The final item listed in a good communication concept is EVALUATION. Be it through assessments, survey, interviews, benchmarking etc. We want to know if we have reached our target audience, if the message arrived at the receiving end and if the money spent on the respective communication measures turned out to be a fruitful investment.
How will we know? And how can we evaluate the use of a webcast? As soon as your video is published on the Internet, be it Live or on Demand, your external streaming provider can begin logging the traffic generated, as well as the hits and clicks of the webcast watched.
Facts and figures
The good news is, you don’t have to do anything. Take a live webcast, for example. Instantaneously you can track the users on your webpage anonymously and report back what peaks, highs and lows there were during a specific time period. The tracking tools are so sophisticated, that you yourself don’t even need to install expensive software yourself. Leave it to those in charge on the technical side and they will deliver the results first hand while the event is ongoing or immediately thereafter. What more do you want?
Do statistics really tell the truth?
If you are working with an experienced and reliable streaming partner, such as Solutionpark, you can only expect top notch reporting on the facts and figures of your webcast. Every aspect is measured and recorded, tracked and identified – if you so wish. It actually is their general working procedure to observe the user’s movements on the Internet while one of their clients’ webcasts is taking place.
From a communication perspective such statistical information can only be helpful. How many people watched the webcast? At what time? For how long? All good information not simply for justifying the costs but also for explaining their necessity. Look at the cost per user: One can calculate that for an event with a live audience, for the extra cost of a webcast, up to double the number of people will watch it in the following month compared with the number of participants that attended the actual event. Imagine, double!! Most probably the extra cost for producing the webcast was a fraction of what the event cost anyway.
Feel at ease
I always found it helpful to know how many viewers had attended a live webcast session online and was always grateful for the respective evaluation and interpretation provided by Solutionpark. One thing I do want to add is that the technical support throughout the entire project is just as important as the analysis thereafter. I was definitely never left hanging throughout the whole communication-webcast process. And that was much appreciated.
Who wouldn’t want to benefit from using new technologies and impressing your shareholders, clients, business partners and employees with a hands-on Internet presentation? Produced in no time and cost efficiently? From a communicator’s perspective, this sounds like a gift sent from heaven.
Let me give you some technical background: Webcasts are often used for synchronizing presentations (such as Powerpoint, websites, film, 3-D objects) with multiple audio sources while encoding them into one coherent stream. They provide an all-in-one solution for broadcasting your video and slides to a broad audience via the Internet.
Let it PLAY
In addition, you have the possibility to use the web-based production software «PLAY» which is an all-in-one production software, especially developed by Solutionpark for producing webcasts, that stores any kind of graphical screen design from your PC or Mac. As the «PLAY» software is installed on a web application server, you only need a web browser and internet access to run it. For recording and broadcasting audio-visual content, a Real Helix, Quicktime Streaming, Windows Media or Flash server is needed. «PLAY» enables video and audio to be joined into a recordable presentation. (All content is generated live).
Therefore presentations can either be broadcasted ‘live’ or ‘on demand’ over the Internet and then viewed with any standard web browser such as Windows Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari or Google Chrome – for which you might need a plugin.
Streaming technologies come to life
A LiveBox is an efficient piece of hardware that combines high quality TV satellite technology with the transmission and distribution of video and slides via Internet, while using the most modern video streaming technologies. By the way, a LiveBox offers an array of advantages compared to traditional streaming transmission possibilities such as ISDN networks, video conferencing technology or complex and costly installation of video streaming infrastructure on site.
The benefit of such technologies used for producing webcasts lies in the fact that you don’t have to buy any extra soft- or hardware or any other additional technical equipment yourself. No license fees, no distribution costs, no maintenance contracts. Sounds good?!
Posted in corporate communication, internal communication, strategic communication
Tagged Internet, streaming, technology, Solutionpark, webcast, video, multi-channel, encoding, ‹‹Play››, software, LiveBox, hardware, satellite
As a communication professional we are often confronted with trying to interpret a proposal that has landed on our desks from one of our external providers. Ok we asked for one, but now it’s our job to check and see if what is being offered is what we really need and wanted in the first place. Does the price tag meet our expectations or is it way over budget?
We tend to be a bit skeptical, but if you want high quality, reliability and efficiency, it’s definitely worth paying an appropriate price.
Looking at a typical proposal
Assuming you are doing a “standard” webcast for video and slides on demand, for the Internet, this is what a proposal (from Solutionpark) looks like:
- Briefing, planning and coordination – every external provider needs time to be briefed and set up a plan for the implementation of a webcast.
- Set-up, installation, technical check at the event location – depending on where you are holding the event, interview, roundtable, training session, and depending on the number of participants, guests, people, speakers attending, the technical set-up and respective checks will take the appropriate time. Rather be sure everything is working properly in advance in order to avoid any mishaps, if possible. You will feel calmer and so will your external provider.
- Cameraman and streaming engineer – these are the specialists behind the camera, in charge of directing, at the mixing desk and the computer making sure that the video and slides match. In addition this item includes encoding the video and sending the link for the Internet.
- Software and hardware: usage of PLAY software, license and PLAY server utilization, LiveBox, streaming equipment, multiple encoder, backup, converter, slide control, cameras, tripods, hosting, delivery and distribution via Akamai network (content delivery network) – these are the basis for a high-quality webcast and I wouldn’t want to go with anything less.
- Back-up of the video – for your records you might want to have a DVD.
- Transport of equipment and expenses – your event might take place nearby, but the equipment needs to be lugged to the location no matter what.
- Phone service helpline – in case you need a special helpline during the event itself, this is a useful option to consider.
All I can say is, good luck and hope you are successful and happy with your next webcast.
Posted in corporate communication, internal communication, investor relations
Tagged Akamai, cameraman, external provider, proposal, Solutionpark, streaming, streaming engineer, video, webcast
When we launched our new corporate values, I, a communication professional working for an international reinsurance company, was told that four new core values had been defined and were now to be communicated to the entire staff. “Come up with an internal communication concept. Make a plan. Show us some ideas for implementation,” I was instructed. So I went to work following a structured communication approach and presented my internal communication concept to the Executive Team. The actual launch included a pop-up window with a brief video which would appear on the day we launched the new corporate values to the entire staff (worldwide) by appearing on everyone’s screen first thing in the morning when they turned on their computers. I must say that our IT department was not amused; at all. In the end I managed to convince them of the one-off action and positive (communication) impact this would have.
NOT the old company video
The next step in terms of the pop-up video was ‘how the hell can we produce such a thing?’, a video that wasn’t too big for every user to watch on their own PC. Great communication idea, yep. I called Steve from Solutionpark because I didn’t know who else to ask and also because I figured that he must know how to do it, of course within a reasonable budget and timeframe.
Halleluia, thank you Steve, our external streaming provider could send us a team consisting of a cameraman and a sound technician and would format the video for PC use. Immediately I started writing a script and committing the necessary resources. After very little rehearsal I must say, our CEO and designated participants explained the new corporate values and their signification as well as what they meant to them on tape. The statements were recorded one after the other and we went from one floor to the next for the various takes.
Ready in no time
In only half a day, the planed scenes where on tape and the raw material ready to be cut. When I sat down with the multimedia producer from Solutionpark, we assembled the new 2.5-minute corporate values video within a record two hours. It’s really amazing how fast this can be done.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is always a highlight in a company’s yearly event calendar. So much preparation, so many things to think about, so much budget spent for a single half day. Nevertheless, it’s an important event for internal and external audiences such as the Executive and Board members, the legal department, investor relations, all shareholders and investors. Often the communications department is involved as well as an event agency, simultaneous translators and a streaming company in charge of the videotaping and broadcasting.
Keeping track of your target audiences
Leading up to the ‘big day’ I remember many arguments and discussions about all kinds of internal and external communication issues including ‘Shall we show it to employees?’, ‘Why should we show it to employees?’ ‘Do we put in on the Internet or not?’, ‘Does the public need to know?’ etc. The Annual General Meeting is THE event a company holds for its shareholders and includes the entire senior management and executive staff as well as the organization’s Board members. Employees and the general public sometimes get forgotten in the process. I find it just as relevant and significant to keep them in the loop of a company’s developments. And that is a communication departments job! So I can only plead for you to take on the responsibility, get a streaming provider such as Solutionpark on board, and get moving.
Employees first!
We webcast the Annual General Meeting on the intranet for all employees to see, i.e. for those who aren’t shareholders and for those who are but decided not to attend the AGM in person. It’s simple transparent information policy to keep everyone up-to-date and not to exclude internal resources whoever and wherever they may be. Besides, it’s a legal requirement to keep a copy of the recording anyway, so why not produce it as a webcast and put it on the web.
I find this a good example of using multimedia tools to create more transparency and inclusiveness. Don’t we hear too often: ‘Why wasn’t I informed?’, ‘How come I didn’t hear about this or that?’ The whole purpose of putting videos on the Internet is to reach a broad audience and make an event available to everyone. All of your shareholders and employees will be grateful to you.
Posted in corporate communication, employee relations, event communication, internal communication, investor relations, shareholder communication
Tagged annual general meeting, broadcasting, Executive and Board members, investor relations, investors, recording, shareholders, streaming, webcast
When you are working with external providers I find it most helpful to get to know them personally. It makes life much easier in the long run. At the beginning I invested a couple hours to travel across town with one of the company’s IT professional in tow, to get to know the streaming guys at Solutionpark. This was a number of years ago. And they were not as I expected. No weird IT geeks sitting in a corner glued to their PC screens. They welcomed us with open arms and couldn’t wait to show us around. 
The place was full of interesting equipment they had built into mobile trolleys themselves as they explained how they’d go on location and record, encode and stream a company’s investor presentation, press conference or other live event onto the web. So how would this work for us? Basically we wanted to replace the old way of recording a staff event on VHS cassettes (!) which would be copied manually and then sent by mail to the various offices around the world. How endlessly tedious and time-consuming!
The technical side of it all
The good thing was that our streaming provider has their own encoding center where all the equipment is permanently installed on site. This means that they are always ready with many encoders and backup devices available, a redundant and reliable Internet upstream, optimized connectivity to Akamai (a Content Distribution Network) for live streaming and access to any European satellite for live webcasts. All recordings are done in broadcast quality. This set-up has proven to be flexible, reliable and cost-efficient and a number of times I’d call to say we’re having an event on short notice. They bring everything, i.e. usually two people, a streaming engineer and a web TV producer, and the full equipment. All I had to do is get the speakers and audience organized and off we went. Following the recording, I’d receive a link which we then placed on the respective company webpage. That’s it.
Before you get started, here are some things you should clarify in advance:
- When and where do you want to record your video?
- At what time do you want to publish your video and to whom?
- How big will the video file be?
- How long do you intend to record?
- How time-critical is your event?
- Will the webcast be done live or on demand?
- Does your organization have a strong enough pipeline and bandwidth for uploading and playing videos?
- How many people will be watching simultaneously?
- Can you bypass your firewall, proxy and are there IT security issues with your local IT department?
- Do you have electrical power and a phone line available onsite?
Once you have checked out the technicalities, you are set to go. Your external partner can surely help you in finding out some of the points. These usually just have to be ticked off the first time you webcast an event. Assuming you will conduct your future events in the same location, the set up will already have been established. From then on, you can lean back and enjoy the event.
Posted in corporate communication, event communication, investor relations, marketing communication
Tagged bandwidth, broadcast, camera, electrical power, encode, engineer, equipment, external provider, Internet, investor presentation, IT security, live, live event, on demand, press conference, record, Solutionpark, staff event, stream, streaming, video, web, web TV producer, webcsast
Let me make one thing clear: There is tremendous value in introducing streaming products to your organization, if you believe it or not. Why? Because you are communicating directly, practically face-to-face and in a transparent and uncensored manner with your audiences. Getting feedback is easy and people will tell you quite honestly what they think of content you just published. In addition, hundreds of companies in Switzerland alone have produced webcasts over the past 10 years.
Bridging the gap between IT and communication
When I first started using webcasts, that was for employee information events in internal communication, I was a little bit skeptical because I did not fully understand what broadcasting on the Internet was all about or how it really worked, and that I as a communication professional would be able to reap such benefits from it in my work during many years. Prior, I had experienced the old-fashioned business TV in all its glory, but couldn’t quite imagine that webcasting would be so easy – and less costly!
After a couple of tests together with one of our IT guys and the people from Solutionpark, I slowly got the hang of it and figured that this would work for a geographically highly spread out audience on multiple continents on the one hand and even more importantly, that our CEO would go for it and actively participate as well as other members of the Executive Team. I must say that they had already been doing live investor calls with presentation webcasts (slides only) and were used to the set-up, though without a camera or live audience in front of them. It turned out to be a success with employees eager to see and hear the CEO’s presentations on quarterly results, strategy, significant personnel announcements etc. Since then I have produced many webcasts for various occasions and communication situations and have become a firm believer in the benefits of streaming technology.
Speaking out
NZZ Online
I have been talking primarily from a communication perspective but want to point out the value for CEOs, Executive Team and/or Board members as well. Through this communication channel a CEO gains significant visibility throughout the organization, even without traveling around and thus saving time and travel costs. Plus, a leader’s credibility can be strengthened on a broad scale and key messages reinforced across entities and organizational structures. Independent of time zone, hierarchy, function, corporate culture or location, everyone with access to the web can see and hear a company’s messages.
What do you think? Send me your thoughts and comments.
Posted in corporate communication, internal communication, investor relations, marketing communication
Tagged audience, broadcasting, business TV, camera, CEO, channel, communication, company message, employee information event, Executive Team, internal communication, Internet, investor calls, live audience, presentation webcast, Solutionpark, streaming, technology, webcast
I have been working in communication departments for many years for demanding bosses and evenmore demanding CEOs. The orders are passed down the line and we tend to, at least sometimes, pass on those tasks to outside parties. Some communications people may say: “You just do it, I don’t want to have anything to do with it. And, it’s not allowed to cost too much.” Or “I want to know this and that and every detail. And why is it this way and why that way and why why why…..” That is not how it is going to work. You got to learn a little bit about webcasts and trust in the experts. Don’t forget, it’s about team work and collaboration. The goal is to have things run smoothly and look good. So how can you make it happen?
Test, check, test, check…
Set realistic expectations, allow yourself enough time for the preparation and testing phase. Take the lead in organizing the location and briefing the speakers. It helps to clarify the logistical details in advance, to make sure you have things in place before you get started. Once the camera is rolling it’s much harder to fix something that isn’t already working.
From my experience I can tell you that it is invaluable to be well organized, have your scripts, presentations, Q&As etc. ready, to stay calm and let the streaming engineers and web TV producers do their job! Do a sound and light check, make sure the air condition is working if you expect a large crowd and try to make your speakers as comfortable as possible. Accompany them to the start of the webcast and reassure them of the benefits of its use and cost effectiveness.
Tracking your viewers’ behavior
Following the production of a webcast and its publication on the respective Internet page, you will have the opportunity to get instant feedback from users e.g. via e-mail and get hard facts in the form of statistics from the respective Internet page usage. This way you get a track record immediately. I’d have so many people call or e-mail me on the latest video stream and they’d tell me right away if for some reason something wasn’t working.
The good news is that you can rely on an external partner like Solutionpark who takes care of and looks after the entire technical side. I produced many many webcasts and videos for the intra- and Internet over years for a variety of internal and external audiences and scenarios, even in crisis situations. Every time the video was completed and uploaded in time for all to watch. We also did a lot live streaming and as far as I can remember there were no major glitches that the viewers would have noticed. On that note I can only say: it’s worth it, giving it a try.
Posted in corporate communication, internal communication, investor relations, strategic communication
Tagged audience, camera, communication, crisis situation, engineer, Internet, intranet, live streaming, presentation, script, Solutionpark, statistics, streaming, testing, video stream, web TV producer, webcast
As a busy communications professional you surely have a lot on your plate and don’t want to be bothered by yet another communications tool. I know how that feels, believe me. But, and there is a big BUT, I was able to set up an easy process that became so automatic that I didn’t even have to think twice about it. So why not opt for something that will make your life so much easier?
Building my own webcast team
Step by step I convinced our IT guys, asked the men and women from the internal services/facility department to help me with our employee information events and listened to the streaming and video specialists from Solutionpark as they tried to explain what they needed from our side. It’s always good to listen to your external partners, especially if they are so helpful and reliable. Honestly, it all developed into a great collaboration and team work all together. We learned from each other and with increasing experience everyone fell into their role and knew exactly what to do. All the while I expanded my famous binder listing contacts and processes for the various scenarios, adding new possibilities of application as we went along. I will be sharing those insights with you as we go along. I also used my network of company contacts in all the local offices around the world to keep them informed and involved in our webcast developments. It became a ritual of sending out the e-mail announcing the next webcast and receiving people’s comments on how they were looking forward to watching it.
I truly enjoyed working with ‘my personal webcast team’ and we all shared in the success of making ithappen every time no matter what. Despite a little adrenalin rush before the start of every recording or even the live transmission, I was always excited to work with the team and have the people from Solutionpark come by with all their sophisticated equipment. Actually, that was the best part of it all. Who doesn’t like new gadgets, ha?! It seemed as though they brought a new piece of hardware every time. They use some really cool stuff. Plus, the technological advances simply make it easier to get the job done.
First of all I would like to set the stage for introducing a piece of sophisticated technology to you. As a great fan and believer of streaming products, I want to start by explaining some basics and getting a couple facts and possible misconceptions straight. To tell you the truth, I was pretty confused at the beginning myself. So here we go.
What is a webcast?
A webcast is a video and/or presentation that is produced and published on the Internet using so-called streaming technology. The webcast is either done ‘live’ or ‘on demand.’ Webcasting is a type of “broadcasting” over the Internet. It can be shown on an Inter-, intra or extranet. Webcasts use streaming technology to publish content on an Internet page and distribute it to many listeners and/or viewers simultaneously. There are many possibilities for using webcasts as I learned working with Solutionpark over the years.
How are webcasts used?
Webcasts are typically used for investor relations presentations to the financial community, for the transmission of annual general meetings to shareholders and the public, for recording employee events and presentations for the intranet, for broadcasting medical conferences and offering further education to doctors and scientists. These are just a couple of examples.
Who (typically) organizes the webcasts?
Mostly, investor relations and corporate communications responsibles are assigned the task of planning and organizing webcasts. Event managers, media relations people, internal communications specialists or other communication professionals might also be in charge of producing a webcast.
Why is it an indispensible communications tool? 
Once you start working with webcasts, you won’t want to go back to some of the traditional, time- and cost consuming communications tools. The preparation and production is quick, the feedback is immediate. You are flexible and fast. It’s independent of time and location, can be watched by audiences around the globe where and whenever they want to: the perfect tool for businesses on the move. I love it. And who doesn’t like moving pictures these days?!
Posted in corporate communication, employee relations, event communication, internal communication
Tagged annual general meeting, audience, broadcast, communication, conference, corporate communications, employee event, event manager, extranet, internal communications, Internet, intranet, investor relations, listeners, live, media relations, on demand, presentation, public, shareholder, Solutionpark, streaming, technology, video, viewers, webcast
