Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015, 7th year COMPANIES AND WIKIPEDIA: FRIEND OR FOE? Wikipedia is the seventh most visited website in the world, with company articles perennially well positioned on the first page of search results. Yet despite this visibility, the articles about the 100 largest companies in Europe often lack information, according to the Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015. With the already small number of active Wikipedia editors decreasing, this situation is likely to worsen. Some companies think that by editing their articles themselves they have an easy workaround. Any company that edits articles about them, either openly or clandestinely, does so at its own risk creating a hostile environment. The reputational risk if a company is unmasked is enormous. Since the first edition of the research in 2008 revealed the low quality of the vast majority of company Wikipedia pages, Lundquist has refined a set of guidelines to help companies engage with the encyclopedia’s vast online community in a constructive manner. This proposed alliance entails abiding by Wikipedia’s rules so as to ensure information is accurate. When done correctly, a rich Wikipedia article is a win for both the encyclopedia and companies. 1 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 CONTENTS LUNDQUIST WIKIPEDIA RESEARCH As part of its research into online corporate information, the Lundquist Wikipedia Research covers the article content of major corporations. The 2015 research looked at Wikipedia’s English language coverage of Europe’s top largest 100 European companies (based on the FT500 index). The research will be followed by German, Swiss and Italian editions. THE STATE OF PLAY BETWEEN WIKIPEDIA AND COMPANIES 1. Calling all editors 2. What we found out 3. Beware of the quick fix 4. Getting it right p. 10 INSIGHT FROM WIKIMEDIA p. 11 HOW WE CONDUCTED THE RESEARCH p. 12 LUNDQUIST WIKIPEDIA RESEARCH 2015 CLASSIFICATION p. 13 HOW WE CAN HELP p. 16 CONTACTS p. 16 p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 FAST FACTS 7th 2nd Year Edition of the European research 100 29 European companies assessed Criteria 4 25 Parts of the protocol: Infobox, Features, Sections, Conversation & Acknowledgements Maximum score 65% European average score For more information and to order a report, please contact: DANIELE RIGHI Head of the Lundquist Wikipedia Research daniele.righi@lundquist.it 3 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 THE STATE OF PLAY BETWEEN WIKIPEDIA AND COMPANIES Wikipedia has been losing active editors for close to a decade while the majority of company pages on the encyclopedia remain weak. Here are the pitfalls to reaching for the quick fix and some tips for standing tall 1/5 VIOLATE WIKIPEDIA RULES 1. CALLING ALL EDITORS 3. BEWARE OF THE QUICK FIX The number of active Wikipedia editors is dwindling, which means fewer eyes and hands to update and improve the encyclopedia’s pages. Therefore, information such as key financial data, historical notes and information on top management, can be incomplete or prone to inaccuracy. Often companies, armed with the knowledge that the Wikipedia pages about them are inadequate and that the encyclopedia appears high in internet search results, succumb to the temptation to intervene directly to edit their dedicated articles. We easily uncovered by a simple check a selection of 21 companies violating Wikipedia rules (whether by choosing a promotional name or directly intervening), which can expose them to reputational consequences including negative media coverage. 2. POOR QUALITY OF PAGES (RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH) Based on our screening of 29 criteria for a comprehensive company article, which take into account what Wikipedia recommends, the Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 revealed that companies averaged 65% of the total EUROPEAN COMPANIES score, compared with ASSESSED 66% in the last edition of the research. 100 The content element is usually the least complete section, with half of the largest 100 European companies (based on the FT500 index) dedicated articles scoring below 50% of the total score. One in five pages shows an alert signaling an issue with the page (such as nonneutrality or a lack of references meaning the content is not verifiable as required by Wikipedia). Furthermore, the number of company articles with updated financial figures has decreased by 27% since 2014. UBS obtained the top score followed by BP, BT Group and Enel. -27% DECREASE IN FINANCIAL FIGURES Since the research first launched in 2008, Lundquist’s guidelines are helping companies understand and implement the correct procedures of engagement with the Wikipedia community. This allows companies which meet Wikipedia’s eligibility criteria to contribute transparently to improving their dedicated articles. Wikipedia is an important player when it comes to a company’s reputation, yet its internal mechanism has been weakening over the last years with the decline of active editors. Furthermore, company articles are missing information. It is important for companies to engage constructively with the online encyclopedia, in order to ensure information is accurate. Joakim Lundquist, Founder of Lundquist UBS BT GROUP ENEL BP 2 4. GETTING IT RIGHT 1 3 7th MOST VISITED SITE ON THE WEB 7+ billion 60% PAGEVIEWS EACH MONTH (English Wikipedia) OF THE TIME WIKIPEDIA RESULTS RANK IN THE FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE 4 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 1. Calling all editors WIKIPEDIA PAGESVIEWS ARE MASSIVE Wikipedia pageviews grew on average by about 10% since 2010, totaling more than 9 billion in April 2015 (the metric used to assess pageviews has changed since then with the aim to filter bot traffic, resulting in 20% less pageviews: 7+ billion in October 2015). Despite the visibility afforded to company articles on Wikipedia, corporate related contents on the encyclopedia areSOMETHING’S suffering. In fact, our research show that, for instance, BUT WRONG the number of company entries with updated financial Despite the visibility afforded to company articles decreased by 27% since 2014. onfigures Wikipedia, corporate related contents on the encyclopedia are suffering. In fact, the number of company articles in which financial data are missing or are outdated is on the rise (13% in 2014, 31% in 2015). The major challenge for Wikipedia is the editing. It is in danger of imploding and the complexity of the issues it deals with is not going to get any easier. Charlie Beckett, Director of POLIS, London School of Economics and Political Science’s journalism think tank, in an interview with Lundquist for this research Wikipedia relies on voluntary editors, who ensure content is regularly updated and reliable from a quality standpoint, and their numbers are dwindling. Very active editors (who edit content on Wikipedia a minimum of 100 times per month) have been decreasing over the last seven years with data showing their were only 3,374 in October 2015. Very active editors make up 0.01% of Wikipedia’s more than 26 million registered users (some people could have created multiple usernames over time, however the percentage is still staggeringly low). They are followed by 30,482 active editors (those who edit content on Wikipedia at least 5 times per month), representing only 0.1% of registered users. There is roughly 1 active editor for every 170 Wikipedia articles in English. This dearth of active editors starts from the lowest rung: only 3.8% of the more than 26 million registered users became “contributors” as of October 2015 (meaning they have reached the threshold of at least 10 edits on the encyclopedia since they arrived). This trend is also having an impact on articles about companies. DECREASING NUMBER OF ACTIVE AND VERY ACTIVE EDITORS ON ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA 50.000 Active editors (5+ edits) 45.000 Very active editors (100+ edits) 40.000 35.000 30.000 25.000 20.000 15.000 10.000 5.000 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Source:Wikimedia 5 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2. What we found out Our research shows that company Wikipedia articles have issues and, compared to last year, less information. This page illustrates the main elements of a company Wikipedia article, along with some of the key research findings. Generally, every substantial piece of content is discussed here. This is where issues emerge and debates take place. 19% of articles present negative discussion. 1/5 In 2015, of articles have at least an alert which indicates an issue with the page. Article Talk This icon identifies a good article: complete, neutral, elegant, verifiable and illustrated. UBS’s article, which tops our ranking, is a prime example. Read Edit View history Search COMPANY NAME From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ALERT INFOBOX Editors can put an alert banner if an issue is spotted (such as promotional contents or lack of references). As you can see in the screenshot (“August 2009”), alerts can remain on the page for a very long time. 81% In 2015, of entries have at least an overview (10−15 sentences). However, of entries do not have this section updated. 38% 55% of companies present information on criticism and litigation. 26% Only of companies analysed have updated contents for all the sections analysed - such as financial figures and key people. PAGE SECTION Here is where companies’ related contents are. History section The history section is among the most prevalent in company articles. Historical information contributes to justify the Wikipedia eligibility of a company article. 28% The number of company articles in which financial figures are missing or are outdated is on the rise. Criticism & litigation Criticism & litigation is a key section as it contributes to the neutrality of the entire page. Here the best role for the company is to double check information. Corporate Governance In 2015, of company articles presented the name of their Directors or Executives, down from in 2014. On Wikipedia, basic information is provided in this small box called: infobox. Information about Directors and Executives, which Wikipedia’s guidelines recommend, is less and less present on company articles. 43% (13% in 2014, 31% in 2015) Dedicated articles on key people linked from the company articles are on the rise: 58 articles about Chairmen in 2015 Vs 54 in 2014; REFERENCES All material on Wikipedia, including everything in articles, lists and captions, must be verifiable. Any material that needs a source but does not have one may be removed. about CEOs in 2015 63 articles Vs in 2014 55 PICTURES 17% have fewer than 20 sources (the more the better). 83% of articles have more than 20. Providing pictures is an opportunity for companies to bring value to Wikipedia, starting on their path to becoming good Wikipedia contributors. 63% of company articles present 2 or more pictures. 6 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 3. Beware of the quick fix Often companies intervene without understanding the rules of engagement by which Wikipedia operates. We uncovered many accounts (in fact, almost 40% of the companies assessed) involved in the editing process. > One fifth of companies assessed are on Wikipedia with an account (sometimes even two) containing only the name of the company, therefore they violate the username policy of Wikipedia (which bans both usernames implying shared use and promotional ones). > 12 company accounts have been admonished or blocked for having published promotional information. WHAT COMPANIES ARE DOING WRONG What a blocked account looks like on Wikipedia Maersk Line USA is an example of an account which was blocked from editing and modifying content on Wikipedia due to a conflict of interest. It has been identified by Wikipedia as an account set up for promotional purposes, which goes against Wikipedia’s neutrality rule. Editing from a neutral point means “representing fairly, proportionately, and, as far as possible, without bias, all of the significant views that have been published by reliable sources on a topic.” See page “Wikipedia: Neutral Point of View” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_ point_of_view). The Maersk Line USA account was blocked because the name of the profile, coupled with the fact that it added a link to its Facebook page, was seen as an approach “mainly intended for publicity and/or promotional purpose.” 7 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 Risk of having your edit annulled The image below shows editing logs related to the article about Syngenta. An account, which has the same name of the global agricultural company, deleted controversial information. Due to the clear conflict of interest and the fact that this edit was not justified, it was reverted to the previous version by a Wikipedia editor who notified the user, SyngentaUK. WHAT COMPANIES ARE DOING RIGHT How to introduce yourself correctly on Wikipedia User Arturo, working for BP, and user Cornelia Te, working for Nestlé, are two good examples of how individuals working for companies can introduce themselves on Wikipedia. The first step to being transparent is admitting a conflict of interest. 8 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 How to propose an edit to an article on Wikipedia This example explains how to correctly propose an edit for an article by asking for the community’s opinion. COLLABORATION IS KEY. EXAMPLE OF HOW A COMPANY CAN SEEK AN ALLIANCE WITH WIKIPEDIA In order to enrich the entries for the company and its sector, Telecom Italia began interacting with the community of Wikipedia in collaboration with Wikimedia Italy through graduates from a leading university in Milan, with which it has a close partnership. By collaborating with the Wikipedia community in a continuous and transparent manner, Telecom Italia has managed to achieve significant results. This is demonstrated by the creation of 3 new company articles, the inclusion of more than 250 sources and more than 700 editing steps taken to modify content. Federico Ascari, Brand Development Projects, Brand Strategy & Media, Telecom Italia 9 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 4. Getting it right Four things companies should be doing when approaching Wikipedia Understanding Wikipedia’s rules, and working alongside the Wikipedia community, is vital as it allows companies to contribute correctly and avoid negative backlashes. It is important for companies to understand that Wikipedia is not a social network, nor is it an extension of their corporate website. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia run by volunteers, who are understandably proud of their work. Lundquist, since it first launched in 2008, has come up with a set of guidelines to help companies understand the right procedures of engagement with the Wikipedia community, allowing those which meet Wikipedia’s eligibility criteria to contribute with transparency to the accuracy of corporate content in their company articles. Andrea Zanni, President of Wikimedia Italia (the non-profit organization that operates and manages Wikipedia) Lundquist Framework 1 > > > DO NOT CONSIDER WIKIPEDIA A SUBSECTION OF THE CORPORATE WEBSITE Wikipedia is an encyclopedia sustained by a community of volunteer editors whose goal is to bring educational content to the world Content is free for anyone to edit, use, modify and distribute (please note point 2 on conflict of interest) 2 > > It is important to abide by the rules and learn how to interact with the community. Every article on Wikipedia has to be written from a neutral point of view. Do not look at it as a form of “promotion” DISCLOSE YOUR CONFLICT OF INTEREST Identify a representative who has to be clear about who she is and what she is aiming to do Register her conflict of interest via the community to ensure you are not violating the rules (“COI editing is strongly discouraged. It undermines the public’s confidence” source Wikipedia). All editing activity remains visible on the site, meaning violations are recorded permanently Companies that are willing to correctly engage with the encyclopedia can transparently contribute in a beneficial way, starting from noncontroversial and objective information. They can then evolve into trustworthy and respectful members of the community. Daniele Righi, Head of the Wikipedia Research 3 > > WIKIPEDIA IS A WEBSITE, NOT YOURS, NOT ANYONE ELSE’S. THERE IS NO PRESS OFFICE NOR AN ARTICLE OWNER, SO ENGAGE FIRST Engage with Wikipedia editors in the “talk” pages first, to let them have their say about your proposals. Wikipedia is built upon the work of a community of editors who interact with each other as peers and strive for the perfect article. There are no undisputable experts on Wikipedia nor article owners nor managing editors, there are only conversations One in five company-related entries contains an alert, a message which signals an issue with the content on the page: this is a good starting point for a company to understand what the main issues are 4 > > BRING VALUE TO WIKIPEDIA Propose valuable, updated and sourced content Support the encyclopedia by helping to expand and improve articles, making sure to abide by the rules. This will help ensure it becomes a better, more reliable source of information, a win-win situation for both companies and Wikipedia INSIGHT FROM WIKIMEDIA To understand how the Wikipedia community views companies acting as contributors, we contacted Wikimedia, the non-profit organization that operates and manages Wikipedia. Andrea Zanni, President of Wikimedia Italy, answered our questions a. Dedicated company pages are often riddled with mistakes, yet they are well positioned on search engines: We noticed that some of the companies we analysed end up violating the rules when trying to intervene through their own accounts. What is your opinion on this? The Italian Wikipedia community [in line with the English one] has a specific policy formed of rules determined by the community that are pretty common sense and easy to follow. For the sake of convenience on both sides, it is worth a company following these rules, so as to ensure that data and information is reliable. b. What are the most common errors that companies make? What should they avoid doing when approaching Wikipedia, even if it is just to signal an error? Can you provide some advice? Another way of bringing value to the encyclopedia would be for companies to provide more information from the fountain of knowledge they possess. This would entail, for example, providing information on the market they operate in, other operators/products within this market, information on the supply chain and the history behind this market. The Wikipedia community also retains it important that a company share their knowledge with the encyclopedia, and do not use it as another marketing tool. One final truism: it is not a “right” to have a Wikipedia company page. It must be “encyclopedic”; however this does not apply to every company. It is important for companies to understand that Wikipedia is not a social network, nor is it an extension of their corporate website. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia run by volunteers, who are understandably proud of their work. It would be interesting to see companies also using the encyclopedia to go beyond proposing edits for self-related articles, opening their archives and publishing digital materials that could have a historical significance, not just for the company itself, but also with regards to the historical period in which they were realized. 11 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 HOW WE CONDUCTED THE RESEARCH Lundquist tracks how well Wikipedia presents major corporations as part of its research into online corporate information since 2008. In 2015, the Wikipedia research took into consideration the top largest 100 European companies (based on the FT500 index). Evaluations were conducted in September 2015. A four-part protocol of 29 criteria is used to allocate a maximum of 25 points for each Wikipedia article assessed. The criteria covers both article content and presentation. Verifying the accuracy of information in the Wikipedia articles was beyond the scope of the research. This year the protocol has been revised and extended to evaluate the way editors interact “behind the scenes” of every article. In selecting criteria we took into consideration content guidelines suggested by Wikipedia. THE PROTOCOL IS STRUCTURED AS FOLLOWS Infobox Page features 7th The first part of the protocol examines the content of the infobox, located on the right-hand side of a MOST VISITED SITE ON THEsuch WEB as Wikipedia company article. It covers information the year of foundation, corporate logo, headquarters, financial figures, number of employees, and industry. Page sections 7th 7th 7th 60% The second section looks at a range of features such as categories that improve navigation through the MOST SITE ONallow THE WEB OF THEVISITED TIMEwhich PAGEVIEWS EACH MONTH encyclopedia, pictures and references WIKIPEDIA RESULTS RANK (English Wikipedia) users to verify information in the Wikipedia article. IN THE FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE Conversations & acknowledgements The third part evaluates the information in the main body of the Wikipedia entry. The protocol takes into account MOST VISITED SITE ON to THEbusiness, WEB many different themes, from company history information on directors and executives, to criticism. Penalty point 7+ billion 7+ billion 7th 60% This year a new section was added that is dedicated to how Wikipedia actually takes shape and to how entries MOST THE WEB OF THEVISITED TIME SITE PAGEVIEWS EACH MONTH are judged by the Wikipedia community. TheONresearch WIKIPEDIA RESULTS RANK (English Wikipedia) looked at the conversations taking place around the IN THE FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE entries. Every Wikipedia page has a talk page where editors can ask questions or discuss content to add, issues and controversial contents. This is where a better understanding can be reached on how the entry is evolving and who is involved in the editing process. A further point was assigned to entries whose quality was acknowledged by the Wikipedia community. 7+ billion 60% In the 2015 protocol up to 1.6 points can be deducted from the final score: 0.1 in the first section for entries that do not present updated information; 0.5 in the third section for entries showing an alert banner that signals an issue; -1 when there MOSTpages. VISITED SITE ON THE WEB OF THE TIME PAGEVIEWS EACH MONTH is a negative discussion in the talk WIKIPEDIA RESULTS RANK (English Wikipedia) IN THE FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE 12 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 7+ bill PAGEVIEWS EACH M (English Wikipedia) 7+ bill PAGEVIEWS EACH M (English Wikipedia) LUNDQUIST WIKIPEDIA RESEARCH 2015 EUROPE 100 LUNDQUIST WIKIPEDIA RESEARCH 2015 – EUROPE 100 Position 2015 Company name Country Score 2015 (max 25) 1 UBS Switzerland 90.0% 2 BP UK 88.0% 3 BT Group UK 86.0% 3 Enel Italy 86.0% 5 Airbus France 85.0% 6 Daimler Germany 84.0% 6 Deutsche Bank Germany 84.0% 6 Vodafone Group UK 84.0% 9 Danone France 83.0% 9 Gazprom Russia 83.0% NEW 9 Luxottica Italy 83.0% NEW 12 Volkswagen Germany 80.0% 13 Statoil Norway 79.2% 14 Siemens Germany 78.8% 15 Rio Tinto UK 78.4% 16 Barclays UK 78.0% 16 Heineken Netherlands 78.0% 16 Intesa Sanpaolo Italy 78.0% 16 Royal Dutch Shell UK 78.0% 20 Telefónica Germany 77.2% 21 Eni Italy 76.2% 21 L'Oréal France 76.2% 21 Orange France 76.2% 24 Société Générale France 76.0% 24 Total France 76.0% 26 BASF Germany 75.0% 27 Syngenta Switzerland 74.4% 28 Nestlé Switzerland 74.0% 28 Royal Bank Of Scotland UK 74.0% 30 BNP Paribas France 73.8% 31 Credit Suisse Group Switzerland 73.2% 32 Ericsson Sweden 72.0% 32 Lloyds Banking Group UK 72.0% 32 Unilever Netherlands 72.0% 35 Maersk Group Denmark 71.4% 35 Reckitt Benckiser UK 71.4% 37 GlaxoSmithKline UK 71.0% 37 SABMiller UK 71.0% 13 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 Score difference compared to 2014 Position 2015 Company name Country Score 2015 (max 25) 39 H&M Sweden 70.8% 40 Allianz Germany 70.0% 40 AstraZeneca UK 70.0% 40 BHP Billiton UK 70.0% 40 BMW Germany 70.0% 40 HSBC UK 70.0% 45 EDF France 69.8% 46 Diageo UK 69.0% 46 Roche Switzerland 69.0% 48 RELX Group UK 68.0% 49 BG Group UK 67.0% 49 British American Tobacco UK 67.0% 51 ING Netherlands 66.2% 52 Prudential UK 66.0% 52 SAP Germany 66.0% 54 AXA France 65.8% 55 Imperial Tobacco UK 65.0% 55 Shire UK 65.0% 57 ABB Switzerland 64.2% 58 Henkel Germany 63.0% 58 Standard Chartered UK 63.0% 58 Telenor Norway 63.0% 61 Engie France 62.8% 62 Glencore UK 62.0% 63 Associated British Foods UK 60.0% 64 LVMH France 59.4% 64 Sanofi France 59.4% 66 Bayer Germany 59.2% 66 Novartis Switzerland 59.2% 68 Santander Spain 59.0% 69 Anheuser-Busch InBev Belgium 58.0% 70 Munich Re Germany 57.0% 70 National Grid UK 57.0% 72 Nordea Sweden 56.0% 72 Richemont Switzerland 56.0% 74 Christian Dior France 55.8% 75 Rosneft Russia 55.4% NEW 76 Continental Germany 54.4% NEW 77 Inditex Spain 54.2% 78 Zurich Insurance Group Switzerland 53.8% 79 Hermes International France 53.2% 79 Swiss Re Switzerland 53.2% 14 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 Score difference compared to 2014 NEW NEW NEW Position 2015 Company name Country Score 2015 (max 25) 81 Atlas Copco Sweden 53.0% 81 Swisscom Switzerland 53.0% NEW 83 Vinci France 52.8% NEW 84 Generali Group Italy 51.2% 84 Crédit Agricole France 51.2% 84 Deutsche Telekom Germany 51.2% 87 Lukoil Russia 50.8% 88 Novo Nordisk Denmark 50.2% 88 Vivendi France 50.2% 90 Iberdrola Spain 49.2% 91 Linde Germany 49.0% 92 Pernod Ricard France 48.8% 93 UniCredit Italy 47.8% 94 ASML Holding Netherlands 46.0% 95 Deutsche Post Germany 45.0% 96 Air Liquide France 43.8% 97 BBVA Spain 42.2% 98 Schneider Electric France 39.0% 99 Investor Sweden 37.8% NEW 100 Fresenius Germany 35.8% NEW 15 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015 Score difference compared to 2014 NEW NEW HOW WE CAN HELP ASSESSMENT, REPORT & TRAINING We can support you: • • • • • Access to our knowledge base including our protocol (with criteria) and best practices A tailored analysis focused on the article about your company, including strengths and weaknesses (if the article already exists) A feasibility analysis for a brand new stand-alone article (if the article does not exist) Training on how to engage correctly and transparently with the Wikipedia community Suggestions on updates, integration, and materials We are candid in the advice we provide, and will suggest, if needed, to abstain from Wikipedia if certain activities do not comply with its rules. For more information and to order a report, please contact: DANIELE RIGHI JOAKIM LUNDQUIST Head of the Lundquist Wikipedia Research daniele.righi@lundquist.it Founder of Lundquist joakim.lundquist@lundquist.it Lundquist is a strategic consultancy specialised in digital corporate communications. We help our clients plan and build successful corporate websites that respond to the most demanding corporate audiences. Our method: Measure. Manage. Change We measure the effectiveness of digital communications in order to guide our clients towards a change in their internal culture. With this approach we are able to help you at every stage of your digital journey. 16 - Lundquist Wikipedia Research 2015