Category Archives: Corporate Communications
Virtual Meetings – How to Use Skype for Internal Communications
by Scott McIntosh on April 19, 2012 | no comments
in Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications, Productivity
Today, companies can be widely dispersed. Employees may live in different cities or countries from where the organizations are centrally located. Younger generations may request working from home or the local coffee shop, saying they feel more comfortable and inspired outside of an office setting. Some companies may not even have an office, but a team of mobile employees collaborating through various new technologies. So what happens when an important discussion needs to take place between members of an organization who are not located in the same area? Well, you have the next best thing: a virtual meeting.
There are MANY services available to conduct virtual meetings; from highly robust and paid services to free and simple ones. Recently updated, the Google+ platform allows for online video conferencing which it calls “Hangouts.” Other major services include GoToMeeting and Cisco’s WebEx. And did you know Facebook also allows for video chats between friends?
Facebook video conferencing is actually powered by one of our favorite services that we highly recommend, Skype. Skype can be used for free video conferencing directly with another Skype user, including online messaging and file sending. We recommend Skype to clients as a way to conduct meetings between organizational employees when not located in close enough proximity. If you haven’t tried it out already and would like to, Skype requires a quick set-up process before online communication can begin. To make it easy for you, we’ve created a How to Set Up Skype video below that will walk you through the process.
What services do you like using for virtual meetings? Please let us know your recommendations in the comments below!
Click here to sign up and receive our new blog posts via email.
Introvert Power: Why we make great communicators
by Rebecca Kirkham on March 1, 2012 | no comments
in Corporate Communications, Organizational Behavior
“What are you thinking over there? You’re awfully quiet,” a client once said to me. It felt more like an accusation than an observation. We were midway through a strategy session on a new product and I had been listening intently as the sales team shared information – much of which I was hearing for the first time. Aside from asking a few questions, I hadn’t interrupted, interjected or otherwise hijacked the conversation to share half-baked recommendations or serve my own agenda. Was that wrong? I didn’t think so but, at that moment, it sure felt like it.
Being an introvert in what often seems like a world of extroverts can be tough. Quiet, thoughtful reflection is often mistaken as shyness or disinterest. It’s especially difficult in fields like marketing, sales or even public relations, which tend to attract extroverts. (I’ll never forget taking the D.I.S.C. personality test in a roomful of hospital marketing directors a few years ago and being the only “analyzer” in a room full of “promoters.”) Right or wrong, identifying yourself as an “introvert” often seems a notch above “hermit” or a “weirdo.” That’s why it’s a label many of us have been reluctant to accept.
That may be changing though, thanks in part to a new book that’s focusing renewed attention on what being an introvert really means. In a recent Time cover story, Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking,” maintains introverts aren’t necessarily shy or anti-social. They simply tend to be more cautious and sensitive – preferring an environment of minimal stimulation to one filled with chaos. As a result, they’re better listeners, which often makes them better leaders. In fact, Cain cites a Wharton study that found introverted leaders delivered better results than extroverts when managing employees, in part because they encouraged others’ ideas.
You see, it’s not that introverts can’t engage. Sometimes they just don’t want to… at least not right then and there. Introverts like to gather information and internalize their thoughts before speaking up. As such, their recommendations tend to be thorough, well thought out and often more strategic than those from their charismatic, shoot-from-the-hip counterparts. In fact, a recent New York Times editorial asserted introverts may make better doctors for these very reasons. I’d say the same can be said for communications and marketing strategists, as well.
What’s more, introverts value preparation, engage in meticulous planning and ask insightful questions that can inform strategy and uncover hidden landmines. They are often better speakers because they take the time to research their audience and tailor a presentation that provides meaningful information. Perhaps most importantly, they prefer to express themselves through writing – a key skill for any communications professional.
While introverts bring tremendous value to any organization, research suggests they become truly powerful when paired with extroverts whose strengths complement their own. So the next time you’re assembling a team to develop a marketing strategy or tackle a communications challenge, be sure it includes an introvert or two. We probably won’t be the ones waving our hands on the front row, but our influence will be equally strong and far-reaching.
Photo by: David Castillo Dominici
Should My Company Have a Wikipedia Page?
by Scott McIntosh on November 15, 2011 | 1 comment
in Corporate Communications, Public Relations
If you’ve ever searched for something online, and since you’re online right now I’m guessing you have, then you’ve probably come across a Wikipedia listing. But what is Wikipedia? According to its website, Wikipedia is a, “free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 19.9 million articles (over 3.76 million in English) have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site, and it has about 90,000 regularly active contributors.”
Many companies can be found listed on Wikipedia but that doesn’t mean that EVERY company can be there. A company must meet Wikipedia’s stringent notability standards before it can be regarded as appropriate for a Wikipedia page. The standards are lengthy and rigorous; by its own definition, “Wikipedia is not a promotional medium. Self-promotion, paid material, autobiography, and product placement are not valid routes to an encyclopedia article.” A company must have achieved a certain and measureable level of notoriety to be considered.
Assuming your company meets Wikipedia’s standards, would you still want to be listed?
PROs
The greatest benefit of Wikipedia pages is that they generally show up in the top results of major search engines, providing more exposure and potential credibility for an organization when searched. This can help build trust and legitimacy among individuals searching for information about a certain company. Because they appear almost always near the top of the search results, Wikipedia pages also push down other listings and can help reduce the amount of unwanted results such as negative news articles or reviews, if they exist.
CONs
There are also risks to consider in the creation of a Wikipedia page. Wikipedia pages are not controlled by the organization the page describes and the page can be updated by anyone. This allows negative content to be placed on the page, whether or not it is true or accurate. Anyone remember what happened to Sinbad? Even if unverified content is eventually removed from the main page, it will still reside under the View History tab or on other websites that may have referenced the material when it was live.
Per Wikipedia standards, neither a business, nor organizations or consultants working for that business, are eligible to make any corrections to that business’ page due to conflicts of interest. Though corrections cannot be made directly to a company page, companies or their representatives can recommend page updates and corrections to Wikipedia. Persons making recommendations must have an active Wikipedia account and should be active in the talk page for that Wikipedia article. And even then, the changes may not be made.
This ongoing maintenance of a company page requires constant monitoring to detect any incorrect or negative changes, which can be somewhat time-consuming. One solution is to use the watch function provided by Wikipedia. To use this system, monitors can log into their Wikipedia accounts to be alerted to any changes made. Change alerts can also be subscribed to via email updates or an RSS feed.
Perhaps the greatest negative to having a Wikipedia page lies somewhere in the future. When a company executive is charged with a DUI, or your kitchen is found to be in violation of health codes, or a disgruntled ex-employee decides to post a compromising photo from a company holiday party – be assured it will end up on Wikipedia … right there at the top of any Google search.
Getting Listed
Based on the information above, we consider the CONs to outweigh the PROs for most businesses. If you disagree and are interested in getting your company listed, you can request a page utilizing Wikipedia’s request feature located here: Wikipedia:Requested articles. This will alert one of the “90,000 regularly active contributors” to create your listing. Or you can just wait. If your company is appropriate enough for Wikipedia, chances are somebody eventually create your page.
What are your thoughts on Wikipedia pages?
Investor Relations Go Social
by Rosemary Plorin on November 3, 2011 | no comments
in Corporate Blogs, Corporate Communications, Media Relations
In a rather unusual but certainly interesting move, one of the world’s largest companies put its toes in the social media waters as a way to reach investors and financial analysts (as well as customers, employees and anyone else in the world with a computer and access to the Internet).
Walmart Chief Financial Officer Charles M. Holley posted a message to the financial news aggregator site Seeking Alpha last month explaining how the Fortune 1 company plans to maintain its position in the global marketplace.
While most corporate attorneys become apoplectic at the utterance of “corporate officer” and “social media” in the same sentence, it appears the investor relations professionals at Walmart (likely with help/prodding from the company’s marketing and PR team) helped calm any legal nerves. In reality, Mr. Holley’s post is likely taken from the same song sheet the company uses when addressing analysts and investors in Reg FD formats as well as one-on-one conversations. Transcripts of those discussions are often available online and excerpted on blogs and media outlets, so sharing executive perspectives is certainly not pioneering uncharted territory.
The “new” element to Mr. Holley’s contribution on Seeking Alpha is the close connection between his post and the dialogue that it spawned. In the first 10 days after the post was made, 36 comments were shared on the site – most of which seem thoughtful and productive to professional discourse (even if not all are flattering to Walmart or optimistic about its stock’s potential). But online (and offline) conversations about NYSE:WMT occur among analysts and investors every day.
So if we consider the potential risks of the message and the medium to be fairly neutral, I find some significant upside to Mr. Holley’s decision to go social:
- He was not edited. Just like the traditional opinion piece in a hard copy paper (which can be very hard to secure), the blog post gave Mr. Holley the opportunity to share complete thoughts in his own voice. He did not have to rely upon (or worry about) the whims of an editor’s analysis. Nothing was deleted, nothing was paraphrased, nothing was subject to interpretation by anyone other than the end user/reader.
- He was complete. The Walmart IR and legal teams surely worked overtime on this piece. In fewer than 900 words, Holley painted his company’s “big picture” through two-dozen or so brush-stroked illustrations. He referenced company history, relationships with merchants, increased efficiencies, enhanced physical plants and reduced capital costs. And in a nod to reality, he acknowledged high fuel costs, food inflation and job insecurity among customers globally. An interview with a financial reporter from a news or business daily will typically translate into just few sound bites from the interviewee – and they will rarely offer a complete reflection of the conversation.
- He was a cheerleader. Holley wove in Walmart’s corporate slogan and referenced the company’s impressive five and 10-year CAGR. To ensure he ended on a high note (something rarely achievable in the traditional interview/article process) he closed with optimism: “During a challenging time in the world, we are excited about the future and what a stronger Walmart will mean for our customers and our shareholders.”
In this analysis, Mr. Holley’s dip into the Web 2.0 pool seems like swim worth taking – and 10 days out, his stock did not appear to have suffered (nor does it seem to have gained). Walmart IR folks have indicated they aren’t sure they’ll repeat the effort – but I have to think this trail has now been blazed and will be followed. What do you think? Should other companies take this leaders’ lead?
5 Steps for Effective Online Reputation Management
by Sarah Mansouri on October 20, 2011 | 5 comments
in Brand Management, Corporate Communications
Online reputation management is a critical task for any company. The web is a world-wide conversation site whether your business has a strong internet presence or not. The internet has made it possible for consumers and competitors to converse openly about opinions and experiences with companies, whether positive or negative. With the prominence of review sites out there such as Yelp and CitySearch and Ripoff Report, in addition to social media sites, it is important to always be aware of any talk about your company. Here are five essential steps to help ensure sure that your company reputation is the best it can be!
- Be prepared for and aware of risks. All companies should consider how to avoid and respond to any internet dialogue that has the potential to damage the company brand. Developing a crisis plan and being prepared in advance is critical for fast and effective online reputation management.
- Track and monitor your brand. Have you ever Googled yourself out of curiosity? If you have not done so with your company, it’s time. Frequent monitoring of your brand is essential, as new content is placed on the internet daily. One easy way to do this is to create Google Alerts which will send you email updates of the latest internet mentions of your company based on the search terms you provide. Regularly searching for keywords that relate to your company, your competitors and your industry is another easy way to monitor your brand and business space
- Register domains and IDs. Protect your brand for the future by registering your company name on new sites in case they become popular later. If you search for your name on Twitter or Facebook, it is likely you will find many other people out there with the same name: same goes for your company. By spending a few minutes and a few extra dollars to register domains and IDs, your company won’t be hit by roadblocks in the future
- Create proactive content. Acting proactively is an important part of any reputation strategy as you plan positive messages, articles, press releases, etc. to insure you have a constant flow of content for your audience. Sharing your company’s stories and ideas across various types of media outlets will help get your name out there and let consumers know that you are real people with real and valuable ideas
- Remove negative content. In the case that negative content gets out about your brand, there are several ways to get rid of or bury the bad news. If you are in control of content that you don’t want others to see such as on Facebook, Twitter or a blog, simply delete the negative content or change your privacy settings. If negative content is on a site that you do not control, review the sites Terms or Content Policies and politely ask the owner of the site to remove the content if it is in violation. And by creating new, positive content on high-ranking sites, your search results will show the positive over the negative.
Do you or your company follow any of these guidelines to protect your online reputation? What’s worked (or hasn’t worked) for you? Let us know in the comments section.
Netflix Splits and So Do Their Customers
by Sarah Hamilton on September 23, 2011 | 1 comment
in Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications
If you’ve talked to an active Netflix user lately or kept up with the latest social media headlines, you’ve probably learned that Netflix customers aren’t too happy. Netflix, which has offered a simple DVD movie rental and streaming package for years, recently decided to separate these two services and raise the prices of each. Netflix will become a streaming only company, while a new company called Qwikster will offer DVD rental.
Reed Hastings, the Co-Founder and CEO of Netflix, explains the need for specialization as the reason for the split in his recent apology email sent to Netflix customers. Hastings states that DVD and streaming services are different services with different cost structures that need to be marketed separately and grown independently.
Why are Netflix customers so upset? Hastings announced these service and price changes through press releases instead of addressing customers directly. Hastings acknowledged his mistake and apologized to Netflix customers in an email in which he said, “I messed up. I owe you an explanation.” But of course, a lot of damage had already been done.
So what can businesses learn from Hastings’ mistake? Always communicate major changes in your business with your audience directly. Customers will appreciate hearing about changes or mistakes from you instead of the media. And if your business does make a mistake, apologize publicly and directly. Though Netflix customers are still not thrilled with the separation of the DVD and streaming services, Hastings has done a good job of admitting his mistake, apologizing to Netflix customers and explaining the situation. But, as Hastings has learned, it is better to announce your changes to customers beforehand, avoiding - or at least limiting – the need for crisis communications.
What is your take on the Netflix split? Would customers have received news of the division and price hike better if they had heard from Hastings first? Do you think Hastings was effective in apologizing to customers? Would you have handled the situation differently?
Knowing when it’s your turn to talk: A reality check for toddlers….and CEOs
by Rebecca Kirkham on September 8, 2011 | no comments
in Corporate Communications, Healthcare, Organizational Behavior
As the mother of an (almost) two-year-old, taking turns is a frequent topic of conversation in my house. We’re still working on mastering the fine art of sharing but – despite an occasional “my turnnnn!”-induced meltdown – it’s a concept my toddler innately seems to grasp.
Aside from the occasional aggressive driver and that guy in the Southwest boarding line who pretends he didn’t see you, most adults seem to understand when it’s their turn as well. However, even the most fundamental lesson can be forgotten in the glare of the media spotlight. I was reminded of this recently when working with a hospital client that had been involved – ever so indirectly – in an unfortunate event that generated quite a bit of media attention. While I can’t share the details, I can tell you that the hospital did not cause the event, nor were any of its personnel involved. As news crews descended upon the hospital’s campus, the CEO – who understands the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with local media – began preparing for an on-camera interview.
Normally, this would be the right move. We often blog about the do’s and don’ts of media relations and the importance of being accessible – especially in times of crisis. Yet, speaking out on news that isn’t “your’s” can sometimes do more harm than good. Rather than respond to inquiries – and become the de facto point of information about this event, we advised the CEO to provide minimal information off camera and politely refer media to the local authorities for more detailed answers. As a result, the hospital was largely excluded from media coverage – likely a different outcome than if the CEO had gone through with the interview.
By acknowledging the incident without assuming ownership of it, the hospital made the best out of a bad situation. Yet, sometimes the lines aren’t as clear. When something bad happens to someone we know – even indirectly – it’s human nature to want to help by providing information and even expressing sorrow or regret. Apologies are appropriate in many cases, however they can backfire in others. While there are no “textbook” answers in public relations, it’s important to evaluate the pros and cons of each media request carefully. Stop and ask yourself “is it my turn to talk?” Sometime the answer will surprise you.
Photo by: Maggie Smith
Social Media Served with a Porterhouse Steak
by Rosemary Plorin on August 25, 2011 | no comments
in Brand Management, Corporate Communications, Facebook, Social Media
You may have recently heard about the grand slam homerun scored by the social media and customer service teams at Morton’s Steakhouse. You can read about “the greatest customer service story ever told” in two short tweets from Peter Shankman, or you can read the fuller coverage his tale has received by mainstream news sites from Forbes to Time to Britain’s Daily Mail.
Here’s the short version.
Shankman, a social media guru and consultant, is a big meat eater and fan of Morton’s Steakhouses. He was boarding a plane last week at the end of a long day when he shot off a quick tweet about his desire to find a Porterhouse steak waiting for him when he landed in Newark.
You can guess where this is going.
Upon landing at EWR, Shankman was greeted by a tuxedo-clad Morton’s representative bearing gifts: a 24-ounce steak, shrimp appetizer and side of potatoes. As you might predict, out went another tweet – to Shankman’s 100,000+ Twitter followers – and the media stories followed.
Shankman swears on his professional career that the event was not staged, but that has not stopped the almost endless speculation, criticism, praise and overall dialogue among both traditional and social media flacks.
Let’s leave that discussion for another day, and instead think about how other companies – including small businesses with Twitter fans and Facebook friends in numbers with fewer zeros – can take a page out of the Morton’s play book. Even without a famous clientele or a million dollar tweet, using social media smartly can be a part of any company’s customer service program. Here are just a few quick and easy efforts to consider:
- Send Facebook fans a birthday greeting from your company. Facebook will notify you each week about upcoming birthdays among your friends (if those individuals list their birthday in their profiles). It takes only a moment to send a birthday greeting, and shows that you’re interested in your customer as person – not just a business prospect.
- Recommend a preferred vendor or trusted partner on LinkedIn, or orchestrate a LinkedIn introduction. Referrals are often mutually beneficial – and they almost always help build stronger relationships.
- Read your customers’ blogs and, when appropriate, make a positive comment.
- Follow your customers on Twitter and retweet their good news or positive news coverage. Send them a direct tweet of congratulations when you read or hear about a company success or notable event.
We all know it takes more effort to land a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Customer service efforts through social media do not require significant time or resources, and can really help differentiate your company from the competition and strengthen relationships.
So how does social media factor into your customer service program?
Promoting Your Small Business, Or Just Shameless Self-Promotion?
by Paula Lovell on August 10, 2011 | 1 comment
in Corporate Communications, Marketing, Public Relations
Answer: Yes.
If you’re doing it right, you don’t own a small business – it owns you. And when it comes to marketing, there usually isn’t a big budget (or a lot of time), so you’ve got to make every effort count.
While the internet has been the great equalizer on some fronts, small businesses still havethe ability to stand out with their customers in a personal way that big businesses just can’t compete with. So don’t forget my top five never-fail, no-cost tips for promoting your small business:
- Get out of your office and visit your customers.
- Join the local Chamber of Commerce and really participate.
- Serve on two or three not-for-profit boards and offer your industry expertise.
- Write opinion columns for your local paper (yes, Virginia, people still read the paper and look at photos).
- Offer yourself to local organizations to speak on your specific industry expertise.
A friend of mine (who worked for a very large organization) once said to me after I’d issued a press release about a new big contract we’d signed, “My God, Paula, that’s just shameless self-promotion!” My response: “You bet it is. Thank you.”
Communicating Your Message to Non-English Speakers
by Sarah Hamilton on July 26, 2011 | no comments
in Corporate Communications, Social Media, Uncategorized
The number of Spanish-speaking people in this country continues to increase. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 34 million U.S. residents speak Spanish, making it our nation’s second language.
But, Spanish isn’t the only language on the rise. The Census noted that more than 10 million U.S. residents speak Indo-European languages other than Spanish, and more than eight million residents speak Asian and Pacific Island languages.
I have taken seven years of Spanish classes, and I am very passionate about the language and the culture. However, at times I still find it difficult to adequately communicate with Spanish speakers as well as those who speak other languages. Part of my job in public relations is to help people communicate effectively. Since there is no doubt that the number of people who speak languages other than English in the United States will continue to rise, I thought I would share a few devices and tips that have helped me communicate with non-English speakers.
Since a live translator will not always be available when you need to communicate with a non-English speaker, investing in a digital translator isn’t a bad idea. There are a variety of digital translators on the market; you can find several at Amazon.com, such as the Nyrius LT12 12- Language Speaking Global Translator, or you can download a translator like Google Translate for iPhone to your Smartphone or tablet. I would recommend purchasing a digital translator or a digital translator application for your Smartphone or tablet instead of using a free translator on a website, because digital translators tend to be more accurate.
If you do not communicate with non-English speakers often enough to purchase a digital translator or Smartphone application, learning even a few key words in another language may be beneficial for yourself and those around you.
Paying attention to body language is another way to communicate with those who may not speak your native tongue. Emotions and intentions can often be picked up through body language. In order to communicate effectively, it is also helpful to remember that communicating with someone who speaks a different language requires patience. And, a smile is universal.
Have you had any experiences communicating with someone who speaks another language? What devices or tricks did you find helpful to effectively communicate with non-English speakers?
