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12.12.2008
ENI Has Set a New Standard for IR Websites
10.29.2008
posted by Bethany Haley @ 1:52 PM John Palizza, a colleague and consultant in the world of Investor Relations, sent me a link to the ENI Website last week (www.eni.it) noting that it had an impressive investor section. I do have to admit that it is, without fail, the best IR site I have seen to date. More importantly, the entire enterprise site is not only well thought out but strategically designed to communicate with a variety of audiences – all with differing needs. Based on the extensive "best practice" research Savage conducts on websites, we find that European companies are light years ahead of American companies in leveraging content design and interactive web technology to display and communicate company information. It is not as if companies in Europe have better or newer technology – they just seem to be adopting it more quickly. Why is that? Areas to note while exploring the ENI Site: Products and Services: Flash driven product search
Labels: best practices investor relations, best practices website, investor communications, investor website
Obama Goes Primetime
10.06.2008
posted by Abby Lasaine Vazquez @ 5:05 PM http://www.patrickruffini.com/2008/02/13/the-marketing-of-the-president-2008/ http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/02/27/how-obama-s-branding-is-working-on-you.aspx Tonight, Sen. Barack Obama will appear on a 30-minute primetime TV "advertisement" to communicate directly to voters, specifically those who are undecided. With less than a week until Election Day, this unprecedented ad will run on four major networks: CBS, NBC, Fox and Univision at 8 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CST. The spot will air just before the World Series baseball game on Fox. And the MLB has even agreed to delay the start of the game since it could be the one to clinch the series. The time slot was strategically chosen to reach the young male demographic known as millennials. The estimated cost for this unprecedented primetime spot? Between three to five MILLION dollars! The bigger question is what will this ad do for the "Obama Brand?" Suddenly, the 2008 Presidential Campaign has become a branding campaign and Obama has tapped the latest technology: text messaging, YouTube videos and a host of social networking sites. Everything promotes his messages of "Change" and "Hope." Barack Obama has become a brand name that rivals top consumer brands like Starbucks and Apple. Here's an interesting article that dissects the "Obama Brand" down to the nitty gritty. What the Obama campaign has achieved by carefully managing its brand – coherent messaging, identity standards and consistent design – we do for our clients' brands every day. In using a primetime TV ad as his forum, Sen. Obama is able to control his message uninterrupted and reach millions. It will be interesting to see if it was money well spent. Will his "brand" gain momentum in the final days until election? While we won't know the success of Obama's 30-minute special until the Nielsen ratings come out, one thing is for certain – we're all talking about it at the proverbial water cooler. Labels: Barack Obama, branding, Obama Brand
Branding & UI for the smart(er) web visitor
9.30.2008
posted by Stephen Banks @ 11:20 AM http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7417496.stm This recent article from the BBC has huge implications for web based design, branding and UI. It literally changes everything about what we think about "top down" design.'' Quick quote from the article & renowned usability expert and author Jakob Nielsen: "In 2004, about 40% of people visited a homepage and then drilled down to where they wanted to go and 60% use a deep link that took them directly to a page or destination inside a site. In 2008, said Dr Nielsen, only 25% of people travel via a homepage. The rest search and get straight there." In brief, it says that 75% of visitors to a site don't come in through the home page. It says users are getting smarter and smarter all the time and they are learning how to use search engines to bypass what they consider "the fluff" and go straight for the "hot potato" - to borrow Jakob's phrase. How does this impact professional branding & design methodologies? It means we must really consider what is "most" important to the visitors - be they one type or many types. We must look at the usability of the site from many different angles and run test cases of users who enter through a sub page and never see the home page. It means the branding and subsequent design of the site must encompass the "strike team" type of visitor who searches for the exact product or service within a site (within google) hits that page, digests the content and then leaves and never sees another page. This visitor might also turn out to be one of the most important users of a site, by the way: smart, motivated and wanting to make a decision fast based on the information within a site. If there is business critical branding & marketing intel that only lives on the home page, its time to strongly consider tying into this messaging from other parts of the site. Think of it as advertising other parts of the site within the site. No longer do visitors leisurely stroll through a site, seeing all there is to see. Now they assault it from an oblique angle and deftly evade anything unrelated to their mission. I know I have been operating this way for years. Rather than go to a company's home page and click 3-4 links that might reward my time, I simply tab over to that Google search field we all have omnipresent in our browsers and I enter "company.com > product name > release date" and that usually takes me right to the page I want. Ironically, if the parent site doesn't have this information but a secondary site does, I have no qualms hitting the alternative link for the intel. See what this means? Sites need to be structured smartly, with a focus on information & content for the intended audience. Gone is the scatter shot approach of trying to create one site for everyone. Companies risk losing control of their information to sites that are better focused and structured. I think it's very possible to present a strong branding message to these commando types of visitors, you just have to think as smartly as they do. Labels: designing for SEO, SEM, SEO
Paula Savage Wins AIGA Fellow Award
9.17.2008
posted by Bethany Haley @ 9:47 AM Last Thursday night at The Houstonian, Paula was honored with the prestigious Fellow Award at the AIGA Houston Design Legends Gala. As AIGA states: "The AIGA Fellow Award recognizes mature designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within the design community." Keeping good company, Hines was also recognized as with the AIGA Houston Corporate Leadership Award. During her speech she mentioned her concern over the word "mature" and that it actually meant "old". When she looked it up in the dictionary, she preferred the references to "completed, perfected, or elaborated in full, careful and thorough" that identify with the creative process and how designers should think about creative development for their clients. I thought that was meaningful and true of how important the communications industry has become over the past several decades. Aside from the fact that I (we) are extremely proud of her, Paula was certainly long overdue for this award after 35 years of leadership, mentorship and community involvement. Labels: AIGA, Fellow Award, Hines, Leadership, Paula Savage
In a Time of Crisis
8.25.2008
posted by Bethany Haley @ 9:32 AM
 I just got off of a 30-person conference call - have you ever tried one? Very difficult but at least I know everyone is connected and that everyone is ok. Ike has hit and this town is a disaster – the big question, how did you prepare your company, your staff, your clients for a full week (and maybe longer) without power? Without gas?Many companies have crisis communications plans in place for issues like plant explosions, accidental deaths, etc. But how about when the entire company can't get to work? Luckily technology is on our side as long as it is thought about in advance... The obvious ones are conference call lines, group texts, and even setting up online group chats (we use iChat). However, there are also some very simple, reliable content management systems that make employee communications sites, or even client extranets easy to set up in advance for whenever they are needed. These can be password protected and allow for a constant stream of communications. The important thing is that these sites can offer several different channels for outreach and communications – not only can you manage group e-blasts and texts, some even allow site administrators to send out group voicemails. Hopefully after this last storm, we will all be thinking more proactively about how to best manage these situations and be prepared for the next! (JP Morgan Chase Tower after Hurricane Ike passed through Houston September 13, 2008. Photo credit to Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Labels: crisis communications, employee communications, hurricane ike
Changing the Picture at Kodak
8.12.2008
posted by Robin Tooms @ 10:21 PM I've always been a fan of Kodak (and collect quite a few cameras), but recently have been very interested in them for a different reason: the way they've had to deal with change. It's no secret that most photography is now digital, but you can imagine what this meant for a company like Kodak. Steeped in history and traditional structures, they've had to change not only the strategy of the company, but also their internal organizations and cultural norms. According to this East Bay Business Times article "Sixty percent of the people at Kodak today weren’t part of the company four years ago." This is more than a transformation of the workforce, it's an overhaul. But if you think about it, a company whose business had changed so dramatically in the past four years would need an internal change to match. Kodak does continues to honor the "social" aspects of photo sharing, as it did even in the days of film. If anything, technology has made this practice more prevalent. Both customers and employees alike share how they live the brand through the photos they post. (It's also interesting that Kodak is one of only a few Fortune 500 companies to embrace the concept of a "Corporate Blogger" (to much debate). Jenny just finished up a great wrap-up of the 2008 Olympics.) Labels: change management, employee communications, employment brand
How Much did the Wall Street Journal Pay for its Web Site?
8.01.2008
posted by Bethany Haley @ 2:51 PM Granted, it is directed to "small businesses" but Monday's WSJ article, "How to Create a Successful Web Site for Nothing (Or Almost Nothing)" is outrageous. In fact it claims that you can create one in 8 hours for $10 bucks. Really? Just buying a URL can take $10 and a couple of hours. Not to mention the time you need to spend finding a host company, designing the site, writing the content, setting up for search engine optimization, etc. However, the opportune word here is "successful." The article claims that anyone can build a successful site on his own just by throwing together an About Us page, a Contact Us page and maybe another one or two pages that are specific to your business. This approach hints back to the late 90s when people just "needed a web site" and didn't pay attention to what that web site could do for them. Additionally, the article takes a very technology-oriented slant, as if just having access to a few tools were enough. It didn't work then and it won't work now. Having a web presence is very different than building a web site. Not every site needs to be overly complex, but every business should be paying attention to their brand, their product, their audience and how they are pushing or pulling the users to the site. This takes some strategic thinking, at least some element of unique design and probably a bit of functionality that is tailored specifically for the business. Companies and site users today are far too advanced to view these junk sites as anything but unsuccessful. Labels: online marketing, websites
New SEC Guidance for Corporate Websites
7.30.2008
posted by Robin Tooms @ 7:38 AM This week, the SEC noted that information posted to a company's website or blog should be recognized as adequate disclosure to meet Reg FD requirements. This is not only good news for IR professionals, but for the practice of investor communications too. As stated in this transcript from the IR Web Report: "Indeed, one of the key benefits of the Internet is that companies can make information available to investors quickly and in a cost-effective manner. The use of electronic media is arguably superior to providing company information the old way. It’s a better way to provide information to most investors since today it can be presented in interactive format that allows each individual to click through or drill down to the level of detail that’s appropriate to him or her." The guidance outlined in the SEC meeting benefits corporations since it reduces the cost of disclosure, will improve the ability to communicate with investors and clears up some previous confusion on Internet usage in investor communications. Additionally, they addressed the issues of liability on external links and the nature of presenting information in an online format - information can be formatted for the screen and not for paper. All of this is important since it acknowledges the benefits of the web (hyperlinks, etc.) and will allow for companies to use more interactive elements to present information in a dynamic way. It's also very interesting that the SEC itself is now using Twitter to distribute its releases too. Labels: investor communications, investor website, sec
Online IR Communications Increasing
7.07.2008
posted by Bethany Haley @ 4:29 PM Robin Tooms, Managing Director and fellow blogger, was featured in the July 25-31 issue of the Houston Business Journal in the article, "Public Companies Increasing Digital Dialogue with Shareholders." We are seeing many of our clients turn to the web to further enhance their IR communications, therefore the content is both timely and relevant. However, after reading it, I thought it would be helpful to add some color (actual examples) to some of the ideas and thoughts that are presented.  Content: "The best sites educate visitors on the key drivers of the business and demonstrate the investment proposition..." IBM and GE are perfect examples of doing a great job of providing investors with information and an investment perspective from the company. As far as general "robust" content, General Motors has been recognized three years in a row as a best-in-class IR website because of its depth of content. Technology & Data Manipulation: "Great sites allow investors to calculate ratios, generate graphics showing trends, etc." Baker Hughes has just redesigned their IR site (actually the entire corporate site too) in order to provide investors with this capability. Two-way Communications: "Use interactive design to enhance the story... Can technology be used to provide clarity and context to the numbers? Can video or animation b ring life to the story..." Baker Hughes' online annual report demonstrates this - specifically with an interactive map. Pride International reinforces the successful execution of its business strategy through an interactive online annual as well. Even outside of IR sites, you are seeing many companies use interactivity, animation and video to help tell the story. Usability & Navigation: "The site should be easy to navigate and intuitive." – well, every site should be that way! Transocean does a particularly good job of segmenting the IR homepage to the most common linked to/accessed areas. Another feature that I am seeing more of, and appreciate, is "mini" advertisements for quarterly earnings or for special events. GM and Baker Hughes do this on their homepages. Timeliness: "We are in the real-time era. Each company should make its financial information and data easier to find." All of the sites mentioned above do an excellent job of this (of course thanks to companies like Thomson, Shareholder.com, B2i, SNL, etc. for "real time" data feeds). However, it is up to the IR and communications team to make sure that the right information is getting out there at the right time – specifically when the information can provide more context to the numbers being provided from the data feed provider. Dell is the one (and only) company that goes above and beyond by supplementing its IR site with an IR blog, "Dell Shares."Labels: investor communications, ir sites, online annual report
Do You Recognize Your HR Brand?
7.02.2008
posted by Robin Tooms @ 9:54 PM
 HR.BLR.com, a comprehensive resource site for Human Resources information, is featuring a whitepaper on HR Branding using information from Savage's HR Branding Field Guide. Many HR pros, especially in small- to medium-sized companies, might say, "Oh, we don't have an HR brand." They may think they have yet to develop one. But that's a misconception. Want it or not, you already have an HR brand. Is it a good one? Is it aligned with your business and recruiting strategies? Let's look at what's involved, according to Bethany Haley, president of Savage Branding & Corporate Design. A strong HR Brand is essential for every aspect of the employee lifecycle: recruit and retain the best, create long-term loyalty, empower your people as ambassadors (both during and post-employment) and leverage their knowledge for the next generation. What's your next step? Read the full whitepaper for tips on how to enhance your HR brand, or visit the our HR Branding site to see if your HR Brand is up to par. Labels: employee communications, employment brand, hr branding
Blogging for Better Employee Communications
6.28.2008
posted by Robin Tooms @ 7:39 AM I was reading about Terry McKenzie, Senior Director of Employee Communications at Sun Microsystems, and how she uses blogging for internal communications with Sun's employees. Granted, Sun is a very "blog-friendly" company with over 4,000 blogs running on blogs.sun.com, so it's no great surprise that they also see the value in blogging for employee communications. What's interesting is that her blog is publicly viewable too. From both a media and recruiting standpoint, those of us on the outside can easily peer into the culture as Sun. Terry is able to comment on corporate events in a very personal way. Terry is, after all, an official spokesperson for employee communication so her comments do carry some weight. Additionally, employees comment on her post (some anonymously), so it also functions as a valuable tool to get candid employee feedback too. While every company might not be ready for such a public exchange of information, the benefits of an internal blog can't be overlooked. An internal blog can help your employee communications by being "real" (employees will know otherwise!), providing employees with a way to connect on a personal level with corporate goals and contributing to an honest and open exchange of ideas. Labels: blog, employee communications, social media
Protecting your .brand
posted by Robin Tooms @ 10:39 AM
This week, ICANN announced that by this time next year, additional top-level domains for businesses and industries would be open for purchase. This means that more meaningful and specific domains, such as .hotel or .houston, will be available. Currently, there are only 21 top-level domains (ie: .com, .org, etc), so this would make the domain choices virtually limitless. What does this mean for your brand? Well, if you want to ensure that you are able to purchase your “.brand” domain, then now is the time to register your trademark if you haven’t done so already. According to the ICANN website: “Trademarks will not be automatically reserved. But there will be an objection-based mechanism for trademark owners where their arguments for protection will be considered.” Granted, not every company will need to purchase their brand as a top-level domain extension – you will need to determine what make sense for your brand strategy. But, now is the perfect time to revisit your domain structure and see determine an action plan for next year. At minimum, you might want to consider additional domains instead of the typical .com and .net ownership now to secure your place and protect your brand value online. Labels: branding, domain names, icann |
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