A) Summary of the textbook
For years, managers have focused on “customer care.” More recently, they have begun to dedicate the same kind of attention to their own employees, recognizing that employees have more to do with the success of a business than virtually any other constituency. Internal communications in the twenty-first century is more than the memos, publications, and broadcasts that comprise it; it’s about building a corporate culture and having the potential to drive organizational change.
◇ Internal Communications and the Changing Environment
Today’s employee is a different person in terms of values and needs than his or her counterpart in earlier decades. The increasingly complex and highly competitive nature of today’s business environment puts greater pressure on employees and also calls for a more concerted effort in the area of internal communications. Today’s employees increasingly are demanding participation in the conversations that are driving organizational change. Mangers need to recognize that, if they provide information to employees and also listen to them, those employees will excited about their work, connected to the company’s vision, and able to further the goals of the organization. Strong internal thus continue to play a pivotal role in a company’s employee retention and overall success.
◇ Organizing the Internal Communication Effort
The best way to assess the effectiveness of a company’s internal communication efforts is by determining what employees’ attitudes are about the firm.
1) Goals for effective Internal Communications
Ultimately, effective internal communications should reinforce employees’ beliefs that they are important assets to the firm.
2) Where Should Internal Communications Report?
In the past, internal communications reported to the human resources area, since traditionally this function dealt with all matters related to employees’ welfare; but recent surveys show that over 80 percent of corporations in the United States place the responsibility for internal communications in the corporate communication area.
◇ Implementing an Effective Internal Communication Program
1) Communicate up and down
When high-level managers isolate themselves physically and psychologically from other employees, effective communication cannot happen. Effective internal communication can generate a dialogue throughout the company, fostering a sense of participation that can make even the largest companies feel smaller in the hearts and minds of employees.
The best approach to communicating with employees is through informal discussions between employees and supervisors. Respecting employees as well as listening and interacting with them form the basis for an effective internal communication program.
2) Make Time for Face-to-Face Meetings.
One means of ensuring that employees have access to senior management is to hold regular, in-person meetings with fairly large groups of employees. Most importantly, such meetings should provide employees with an opportunity to ask questions of management in an open forum. Certainly, large-scale events are an effective means to reach out to the greatest number of employees at one time, but managers should not overlook the importance of also meeting with employees in smaller groups.
3) Communicate Online
While meetings are an important way to communicate with employees, the advent of company intranets in the late 1990s provided a new channel through which companies could reach their employees quickly and broadly with important news on events and key management initiatives. Internet technology, while extremely powerful, must be used thoughtfully if it is to enhance communication rather than detract from the impact of management’s messages. A company intranet should be dynamic and engaging, with the home page regularly refreshed, so it becomes an employee’s go-to resource for the latest company information.
4) Create Employee-Oriented Publications
In addition to online communications, another common form of information sharing in many companies is through the print medium. Companies need to realize that their publications are competing with the national and local media for their employees’ attention. Another way to reach employees through company publications is to send the magazines to their homes rather than distributing them at the workplace. Above all, every publication-just as with any other online or print communication- must be honest about anything that might affect employees. The goal is to make employees feel like a part of the team, and on the cutting edge of what is happening within the firm and its industry.
5) Communicate visually
Employees are becoming more visually oriented in their consumption of information, particularly given increased use of company intranets. Most large corporations have elaborate television studios with satellite capabilities staffed by professionals. Such sophisticated systems are the best mechanisms for communicating with employees through visual channels.
Managers should not see expenditures on such communication as frivolous or wasteful but rather as an investment in the firm, a way to make each employee feel more connected, while also “humanizing” senior management. In contrast to the sometimes impersonal nature of e-mail communication, these communications can offer employees a personal touch – literally bringing a company’s leaders and vision to life without the time and expense of traveling.
6) Focus on Internal Branding
The importance of clear, two-way communication about strategy and direction as well as internal branding is also important to building morale and creating a workplace where employees are “engaged” with their jobs. Internal branding is especially critical when an organization is undergoing changes such as a merger or change in leadership. The launch of a new advertising or rebranding campaign is also an appropriate time to think of internal branding. Internal branding campaigns also can be launched when results of internal audits reveal that employees are not connecting with a company’s vision or when morale is low.
7) Consider the Company Grapevine
The company grapevine-an informal communications network-should be considered as much of a communication vehicle as a company’s house organ or employee meetings. Yet many employers downplay the grapevine’s importance. Ultimately, if employees do not receive complete or timely information from their employers, they will have no choice but to rely on one another-as well as external- to fill in the gaps. The stronger the sense of trust, commitment, and engagement between employees and management, therefore, the less often employees will resort to the grapevine as the chief means of expressing their voice and hearing those of fellow employees.
◇ Management’s Role in Internal Communications
CEOs and other senior leaders within organizations are the “culture carriers” and visionaries within a company, and all communications relating to organizational strategy start with them. Physical presence and interaction are an important start. Senior managers, however, also need to work closely with internal communications professionals to ensure their messages are received and, most importantly, understood by all employees. These individuals, after all, have the greatest potential to help relate management’s “vision” to employees’ individual business units, and, importantly, to their day-to-day activities.
B) My viewpoint
With the advent of the Internet and computer information technology, today internal communication means between employees and management in an organization have rapidly developed. Like video conference, it enables the companies to connect each other through the Internet network. However, most importantly, the top managements need to realize that most employees want not to contact with CEOs by cutting-edged information technology but to intimate with them without gaps between employees and management. In fact, most companies have a formal hierarchy to report the top management from low-level employees. Especially, public organizations tend to depend on formal hierarchy.
Reference : http://www.bdc.ca/en/my_project/Projects/articles/hr_internal_communications.htm?cookie%5Ftest=1
2008년 3월 26일 수요일
Internal Communication
Internal Communication Strategies - The Neglected Strategic Element by Robert Bacal
From:http://performance-appraisals.org/Bacalsappraisalarticles/articles/comstrat.htm
Most organizations, be they public or private understand the importance of strategic communication with customers and/or stakeholders. Hence we have marketing and communication specialists to produce communication plans for external use. In the private sector that means more income; in the public sector it means better public relations, and better use of government services through client information.
Many organizations also understand the importance of developing strategic plans to guide longer term decision-making. The thinking is that without knowing where we want to be (and how we are going to get there), we can't coordinate organizational resources so that we get to where we want to go. Frequently, communication methodologies for communicating with customers and the public are included in strategic planning.
However, few organizations address INTERNAL communication in the same way. Determining what should be communicated to staff, when it should be communicated, and how it should be communicated is often left up to the decisions of individuals made when there seems to be a need. In other words internal communication strategies are developed, reactively, when there is a crisis or major event that clearly requires addressing communication issues. Where communication is planned out, it is often around upheavals like major corporate or organization change, layoffs and downsizing, and technological change. However, once the initiating focus has been eliminated communication tends to go back to an unorganized incoherent process.
It's a bit of a mystery why this occurs, but there is no question that strategic internal communication planning can be a proactive approach to building a better, more directed and efficient workforce.
The Advantage of Strategic Internal Communication
We know that some of the most successful companies and corporations create a workforce that understands the mission, goals, values and procedures of the organization. People talk about the Hewlett-Packard "way", or the Wal-Mart "way" to describe what are essentially organizational cultures that are held in common by most employees in the organization.
The intent of creating such cultures is not to dominate or control employees, but to "aim" them at a set of common goals on which they can act every day. This brings a coherence to the workplace, and allows better coordinated action. By clearing up ambiguity in the what's, how's, and why's, the common culture permits employees to act with empowerment. When we have staff that understand the basic values and purposes of an organization, we give them the opportunity to make decisions that fall within those parameters. That means, for example, that more decisions can be made at the line level, reducing micro-managing.
Clearly, if we are to create such a common culture, we need to harness all of our organization's communication resources to achieve the purpose. Before we talk about that, let's look at some other advantages to having a coherent, shared organizational culture.
Advantages & Benefits
* permits employees to make more decisions online since they have the tools and
knowledge needed to make the "right" decisions.
* encourages a sense of identification, on the part of staff, with the goals,
mission and procedures of the organization, which can result in a sense of "making
a difference". This can have direct impact on effort and efficiency.
* has the potential for reducing day-to-day conflict. Much conflict is generated by
conflicting ideas on what is important to the organization...often an indicator
that the people involved do not share a common vision or understanding.
* helps staff feel a part of the organization.
When we look at organizations that use their common culture as a strategic advantage, what we find is that they create that culture through the use of very strategic, coordinated communication strategies. They use multiple methods, consistently. Their training supports their cultural goals, as does their written communication (eg. newsletters, billboards, slogans, etc). Their management communicates consistently with common messages in a number of forums (eg. performance management, department or sub-organization meetings, award and recognition programs, etc). And perhaps most importantly, management behaviour is consistent with the messages echoed via other communication methodologies.
Simply put, if we want to create a workplace that is populated by people who are working towards the same goals, and by the same rules, internal communication, in it's broadest sense, is the key to bringing that about. It won't happen unless we are proactive in our communication and coordinate our efforts so they convey consistent, combatable messages.
An Overview of The Internal Communication Planning (ICP) Process
First, we need to understand that we plan for internal communication for a long term time period. Since the effects of communication exert themselves over an extended period, we need to look at an approach that will extend over years. While event based tactical communication planning is reactive and short term, strategic ICP is by it's nature, longer term and proactive.
As such, before we begin ICP, we need to be clear what kind of workplace we are attempting to create and what values, principles and procedures need to be in place so that our visioned workplace comes about. So, as with other kinds of strategic planning, we first decide the kind of organization we want, then we plan a communication approach to bring that vision to life.
Next, we need to consider a very broad approach to communication. Often, even organizations who address internal communication fail because they understand the organization communication process as a limited process--one that includes only what we normally think of as communication methods. For example, they formulate a vision statement, or statement of principles, and plaster it all over the organization, without considering that the behaviour of managers, and the decisions that are made in the organization are the "real communication tools". What results is a situation where the "formal" communications say one thing to staff, while decision-making and actions send a conflicting message. It's almost better to do nothing at all, since an inconsistent, non-comprehensive approach to communication breeds resentment and cynicism.
So, the key elements:
long-term focus
clear values, goals
comprehensive, pervasive methods
consistent messages
Outline of ICP Steps
The details of how one plans for internal communication to create a coherent culture will vary depending on a number of factors, one of the most important being the size/level of the organization we are looking at. In a small organization, a branch manager/director may draft an internal communication strategy by him/herself, particularly if the elements of communication in the organization are under his/her control. Or, the manager can consult with staff regarding the kinds of information staff feel they need.
In larger organization, internal communication strategies need to include many more players (eg. senior executives, managers, HR people, etc).
However a general process can be described.
1. Identify the common culture needed/wanted
We make the distinction between what is needed and what is wanted because the culture we seek to create should somehow enable the organization to better achieve the goals, role and mission it has designated for itself. The parallel here is to the visioning process that occurs in strategic planning, except it answers the question: "What values, principles, procedures and behaviours must we create so that we can achieve our mission?" In practical terms, this step can result in a set of goals.
2. Identify the available communication tools
Since we consider internal communication in a broad sense, we need to identify the means by which we can affect corporate culture in the direction we want to go. Below are some examples of communication tools to consider, but there may be others.
Paper-based:
memos (internal correspondence), newsletter, brochures, performance appraisal documents, slogans, pay packet enclosures, etc.
Executive/Manager Oral:
general meetings, division and branch meetings, team addresses, one-on-one (face to face) manager to staff communication.
Electronic:
E-mail, web sites and intranets
Management BEHAVIOUR:
Any and all management/executive behaviour that sends messages, either intentionally or unintentionally about the values, principles, purposes of the organization.
Staff To Management Forums:
surveys, other forums such as staff meetings, individual meetings etc. (yes, getting information from staff also sends messages!)
Policies & Procedures:
Policies and procedures need to reinforce and be consistent with the messages being sent by other "channels".
Training:
Training and learning settings are often used to teach specific skills and values (eg. customer service).
3. Determine what tools are suited to which goals
We need to match the tools we have at our disposal to the goals that we identified in Step 1. Some tools are best suited to certain types of goals and not to others. In general, though we want to aim ALL of our available communication tools at the achievement of our goals.
4. Develop a description of how each tool will be used.
People "in charge" of the communication tools need to know both generally and specifically how their tool fits into the larger context. For example, managers need to understand the tone and approach to writing internal memos that will be consistent with the "internal communication" goals matched to that tool. Or more obviously, a corporate newsletter editor must be aware of the primary values, and information that needs to be conveyed to staff so the newsletter supports the creation of the desired culture.
5. Plan for remediation
Since the ICP process is comprehensive, we may end up asking people in the organization to behave and communicate differently. That may mean we will need to help people develop the skills needed to fulfil these new expectations. For example, a manager might need to learn how to rephrase memos, or conduct cooperative performance appraisals so they are consistent with the desired culture.
6. Plan For Implementation
At this point we should know what we need to communicate, how we are going to do it, etc. We may want to flesh this out a bit by determining who will do what, and when it will be done. Let's remember that this is NOT a project, but an ongoing process...we want to change communication approaches over the long term.
(Note: In both strategic planning and internal communication planning, we often need to "cascade" from the top of the organization down).
7. Implement
8. Continuously Monitor and Revise
Over time, new communication tools may become more obvious, or we may find that some tools are ineffective. So consistent with a continuous improvement approach we need to assess the effects of what we are doing, and "re-steer" as needed. Some organizations use annual surveys to assess whether progress is being made, and solicit additional ideas.
Conclusion
The development of a strategic internal communication strategy, and it's implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations. To achieve those benefits we need a coordinated, comprehensive, long term communication approach.
From:http://performance-appraisals.org/Bacalsappraisalarticles/articles/comstrat.htm
Most organizations, be they public or private understand the importance of strategic communication with customers and/or stakeholders. Hence we have marketing and communication specialists to produce communication plans for external use. In the private sector that means more income; in the public sector it means better public relations, and better use of government services through client information.
Many organizations also understand the importance of developing strategic plans to guide longer term decision-making. The thinking is that without knowing where we want to be (and how we are going to get there), we can't coordinate organizational resources so that we get to where we want to go. Frequently, communication methodologies for communicating with customers and the public are included in strategic planning.
However, few organizations address INTERNAL communication in the same way. Determining what should be communicated to staff, when it should be communicated, and how it should be communicated is often left up to the decisions of individuals made when there seems to be a need. In other words internal communication strategies are developed, reactively, when there is a crisis or major event that clearly requires addressing communication issues. Where communication is planned out, it is often around upheavals like major corporate or organization change, layoffs and downsizing, and technological change. However, once the initiating focus has been eliminated communication tends to go back to an unorganized incoherent process.
It's a bit of a mystery why this occurs, but there is no question that strategic internal communication planning can be a proactive approach to building a better, more directed and efficient workforce.
The Advantage of Strategic Internal Communication
We know that some of the most successful companies and corporations create a workforce that understands the mission, goals, values and procedures of the organization. People talk about the Hewlett-Packard "way", or the Wal-Mart "way" to describe what are essentially organizational cultures that are held in common by most employees in the organization.
The intent of creating such cultures is not to dominate or control employees, but to "aim" them at a set of common goals on which they can act every day. This brings a coherence to the workplace, and allows better coordinated action. By clearing up ambiguity in the what's, how's, and why's, the common culture permits employees to act with empowerment. When we have staff that understand the basic values and purposes of an organization, we give them the opportunity to make decisions that fall within those parameters. That means, for example, that more decisions can be made at the line level, reducing micro-managing.
Clearly, if we are to create such a common culture, we need to harness all of our organization's communication resources to achieve the purpose. Before we talk about that, let's look at some other advantages to having a coherent, shared organizational culture.
Advantages & Benefits
* permits employees to make more decisions online since they have the tools and
knowledge needed to make the "right" decisions.
* encourages a sense of identification, on the part of staff, with the goals,
mission and procedures of the organization, which can result in a sense of "making
a difference". This can have direct impact on effort and efficiency.
* has the potential for reducing day-to-day conflict. Much conflict is generated by
conflicting ideas on what is important to the organization...often an indicator
that the people involved do not share a common vision or understanding.
* helps staff feel a part of the organization.
When we look at organizations that use their common culture as a strategic advantage, what we find is that they create that culture through the use of very strategic, coordinated communication strategies. They use multiple methods, consistently. Their training supports their cultural goals, as does their written communication (eg. newsletters, billboards, slogans, etc). Their management communicates consistently with common messages in a number of forums (eg. performance management, department or sub-organization meetings, award and recognition programs, etc). And perhaps most importantly, management behaviour is consistent with the messages echoed via other communication methodologies.
Simply put, if we want to create a workplace that is populated by people who are working towards the same goals, and by the same rules, internal communication, in it's broadest sense, is the key to bringing that about. It won't happen unless we are proactive in our communication and coordinate our efforts so they convey consistent, combatable messages.
An Overview of The Internal Communication Planning (ICP) Process
First, we need to understand that we plan for internal communication for a long term time period. Since the effects of communication exert themselves over an extended period, we need to look at an approach that will extend over years. While event based tactical communication planning is reactive and short term, strategic ICP is by it's nature, longer term and proactive.
As such, before we begin ICP, we need to be clear what kind of workplace we are attempting to create and what values, principles and procedures need to be in place so that our visioned workplace comes about. So, as with other kinds of strategic planning, we first decide the kind of organization we want, then we plan a communication approach to bring that vision to life.
Next, we need to consider a very broad approach to communication. Often, even organizations who address internal communication fail because they understand the organization communication process as a limited process--one that includes only what we normally think of as communication methods. For example, they formulate a vision statement, or statement of principles, and plaster it all over the organization, without considering that the behaviour of managers, and the decisions that are made in the organization are the "real communication tools". What results is a situation where the "formal" communications say one thing to staff, while decision-making and actions send a conflicting message. It's almost better to do nothing at all, since an inconsistent, non-comprehensive approach to communication breeds resentment and cynicism.
So, the key elements:
long-term focus
clear values, goals
comprehensive, pervasive methods
consistent messages
Outline of ICP Steps
The details of how one plans for internal communication to create a coherent culture will vary depending on a number of factors, one of the most important being the size/level of the organization we are looking at. In a small organization, a branch manager/director may draft an internal communication strategy by him/herself, particularly if the elements of communication in the organization are under his/her control. Or, the manager can consult with staff regarding the kinds of information staff feel they need.
In larger organization, internal communication strategies need to include many more players (eg. senior executives, managers, HR people, etc).
However a general process can be described.
1. Identify the common culture needed/wanted
We make the distinction between what is needed and what is wanted because the culture we seek to create should somehow enable the organization to better achieve the goals, role and mission it has designated for itself. The parallel here is to the visioning process that occurs in strategic planning, except it answers the question: "What values, principles, procedures and behaviours must we create so that we can achieve our mission?" In practical terms, this step can result in a set of goals.
2. Identify the available communication tools
Since we consider internal communication in a broad sense, we need to identify the means by which we can affect corporate culture in the direction we want to go. Below are some examples of communication tools to consider, but there may be others.
Paper-based:
memos (internal correspondence), newsletter, brochures, performance appraisal documents, slogans, pay packet enclosures, etc.
Executive/Manager Oral:
general meetings, division and branch meetings, team addresses, one-on-one (face to face) manager to staff communication.
Electronic:
E-mail, web sites and intranets
Management BEHAVIOUR:
Any and all management/executive behaviour that sends messages, either intentionally or unintentionally about the values, principles, purposes of the organization.
Staff To Management Forums:
surveys, other forums such as staff meetings, individual meetings etc. (yes, getting information from staff also sends messages!)
Policies & Procedures:
Policies and procedures need to reinforce and be consistent with the messages being sent by other "channels".
Training:
Training and learning settings are often used to teach specific skills and values (eg. customer service).
3. Determine what tools are suited to which goals
We need to match the tools we have at our disposal to the goals that we identified in Step 1. Some tools are best suited to certain types of goals and not to others. In general, though we want to aim ALL of our available communication tools at the achievement of our goals.
4. Develop a description of how each tool will be used.
People "in charge" of the communication tools need to know both generally and specifically how their tool fits into the larger context. For example, managers need to understand the tone and approach to writing internal memos that will be consistent with the "internal communication" goals matched to that tool. Or more obviously, a corporate newsletter editor must be aware of the primary values, and information that needs to be conveyed to staff so the newsletter supports the creation of the desired culture.
5. Plan for remediation
Since the ICP process is comprehensive, we may end up asking people in the organization to behave and communicate differently. That may mean we will need to help people develop the skills needed to fulfil these new expectations. For example, a manager might need to learn how to rephrase memos, or conduct cooperative performance appraisals so they are consistent with the desired culture.
6. Plan For Implementation
At this point we should know what we need to communicate, how we are going to do it, etc. We may want to flesh this out a bit by determining who will do what, and when it will be done. Let's remember that this is NOT a project, but an ongoing process...we want to change communication approaches over the long term.
(Note: In both strategic planning and internal communication planning, we often need to "cascade" from the top of the organization down).
7. Implement
8. Continuously Monitor and Revise
Over time, new communication tools may become more obvious, or we may find that some tools are ineffective. So consistent with a continuous improvement approach we need to assess the effects of what we are doing, and "re-steer" as needed. Some organizations use annual surveys to assess whether progress is being made, and solicit additional ideas.
Conclusion
The development of a strategic internal communication strategy, and it's implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations. To achieve those benefits we need a coordinated, comprehensive, long term communication approach.
Internal Communications
Basics in Internal Organizational Communications
From : http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm
Purpose of this Document
Texts on organizational communications tend to first examine basics concepts such as "communications", "sender", "receivers", "encoders", etc. They go on to examine aspects of communications, e.g., downward, upward, body, verbal, written, formal and informal, interpersonal and group, etc. Some texts include various means to analyze effectiveness of communications. Some writers include public relations and media relations in organizational communications.
This document is geared to provide practical suggestions for nonprofit leaders and managers to ensure sufficient communications within their nonprofits and with external stakeholders. Public relations and media relations are outside the range of this document. Communications is one of those topics that tend to leave people feeling somewhat confused or sometimes bored. People get confused because communications is such a broad topic and it seems to somehow relate to everything. People who get bored assume that they've been communicating since childhood so why bring up the topic of communications. Consequently, it may be most useful in this document to start with common pitfalls in communications and then provide a range of items that can be used to enhance communications.
Note that many organizations take a deliberate, formal approach to ensuring sound communications, (both internal and external) by developing a communications plan.
Common Causes of Problems in Internal Communications
1. If I know it, then everyone must know it.
Perhaps the most common communications problem is managements' (leaders' and managers') assumption that because they are aware of some piece of information, than everyone else is, too. Usually staff aren't aware unless management makes a deliberate attempt to carefully convey information.
2. We hate bureaucracy -- we're "lean and mean."
When organizations are just getting started, their leaders can often prize themselves on not being burdened with what seems as bureaucratic overhead, that is, as extensive written policies and procedures. Writing something down can be seen as a sign of bureaucracy and to be avoided. As the organization grows, it needs more communications and feedback to remain healthy, but this communication isn't valued. As a result, increasing confusion ensues -- unless management matures and realizes the need for increased, reliable communications.
3. I told everyone, or some people, or ...?
Another frequent problem is managements' not really valuing communications or assuming that it just happens. So they're not aware of what they told to whom -- even when they intended for everyone to know the information.
4. Did you hear what I meant for you to hear?
With today's increasingly diverse workforce, it's easy to believe you've conveyed information to someone, but you aren't aware that they interpreted you differently than you intended. Unfortunately, you won't be aware of this problem until a major problem or issue arises out of the confusion.
5. Our problems are too big to have to listen to each other!
Particularly when personnel are tired or under stress, it's easy to do what's urgent rather than what's important. So people misunderstand others' points or understand their intentions. This problem usually gets discovered too late, too.
6. So what's to talk about?
Lastly, communications problems can arise when inexperienced management interprets its job to be solving problems and if they're aren't any problems/crises, then there's nothing that needs to be communicated.
7. There's data and there's information.
As organizations grow, their management tends to focus on matters of efficiency. They often generate systems that produce substantial amount of data -- raw information that doesn't seem to really be important.
8. If I need your opinion, I'll tell it to you.
Lastly, communications problems can arise when management simply sees no value whatsoever in communicating with subordinates, believing subordinates should shut up and do their jobs.
Key Principles to Effective Internal Organizational Communications
1. Unless management comprehends and fully supports the premise that organizations must have high degrees of communications (like people needing lots of water), the organization will remain stilted. Too often, management learns the need for communication by having to respond to the lack of it.
2. Effective internal communications start with effective skills in communications, including basic skills in listening, speaking, questioning and sharing feedback (see Communications Skills.
These can developed with some concerted review and practice. Perhaps the most important outcome from these skills is conveying that you value hearing from others and their hearing from you.
3. Sound meeting management skills go a long way toward ensuring effective communications, too. (See Guidelines for Effective Meeting Management.)
4. A key ingredient to developing effective communications in any organization is each person taking responsibility to assert when they don't understand a communication or to suggest when and how someone could communicate more effectively.
Basic Structures/Policies to Support Effective Internal Communications
This communication can be looked at as communications downward and upward.
Downward Communications:
1. Ensure every employee receives a copy of the strategic plan, which includes the organization's mission, vision, values statement, strategic goals and strategies about how those goals will be reached.
2. Ensure every employee receives an employee handbook that contains all up-to-date personnel policies.
3. Develop a basic set of procedures for how routine tasks are conducted and include them in standard operating manual.
4. Ensure every employee has a copy of their job description and the organization chart.
5. Regularly hold management meetings (at least every two weeks), even if there's nothing pressing to report. If you hold meetings only when you believe there's something to report, then communications will occur only when you have something to say -- communications will be one way and the organization will suffer. Have meetings anyway, if only to establish and affirm the communication that things are of a status that there's not immediate problems.
6. Hold full staff meetings every month to report how the organization is doing, major accomplishments, concerns, announcements about staff, etc.
7. Leaders and managers should have face-to-face contact with employees at least once a week. Even if the organization is over 20 employees (large for a nonprofit), management should stroll by once in a while.
8. Regularly hold meetings to celebrate major accomplishments. This helps employees perceive what's important, gives them a sense of direction and fulfillment, and let's them know that leadership is on top of things.
9. Ensure all employees receive yearly performance reviews, including their goals for the year, updated job descriptions, accomplishments, needs for improvement, and plans to help the employee accomplish the improvements. If the nonprofit has sufficient resources (a realistic concern), develop a career plan with the employee, too.
Upward Communications:
1. Ensure all employees give regular status reports to their supervisors. Include a section for what they did last week, will do next week and any actions/issues to address.
2. Ensure all supervisors meet one-on-one at least once a month with their employees to discuss how its' going, hear any current concerns from the employee, etc. Even if the meeting is chit-chat, it cultivates an important relationship between supervisor and employee.
3. Use management and staff meetings to solicit feedback. Ask how it's going. Do a round table approach to hear from each person.
4. Act on feedback from others. Write it down. Get back to it -- if only to say you can't do anything about the reported problem or suggestion, etc.
5. Respect the "grapevine." It's probably one of the most prevalent and reliable forms of communications. Major "movements" in the organization usually first appear when employees feel it safe to venture their feelings or opinions to peers.
Supervisor and Employee Communications
Supervision is often considered to include designing the job, hiring someone to fill the job, training them, delegating to them, guiding them via performance reviews, helping them develop their career, noting performance issues, and firing them, if needed. Obviously small nonprofits may not be able to afford full attention to all of these activities.
However, there are several basic and regular activities which provide a solid foundation for effective supervision. These basics ensure that everyone is working together -- as important, that staff feel they are working together -- towards a common cause.
Ironically, these basics are usually the first activities that stop when an organization is in a crisis. Consequently, an organization development specialist, when "diagnosing" an organization, often first looks to see if these basics are underway. The following activities should be conducted by the new employer's supervisor.
1. Have all employees provide weekly written status reports to their supervisors.
Include what tasks were done last week, what tasks are planned next week, any pending issues and date the report. These reports may seem a tedious task, but they're precious in ensuring that employee and their supervisor have mutual understanding of what is going on, and the reports come in very handy for planning purposes. They also make otherwise harried staff and managers stand back and reflect on what they're doing.
2. Hold monthly meetings with all staff together
- Review the overall condition of the organization and review recent successes. Consider conducting "in service" training where employees take turns describing their roles to the rest of the staff. For clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas and ensure follow-up minutes. Consider bringing in a client to tell their story of how the organization helped them. These meetings go a long way toward building a feeling of teamwork among staff. (See Guidelines for Meeting Management (http://www.managementhelp.org/misc/mtgmgmnt.htm).
3. Hold weekly or biweekly meetings with all staff together if the organization is small (e.g., under 10 people); otherwise, with all managers together.
Have these meetings even if there is not a specific problem to solve -- just make them shorter. (Holding meetings only when there are problems to solve cultivates a crisis-oriented environment where managers believe their only job is to solve problems.) Use these meetings for each person to briefly give an overview of what they are doing that week. Facilitate the meetings to support exchange of ideas and questions. Again, for clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas, take minutes and ensure follow-up minutes. Have each person bring their calendar to ensure scheduling of future meetings accommodates each person's calendar.
4. Have supervisors meet with their direct reports in one-on-one meetings every month -
This ultimately produces more efficient time management and supervision. Review overall status of work activities, hear how it's going with both the supervisor and the employee, exchange feedback and questions about current programs and services, and discuss career planning, etc. Consider these meetings as interim meetings between the more formal, yearly performance review meetings.
Develop a Basic Communications Plan
Whether planning your internal or external communications eforts, it helps a great deal to develo a communications plan, either informally or formally. For example, consider:
1. What key messages do you want to convey?
2. To what key stakeholders do you want to convey the key messages (e.g., consider clients, funders, community leaders, service providers, etc.)?
3. What's the best approach to reach each key stakeholder, including who/how should the message be conveyed?
4. How will you know if you're reaching these stakeholders or not?
From : http://www.managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm
Purpose of this Document
Texts on organizational communications tend to first examine basics concepts such as "communications", "sender", "receivers", "encoders", etc. They go on to examine aspects of communications, e.g., downward, upward, body, verbal, written, formal and informal, interpersonal and group, etc. Some texts include various means to analyze effectiveness of communications. Some writers include public relations and media relations in organizational communications.
This document is geared to provide practical suggestions for nonprofit leaders and managers to ensure sufficient communications within their nonprofits and with external stakeholders. Public relations and media relations are outside the range of this document. Communications is one of those topics that tend to leave people feeling somewhat confused or sometimes bored. People get confused because communications is such a broad topic and it seems to somehow relate to everything. People who get bored assume that they've been communicating since childhood so why bring up the topic of communications. Consequently, it may be most useful in this document to start with common pitfalls in communications and then provide a range of items that can be used to enhance communications.
Note that many organizations take a deliberate, formal approach to ensuring sound communications, (both internal and external) by developing a communications plan.
Common Causes of Problems in Internal Communications
1. If I know it, then everyone must know it.
Perhaps the most common communications problem is managements' (leaders' and managers') assumption that because they are aware of some piece of information, than everyone else is, too. Usually staff aren't aware unless management makes a deliberate attempt to carefully convey information.
2. We hate bureaucracy -- we're "lean and mean."
When organizations are just getting started, their leaders can often prize themselves on not being burdened with what seems as bureaucratic overhead, that is, as extensive written policies and procedures. Writing something down can be seen as a sign of bureaucracy and to be avoided. As the organization grows, it needs more communications and feedback to remain healthy, but this communication isn't valued. As a result, increasing confusion ensues -- unless management matures and realizes the need for increased, reliable communications.
3. I told everyone, or some people, or ...?
Another frequent problem is managements' not really valuing communications or assuming that it just happens. So they're not aware of what they told to whom -- even when they intended for everyone to know the information.
4. Did you hear what I meant for you to hear?
With today's increasingly diverse workforce, it's easy to believe you've conveyed information to someone, but you aren't aware that they interpreted you differently than you intended. Unfortunately, you won't be aware of this problem until a major problem or issue arises out of the confusion.
5. Our problems are too big to have to listen to each other!
Particularly when personnel are tired or under stress, it's easy to do what's urgent rather than what's important. So people misunderstand others' points or understand their intentions. This problem usually gets discovered too late, too.
6. So what's to talk about?
Lastly, communications problems can arise when inexperienced management interprets its job to be solving problems and if they're aren't any problems/crises, then there's nothing that needs to be communicated.
7. There's data and there's information.
As organizations grow, their management tends to focus on matters of efficiency. They often generate systems that produce substantial amount of data -- raw information that doesn't seem to really be important.
8. If I need your opinion, I'll tell it to you.
Lastly, communications problems can arise when management simply sees no value whatsoever in communicating with subordinates, believing subordinates should shut up and do their jobs.
Key Principles to Effective Internal Organizational Communications
1. Unless management comprehends and fully supports the premise that organizations must have high degrees of communications (like people needing lots of water), the organization will remain stilted. Too often, management learns the need for communication by having to respond to the lack of it.
2. Effective internal communications start with effective skills in communications, including basic skills in listening, speaking, questioning and sharing feedback (see Communications Skills.
These can developed with some concerted review and practice. Perhaps the most important outcome from these skills is conveying that you value hearing from others and their hearing from you.
3. Sound meeting management skills go a long way toward ensuring effective communications, too. (See Guidelines for Effective Meeting Management.)
4. A key ingredient to developing effective communications in any organization is each person taking responsibility to assert when they don't understand a communication or to suggest when and how someone could communicate more effectively.
Basic Structures/Policies to Support Effective Internal Communications
This communication can be looked at as communications downward and upward.
Downward Communications:
1. Ensure every employee receives a copy of the strategic plan, which includes the organization's mission, vision, values statement, strategic goals and strategies about how those goals will be reached.
2. Ensure every employee receives an employee handbook that contains all up-to-date personnel policies.
3. Develop a basic set of procedures for how routine tasks are conducted and include them in standard operating manual.
4. Ensure every employee has a copy of their job description and the organization chart.
5. Regularly hold management meetings (at least every two weeks), even if there's nothing pressing to report. If you hold meetings only when you believe there's something to report, then communications will occur only when you have something to say -- communications will be one way and the organization will suffer. Have meetings anyway, if only to establish and affirm the communication that things are of a status that there's not immediate problems.
6. Hold full staff meetings every month to report how the organization is doing, major accomplishments, concerns, announcements about staff, etc.
7. Leaders and managers should have face-to-face contact with employees at least once a week. Even if the organization is over 20 employees (large for a nonprofit), management should stroll by once in a while.
8. Regularly hold meetings to celebrate major accomplishments. This helps employees perceive what's important, gives them a sense of direction and fulfillment, and let's them know that leadership is on top of things.
9. Ensure all employees receive yearly performance reviews, including their goals for the year, updated job descriptions, accomplishments, needs for improvement, and plans to help the employee accomplish the improvements. If the nonprofit has sufficient resources (a realistic concern), develop a career plan with the employee, too.
Upward Communications:
1. Ensure all employees give regular status reports to their supervisors. Include a section for what they did last week, will do next week and any actions/issues to address.
2. Ensure all supervisors meet one-on-one at least once a month with their employees to discuss how its' going, hear any current concerns from the employee, etc. Even if the meeting is chit-chat, it cultivates an important relationship between supervisor and employee.
3. Use management and staff meetings to solicit feedback. Ask how it's going. Do a round table approach to hear from each person.
4. Act on feedback from others. Write it down. Get back to it -- if only to say you can't do anything about the reported problem or suggestion, etc.
5. Respect the "grapevine." It's probably one of the most prevalent and reliable forms of communications. Major "movements" in the organization usually first appear when employees feel it safe to venture their feelings or opinions to peers.
Supervisor and Employee Communications
Supervision is often considered to include designing the job, hiring someone to fill the job, training them, delegating to them, guiding them via performance reviews, helping them develop their career, noting performance issues, and firing them, if needed. Obviously small nonprofits may not be able to afford full attention to all of these activities.
However, there are several basic and regular activities which provide a solid foundation for effective supervision. These basics ensure that everyone is working together -- as important, that staff feel they are working together -- towards a common cause.
Ironically, these basics are usually the first activities that stop when an organization is in a crisis. Consequently, an organization development specialist, when "diagnosing" an organization, often first looks to see if these basics are underway. The following activities should be conducted by the new employer's supervisor.
1. Have all employees provide weekly written status reports to their supervisors.
Include what tasks were done last week, what tasks are planned next week, any pending issues and date the report. These reports may seem a tedious task, but they're precious in ensuring that employee and their supervisor have mutual understanding of what is going on, and the reports come in very handy for planning purposes. They also make otherwise harried staff and managers stand back and reflect on what they're doing.
2. Hold monthly meetings with all staff together
- Review the overall condition of the organization and review recent successes. Consider conducting "in service" training where employees take turns describing their roles to the rest of the staff. For clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas and ensure follow-up minutes. Consider bringing in a client to tell their story of how the organization helped them. These meetings go a long way toward building a feeling of teamwork among staff. (See Guidelines for Meeting Management (http://www.managementhelp.org/misc/mtgmgmnt.htm).
3. Hold weekly or biweekly meetings with all staff together if the organization is small (e.g., under 10 people); otherwise, with all managers together.
Have these meetings even if there is not a specific problem to solve -- just make them shorter. (Holding meetings only when there are problems to solve cultivates a crisis-oriented environment where managers believe their only job is to solve problems.) Use these meetings for each person to briefly give an overview of what they are doing that week. Facilitate the meetings to support exchange of ideas and questions. Again, for clarity, focus and morale, be sure to use agendas, take minutes and ensure follow-up minutes. Have each person bring their calendar to ensure scheduling of future meetings accommodates each person's calendar.
4. Have supervisors meet with their direct reports in one-on-one meetings every month -
This ultimately produces more efficient time management and supervision. Review overall status of work activities, hear how it's going with both the supervisor and the employee, exchange feedback and questions about current programs and services, and discuss career planning, etc. Consider these meetings as interim meetings between the more formal, yearly performance review meetings.
Develop a Basic Communications Plan
Whether planning your internal or external communications eforts, it helps a great deal to develo a communications plan, either informally or formally. For example, consider:
1. What key messages do you want to convey?
2. To what key stakeholders do you want to convey the key messages (e.g., consider clients, funders, community leaders, service providers, etc.)?
3. What's the best approach to reach each key stakeholder, including who/how should the message be conveyed?
4. How will you know if you're reaching these stakeholders or not?
2008년 3월 12일 수요일
6. Corporate Advertising
Corporate Advertising
A) Summary of the textbook
◩ What is Corporate Advertising?
Corporate advertising can be defined as paid use of media that seeks to benefit the image of the corporation as a whole rather than its products or services alone.
A major difference between corporate and product advertising is who pays for each of the two types of advertising. A company’s marketing department typically is responsible for all product-related advertising and pays for such ads out of its own budget. Corporate advertising, on the other hand, falls within the corporate communication area and either comes out of that budget or, in some cases, is paid for by the CEO’s office.
Corporate advertising should present a clear identity for the organization based on a careful assessment of its overall communication strategy, and it generally falls into three broad categories: image advertising, financial advertising, and issue advocacy.
1. Advertising to Reinforce Identity or Enhance Reputation
Many companies use corporate advertising to strength their identities following structural changes. As companies merge and enter new businesses, they need to explain their new vision, organization, and strategy to constituents who may have known them well in an earlier incarnation but are struggling to understand the image to unify a group of disparate activities. Corporate advertising can be an efficient mechanism for changing impressions about organizations if changes have really taken place. Effective image advertising also allows companies to differentiate themselves from rivals.
2. Advertising to Attract Investment
One of the tools that companies use to enhance their images in the financial community is financial-relations corporate advertising. Some corporate advertisers assert that a strong financially oriented corporate advertising campaign can actually increase the price of a company’s stock. Some companies view building their brand with investors as more important than doing so with customers.
3. Advertising to Influence Opinions
This kind of advertising often is called issue or advocacy advertising and is used by companies to respond to external threats from either government or special interest groups. Issue advertising typically deals with either controversial subjects; it is a way for companies to respond to those who challenge the status quo. By taking issues directly to the consumer, companies can compete with journalists for a share of the reader’s mind.
Many other organizations also have adopted the op-ed style for their advocacy ads. However, this advertisement also reveals the problem, however, with much issue advertising. Since companies typically are more conservative than their adversaries, their arguments often fall short of the mark. It is extremely difficult for a large corporation to take on a tough issue in the marketplace without offending someone.
◩ The History of Corporate Advertising in America
Interestingly enough, one of the earliest documented corporate advertisements was issue-oriented. After World WarⅡ, corporate advertising faded from view until its revival in the 1970s, when oil companies found themselves battling allegations of exorbitant profits during the oil crisis.
Today, corporate advertising is highly visible and intensely scrutinized by constituencies. These trends only reinforce the notion that corporate advertising should be aligned with company vision and consistent across advertising media(print, television, Web, etc.)
◩ Who Uses Corporate Advertising and Why?
Usually, a direct correlation exists between size and the use of corporate advertising: The bigger the company, the more likely it is to have a corporate advertising program. In addition, larger companies tend to be more diversified and thus have a greater need to establish a coherent reputation out of a variety of activities, products, and services.
Corporate advertising also is used heavily by companies within more “controversial” industries: Cigarette companies, oil companies, pharmaceuticals, and other large industrial companies all have image problems to deal with, from concerns about health, to drug recalls, to pollution. Overall, heavy industry spends more on corporate advertising than consumer-packaged-goods firms, which lead all other industries in product advertising.
A good corporate advertising program can clarify and enhance a company’s reputation, and the absence of one hurt packaged goods companies and retailers as well.
1. Increase Sales
The relationship between corporate advertising and sales is less clear than that between product advertising sales, because corporate advertising is meant to do things that eventually boost sales but likely won’t directly or immediately do so. Even so, there are growing efforts to identify a closer relationship between corporate advertising and sale. The rise of the Internet has made it increasingly easy to measure newer forms of advertising, such as advertising banners placed on Web sites and in e-mail advertisements. Through corporate advertising, companies can draw out features about themselves that they think will appeal to the public and, as a result, make consumers want to buy products from them.
2. Create a Stronger Reputation
The best corporate advertising creates goodwill and enhances reputation by letting constituents in on what the organization is all about, particularly if it does beneficial things that people might not be aware of. Companies also look to build credibility and enhance reputation by using endorsements from a third-party organization. Corporate advertising also is widely used by companies to publicize their philanthropic activities, which also can lead to an enhanced reputation.
Organizations using corporate advertising to enhance reputation must be prepared for their opponents to respond negatively to what they may perceive as the company’s attempt to smooth over a history of corporate wrongdoing or to apply a “quick fix” to a serious image problem.
3. Recruit and Retain Employees
One of the most critical communication activities for any company is communicating with employees. If a corporate advertising campaign succeeds in explaining in simple terms what a large, complex organization is all about, this can be as helpful to employees as it to the outside world. Corporate advertising is also an indirect way of building morale among employees. Such advertising also helps companies attract the best and the brightest both at the entry level and for senior positions. A good corporate advertising campaign can create excitement among both potential current employees
B) My Experience
As we know like Johnson & Johnson’s case, company’s good image was built by steady efforts through corporate advertising. As a result, when the corporate crisis happens, corporate ads helps companies fast overcome or less the damage. When I worked at public affairs department in the company, the budget of a corporate advertising cost was over half of that of public relation affairs department. Besides, our company attempted various voluntary activities such as teaching programs for low-level living standard children and environment protection campaigns in each local branch to make good relationships with community. I had also ever participated in such activities in order to help the old ages. Like this, today corporate advertising made by a variety of activities is regarded as a critical role of building corporate image by the big companies.
Reference :
1. http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=21864
2. www.ddb.com/pdf/press/current/6-20-07_United_Technologies_Wins_Best_Corporate_Advertising.pdf
A) Summary of the textbook
◩ What is Corporate Advertising?
Corporate advertising can be defined as paid use of media that seeks to benefit the image of the corporation as a whole rather than its products or services alone.
A major difference between corporate and product advertising is who pays for each of the two types of advertising. A company’s marketing department typically is responsible for all product-related advertising and pays for such ads out of its own budget. Corporate advertising, on the other hand, falls within the corporate communication area and either comes out of that budget or, in some cases, is paid for by the CEO’s office.
Corporate advertising should present a clear identity for the organization based on a careful assessment of its overall communication strategy, and it generally falls into three broad categories: image advertising, financial advertising, and issue advocacy.
1. Advertising to Reinforce Identity or Enhance Reputation
Many companies use corporate advertising to strength their identities following structural changes. As companies merge and enter new businesses, they need to explain their new vision, organization, and strategy to constituents who may have known them well in an earlier incarnation but are struggling to understand the image to unify a group of disparate activities. Corporate advertising can be an efficient mechanism for changing impressions about organizations if changes have really taken place. Effective image advertising also allows companies to differentiate themselves from rivals.
2. Advertising to Attract Investment
One of the tools that companies use to enhance their images in the financial community is financial-relations corporate advertising. Some corporate advertisers assert that a strong financially oriented corporate advertising campaign can actually increase the price of a company’s stock. Some companies view building their brand with investors as more important than doing so with customers.
3. Advertising to Influence Opinions
This kind of advertising often is called issue or advocacy advertising and is used by companies to respond to external threats from either government or special interest groups. Issue advertising typically deals with either controversial subjects; it is a way for companies to respond to those who challenge the status quo. By taking issues directly to the consumer, companies can compete with journalists for a share of the reader’s mind.
Many other organizations also have adopted the op-ed style for their advocacy ads. However, this advertisement also reveals the problem, however, with much issue advertising. Since companies typically are more conservative than their adversaries, their arguments often fall short of the mark. It is extremely difficult for a large corporation to take on a tough issue in the marketplace without offending someone.
◩ The History of Corporate Advertising in America
Interestingly enough, one of the earliest documented corporate advertisements was issue-oriented. After World WarⅡ, corporate advertising faded from view until its revival in the 1970s, when oil companies found themselves battling allegations of exorbitant profits during the oil crisis.
Today, corporate advertising is highly visible and intensely scrutinized by constituencies. These trends only reinforce the notion that corporate advertising should be aligned with company vision and consistent across advertising media(print, television, Web, etc.)
◩ Who Uses Corporate Advertising and Why?
Usually, a direct correlation exists between size and the use of corporate advertising: The bigger the company, the more likely it is to have a corporate advertising program. In addition, larger companies tend to be more diversified and thus have a greater need to establish a coherent reputation out of a variety of activities, products, and services.
Corporate advertising also is used heavily by companies within more “controversial” industries: Cigarette companies, oil companies, pharmaceuticals, and other large industrial companies all have image problems to deal with, from concerns about health, to drug recalls, to pollution. Overall, heavy industry spends more on corporate advertising than consumer-packaged-goods firms, which lead all other industries in product advertising.
A good corporate advertising program can clarify and enhance a company’s reputation, and the absence of one hurt packaged goods companies and retailers as well.
1. Increase Sales
The relationship between corporate advertising and sales is less clear than that between product advertising sales, because corporate advertising is meant to do things that eventually boost sales but likely won’t directly or immediately do so. Even so, there are growing efforts to identify a closer relationship between corporate advertising and sale. The rise of the Internet has made it increasingly easy to measure newer forms of advertising, such as advertising banners placed on Web sites and in e-mail advertisements. Through corporate advertising, companies can draw out features about themselves that they think will appeal to the public and, as a result, make consumers want to buy products from them.
2. Create a Stronger Reputation
The best corporate advertising creates goodwill and enhances reputation by letting constituents in on what the organization is all about, particularly if it does beneficial things that people might not be aware of. Companies also look to build credibility and enhance reputation by using endorsements from a third-party organization. Corporate advertising also is widely used by companies to publicize their philanthropic activities, which also can lead to an enhanced reputation.
Organizations using corporate advertising to enhance reputation must be prepared for their opponents to respond negatively to what they may perceive as the company’s attempt to smooth over a history of corporate wrongdoing or to apply a “quick fix” to a serious image problem.
3. Recruit and Retain Employees
One of the most critical communication activities for any company is communicating with employees. If a corporate advertising campaign succeeds in explaining in simple terms what a large, complex organization is all about, this can be as helpful to employees as it to the outside world. Corporate advertising is also an indirect way of building morale among employees. Such advertising also helps companies attract the best and the brightest both at the entry level and for senior positions. A good corporate advertising campaign can create excitement among both potential current employees
B) My Experience
As we know like Johnson & Johnson’s case, company’s good image was built by steady efforts through corporate advertising. As a result, when the corporate crisis happens, corporate ads helps companies fast overcome or less the damage. When I worked at public affairs department in the company, the budget of a corporate advertising cost was over half of that of public relation affairs department. Besides, our company attempted various voluntary activities such as teaching programs for low-level living standard children and environment protection campaigns in each local branch to make good relationships with community. I had also ever participated in such activities in order to help the old ages. Like this, today corporate advertising made by a variety of activities is regarded as a critical role of building corporate image by the big companies.
Reference :
1. http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=21864
2. www.ddb.com/pdf/press/current/6-20-07_United_Technologies_Wins_Best_Corporate_Advertising.pdf
Informational vs. Image Advertising
From : http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_24912.html
Informational vs. Image Advertising
10/ 05/ 2005
by Jeffrey Moses
Well-known, large corporations use a certain type of advertising, known as image or institutional advertising, to put their name before the public. Companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, IBM, Budweiser often place ads that contain little more than the company name, a slogan and a visual image that conjures up a positive feeling associated with the company. What do wild horses running through fields have to do with beer? Or whitewater kayakers have to do with Coke? Not much, except that these images project a feeling vaguely associated with freedom, health, adventure, youth, etc. Buy our products and you’ll feel like this, these ads seem to imply.
Image advertising may be productive for large, widely known companies, but it’s not a cost-effective technique for smaller companies without widespread name recognition. Instead, smaller companies would do better to place ads containing specific information about their products and services, the benefits of buying their products and perhaps even a little about the company.
Informational advertising is the bread and butter of small businesses. Why? Because small businesses must be able to justify every dollar spent for a marketing campaign and directly correlate the expense with revenue generated by the campaign. Ideally, small companies should even be able to correlate money spent on particular ads with the revenue generated by these ads.
Information breeds sales
Direct-response advertising is a perfect example of the advantage of image advertising for small companies. When mailing tens of thousands of direct mail packages, companies using direct-response advertising do not waste printing costs and postage on something with nothing more than the name of the company and a few attractive pictures. Instead, they cram each direct-mail package with all the information they can fit in—detailed information about product features and benefits, costs, potential discounts, loss-leaders, comparisons of benefits and costs with competing products, etc. The same is true for print ads placed in newspapers, magazines and journals.
People need this type of information to make a buying decision. Before putting money in an envelope or calling in to make a credit card purchase, buyers demand to know everything about what they’re buying. People don’t buy on faith. They don’t buy because of pretty photos. They buy only when they can make an informed decision about the purchase. Direct-response companies would go broke if they didn’t give customers enough information to make such a decision.
The myth of white space
Many advertising agencies tell clients that print ads must, above all, be attractive. They insist that no one will read an ad if it doesn’t have lots of ‘white space’––meaning unused space in the ad allowing the text to stand out. An ad must breathe, agencies say, or no one will respond to it. In doing so, ad agencies win awards for their artistic achievements, but they do a disservice to clients who place ads (and spend money for the placement) not to win prizes but to attract customers.
Research by direct-response companies proves that image advertising doesn’t motivate people to respond but well-written, informational ads do. Some informational ads may seem overly crowded with text (even to the exclusion of photos and all graphic elements), but if they are pertinent to what people need and want, and if the products advertised provide real benefit to people, these ads will be read––and readers will respond. The more information, the better. Readers respond not in spite of all the information included, but because of the information.
Informational vs. Image Advertising
10/ 05/ 2005
by Jeffrey Moses
Well-known, large corporations use a certain type of advertising, known as image or institutional advertising, to put their name before the public. Companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, IBM, Budweiser often place ads that contain little more than the company name, a slogan and a visual image that conjures up a positive feeling associated with the company. What do wild horses running through fields have to do with beer? Or whitewater kayakers have to do with Coke? Not much, except that these images project a feeling vaguely associated with freedom, health, adventure, youth, etc. Buy our products and you’ll feel like this, these ads seem to imply.
Image advertising may be productive for large, widely known companies, but it’s not a cost-effective technique for smaller companies without widespread name recognition. Instead, smaller companies would do better to place ads containing specific information about their products and services, the benefits of buying their products and perhaps even a little about the company.
Informational advertising is the bread and butter of small businesses. Why? Because small businesses must be able to justify every dollar spent for a marketing campaign and directly correlate the expense with revenue generated by the campaign. Ideally, small companies should even be able to correlate money spent on particular ads with the revenue generated by these ads.
Information breeds sales
Direct-response advertising is a perfect example of the advantage of image advertising for small companies. When mailing tens of thousands of direct mail packages, companies using direct-response advertising do not waste printing costs and postage on something with nothing more than the name of the company and a few attractive pictures. Instead, they cram each direct-mail package with all the information they can fit in—detailed information about product features and benefits, costs, potential discounts, loss-leaders, comparisons of benefits and costs with competing products, etc. The same is true for print ads placed in newspapers, magazines and journals.
People need this type of information to make a buying decision. Before putting money in an envelope or calling in to make a credit card purchase, buyers demand to know everything about what they’re buying. People don’t buy on faith. They don’t buy because of pretty photos. They buy only when they can make an informed decision about the purchase. Direct-response companies would go broke if they didn’t give customers enough information to make such a decision.
The myth of white space
Many advertising agencies tell clients that print ads must, above all, be attractive. They insist that no one will read an ad if it doesn’t have lots of ‘white space’––meaning unused space in the ad allowing the text to stand out. An ad must breathe, agencies say, or no one will respond to it. In doing so, ad agencies win awards for their artistic achievements, but they do a disservice to clients who place ads (and spend money for the placement) not to win prizes but to attract customers.
Research by direct-response companies proves that image advertising doesn’t motivate people to respond but well-written, informational ads do. Some informational ads may seem overly crowded with text (even to the exclusion of photos and all graphic elements), but if they are pertinent to what people need and want, and if the products advertised provide real benefit to people, these ads will be read––and readers will respond. The more information, the better. Readers respond not in spite of all the information included, but because of the information.
2008년 3월 8일 토요일
5. Media Relations
A) Summary of the textbook
One of the most critical areas within any corporate communication function is the media relations department.
◙ The news Media
Referred to as “the press” in earlier times, the expanded media are a powerful part of society. While most Americans feel strongly about the rights of a free press to say or print whatever it likes as long as it is not malicious, business has always had a more antagonistic relationship with the press. The increased public and media interest had a profound effect on business and its dealing with the media. And then, the private sector has become much more public.
Business leaders, on the other hand, were used to the privacy they had maintained for decades and were reluctant to admit that’s had changed. Even, today, some older business professionals resist accepting the importance of communicating through the media and would rather maintain little or no relationship with what they see as an institution that tries to tear down everything they build up.
1) The Growth of Business Coverage in the Media
Before the 1970s, business news was relegated to a few pages toward the back of the newspaper and to a handful of business magazines.
As public attitudes changed, however, the business news sections in newspapers gained recognition and began to expand. Today, so many magazines and Web sites are devoted to business news that it is nearly impossible to find a topic not thoroughly covered by one media outlet or another.
◙ Building Better Relations with the Media
To build better relationships with members of the media, organizations must take the time to cultivate relationships with the right people in the media. This might be handled by employees within the company’s media relations department or given to a public relations firm to handle. Part of the problem is that the measure of success in the media relations business has for years been the amount of “ink”(or coverage) that a company gets, whether aided by in-house professionals or an outside consultant.
1) Conducting Research for Targeting Media
Senior managers working with the members of the corporate communication department determine what objectives they have for a certain story. To do this, the corporate communication professionals look in their files to find out who covers their industry and the company specially.
By conducting this kind of research, companies can avoid giving reporters information that they are not interested in, and communications need only occur when a company’s media audience is more likely to be receptive.
2) Responding to Media Calls
Companies can strengthen their relationships with the media through the way they handle requests for information.
To begin with, calls should come into a central office that deals with all requests for information from important national media. Next, the person who takes the call should try to find out what angle the reporter is taking on the story.
The person responsible for that telephone call should try to get as much information as possible while being careful not to give in return any information that is not already public knowledge. The tone of the conversation should be as friendly as possible, and the media relations professionals should communicate honestly about the possibilities of arranging an interview or meeting other requests.
3) Preparing for Media Interviews
Once the research and analysis are complete, the executive who will be interviewed needs to be prepared for the actual meeting with the reporter. In preparing for a television interview, a full-dress rehearsal is absolutely essential. The interview should look as if it is totally natural and unrehearsed when it actually occurs, but the executive should be prepared well in advance. In addition to thinking about what to say, the executive needs to think about the interesting approach to expressing these messages. Using statistics and anecdotes can help bring ideas alive in an interview. Finally, the executive needs to be prepared to state key ideas as clearly as possible at the beginning of the interview. Answers to questions need to be as succinct as possible.
4) Gauging Success
The amount of ink a company gets does not indicate whether it is achieving its communication objectives. In addition to this sort of media monitoring and analysis, the more sophisticated approach to measurement of media relations has the power to
● identify which communications activities create the most value in terms of a specific business outcome.
● Evaluate how well an organization’s various communications functions perform against an industry average.
● Demonstrate the total value created by a CorpComm department in terms of one or more business outcomes.
● Drive strategic and tactical decision making in the communications function, hedging reputational risk, and managing major events such as mergers and top management changes
● Highlight actual corporate value created by communications activities.
5) Maintaining Ongoing Relationships
The most critical component in media relations is developing and maintaining a network of contacts with the media. Building and maintaining close relationships is a prerequisite for generating coverage. Firms need to work to develop long-term relationships with the right journalists for their specific industry. This usually means meeting with reporters just to build goodwill and credibility. The more private and privileged these sessions are, the better the long-term relationship is likely to be.
◙ Building a Successful Media Relations Program
Organizations must be willing to devote resources to the effort. This does not necessarily have to mean huge outlays of money; an executive’s time can be just as valuable.
1) Involve Media Relations Personnel in Strategy
Companies need to involve someone, preferably the most senior corporate communication executive, in the decision-making process. Communications professionals who are involved in the decision the decision-making process also feel more ownership for the ideas that they need to present to the media.
2) Develop In-House Capabilities
While using consultants and public relations firms may be beneficial in some cases, by far the best approach for the long term is to develop an in-house media relations staff. Companies must recognize that building relations with the media is a skill and that individuals with certain personalities and backgrounds are better suited to the task than others.
3) Using Outside Counsel Sparingly
Companies should hire outside counsel for advice or information, to help out with a major story, or when a crisis hits. Another important use for outside firms is to help with the distribution of press releases and to create video news releases. This type of communication can be valuable for a company trying to get its message across to a wide audience.
◙ Developing an Online Media Strategy
Companies with well-managed media relations programs have had some leverage to get their own side of the story communicated to the public. Over the last two decades, however, wireless communication and the Internet have transferred an enormous amount of power into the hands of individuals.
The Internet Age has many implications for business, including an expansion to individuals of powers that were previously concentrated in the hands of the organized media. Accordingly, companies’ media strategies need to be augmented with tactics for dealing this new dimension of coverage, including, for instance, establishing a forum for constituencies to share opinions, concerns, and complaints about the company, and a proactive effort to monitor information circulating about the company in various media channels including blogs. Unfortunately, however, the Internet does not discriminate between legitimate news and phony claim, and both are transmitted with equal speed and reach.
As the Internet is increasingly used as a tool to communicate company news to various constituencies, more care will have to be taken that sources are trusted and reliable. Because of the widespread reach of the Internet, a growing number of companies are paying more attention to the Web, realizing that bad publicity online can legitimately threaten their bottom line.
1) Extend Your Media Relations Strategy to the Blogsphere
Blogs are publicly accessible personal Web that serve as sources of commentary, opinion, and information on a variety of topics. In addition, blogs are an important tool for corporations to track consumer points of view and concerns. Many savvy media relations professionals have targeted lists of bloggers they contact because blogs are a growing and important media outlet.
Monitoring Internet “chats” and blogs can enable companies to learn about current constituency needs and tailor actions to meet those that are most vital to the company’s reputation and bottom line. By using the Internet proactively, companies can glean valuable insights about constituency attitudes, sentiments, and reactions to which they might otherwise not have access. Without a doubt, online monitoring can companies gauge the sentiments of constituencies, allow them to respond effectively, and help them stay on top of today’s information surge. However, companies should not become so consumed by the power of the Internet that they neglect other important media channels.
2) Handle Negative News Effectively
When a company does stumble upon bad news circulating about itself, the communications department should quickly assess the potential damage that the news might cause. A company’s task force or permanent crisis communication team-including members of senior management- must brainstorm some potential actions. Company lawyers should be consulted to discuss what legal stance the company might need to take.
◙ Conclusion
As technology develops new mechanisms for disseminating information, and as corporate communication professionals are able to develop databases through the use of more sophisticated software, the media relations function will continue to evolve away from the old PR flak model into a professional group that can help organizations get their message out quickly, honestly, and to the right media. Managers must be prepared to answer this demand by considering all constituencies – online or offline- in dealing with the media agents who inform them.
References:
1. http://www.mediarelationsblog.com/131/media-relations-summit-2008-a-preview/
2. http://www.toprankblog.com/2008/04/the-future-of-pr-media-relations-summit-2008/
One of the most critical areas within any corporate communication function is the media relations department.
◙ The news Media
Referred to as “the press” in earlier times, the expanded media are a powerful part of society. While most Americans feel strongly about the rights of a free press to say or print whatever it likes as long as it is not malicious, business has always had a more antagonistic relationship with the press. The increased public and media interest had a profound effect on business and its dealing with the media. And then, the private sector has become much more public.
Business leaders, on the other hand, were used to the privacy they had maintained for decades and were reluctant to admit that’s had changed. Even, today, some older business professionals resist accepting the importance of communicating through the media and would rather maintain little or no relationship with what they see as an institution that tries to tear down everything they build up.
1) The Growth of Business Coverage in the Media
Before the 1970s, business news was relegated to a few pages toward the back of the newspaper and to a handful of business magazines.
As public attitudes changed, however, the business news sections in newspapers gained recognition and began to expand. Today, so many magazines and Web sites are devoted to business news that it is nearly impossible to find a topic not thoroughly covered by one media outlet or another.
◙ Building Better Relations with the Media
To build better relationships with members of the media, organizations must take the time to cultivate relationships with the right people in the media. This might be handled by employees within the company’s media relations department or given to a public relations firm to handle. Part of the problem is that the measure of success in the media relations business has for years been the amount of “ink”(or coverage) that a company gets, whether aided by in-house professionals or an outside consultant.
1) Conducting Research for Targeting Media
Senior managers working with the members of the corporate communication department determine what objectives they have for a certain story. To do this, the corporate communication professionals look in their files to find out who covers their industry and the company specially.
By conducting this kind of research, companies can avoid giving reporters information that they are not interested in, and communications need only occur when a company’s media audience is more likely to be receptive.
2) Responding to Media Calls
Companies can strengthen their relationships with the media through the way they handle requests for information.
To begin with, calls should come into a central office that deals with all requests for information from important national media. Next, the person who takes the call should try to find out what angle the reporter is taking on the story.
The person responsible for that telephone call should try to get as much information as possible while being careful not to give in return any information that is not already public knowledge. The tone of the conversation should be as friendly as possible, and the media relations professionals should communicate honestly about the possibilities of arranging an interview or meeting other requests.
3) Preparing for Media Interviews
Once the research and analysis are complete, the executive who will be interviewed needs to be prepared for the actual meeting with the reporter. In preparing for a television interview, a full-dress rehearsal is absolutely essential. The interview should look as if it is totally natural and unrehearsed when it actually occurs, but the executive should be prepared well in advance. In addition to thinking about what to say, the executive needs to think about the interesting approach to expressing these messages. Using statistics and anecdotes can help bring ideas alive in an interview. Finally, the executive needs to be prepared to state key ideas as clearly as possible at the beginning of the interview. Answers to questions need to be as succinct as possible.
4) Gauging Success
The amount of ink a company gets does not indicate whether it is achieving its communication objectives. In addition to this sort of media monitoring and analysis, the more sophisticated approach to measurement of media relations has the power to
● identify which communications activities create the most value in terms of a specific business outcome.
● Evaluate how well an organization’s various communications functions perform against an industry average.
● Demonstrate the total value created by a CorpComm department in terms of one or more business outcomes.
● Drive strategic and tactical decision making in the communications function, hedging reputational risk, and managing major events such as mergers and top management changes
● Highlight actual corporate value created by communications activities.
5) Maintaining Ongoing Relationships
The most critical component in media relations is developing and maintaining a network of contacts with the media. Building and maintaining close relationships is a prerequisite for generating coverage. Firms need to work to develop long-term relationships with the right journalists for their specific industry. This usually means meeting with reporters just to build goodwill and credibility. The more private and privileged these sessions are, the better the long-term relationship is likely to be.
◙ Building a Successful Media Relations Program
Organizations must be willing to devote resources to the effort. This does not necessarily have to mean huge outlays of money; an executive’s time can be just as valuable.
1) Involve Media Relations Personnel in Strategy
Companies need to involve someone, preferably the most senior corporate communication executive, in the decision-making process. Communications professionals who are involved in the decision the decision-making process also feel more ownership for the ideas that they need to present to the media.
2) Develop In-House Capabilities
While using consultants and public relations firms may be beneficial in some cases, by far the best approach for the long term is to develop an in-house media relations staff. Companies must recognize that building relations with the media is a skill and that individuals with certain personalities and backgrounds are better suited to the task than others.
3) Using Outside Counsel Sparingly
Companies should hire outside counsel for advice or information, to help out with a major story, or when a crisis hits. Another important use for outside firms is to help with the distribution of press releases and to create video news releases. This type of communication can be valuable for a company trying to get its message across to a wide audience.
◙ Developing an Online Media Strategy
Companies with well-managed media relations programs have had some leverage to get their own side of the story communicated to the public. Over the last two decades, however, wireless communication and the Internet have transferred an enormous amount of power into the hands of individuals.
The Internet Age has many implications for business, including an expansion to individuals of powers that were previously concentrated in the hands of the organized media. Accordingly, companies’ media strategies need to be augmented with tactics for dealing this new dimension of coverage, including, for instance, establishing a forum for constituencies to share opinions, concerns, and complaints about the company, and a proactive effort to monitor information circulating about the company in various media channels including blogs. Unfortunately, however, the Internet does not discriminate between legitimate news and phony claim, and both are transmitted with equal speed and reach.
As the Internet is increasingly used as a tool to communicate company news to various constituencies, more care will have to be taken that sources are trusted and reliable. Because of the widespread reach of the Internet, a growing number of companies are paying more attention to the Web, realizing that bad publicity online can legitimately threaten their bottom line.
1) Extend Your Media Relations Strategy to the Blogsphere
Blogs are publicly accessible personal Web that serve as sources of commentary, opinion, and information on a variety of topics. In addition, blogs are an important tool for corporations to track consumer points of view and concerns. Many savvy media relations professionals have targeted lists of bloggers they contact because blogs are a growing and important media outlet.
Monitoring Internet “chats” and blogs can enable companies to learn about current constituency needs and tailor actions to meet those that are most vital to the company’s reputation and bottom line. By using the Internet proactively, companies can glean valuable insights about constituency attitudes, sentiments, and reactions to which they might otherwise not have access. Without a doubt, online monitoring can companies gauge the sentiments of constituencies, allow them to respond effectively, and help them stay on top of today’s information surge. However, companies should not become so consumed by the power of the Internet that they neglect other important media channels.
2) Handle Negative News Effectively
When a company does stumble upon bad news circulating about itself, the communications department should quickly assess the potential damage that the news might cause. A company’s task force or permanent crisis communication team-including members of senior management- must brainstorm some potential actions. Company lawyers should be consulted to discuss what legal stance the company might need to take.
◙ Conclusion
As technology develops new mechanisms for disseminating information, and as corporate communication professionals are able to develop databases through the use of more sophisticated software, the media relations function will continue to evolve away from the old PR flak model into a professional group that can help organizations get their message out quickly, honestly, and to the right media. Managers must be prepared to answer this demand by considering all constituencies – online or offline- in dealing with the media agents who inform them.
References:
1. http://www.mediarelationsblog.com/131/media-relations-summit-2008-a-preview/
2. http://www.toprankblog.com/2008/04/the-future-of-pr-media-relations-summit-2008/
Media Relations
From : http://net-savvy.com/executive/defining-social-media-relation.html
Defining social media relations
How does your company approach social media? We've looked at how to respond to bloggers and who does blogger relations, and I'm seeing the need for a coordinating role. Rather than blogger relations, let's call it social media relations, because there's more to social media than blogs, and your company needs to be prepared to engage customers wherever they are. In this post, I'll provide a high-level view—for discussion—of the role of social media relations.
Companies can interact with social media in a variety of ways. I've given some examples in the posts on product reviews, Wikipedia, search engine crisis management, and social networks. You could also look at the marketing experiments in MySpace and Second Life and the Social Media Release. There's a lot of activity, and it touches multiple functional groups and multiple vendors to the company.
I view social media relations (SMR) as an interdisciplinary specialty that spans marketing, technology, and Internet culture—three components of any successful strategy for engaging social media. It's probably an internal function, but where it belongs on the org chart and how big it should be is a question for individual companies to consider. Briefly, SMR is the "go-to" person (or group) for the topic of social media as it affects the company. Here's a summary of the responsibilities of the role:
1. Coordinate the development and implementation of social media engagement strategy
and policies, including blogging policy, formal blogger relations programs and
social media monitoring programs.
a. Maintain domain knowledge in social media. Be a resource for others who need
to understand new services and their potential impact on the business.
b. Maintain awareness of company's activities in social media and contacts for the
various activities.
c. Be an advocate for the understanding of social media and how they affect the
company's marketing and communications activities.
d. Engage the company's IT organization to coordinate IT resources and policies
with social media strategy.
2. Train functional groups (such as marketing, communications, and HR) on the
technology and culture of social media as it relates to their roles.
3. Coordinate company's tactical response to social media issues.
a. Consult with internal groups on appropriate responses to social media issues.
Advise on the likely response of online communities to the company's plan.
b. Coordinate company response to social media crises; track engagement by
appropriate groups (internal and external).
4. Serve as the primary contact for external service providers and vendors who
support the monitoring of, and engagement with social media.
This year, when most CEOs don't see the need to interact with bloggers and fear social media (if they understand it at all), this is ahead of the curve. While we're still sorting this out among friends, what do you think?
[Thanks to Mark Harris for his help in reviewing and reorganizing the list. With enough of us on the case, we may just get this figured out.]
Update (27 July 2007): Is this your job, or close to it? I'm looking for social media specialists to interview for an upcoming paper on the role and how real companies have approached it. If you're the social media person in your company, I'd like to talk with you, even—especially—if your description is different from the above. Email me at nathan (at) net-savvy (dot) com.
Defining social media relations
How does your company approach social media? We've looked at how to respond to bloggers and who does blogger relations, and I'm seeing the need for a coordinating role. Rather than blogger relations, let's call it social media relations, because there's more to social media than blogs, and your company needs to be prepared to engage customers wherever they are. In this post, I'll provide a high-level view—for discussion—of the role of social media relations.
Companies can interact with social media in a variety of ways. I've given some examples in the posts on product reviews, Wikipedia, search engine crisis management, and social networks. You could also look at the marketing experiments in MySpace and Second Life and the Social Media Release. There's a lot of activity, and it touches multiple functional groups and multiple vendors to the company.
I view social media relations (SMR) as an interdisciplinary specialty that spans marketing, technology, and Internet culture—three components of any successful strategy for engaging social media. It's probably an internal function, but where it belongs on the org chart and how big it should be is a question for individual companies to consider. Briefly, SMR is the "go-to" person (or group) for the topic of social media as it affects the company. Here's a summary of the responsibilities of the role:
1. Coordinate the development and implementation of social media engagement strategy
and policies, including blogging policy, formal blogger relations programs and
social media monitoring programs.
a. Maintain domain knowledge in social media. Be a resource for others who need
to understand new services and their potential impact on the business.
b. Maintain awareness of company's activities in social media and contacts for the
various activities.
c. Be an advocate for the understanding of social media and how they affect the
company's marketing and communications activities.
d. Engage the company's IT organization to coordinate IT resources and policies
with social media strategy.
2. Train functional groups (such as marketing, communications, and HR) on the
technology and culture of social media as it relates to their roles.
3. Coordinate company's tactical response to social media issues.
a. Consult with internal groups on appropriate responses to social media issues.
Advise on the likely response of online communities to the company's plan.
b. Coordinate company response to social media crises; track engagement by
appropriate groups (internal and external).
4. Serve as the primary contact for external service providers and vendors who
support the monitoring of, and engagement with social media.
This year, when most CEOs don't see the need to interact with bloggers and fear social media (if they understand it at all), this is ahead of the curve. While we're still sorting this out among friends, what do you think?
[Thanks to Mark Harris for his help in reviewing and reorganizing the list. With enough of us on the case, we may just get this figured out.]
Update (27 July 2007): Is this your job, or close to it? I'm looking for social media specialists to interview for an upcoming paper on the role and how real companies have approached it. If you're the social media person in your company, I'd like to talk with you, even—especially—if your description is different from the above. Email me at nathan (at) net-savvy (dot) com.
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