebook er kraftigt aftagende i brug, der er også stilstand i antallet af brugere, så det er jo ikke
noget, vi bruger mange kræfter på overhovedet. Det er sådan lidt – også fra webmasterens
side sådan lidt sjovt at se om den måde… Vi har jo sådan set også gjort det klart over for
borgerne, at hvis de ønsker at kommunikere med kommunen, så er det ikke den vej dér. Vi
har det dér forhold, at vi er også en myndighed, og det betyder, at hvis man sender et brev
til Borgmesteren, så skriver han et brev tilbage med underskrift og det hele – og det bliver
journaliseret og arkiveret (…) Så på den måde skal vi jo også sondre mellem, hvad der er
jura, og hvad der er almindelig snak, og hvornår nogen henvender sig om en konkret sag, og
hvornår er det de indgiver en klage, eller er det her nu en høring og sådan nogle ting. (…) jeg
tror da at når folk en gang imellem sender en mail ind, så får de et officielt brev tilbage, men
det skal vi gøre. Vi er nødt til at lægge nogle grænser ind, hvordan vi agerer ift. borgerne. På
den måde kan man sige, at hvor man nogle gange som kommune godt kan komme til at
103 / 218
fremstå lidt gammeldags, eller sådan lidt stiv, det fordi vi ikke bare kan sidde og svare lige ud
af posen, fordi der hele tiden er andre, der også skal svare på borgere. Og der har vi så pr øvet, kan vi have det kørende på Facebook på den måde, at hvis du har en officiel henvendelse til kommunen, så skal du bruge vores hjemmeside eller vores @-adresse og skrive til den.
Hvis du har en almindelig kommentar, som du bare vil lufte, så kan du gøre det her, uden at
myndigheden kommer.
Hvordan har I oplevet at det har fungeret?
Jamen det har fungeret fint, jeg synes folk er gode til helt generelt sondre mellem pjat og
virkelig verden og hvornår er det en klage. Men det er en udfordring for myndigheder generelt, det dér med at der er en forventning også til svartid. Der er nogle andre normer, nogle
andre kulturer på især sociale medier. Hvis du sender en mail så forventer du et svar med
det samme. (…) Så vi har da også tænkt, hvordan reagerer vi på den side, vi har jo tænkt, der
skal ikke gøres forskel på borgerne om du sender en mail eller et brev – med mail er det jo
væsentlig billigere – men sådan nogle ting er der selvfølgelig nogle overvejelser omkring.
Har I en decideret politik eller strategi for, hvordan I bruger Facebook?
Jaa, det havde vi da et udkast til, men det underkendt fordi, jeg tror vi lagde det for stramt
frem, ift. hvad vores institutionsleder ønskede, så det har vi ikke – den døde.
Så det er webmasteren, der føler sig frem?
Ja, men det vores bekymring gik på, det var hvis alle børnehaver fx også ville oprette sider,
og hvornår er det… Der er jo mange af vores ansatte, som også er borgere i kommunen,
mange af vores ansatte er jo også meget optagede af deres fag og deres job. Hvis de nu sidder… Der må heller aldrig været tvivl for borgerne om, er det en medarbejder eller nabo eller… alle sådan nogle ting, vi er nødt til at være rimelig klare med, hvad for nogle kasketter,
man har på. Fordi det kan godt være, jeg kan stå og sige noget ind over hækken, men så ved
folk også, jeg siger det i en privat sammenhæng. Det bliver sådan lidt slynget sammen, når
man har en børnehave, det flyder sammen, hvem er det nu, der taler over Facebook her. Der
er vi nødt til at være rigtigt vågne også fra vores side, så vi ikke bringer folk i et uheldigt lys,
fordi de siger nogle ting og sådan noget. Alt det man skriver, skal kunne holde. Du skal ikke
skrive noget, som ikke kan holde til at blive set alle steder, vel. Man kan ikke have flere ka104 / 218
sketter på (…) Man kan ikke sige, at Borgmesteren er en idiot eller en direktør er en idiot
som en børnehave Facebook-profil, men kan du gøre det i din egen private – det er godt
spørgsmål. Det er også et spørgsmål om, at vi alle sammen vænner os til at alt er offentligt,
så snart du skriver det ud.
(…) Hvordan sikrer I, at der er aktuelt indhold på Facebook, og er det kun hende [webmasteren], der opdaterer, eller er der andre?
(…) Vi har også tilknyttet nogle andre nogen, fx Grøn Guide, som også bruger kommunens
side. Vi har også andre, som publicerer på det. Men der er sikkert snart et nyt socialt medie
på vej, der overtager den position, som Facebook har haft som det hippe blandt de unge, og
så tror jeg, vi oplever lidt det samme. (…) Folk skal også lære at bruge det, i stedet for at skrive i dag, ”i dag har jeg spist is” – nå! Altså, hvad er det, vi vil bruge det her til? Sådan er det
jo også for det offentlige, hvad er det, vi vil bruge det til. Altså i stedet for bare at være der,
man kan jo hurtigt sige, jamen det er da fantastisk, at nu er vi på Facebook – jamen det kræver ikke mere end fem minutters arbejde, men hvad er vi der for. Altså, hvad er det vi vil.
Hvad er det, der giver jer noget ved at være på Facebook? Eller hvad er det, I får ud af det?
Vi kan jo se en værdi ved det. Det er jo fint at få nogle ting igennem, men vi skal hele tiden
kigge på, får vi noget ud af det her? Får borgerne – det er jo deres skattekroner (…) det skal
vi jo kunne legitimere (…). Vi skal ikke være der bare for at være der.
Hvordan balancerer I så det med, at I selvfølgelig også skal bruge jeres til på alle mulige andre medier. Hvordan finder I ud af at sikre at det indhold, der er på Facebook, det er noget
som borgerne gerne vil have?
Jamen det kan man jo så lidt se ved fx tommelfingeren op, eller ”synes godt om”(…), men
det er jo meget en fornemmelse, en kompetence man har som medarbejder – hvad er det
for nogle folk, der er her, hvad er det egentlig, de synes… lad os nu sige det er gamle venner,
jamen så er det nok nogle særlige ting, man skal oplyse omkring, så skal man sådan være
målgruppeorienteret. Men jeg tror Anne, som sidder med det, har en klar fornemmelse af
hvad det er for nogen, der kigger med. Og på den måde synes vi, det er en funktion, som er
god at have, for der sidder nogen derude, som ser meget med. Og det er jo det, der er ku nsten – det skal være vedkommende, ellers så havner man jo ude. For få år siden var kommu105 / 218
nernes hjemmesider meget orienteret mod nyheder, og det var fordi at man havde en ide
om, at folk var meget interesserede i deres kommune – gu’ var de ej. Ikke på kommunesiderne i hvert fald. De ville have at vide, hvorfor er min skraldespand ikke tømt, hvor længe
tager det. De er jo ligeglade med, om der er et eller andet møde i gang. Så vi skifter også
vores hjemmeside ud til at have mindre og mindre fokus på nyheder, og mere klar fokus på
servicefunktion. Det er en bevægelse, du kan se på kommunale hjemmesider i dag, fordi det
er ikke et nyhedsmedie. Det er et servicemedie. (…) Vi kan jo se, hvad folk søger på, og hvad
der er flest klik på – de fleste søger på job, og det næste, det er så… Der er jo et meget klart
hierarki i det der.
Har I nogen ide om, hvad det er for en målgruppe I når gennem Facebook, som I ikke når
gennem andre medier?
Ja, altså, vi har ikke studeret det nærmere, men da Facebook kom frem, var det jo virkelig
bredt. Der er mange politikere og dem, som er aktive i lokalsamfundet, som også er der. Og
så er der mange medarbejdere, der synes det er sjovt at være ven med deres arbejdsplads.
Og så er det sgu alle mulige, det er meget bredt. Der er ikke nogen klar profil overhovedet –
der er unge, gamle, der er alle køn.
Mange snakker jo også om, at når man har en Facebook-side, så skal man bruge den til at
skabe dialog. Hvordan fokuserer I på at skabe dialog igennem Facebook?
Der er dialog jo som… at vi er en myndighed. Vi har et byråd, som… jeg kan jo ikke sidde og
have dialog med en borger, om det er en god ide at lukke en eller anden vej, eller en nedskæring. Det kan jeg jo ikke sige. Jeg kan oplyse nogle faktuelle ting og sådan noget. Men det
med dialog er groft overvurderet, for hvad er det lige dialogen skal køre på? Altså, hvornår er
det politik? For så er jeg nødt til at trække mig. Jeg kan give konkrete faktuelle informati oner, men det er der jo ikke meget dialog i. Og politikerne har jo deres egne sider, de kører
på. Og hvis du ser på mange kommunale hjemmesider (…), der er jo også mange kommuner,
der har oprette sådan nogle blogs og netfora og samtlige er stort set døde, der er ikke nogen, der har interesse i det. Det er noget, der opstår forneden af sådan nogle ting. Den dér
tro på, at nu vil vi have noget debat, så sætter vi Borgmesteren til at skrive et indlæg sådan
nogle som mig skriver, så kommer der nok en masse debat om det – det gør der jo ikke. Det
106 / 218
viser alle de dér erfaringer jo. (…) Vi kører meget debat igennem vores lokalaviser, det er
dér, der er en dialog, det fungerer rigtig godt. (…)
Så vil jeg høre dig om noget lidt mere specifikt ift. det apparat, jeg bruger i mit speciale, som
er nogle forskellige teoriapparater. Jeg arbejder som sagt med branding, og jeg arbejder med
brand personligheder. Og så tænkte jeg på, at når I er på Facebook med kommunen, eller
bare sådan kommunen generelt, hvad kunne I så godt tænke jer at signalere ved at være på
Facebook?
Vi vil selvfølgelig gerne signalere, at vi er en kommune, som er åben og som er villig til at gå i
dialog på forskellige måder, altså informere på forskellige måder, prøve nye ting af. (…) Så
det er jo primært et spørgsmål om åbenhed… vi har ikke nogen ambition om at være ”den
frække dreng i klassen”. Det er for at være, hvor borgerne er.
Jeg har sådan nogle forskellige begreber, man kan arbejde med indenfor det man kalder
brand personality. Jeg tænkte, jeg lige ville prøve at fortælle dig de her fem forskellige personlighedstræk, og så vil jeg høre dig om der er nogen af dem, du synes, der passer til det I
gerne vil signalere i Allerød. Det første – det er godt nok på engelsk, men jeg siger også lige
det danske udtryk, bare så vi er sikre på, vi forstår hinanden – det første udtryk det er sincerity, altså oprigtighed eller at man er ærlig. Er det noget, I gerne vil signalere?
Ja, det vil vi da gerne.
Det kan man næsten heller ikke sige imod. Så er der sådan noget som competence, som er
dygtighed, og der er excitement, som er spænding. Hvordan vil I gerne signalere det, hvis det
er noget, I gerne vil signalere?
Spænding?
Ja, eller competence…
Spænding, det er ikke noget, som kommuner beskæftiger sig med, tror jeg. Competence,
altså i den forstand, at man er dygtig, er det dét, du mener?
Ja…
107 / 218
Ja… Jamen vi vil jo gerne, selvfølgelig… Bogerne skulle helst synes, de har en rimelig kompetent forvaltning, nogle folk ansatte som de synes er dygtige, så det vil vi selvfølgelig gerne,
som en vis professionalitet, det er selvfølgelig også derfor vi altid er, hvorfor vi ikke slår større brød op end vi kan bage i sådan en sammenhæng. At når vi går på Facebook, så lover vi
ikke mere end vi kan. Vi lover ikke at vi altid vil være der, at vi kigger døgnet rundt og sådan
nogle ting. Det er jo også at skabe nogle realistiske forventninger.
Hvad med sådan noget som sophistacation, sådan ja sofistikerethed eller forfinethed, eller
sådan noget som – på engelsk hedder det ruggedness – på dansk hedder det barskhed eller
robusthed. Hvad med de to personlighedstræk, er det noget, som I gerne vil signalere?
Nej, det synes jeg ikke.
Nej? Det er mest sådan sincerity, altså oprigtighed og competence, som er den sådan mere
dygtighed…
Jaa, det er sådan det en offentlig forvaltning skal have i mine øjne.
(…) Hvor hurtigt kan man egentlig regne med at få et svar fra jer, hvis man skriver et eller
andet indlæg på Facebook på jeres side?
Det ved jeg sgu ikke  Det vil nok være meget afhængig af… altså hvis det bare er, hvornår
er svømmehallen åben, så tror jeg bare, så ville vi sende et link til vores hjemmeside. Vi har
ikke gået ned og lavet servicestandarder og sådan nogle ting. Det eneste vi har, det er det
med, at hvis man har en officiel henvendelse, så skal man bruge den officielle kanal (…). Det
folk skal lære at skelne mellem, hvor de er henne.
Ved du hvor tit Anne (webmasteren) er inde og tjekke siden?
Jamen det er hun dagligt. Jeg er ikke i tvivl om, at det ville være inden for en eller to dage.
Hvis det er sådan noget, som hun kan svare på. Det ville være inden for et døgns tid. Nogen
gange har hun sendt noget til mig… Men langt det meste, det kører hun bare.
Så vil jeg her afslutningsvis bare høre, om I bruger andre sociale medier som fx YouTube eller..
Nej
108 / 218
Nej? Det er Facebook I har valgt at satse på?
Ja. Vi har snakket om at vi skulle bruge noget YouTube bare for at lave noget internt, som
intranet. Det kunne vi godt finde på. (…) Vi kunne sagtens finde på at bruge YouTube.
Hvad er jeres fremtidsplaner med Facebook eller sociale medier generelt?
Det er meget kritisk, om vi skal være der, for der kommer hele tiden nyt. (…) Om et halvt år,
skal vi så sige ej men nu er det ikke Facebook mere (…) Men vi skal da også turde… Vi skal jo
ikke have 16 forskellige sociale medier kørende. Jeg tror aldrig vi vil have mere end… Vi kan
jo ikke sidde i 2015 og så er der ikke noget, der hedder Facebook mere, så kan vi jo ikke bare
sige, nu har vi været der, så nu skal vi være der i al evighed. Sådan er det jo.
Hvordan markedsfører I eller gør opmærksom på, at I er på Facebook?
Det har vi gjort nogle gange på hjemmesiden og pressemeddelelser. Ellers kører det jo mest i
den ånd, at folk anbefaler og sender rundt til hinanden.
Som et sidste spørgsmål, vil jeg høre, hvad I har oplevet, der har været den største fordel og
den største ulempe ved at bruge Facebook?
Jeg vil ikke sige, vi har haft nogle ulemper. Vi har ikke haft nogen problemer med det.
Der har ikke været nogen sure henvendelser?
Naarhj, der har ikke været nogen, nej. Fordelen har jo været, at vi har prøvet noget nyt af, og
vi synes det har været sjovt at prøve at gå ind på den dér måde og møde borgerne på en
måde, de nok ikke forventede. Det har været fordelen. Vi har fået gjort os nogle tanker om
hvordan... Det har tvunget os til at tænke nogle tanker om, hvordan man skal agere på sociale medier. Det har tvunget os til at sige… Hvordan håndterer man som forvaltning sådan nogle ting, som dukker op, for det er kommet for at blive. Men hvordan håndterer vi det fremover, når der er noget nyt, og hvad med næste gang. På den måde har det modnet vores
kommunikationsstrategi. At den er sammensat af flere elementer. Den bliver mere bredt
funderet i fremtiden. Det kan du sige er fordelen.
(…) Hvordan dokumenterer I afkastet?
109 / 218
Vi dokumenterer ikke noget som helst. Altså, det er også derfor, vi skal kunne forsvare at det
er meget begrænset tid, vi bruger på det og det er noget vi prøver lidt af. Det er ikke en politisk beslutning at vi er der. Det er heller ikke en beslutning truffet i direktørregi. Det er sådan
en, der… Ja, nu prøver vi det her.
Det er ikke noget, I som sådan måler på?
Selvfølgelig skal vi kunne i situationer med meget små ressourcer kunne retfærdiggøre sådan
nogle ting, og det kan vi også sagtens, det tidsforbrug vi har på det. Men igen, hvad er det
næste…
Men Jesper bare lige for at opsummere, så har vi snakket en lille smule om, at I har arbejdet
med branding før, men så har det mest været fra sådan et employer branding perspektiv.
Hvis man skulle snakke om, hvordan I godt kunne tænke jer at signalere nogle ting, ved bl.a.
at være på Facebook, jamen så er det det her med at signalere noget sincerity, noget oprigtighed og at man har en masse kompetencer, at man er dygtig til de ting, man laver i forvaltningen. Og så ellers har du fortalt mig en hel masse om, at de ressourcer I bruger på Facebook, det er primært igennem jeres webmaster Anne, som er inde og tjekke siden dagligt, og
så har I også den her Grøn Guide, som er inde en gang imellem og poste nogle forskellige
ting. Og så har I en masse forskellige brugere, det er både dem der sådan er aktive indenfor
lokalpolitik og medarbejdere og ellers sådan lidt blandede han- og hunkønsvæsner i alle mulige forskellige aldre. Og det har været en rigtig god proces for jer, en læringsproces, at prøve
det her sociale medie af, så det har I ligesom kunne gøre jer en hel masse tanker om, hvordan
man fremadrettet bruger sociale medier i sådan en forvaltning som jeres. Har du noget at
tilføje?
Nej, jeg synes du fik rundet det meget godt af.
Du skal have tak for din hjælp.
110 / 218
APPENDIX 3: INTERVIEW GUIDE, LOTTE BIRK, AALBORG

at jeg har valgt at kontakte dig, er fordi jeg ved, at I i Aalborg Kommune arbejder med
Facebook.

Vil du først fortælle lidt om dig selv og kommunikationsafdelingen i Aalborg Kommune? Hvor mange er I? Hvor hører I til organisatorisk?


Har I en branding-strategi? Målsætninger?

Nu vil jeg gerne spørge ind til, hvordan I bruger Facebook. Jeg har set, at I er på Facebook med 6 forskellige sider:
o Ny Budolfi Plads
o Tall Ships Races
o Cykelby
o Eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune
o Aalborg Stadsarkiv og
o Aalborg Karneval
o Har I flere sider?

Hvorfor er I på Facebook? Hvorfor har I valgt at bruge Facebook til projekterne?

Hvem tror I, I kan nå med Facebook, som I ikke rammer med andre kanaler?

Hvad er fordelene? Hvad giver det jer?

Hvad kræver det af jer?

Hvordan sikrer I, at der er aktuelt indhold på Facebook? Hvem er ansvarlige for siden/siderne? Hvem opdaterer? Må alle medarbejdere opdatere Facebook siden?

Hvor hurtigt kan en bruger forvente svar, hvis de henvender sig til kommunen på Facebook?

Har I oplevet problemer eller faldgruber?

Har I en nedskrevet strategi for, hvordan I bruger sociale medier? Er der en politik for
anvendelsen af Facebook?
111 / 218

Er I i egentlig dialog med jeres fans på Facebook – eller bruger i primært Facebook
som en ny kanal til envejskommunikations?

Hvordan dokumenterer I afkastet af jeres ressourcemæssige investering i Facebook?

Hvilke resultater har det givet jer?

Hvilken en slags personlighed ønsker I at jeres kommunale brand skal have?
o Sincerity - oprigtighed
o Competence - dygtighed
o Excitement - spænding
o Sophistication - forfinethed
o Ruggedness? – barskhed/robusthed

Hvad vil I gerne signalere ved at være på Facebook?

Benytter I jer af andre sociale medier? YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, el. lign.

For at opsummere, så arbejder I i Allerød med branding… og Facebook…

Har du noget at tilføje, inden vi slutter interviewet?

Tak for din hjælp!
112 / 218
APPENDIX 4: EXTRACTION OF MEANING, INTERVIEW WITH LOTTE BIRK, AALBORG
Interview by phone, November 1 st 2010
(Interviewer’s statements are in italics, respondent’s are in regular font.)
Lotte, hvis du først og fremmest fortæller lidt om hvor mange I er i Aalborg, der arbejder med
kommunikation.
Dér hvor jeg er ansat nu, det er på Borgmesterkontoret, hvor vi er en stabsfunktion for
Borgmesteren og kommunaldirektøren. Vi er på det kontor jeg sidder fire fuldtidsansatte.
Det er jo svært at opgøre sådan noget, men vi er fire, der er dedikeret til kommunikationsarbejde. Udover det, så er der nogle andre, som også arbejder mere eller mindre, direkte eller
indirekte med kommunikationsopgaver – på et mere praktisk plan, vil jeg sige. Udover det,
så er der kommunikationsmedarbejdere i de enkelte forvaltninger. Jeg vil tro, vi er 10-15
stykker – ej, nok tættere på 10 nærmere end 15, der arbejder med kommunikation i Aalborg
Kommune. Det vi gør på det kontor, jeg sidder på – det man kan sige, det der er fælleskommunalt det, som der skal stå ’Aalborg Kommune’ på, det er vi ansvarlige for. Det betyder jo,
at vi arbejder med vores hjemmeside, vores intranet, vores annoncering, vores billedbank,
vores kampagner, alt det der sådan er fælleskommunalt. Derudover kan man sige, at de
kommunikationsfolk, der sidder i de enkelte forvaltninger, de arbejder med det mere fagspecifikke, forstået på den måde, at skal der laves noget kommunikation om fx biblioteker,
så er det noget, der foregår i den forvaltning, biblioteket hører under. Men selvfølgelig under
en fælles hat, der hedder Aalborg Kommune. Og vi har gjort meget ud af de sidste par år at
standardisere de kommunikationsløsninger, der findes, forstået på den måde, at vi arbejder
meget bevidst omkring design. Vi har en fælles paraply, som kan spænde vidt udover kommunen, for vi har jo 19.000 medarbejdere (…) 7 forvaltninger, hvor der er mange mennesker,
der arbejder meget forskelligt. Så vi prøver på at lave en paraply eller en hat (…) så vi kan
sikre ensartethed men bevare mangfoldighed.
(…) Alt hvad vi laver, det er jo branding. Når vi laver kampagner omkring selvbetjening på
vores hjemmeside, så er det jo branding. Når vi laver kampagner for at rekruttere medarbejdere, så er det jo også branding. Jeg er ikke tilhænger af det begreb, der hedder branding af
113 / 218
en kommune, jeg synes ikke det hører hjemme. Vi markedsfører kommunen, vi orienterer
om vores kommune, vi informerer om vores kommune, og det er for mig at se branding.
Men branding som begreb, det er lidt noget andet. (…)Branding af en kommune, det er et
buzz word, som er svært at sætte på en kommunal ydelse.
Hvorfor synes du, det er svært at sætte det på den kommunale ydelse?
Jeg synes ikke, det er svært, jeg synes bare ikke det er rigtigt. Du kan brande Coca Cola og
Prince, for det er jo et konkret produkt. Vi føler ikke, vi har brug for at gå ud og brande Aalborg Kommune. Hvis vi skal brande Aalborg kommune, så skal vi stille os op mod nogle andre
for at udskille os og adskille os, og det gør man selvfølgelig også på nogle områder, men vi
bosætter os jo ikke i en kommune fordi den kommune måske lige har en bestemt selvbetjeningsløsning på hjemmesiden – sådan lidt firkantet sat op. Vi gør en masse for at markedsføre vores kommune, de kommunale ydelser og de ting vi gør i kommunen. Det gør vi helt afgjort. Et aktivt led i det er selvfølgelig vores hjemmeside.
Hvis I ikke arbejder med en decideret branding-strategi, kan du så fortælle, hvad I gør fx på
jeres hjemmeside, når I markedsfører jeres forskellige ydelser?
Vi gør flere ting. For det første forsøger vi at være de steder, hvor det er relevant at være ift.
de ydelser, borgerne har brug for. Dvs. når man fx skal flytte adresse, flytte til byen, skifte
læge – alle de ting en flytning indebærer, som man typisk gør, når man kommer til universitetet eksempelvis – jamen så sørger vi for at være derude, hvor vi mener, de unge mennesker, de er. Det er én ting, vi gør. Tilsvarende, der er også højsæson for nyt pas – der sørger
vi for at være der, hvor vi mener, de enkelte målgrupper er. Det er den ene ting, vi gør. Den
anden ting vi gør – og altså, dvs. der er vi ude med nogle bannere og kampagneting – en anden ting vi gør, det er, hvis folk først har fundet vores hjemmeside, og de er kommet ind til
os, så sørger vi for via nogle små teasere på forsiden af vores hjemmeside eller på de enkelte
sider, så forsøger vi at guide dem derhen, hvor de skal være. Det er noget vi forsøger, og det
er noget, vi arbejder meget på at blive bedre til.
Er I konkret til stedet på uddannelsesinstitutionerne?
I de måneder, hvor det konkret er aktuelt, der er vi til stede på universitetets hjemmeside
altså med en bannerreklame. Vi har i Aalborg noget, der hedder Studenterhuset, som er nog114 / 218
le af det første, der kontakter de unge, når de kommer til byen. Og der har vi været med et
link på deres hjemmeside… Det er den måde vi prøver at arbejde på – tænke lidt
livstilscyklus-agtigt… Hvordan går vi ud og får fat på folk, så vi sikrer os, at de gør det online.
Det er den måde, vi prøver at tænke vores profilering af vores hjemmeside.
Hvad er grunden mere specifikt til, at I gerne vil have at de gør det [bestiller kommunale
ydelser o. lign.] online? I forhold til henvendelser? (…) Fx at skrive barnet op til en institutionsplads eller at de studerende melder flytning osv. (…)
Hvis vi skal se det, fra vores eget perspektiv, så er det selvfølgelig fordi, det er meget billigere. Meget meget billigere. Der er jo lavet opgørelser over, hvor meget personlig henvendelse
og mails og telefonsamtaler – hvor meget det koster, og der er jo ikke nogen tvivl om, at det
elektroniske er langt billigere. Det er den ene side. Den anden side er, at vi lever i 2010, og
der er nogle forventninger til os om, at vi er digitale, og vi er nogle man ikke nødvendigvis
skal henvende sig til fysisk for at få en ydelse. Det er ikke kun et ønske, vi har. Vi har jo en
regering, som har lagt nogle besparelser ned i kommunerne, og hvis vi skal kunne eftergive
de besparelser, så er vi nødt til at gøre sådan noget her også. (…) Alt det negative, det er
også markedsføring. Man skal ikke være ked af de dårlige historier. (…)
Jeg har jo set, at I har arbejdet med Facebook på nogle forskellige måder. Eller dvs. jeg har i
hvert fald fundet nogle forskellige sider inde på Facebook, hvor jeg kan se, at det er Aalborg
Kommune der på en eller anden måde er afsender. Jeg har fundet seks forskellige sider – én
der hedder Ny Budolfi Plads, så har jeg en der hedder Tall Ships Races, Aalborg Cykelby, så er
der én, der hedder Eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune, Aalborg Stadsarkiv og Aalborg Karneval.
Er der nogen sider, jeg ikke har fået med i min research?
Nej, det tror jeg ikke, og dem, du har fået med, er ikke kommunale alle sammen. Aalborg
Karneval, det er en selvejende institution. Kommunen giver tilskud dertil, men den kan du
ikke tage med og sige at det er Aalborg kommunes. Og jeg vil sige, den dér Tall Ships Races,
den er også lidt på kanten, fordi godt nok er der et sekretariat i Aalborg Kommune, men det
er også sådan en gråzone-en, den er ikke ren kommunal. Så jeg synes, dem der er totalt rene
i kanten, det er Budolfi, det er elev-kampagnen, og den dér Aalborg Cykelby. Hvad havde du
115 / 218
mere? Aalborg Stadsarkiv… Men Aalborg Stadsarkiv er kommunalt. Men den har jeg ikke så
meget kendskab til… (…)
(…) Hvorfor man bruger Facebook i Aalborg? (…) Vi er ude for at prøve nogle ting. Og så har
Teknik og Miljøforvaltningen været aktive omkring både cykelkampagnen og Budolfi Plads –
de har sagt, nu afprøver vi det her, for vi kan ikke vente på, at der bliver taget en overordnet
beslutning. Men vi har sådan en kommunikationsgruppe, som er sådan en strategisk gruppe,
hvor jeg sidder for bordenden, og vi sidder faktisk lige nu og er ved at planlægge en temadag
med henblik på at få lavet en web 2.0-strategi. Altså, vi er ikke i tvivl om, at vi skal have en
strategi, for hvad vi vil og hvad vi gør og hvad vi ikke gør – og hvorfor vi gør det, vi gør. Det er
vi ikke i tvivl om. Men vi har det også sådan, at vi er nødt til at prøve nogle ting af. Elevkampagnen er lavet på det kontor, jeg sidder på. Vi skal jo rekruttere kontorelever hvert år,
og der tænkte vi, nu prøver vi simpelthen og se, om vi når nogen ved at gøre det på den måde. Vi har også tænkt, vi vil prøve at omkanalisere nogen af vores ressourcer, økonomi, fra
de trykte medier til nogen af de sociale medier. Og det har vi gjort med stor succes – der er
mange, der har set… Det har ikke været en kæmpestor succes, men det har været en succes,
fordi der er mange unge mennesker, der faktisk har set siden og blevet fan af den. Og der
sker faktisk en sjov ting, for det er jo ligesom det er med alle mulige andre sider på Fac ebook, det griber sig selv i halen kan man sige, eller det formerer sig. Så når man er fan af
den, så begynder man at skrive, og så begynder man at skrive om noget, der slet ikke har
noget med det at blive elev at gøre, i hvert fald det med at søge ind som elev, som måske
har noget at gøre med, hvordan kan man blive udstationeret, og hvordan kan man… Så det
har været skide godt.
Så det har I haft nogle gode erfaringer med?
Ja. (…) Mht. til sådan en *side+ som Budolfi Plads, den er jo rigtig, rigtig interessant, for det er
jo en ny måde at lave offentlige høringer på. Det er en ny måde at prøve at skabe debat, at
prøve at engagere lokalbefolkningen i et område, som det ellers kan være rigtig svært at få
folk engageret i, men hvor det er meget let at få ”reklamationen”, når først man har taget
beslutningen. Det er jo det, man tit er ude for som offentlig virksomhed, at man laver en
eller anden beslutning, og så eksekverer man den, og så brokker folk sig bagefter. Og det kan
være svært, for det kan være virkelig svært at engagere folk i nærdemokratiet, og det her
116 / 218
det er så et forsøg på at sige, okay vi har en plads, som ligger fuldstændig centralt i Aalborg
by, i midtbyen, hvad synes I, vi skal bruge den til, og hvad skal vi gøre. Det er dét, der er tanken, og hvad der så er kommet af resultater, det må du prøve at snakke med Trine [fra Teknik- og Miljøforvaltningen+ om (…) det ved hun mere om.
(…) Overordnet så er jeg mest interesseret i, hvordan udgangspunktet er for at arbejde med
Facebook sådan fra det overordnede perspektiv i kommunen. Og der kan jeg høre på dig, at
det lige er sådan noget, hvor man skal finde ud af og prøve af – til hvad for nogle ting er det
godt, og hvad er det for nogle resultater man får ud af det, hvad er det gode og den dårlige
og den uventede side?
(…) Min personlige holdning er, at vi skal vide, hvordan vi vil optræde på Facebook – og de
andre sociale medier – jeg synes ikke, man skal tage Facebook alene. Vi skal have en holdning til, hvordan vi vil optræde. Og jeg mener ikke, at vi skal ud og lave sådan et egentligt
kommunesite på Facebook. Jeg kan ikke se, at der er nogen, der vil være interesserede i at
være fan af en kommune eller venner med en kommune. Jeg tænker meget mere, at vi skal
bruge de sociale medier til konkrete og afgrænsede projekter.
(…) Hvorfor tror du ikke, at folk er interesserede i at være fan af sin kommune ved sådan et
generelt kommunesite på Facebook?
Det er klart, det skal man selvfølgelig ud og have spurgt nogen om, men det synes jeg er det,
vi har lært fra erfaringer med, hvad andre de gør. Man har en hjemmeside, det er dér vi har
det bredere perspektiv, det er dér, vi kan skrive alt om alt. Men hvis vi går på de sociale m edier og ligesom breder vores hjemmeside ud, så får vi mulighed for at gå ud og sige – konkrete afgrænsede projekter, det er her. Og dem kan der jo så være 20 af. Men der hvor vi har
brug for at få noget debat, og dér hvor vi har brug for at høre nogle meninger og aktivere
folk, det er dét, man skal bruge det til. Men altså, det er min personlige holdning (…)
(…) Jeg ved ikke, hvordan du tænker ift. at I i Aalborg har en masse studerende? (…)
Jamen jeg tænker da, at der er mange flere unge mennesker, der vil gå ud og kunne støde på
os på Facebook, end de ville på aalborgkommune.dk. Så derfor tænker jeg jo… Vi har sådan
et stort område, der hedder Godsbanearealet, eller det hedder det i daglig tale, som man
sådan overvejer at lave til sådan et campus-område med boliger, uddannelser og hvad der
117 / 218
nu hører med til de uddannelser. Og jeg er da helt sikker på, at når det kommer længere i
planlægningen, så skal vi jo ikke bare have de studerende til selv at gå ind på aalborgkom mmune.dk for at være med til at debattere, der ved vi jo godt, at det er LinkedIn og det er
Twitter, Facebook og sådan nogle steder, man bevæger sig. Så derfor er det dér, dér skal vi
ud. Og det er også det dér med at pushe information eller muligheden for dialog. Det er også
om at pushe information derud, hvor man ved folk er. Og så var der én der sagde til mig den
anden dag – jeg var til sådan et fremtidsseminar omkring annoncer, og hvordan hele medi ebilledet kommer til at se ud om 10 år. Og der var én der sagde, at fx i dag så kommunen kan
man betragte som en øde ø, der ligger sådan lidt øde derude i et kæmpe stort hav, og det
der er vores udfordring, det er at få lagt en hel masse fangearme ud. Så man kan sige at vi
får forbundet den her ø med en hel masse andre små øer. Jeg synes faktisk, det er et meget
godt billede. Det vi skal – vi skal ikke være 100 % alle steder, men vi skal være de steder,
hvor der er en fornuft i at være. Og det er nok det, der gør forskellen på det, jeg kan høre
Allerød gør, og så det vi skal gøre.
Jeg tror i hvert fald, der er meget meget stor forskel. Men der er jo også mange forskellige
muligheder med Facebook. Jeg kunne egentlig godt tænke mig at høre en lille smule mere
om de konkrete erfaringer, I har gjort, med det initiativ, I selv satte i værk inde fra dit kontor,
altså det her med eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune. Hvem tænkte I at I kunne nå, som I ikke
kunne nå ved andre kanaler?
Det hører med til historien, at vi har sådan set ikke problemer med at rekruttere elever til
Aalborg Kommune. Hvis vi skal bruge 25 kontorelever, så får vi omkring 300 ansøgere. Og
det gælder hele vores rekruttering, på den måde er vi meget privilegerede. Så man kan sige,
vi opnåede ikke nogle fordele ift. at vi kom ud og fik kontakt til mange flere, end vi ellers vil
gøre. Jeg tror vi havde ca. det samme antal ansøgere. Som sagt er det jo ikke et problem, det
er ikke det, der afgør valg af medier. Men det jeg synes, der er en kæmpe fordel, det er at de
unge mennesker, de oplever os som en moderne organisation, der er med på beatet. Vi er
med dér hvor det sker. Vi er ikke bare en eller anden kedelig tørvetriller kommunal side,
men vi rent faktisk er derude, hvor de bevæger sig flere gange om dagen.
(…) Og så synes jeg også, der er en stor fordel i – som jeg også nævnte før – at de begynder
jo at netværke de unge mennesker, begynder at netværke på Facebook omkring det at være
118 / 218
elev ved Aalborg Kommune. På den måde så kan vi jo kalde det image-pleje eller branding,
eller hvordan vi nu udlægger det, men på den måde er det jo med til at sætte nogle ting i
gang som vi ikke selv kan styre, men som er med til at fortælle noget om at det er ikke det
værste sted at være elev.
Hvad synes du det krævede af jer at have sådan en Facebook side med hensyn til rekrutteringen af elever?
Det krævede i hvert fald at (…) ift. vores kampagneplanlægning, at der skulle vi jo tænke nyt,
fordi det er et meget anderledes medie, end det er at indrykke et radiospot eller en avisannonce. Og både det at få det planlagt og få fundet ud af, hvordan er det nu lige man gør sådan noget var den ene ting, men så også selvfølgelig hele ansøgningsperioden at sørge for, at
der var aktivitet på sitet. (…) Hele den dér opfølgning, der er det jo vældig vigtigt, at der er
nogen der holder øje og nogen, der har det som deres opgave.
Hvordan organiserede I det, og hvor meget tid tror du, I brugte på det?
Jeg tør ikke sige, hvor meget tid vi brugte det på det, for det var delt ud på mange forskellige
mennesker, på gamle elever eller nuværende elever, der var med. Det ved jeg ikke, men vi er
organiserede med, at vi har en person, der er ansvarlig for hele vores elevarbejde, og det var
sådan set hende, der var tovholder på selve kampagnen, da den kørte, men det er klart, at
der var nogen af mine medarbejdere, i hvert fald 1½, der var med omkring planlægningen af
det og at få tingene op at stå. Så derfor kan man sige, vi samlede nogle forskellige kompetencer ift. at få det til at fungere. (…) Og så løbende ift. hvad gør vi nu, og hvordan kan vi nu
få aktiveret nogle flere, hvad skal der pushes ud og sådan nogle ting.
Oplevede I nogle problemer med den side?
Næ, det gjorde vi ikke. Og vi har tænkt os at gøre det igen. Når vi skal i gang her i januar med
at rekruttere elever, jamen så springer vi på vognen endnu en gang. Vi genbruger [siden].
Det er jo ikke raketvidenskab at lave sådan en elevkampagne, og især så er vi jo ikke ude og
konkurrere en hel masse med andre kommuner omkring de her ansøgere. Så derfor kan man
sige, vi genbruger det bedste.
119 / 218
Hvordan dokumenterer I, hvad I har brugt af tid på det her projekt ift. hvad I har fået ud af
det?
Ååh, det er vi ikke så gode til.
Hvordan kunne I godt tænke jer at gøre det?
Jamen vi kunne godt tænke os… Vi arbejder på at vi skal blive meget bedre til at evaluere og
dokumentere vores indsats ift. udbytte, men det er et generelt kommunalt eller offentligt
problem.
Hvis du skal prøve at komme med en vurdering af, hvad det har givet jer, at være på Facebook på de her forskellige måder, både med elevkampagnen og de forskellige andre sider,
hvordan synes du så, det går indtil videre?
Jamen jeg synes da, det går fint. Det er jo svært at sige, om det har den effekt, vi gerne vil
have sådan overordnet set, men jeg ved da, at folk er begejstrede for, at vi er der. Det kan vi
jo se både på de reaktioner, de henvendelser vi får og det antal mennesker der rent faktisk
er med til at debattere og deltage. Så på den måde synes jeg da, det er en succes. Men det
er ikke mit indtryk, at der er rigtig rigtig mange kommuner i Danmark, der er rigtig rigtig g ode til at bruge Facebook. Jeg tror også, man skal passe meget på, at man ikke bare springer
på Facebook, fordi nu er det det hotte medie. Facebook er jo for mange ved at være yt, det
er på vej ud igen. Det er den ene ting, den anden ting det er, at jeg tror ikke man skal bruge
det ukritisk, jeg tror man skal bruge det til det, man synes – hvor man får noget nytte af det.
Og det med at finde ud af, hvornår vi får noget nytte af det, det kan jo også være kompliceret. Det er jo lettere bare at springe på det og sige, nu bruger vi det bredt og ukritisk, fordi
det er dét, man gør.
Hvis du bare skulle vurdere, ud fra det I gør nu, og ift. kommunens kommunikationsstrategi
eller markedsføringsstrategi, hvad kunne I så godt tænke jer at signalere at jeres kommune
skal udstråle på Facebook som en personlighed? (…) med udgangspunkt i, hvordan I ellers
arbejder med kommunikation.
Jamen altså, vi ønsker at fremstå troværdigt, vi ønsker også at være moderne. Vi forsøger jo
med alt, hvad vi laver at tænke digitalisering, og det giver sig selvfølgelig, at hvis man er på
120 / 218
Facebook, så er man også digital, men det er lidt et mantra lige nu. Vi kan jo ikke være 100 %
digitale, for der er jo alt andet lige nogle borgere, der ikke er digitale, og dem har vi også
nogle hensyn at tage til. Men vi vil gerne være digitale i det omfang, vi kan være det, og det
er en kommune, der er en stor skude at skulle have vendt fra at være analog til at blive dig ital, men det arbejder vi rigtig, rigtig meget på. Og det er noget af det, der er allerallervigtigst.
(…) Jeg arbejder med nogle begreber i mit speciale, som er ganske teoretiske, som jeg godt
kunne tænke mig at høre dig om passer på Aalborg Kommune. Der er fem forskellige, og jeg
kommer lige til at sige dem til dig på engelsk og på dansk, fordi begreberne kan godt oversættes, men det kan være det giver lidt betydning også at høre dem på engelsk. Det første er
sincerity. Spørgsmålet lyder, om I som kommune ved at være på Facebook, ønsker at signalere sincerity eller oprigtighed? Er det noget, som I kunne forestille jer at signalere ved at være
på Facebook?
Jeg synes ikke specielt ved at være på Facebook, altså oprigtighed det skulle gerne gennemsyre alt, hvad vi laver. Jeg ved ikke, om vi bliver mere oprigtige af at være på Facebook, hvis
det er det, du mener.
Jeg kan sagtens følge dig i det her med, at generelt så ønsker I selvfølgelig at signalere noget
oprigtighed, men jeg kunne også godt tænke mig at høre, om du mener, det ville komme
ekstra til udtryk, hvis I var på Facebook?
Nej, det tror jeg ikke. Det kan jeg ikke lige se, nej.
Hvad med det personlighedstræk, som man kan beskrive som competence eller dygtighed.
Både ift. det generelle kommunale brand og ved at være på Facebook.
Et eller andet sted, så er det jo lidt det samme, og så vil jeg bare skynde mig at sige ja. Vi vil
jo gerne være kompetence og dygtige, og det skal gerne gennemstrege alt, hvad vi laver. Og
også at vi er på Facebook. Jeg tror ikke, vi skal betragtes som mere kompetente eller dygtige,
fordi vi er på Facebook. Udover at vi må af nogen kunne betragtes sådan, okay de formår
også at være her.
Hvad med det man kan kalde excitement eller spænding?
121 / 218
Det ved jeg ikke.
Er det noget, I arbejder meget på at signalere som kommune generelt, at I er sådan en lidt
spændende kommune?
Ikke direkte, vi gør det måske lidt i nogen af vores kampagner, men det er ikke sådan at begrebet står lysende klart foran panden på os, at nu skal vi være en spændende kommune.
Ville det komme mere til udtryk… tror du I ville signalere, at I var en spændende kommune
ved at være på Facebook?
Jaa, spændende i den forstand… det er jo et vidt begreb, er det spændende som bosætningskommune eller er det spændende fordi der sker så mange ting i kommunen eller er det
kommunen som institution, der er spændende. Der er jo mange ting, i det begreber du har
med at gøre. Der er ingen tvivl om, at vi vil gerne signalere, at vi er en spændende kommune
når det gælder hele det kulturelle område og hele sådan oplevelsesdelen. Men om vi bliver
mere spændende ved at være på Facebook, det er jo meget et spørgsmål om hvem det er,
der lige rammer ind i os.
Der er også et begreb, der hedder sophistication eller forfinethed. Hvordan synes du, at det er
noget, der passer på Aalborg Kommune? (…) at man er lidt sådan sofisteret (…) forfinet i det.
Giver det mening ift. Aalborg som brand?
Nej, det synes jeg ikke.
Hvad med ruggedness som er sådan en barskhed eller robusthed, er det noget som I godt
kunne tænke jer at signalere som kommune? Både generelt og på Facebook?
Vi har jo nogle gamle traditioner, gamle stolte traditioner med at være den dér – det er vi
ikke længere – men vi var engang en arbejderby med et værft og med meget værftsindustri.
Det er vi ikke i dag, i dag er vi en service og meget moderne uddannelsesby – mener vi selv.
Men jeg vil sige, det rå og det barske, det er jo stadig en del af identiteten, som vi også gerne
vil… Men jeg synes ikke, de spørgsmål du stiller, de ord du stiller, har noget med Facebook at
gøre, jeg kan ikke se dem isoleret ift. Facebook. Jeg kan måske godt se nogle af tingene ift.
vores måde at markedsføre os på. Men jeg kan ikke lige se din logik med at det specielt skulle have noget med Facebook at gøre.
122 / 218
Det er nogle teoretiske begreber jeg arbejder med indenfor branding som hedder brand personality. Indenfor den tilgang, der arbejder man med fem forskellige personlighedstræk, som
er sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication og ruggedness. Og det jeg undersøger
er, hvad dels I godt kunne tænke jer som kommune at signalere ved at være på Facebook og
sådan generelt, og hvordan borgerne ude i det ganske danske land synes, at kommunerne
evt. signalerer noget ekstra ved at være på Facebook. Så de her fem forskellige personli ghedstræk, dem er jeg jo interesseret i at høre, hvordan de passer på Aalborg Kommune som
brand, og ønsker I at udtrykke nogle af de her personlighedstræk særligt ved at være på Facebook. Ønsker I, at det, at I er på Facebook, signalerer noget spænding, eller som du siger
barskhed eller er det noget andet I ønsker at gøre?
Men det er sådan lidt noget andet, end det du sagde først.
Jeg synes, du udtrykker det meget godt, når du siger, at I godt kunne tænke jer at være moderne og I arbejder meget med digitalisering. Og I selvfølgelig gerne vil have noget spænding
i, hvordan folk opfatter jeres kulturelle aktiviteter. Jeg synes, vi er kommet meget godt rundt
om det, men du må endelig tilføje, hvis du synes, det er lidt lettere nu.
Jeg tror, jeg har svaret.
(…) Har du kendskab at der rundt omkring i kommunen eller evt. hos jer selv bliver taget andre sociale medier i brug end Facebook?
Ikke som det er lige nu, men jeg tror YouTube i fremtiden vil blive et vigtigt element. Jeg tror,
vi kommer til at arbejde meget mere med visuel formidling frem for kun det skrevne ord.
Der tror jeg, vi vil gå i retning af at formidle nogle ting i langt højere grad på video på vores
hjemmeside end vi gør i dag. Og der er det jo oplagt at tænke YouTube ind i det.
Hvad tror du er fordelene ved at tænke mere visuel formidling?
Jeg tror det i langt højere grad er det sprog, vi alle ønsker at anvende i stedet for at læse
lange manualer, lange forklaringer, så tror jeg vi lever i sådan et flygtigt samfund, hvor ting
godt kunne gå lidt hurtigere, hvor vi godt vil introduceres og undervises, informeres vha.
nogle billeder. Og det tror jeg er en tendens, man vil se meget på de kommunale hjemmesider i løbet af de næste fem år.
123 / 218
(…) Så vil jeg bare lige opsummere… Det vi har snakket om i løbet af interviewet er, at alt det
I arbejder med, alt det I kommunikerer i Aalborg Kommune, det er jo sådan set noget, der er
med til at markedsføre jer, og den måde I markedsfører jer på, eller den måde I ønsker at
markedsføre jer på, det er at I gerne vil signalere Aalborg er et moderne sted at være, og at I
er rigtig gode til at være de steder, hvor borgerne er. At I gerne vil, som du siger, ud og have
en masse fangearme ud og så ellers få kontakt til folk, hvor de er, så de føler at de får den
hjælp lige præcis dér, hvor det er naturligt for dem. Og så arbejder I med Facebook på en
både central og decentral måde. Det er op til forvaltningerne, fx Teknik- og Miljøforvaltningen at tage stilling til, hvordan de vil bruge Facebook, men I selv har også lavet den her ka mpagne om eleverne ved Aalborg Kommune. Og indtil videre er der ikke som sådan en nedskrevet strategi omkring det, I prøver lige lidt kræfter af for at se, hvad er det lige præcis, der
er det gode og det dårlige ved at bruge Facebook.
Men den er på vej – den nedskrevne strategi. Den er på tegnebrættet.
Så har vi snakket om det her med, hvad I godt kunne tænke jer at signalere både som kommune og som kommune ved at være på Facebook – og som du ellers har sagt, så er det det
her med at være der, hvor brugerne er, eller hvor borgerne er og selvfølgelig signalere, at
man har kompetence til det og at man gerne vil være troværdig og stå ved at man kan få fat
på folk de steder, hvor de har brug for at få deres information eller hjælp. Så har vi lige rundet, at YouTube måske er et medie, som vil blive brugt rigtig meget i fremtiden, og så ville jeg
egentlig bare høre, om du har noget at tilføje inden vi afrunder?
Det tror jeg ikke, nej.
124 / 218
APPENDIX 5: INTERVIEW GUIDE, JESPER BRIEGHEL, LGDK ( KOMMUNERNES LANDSFORENING)

at jeg har valgt at kontakte dig, er fordi jeg ved, at I i KL’s kommunikationsafdeling
arbejder med at rådgive kommunerne om at bruge Facebook.

Vil du starte med at fortælle lidt om dig selv – stilling, firma, fag/videnområde

Hvad ved du om kommuner på Facebook? Hvad har du af erfaringer med at rådgive
kommuner om Facebook? Hvad spørger de om, hvad ønsker de råd om?

Med din baggrund som kommunikationsrådgiver – hvad kan det tilføre en kommunes
brand at være på Facebook?
o Hvad er mulighederne i det? I hvilke tilfælde giver det mest mening?
o Hvad er problemerne/faldgruberne?
o Hvad kræver det af kommunerne, hvis de er på? Ressourcer, hvor mange?
Tid?
o Beskriv gerne hvad nogle kommuner gør, der er godt eller skidt

Tak for dine svar indtil videre. Nu kunne jeg godt tænke mig at spørge mere ind til,
hvordan kommunerne kan bruge Facebook til at signalere en brand personlighed. Inden for en såkaldt brand personality approach arbejder jeg i mit speciale med fem
dimensioner af personligheder, som man kan signalere som et brand.
o Hvad synes du en kommune signalerer ved at være på Facebook?
o Sincerity (down to earth, honest, cheerful) - oprigtighed
o Competence (Reliable, intelligent, successful) - dygtighed
o Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date) - spænding
o Sophistication (upper class, charming) - forfinethed eller
o Ruggedness (Outdoorsy, tough, sturdy, resilient) – barshed/robusthed

Hvordan bør kommunerne være aktive for at tilføre værdi til deres brand personality?

Hvordan kan man måle effekten af sin indsats mod at brande sig på Facebook?

Hvad er der af potentiale for branding i andre sociale medier, fx YouTube og Twitter?
o Ville du rådgive kommuner til også at bruge disse sociale medier?
125 / 218

For at opsummere… Hvad tror du, at kommunen som et brand signalerer ved at være
på Facebook? Og tror du, at det kan styrke en kommunes brand at være tilstede på
Facebook?

Vil du til sidst tilføje noget, som vi ikke har været inde på?

Tak for din hjælp.
126 / 218
APPENDIX 6: EXTRACTION OF MEANING, INTERVIEW WITH JESPER BRIEGHEL, LGDK
(KOMMUNERNES LANDSFORENING)
Interview face to face, October 26 th 2010
(…) Udgangspunkt i kerneforretningen… (…)
Hvis sociale medier skal have en plads i kommuner, så er det ikke for sjov, og det er ikke for
at lege, det er ikke for noget som helst andet end at understøtte kerneforretningen. Det krav
må være gældende for offentlige institutioner fuldstændig ligesom det er for private. Der
skal være en return on investment på det. De to ting, som identificerede sig som kerneforretningen er politisk dialog og inddragelse. Det kunne man også kalde legitimitet. Hvis man
skal have et målbart resultat for det, så er det valgdeltagelse. Og det er i virkeligheden
kommunens relation til beboerne i kommunen som borgerne, altså som politiske aktører. På
den anden side har man så en servicefunktion. Det afgørende er at der ikke er nogen forskel
på oplevet god service, og god service. Hvis servicen er oplevet som god, så er den god. Oplevelsen hænger sammen med kommunikation…
… og forventninger…
Lige præcis. Vi har den dér, som du sikkert også har set før med, at tilfredshed er ydelse over
forventning [Jesper tegner model på whiteboard]. Og der er noget omkring, at hvis ydelsen
falder, og vi skal undgå folk bliver utilfredse, så må vi styre deres forventninger, sænke deres
forventninger. Men det, man også kunne gøre, var at tænke i at noget af servicen er måske
mindre ressourcekrævende end anden. Og hvis man kan overgå forventningerne i forhold til
at være i dialog med borgerne og give dem et svar på deres henvendelser til borgerservice
på en bedre måde, på en nyere måde, jamen så kan man måske overgå forventningerne på
nogle områder dér, også selvom man måske er nødt til at sænke forventningerne på nogle af
de dyre, eller tungere områder. Men den her anden del af kerneforretningen – servicedelen
– den handler i vidt omfang om kontakt med borgerne, den handler om information med
borgerne, serviceinformation, og den handler om svar på brugerspørgsmål [tegner på whiteboard].
127 / 218
Brugerkommunikation så at sige…
Yes. Og det siger jo netop det dér med, at ligesom vi havde borgerne som målgruppe i den
øverste [peger på tegning], så har vi brugerne som målgruppe i den nederste. Hvis vi så ligesom tænker på det her ud fra et kommunikationsperspektiv og nærmere bestemt ud fra et
sociale medier-perspektiv, vi starter med det som et kommunikationsperspektiv, så kunne vi
lave en akse, som ser sådan her ud [tegner vertikal akse på whiteboard], hvor vi i toppen har
politik eller i parentes borgere, borgerrettetkommunikation, og i bunden har service eller
bruger.
Så laver vi en ny akse på den her [tegner horisontal akse, der krydser vertikal akse på midten], hvor vi på den ene side har information, og der kunne du skrive envejskommunikation,
og på den anden har du dialog, som jo så tydeligvis er tovejskommunikation. Og det interessante ved den her er, at problemet når man sidder ude som kommunikationsmedarbejder
ude i de enkelte kommuner, er at man får at vide af alle, at hvis man skal gå på Facebook, så
er det fordi man skal i dialog med folk. Og det skræmmer livet af dem af to grunde: Af den
ene grund fordi, de ved ikke ret meget nødvendigvis om den service, som borgerne de efterspørger og har spørgsmål til. Det er i virkeligheden borgerservicecentrene, som har med det
at gøre.
128 / 218
Og i forhold til den politiske dialog, så er det ikke altid, at organisationen er gearet til at
håndtere dialogen, at politiske spørgsmål i virkeligheden er noget som de i første omgang
tænker hører mere hjemme på politiske hjemmesider end på kommunens hjemmeside – det
er svært for dem at svare på kommunens vegne, hvis det er et politisk orienteret spørgsmål.
Så hvordan tackler man det. Det de ender med at gøre, er i virkeligheden at holde sig inden
for den her første kvadrant [tegner firkant ved tidligere tegnede akser], som går op ad politik-aksen og ud af informationsaksen, og som handler om at fortælle, hvad der sker i kommunen [skriver i figur]. Den dækker i virkeligheden to [kvadranter], fordi det dér med hvad
der sker i kommunen, der taler vi på politisk niveau, og nede i den anden her, så taler vi,
hvad der sker som borgeraktiviteter.
Men det er kun informationsbaseret. Det er et spørgsmål om at sende kalenderen ud, eller
hvad det nu måtte være. Problemet med, hvis vi nu starter med den her [peger på kvadrant ,
der beskriver dialog og brugerrettet kommunikation] – i den her med dialogen, den er de
ikke rustede til i kommunikationsafdelingen, men måske af den grund er det mere interessant at få inddraget én fra borgerservicecentret som redaktør på Facebookprofilen, så man
ikke kun har én fra kommunikationsafdelingen, men at der faktisk er borgerservicemedarbejdere der står for dialogen og svarende på spørgsmålene fra de enkelte. Det vil give en
meget meget bedre serviceoplevelse.
(…)
Men samtidig har de [borgerservicemedarbejderne, ASBJ] også bedre hold i den her side
[peger på kvadrant mellem information og borgerrettet kommunikation], så er de jo også i
meget bedre stand til at komme med serviceinformation, som handler om de ting, som typisk foregår i et borgerservicecenter, altså information om at nu skal du henvende dig dér og
dér med den blanket, eller nu er der ændrede regler for, hvis du skal søge, og så videre, og
så videre. Hvor den her del, den øverste del af den her… *sætter numre på kvadranter+. Den
øverste her, som informationen, som er serviceorienteret, det er meget kulturinformation.
Det er sådan noget med, skolerne er lukket pga. sne, der er nyt i arrangement i kulturhus
sådan-og sådan. På den måde kan man sådan redaktionelt sige, at der er forskellige områder, som de må skulle tage sig af, hvis Facebook skal kunne håndtere både servicedialogen
og informationsdelen.
129 / 218
Det være sagt, så er der en udfordring i forhold til redaktionelle kriterier fra overgang fra
hjemmeside til Facebook, simpelthen fordi det er en anden jargon, man har på Facebook,
end man har på almindelige hjemmesider. Og hvis kommunen simpelthen bare laver et plugin, hvor den henter sin information fra hjemmesiden, og henter den ind på Facebook, så
taler man fuldstændig forbi sin målgruppe. Så noget af det som kommunerne og KL kommer
til at arbejde med, er redaktionelle kriterier for materiale på Facebook eller på sociale medier i det hele taget.
Og det handler jo utrolig meget om, hvis vi tager de almindelige kriterier [skriver på whiteboard], aktualitet, væsentlighed, identifikation og sensation. Så kan vi jo nok godt blive enige
om, at sensationer det er jo nok ikke lige det, der kommer ud fra kommunen fra Facebook.
Væsentlighed ja, men det bliver nødt til at være vinklet på en bestemt måde før væsentlighed, forstået på sådan en old school samfundsrelevans, er det noget jeg gider læse på Facebook, Facebook er på mange måder et let medie, så den vil jeg sætte parentes om. Tilbage
har vi aktualitet og identifikation. Og det med aktualiteten, det giver næsten sig selv. At Facebook som en nyhedsstrøm, som fuldstændig ligesom et nyhedsmedie kræver et højt –
altså jeg skal ikke have at vide, hvad der lige er sket, jeg skal have at vide, hvad der sker lige
om lidt. Og på den måde skal den være fremadrettet, den skal være inddragende, det skal
være noget, som jeg har mulighed for at være med i, eller som jeg har mulighed for at påvirke, eller som jeg på en eller anden måde har mulighed for at have en her og nu-relation til.
Så aktualitet er super væsentlig. Identifikation handler ikke så meget om, som man måske
gør i traditionelle medier, at folk skal kunne se sig selv som figurerne i denne her kommunikation, det handler mere om lokalt, altså stoffet skal være hyperlokalt. Det skal ikke bare
være min kommune, det skal ikke bare være min bydel, det skal faktisk være ned på nærmest mit gadeniveau.
Facebook giver i sig selv en masse muligheder for at differentiere, hvilke læsere den her post
bliver set af. Der er stadig ikke finmasket net til at man kan komme helt ned på gadeniveau,
men man kan begynde at differentiere, sådan så når man poster noget, så gør man sig overvejelsen, er det her relevant for Københavns Kommune, er det her relevant for borgerne på
Vesterbro, jamen så sørger jeg for at isolere den gruppe på Vesterbro og udsende min Fac ebook-opdatering kun for dem. Så det her med det hyperlokale er et supervæsentligt kriteri-
130 / 218
um, og så noget som de traditionelle medier er gode grunde ikke har haft mulighed for, det
er den her inddragelse, call to action, dialog, hvad vi nu kan kalde det – altså dér hvor borgeren får mulighed for enten online med en eller anden forholden sig til postet ved at kommentere, ved at re-poste, ved på en eller anden måde at handle digitalt på det, eller ved at
tilmelde sig noget og rent faktisk møde op til det i virkeligheden.
Der er en eller anden form for interaktion mellem bruger og nyhed. Så det er ikke bare et
spørgsmål om at modtage information men et samspil. Det er nogle af de nyhedskriterier,
redaktionelle kriterier, som man er nødt til at arbejde med. Og der bliver informationsmedarbejderne på en ny måde gatekeepere. Informationsmedarbejdere står jo gerne i forvejen
som borgerens og brugerens beskytter i forhold til det massive pres som politikere og embedsværk – de har alle sammen en masse ting, de gerne vil ud med. Og det er op til kommunikationsmedarbejdere dels at omforme det i et sprog, så det er interessant til hjemmesiden, men også nu her til Facebook, at udsætte det for endnu en redaktionel proces som skiller tingene mere ad. Der kommer på den måde en ny redaktionel proces som både kommunikationsmedarbejderen og også i høj grad borgerservicemedarbejderen er nødt til at kende
og være fortrolig med.
Som den tredje mulighed har vi jo så den politiske dialog. Ind til videre er den erfaring, at
Facebook-brugere er ikke specielt modtagelige for at gå i dialog om politik. Det betyder ikke,
at de ikke er interesserede i at læse om politik, derfor er vores post i første kvartil altså med
information om hvad der sker i kommunen – ikke bare om, hvad der lige er sket, men også
hvad der skal til at ske – er stadigvæk interessant eller kan være det. Men sådan nogle stand
alone-sites, eller kampagne-sites, som fx den her ”Sammenomaarhus.dk”, som jeg lige er
blevet gjort opmærksom på, som giver borgerne mulighed for at komme med ideer til, hvordan man kan omlægge forvaltningen eller organisationen eller servicen i Århus for at spare
nogle penge.
(…) Den er ikke en Facebook-side, det er sådan en… website-ting…
Den er fuldstændig uafhængigt af alt, det eneste der knytter den Århus Kommunes brand er
logoet
Ja, byvåbnet…
131 / 218
Ja. Den har selvstændig url, og er helt isoleret. På 14 dage har de haft en kolossal succes med
det. Jeg synes, jeg har hørt noget med 25.000 visninger og 2.000 aktive brugere og 600 forslag på 14 dage. Det er relativt godt gået. Så der er noget, der tegner på, at de her stand alone-sites er bedre til den her politiske dialog. Men det der kendetegner den politiske dialog,
og det der gør det så væsentligt, er netop det her med at få afklaret og kommunikeret, hvad
er til dialog. Hvis man skal undgå en skin-dialog, alibi-dialog eller pseudo-dialog er man nødt
til at gøre meget meget tydeligt, hvad den her kommunikation vi har kørende her, har indflydelse på. Hvad giver jeg min dialogpartnere til gengæld for, at de går ind i dialogen? Hvad
har de indflydelse på?
Det behøver ikke skæres så hårdt, som at man siger, nu laver vi en afstemning, og så følger
vi resultatet af den afstemning. Det skal man selvfølgelig kun gøre, hvis man er interesseret i
det her. På en eller anden måde er det også udemokratisk at det så kun lige er dem, der ti lfældigvis lige den dag var på webben har mulighed for det. Men i forhold til brainstorm, og i
forhold til kritik af ideer, og i forhold til høringer af interesser, så er det her et enormt godt
værktøj.
Københavns Kommune har lavet den her blivhørt.dk, som er en høringsportal som giver borgerne og virksomheder og organisationer mulighed for på lige fod at poste deres høringssvar, og at man kan læse andres høringssvar. Og det det giver selvfølgelig rigtig god mening
på mange niveauer, fordi hvis der er nogle andre, der er har afgivet et høringssvar , der
rammer den pointe, som jeg selv havde tænkt mig, så behøver jeg ikke selv sidde og poste
min, jeg kan gå ind og læse, hvad andre har afgivet. Det var tidligere noget med at man skulle rekvirere andres høringssvar og vente til at høringsperioden var afsluttet inden man kunne
læse osv. osv.
Men ideen her er, at den politiske dialog måske ikke egner sig så godt til Facebook, men
dermed ikke sagt at det ikke egner sig til sociale medier. Det er måske bare en anden type af
sociale medier, som fx de her stand-alone sites, og det vil kræve lidt mere research at afdække hvilke typer af kampagnesites er bedst til at arrangere den her type dialog. Så i virkeligheden websites, som har nogle elementer af involvering… Ja, og jeg tror det vigtigste er, at
det man diskuterer er klart defineret, forstået på den måde, at folk gider ikke diskutere f ødevarepolitik, men de vil gerne diskutere madordninger i skolerne. De gider ikke diskutere
132 / 218
uddannelsespolitik på det helt store niveau, men de gider måske godt diskutere, hvorvidt
der skal lukkes en skole i lokalområdet. Jo mere man kan indsnævre det, vi har en diskussion
om, jo bedre.
Og det giver god mening, at når folk diskuterer politik uden for sociale medier, så kører den
dialog typisk omkring en eller anden form for hook, der er engagement. Det er ganske sjældent, eller i hvert fald er det måske kun det yderste elitelag af samfundet, hvor man mødes
over et glas sherry og diskuterer verdenssituationen. Det er, at man har set et eller andet i
Ekstra Bladet for nyligt, som ”det er fandme også forargeligt”, så er det det, man diskuterer,
det man har en holdning til. Og det vil være mit gæt, uden at det er researchbaseret, at det
er det, de her stand-alone sites kan, at de på en eller anden måde kan få skåret problematikken så skarpt, at det er til at have en holdning til, uden at man er nødt til at tage Adam og
Eva i ed hver eneste gang.
Men den dér politiske dialog, forudsætter jo, at der rent faktisk er noget, der er til debat. Og
det betyder på en eller anden måde en magtafgivelse fra politikerne, som jo i høj grad b etragter sig selv som og er folkevalgte repræsentanter, som har et mandat til at træffe nogle
beslutninger – i hvor høj grad skal de mellem valgperioderne hører deres konstituenter om
deres holdninger til det ene og det andet. Og det er jo i virkeligheden en principiel demokr atisk vurdering og bedømmelse. Om hvor meget vil man åbne op, og hvor meget vil man inddrage, og hvor meget vil man være i proces med sine vælgere undervejs.
(…) Som du var inde på tidligere, så handler det jo også om legitimitet og mener du, at det er
en måde, at få legitimitet og støtte til de beslutninger, man tager?
Altså, jeg tror den her politiske dialog bliver mere og mere nødvendig. Det er en medicin
mod den faldende valgdeltagelse. På den måde er det selvfølgelig op til politikerne selv, i
hvor høj grad de vil inddrage, men jeg tror også den valgdeltagelse er symptom på en vigende inddragelse, og at det her er en måde at reaktualisere inddragelsen på, på en måde som
en ny generation kan forholde sig til og er villig til. Men det kræver, at det er andet end skindialog. Det er er derfor jeg gerne vil dele det her ind i tre trin, som kommunerne kan arbejde
med. Hvor på det første trin, det er dér, vi er i dag, det er de allermest lavthængende frugter. Der handler det om overhovedet at komme på de sociale medier og få opstillet nogle
133 / 218
redaktionelle kriterier, der gør, at noget af den information, som kommunen gerne vil pushe,
envejskommunikation, at det der egner sig til sociale medier, kommer på de sociale medier
og bliver omskrevet til de sociale medier. Det her det er ligesom ”komme på med tilpasset
information”. Det er billigt, og det er nemt, og det kan gøres i morgen.
Ligeså snart man er kommet på, så vil der efterhånden som antallet af brugere stiger, så vil
forventningerne til dialogen på det her medie også stige. Man kan gardere sig ved at skrive,
at det her det er ikke et sted, hvor man kan skrive spørgsmål, men dermed så afmonterer
man muligheden for at udvikle sin tilstedeværelse, sin dialog med borgerne på det her medie. Så måske skulle man i virkeligheden hellere lade dialogen spire frem efterhånden, og så i
det øjeblik – på lidt længere sigt – hvor borgerne begynder at stille servicespørgsmål, hvilket
de uden tvivl vil komme til, jamen så inddrager man på andet niveau i højere grad borgerservice til dels at komme med borgerservice-typisk information sådan at kommunikationsmedarbejderen ikke længere skal hente information på det her område fra borgerservicecentret,
men at informationen kommer direkte, men også at spørgsmål kan blive besvaret. Så det her
det er ligesom servicedialogen.
Og på det tredje niveau, før man kan aktivere den her politiske dialog på den digitale platform, så er der nødt til at være en mental omkalfatring hos politikerne, fordi du kan godt gå
ud i morgen og lave en dialogplatform, men det der er væsentligt er, at politikerne tænker
den her dialog ind tidligt i deres proces. At dialogen er ikke en dialog ”hvad synes I i øvrigt
om det, vi allerede har besluttet”, men en dialog om, ”hvad synes I vi skal tage stilling til, og
når vi har fundet ud af, hvad vi skal tage stilling til, hvad synes I så, vi skal beslutte?”. Og det
kræver, at det er tænkt ind meget meget tidligere, end det er i dag.
I rigtig mange kommuner er kommunikationschefen end ikke med til direktionsmøderne –
hvordan skulle de så på nogen måde kunne være med til at inddrage borgerne i en strategisk
dialog? Så kommunikationsfaget og den sociale medie-dialog og dialogen med borgerne og
vælgerne er nødt til at blive tænkt på en hel anden måde som en partner og ikke bare en…
altså borgeren som politisk partner og ikke kun som servicekunde. Der er en politisk omrokering, som er nødvendig, inden vi kan komme op på det her tredje niveau, men det er ikke en
teknologisk forhindring, og det er heller ikke en brugerforhindring, fordi brugerne er der, og
134 / 218
brugerne vil gerne i dialog om noget, det giver mening at være i dialog om, men de gider ikke
skin-dialogen.
Så strategien, som vi vil anbefale, er at prøve at tænke sociale medier som noget, der på den
her måde kan understøtte kerneforretningen som en politisk bevidstliggørelse og synliggørelse og en bedre kommunikationsmæssig service. Det er det, som sociale medier, særligt
dialogdimensionen, men faktisk også på informationssiden, fordi ved at tilpasse informationen til Facebook-mediet kommer man også til at tilpasse det til en bredere målgruppe. Det
er i virkeligheden en redaktionel øvelse, som jeg tror på sigt også vil smitte af på hjemmesidekommunikationen. Men det handler om at der stadig er rester af en embedsmandsfaglig
formulering og kommunikationsstil, som i dag skinner igennem i hjemmesidekommunikationen og i breve og i al mulig andet kommunikation, som vi prøver at lave om på, men hvor det
er kan være et brækjern til at få omformuleret og få indkredset, hvad er det af kommunens
kommunikation, som har direkte borgerrelevans. Og det er forhåbentlig det, som sociale
medier kan være med til og tilpasse den tænkning. Med den her måde at stille det op på, kan
man i hvert fald være sikker på, at man får fokuseret på kerneforretningen i brugen af sociale medier.
Dels så lokker sociale medier til at organisationen tænker kommunikation på en anden måde,
dels så skal organisationen tilpasse sig de sociale medier. Det er vel sådan en vekselvirkning,
det er svært at sige, hvad der kommer først, men organisationen skal under alle omstændigheder i hvert fald tilpasse både deres tænkning af kommunikation og hele deres rutiner, før
det kan lykkes. Er det dét, jeg hører dig sige?
Yes. Grunden til at det ikke er kommet ind endnu, er den her med, at kommunikationsmedarbejderen for det første tænker ”information er ikke nok, det siger alle, at hvis vi skal på
Facebook så skal vi i dialog, og jeg er ikke rustet til dialogen”. Og begge de ting er både rigtige og forkerte. Altså, information er fint nok på Facebook. Der er masser af Facebook-sider,
som egentlig udelukkende er envejskommunikation men som stadigvæk fungerer, fordi det
er lavet i et format, hvor folk gider læse det dér, og det har en personlig relevans eller en
humor eller en uformel tone, det er dét, der er omdrejningspunktet, som passer ind i en privatsfære. Man bliver nærmest lukket ind i soveværelse, eller ind i hjemmet og det skal for-
135 / 218
men afspejle. Men på den måde er der ikke noget problematisk, der er ikke noget forbudt i
at bruge det som informationskanal. Men man skal have sine redaktionelle kriterier i orden.
Og nr. to, som er den her med angsten for at nu skal jeg sgu sidde og håndtere en masse
borgerhenvendelser, som jeg hverken har ressourcer til eller som heller ikke har indsigt i,
altså man er jo ikke borgerservicemedarbejder, når man sidder i kommunikation. Den skal
man ikke håndtere ved at sige, jamen så skal vi slet ikke på, for vi er ikke rustet til dialogen,
man skal sørge for at inddrage den del af organisationen, som kan tage den dialog. Og - vil
det kvikke hoved sige - har borgerservicecenteret så tid til at sidde og bruge kræfter på Facebook? Jamen prøv nu at hør, den samme henvendelse bliver bare håndteret hurtigere og
nemmere på Facebook. Den person, som får svar på sit spørgsmål på Facebook, går jo ikke
ned manuelt i borgerservicecentret og stiller sit spørgsmål eller skriver et brev eller sender
en mail, som alt sammen er dyrere måder. Og hvorfor er det dyrere, jamen det er dyrere
fordi, hvis du svarer på det på Facebook, så er der måske 1000 brugere, der ser det her svar,
så du kommer til at svare på det her ene spørgsmål, og borgeren fortæller dig selv, hvad det
er, der er relevant og vigtigt og som de er i tvivl om, og det er guld værd i forhold til, når du
skal lave en folder til brugerne, hvor du skal gætte, hvad mon brugerne synes er vigtigt her,
så får du at vide på Facebook.
Med alle de kræfter, der bliver brugt i øjeblikket på at flytte brugerne over til selvbetjening
og digitale løsninger, fordi der kan man svare én til mange og man kan få folk til at løse de
her ting selv, jamen forestil dig en bruger som stiller et spørgsmål på Facebook og borgerservicemedarbejderen smider et link ind og siger, jamen du kan selv klare den her på det her
link, jamen så er man allerede kommet rigtig langt i processen ift. at hjælpe folk til digital
selvbetjening, så der er penge at spare dér. Det er ikke ressourcer, nye ressourcer, der skal
tilføjes til borgerservicecenteret for at kunne håndtere Facebook, det er i virkeligheden bare
en omdirigering af de her henvendelser som i forvejen kommer til borgerservicecenteret.
Det kræver selvfølgelig noget træning at kunne håndtere det dér, men det er en nem og
konkret og håndgribelig måde at tackle den her panik-følelse hos informationsmedarbejderen med, hvordan skal jeg nogensinde overskue det, jeg sidder og skriver pressemeddelelser,
hvordan skal jeg nogensinde overskue at skulle sidde og svare på henvendelser på Facebook.
Men det er heller ikke dig, der skal det. Det tror jeg kan være døråbneren ift. optaget eller
136 / 218
penetrationen af sociale medier, hvis man kan få den tænkning ind også på direktionsniveau,
at hvis vi vil sociale medier, jamen så kræver det ikke bare ressourcer af vores kommunikationsafdeling, men også at vi tænker borgerservicecenteret med ind i den del.
Hvad er det de [kommunerne] ringer og spørger om, hvad er det, de gerne vil have råd til?
Jamen de ringer jo forbløffende lidt omkring sociale medier. Det er ikke så mange konkrete
forespørgsler, vi får. Det vi får forespørgsler på, det er lige akkurat det her, det er grundstrategi. De fleste står sådan enten, at de lige er sprunget ud i det, eller også at de overvejer at
gøre det, og de er jo super bange for alle sammen, at de kommer til at begå de dér dødssy nder, som vi bare læser over det hele med alle sociale medier-evangelisterne at lave et site,
som ingen gider besøge, fordi man ikke tager det alvorligt og ikke er strategisk nok. Og det er
temmelig svært at finde ud af hvordan griber vi det her strategisk an, så jo, det udspringer af
det, men jeg tror, der er en berøringsangst, der er forbundet med, at det her kan jo hen og
blive rigtig rigtig ressourcekrævende, og det er svært i en tid, hvor man i forvejen er helt
vildt pressede at så tænke det her som en ny kommunikationskanal man skal åbne og drifte.
Og der tror jeg, at nøglen bliver at se det her og dels så skal det driftsarbejde ikke nødve ndigvis ligge i kommunikationsafdelingen og dels så er det en kanal som i kraft af sin servicekomponent kan aflaste, og jeg tror, hvis man kan få den tænkning ind, så vil det hjælpe.
(…) Hvordan tror du, at kommunerne kan arbejde med deres brand på Facebook?
Jeg tror bestemt at målgruppen på Facebook, brugerne på Facebook vil være modtagelige
for en seriøs tilstedeværelse, forstået på den måde at kommunerne bliver jo i hvert fald af
den yngre generation opfattet noget støvet. Og kommunerne har i hvert fald ikke været helt
så gode til… De har været rigtig gode til at komme på nettet i det hele taget og skifte til dig ital kommunikation og på den måde meget fremme i skoene, men jeg kunne godt forestille
mig, at der var en undren over, at de er så fraværende på de sociale medier. Det være sagt,
så skal man ikke glemme, at der også er rigtig rigtig mange danske virksomheder, som ikke er
på de sociale medier. Så på den måde er det måske ikke så overraskende. Men jeg tror, der
er en branding-mulighed som i at ved at kommunerne tager det her alvorligt kan puste noget af støvet af sig og kan få en reel dialog med en generation som i udgangspunktet ikke er
særligt engageret i kommunalpolitik. Når man kigger på det danske valg, danske unge er go-
137 / 218
de til at stemme og gå til folketingsvalg, men det var måske noget, du skulle prøve at kigge
på, om valgdeltagelsen for unge danskere til kommunalvalg om den er lige så høj. Det ville
jeg ikke forestille mig, at den var. Det tror jeg, handler noget omkring, at den unge generation måske er mindre tolerante overfor kommunikation, som har det her embedsmandsformat. At deres informations- og nyhedskriterier er de her nyhedskriterier, det skal være hyperlokalt og hyperaktuelt og det skal give mig en eller anden form for mulighed for interaktion. Ellers så ryger det ud. Og hvis ikke kommunen kan henvende sig til mig på de betingelser,
så vælger jeg dem bare fra.
Så det du siger er, at for at kommunerne skal kunne brande sig vha. eller via deres tilstedeværelse på Facebook, eller det der er mulighederne i det, det er at de kan puste noget af støvet af sig, og at det er en mulighed for at komme i dialog med nogen unge, utolerante mennesker, som har brug for en anden form for tiltale end den sædvanlige embedsmand…
Dels med de unge, men jeg tror i virkeligheden også at komme tilbage i kontakt med borgerne generelt. Jeg tror også at danskernes generelle tolerance overfor snørklede embedsmands-kommunal grå information er heftigt faldende. Altså, informationsudbuddet i dag er
så meget større end for 20 år siden, at vi lytter til dem, der kan servere deres budskab attraktivt og interessant og på vores vilkår. Vi er blevet kræsne, vi sidder ikke og kæmper med
en nyhed for at dechifrere hvad mon kommunen egentlig mente med det, så er vi videre i
løbet af nul komma fem. Så på den måde er det en mulighed for at…
Anker Brink har den her fantastiske formulering, at kommunerne er nødt til at kunne kommunikere sine legitime interesser overfor sine interessenter, hvis de skal kunne overleve,
hvis ikke de på sigt skal gå amternes og på sigt regionernes vej. Og den her måde at tænke
budskaber dels ud fra nogle andre kriterier, men også som noget som kan være afsæt for
dialog og åbne op for dialogen på det her tidspunkt er en måde at vise hvad kommunerne
egentlig laver. Hvis de kan se at kommunen handler om, at det ikke skal besluttes på Christiansborg hvilken skole i mit skoledistrikt der skal lukkes, det vil vi selv bestemme, og jeg er i
øvrigt med til at tage den snak på et socialt medie - så giver det mig en anden bevidsthed
omkring, hvad er værdien egentlig af, at den her beslutning træffes lokalt.
138 / 218
Men om beslutningerne træffes lokalt på et rådhus, som jeg ikke har nogen kontakt med,
eller på et folketing, som jeg heller ikke har nogen kontakt med, det er mig bedøvende ligegyldigt. Så hvis kommunerne skal brande sig selv som noget, der har en relevans for borgeren og en samfundsmæssig relevans og spiller en uundværlig rolle, som ikke ligeså godt kunne klares inde på Christiansborg, så er det her en kanal dertil.
Hvad tror du, kommunerne kan gøre galt på Facebook? Stadig i en branding-kontekst. Hvad
er problemerne ved det?
Jeg tror i virkeligheden ikke, de kan forrette anden skade end at spilde end chance. Jeg tror
ikke det er sådan, at man bliver lynchet for at have en dårlig Facebook-profil, men jeg tror,
hvis man ikke på en eller anden måde bevæger sig i retning af den her politiske dialog, og at
borgerne kan se at det er den vej, det bærer, at man har dialog først som spørgsmål-svarborgerservice, og så må man måske siden som en mere inddragende politisk dialog, hvad
enten det så er på kommunens hjemmeside eller på et separat kampagnesite eller hvad det
nu måtte være… Hvis ikke at man kan se det er en proces, men bare oplever, at det bliver
informationskanal for de sædvanlige gamle nyheder fra hjemmesiden og at den dialog der
er, er en skin-dialog, så tror jeg bare det vil yderligere mindske folks interesse i lokalpolitik.
Men det tror jeg egentlig er det værste scenarie, det er at skuffe en ny generations håb til at
kunne bruge de sociale medier til at komme i kontakt med folkestyret. Det ville være det
sådan umiddelbart værste, jeg kunne tænke, der kunne ske.
(…) Hvad tror du den generelle opfattelser er, når man går ind på en kommunes Facebookside og ser, der er kun 230 mennesker, der har synes godt om. Kan det ikke også give et billede af, at det er meget lidt ift. en kommune, hvor der måske er 40.000 borgere?
Jo, det er det da også, men nu skal man heller ikke glemme, at den sidste undersøgelse,
Momentums undersøgelse, viste jo også at en meget meget stor del af dem, der er på Facebook er kommet det inden for det sidste år. Og de er ved at gøre deres erfaringer, ikke bare
ift. overhovedet at håndtere sådan en profil, men også hvad det er for et indhold som borgerne efterspørger på de her medier. Og der tror jeg måske nok, at det kan godt være, at
journalister, der gerne vil have en hurtig historie, kan falde over det med at der er meget få,
men jeg tror man skal give det noget tid og jeg tror, at de brugere, der kommer ind, kigger
139 / 218
ikke først og fremmest på antallet af andre, der har synes godt om det, de kigger på det in dhold, de ser på siden.
Og der er det klart, at hvis man har noget håbløst indhold, så kunne man have 100.000 br ugere eller likers, men folk ville stadig tænke ’hvad skal jeg dog med en kopi af pressemeddelelserne’, eller med en nyhed om ’hvor er det glædeligt at Borgmesteren nu har været ude
og klippe en snor over på et eller andet’. Ligesom alt andet socialt medie, så er det kvaliteten
af content, der skaber trafikken. Jo, jeg synes da også, det er skuffende, at vi ikke har set en
kæmpe tilstrømning til kommunerne, men jeg tror måske ligeså meget, det er et spørgsmål
om, at folks forventninger i udgangspunktet er at kommunerne jo nok bare vil genudsende
det samme materiale på hjemmesiden på Facebook. Vi mangler stadig at se nogle af de dér
kommuner, der bryder igennem og rent faktisk – ej, det mangler vi ikke, der er nogle eksempler på det, og det er typisk på kulturområdet, hvor der er lavet Facebook-profiler, som viser
kulturaktiviteter, som har mange brugere.
Så i virkeligheden handler det faktisk om, at de ikke alene kæmper med en udfordring, at de
skal på, som så mange andre virksomheder, foretagender generelt, de skal sådan set også
over den forhindring, der hedder, at der er nogle dårlige forventninger…
De kæmper med, at der er en dårlig arv. Ja, det gør de. Og det er en arv, som er bygget op af,
at de kommunale hjemmesider har været igennem en lang omstillingsproces fra dokumentskraldespand til en reel nyhedskanal. Og der kan man se på antallet af læsere på hjemmesiderne at det er i markant vækst, og folk der abonnerer på de forskellige nyhedsbreve og er
inde og besøge de kommunale hjemmesider, er efterhånden ret højt. Men det er heller ikke
noget, der har været sådan hele tiden. Det har jo også været en proces, hvor de har lært at
præsentere deres indhold mere attraktivt, mere intuitivt, lettere tilgængeligt og vinkle deres
nyheder på en måde… at betragte hjemmesiden ikke som en opslagstavle, men som et reelt
nyhedsmedie og have en redaktionel nyhedsproces, der svarer til det. Den proces skal på en
eller anden måde gentages, forhåbentlig i et højere tempo på de sociale medier, for det er
andre nyhedskriterier. Eller det burde være de samme, men det er de i hvert fald ikke.
(…) Jeg kunne godt tænke mig at høre din mening om, hvordan kommunen kan udtrykke en
bestemt personlighed ved at være på Facebook. Nu lister jeg nogle forskellige personligheds-
140 / 218
dimensioner eller karakteristika, og så vil jeg høre, hvad du synes bedst beskriver, hvad en
kommune kan udtrykke på Facebook. Jeg vil sige dem til dig på engelsk først og så på dansk,
fordi teorien er engelsk, og noget kan jo blive lost in translation. Men det første det er sinc erity, svarer til hvad vi på dansk ville kalde oprigtighed. Så er der competence, altså noget med
dygtighed. Så er der excitement, spænding, at der er noget nyt, noget modigt. Så er der
sophistication som er noget forfinethed eller noget sofistikerethed og sidst ruggedness, som
svarer til noget barskhed eller noget robusthed. Hvad synes du, en kommune signalerer ved
at være på Facebook?
Altså, sincerity som defineret her med down to earth, honest og cheerful vil jeg bestemt sige. Der er noget med at gøre det kort og koncist og brugbart og ikke formelt, som ligger dér.
Excitement forstået her, som det der står her, altså up to date og spirited, altså at der er
noget entusiasme er bestemt også en. Sophistication, ikke rigtig. Ruggedness, både ja og nej.
Robusthed, forstået som ikke-lang-i-spyttet eller kontant, ja, men ikke som tough eller sturdy eller resilient. Det er mere det her med, at det er sådan bite size, altså det er skåret op i
en størrelse, så man kan spise det på farten. Og det det viser ift. competence, det, det signalerer er, at man tager sin målgruppe alvorligt. Og det viser jo en eller anden form for kommunikationsmæssig kompetence, at man kommer brugeren i møde ud fra de kriterier som
brugeren selv har. Det er jo noget i branding sammenhæng, så vil jeg drage paralleller til
Adobe og til Apple (…) det med at tage brugerne alvorligt, det giver en brand loyalty, som er
fuldstændig uvurderlig. (…) Og det er det samme ift. Facebook.
Det kommunerne kan kommunikere, det er, at de forstår brugernes interesser, deres vidensbehov og deres servicebehov. Og at de kan tale direkte til det. Og det er den form for
en-til-en, eller at se eye-to-eye med sine kunder, borgere, brugere, som er de sociale mediers mulighed, det er det, de åbner, de giver en ny chance for nogen, som tidligere har haft
svært ved at have den form for eye-to-eye kontakt. Men det er ikke noget, der giver sig selv,
og det er ikke noget, der giver sig selv ved bare at åbne en profil. De overvejelser, vi har
snakket om med de redaktionelle kriterier og ressourcerne og med de forskellige typer af
content, man kan poste, det er ved at tage det alvorligt, at man skaber den dér øjenhøjdefunktion. Vi skal vælge en ting, som kommunen signalerer, det er ligeværdighed eller kommunikation i øjenhøjde. Det betyder ikke forfladigelse eller udhuling, men det betyder at
141 / 218
kommunen skal tænke relevans eller nyheder ud fra borgernes perspektiver og ikke nødvendigvis ud fra hvad man som administration gerne vil fortælle. Så må man arbejde med at
gøre det man har at sige, spændende.
Så det jeg hører dig sige, det er at, hvis man arbejder med de begreber som der ligger inden
for den teoretiske tilgang, der har med brand personality at gøre, så ville du umiddelbart sige
sincerity altså det her med, at det ikke er alt for formlet, excitement fordi der er noget entusiasme bag. Ruggedness på den måde, at det er til benet, kontant og bite size og så competence, fordi det viser, at man rent kommunikationsfagligt er med på, at man taler til sin målgruppe, sådan så det bliver i øjenhøjde.
Præcis…
Og med dine egne ord, så er det kommunen signalerer er ligeværdighed og kommunikation i
øjenhøjde…
Ja, og competence, der er jo også noget i at det giver en ny mulighed for at fortælle en ny
brugergruppe, der måske ellers er stået af, hvad kommunen egentlig laver. Altså, jeg har ikke
den store ide om, hvad min egen kommune laver, og jeg har bor oven i købet i en kommune,
som er relativt god til at kommunikere…
Hvilken kommune er det?
Det er Københavns Kommune… der er en udfordring for kommuner dér, og der tror jeg, at
det er en egenskab… det kommunerne kan vinde for deres brand, hvis de formår at bruge
den her ørenlyd, de har – der er jo en nysgerrighed, de har en once in a life time mulighed
for at træde ind på det her nye medie og så at sige starte forfra. Selvfølgelig kommer folk
med en forforståelse, der snakker vi om nogle fordomme og noget negativ arv men de giver
det en chance, og de klikker på det. Men de klikker ikke 100 gange på det, så den learning
curve som kommunerne har på Facebook skal være ret stejl, og det er derfor det er så vigtigt
at tænke strategisk på forhånd, for selvom jeg gerne vil sige, bare spring ud i det og gør jer
jeres erfaringer, så skal man ikke glemme, at det første indtryk, det er svært at slette. Der
skal mange positive oplevelser til at veje op for én dårlig, så det at gå på på den rigtige måde,
velforberedt og med en plan, som fører et sted hen, det tror jeg er væsentligt.
142 / 218
(…) Hvordan kan man måle sin indsats på Facebook? Hvordan tænker du måling af det?
Altså, der er jo ingen tvivl om, at der i ren antal ’likers’ er et ret betydeligt mål. Antal synes
godt om og antal kommentarer pr. indlæg, men måske også ville jeg være opmærksom på i
første fase hvor vi udelukkende snakker information, der ville jeg se på turn rate, hv or mange klik på de her aktiviteter kommer fra Facebook. Hvor godt et turnover har det at man p oster en nyhed eller en aktivitet til der bliver klikket på den og indholdet bliver læst eller
brugt, eller i allerbedste tilfælde en tilmelding til en aktivitet. Det ville jeg tænke var måling i
første omgang.
Så ville jeg måske også lave en måling, når optaget bliver lidt større, på brugernes opfattelse,
ikke vha. metrikker, som er fra Facebook, men på baggrund af en opinionssurvey, hvordan
folk oplever kommunen på Facebook, om de synes, bibringer det nogen værdi, om de har
haft en god eller negativ oplevelse og prøve at få en holdningstilkendegivelse, og måske også
få en tilkendegivelse af i hvilket omfang det har ændret deres syn på kommunen generelt,
det kunne også være rigtig interessant. På anden del, hvor vi snakker servicedialog, der ville
jeg måle det på, hvor mange der får svar på tiltale og giver udtryk for at de har kunne bruge
deres svar. Der kunne man evt. gøre det ved at henvende sig direkte til de brugere, som har
stillet spørgsmål eller fået svar og måle på, om de har følt at der blevet imødekommet og har
fået løst deres serviceproblem. Og igen, i hvor høj grad folk har brugt de links, som er blevet
givet som svar evt. på selvbetjening.
Og så ville jeg samtidig prøve at holde statistikken lidt op imod antallet af henvendelser g enerelt. Man skulle gerne på den lidt længere bane kunne se et fald i de dyrere borgerservicehenvendelser, på tlf. og breve osv. ved at det kunne kanaliseres derover.
På det tredje niveau med den politiske dialog, der vil jeg sige, at den ultimative metrik er
valgdeltagelsen. Men man kan også længe før det byde ind med at se, hvor mange byder ind
med noget, hvor mange kommer aktivt med bud, når man beder om input, hvor mange
stemmer i digitale afstemninger, og hvor mange læser andre indlæg på de her steder. (…)
Det her eksempel med Århus viser jo udmærket… (…) 40 gange så mange har læst, som har
skrevet (…) Det kan sagtens være fordi, at det spørgsmål, de ville stille, allerede har været
stillet i forvejen. Og det føler man sig jo også hørt af. Så det ville være nogle bud.
143 / 218
Hvad synes du er af potentiale ift. at bruge andre sociale medier? (…) Hvad med YouTube,
Flickr, Twitter?
Jamen jeg tror, Twitter er død. Det tror jeg sgu ikke på.
Hvordan kan det være?
Optagelsesskurven er knækket for tidligt. Det ser bare ikke… Nu har jeg ikke set de sidste tal,
der er jo altid noget forsinkelse på det, men på nuværende tidspunkt er vi så langt fra first
mover-fasen, at vi burde have set flere profiler, og jeg tror i virkeligheden at det drejer sig
om, at det der er Twitters kerne… Twitter har stjålet essensen af Facebook i form af statusopdatering, men har på en eller anden måde undervurderet Facebooks evne til at få brugerne til at bruge andre typer af content. Du kan jo godt vha. Twitter poste noget video eller
noget lyd eller noget billede, men det kræver at du går over tredjeparts-sites, kører det via
en flickr-konto eller en YouTube-konto. Og der tror jeg, at det passer andre end first moverne godt, at du har det hele samlet ét sted – Facebook. At du ser det ét sted, én strøm, du
bliver ikke ført rundt af alt muligt, du kan se YouTube embedded i din strøm, og du kan afspille lydklip og du kan… Det er den del af det, det har indtil videre givet Facebook en unik
position, som jeg ikke tror, Twitter kan true. Særligt ikke hvis Facebook bliver ved med at
udvikle sine kompatibilitet med lokationsbaserede tjenester og bruger GPS’en og formår at
udvikle videre, jeg synes allerede de har gjort det rigtig rigtig godt, men videreudvikle sin
tilstedeværelse på mobile platforme, og der tænker jeg at Twitter i virkeligheden er lidt for
minimalistisk, det er for spartansk. Og er godt til nogle ting, men jeg tror Facebook har formået at udbygge sin platform tilstrækkeligt til at attraktionen ved Twitter er for lille.
Og YouTube, jeg tror uden tvivl YouTube vil være, det har vi jo kun set i vækst, alle tal vi ser
på antal postede videoer, det eksploderer jo fandme, og jeg tror også at ift. kommunerne vil
video spille en stor rolle. Om det bliver Youtube, der bliver platformen, kan være mere i tvivl
om. Der er fordele og ulemper, fordelene er søgbarheden og at man kommer i hele googleuniverset og på den måde ikke skal til at meta-tagge sig i et andet system, men ryger direkte
ind fordi det er eget [af google], så der er en fordel. Men der er også den her ukontrollerbarhed. Et godt eksempel er på et tidspunkt så jeg en vestas-reklamevideo, som så var afløst af
den næste video. Den næste video der så dukkede op, var en hvor en vinge ryger af en
144 / 218
vindmølle. Og det er klart, at fra et brandingsynspunkt så er det pænt uheldigt, at fordi de
guider en masse trafik hen til en video, som i virkeligheden giver et positivt indtryk, at det så
straks efter bliver annulleret af alles værste mareridt.
Og det samme kunne man snildt forestille sig at kommuner ville ønske at have en større kontrol med deres video content, og der tror jeg så, at det kræver jo så at de sørger for, at deres
lokale platforme bliver lige så sociale venlige, altså kan integreres ligeså vel med de sociale
platforme som med google kan. Med Facebook connect er det jo nemmere end nogensinde
at få den dimension koblet på. Og jeg tror, nye sociale sites, altså når Facebooks afløser på et
eller andet tidspunkt kommer (…) så vil de tænke i den samme form for integrationsmulighed med andre sites, fordi det giver mening. Det giver mening at løsrive content fra platforme, men jeg tror hosting og måske også af nogle juridiske grunde, at der er grænser for, hvor
meget kommunerne må slippe kontrollen med deres content. Der vil det ikke nødvendigvis
være YouTube, men video, ja helt afgjort.
Flickr, ja, altså billedmateriale, ja, Flickr’s force er i høj grad, at det er nemt at poste til og fra
mobil og på den måde tror jeg sagtens, der kan være noget med den her integration, at få
brugerne til at være med til at generere content også de kommunale sider, men jeg tænker
bare også, at det nok også ville være noget, man ville vælge at køre på en integreret platform. Så sociale medier: ja. De store sociale medie-brands: ikke nødvendigvis.
(…) Hvis jeg bare lige kan få et par ord om, hvad det er du egentlig laver herinde i KL?
Jamen jeg er sådan en slags all round-rådgiver på kommunikation hvad enten den er digital
eller analog. Jeg rådgiver kommunerne om kommunikation, dels om kommunikationsstrategi
og mediekriser og om branding og alle aspekter af kommunal corporate kommunikation.
Indtil videre primært medierådgivning, kriserådgivning, kurser i krisehåndtering, men noget
tyder på at strategi omkring sociale medier også går hen og bliver et tema.
Hvor meget har du arbejdet med sociale medier nu her i KL og evt. i tidligere stillinger?
Jeg har arbejdet meget med det tidligere, som seniorkonsulent i Holm Kommunikation og
tidligere end det i Radikale Venstre, hvor vi lavede noget sociale medier før sociale medier,
altså det var tilbage i 2005 før YouTube, hvor vi kørte noget med nogle virale videoer. Det
145 / 218
var lidt mere krævende dengang. Det har jeg arbejdet en del med, knap så meget nu i kommunalt regi, men vi er også først lige ved at gå i gang med det.
Og jeg er stadigvæk ret ny i KL-sammenhæng. Jeg er ikke i tvivl om, at det kommer. Der bliver noget rådgivning og også noget inspiration, særligt hvis jeg nu skal give et lille hip til mine
kollegaer i det private, fordi jeg synes kvaliteten af rådgivning af rådgivning på sociale medier er jo rystende lav. Der bliver tjent for mange penge på de abstrakte inspirations-juhuforedrag og for lidt penge på den konkrete, researchbaserede, erfaringsbaserede rådgivning,
og den erfaring i hvert fald i den private sektor er ved at være der. Kommunerne er lidt mere
undskyldte i og med at der er erfaringerne først nu ved at komme, men vi kan selvfølgelig
lære af andre steder i verden, hvor det offentlige har forsøgt sig med sociale medier. Men
jeg synes, mange gange er det for letkøbt og det tror jeg, vi vil prøve at råde bod på.
Men bare lige for at opsummere, så har vi talt om, hvordan dig og Anna Ebbesen [rådgiver i
Advice Digital, som holdt oplæg med Jesper på KL’s kommunikationskonference i efteråret
2010] har brainstormet lidt over, hvordan sociale medier kan understøtte kerneforretningen,
særligt rettet mod enten borgere eller brugere, hvis man skal vælge to målgrupper, og så på
de parametre, der hedder dialog kontra information. Så har vi snakket lidt om, at hele det
her med at gå på sociale medier kan være med til at brande en kommune, hvad der er af pros
og cons ved det, fordi selvfølgelig kan man udnytte muligheden for at puste lidt af støvet af
sig, men samtidig så kan det selvfølgelig også se dårligt ud, hvis man kommer til at kvaje sig.
Og så har vi snakket om, hvordan man kan signalere at være i øjenhøjde med borgerne eller
brugerne, hvis man går på Facebook som kommune, og vi har snakket lidt om hvad der ellers
er af sociale medier derude. Hvis jeg bare sådan lige kan høre dig til sidst, tror du det kan
styrke en kommunes brand at være på Facebook?
Ja, hvis det bliver gjort ordentligt. Det er jo selvfølgelig det evige forbehold, men jo, grundlæggende tror jeg at det er en chance for at styrke brandet. Det værste, der kan ske er, at
man spilder den, og så er man bare dér, hvor man hele tiden havde været.
Har du ellers noget, som du synes, det er relevant at få sagt, som jeg ikke har givet dig mulighed for at sige endnu?
146 / 218
Ikke lige nu, men det kan være det kommer. Jesper tegnede følgende figur under interviewet:
147 / 218
APPENDIX 7: INTERVIEW GUIDE, RASMUS MØLLER-NIELSEN, KOMFO

at jeg har valgt at kontakte dig, er fordi jeg ved, at I i Komfo har udarbejdet en guide
til kommunerne om brug af Facebook.

Vil du starte med at fortælle lidt om dig selv – stilling, firma, fag/videnområde – evt.
om Facebook-guiden?

Hvad ved du om kommuner på Facebook? Hvad har du af erfaringer med at rådgive
kommuner om Facebook? Hvad spørger de om, hvad ønsker de råd om?

Med din baggrund som kommunikationsrådgiver – hvad kan det tilføre en kommunes
brand at være på Facebook?
Tid?




148 / 218

på Facebook? Og tror du, at det kan styrke en kommunes brand at være til stede på
Facebook?


Tak for din hjælp.
149 / 218
APPENDIX 8: EXTRACTION OF MEANING,INTERVIEW WITH RAS MUS MØLLER-NIELSEN,
KOMFO
Interview face to face, November 2 nd 2010
Hvis du kunne starte med at fortælle lidt om, hvad din rolle er i Komfo, hvad Komfo laver og
måske lidt om at I har lavet den her guide til kommuner i deres brug af Facebook.
Komfo som virksomhed arbejder med at rådgive vidt og bredt omkring de muligheder der
ligger i Facebook. Både som det værktøj det er i sig selv, hvad kan man bruge Facebook sider
til kontra grupper, hvad bruger brugeren det til ikke mindst og hvorfor, hvordan kan man
blive en logisk del af den her enorme aktivitet på Facebook. Altså at det strategiske, alt det
konceptuelle omkring Facebook, arbejder vi med. Og derudover arbejder vi men, at skal man
selv være online, skal man selv integrere sin onlinetilstedeværelse med Facebook -netværket
på en eller anden måde, så har vi også nogle tekniske kompetencer. Så vi er et full service
Facebook-firma. Jeg har været med til at starte det i sin tid og er direktør i firmaet i dag (…)
I har jo lavet den her guide til kommuner i deres brug af Facebook. På hvilket grundlag har I
lavet den her rapport?
Vi tager selvfølgelig vores egen medicin på den måde, at vi også selv er tilstede på Facebook
sammen med vores brugere som er interesserede i, hvad vi går og laver og bidrage til vores
udvikling og forhåbentlig succes på en eller anden måde. Og en af de ting, der gør at man får
samlet og et støt voksende ambassadørkorps på Facebook er at man åbner op og er villig til
at dele med de her mennesker og lade dem have indflydelse på, hvad man går og laver, eller
i hvert fald på en eller anden måde få noget ud af det. Og det som vi kan og som vi ved noget
om, det er jo Facebook, og derfor har det givet mening for os at dele noget af den viden, vi
har og give noget gratis væk. Altså fx at lade andre vide, hvad er det kommuner fx skal bruge… hvorfor er det så smart på Facebook. Vi håbede selvfølgelig at, når man så læser om det
så tænker man, de fyre ved noget om det og de virker flinke for de deler noget gratis med os,
så lad os da høre noget mere. Det er jo selvfølgelig det, der ligger i det sådan rent forretningsmæssigt for os, men det er hele essensen i Facebook, at man hele tiden skal tænke,
150 / 218
hvad kan vi give, før vi kan tage fra dem. Det kommer, når det her loyalitetsbånd er skabt.
(…)
Hvad er det for nogle spørgsmål, de [kommunerne] kommer til jer med, hvad vil de gerne
have noget rådgivning om?
Det er meget forskelligt. Vi har arbejdet med et par kommuner og har rådgivet sådan uforpligtende endnu flere, det kan være noget så simpelt som annoncering, altså hvad kan man
på Facebook i den sammenhæng (…) Har man en Facebook-side, hvad kan man bruge den til
og hvad kan man ikke bruge den til. Altså, ting som vi i princippet dengang sagde, jamen
hvorfor så ikke lave den her guide, så vi kan komme nogle af de her generelle spørgsmål… de
kan vi så få svaret på her engang for alle, og så kan vi beskæftige os med de lidt mere spæ ndende ting ifølge os, og det er så, når man har fundet ud af, at vi vil gerne i dialog med borgerne via en Facebook-side eller vi vil gerne række ud efter dem med annoncering med målet om at komme i dialog med dem, hvad så og hvorfor det. Så har vi snakket med nogle
kommuner om, hvad er så næste step, hvordan får vi inddraget og aktiveret borgerne i høj ere grad, når vi nu stille og roligt har fået samlet nogle af dem op her. Det kan man sige er
dér, vi er nået til. Der er ikke nogle kommuner, der har åbnet op og lavet store, interaktive
hjemmesider, hvor man går i dialog med brugerne. Mange har fået en Facebook-side, og
savner lidt viden om, hvad er næste step egentlig, hvad konsekvenser har det at åbne op i
forhold til borgerne, er det et seriøst nok forum, udelukker man nogen ved at gøre det på
Facebook på den her måde (…)
Hvad siger I så, når de spørger om det er et seriøst nok forum?
Vi svarer jo oftest, at Facebook er jo så seriøs som den dialog, der er der. I og med at Facebook langt hen ad vejen er et socialt forum, hvor vennerne snakker med hinanden, jamen så
er seriøsiteten dér hvor dialogen med ens venner er, og den er jo oftest løssluppen og nu var
jeg lige ved at sige useriøs. Men det handler i lige så høj grad om at folk, der oplever store
ting i deres hverdag, folk der dør… Der er jo meget om at på Facebook, det er dér folk melder deres sorg overfor dem, kondolerer derinde osv. Så der foregår alle de ting, som der foregår i virkeligheden og når kommunerne bliver en del af det og prøver at få en dialog i gang,
så vil man jo snakke med kommunen, om de ting man snakker med dem om i hverdagen
151 / 218
også. Man har jo ikke lige pludselig andre ting at fortælle kommunen, end man har over telefonen, bare fordi det er på Facebook, så længe man ved at det er kommunen, der står bag
eller nogle medarbejdere i kommunen, der står bag. Dem ville man jo ikke begynde at sna kke med om, hvad man lavede i fredags i byen, det er der jo ingen grund til. I takt med at flere
og flere aktører kommer på Facebook så brugerne connecter med andre end bare deres
nærmeste venner, der vil man også se en ændring i den palette af emner, der bliver snakket
om.
(…) De mest succesfulde virksomheder… Det er jo også fordi, der sidder nogle ildsjæle hos
virksomhederne, som forstår det her og brænder for det, og hvis de her mennesker ikke er
til stede i organisationen på nogen måde, så er organisationen eller virksomheden bare ikke
klar til det. Man kan jo ikke påtvinge nogen, der ikke forstår Facebook eller ikke bruger det
selv at skulle sidde og agere på vegne af en kommune derinde. Det giver sådan set ikke nogen mening. Man kan selvfølgelig godt komme i gang på den måde, men det hvor det virkelig
tager fart, det er når man har nogle mennesker, der rent faktisk driver det, som virkelig
brænder for det.
(…) Hvis jeg så må høre dig med din baggrund som kommunikationsrådgiver, eller Facebook
–rådgiver, hvad kan det tilføre en kommunes brand at være på Facebook?
Det som Facebook jo er langt hen ad vejen, det er jo dialog, det er dialog i øjenhøjde, det er
sådan en åbenhed, en gennemsigtighed, troværdighed. Alle de her ting er jo nogen, der hele
tiden skal skinne igennem i ens Facebook-tilstedeværelse, både som personlig bruger derinde… selvfølgelig prøver man jo, det gør man jo, det er jo personlig branding når man er på
Facebook, så man skriver når man oplever noget godt, og man er i Parken i aften og se FCK
mod Barcelona, så skriver man at der er man og man skriver ikke… i aften laver jeg ikke noget igen. De ting skriver man selvfølgelig ikke på Facebook… Man er også derinde for at bringe en fremstilling, sørge for at det er de gode historier, der bliver fortalt om kommunen,
sørger for de positive elementer kommer frem i lyset og ikke altid skal tolkes af nogle af nogle medier, der har en eller anden agenda, for hvad der er interessant og ikke er interessant.
Så det er ligesom de to ting der i det, man får mulighed for at sørge for at de troværdig e,
ærlige historier bliver bragt frem. Hvis de er for pyntede, hvis det er for PR-agtigt, så kommer man ikke rigtigt nogle vegne med det, det skal være troværdigt, det skal være ægte. Og
152 / 218
så får man også forhåbentlig med den her åbenhed, optimalt set… borgerne som der er connected med kommunen derinde, føler forhåbentlig at man kommer tættere på sin kommune, at man føler et større tilhørsforhold til den, at hvis man selvfølgelig gennem længere tid
har oplevet at man bliver taget seriøst, at når man kommer med en henvendelse, at så bliver
der svaret, at har man et kritikpunkt, så bliver det taget til efterretning. Jamen så føler man
jo at man får en større tilknytning til den her kommune, eller at man fremstår mere seriøs og
åben osv. Hele den her del af det, skulle gerne være endemålet med det, men generelt med
branding, er det jo ikke noget man bare lige går ud og gør, det er jo selvfølgelig via lange
hårde seje træk at man får sat fokus på de her ting.
(…) Hvad tænker du kan være faldgruberne ved at være på Facebook ift. en kommunens
brand?
En stor faldgrube er jo at ikke at være gearet til det her. Hvis man tror at bare det at være på
Facebook giver åbenhed og giver et stærkt brand ift. at nu kommer borgerne tættere på, nu
har de mulighed for at komme tættere på, så er det jo en farlig opfattelse at have, det er jo
ikke bare ved at være der, det er jo det man gør, løbende, der skaber brandet. Og hvis man
ikke har tid til at gøre det, eller ikke har evnerne til at gøre det, så er der en risiko for at man
falder igennem og borgerne bare bliver sure. Har man stillet borgerne noget i forventning og
sagt nu kan I bidrage og komme med spørgsmål her, så stiller de spørgsmål, så siger man,
arrh der er du nødt til at ringe til det og det nummer for at få svar – hvorfor det, hvorfor skal
jeg så gå herind for at gå derover, det giver ikke nogen mening, kan du ikke bare svare nu, du
er også fra kommunen. Der skal man på en eller anden måde være gearet til det her, og det
er ikke alle, der er det, i kommunerne, og det er de selvfølgelig også bevidste om, og der er
jo også på den måde nogle barrierer eller noget uddannelse, et eller andet, der skal gøres før
du bare kaster sig ud i det helt store løfter til borgerne.
Hvad tænker du mere konkret, at der skal til af ressourcer for at de kan få det op at køre i et
fornuftigt gear?
En ting er, at hvis man ikke har nogen, der er specialet committed til det her, ikke synes det
er specielt spændende og ikke har tid til det, så har man jo en generel udfordring. Så kan
man hive nok så mange konsulenttimer ind, det vil bare være penge lige ud af lommen, fordi
153 / 218
den aldrig rigtig vil komme ind og leve i organisationen. Så det kræver, at man har den her
person. Men har man først sådan en person, og de personer kan ofte blive skabt igennem at
man har haft en workshop eller kommer med til et foredrag, og så skal man blive inspireret,
sidder man i kommunikationsafdelingen, så tror jeg ikke, der skal så meget til at blive inspireret af det her, når først du får det ind under huden, så det kan være en eller anden form
træning. Finde ud af, om der rent faktisk er nogen herinde, der faktisk er tændt på den her
opgave – det er der, fint, så er det jer, der kører videre med den. Så behøver det ikke tage
meget mere end… Det kan være en halv time om dagen, delt ind på to gange et kvarter, hvor
man er inde og kigge på at tingene foregår som de skal. Derfra sætter man ressourceforbruget efter og sin målsætning, for skal man ikke ud og nødvendigvis snakke med 50 % af ko mmunens borgere og bruge en masse penge på annoncering for at få dem samlet herinde, så
kommer der jo ikke en masse kontakt. Går man ud med den store annoncekampagne i lokalavisen og siger, nu kan I spørge om alt muligt på Facebook, fordi nu vil vi gerne have flyttet
borgerservice fra skranken og fra telefonen over på Facebook – hvilket jeg synes, der ligger
rigtig meget god mening i – men gør man det, så ville det jo også være lidt mere end et kvarter eller to gange et kvarter om dagen. Så på den måde følges det jo pænt ad, hvad man har
afsat af ressourcer. Men som sagt, for at springe videre, det er jo ikke fordi der kommer mere, at der kommer flere sure borgere af, at man er på Facebook, men det er nogen gange det
man tror, men pludselig opdager man dem. Problemet er jo at for kommunerne, der er jo
bare mange sure borgere, og de gider ikke lige gå ned i borgerservice, ned ved skranken, og
de kan aldrig komme igennem ved telefonen, og så opgiver man og så bliver man bare sur.
Det er jo bedre at sige, lad os nu få nogle af de her borgere få kommet af med, hvad de er
sure over, så vi enten kan reagere på det, lære af det og få aflastet de her stakkels telefonmænd og –damer, der sidder og kæmper med. For det viser alle erfaringer indtil videre, at
de her større virksomheder som Telmore og SAS, der bruger det aktivt, aktivt Facebook i
deres kundeservice, de kan jo mærke et fald, en aflastning af deres øvrige kundeservicemedarbejdere, fordi en ting er at nu er dialogen flyttet herover, men når den så er herovre i et
åbent forum, så kan mange flere brugere se, hvad der er blevet spurgt om, hvilket jo gør at
nogen får måske tilfredsstillet sit… (…) Så ringer man jo til Telmore og siger, hvad er det her,
og nu har man så fundet ud af, at det kan man måske også få svar inde på Facebook. Når
man kommer ind på Facebook, så står der bare undskyld vores telmore.dk er nede og svarer
154 / 218
nogle brugere, nå okay, så behøver jeg heller ikke at spørge om så. Så sparer man også nogle
ressourcer på den måde.
(…) Tror du det… er nødvendigt at markedsføre sin tilstedeværelse på Facebook for at man
kan tiltrække brugere?
Jeg tror ikke, at borgerne finder ud af af sig selv, at kommunen er aktiv på Facebook. Hvis
man ikke gør noget som helst, så kan man jo godt forestille sig, at så er der jo en bruger, der
tænker, nå men lad mig prøve… Nå, det virkede. Og så fortæller han det til sin ven, og så er
der to, og så går der et halvt år, så er der 20. Der går lang tid før man får sagt til middagsselskabet, at man hører at en af ens kammerater også har et problem med kommunen, nå men
ved du hvad, jeg prøvede faktisk på Facebook for tre måneder siden, det virkede. Nå men
det går jeg også ind og prøver. Så vil det sprede sig på den måde, og det vil gå langsomt.
Hvorimod hvis man som kommune selv går ud og siger, ved du hvad, det er sindssygt smart
at kommunikere med os inde på Facebook, for der er vi altså aktive. Så, ligesom med alle
mulige andre kommunikationsbudskaber, så ville folk jo løbende forstå det og prøve det,
fordi det lyder spændende…
(…) Hvad for nogle typer, tror du vil bruge Facebook som kontakt til kommunen?
Det tror jeg man skal på med at generalisere over. Man kan jo tage udgangspunkt i, hvad det
er for nogle typer, der er aktive på Facebook, og det er jo et forholdsvist bred udsnit af Da nmarks befolkning. Der er brokkehoveder, der er folk med reelle spørgsmål, jeg tror ikke, det
er andre typer end dem der ringer til.. et stykke henad vejen kan man måske sige, at unge
mennesker har lettere ved at kaste sig ud i det og bruge et nyt medie som Facebook. Der er
helt sikkert en masse ældre mennesker, som på ingen måde har IT-kyndig nok til at gøre det,
men heller ikke har IT-kyndig nok til at gå på kommunens hjemmeside og bruge den. Men
der er også mange ældre mennesker, som bruger sådan noget som Facebook aktivt. Selvfølgelig vil det være en gruppe af mennesker, som har det godt med IT… Der er 2,5 mio. der
aktive om måneden, hvor af det er 1,3 der er aktive hver eneste dag. Der får man vist ikke et
bredere udsnit på ét medie. På den måde tror jeg ikke man skal gå for meget op i hvad det er
for en målgruppe, andet end at den måske er lidt yngre end normalt.
155 / 218
(…) Personligt synes jeg, det er sindssygt irriterende, når jeg skal gå ned på kommunen, og
det er der rigtig mange, der gør, og hvorfor skal alle de mennesker diskrimineres, hvorfor
skal jeg tvinges til at gå ned i borgerservice bare fordi der er en håndfuld mennesker, der
synes, det er rarest. Men det er klart, når man kaster sig over noget nyt, så vil der altid være
nogen, der brokker sig over, heyy hvorfor bruger vores kommune penge på det.
(…) overordnet kan man godt konstatere, at kommunerne er noget langsomme om at komme ud af starthullerne end mange private virksomheder. Og det gælder sådan set meget det
offentlige i det hele taget. Det er vel ikke noget unikt. Jeg har nok en fordom om, at det er de
private virksomheder, der har… og det er nok også meget sundt… der har muligheder for at
prøve sådan nogle ting her af, uden at der nødvendigvis er så meget dokumenteret effekt for
hvordan lige præcis det skal gøres, hvor at når man gør det for skattekroner, så skal man
selvfølgelig langt henad vejen have rimelig god sikkerhed for, at det er pengene værd. Og det
kan man jo af gode grunde ikke. Der er ikke alle mulige modeller, præcis for hvordan man
skal gøre på Facebook endnu. På den måde , så er der mange kommuner, der sidder og afventer lidt, og ikke rigtigt bruger nogle ressourcer på det. Og resultaterne… skal jo også
sammenholdes med hvad er det for nogle ressourcer, der investeres. Og det er jo det gode
ved Facebook, man kan jo komme i gang for meget få ressourcer… man skal måske have lidt
uddannelse i det, og så skal man bruge en halv time om dagen. Man skal bare ikke forvente,
at man så får flyttet hele borgerservice derhen, fordi som sagt, så er der ikke nogen, der ved
det endnu før man bruger nogle penge på at annoncere det osv. Så det følges godt ad, og jeg
tror at man vil se i løbet af de næste par år, at der vil der virkelig ske nogle ting. Og så kan
man stå og se om 2 år, de var gode og de var dårlige. Men lige nu, jeg vil sige jeg kender godt
de kommuner, der gør det godt, men det er simpelthen for småt til at de kan retfærdiggøre
at gøre mere ved det. Jeg kan godt forstå, at det ikke er blevet større, når de ikke rigtig har
noget opbakning i det, det virker det ikke til, og det er sådan lidt, det er ikke sådan rigtig i
gang endnu nogen steder for alvor synes jeg, og det er tydeligt. Man skal også tænke på, at
der er mange i kommunen… underafdelinger, biblioteker og sådan nogle mindre steder i
kommunen, der er meget aktive og tror jeg har stor succes, men det er jo så også lidt mere
under radaren, hvor man selvfølgelig kigger lidt på borgerne… og det er jo også en strategi at
sige det kører vi, vi prøver egentlig bare ovenfra at sige, at det må I gerne gøre, og så kører I
bare løs og ser man, hvad der sker… Det tror jeg i hvert fald der er mange kommuner, der
156 / 218
lige venter med at gå på Facebook men i virkeligheden er til stede langt henad vejen fordi
der er rigtig mange ildsjæle rundt omkring i mange små enheder, som bare siger, vi kører, og
så må vi se, hvad der sker.
(…) Nu kunne jeg godt tænke mig at spørge ind til.. den teoretiske del af det, jeg arbejder
med i mit speciale. Jeg arbejder med en tilgang som hedder brand personality approach, hvor
man arbejder med, at et brand kan have en personlighed. Der er fem dimensioner af personlighed, og jeg kunne godt tænke mig at høre dig om, hvad du synes, kommunerne signalerer
ved at være på Facebook ift. de her dimensioner. Så nu læser jeg dem lige op for dig, både på
engelsk og på dansk, og du kan også få lov lige at kigge på dem, og så vil jeg gerne høre din
mening om, hvad du synes. Det første er sincerity, som man kan kalde down to earth, honest,
cheerful – på dansk, oprigtighed. Hvordan synes du, at det er noget, som kommunerne signalerer ved at være på Facebook – eller gør de det overhoved?
… Det er et spørgsmål om, hvad de gør, eller hvad de har mulighed for at gøre. Hvad lægger
du vægt på?
Det kan også være jeg lige skal læse dem alle sammen op. Det første er som sagt sincerity, så
er der competence, som er sådan en slags dygtighed, så er der excitement som er sådan lidt
noget med spænding. Sophistication, som er en slags forfinethed, og til sidst ruggedness som
kan betyde sådan en slags barskhed eller robusthed. Og jeg kunne godt tænke mig at høre
din mening om, hvorvidt du synes, at kommunerne signalerer nogle af de her forskellige personlighedstræk ved at være på Facebook. (…)
Det er jo klart den første [sincerity], som jeg går mest op i, eller som jeg synes, det er dét,
man bør signalere. Om de gør det, så ved jeg ikke nok, altså fordi de ikke laver så meget nu,
så er det svært at sige umiddelbart hvad der ligger bag deres strategi. Jeg håber da, at det er
den første, de også har fokus på, de kommuner, der er derude nu, fordi det er det, der ligger
i Facebooks ånd på en eller anden måde. Den skiller sig meget ud fra de andre.
Er der nogle af de andre, hvor du tænker, det dér signalerer de i hvert fald overhovedet ikke?
Altså sådan noget som forfinethed eller sophistication og robusthed… igen, hvis de gør det,
eller prøver på det, så er det nok lidt misforstået ift. hvad det er, at kommunen skal på Fac ebook, synes jeg i hvert fald. Det kunne jeg heller ikke forestille mig, at der er nogen, der gør.
157 / 218
Altså spænding… det ved jeg sgu ikke. Det er da imponerende, hvis kommunen formår at
skabe spænding omkring sin tilstedeværelse, men det kunne være imponerende hvis det
kunne lykkes at få skabt, altså det kunne sagtens være at man kunne via alle mulige… kommunen laver jo også interessant tiltag, som man ikke rigtig hører om, fordi det kun bliver
kommunikeret i hvad ved jeg, en eller anden fælles e-mail, som man skulle signe up til den
dér gang for lang tid siden. Så at få sådan noget i gang det ville være… og få skabt lidt mere
sexet udtryk af kommunen, det ville være tror jeg optimalt for mange, det tror jeg bare ikke
man er… det kunne jeg ikke forestille mig, at det er dét, der sker derude. Jeg håber det er
sådan noget med, det er sådan noget med at skulle ud og sige down to earth, kigge forbrugerne, borgerne i øjnene…
Hvis du tænker på excitement igen, kan selve tilstedeværelsen give sådan et eller indtryk af,
at kommunen er sådan lidt modig eller spændende?
Ej, det tror jeg kun er kommunen selv og andre, der tænker sådan noget. Jeg tror virkelig at
borgerne er fuldstændig ligeglad… Jeg kan altid mærke, at når vi arbejder med nogen, der
går på Facebook, så har de sådan en eller anden fornemmelse af, at uuh, hvor er det spændende, nu stikker det af, nu er vi derude, og nu bliver det rigtig spændende når må vi, nu
kommer de væltende alle vores kunder og brugere og bare vil være venner med os. Og sådan er det jo ikke… Det er igennem dialogen, at der bliver skabt et eller andet forhold, det er
ikke igennem tilstedeværelsen. Og hvis dialogen er spændende, så er det også muligt, at det
går i den retning. Men oftest så er dialogen jo præget af at være ærlig og down to earth,
cheerful, er meget gode begreber for dialogen på Facebook, mange smileys. Det er jo også
en barriere, som mange har svært ved at overvinde, altså den dér kommunikation på væggen, statusopdateringer som man laver fra siden, der skal bare smides smileys og det hele
skal køre, du skal snakke som folk gør til hinanden på Facebook. Hvis du begynder… med
punktum og de rigtige tegn og kærlig hilsen og inde fra kommunen, så sidder man og tænker, sådan nogle statusopdateringer har man aldrig set før, det ser åndssvagt ud, selvom
sådan ville man skrive en e-mail, men det skal man bare ikke. Det skal man altså lære.
Hvad med det personlighedstræk, der hedder competence eller dygtighed. Hvordan kan det
være noget kommunen signalerer ved at være på Facebook? Hvis det kan?
158 / 218
Det kan man jo godt… igen synes jeg man er nødt til at omformulere det, hvad er det, hvordan signalerer man det gennem dialogen, altså hvad er det man skal have bragt på banen
sammen med borgerne, for at man skal virke kompetent eller dygtig. Og det kan måske godt
spille sammen med det her med… den her parallel jeg lavede… altså de her personer som
selv er meget aktive på Facebook prøver jo også at virke succesfulde langt henad vejen, og
på samme måde, og det gør vi jo også i en virksomhed, når vi er derinde, vi vil jo gerne skr ive, når vi bliver kåret til et eller andet, Facebook-partner, men vi skriver ikke når vi lige har
tabt en ordre. På den måde er man jo selvfølgelig ærlig til en vis grænse, hvor man selvfølgelig stadig fremstår intelligent og succesfuld. Men igen, det er hvordan man får sorteret og
twistet sin kommunikation i højere grad end, nu ligger Aalborg Kommune på Facebook, det
udstråler for mig ikke noget, andet end at optimalt at nogen tænker, nå men det er fedt, at
man kan få lov til at snakke med dem derinde. Og hvis så de ikke svarer, så er det noget lort.
Så med andre ord, hvilken slags aktivitet skal der til, for at kommunerne kan tilføre deres
brand lidt værdi på Facebook?
Det er en aktivitet, hvor at kommunen åbner op, altså det er en eller anden form for åben
kommunikation, hvor man inviterer de her mennesker, der nu er samlet, til at deltage på en
eller anden måde. I nogle tilfælde er det fint, at man bare fortæller en succeshistorie og folk
bare siger, jamen det her det kan jeg godt lide, og det skal man lægge op til, at det synes
man er fedt, så bliver man stolt af at være en del af kommunen… Men altså, det kan også
være, nu ved vi ikke, om vi skal lægge motorvejen i den ene eller den anden retning… hvad
synes I. Og gør man sådan nogle ting, så får man for alvor signalerer down to earth, åbenhed
og alt det her. Og det tror jeg er det vigtigste. Rent faktisk give noget indflydelse væk til de
her mennesker i kommunen.
Hvordan tror du så, at man kan måle effekten af sin indsats på Facebook som kommune?
Det er jo et rigtigt godt spørgsmål. For når man snakker brand, så er det jo ikke blevet lettere
at måle sin brand-værdi af at være på Facebook. Og så er der lige pludselig alle mulige nye
faktorer på spil. Jeg tror ikke, at man skal tro, at man skal til at opfinde nogle helt nye mål,
bare fordi man er på Facebook, man må stadigvæk have… en eller anden grundlæggende
strategi i kommunen, der hedder at vi skal fx … 60 % af borgerne skal opfatte os som åbne.
159 / 218
Og hvordan undersøger man det, jamen det gør man ved at gå ud og spørge dem. Det kan
man så gøre gennem Facebook, man kan også gøre det på den måde, man plejer at gøre det
på. Det sådan set ligegyldigt. Og så finder man ud af, om de så synes det… det gjorde de så
ikke den her gang, det kan så være de gør det næste gang, så kan vi så finde ud af vores
brand-værdi ved det. Det kommer også an på, hvad man vil måle på og det kan også være,
man vil måle på, hvor mange der deltager til det her svømmestævne om tirsdagen, og så
måler man jo bare på det, og er der en væsentlig forøgelse af den her indsats man har lavet
på Facebook, så er det jo det som man kan være glad for. Så det er at finde ud af, hvad det
er… er det at flytte borgerservice derover, så kan jeg jo måle på om aktiviteten på de andre
linjer falder, mere end den stiger på Facebook sådan ressourceforbruget, så har man jo tjent
nogle penge dér, ressourcemæssigt. Det er i hvert fald det, vi tit støder på… folk tror, man
skal have en eller anden ny… nu skal man til at finde ud af hvad det betyder at man har en
fan eller en person, der synes godt om, hvad har det af værdi, fordi det er det nye Facebookmål, det giver ikke nogen mening. Man skal kigge på de mål, man i forvejen har og så få aktiveret dem.
Hvad tænker du ift. andre sociale medier? ... Hvad med potentialet for kommuner i fx Twitter
eller YouTube eller hvad der nu er derude?
... Der er jo så sindssygt mange ting derude, så det er jo svært at sige, også fordi kommunen
er så kompleks, som den er, nu snakkede vi også før om alle de underopdelinger, man kan
lave i kommunen… Det er at konstatere, at der er i højere grad end andre platforme end
Facebook, er der en defineret målgruppe. Facebook er meget bred. På Twitter og Youtube,
Youtube er selvfølgelig kæmpe stor… men det er lidt mere de unge, der er aktive… Twitter er
forholdsvis niche-medie og det er der mange andre medier, der også er. Og er den her gruppe mennesker interessant på en eller anden vis for kommunen, er det man bruger det her
medie til interessant for kommunen… Det er da muligt for en eller anden person eller afdeling i kommunen… Det er jo tit det man får, kan vi bruge sociale medier, jamen det kan da
godt være, det kan da også være, I kan bruge Twitter internt på en eller anden måde… Vi
sidder og bruger mange forskellige sociale medier her, 35 mennesker i det hele... Der er alle
mulige sociale medier, vi kan bruge til at få vores interne dialog til at hænge sammen, så
160 / 218
hvorfor skulle der ikke være det for kommunen også med så mange mennesker. Så helt sikkert, men det er et meget komplekst billede.
Så vil jeg egentlig bare lige sikre mig, at vi har været rundt om det hele… Vi har talt lidt om
dels hvorfor I selv er på Facebook og hele den her guide, I har lavet til kommunerne, for at
give dem noget men også at sætte lidt mere fokus på hvad kommuner kan på Facebook. Så
har vi snakket lidt om, hvad det kræver af kommunerne, når de er på Facebook, hvad de kan
opnå ved det, at de kan signalere noget åbenhed, at de kan komme i øjenhøjde med borge rne eller brugerne eller hvad vi skal kalde dem. Måske særligt hvis de overvejer at flytte noget
borgerservice ind på Facebook, altså det vi i de private virksomheder ser som kundeservice,
det kunne man også sagtens have i kommunerne i form af borgerservice på Facebook. Så har
vi snakket lidt om hvad de kan signalere ift. de her fem dimensioner af brand personality,
hvor du mener at det primært er sincerity eller oprigtighed, som de bør gå efter fordi det er
den her kommunikation der er sådan lidt løssluppen men samtidig i øjenhøjde, der er rigtig
vigtig og rigtig god for kommuner på Facebook. Så har vi snakket lidt om, at man ikke nødvendigvis skal måle sin effekt i, hvor mange der har klikket synes godt om, men at man generelt skal huske sine grundlæggende strategier og hvad vi ellers kan gøre med andre sociale
medier, at der måske er noget potentiale for at bruge det internt. Så jeg vil egentlig bare høre, om du har noget at tilføje, som jeg ikke har givet dig mulighed for at komme af med?
Nej, jeg synes vi har været godt rundt om de væsentligste ting.
Så var det bare det 
161 / 218
APPENDIX 9: INTERVIEW GUIDE, MORTEN SAXNÆS, DIALOGUEPEOPLE / PEOPLEGROUP

at jeg har valgt at kontakte dig, er fordi jeg kender PeopleGroup som et reklamebureau, der arbejder med branding på flere forskellige plan. Bl.a. med fokus på web og
sociale medier i NetPeople og DialoguePeople.

Vil du starte med at fortælle lidt om dig selv – stilling, firma, fag/videnområde – evt.
om Facebook-guiden?

Hvad ved du om kommuner på Facebook eller andre offentlige institutioner? Hvad
ønsker de råd til, når de kontakter jer?

Med din baggrund som rådgiver – hvad kan det tilføre en kommunes brand at være
på Facebook?
Tid?



162 / 218


på Facebook? Og tror du, at det kan styrke en kommunes brand at være til stede på
Facebook?


Tak for din hjælp.
163 / 218
APPENDIX 10: EXTRACTION OF MEANING, INTERVIEW WITH MORTEN SAXNÆS, DIALOGUEPEOPLE/PEOPLEGROUP
Interview face to face, November 8 th 2010
(…) Vil du ikke fortælle bare sådan lidt om, hvad det er for nogle opgaver, du sidder med herinde, hvad du kan og sådan?
Jo. Man kan sige huset som en helhed er jo kendt for at være rigtig dygtige til at lave de her
store kampagner, de her store tv-koncepter, ligesom de her historier. Vi er bl.a. kendt for
Claus og Britta, det dér store TDC-koncept der kører lige i øjeblikket. Min rolle i huset her er
at være det, som hedder digital activitor… dækker egentlig over at sætte strøm til eller aktivere de brands herinde, som bliver skabt herinde af de dygtige kreative. Og det handler om
at gå ind og sige, hvilket potentiale ligger der i de universer, der er skabt lige nu og hvordan
kan vi gøre dem digitale. Traditionelt set har vi været meget gode til at se hvor alt starter i
TV eller starter i massekommunikation, så er man så langsomt begyndt at kigge mere imod
at nu starter ting digitalt og herigennem at ting også begynder at starte socialt. Så det er dér
hvor jeg kommer ind og skal være med til at få presset det digitale højere op i beslutningsprocessen.
(…) Jeg vil godt høre, hvad I har eller hvad du har af erfaring med at arbejde for offentlige
institutioner, offentlige kunder eller kommuner, hvis I decideret har haft nogen af den slags?
Det har vi faktisk ikke, vi skal i gang med et projekt nu, som jeg ikke kan udtale mig om , som
kommer til at være noget i offentligt regi, men ellers har jeg ikke den store erfaring herinde,
der har jeg kun siddet med private kunder.
(…) tage udgangspunkt i din rolle som rådgiver om forskellige medier mhp. branding. Hvad
mener du, at det kan tilføre en kommunes brand at være på Facebook?
Mit udgangspunkt, hvis jeg tænker kommuner, er jo de har en rolle, der hedder oplysning.
Og i den oplysningsproces, så handler det om at komme så tæt på borgeren og borgerens
handlinger i dag. Hvis du kigger på danskernes adfærd i dag, så har vi over 2,5 mio. danskere
på Facebook. Mange folk bruger deres tid dér, flere og flere finder oplysninger omkring
164 / 218
brands som helhed og personer på Facebook. De bruger Facebook som rådgivning og finder
oplysninger omkring, hvordan de skal handle i fremtiden. Så dér er det selvfølgelig oplagt, at
kommuner er til stede for at skulle være i tråd med danskernes handling og måden de søger
viden på. Så der synes jeg klart, at der er en måde både på Facebook men også på de sociale
medier generelt at bruge de her nye kommunikationsformer.
Hvad tror du er faldgruberne ved at være på Facebook for en kommune?
Facebook er jo stadig en amerikansk virksomhed, og der ligger selvfølgelig nogle privacy concerns omkring nogle ting. Det er nogen jeg mener man selvfølgelig kan arbejde med, men
det er helt sikkert én af de store faldgruber. Så kan der være noget omkring tillid til mediet.
At på trods af, at der er 2,5 mio. der er på, så kan Facebook i dag stadig godt virke som et nyt
medie og noget, hvor man vil være påpasselig med at dele ting omkring sin person.
Det du dybest set siger er, at man skal selvfølgelig passe på, at man ikke forvilder sig ud i at
lægge noget indhold ud, som kan være for privat, eller som burde kunne beskyttes på en eller
anden måde med nogle privacy settings. Og derudover at både ganske almindelige Facebook-brugere så vel som kommunen kan have en mistillid til mediet, og hvordan det kan bruges.
Ja, det kan man sige. Der ligger også noget i hele tonen og tonaliteten på sociale medier. Folk
forventer en speciel kommunikationsform, som er mere åben, som kommunerne måske ikke
kan efterkomme. Og i så fald de personer der skulle kommunikere via Facebook, at de har
den rette uddannelse og gearing til at håndtere den kommunikation. Det at bruge et socialt
medie, stiller nogle krav… en af de helt store trends her, det er det her real time begreb,
hvor det handler om at forbrugeren på Facebook, hvis man indgår i dialog med et brand,
forventer at der kommer relativ hurtig feedback. Og med al respekt for kommunerne i dag,
så er det måske ikke det, de er kendt for. De har nogle leveringstider, der hedder op til flere
dage, og den fart ved jeg ikke, om brugerne på Facebook synes er godt nok. Facebook er på
den måde et medie man bruger, hvis du skal have noget hurtig feedback, man forventer hurtig feedback på sådan nogle ting.
Hvad tror du det vil kræve af ressourcer, både antal folk og tidsforbrug, hvis en kommune
skal holde det kørende.
165 / 218
Det kommer selvfølgelig an på, hvad formålet er. Hvis formålet skal være at være et branding-site, hvor man skal gå ind og nogle helt basale oplysninger om kommunen, hvad der
sker kommunen, går ud fra, det er sådan et du tænker på?
Det kunne det være, det er en mulighed…
Hvis det skulle være dét, så handler det selvfølgelig om, at der skal ansættes nogle folk med
en dyb indsigt i kommunen, og når man… som er en af mine kæpheste herinde, det er at når
man som organisation skal geares til sociale medier… mange af dem, som arbejder i kommunen, bruger helt sikkert sociale medier, bruger Facebook, men det kan godt være dem,
der skal være inde og opdatere den her Facebook, som har.. sidder med den relevante viden
er sådan dekoblet fra organisationen på den måde, at hvis jeg skriver et spørgsmål til kommunen, at det skal lande på den persons kontor relativt hurtigt, og hvis den person ikke ved
hvordan man opdaterer Facebook, eller ikke ser det som en prioritet, eller ikke har fået det
som en prioritet, så glider det ned af listen og så får det ikke den effekt. Så det handler om
mere om at de folk i kommunen skal uddannes i mediet, og det skal være en strategisk beslutning på højt niveau, om at der skal afsættes ressourcer til det her. Bliver det ikke gjort, så
kan du sagtens gøre det. Det handler selvfølgelig om, at der skal ligge noget uddannelse, at
de folk der normalt har kundekontakten skal geares til at kunne tage kundekontakte på de
sociale medier, der ligger der noget uddannelse og noget forståelse.
Har du selv… som kommunikationsrådgiver noget overblik over, hvad kommunale eller offentlige institutioner gør på Facebook?
Nej. Jeg har ikke sat mig ind i det. Min mavefornemmelse siger at de passer på med det, fordi der er nogle faldgruber omkring og at der ikke er taget nogen beslutning på et højere niveau for at gøre det så med min umiddelbare erfaring, så sker der ikke så meget i kommunalt regi, folk gør ikke så meget fordi de synes, det kunne være en god ide, der skal noget
opbakning.
(…) Kan man sammenligne det med… der er mange, der har betragtet kommunikationsfunktionen på lidt samme måde, hvor den også har udviklet sig til at ligge i en stabsfunktion til at
mange organisationer uddanner hele deres organisation til at kommunikere. Ser du Facebook…
166 / 218
Jeg ser Facebook som en forlængelse af det. Altså, udadgående kommunikation fra organisationer i dag, skal omhandle sociale medier, man skal i hvert fald have en holdning til det.
Hvorfor er det nødvendigt?
Den måde kommunikation sker på i dag, har bevæget sig i min optik, fra den traditionelle
push, hvor vi skubber kommunikation ud til brugerne, som kommunerne selvfølgelig stadig
skal gøre i dag, da de har en oplysningspligt… over til at forbrugerne i dag, de vælger til, hvad
for noget kommunikation de vil have, hvad for noget der er relevant for dem. Så der er helt
sikkert sket en ændring dér, og det er dét, kommunikation skal forholde sig til, at præmissen
for kommunikation har ændret sig. Man kan sige i dag, når en kommune skal kommunikere,
så vil jeg sige… hvis vi skal vende det over på sociale medier, så handler det om at hele organisationen som helhed skal kommunikere for at få den rigtige og for at få den største effekt.
Det vil ikke sige, at alle ansatte i kommunen skal kommunikere, men alle dem, der har noget
værdi at bringe ud til borgerne skal på en eller anden måde have en indsigt i det, for det er
dem, der er tættest på beslutningsprocessen, der skal kommunikere det ud. På den måde
ligger der selvfølgelig noget uddannelse i at få den enkelte rådgiver eller den enkelte kommunalt ansatte til at få indsigt i alle de her sociale processer, så de kan kommunikere det
bredt ud. Det ser vi også i højere og højere grad i virksomheder i dag, der skal have noget ud
af deres brand. At de ved godt, at i stedet for, at der er én eller en kommunikationsørn, der
sidder og kommunikerer, så handler det om at få hele organisationen til at være kommunikerende eller hvert fald være delvist gearet til det, der er selvfølgelig nogen, der er bedre
end andre. Det er en klar trend. Vi er langt fra i Danmark til at få den indsigt. Det er i hvert
fald noget, vi arbejder mere, at når vi går ud og rådgiver virksomheder, så handler det om at
hele virksomheden skal i højere grad kommunikere.
Det forstår jeg på den måde, så du fx siger, at borgerservicemedarbejdere skal kunne ko mmunikere på Facebook eller… kontorchefen i forvaltning xyz skal kunne finde ud af at formidle sine budskaber på Facebook.
Ja, helt bestemt.
167 / 218
Har du nogen holdning til, hvordan rammerne på Facebook skal være for den slags kommunikation, når den skal foregå i din mening… på alle mulige planer, på kryds og tværs af forvaltninger og services osv.?
Den er svær, for jeg kan se, bare de virksomheder, vi arbejder med her, der er det jo ek stremt komplekst. Vi prøver at sidde og mappe den interne organisation for at prøve at finde
ud af, hvordan hænger det her sammen. Når der kommer noget ind, hvordan lander det på
det rigtige skrivebord. Nu snakker vi ren Facebook, så er det relativt let at sige at det kommer ind hér på Facebook, så kan vi tage den herfra. Vi arbejder normalt i en bredere optik,
når folk skriver om jer på nettet generelt, så er det folk, der lavet et out reach til jer. Så kan I
vælge at handle på det eller ej, men det er folk, der forventer at I tager en handling. På Facebook er det meget mere direkte adresseret til jer, så der skal man gøre noget. Så det er
meget lettere at få det ind i organisationen. Der kommer en person ind, xyz… der ligger selvfølgelig igen et problem med verificeringen af den her person, er det den rigtige person… der
kommer et input, som skal verificeres, og hvordan man gør det, det skal jeg ikke kunne sige,
det er der sikkert noget teknisk ved. Men det kunne være at sige, hey tak for din henvendelse, vi anbefaler at du bruger den her platform i stedet for, men det gør jo ikke, at man ikke
kan henvende sig igennem Facebook og så blive henvist til det rigtige sted hvor løsningen så
finder sted.
Jamen det er jo fint nok…
Ja, det mener jeg også er helt fint. I dag ser man virksomheder, der gør det på andre måder,
specielt i USA, hvor de siger, fint nok, nu har du henvist til os her på Facebook, nu tag er vi
den direkte over telefonen og flytter den til noget andet, til noget mere troværdig kommunikationsform, og det synes jeg også, er helt fint. (…) Jeg håber da på, i fremtiden, at der
kommer til at være systemer, så man kan henvende sig gennem Facebook så brugerne skal
blive i universet. Det vil sikkert være det, der er mest fordelagtigt, både for kommunen og
for brugerne selv, at man ikke skal forlade det her. Det ser vi, når vi brander ting, så prøver vi
jo at lave kampagner, så brugeren bliver på Facebook og ikke skal forlade det, for hver gang
brugeren skal forlade det, så er der flere og flere der dropper fra, så kan man ikke overskue
det alligevel. Grunden til at brugeren bruger Facebook, er fordi det er let og meget tilgængeligt. Det er super let at gå ind og skrive brand xyz og så skrive på deres wall og så se om der
168 / 218
kommer et svar. Det er altså lettere end at skulle ind og finde en eller anden formular inde
på en eller anden side. Og det er det, folk er vant til.
Hvad hvis der så ikke kommer et svar, hvad gør man så?
Det kommer an på, hvem det er. Hvis det er kommunen, der har sagt, vi lytter her, og har
meldt det klart ud, så vil der helt sikkert ske et dyk i den her loyalitet, man forventer der
kommer svar, når man melder ud. Sådan er det også for brands generelt, hvis et brand går
ud og siger, vi lytter, og der så ikke kommer et svar, så sker der et dyk i loyaliteten.
Altså i loyaliteten overfor kommunen?
Ja, 100 %. Det forventer man, og jeg tror i højere grad at når en kommune går ud og siger
det, som er en offentlig institution, så forventer man også, at der kommer et svar, det er helt
klart, hvis de melder ud. Så det handler ikke om at der ikke skal komme et svar, selvfølgelig
skal der det.
Du siger, at når det er en offentlig institution, så forventer man helt sikkert, at der kommer et
svar, hvad mener du med det?
Ja, det står jo for personlig regning, men hvis en offentlig institution går ud og skriver sort på
hvidt på deres Facebook, her kan I kontakte os, det er én af vores entries for jeres kommunikation med os, og det er en valid kommunikationsvej til os, så skal det betragtes på samme
måde, som hvis jeg går ind på en offentlig side i dag, når jeg udfylder en formular, at der
kommer noget tilbage, der siger, fint, vi siger tak for din henvendelse, vi vender tilbage til dig
hurtigst muligt.
Fuldstændig i stil med en offentlig side som hjemmesiden eller borgerservice…
Ja, fuldstændig. Der skal være nogle ting dér.
Tror du kun det er borgere, der er decideret loyale overfor deres kommune, der ville henvende sig til en kommune over Facebook?
Det er et godt spørgsmål… Næ, det tror jeg faktisk ikke. Jeg tror, det er de folk, der er vant til
bruge Facebook til at kommunikere igennem, der vil henvende sig på den måde, hvis de ved,
at de er tilgængelige der, så er det meget lettere at gå ind og skrive en besked, smide noget
169 / 218
på wall’en, hvis man er i tvivl omkring noget, det er hurtigere, så jeg tror ikke, det har noget
med loyalitet at gøre, jeg tror det har noget med ease of use, at det simpelthen bare er lettere, man er vant til at bruge det en masse. Har man mistet sit kørekort, og ikke ved, hvordan man skal få det igen, jamen så kunne det være super let, hvis der er noget, man ikke
ved, hvordan man finder så er det hurtigere at skrive det dér, for du sidder inde i universet. I
stedet for at man skal gå ind, først finde hjemmesiden. Vi har jo alle sammen prøvet at klikke
rundt på sådan nogle kommunale sider, en gang imellem kan man godt være heldige at finde
det, men det kan også være ret svært. Så det er en gang imellem lettere bare at skrive derinde.
(…) Man kan sige, går man i gang med sådan et projekt, som kommune, så er det ekstremt
vigtigt at man i hvert fald i startfasen er super klar og sidder der ude og får nogle learnings
med, for ellers får man hug for at bruge de her nye medier, være ung med de unge, vil nogen
måske skyde dem i skoene og hvis man så ikke vender tilbage, eller det er de gamle svartider
så finder man ud af, at så kommer kritikken om at man bruger de nye medier på de gamle
mediers præmisser, og det er jo ikke helt meningen. Så kan der være nok så meget pligttekst, der står et eller andet sted, at vi vender tilbage inden for en uge, selvom det er på Facebook. Der tror jeg, der vil kritikken hagle ned, desværre. Der er helt sikkert en udfordring
dér… Jeg kunne da også godt forestille mig, at hvis jeg vidste, at min kommune var lettere at
få fat i på Facebook, og de var mere til stede dér, at jeg så ville bruge det den kontaktform i
stedet for. Men der er jo stadig nogle ting, det skal jo igennem nogle sagsbehandlere, der er
nogle
procedurer,
som
man
ikke
kan
komme
uden
om.
(…) Man skal jo passe på… altså når folk går ind og tager sådan nogle dialoger… man ser i dag
at flere og flere… når brands åbner for de hersens kommunikationsmuligheder, så går andre
brugere jo også ind og kommenterer på det. Det er jo også en af fordelene… der er noget
bruger-til-bruger hjælp, og mange brands satser jo på det som en måde at kunne skære ned i
deres budgetter, kunne spare nogle folk der sider i brugerservice og skulle hjælpe de her
kunder, men der er jo en vis fare i, at hvis det er personfølsomme oplysninger, er nogle ting,
der er meget tæt på brugeren, at man er sikker på, at det er de rigtige informationer, der
kommer ud. Der er igen nogle ting, man skal være opmærksomme på dér.
170 / 218
Kunne man godt forestille sig at… Facebook bliver brugt til borgerservice, fx hvor finder jeg
formularen til… en eller anden byggetilladelse eller sådan et eller andet..
Ja, ja bestemt. Der er jo masser, jeg ser masser af gode muligheder i borger-til-borger formidling, altså der er mange, der har været igennem de her procedurer, som helt sikkert vil
hjælpe et andet og sige, det kender jeg, eller det problem stod jeg også med… Om Facebook
så er det rigtige sted at gøre det, det skal jeg ikke kunne sige. Der er der måske nogle andre
forum-settings, man kan lave andre steder.
Hvad for eksempel?
Man kan jo sætte communities op på andre måder, hvor man kan gå ind og hjælpe hinanden. Det ser du virksomheder gøre i høj grad. Jeg kigger meget på Starbucks, hvordan Starbucks brugere hjælper hinanden. Vi arbejder også med nogle af vores brands herinde på at
gøre det, TDC er et glimrende eksempel, hvor at de lige har oprettet et forum, hvor brugerne
hjælper hinanden, hvor de ser et glimrende feedback dér. Det virker rigtig godt.
Tror du, at det ville virke i en kommunal kontekst?
Ja, det tror jeg helt bestemt, inden for nogle områder. Jeg kunne forestille mig, at der er
masser borgere med børn fx, der kunne finde på at hjælpe hinanden med glimrende løsni nger… det kunne være alt fra fritidsaktiviteter til forhold i den lokale forening til den lokale
børnepasningsordning, så jeg tror helt sikkert, der er nogle ting at hente dér, hvis ikke allerede det sker. Jeg kunne forestille mig, at der er nogle kommuner, der arbejder på det her i
forvejen, der er sat nogle systemer op, hvor brugerne kan snakke med hinanden nede på et
meget meget lokalt, eller det vil jeg da håbe i hvert fald.
Men du siger, du er ikke helt sikker på, at Facebook er det rigtige sted. Synes du Facebook
decideret uegnet som community?
Nu er der jo sket noget nyt, der er jo kommet det her Facebook groups, som er en helt ny
ting, giver brugerne mulighed for at lave et mere lukket community omkring nogle ting. Jaa,
på nogle områder vil jeg sige, der vil det nok være uegnet. Der skal man nok kigge på nogle
andre mere skræddersyede løsninger til kommunerne, men helt sikkert hvor Facebook kunne være et omdrejningspunkt, hvor det arbejder sammen med, der har du jo rig mulighed
171 / 218
med Facebook connect at gøre nogle ting, hvor ting spiller sammen, hvor man kan like nogle
ting, men jeg tror stadig der skal være en mere central hub, som ikke skal være Facebook,
men hvor du bruger de samme elementer som Facebook. Det vil nok være min anbefaling,
umiddelbart. Jeg ser ikke Facebook have de samme funktionaliteter på samme måde… det
dér med at det skal være let at fra- og tilmelde ting, jeg kunne se at der kunne være nogle
fordele ved at du kunne gå tættere på borgeren, hvis du lavet et system, der er tæt på borgeren. Der er jo nogle systemer i dag, borger.dk, kender vi jo alle sammen, hvor de prøver at
samle nogle ting. Jeg bruger det ikke så meget selv, men jeg kan se, hvad ambitionen er ved
det, og jeg kunne forestille mig, at hvis man begynder at implementere nogle af de her sociale features og gjorde det let og puttede dem herind, så tror jeg det ville fungere ganske ganske godt, for folk er vant til at bruge de sociale features og folk forventer, at man kan dele
ting med hinanden.
(…) I mit speciale, der fokuserer jeg meget på, hvordan det kan have en effekt på kommunens
brand personality, det er det koncept, jeg arbejder med. Og indenfor brand personality er der
jo nogle forskellige dimensioner af personlighed og jeg ville gerne høre dig, hvad du synes en
kommune signalerer ved at være på Facebook af de her personligheder… Jeg siger dem til dig
både på engelsk og på dansk. På engelsk der er det sincerity, competence, excitement,
sophistication og ruggedness. Og de fem er omvendt på dansk oprigtighed, dygtighed, spænding, forfinethed eller sofistikerethed og sådan en eller anden form for barskhed eller robusthed. Hvad synes du, at en kommune signalerer ved at være på Facebook af den slags dimensioner? Og du er velkommen til at kigge…
Sincerity er helt sikkert én… den er helt sikkert klar, fordi at du får ikke en meget mere down
to earth medie end Facebook. Det er øjenhøjde, hvis man kommunikerer på den rigtige måde. Om det så lige… det er et ærligt medie at bruge. Det kommer an på igen, hvis det bare er
en kommune, der går ind og kommunikerer dér… når vi snakker med vores brands, så prøver
vi gerne at skulle sætte nogle ansigter på folk. Og det måske svært at gøre med en kommune, og sige det er mig, der sidder her. Der er sikkert, nogle regler, der skal overholdes dér,
men kunne man gøre det, at det kommer meget ned på et person-niveau, så tror jeg godt
man kunne få super meget ud af det og så ville det blive endnu mere oprigtigt, hvis jeg kunne se at kommunikationen kom fra Lars fra kommunen, så bliver den her øjenhøjde og et
172 / 218
meget ærligt… jeg synes ikke det viser… omkring competent, der… det viser, at man har forstået nye kommunikationsformer og på den måde… så er det vel delvis også intelligent, det
er ikke én, jeg ville sætte helt højt. Excitement, det er klart up-to-date. Og daring ved jeg
ikke, måske er det daring lige i øjeblikket, men om et par år, tror jeg ikke det er daring, der
tror jeg mere, det er et krav… Sofistikeret synes jeg bestemt ikke det er på nogen måde. Det
er nede på jorden, og det viser… igen, det er tilbage med øjenhøjde. Ruggedness ja… den
synes jeg falder lidt ud. Så helt sikkert mere omkring sincerity, det er helt sikkert den der er
helt sikkert i top. Det vil jeg sige.
Hvad er din erfaring ift. de brands, I arbejder med herinde, er det også den samme dimension, de søger at signalere?
Ja, det er det helt sikkert. Det handler om øjenhøjde og at være dér, hvor danskerne er. Facebook er danskernes foretrukne netværk og det er dér brands ønsker at være. Det handler
om at blive en del af anbefalingen og det handler om at kunne blive… at få den dér netværkseffekt. Prøver at gå lidt mere væk fra at snakke om den dér virale effekt, den er lidt
farlig at snakke om, det handler om at blive en del af anbefalingen, og det er dér, hvor vi ser
værdien i dag i høj grad.
Vil du uddybe en lille smule om det her med at være en del af anbefalingen, hvorfor er det så
vigtigt?
Jo, men når vi ser hvad specielt den unge generation lytter til i dag når de tænker brands, så
er vi igen tilbage til det dér med, at når brands råber en ind i hovedet, så har man ikke den
samme tilbøjelighed til at lytte, som når én af dine venner gør noget, det er hele den dér
peer to peer-tankegang, det er dér man får sin påvirkning fra i dag. Vi kigger selvfølgelig også
på analyserne, at folk der er fan af nogen på Facebook, de har tendenser til at købe mere og
interagere mere med brandet og videresende brandets budskaber. Det har igen en større
effekt… Vi prøver at se, om vi kan sætte en værdi på sådan noget som like, det med at man
er en del af et fællesskab, som man kan arbejde med konkret værdi ud fra hvert enkelt
brand…
(…) Nå jamen jeg bor i Svendborg kommune… like… så er det jo meget meget lille værdi det
site har.
173 / 218
Jamen helt helt enig. Det er jo derfor, det hele tiden handler om bare at levere værdi i hver
post du laver, i hver opdatering du laver så skal du levere en værdi til brugeren, og gør du
ikke det, så bliver du valgt fra. Hele den her stream du kører på Facebook, det er jo noget af
det mest personlige sted, det er sted alle brands gerne vil være. Men bliver du valgt fra dér,
så bliver du valgt fra for good, det er meget svært at komme ind igen, så derfor handler det
om at bruge ens udtryk totalt klogt og være meget bevidst om, hvad det er man siger, ellers
falder folk sgu fra.
Jeg tænker bare, og det må du også svare på, hvordan kan man som kommune i hver post
levere værdi til borgerne, hvis man tænker på hvor bredt sammensatte de er, og hvilken slags
ydelser, de evt. efterspørger. Det kan jo være 25.000 forskellige mennesker…
Ja, men der er jo heller ikke nogen, der siger, at man kun skal have én Facebook… lav flere,
gør dem så specifikke som muligt. Lige som med al anden social kommunikation, hvis du vil
ramme folk, så ram folks så niche som muligt og giv folk mulighed for at komme så niche ned
i et indhold. Du ser mange af de store amerikanske virksomheder, som man måske på mange
områder kan sammenligne med kommuner, der spænder rigtig rigtig bredt, de har jo 16
twitter-profiler og flere Facebook sites og det er der jo en grund til, så man kan blive så,
komme så tæt på brandet som muligt. Jeg har nødvendigvis ikke lyst til at høre en masse om
børnepasning, hvis det ikke er en del af mig, men måske mere omkring nogle ungdomstilbud
eller noget andet. Så det handler om at komme så tæt på som muligt, igen. Så ja, bliv specifik
og lad folk vælge til.
Hvordan kan man måle sin effekt? (…) Hvordan kan man måle sin effekt af det, man gør på
Facebook?
Selvfølgelig… er der almindelig statistik på Facebook, der får du indsigt gennem deres forskellige tools. Og det er jo selvfølgelig bare én ting, det er almindelige statistik. Det kan du
kun blive så klog på. Når vi går ind og snakker måling af ting, så handler det om at du skal
måle på de rigtige ting… Så er du nødt til at kigge på din strategi, hvad er din overordnede
strategi… for virksomheder, der driver salg, så er det jo en ting, så skal du kigge på salgstal,
så er du nødt til at kigge på, i den her periode har vi lavet den her indsats på Facebook, har vi
kunne se et increase i dine salgstal i den her periode, har du ikke det, jamen så har det nok
174 / 218
ikke haft den store effekt. Så er der større tools, som man kan betale for, så man kan se, om
man bliver en del af samtalen om folk snakker om dit brand. Hvis man går ind og siger, vi skal
bare styrke vores overall brand awareness derude, så er der jo masser af tools for at gå ind
og siger folk noget om os på nettet, er vi en del af samtalen. Der er tools der er gratis, der er
nogen, der er meget meget dyre, som kan gå ind og fortælle dig noget om det.
Hvad hedder nogen af de gratis tools?
En af de ting, som jeg selv bruger bare på mit eget personlige brand men også på nogle af
vores virksomheder, det er sådan noget som google alerts, som er sådan noget, hvor du går
ind og sætter noget op, så kan du se, hvor meget kommer der ind og traditionelt google
search kan også. Så er der nogle specielle nogle… du kan gå ind og lave twitter search på det.
Du kan søge på noget omkring Facebook, du kan gå ind og lave searches på konkrete blogs,
der oversøger hele det her blogunivers, ser hvad folk skriver…
Technorati-halløj…
Ja… Så der er nogen tools derude, og så er der store forkromede tools, der koster mange
hundrede tusinder, der kan gå ind og se om man gør det godt og skidt, og hvad folk siger.
Men igen, det hele skal forankres i strategien. Hvis din strategi er, vi skal være en del af samtalen, folk skal skrive noget mere om os derude, så skal du gå ind og måle på det, det handler
om, og gå ind og se på, folk skriver på nettet, er jeg en del af samtalen. Så er der selvfølgelig
store virksomheder, der laver de her brand-analyser, om man gør det godt eller skidt… Men
for en kommune, der er en af de vigtigste ting, det er jo ikke salg, det kan være, det er noget
om branding, så er det meget traditionelt måleparameter – omtale.
Eller diverse brugerundersøgelser, hvor man er ude og spørge nogen…
Ja, 100 %.
Vi var inde på det helt i starten… hvad ser du af potentiale for at kommuner brander sig gennem andre sociale medier, Twitter, YouTube, hvad vi har?
En ting er sociale medier, der vi nødt til at skelne… én ting er de platforme, der er derude. De
ændrer sig konstant. For 2 år siden, var der ikke nogen, der snakkede om Twitter i Danmark,
for 4 år siden, var der ikke nogen, der snakkede Facebook, for et halvt år siden, var der ikke
175 / 218
nogen, der snakkede foursquare. Så en ting er at kigge på de her tools, der er derude, men
de forgår… Så du er nødt til at kigge på den overordnede trend, at folk snakker om dit pr odukt online. Du er en del af samtalen, og et brand er en del af samtalen, hvadend de vil det
eller ej. Derfor er du nødt til at kigge på nogle mere brede platforme, altså sådan noget som
blogging og nettet generelt, at nettet har enabled folk til at snakke om de ting. Så det han dler ikke så meget om at de skal være til stede på Facebook, det handler mere om skal de være til stede digitalt. Er vi ude og lytte til samtalen, tager vi en del af det, tager vi det her medie seriøst, lytter vi til vores brugere derude, når de siger noget. Følger vi op på den kritik
eller de positive feedbacks, der kommer online, agerer vi på dem. Så det er mere som en
helhed, man skal gå væk fra at kigge så meget på platformen men kigge mere på… det som
mange ville kalde web 2.0 trends omkring den dialog, der sker derude.
(…) Bare sådan lige for at opsummere, vi har snakket om, at det du laver, det er at prøve og
aktivere nogle brands digitalt, evt. nogle hele universer… så har vi snakket lidt om, hvad der
er af forskellige muligheder på Facebook for kommuner, at de fx kan bruge det til borgerservice. Og vi har snakket om at det man som kommune signalerer, det er primært sincerity,
altså den her kommunikation i øjenhøjde, down to earth, at man er ærlig…
Ja, meget…
… at man gerne vil være dér, hvor borgerne også er. Og det, der så er vigtigt, det er at man
så afsætter de rigtige ressourcer til det, og at der er taget en beslutning på et højt plan i organisationen, i kommunen om at nu er vi altså til stede digitalt og måske også temmelig socialt, hvis det er man vælger en platform som Facebook. Hvis man hellere vil lave communities, der har lidt flere faciliteter end Facebook, så var det måske en fornuftig ide at gøre det i
regi af kommunens eget website eller vha. nogle andre digitale værktøjer. Har du noget du vil
tilføje?
Nej nej… 
176 / 218
APPENDIX 11: ACTIVITY ON ALLERØD’S FACEBOOK PAGE
April to September 2010 at http://www.facebook.com/alleroed
SEPTEMBER
Date
Author
28
Allerød
27
Allerød
13
Allerød
9
Allerød
8
Allerød
2
Allerød
1
7
Allerød
Allerød
Total
AUGUST
Total
JULY
Total
JUNE
Comments
Content of comments
1
Made on the 15th
by Leif Stougaard
Frausing, positive
1
Positive
Comments
Content of comments
0
0
-
Likes
Comments
Content of comments
0
0
0
0
-
Likes
0
Date
Author
Likes
24
Allerød
1
23
Allerød
20
Allerød
18
Allerød
1
13
5
Allerød
Allerød
2
4
Date
Author
7
Allerød
6
2
Allerød
Allerød
Date
Author
Likes
Comments
Content of comments
177 / 218
Total
MAY
Total
APRIL
25
Allerød
21
Allerød
7
Allerød
7
Allerød
3
5
Allerød
Allerød
Date
Author
30
Jørgen From –
citizen
27
Allerød
20
Allerød
19
Allerød
Allerød + citizen
4
0
0
2
Same day by Bo
Thorenfeldt Poulsen & Lars William
Petersen (on new
chief executive of
the municipality) critical - and Lars
William Petersen
has 'liked' Bo's
comment
2
0
Critical
Critical
Likes
Comments
Content of comments
0
0
-
Comments
Content of comments
Date
Author
Likes
29
Grøn guide –
Allerød
1
26
Allerød
26
Allerød
23
Allerød
22
Allerød
19
Allerød
16
Allerød
1
1
178 / 218
Total
Total posts
Average number of
posts pr. month
7
Allerød
7
Allerød
7
Allerød
6
Allerød
Allerød + Grøn
Guide (Allerød)
11
Total likes
9
1.5
Median
1
Total comments
3
Median
-
5,66
5
Average comments pr.
month
0
34
Median
Average likes pr. month
1
1 positive, 2 critical
0.5
2
179 / 218
APPENDIX 12: ACTIVITY ON AALBORG’S FACEBOOK PAGE ‘NY BUDOLFI PLADS’
Month
Date
Author
November
9
Total
9
October
Ny Budolfi Plads
Likes
Comments
2
2
26
Arkitektur og design
20
Ny budolfi plads
1
14
Ny budolfi plads
2
7
7
Ny budolfi plads
7
7
6
Ny budolfi plads
1
5
1
5
5
4
Ny budolfi plads
4
Ny budolfi plads
1
Ny budolfi plads
Total
14
September
30
0
5
1
1
3
14
1
Borger
4
2
28
Borger
3
1
23
Borger
4
1
23
Ny budolfi plads
1
22
Ny budolfi plads
2
22
Borger
3
22
Borger
22
Borger
180 / 218
22
Borger
1
22
Borger
22
Borger
22
Ny budolfi plads
20
Ny budolfi plads
20
Ny budolfi plads
17
Ny budolfi plads
17
Ny budolfi plads
1
16
Ny budolfi plads
2
15
Ny budolfi plads
1
15
Ny budolfi plads
15
Ny budolfi plads
13
Aalborg Stadsarkiv
11
Borger
10
Borger
10
Borger
2
3
9
Ny budolfi plads
5
8
Ny budolfi plads
2
8
Borger
3
Ny budolfi plads
3
Ny budolfi plads
2
Borger
1
Aalborg Stadsarkiv
1
Ny budolfi plads
1
1
Total
32
35
August
31
Ny budolfi plads
30
Borger
1
30
Borger
1
29
Borger
2
26
Borger
3
5
2
181 / 218
26
Ny budolfi plads
2
24
Ny budolfi plads
1
24
Aalborg stadsarkiv
20
Ny budolfi plads
19
Borger
18
Borger
1
18
Borger
2
11
Ny budolfi plads
4
9
Borger
1
8
Borger
1
8
Borger
1
Total
16
July
7
Total
Total in all
3
5
1
25
6
Borger
1
4
7
Ny budolfi plads
1
1
6
Ny budolfi plads
6
Ny budolfi plads
4
2
5
67
78
17
Average number of posts pr. month
15
Average number of likes pr. month
15,6
Average number of comments pr. month
3,4
182 / 218
APPENDIX 13: SURVEY QUESTIONS
Introduction
Thank you for your participation in this survey about municipalities' (kommuners) use of Facebook. It
will take about 5-10 minutes to answer the questions.
The purpose of this survey is to find out what people think of municipalities' pages on Facebook - how
interested people using Facebook are in municipalities being on Facebook, and what people expect
and find important that the municipalities use Facebook for if they are present on this social network.
The survey is part of my thesis about the subject. I'm a student at CBS at the cand.merc.MCM (Marketing Communications Management) program.
Thank you again for your highly valued participation.
//Anna Brill Jørgensen, stud.merc.MCM - Copenhagen Business School
In the first couple of qustions I would like you to describe the way you use Facebook.
How would you describe your use of Facebook?
(Angiv kun ét svar)

On Facebook several times every day, posting comments, liking pages, chatting, looking at
photos, checking updates of others, sending invitations to people about events, sees Facebook as central to keep in touch with friends

Online every day, using Facebook mostly to play Farmville, Mafia Wars etc., also chatting,
making status updates, writing comments, liking posts, sending private messages
183 / 218

Using Facebook 5-6 times a week, posting updates, comments and liking the posts of others, pages etc., sending private messages, looking at photos and status updates of others,
not quizzing

Using Facebook 3-4 times a week, mostly for looking at photos and updates of others,
sending private messages, rarely posting updates or liking or creating events

Logging on to Facebook 1-3 times a month to look at updates and photos of others and
sending private messages, very rarely posting status updates or liking pages, comments
etc.
Do you have any comments to your use of Facebook?
Please write your comments in the box below.
Have you ever 'liked' a Facebook page? (In Danish you click 'Synes godt om'.)
Earlier, pages were known as fanpages. If you then became a fan of a certain page, please
count this in.

Yes - Gå til 4

No - Gå til 5
Which kinds of Facebook pages have you clicked 'like' on to date?
Please tick all the boxes that apply to you.
(Angiv gerne flere svar)

Brands (beer brands, clothing brands, beverage brands etc.)

TV shows, radio programs or other entertainment programs

Politicians
184 / 218

Political parties

Public institutions or organizations (municipalities, citizens service, daycare etc.)

Musicians/music idols, bands

Companies (Danish and international)
Other kinds? Please write it in the box below.
Now I would like you to answer some questions about what municipalities signal through the
use of Facebook.
To what extent do you agree that a municipality signals the following by being on Facebook?
(Angiv kun et svar pr. spørgsmål)
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Sincerity
(down to
earth, honest, cheerful)





Excitement
(daring, spirited, imaginative,
up-to-date)





Competence
(Reliable,
intelligent,
successful)





185 / 218
Sophistication (upper
class, charming)





Ruggedness
(Outdoorsy,
tough, sturdy, resilient)





If you think that a municipality signals something not mentioned in the question above, please
write it in the box below
The next questions are about how municipalities could use Facebook and how relevant you
find it.
A municipality can use Facebook in several ways. What ways do you find relevant?
Please answer to what extent the different kinds of use are relevant to you.
1 Highly relevant
2
3
4
5 Highly irrelevant
Sharing photos, video
etc. from the
municipality
in general,
from events
or meetings





Updates
about public
meetings or
similar
events where





186 / 218
I can get information
about
projects and
policy making
in the municipality
Information
about where
and how I
can express
my opinion
and influence
decision
making





Updates and
information
about the
decisions of
the city
council or
similar decision makers





Updates and
information
about cultural
events and
activities
open to the
public





Updates and
information
about municipal services
such as housing benefit
(boligstøtte),
public daycare facilities,
social services etc.





Encourage
and request





187 / 218
for people’s
opinions
about what
they want
the municipality to focus on,
where services need to
improve etc.
Do you have any suggestions to other ways a municipality could use a Facebook page?
Please write your comments in the box below.
How often would you expect the municipality to make a new post?
(New posts only, not for example making a comment or clicking like on a post or comment)

Several times a day

Once a day

5-10 times a week

2-5 times a day

One time per week

One time per month

Less than one time per month
How fast would you expect a municipality to answer a question in a post on its Facebook
page?
188 / 218

Within 30 minutes

Within an hour

Within 12 hours

Within 24 hours

Within 1-2 days

Within 3-4 days

Within 5-6 days

Within a week

Within more than a week
Other? Please write down in the box below
Now I would like you to answer some questions about how you would engage with a municipality on Facebook.
How likely is it that you would you interact with a municipality on Facebook in the following
ways?
Definitely would
I would post my
personal opinion

Probably would

Probably would not

Definitely would
not

189 / 218
about issues in
the municipality
(focus areas,
good or bad
experiences,
suprises or disappointments
etc.)
I would comment on posts
asking for my
opinion about a
relevant or actual municipal
service related
matter that I am
concerned about
(for example
daycare, social
service etc.)




I would 'like'
posts that are
good, positive
news in my opinion
(posts=commen
ts, photos, videos)




I would express
my personal
opinion in cases
relevant to me
by commmenting on posts
made by the
municipality




I would post
content (wall
posts, photos,
videos etc.)
from locations in
the municipality
or from events
that I have participated in




190 / 218
Other ways of engaging that you find relevant? Please write other ways in the box below.
Would you 'like' a municipality on Facebook that you don’t live in?

Yes

No

I don't know
Maybe, it depends on... (please write down in the box below)
Would you interact with a municipality on Facebook that you don't live in?

No, I would only engage with a municipality that I live in

Yes, I would engage with a municipality on Facebook even though i didn't live there

I don't know
Maybe, it depends on... (please use the box below to describe further)
As the last thing, I would like you to answer some demographical questions. Please remember
that your answers are totally anonymous.
191 / 218
What is your age?

Under 20 years

20-24 years

25-29 years

30-34 years

35-39 years

40-44 years

45-49 years

50-54 years

55-59 years

60 years or more
Are you male or female?

Male

Female
In what municipality do you live?
192 / 218

[Drop-down menu med alle 98 kommuner]
Are you politically interested and/or active?

Yes, I am a member of a political party or an association

Yes, very much, but I am not an active member of any party or association

Only a little

Not at all
What is your primary occupation?

Student

Full time employed

Part time employed
Other - please write down below
What is the highest level of education you have completed?

Less than high school

High school
193 / 218

Short-term further education (2-3 years)

Medium-term further education (3-4 years, e.g. bachelor's degree)

Longer-term further education (3-5 years, e.g. master's degree)

Higher
Thank you for your time!
You have now completed the survey. I really appreciate that you took the time to fill out the questions
in the survey.
Click the '>>' button to finish the survey.
Best regards,
Anna Brill Jørgensen, stud.merc.MCM - Copenhagen Business School
194 / 218
APPENDIX 14: COMMENTS FROM RESPONDENTS IN THE SURVEY
This appendix shows the comments made where it was possible for the respondents in the
survey to elaborate on their answer. The comments are in both Danish and English as the
survey was carried out in English but with a lot of Danish respondents.
Nr.4: Do you have any comments to your use of Facebook? Please write your comments in
the box below.

Jeg arbejder med sociale medier, men primært i et b-t-b setting. Og der finder jeg ikke at Facebook er det mest nærliggende sociale værktøj.

I'm online almost all day long, but not active (making comments and so on)

Can't live without it!

A mix: / On Facebook several times every day / mostly for looking at photos and updates of others, sending private messages, rarely posting updates or liking or creating
events

I check Face book mostly every day - but only use it as described and marked above

I'm using facebook every day for arranging social activities, sharing links, sending
messages, but rarely posting updates.

Not posting that many updates... Mostly just comments...

I use facebook maybe once every other month

Opfatter ikke Facebook som seriøs kilde for borgerinformation - men underholdning.
Nr.6: Which kinds of Facebook pages have you clicked 'like' on to date? Please tick all the
boxes that apply to you. (Other kinds? Please write it in the box below.)

Ideas, Books, Historical personalities, causes

wiki's / "amateur(s)" pages - made for fun etc.
195 / 218

Networks on different topics for instance creativity

Media

NGO initiatives, organisations in my professional field

Jordbærkage

Mostly Bands, Brands or Companies to which I have a personal relation - like I know
an employee etc.

Organizations, books, authors, movies, instructors, public figures, science, blogs

Jeg stemmer til KOmmunalvalget (KL's like side) + Momentum

cancer and other organizations

Various blogs, eg. Mashable etc.

organisationer, projecter, film

Rødvin tror jeg nok det var...ved ikke helt om det er under brands

Internet shops

Can't remember. Sorry Anna.

NGO like amnesty and medicins sans frontiers / Public speaker like Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ngo's and other volunteer organizations

funny stuff

things

Non-profit org.s; grassroot movements etc.

websites / groupings

Writers, comics

Causes
196 / 218

Støt nosserne / Argentino Tango / Mv

Blogs

Charity

Family pictures ect.
Nr.9: If you think that a municipality signals something not mentioned in the question
above, please write it in the box below

I don't get the Ruggedness part / It's only sincere, if it uses the pages in inclusive
ways, responds to comments etc.

En intention om at være fremme i skoene. Det opnåes bare ikke, for efter min mening er der for meget broadcast over det - og for lidt dialog.

It depends on how they use FB. If they use it to initiate a dialog with their users and
actually can handle it they will probably appear serious, competent and
'overskudsagtige'.

A willingness to keep up with the times and try new things

Reaching out!

I think most business is representet on Face book, cause they kinda "have to be" other wise they will not be competitive to others

Modernity

Not sure what you mean by municipality signals

An interest in engaging the citizens?

det kommer an på hvordan de bruger det

Unless they use it like, say, SAS to solve problems for their citizens (in casu, customers) it signalises that they have way too much free time on their hands.
197 / 218

It becomes untrustworthy, shows little concern for privacy etc.

Openness, eager to communicate, eager to be known, to reach people, to clarify a
message.

Openness and accesability - that they are where the citizens are. And maybe also that
they are "alive" - webpages from municipalities tend to look as if there is no one in
the office!

It's is difficult answering, because it also depends on how they use it. How well they
integrate Facebook in their daily communication with the public.

it all depends on HOW they are present, rather than IF they are present

Forstod ikke helt udgangspunktet, så det er en overordnet vurdering af FB..

over-excited, a little too 'young'

It's all depending on how they actually use it.

Mostly they look stupid, because they don't know how to use facebook. In best case,
they look open to dialogue.

Not serious

It wants to be on the beat, follow the tendensees in sociaty

I think the most important thing is that you get an idea of the purpose for being on
Facebook. A lot of authorities tend to be there just for being there, on the beat - and
that's a waste of time for everyone.

Offentlig myndigheders brug af Facebook finder jeg useriøs, out-of-place ikke det rigtige sted at kommunikere.
Nr.12: Do you have any suggestions to other ways a municipality could use a Facebook
page? Please write your comments in the box below.
198 / 218

2-way communication for all of the options above where you didn't include that as
part of the option

since a lot of local politicians use fb and they are responsible for the decisions, I see
no reason to why a civil servant should convey decisions, if they can't go into a discussion about them

Personificering. Lad de ansatte være på fb med profil på kommunens vegne. 'Kommunen' mener ingenting - det er politikere og ansatte, der mener og agerer på kommunens vegne.

Live chat to answer questions

Ideal for getting input. But also for targeting information to a specific group: "Did you
know, that you can get xyz from [munuciplaity] - good old traditionel pushinformation. You need to redesign the way, people can influent the policy... An realtime open proces. I.e. due to the processes we are all witnessing these days...

I believe that thay should have a web site for most of the above mentioned - and
Face book should be used for events, opinions etc.

I believe that it shouldn't.

ideoffensiv.dk in Skanderborg - how come every municipality don't have that - a
place where citizens can add their ideas!

The idea about municipalities using Facebook for communicating with the citizens is
really good, but it's quite important that they remember to use the old and traditional communication channels too, so everyone has access to the information.

Ok.. Det offentliges brug af FB, nu jeg med.

No - they can use their web as are - no need for extras

Slet ikke. Useriøst medie for kommunikation med borgere - og når slet ikke bredt nok
ud.
199 / 218
Nr.14: How fast would you expect a municipality to answer a question in a post on its F acebook page? (Other? Please write down in the box below)

Between 1-5 hours

I wouldn't expect a municipality to be able to respond in less than a few days - which
kind of makes the whole point of using FB redundant

I really depends on the case. It's always a good ide to specify according to the case.
Official "announcements" versus "inspirational and idea-making space"...

They should only opdate if there is anything to update - but i think it obligates the
business to be active on a daily basis, if they decide to be on Face Book

I cannot think of any communication I have with my Municipality, that I would use
Facebok for... / Therefore, I have no expectations...

Jeg mener ikke kommuner skal bruge tid på det medie.

It depends - they can answer that they will get back in xx days -and then I will wait for
that - but I think they have to answer quickly to let me know that they have actually
seen my question!

That's the problem in a nutshell. Say, if 150 people posted a comment in one day and
expected replies.

oeverst hvor jeg har svaret 5-10 times a week skulle hellere vaere "naar det er relevant". svaret til det her skulle vaere within 12 hours

Depends on ehat time of the day it is. Within an hour, if its working hours.

I wouldn't use it

Depends on the Q. / You ought to receive a reply stating that they have received your
enquiry after 48 hours.
200 / 218
Nr.16: How likely is it that you would you interact with a municipality on Facebook in the
following ways? (Other ways of engaging that you find relevant? Please write other ways
in the box below.)

It all depends on how active the municipality is in the social media. If they offen make
posts and reply quickly, I would see Facebook (or another social media) as a reliable
channel in which I could communicate with my municipality

In most cases I think I would prefer to post my comments through other channels, directly to the relevant authority and not in public

I can't see myself follow a municipality on facebook

I don't think municipalities should use FB

I would only participate if it is relevant to me. In other words: I would comment on
topics, which I would also attend/discuss/comment on in a face-to-face discussion.
But the "convenience" of the post being brought to me in my livingroom would definitly aspire to a higher level of engagement and participation.

I would if I believed, that they seriously listened and the debate would be in a proper
tone. But I don't believe that.

The timing is funny because borger.dk is just promoted as the website for sending
questions and comments to municipalities, regions etc. This is a safe way to communicate and that is important when we talk about relations between persons and institutions. Facebook has none of this security and seriousness when it comes to ownership and interests.
Nr.16: How likely is it that you would you interact with a municipality on Facebook in the
following ways? (Other ways of engaging that you find relevant? Please write other ways
in the box below.)
201 / 218

It all depends on how active the municipality is in the social media. If they offen make
posts and reply quickly, I would see Facebook (or another social media) as a reliable
channel in which I could communicate with my municipality

In most cases I think I would prefer to post my comments through other channels, directly to the relevant authority and not in public

I can't see myself follow a municipality on facebook

I don't think municipalities should use FB

I would only participate if it is relevant to me. In other words: I would comment on
topics, which I would also attend/discuss/comment on in a face-to-face discussion.
But the "convenience" of the post being brought to me in my livingroom would definitly aspire to a higher level of engagement and participation.

I would if I believed, that they seriously listened and the debate would be in a proper
tone. But I don't believe that.

The timing is funny because borger.dk is just promoted as the website for sending
questions and comments to municipalities, regions etc. This is a safe way to communicate and that is important when we talk about relations between persons and institutions. Facebook has none of this security and seriousness when it comes to ownership and interests.
Nr.17: Would you 'like' a municipality on Facebook that you don’t live in? (Maybe, it d epends on... (please write down in the box below))

Maybe your hometown municipal?

Mabye my hometown ect.

Om jeg synes at siden var god og relevant nok.

Place of birth, or where I went to school. Particularly if they had a presence that
made a difference
202 / 218

if I have any relationship (friends living there or I'm interested in something that said
municipality does)to the municipality

...it is relevant in my professional life, so I would, yes. But if my jobsituation changes,
I would most likely take back my "like".

them being on the forefront of creating more value for citizens or having a great image. I can't see a danish one that fits the criteria at the moment, though.

the content and the posts

Maybe if I lived there earlier fx the municipality that I grew up in...

... if they have a brand I would like to be associated with

I could for instance 'like' the municipality I come from, but not live in anymore.

Hvis vi politisk var på bølgelængde er det en mulighed, eller hvis en kommune lavede
nogle tiltag som jeg fandt sympatiske.

No, unless there is something really special about the site

I night 'like' a municipality I have lived in earlier

If I have another connection e.g. work, childhood, vacation ect

om jeg er stolt af at bo der

If I am affected by what is happening or if I know someone (like my parents), who are
living in the municipality.

depends on HOW they were present. if it was in a likable fashion

Hvis indholdet er skrevet med humor, ja.. men tvivler lidt på deres rolle på FB i det
hele taget.. Men muligheden skal der være der.

where I live (I would probably 'like' Copenhagen eventhough i didn't live there)

As a journalist, I will probably like/follow another municipality than my own if it
seems relevant for my work.
203 / 218

Maybe Copenhagen, because I use the city even though I dont live there, but would
mostly be intereseted in posts about cultural events

If I needed information from that municipality, I would.

Maybe if I worked there or if I knew other people who lived in that municipality. Or
maybe if I had lived in the municipality earlier
Nr.24: What is your primary occupation? (Other - please write down below)

Part-time Internship

Selvstændig

unemployed

Self employed

unemployed

unemployed

ledig nyuddannet

eget firma

I choose KBH in the previous step, because thats where I last lived. I don't like in DK
anymore. I was born in Roskilde, but now live in Canada.

selfemployed

Selvstændig.

Consultant
204 / 218
APPENDIX 15: SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS
The survey was carried out online and a total of 181 people respondents participated. The
results from the survey can be divided into four parts: The demographic characteristics for
the respondents and their use of Facebook, how the respondents think a municipality should
act on Facebook, how the respondents will potentially interact with the municipality and
finally what municipalities signal by being on Facebook.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND USE OF FACEBOOK FOR RESPONDENTS
As a starting point the demographics for the respondents are shown in the figures below:
Age of the respondents
Male/female respondents
0%
%
21%
2%
2%
14%
7%
41%
11%
59%
15%
45%
Under 20
20-24
25-29
30-34
34-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60+
Males
Females
Most of the respondents are female and the majority of respondents are 25-29 years old.
The male/female ratio is closer to the Danish average of 49 % male users and 51 % female
users. The presumption as described in the methodology chapter was that it would be
people in the age 25-34 that would be represented the most. This age group accounts for 50
% of the respondents. That is twice as high as the general Danish user distribution on Facebook according to Facebakers {{93 Facebakers Denmark}}. This over representation is probably caused by the distribution method of the survey, especially the circumstance that I have
used Facebook. It is fair to assume that a lot of the respondents are people I have a relation
to who wants to help me by answering the survey – and most of the people I know are in the
age 25-34. In addition to these demographic data, the respondents have also answered in
205 / 218
what municipality they live. Since it would take up to much space to show all municipalities
registered, the following figure shows the 7 highest represented municipalities.
Location of the respondents
Copenhagen
46%
Frederiksberg
9%
Århus
8%
Odense
8%
Hillerød
4%
Roskilde
3%
Aalborg
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
As can be seen the municipality of Copenhagen is highest represented. Again this can be
caused by most of the available contacts for the survey is people who like me live in Cope nhagen. The survey results are thus not representable for the Danish population, but it still
gives good insights into the expectations to municipalities on Facebook. In order to show the
reach of the survey, the next figure shows the municipalities represented by users divided in
country parts. As can be seen there is not an even distribution of the respondents as the
majority are from Sealand. Therefore the results cannot be generalized to the whole country
but in my opinion it can give an overview of important trends.
206 / 218
Location of the respondents divided in country parts
Respondents on a map of Denmark {{111 Google
Maps 2010}}
14%
9%
79%
Sealand
Funen and the islands
Jutland
To be able to find patterns between occupation status and Facebook use the respondents
have been asked about their occupation status and level of education. The results from the
survey shows that most respondents are full time employed (48 %) or are students (39 %)
and they have a longer-term (45 %) or medium-term (39 %) further education. The total division is shown in the next two figures.
Occupation status of respondents
Other
9%
Part time employed
3%
Student
Level of education of respondents
39%
Full time employed
48%
0%
15
15
20%
40%
Less than high school
1%
High school
6%
Short-term further education (23 years)
Medium-term education(3-4
years, e.g. bachelor's degree)
Longer-term further education
(3-5 years, e.g. master's degree)
7%
60%
39%
45%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Regarding the option ‘Other’, the respondents have primarily answered ‘unemployed’
207 / 218
In addition to the demographic characteristics, the survey asked the respondents what type
of Facebook user they are. They were given the option of choosing one of the five user types
Dwarf has categorized and the division of the user types is as illustrated below.
How the respondents use Facebook
Super users
59%
Socially active
17%
Observers
13%
Uninterested
8%
Gamers
3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
As can be seen, the majority of the respondents are super users. This deviates from Dwarf’s
research in which super users only makes up 5 % of the total number of Facebook users. This
can however be explained by the launch method which in part was through Facebook and
other social networks as well as the it is assumed that people with a high involvement in
Facebook/social media have more interest in answering questions about this topic. The results are thus not generalizable for the Danish population but will on the other hand provide
inputs from the ones using it the most.
To go further on with the results, only 7 % have answered that they never liked a Facebook
page. There is thus reason to assume that most respondents have basic or more than basic
knowledge about Facebook pages in general. Of the Facebook pages they have liked the top
three are: 1) Musicians/music idols, bands, 2) TV shows, radio programs or other entertainment programs and 3) Companies (Danish and international). Public institution appears at
number six out of eight as shown in the figure below:
208 / 218
The Facebook pages the respondents have liked
Musicians/music idols, bands
TV shows, radio programs or other …
Companies (Danish and international)
Brands (beer brands, clothing brands, …
Politicians
Public institutions or organizations …
Political parties
Others
71%
70%
57%
55%
29%
26%
15%
20%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
To be able to state any connection to interest in politics and answers to use of Facebook, the
respondents were also asked if there were politically interested and/or active. The majority
of the respondents are very interested in politics but not member of a political party or organization. The total division is shown below.
Political interest and/or activity
14%
Not at all
27%
Only a little
Yes, very much, but I am not an active member of any party or
association
48%
11%
Yes, I am a member of a political party or an association
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
As the demographic and Facebook user characteristics have now been described, I will continue to the next section that has the purpose of explaining how the respondents think municipalities should use Facebook.
HOW SHOULD MUNICIPALITIES USE FACEBOOK?
To find out what kind of content the Facebook users would like the municipalities to post on
their Facebook page, questions were asked about how relevant the respondents think dif-
209 / 218
ferent types of content would be. The figure below shows the division between the seven
options given to the respondents and to what extent they find the type of content relevant.
How the respondents evaluate different content posted by municipalities on Facebook
Updates and information about cultural events and activities open to
the public
54%
Updates about public meetings or similar events where I can get
information about projects and policy making in the municipality
31%
Information about where and how I can express my opinion and
influence decision making
Updates and information about municipal services such as housing
benefit (boligstøtte), public day-care facilities, social services etc.
17%
29%
11%
0%
2
42%
3
29%
20%
4
40%
16%
17%
20%
22%
60%
6% 6%
18%
25%
18%
7% 4% 6%
19%
34%
41%
Updates about the decisions of the city council or similar decision
makers
1 Highly relevant
37%
32%
Encourage and request for people's opinions about what they want
the municipality to focus on, where services need to improve etc.
Sharing photos, video etc. From the municipality in general, from
events or meetings
30%
9%
7%
9%
9%
15%
8%
19%
25%
80%
14%
13%
100%
5 Highly irrelevant
This figure also shows the rank of the content. Summing up the answers it appears that updates about cultural events is the content type most respondents have found positive, i.e.
highly relevant/relevant. However, to give a true and fair picture I have calculated the mean
values for each type of content which is shown in the table below.
210 / 218
120%
Mean values of relevant content types in rank order
Rank
Content
Value (%)
1.
Updates and information about cultural events and activities open
to the public
42
2.
Updates about public meetings or similar events where I can get
information about projects and policy making in the municipality
34
3.
Information about where and how I can express my opinion and
influence decision making &
33
Encourage and request for people’s opinions about what they
want the municipality to focus on, where services need to improve
etc.
4.
Updates and information about the decision of the city council or
similar decision makers
30
5.
Updates and information about municipal services such as housing
benefit (boligstøtte), public day-care facilities, social services etc.
23
6.
Sharing photos, video etc. from the municipality in general, from
events or meetings
20
This table shows the rank order of what content the respondents find relevant and as can be
seen updates about cultural events are in top, as the previous figure also showed us, and
sharing photos and video are in the bottom and thus the least relevant.
Besides from the content of the post it was also found relevant to ask how often municipalities were expected to make a new post on their Facebook page. The results show that 31 %
expects a new post 5-10 times a week but 27 % think one new post per week is enough.
These expectations are very different but almost represent the same number of respondents. To look at these results in a bigger picture, a division can be made between respondents who expects a new post once a week or more and respondents who expect a new post
once a week or less. The first accounts for 65 % and the latter for 35 %. Thus, it can be co ncluded that the majority of the users expect more than one new post per week.
Furthermore the respondents were asked how often they expected a new post from the
municipality on Facebook. Again a division of the answers is appropriate. The percentage of
211 / 218
the respondents who expects an answer within 24 hours amounts to 68 %. 34 % of these
answers are exactly the expectation of within 24 hours and 21 % answers that they expect
an answer within 12 hours. Going further, 25 % of the respondents expect an answer within
a week – 18 % expects an answer within 1-2 days. Finally 8 % of respondents expect an answer within more than a week or have answered that depends on for example what the update is about, or that the municipality should only post something when they have something to tell (see all comments in Appx 14, question 14). Below the figure illustrates the division.
How often the respondents expect a new post
How fast the respondents expect a municipality
to answer a question in a post
Within 30
minutes
Within an hour
5% 2%
5-10 times a week
Within 12 hours
6%
One time per week
31%
7%
Once a day
2-5 times a day
1%
2%
1%
4%
Within 24 hours
7% 3%
10%
21%
18%
Within 1-2 days
22%
Within 3-4 days
34%
One time pr. month
27%
Within 5-6 days
Some respondents have elaborated on their answer with a comment. A few says the time it
takes to answer depends on the case, while others express their feelings towards using it or
believing that it will actually work (see all comments in Appx 14, no. 14).
INTERACTION WITH MUNICIPALITIES ON FACEBOOK
Moving on to the results the survey has shown regarding Facebook user to municipality the
results are divided in types of interaction and if the respondent definitely or probably would
or would not interact. Starting with what the respondents definitely would and probably
would the picture looks like the next figure illustrates it:
212 / 218
Probability of interacting with the municipality
I would 'like' posts that are good, positive news in my
4% 13%
opinion (posts = comments, photos, videos)
I would comment on posts asking for my opinion about a
7%
relevant or actual municipal service related matter that I …
I would express my personal opinion in cases relevcant to
me by commenting on posts made by the municipality
I would post my personal opinion about issues in the
municipality (focus areas, good or bad experiences, …
48%
39%
20%
0%
36%
45%
12%
I would post content (wall posts, photos, videos etc.) from
4%
locations in the municipality or from events that I have…
45%
23%
48%
31%
20%
12%
27%
44%
40%
18%
60%
14%
20%
80%
100%
120%
From this diagram it appears that respondents are most likely to use the lik e-function on
Facebook and less likely to post content like photos or similar to the municipality’s Facebook
page. When asked for their opinion 60 % of the respondents would comment (12 % definitely would, 48 % probably would). Concerning the rest of the ways of interacting with the municipality on Facebook, more respondents would definitely or probably not get involved in
these ways.
Keeping the like-function in focus another important circumstance has been examined.
What makes a Facebook user like the page of a municipality? From the assumption that the
decision is related to whether the user lives in the given municipality the respondents were
asked if they would like a municipality they did not live in. The answer was quite clear: 42 %
stated that they would not, 17 % said they would, 22 % did not know and 19 % answered
that it depends on what relation they have to the municipality. If it were their hometown
some might like the page. Other reasons to like a municipality’s Facebook page are (from
Appx 14, no. 17):

“If I found the page to be good and sufficiently relevant” (translated from Danish)

“them being on the forefront of creating more value for citizens or having a great
image”

“... if they have a brand I would like to be associated with”
213 / 218

“If we politically were on wavelength it is a possibility, or if a municipality took
some initiatives that I found sympathetic” (translated from Danish)

”If I am proud to live there” (translated from Danish)

“If I needed information from that municipality, I would”
To summarize, if municipalities want to engage Facebook users besides the like-function,
they should focus on content that matter to people which is probably easier said than done.
However, it is evident from the survey that the content must concern a topic that the user
has a special interest in.
WHAT DO MUNICIPALITIES SIGNAL BY BEING O N FACEBOOK?
The respondents were asked to answer to what extent they agreed that municipalities signal
the five dimensions of brand personality (sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication
and ruggedness). It appears from the survey results that most respondents agree or strongly
agree that municipalities signal excitement (63 %). Next up, respondents agree or strongly
agree that municipalities signal sincerity (51 %), and last in the top three is competence (44
%). Only a small number of respondents think that municipalities signal sophistication or
ruggedness whereas 61 % disagree or strongly disagree with sophistication and 49 % disagree or strongly disagree with ruggedness 16.
What must also be mentioned is that for almost all dimensions around 20-30 % of respondents have answered that they are undecided, i.e. do not know whether the dimension is
something the municipalities signal by being on Facebook. Especially concerning ruggedness,
some respondents have used the comment box to express their confusion about the term
(see Appx 14, no. 9). Still, excitement has the best score as only 19 % of the respondents are
undecided about this dimension. As were the purpose as also mentioned in the methodology chapter, these people have not been able to take a stand on the question and the a nswers are thus clearer as they have not been forced to answer falsely to either the positive
16
Even though there were provided help to understand ruggedness, i.e. that it means sturdy, outdoorsy, tough
or resilient) 41 % of the respondents have answered that they are undecided about this dimension of brand
personality. This could be an expression of respondents finding it hard to understand what ‘ruggedness’ means.
214 / 218
or the negative side, increasing the quality of the results. The answers are illustrated in the
figure below.
To what extent do the respondents agree that municipalities signal the five brand personality dimensions
Excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-todate)
17%
Sincerity (down to earth, honest, cheerful)
9%
Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)
9%
Ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough, sturdy, resilient)
1%8%
Sophistication (upper class, charming)
1% 9%
0%
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
46%
19%
42%
31%
35%
30%
30%
13% 4%
22%
48%
41%
20%
13% 4%
13%
36%
40%
Disagree
60%
4%
13%
80%
100%
120%
Strongly disagree
Some respondents have noted in the comment box that besides from their answer to the
question, they think municipalities signal:

“Modernity”

“An interest in engaging the citizens?”

“it depends on how they use it” (translated from Danish)

“It becomes untrustworthy, shows little concern for privacy etc.”

“Openness, eager to communicate, eager to be known, to reach people, to clarify a
message”

“Openness and accesability - that they are where the citizens are. And maybe also
that they are "alive" - webpages from municipalities tend to look as if there is no one
in the office!”

“over-excited, a little too 'young' “
As these comments illustrate, there are both positive and negative opinions about what municipalities signal. The comments will be used when elaborating on points in the analysis and
all of them can be seen in Appendix 14, no. 9.
215 / 218
APPENDIX 16: SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS
All three experts were interviewed after on the basis of the same interview guide only with
adjustments made to questions about their area of expertise. The following paragraphs will
describe the key recommendations the three experts stated that will be used when analyzing Allerød’s and Aalborg’s Facebook presence.
THE POTENTIAL IN USING FACEBOOK IN MUNICIPALITIES
In the three interviews with the experts in branding, communication and social media, the
interviewees were asked how the municipality could strengthen their brand by being on Facebook. Each of the experts had their angle to it but overall their answer was that it is a
unique possibility for the municipalities to 1) get closer to the citizens by communicating at
eye level and 2) get in contact with and engage the young generation in local politics and the
role local politics plays in the Danish society, which will shake some of the dust of the municipalities’ image (Appx 6, 8 & 10).
The conversation in all three interviews naturally touched upon the subject of having some
sort of citizen services on Facebook – an idea that all three experts recommend and find relevant and meaningful. The chance is that citizen service on Facebook will cut some of the
costs off of regular citizen services taking place face to face, by phone or letter which are all
more expensive 17 - and by letting people help each other with simpler services or questions.
FACEBOOK MUST SUPPORT THE CORE BUSINESS AND STRATEGY
The experts recommend that all Facebook presence must have its starting point in the municipality’s core strategy and should support the core business. Resources must be dedicated
to the assignment and the people working with it must get the right education and training
in understanding and using Facebook for it to be successful. The organization must overall
be geared to be on Facebook, i.e. they must be ready to be open and they have to take the
citizens inquiries, comments and other expressions on Facebook seriously. Furthermore, the
17
The municipality of Copenhagen has published their channel strategy in which it is shown that digital channels are cheaper than personal and letter based service {{116 Københavns Kommune,Økonomiforvaltningen
2009}}.
216 / 218
content on Facebook must be relevant for the citizen – it must be important or significant to
the individual citizen or a group of citizens with the same interests and even better, engaging. They should feel that they have a chance to either get an answer or have some sort of
influence on a matter of interest to them. If not, the municipalities will be sorted out and
have disappointed stakeholders which will lead to a drop in brand strength.
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT BRAND PERSONALITY
All three experts agree that sincerity is the most important brand personality dimension to
signal as a municipality. Sincerity understood as cheerful and down-to-earth is “what lies in
the spirit of Facebook” according to Rasmus Møller-Nielsen (Appx 8) 18. As have been touched
upon earlier, the tone and the conversation on Facebook matches the dimension of sincerity. Rasmus Møller-Nielsen puts it this way: ”… often the dialog is marked by being honest
and down-to-earth, cheerful, are very good notions for the dialog on Facebook, a lot of smileys.” (Appx 8). Jesper Brighel adds that “… it’s about making it short and concise and useful
and non-formal” (Appx 6). The sincerity-dimension also contains the closeness to the citizen,
the eye level relationship with the citizens. Morten Saxnæs recommends getting even closer
to the citizen by personifying the municipality and put a face on the brand: “… Then I think
you could make super much of it and then it would be even more sincere if I could see that
the communication came from Lars from the municipality” (Appx 10). There are thus two
sides to it; if municipalities want to go on or are on Facebook they should strive to signal
sincerity, and by being there in itself municipalities signal sincerity – if they use the medium
the right way, to open up to the citizens through down-to-earth and cheerful communication.
In line with acting sincerely, the experts all say that being on Facebook also signals competence. It still depends on how they actually communicate but “… it shows that you have understood new sorts of communication” (Morten Saxnæs, Appx 10). Jesper adds that it signals
“… that you take your target audience seriously…it shows some sort of communication-like
competence that you meet the wishes of the user based on the criteria the user has” (Jesper
Brieghel, Appx 6). Rasmus Møller-Nielsen points to the importance of signaling competence
18
All statements are translated from Danish
217 / 218
not only by being on Facebook but “… how you signal it through the dialog, like what is it you
have to bring up with the citizens to seem competent or skilled” (Appx 8). Competence is like
sincerity something the municipalities’ presence signal by using new media in their stak eholder communication but mainly through the communication on then Facebook page.
Turning towards excitement, it is mostly Jesper Brieghel who finds it to fit what municipalities signal by being on Facebook: “… Excitement understood here as…. Like up-to-date and
spirited, like there is enthusiasm”. Morten Saxnæs is in line with this when he says: “Excitement, it is clearly up-to-date…. Maybe it is daring in the moment” (Appx 10). Rasmus MøllerNielsen thinks that it is mostly the municipalities that will find their presence on Facebook to
be exciting but “… it is impressive if the municipality is able to create excitement about its
presence… and create an a bit more sexy expression of the municipality” (Appx 8). Excitement is thus not ranked as high as the other personality dimensions when it comes to what
municipalities signal by being on Facebook.
Finally, sophistication and ruggedness is in the bottom of the list. As Ramus Møller-Nielsen
expresses it: “… if that’s what they do *signal+… then it’s probably a bit misunderstood”
(Appx 8). To some extent Jesper Brieghel can transfer ruggedness to be part of what municipalities signal by their presence on Facebook, but only “… that it’s sort of bite size, like cut up
in a size so that you can eat it on the way” (Appx 6).
218 / 218

building a bond with citizens on facebook

Transcription

Similar documents

mentalisering

Takke Annonce 2015

Rekruttering af lederteam

Testkatalog

Trafik - Odense Kommune

100 års jubilæum blev fejret i Chicago

Gentofte Kommune Statistik 2015 Side 1 Indhold

NEWSLETTER - Rebildselskabet

Oplæg ved Erik Riiskjær

Enthusiasm - Air Greenland