Cases Corporate Excellence How can you develop and strengthen, in a short space of time, the digital positioning of an historic Spanish company such as Correos? How can you transfer a technological and innovative image, close to customer needs, by boosting a 2.0 digital identity linked to the revitalization and the repositioning of the brand? Correos is the Spanish public company which until recently held the monopoly for postal services in Spain, a market that was completely liberalized in 2011, in line with a process promoted in the entire Union by the European Parliament. Even so, Correos remains the main operator in Spain, having started a gradual but constant process of modernization, repositioning and updating in the last decade. About a year ago, the company’s Marketing managers decided to carry out a project, following the sales strategy for new products and parcel services, to increase web site traffic and boost e-commerce trade, which are sales on the Internet. The process has involved, at first, breaking a series of internal barriers in an organization that is still quite traditional, with a strong inertia (nearly three centuries of history), an important number of employees (more than 60,000) and a business model based on paper.

1. Cases
Strategy Documents
C09/2011
Brand
Reinventing the postal
system: how to build the
online positioning of a
paper company
How can you develop and strengthen, in a short space of time, the digital
positioning of an historic Spanish company such as Correos? How can you
transfer a technological and innovative image, close to customer needs, by
boosting a 2.0 digital identity linked to the revitalization and the repositioning of
the brand?
Correos is the Spanish public company which until three centuries of history), an important number
recently held the monopoly for postal services in of employees (more than 60,000) and a business
Spain, a market that was completely liberalized model based on paper.
in 2011, in line with a process promoted in the
entire Union by the European Parliament. Even A changing organization
so, Correos remains the main operator in Spain, The letter and parcel market has declined for some
having started a gradual but constant process of years since the emergence of the digital world,
modernization, repositioning and updating in the emails and social networks. The new products
last decade. currently offered by the company (personalized
stamps, urgent parcels or the sending of registered
About a year ago, the company’s Marketing managers faxes with digital certificates by email, to name
decided to carry out a project, following the sales a few) are not very well known by clients and
strategy for new products and parcel services, to the market share in the parcels market in Spain
increase web site traffic and boost e-commerce is only 7.5%.
trade, which are sales on the Internet.
The Correos Group has several specialized
The process has involved, at first, breaking a series companies in different sectors at its disposal
of internal barriers in an organization that is still (Correos for letters, Correos Telecom for
quite traditional, with a strong inertia (nearly telecommunications, Chronoexpres for urgent
Document prepared by Corporate Excellence with reference to, among other sources, the intervention of Alfonso Prieto (Manager of the
Sales and Networks Area at Correos) and Salvador Suarez (Partner at Territorio Creativo) during the conference “Reinventing Correos:
online positioning of a paper company” organized by the EOI Business School on 3r November 2011 in Madrid.

2. Reinventing the parcels or Exea for large-scale printing) and bases communication structure, defining specific plans
postal system: how itself on 4 fundamental pillars: for each of the digital platforms and communities
to build the online
positioning of a in the web, according to the media type (owned,
paper company 1. Postal market: in decline. paid or earned) and using SEO (natural) and SEM
2. Telematic notifications: growing. (sponsored) positioning tactics.
3. Direct marketing: strong competition.
4. Parcels: strong competition. A blog was created for Correos about e-commerce
in which different elements of online commerce
Within the framework of the 2011-2014 business were discussed: marketing, usability, after-sales
plan, the Spanish public company decided, as relationship, legal and logistic aspects. Also, the
explained by Alfonso Prieto, Manager of the first report in Spain about the state of commerce
Sales and Online Area at Correos, to gather its within social networks was launched to gauge how
300 middle and senior managers (members of the Spanish companies make use of the opportunities
Board) to present the new online strategy and find that this business channel offers, as explained by
out what were the main obstacles, the main internal Salvador Suarez, Partner at Territorio Creativo, the
resistance to this strategic change. Some of them digital consultant that helped Correos design and
were as follows: launch the project.
• Possible problems with unions. One of the more prominent dynamization actions
• A need and opportunity to be active online. was the one developed at the OMExpo (Online
‘Brands • How to interact and engage with clients online.
Marketing Expo) 2011 in Madrid with the launch
of the “I won’t follow you any more” video, in which
that see the • Reception and management of criticism a post box chases pedestrians asking them to follow
web as an outside traditional channels. him online.
• Comparison of other public companies
opportunity within the sector that were online. The video reflects something that Suarez insists on:
to repeat the need to achieve ‘engagement’, the link of the
brand with the consumer.
their An important change with clear objectives
What were the main objectives initially posed by
traditional Correos a year ago when it launched the project? ‘Engagement’, the new Advertising
advertising Brands that don’t bond with their communities
will disappear. The management of the Brand
They were mainly these:
actions only Community is gaining ground against traditional
gain fans in • Reposition the brand, revitalize it. Corporate Communication or Advertising itself.
‘Engagement’ with the user, with the client, is the
the short- • Steer traffic towards the web page.
new Advertising.
• Cultivate loyalty through social networks.
term and • Create the virtual community. And to achieve this, it is essential to have a
attacks in • Publicize new services. regular relationship with communities, on a
the medium • Listen and speak to clients.
daily basis, based on what we already know as
‘Community Management’, but also on special
and long- stimulation or dynamization actions. Dynamize
The plan principally followed 6 consecutive phases:
term.’ and vertebrate are the two keys that succeed in
generating a qualified community around a brand
1. Plan: following the objectives outlined above. which allows it to converse, respond, link, listen
2. Analyze: the situation of Correos in the web,
department by department.
3. Define: the digital strategy and the online Two pillars to grow a strong community
communication to develop.
4. Introduce: the management of communities to No. of fans
Develop applications
link up. Tools set-up
Facebook adverts
Link
Dynamize
5. Launch: special actions to stimulate Re-tweet
Campaign
Competition
Read
Presents
communities. Converse
Following
Proactive
Promote
6. Grow: the increase of interactions with the
Discounts
PR 2.0
brand and the business. Listen
Reply
Generate content
Publish
Mark as favorite
In the opinion of the Sales and Online Area Manager, Create profiles on social networks
without the drive from the Chief Executive of the
company, it would have been impossible to bridge the Vertebrate
gap and make Correos a wholly digital brand. The
first steps consisted in analyzing the sales and digital Source: Territorio Creativo, 2011.
Cases 2

3. Reinventing the and create the content that these communities from networks and forums to the web, and from the
postal system: how demand from brands. web to the point of sale, because ‘social media’ is
to build the online
positioning of a not an independent channel, but forms part of the
paper company One can vertebrate without dynamizing, but one online environment as a whole, and this, in turn,
must never dynamize without vertebrating. Brands forms part of the company’s Brand, -Marketing and
that see the web as an opportunity to repeat their Communication strategy.
traditional advertising actions to gain followers,
without giving meaning and structure to the Finally, a fundamental factor is the capacity
community, only gain fans in the short-term which, that a brand such as Correos has in making users
sooner or later, will stop following the brand and, in recommend other users to become members (MGM,
some cases, in the medium and long-term, will end Member Gets Member), occasionally troubleshoot
up criticizing, or even attacking it. problems with other members, or even publicly
congratulate or thank the brand for its good service
In the Correos project, an analysis was carried out or efficiency in solving a problem.
of how the presence of the brand in social networks
affected each department, what “being online” in a Twitter, especially, is consolidating itself, in this
proactive and permanent way meant for Customer sense, as a platform that, on many occasions, is
Care and Loyalty, for Advertising, for Sales, Business substituting the traditional Customer Care service
Development or Communication. (the Twitter user is especially consumer orientated,
‘The con- according to the majority of studies), as well as on
a corporate level it is substituting the traditional
Overcoming the online/offline dichotomy
versation The key to managing links or ‘engagement’ is not channels such as telephones and emails when using
with the online or offline, it is both of these at the same time. them with the media.
The capacity of brand followers or fans to link with
brand com- it via interactions (vitality) or references (influence) Conclusion: the importance
munities is something that has always happened and still of the CEO’s support
happens in real life, although now it happens in
does not virtual life in a different way because the means, the
If there is one essential lesson to be learned it is the
importance of involving all departments within an
begin or channels and, therefore, the tone and development organization, but also, and primarily, the importance
of the conversation are different.
end in the of its maximum executive to drive and realize such
a strategic project as this one, especially in an
web or But the essence remains the same. Indeed, the historically traditional organization like Correos.
conversation with the brand communities does not
outside it, begin or end in the web or outside it, but can start Other important aspects to reinvent the brand were
but starts in in one place, continue in another and return to the correct selection of the platforms in which to
the first place: the traffic is both ways, but always
one place, in the same direction, the link of brand community
converse, understand the cultural change that
the process entails, the speed of the new channel
continues through content. when gaining clients, the importance of quality and
in another For this reason, the strategy must be global, as is the
community interest contents and the optimization
of the channel for the Customer Service.
and returns case with Correos; so that the success online can be
reasonably converted into the offline world, so that
to the first the attraction of traffic in the digital world translates
place.’ into concrete results in the real world. Ultimately,
Community Management by KPIs
-Backweets to URLs
- acklinks
B
-Results Size
-Clicks (fans)
Activity
(traffic) -Users
Influencia -Pages seen -RSS subscriptors
(referencias) -Unique visitors -Followers on Twitter
-Rebound rate -Fans in Facebook
-Permanence times -Friends in other 2.0
- ommentaries: blogs and
C
forums
- ommentaries: I like it
C Vitality
(Facebook) and favorites (interactions)
- : Mentions on
@
Twitter
Source: Genbeta Social media, 2011.
Cases 3

4. ©2011, Corporate Excellence - Centre for Reputation Leadership
Business foundation created by large companies to professionalize the management of intangible assets and contribute to the development
of strong brands, with good reputation and able to compete in the global market. Its mission is to be the driver which leads and consolidates
the professional management of reputation as a strategic resource that guides and creates value for companies throughout the world.
Legal Notice
This document is property of the Corporate Excellence - Centre for Reputation Leadership and has as its objective to share business
knowledge about Brand, Reputation, Communication and Public Affairs Management.
This document is directed exclusively towards its addressee and contains confidential information, subject to professional secrecy, whose
disclosure, copy or non-authorized use is against the Law. If you receive this document by mistake, let us know immediately and erase it
without keeping a copy.
Corporate Excellence - Centre for Reputation Leadership is the owner of all the intellectual property rights of the images, texts, designs
and any other content or elements of this product and has the necessary permission for its use, and therefore, its copy, distribution, public
release or transformation is prohibited, without express authorization from the owner.