Entries from December 2009
I know, nobody likes to do them, but sometimes it is simply more than pure necessity; our beloved briefings. We find them tedious and a waste of paper and time, tough it’s only fair to our suppliers and business partners to say in writing what we want and how we see things. And it’s always a good exercise for ourselves as communication specialists to bring to mind where we are currently standing. This includes our situational analysis, our expectations, our thoughts, our guidelines, our self-perception of an organization. There is a reason why companies have a (documented) corporate identity, a corporate philosophy, corporate values, a vision and mission statement and even a code of conduct.
Clarity is ke
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I want to be clear on what direction we are heading in, my business partners and I, together as a team, and, I want to get the go-ahead from top management in advance of making my suppliers run around like headless chickens, just because I was incapable of giving accurate and comprehensible instructions. Here is the deal.
What should go into a good and comprehensive briefing:
- Situational analysis
- Goal
- Target audience
- Key messages
- Company image and perception, CI/CD, corporate values, style, language
- Implementation (tools, channels, resources, content, structure)
- Expectations
- Timeline
- Budget
10. Extras (e.g previous examples, additional items etc.)
Too much? Not enough? Well, the more detail and clarity the better. Your external providers will be thankful. Give it a try. It’s worth it. You will be able to use the framework and structure of your briefing over and over again, adapt and update it. Good luck!
Categories: corporate communication · internal communication · strategic communication
Tagged: briefing, corporate identity, corporate philosophy, corporate values, external providers, self-perception
One of the best ways to tell a story is through pictures, moving images, on film, in a video, with faces and people, with sound and music and light: personal and emotional. We all like going to the movies and being captured by the latest Hollywood saga, drama or comedy. At university ‘film history’ was one of my favorite subjects, as we got to watch old movies all the time.
So many questions, so little answers
Why don’t you want to tell a story about your company? Aren’t you proud of what you have created, established, produced? Isn’t your image, your reputation, what your CEO has to say or what your clients think of your organization, important to you personally? It’s undeniable that emotions always play a role in what we think of a person, especially one’s boss(es), of a company or of a product or service. The world is not just ruled by stock prices and bank accounts.
Companies may be driven by facts & figures, financial results, ratings and stock prices, but there is always an emotional component attached to believing in what a company’s leaders are saying; in the reasons for buying a product, service or stock and in trusting in the image or reputation of an organization. Wouldn’t you say so?
On being bold and daring
Here is the opportunity: in order to raise awareness, sell a product, create understanding, influence opinions, explain a decision or situation, inform your clients and business partners on a particular subject, give your customers a voice, reach your employees in a crisis situation, tell the story. Right here, right now. How can you expect your audiences to trust you if they can’t see or hear you? Let the tale come from the heart and you can be assured of its credibility. There is no easier way as to say it on (video)tape and play it in today’s most widely, highly and globally used communication tool, the Internet. 
I can only say: Give your story a face and a voice.
Categories: corporate communication · internal communication · marketing communication · strategic communication
Tagged: Internet, story, video
I want to do a video, sure, cool thing, but what and who and where and how? And what for, for heaven sakes? As a communication professional I have been taught to think in structured, linear processes, in concepts and with project management as a guiding principle of my doings. On a side note: It’s not as creative as one might imagine. So, simply follow the basic steps of analysis and definition, implementation and evaluation. Super. By the way, I still believe in that method. So I’ve learned to ask the right questions, coach my counterparts and advise them on what I believe to be a valuable and successful communication path. 
Here are the three most important criteria for producing a webcast:
- We want to reach a broad audience that goes beyond our immediate target audience
- We want people to be able to view the webcast independent of geographic location and time zone
- We want to use a video for bringing our communication messages across
Reaching out to a broader audience
Even though you have a specific target audience in mind, you automatically reach a much broader group of people including potential clients, interested investors and future employees that might be surfing your website. Exposure is imminent when placed on the landing page of your company website. You never know who will be attracted to your CEO’s video message, your product line responsibles’ statement, your market managers’ proposition or your business experts’ insights. Therefore it’s wise to draft your message carefully, take the time to prepare your script, select an appropriate location for the shooting and get your webmaster or web content editor on board early on. It’s important to place your video on a site that is easily accessible and quick to find – not buried in a corner of your website.
Giving your company a face on your website
Let your speaker do some media/camera training, with our without a teleprompter and discuss your expectations with your external provider – video, multimedia or web TV producer and streaming engineer. Your communication agency or Solutionpark can help you scout the location, draft the story board, write the script and organize the props. Be it as part of a full fledged integrated communications campaign or a single communication activity, it’s so easy to have so much exposure with only one small video.
Categories: corporate communication · employee relations · internal communication · marketing communication
Tagged: CEO, Solutionpark, streaming engineer, target audience, teleprompter, video, web TV producer, webcast, webmaster
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