COTTON ON GROUP
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Purpose
Social Media is a great communication channel for the Cotton On Group (COG), enabling us to maintain healthy,
two-way dialogues with our customers, fans and the broader community. It’s also a great tool to stay in touch with
friends, family and colleagues, and to talk about things you like and don’t like.
These guidelines are here to help you to decide what the best action is on social media is, particularly in situations
where you can be identified as a team member of the COG. It’s a common sense guide and will equip you to decide
what is ok and what is not ok before hitting ‘post’.
If these guidelines aren’t followed, both you and the CPG could get in some serious trouble and we could lose
customers.
The policy applies to all team members and agents for the COG and is subject to change at short notice.
Act Responsibly It’s a big wide world!
Reputation is built over a lifetime. Have fun, but remember, the Internet is a public recording ground with an infinite
memory. There really is no such thing as a ‘delete’ button on the internet; things stay in the world-wide-web. Always
be mindful that the decisions you make online today may have implications for your future.
• If you choose to talk about the COG’s work, brands, products, processes and identities (that aren’t
confidential), it must be clear at all times that the opinions stated are your personal views and that you are
not speaking on behalf of the company.
• Never disclose any confidential information regarding the COG’s operations, its team members and/or
customers. Things like sales results, financial information and customer details are not ok to post on social
media.
• Always represent COG ethically. Remember that even though your comments may be your personal views
only, you are still a COG team member so please ensure your views are ethical. Always post factually correct
statements and opinions.
• Do not knowingly use or misrepresent the identity or views of another person.
• Never reveal information or opinions through social media channels that you would not want to see
reprinted or shared.
• Before you make any public comments, consider taking measures to address the matter privately.
• Correct mistakes quickly. Communities can be more forgiving if you are transparent, honest and act speedily
to remedy your errors.
Be Respectful Play nice!
We share the online space with the world and are entitled to an equal right to opinion and to privacy.
• Adhere to the terms of use, and seek to conform to the cultural and behavioral norms, of the social media
channel you are engaging with.
• Ensure that you do not post material that is obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory or
hateful to another person or entity, including the COG.
• Do not discredit your co-workers or customers.
• Be polite and respect differences. You can always agree to disagree.
• Avoid arguments and refrain from personal attacks.
• Try not to over share. Make your endorsements valuable within your network.
• Always exercise your right to privacy and extend the same consideration to others.
Play it safe Keep Cool!
You are required to respect the law at all times. Be professional, keep cool and stick to what you know.
• Respect copyright, privacy, financial disclosure and other applicable laws when publishing on social media
platforms.
• If you are sharing content, always cite sources.
• Do not create images, videos, personal websites, blogs, or pages about The COG or its brands without
permission from a member of the COG Executive team or Human Resources.
• Do not post footage, photos or links that may pose security risks or problems.
• Do not risk posting inflammatory remarks or unsubstantiated accusations.
• Be wary of people who deliberately try to bait you for a reaction. Sometimes saying nothing can be the best
response.
• Be mindful that any writings, images or videos you seemingly disclose in private could cause you regret if
they have been recorded and are made public.
• Have trust that issues that arise on our Social Media channels are being moderated and watch for
appropriate responses.
• If you can’t answer a question, don’t!
Make us Proud We Heart Social Media!
We encourage you to participate in healthy and constructive online dialogues with like-minded people, and
supporters of our brands.
• As a team member and co-worker, the community expects you to be a champion for the brands you
represent. Give them reasons to be impressed.
• Be mindful of how your opinions have an effect on others. Avoid participating in discussions that can cause
damage to the COG’s reputation, commercial interest and/or bring the business into disrepute.
• Promote your place of work respectfully. Use cues from approved materials and messages thoughtfully.
• Correct misunderstandings sensitively. Do not de-value other people’s contributions.
• If you have information or ideas you wish to share with the business, talk to your manager. If you’re not
happy with the result, please contact Human Resources. Taking to social media to vent your frustrations isn’t
very helpful. It’s better to speak with someone directly than post an angry status update.
• Always aim to offer opinions that add value to the conversation.
Final Considerations
• Please be mindful that all public comments mentioning COG trademarks or identities are being monitored.
• Any team member found to be in breach of this policy may be subject to disciplinary behavior, including
instant dismissal.
• COG may also seek to recover from you any costs incurred as a result of a breach of this company policy.
• Your contributions in Social Media are ultimately your responsibility. If you break the law you may be
personally liable.
Definitions
Social media channels include but are not limited to:
• Social networking sites e.g. Facebook, Google+, MySpace, LinkedIn
• Video and photo sharing websites e.g. YouTube, Flickr, Instagram
• Micro-blogging sites e.g. Twitter
• Weblogs, including corporate blogs, personal blogs, news and entertainment blogs which invite public
comments
• Forums and discussion boards such as Whirlpool, Yahoo! Groups or Google Groups
• Online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia
• Instant chat and webmail platforms
• Any other websites that allow individual users or companies to publish comments
The policy applies to all team members and agents for the Cotton On Group and is subject to change at short notice.
Cotton On Group may amend and vary this policy from time to time.
Policy Version: Version 2.0 Last Amended: 19th March 2014 Sourced From: Cotton On Group Intranet Page 2 of 3
Other Documents that relate to this policy include:
Performance Management Policy and Procedure
Equal Opportunity, Anti Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Policy
Code of Conduct Policy
Email Usage Policy
Internet Usage Policy
Confidentiality Policy
Policy Version: Version 2.0 Last Amended: 19th March 2014 Sourced From: Cotton On Group Intranet Page 3 of 3