Communications Policy

These guidelines cover social media and WhatsApp

Guiding Statement

We appreciate that as a global Institute, there is a requirement to share various pieces of information and news amongst our teams, via multiple mediums including social media platforms and WhatsApp.

To ensure that all communications via these mediums are on brand and conform to our global governance policy, the guidelines below outline best practice standards which should be always adhered to. This policy will also help our community to understand and adhere to responsible social media and WhatsApp practices, to protect members of our community, their position and the Institute as a whole.

WhatsApp Policy

  • If you are a CILT member that has membership or interested in becoming a member of The Institute, you are welcome to join our WhatsApp communities to receive the latest updates on CILT and connect with other like-minded members.
  • Each WhatsApp group has a group admin who will be responsible for the group and with your consent they will add your phone number to the group.
  • Please be aware that the number you provide will be visible and available to the rest of the group. You can opt to leave the group at any time.
  • Group admins will also be responsible for moderating all discussion topics within each WhatsApp group to ensure that topics are related to CILT, logistics, supply chain and transport.
  • Anyone engaging in or sharing inappropriate, demeaning, inflammatory, encroaching and offensive content will be investigated immediately and may result in those responsible being removed from the group.
  • Whilst our WhatsApp communities provide a convenient way for discussion, please note that not every member of CILT is available on WhatsApp. Therefore, formal communications should only be sent via email, to maintain confidentiality and compliance for our auditing and recording purposes.
  • Discussions should be considerate and respectful of others. Please be polite and observe the same level of courtesy as you would do if you were speaking to someone face to face.
  • Please refrain from commenting or sharing content (including videos or pictures) that could be interpreted as inappropriate, demeaning or inflammatory.
  • Please only discuss topics related to CILT, logistics, supply chain and transport on the group and use alternative groups or chats for personal discussions e.g. Happy Birthday exchanges, organising out of work activities etc.
  • Content deemed as proprietary shouldn’t be shared or distributed via WhatsApp, as this content may be copyright restricted. This content includes, but is not limited to newspaper articles, magazine articles, journal publications etc.
  • Formal communications should only be sent via email and not through WhatsApp.
  • Please do not share or discuss any personal information or confidential information about CILT or individuals on the group.
  • Understand that the discussions will be moderated by the group admin and any inappropriate activity may lead to further investigation.
  • The rules of conduct will need to be adhered to at all times by all participants of any WhatsApp group. Failure to comply will result in immediate investigation and, if deemed necessary, will result in those responsible removed from the group with immediate effect.

Social Media Policy

Our social media policy below will help to set and exceed our social media goals and metrics that form part of our social media strategy and wider business objectives. Our policy is directly related to the social media activities of CILT International as well as regional CILT branches, territories and forum social media accounts.

Our Five Key Objectives

  • To increase awareness of the CILT brand
  • To increase traffic to the CILT International and regional websites
  • To improve community engagement
  • To manage the reputation of the CILT brand within the logistics, transport, and supply chain market
  • To gain market insights with social listening

These objectives will help to underpin everything we do in the digital landscape. By employing and adhering to our social media policy below, we can ensure that we are achieving smarter social media goals and setting up the CILT brand for success.

  • Our social media policy refers to all online communities such as blogs, social networks, chat rooms, groups and forums and includes any future social media channels that may emerge over time.
  • CILT International currently manages social media profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube and our various branches, territories and forums also manage their own corporate regional profiles across these mediums.
  • When handling a corporate CILT account, content should remain productive, on topic and avoid damaging the CILT brand in any way.
  • Content posted on social media should avoid any defamatory, discriminatory, encroaching, offensive or derogatory content.
  • When conducting yourself online, be respectful, polite and patient, when engaging in conversations on our company’s behalf.
  • Never disclose commercially sensitive, anti-competitive, private or confidential information.
  • Remember that, as a member of CILT, you are an ambassador for the charity and your manner in all situations, including online, should reflect that in a positive way.
  • Ensure all CILT logos and assets are used and formatted correctly in accordance with the brand guidelines.
  • Avoid speaking on matters outside of our industry when possible. Care should be taken to not answer questions or make statements that fall under somebody else’s responsibility.
  • Discourse on political activity and campaigning should be avoided at all costs on any and all social media platforms. Content should always remain apolitical.
  • Content should be shared intelligently. If a piece of content is published professionally, this may contribute to the strength of the CILT community. Ensure published content is helpful, valuable and promotes the principles of CILT.
  • Avoid sharing or discussing any personal information or confidential information about CILT or individuals on any social media platform.
  • Follow our privacy policy and governance policy and observe laws on copyright, trademarks, plagiarism and fair use.
  • Social media admins and moderators should be aware of any restrictions or limitations on accessing and publishing content on specific digital platforms, as dictated by national government and laws.
  • Inform our International Marketing & Communications Manager (marketing@ciltinternational.org) prior to sharing any major-impact content. Major-impact content includes changes and updates on CILT International policy, governance policy or major crisis/events that may take place across the globe.
  • Avoid deleting or ignoring comments from our audience without good cause. A response should always be given, unless comments are of an inappropriate or derogatory nature, in which case they can be hidden or deleted and reported directly to the platform publicised on, by the social media admin.
  • Should you wish to setup a social media profile for a branch, territory or forum that has no existing social media presence, we request that you share all social media links/pages with our International Marketing & Communications Manager (marketing@ciltinternational.org), along with the social media manager’s details, so we can keep a record of the live/active social media pages and cross-collaborate where applicable.
  • All individuals who manage CILT social media pages are responsible for their own compliance with this policy and for ensuring that it is consistently applied.
  • We will continue to monitor all social media postings from our CILT branches, territories and forums, to ensure compliance with our social media policy. Breaches of the above will result in requesting for the inappropriate content to be removed with immediate effect.
  • Individuals who fail to adhere to our social media policy will be blocked and restricted from access to all social media platforms and may be subjected to potential sanctions and/or penalties depending on the nature of the transgression.

If you have any queries or concerns or require further advice on compliance with our social media and WhatsApp policy, please contact our International Marketing & Communications Manager, Khya Newell at marketing@ciltinternational.org.

To download a copy of our social media and Whatsapp policy, click here.