Category: Corporate Communication

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Skip The Word Salad – Get To The Meat Of Your Communication

SKIP THE WORD SALAD – GET TO THE MEAT OF YOUR COMMUNICATION

Probably safe to say that everyone’s familiar with ‘Bullsh*t Bingo’ – it’s a game to be played in meetings, the object of which is to tick off a list of cliches, jargon, acronyms and references to currently fashionable topics and issues.

Ideally you jump up and shout ‘Bingo!’ when you’ve got them all – although I doubt whether anyone’s actually done it in a real, life-or-death meeting scenario. Like when Vladimir Putin is chairing his weekly catch-up, for example. 

Maybe less familiar – you probably need to be a communicator for this – is the concept of ‘word salad’.

A word salad is a whole pile of words thrown at a piece of paper in the hope that they’ll become ‘writing for communication’. (Normally produced by the inexperienced, but don’t worry, we’ll soon have you writing taught, tight, concise and – above all – comprehensible copy, just you stick with us.)

‘Word salad’ also refers to copy which is the written equivalent of ‘Bullsh*t Bingo’. A loosely strung-together collection of cliches, jargon and buzzwords, masquerading as something like a news release, or a mission statement or a corporate position, but somehow failing to communicate anything useful at all.

This type of salad can be so generic that you could put any company name, or strategy, or product into it and it simply wouldn’t matter. Try this on for size:

“(Strategy name) inspires us to become so much more than we’ve ever been. We are expanding our vision, breaking the limits and embracing a new mindset, one that seeks to transform all facets of (industry sector/product category) for the betterment of our families, communities and the societies in which we operate. Powered by our diversity, (company name) leads the way the world moves by delivering innovative, clean, safe, and affordable (industry sector/product category) solutions.”

A properly weaved word Waldorf. Vision, mindset, transformation, family, community, society, diversity, innovation – we’re leaving nothing out, here.

Yet this isn’t made up – it’s a real example from a statement put out by a massive global conglomerate. We’d bet it’s a ‘committee word salad’, where tens of people have all had a go at it and it’s been re-written and re-written again, and then a smattering of senior execs have leant down from on high and have said things like: “I think we should include diversity,” and it’s been re-written again. And again.

No matter. The lesson is that there is no benefit in this type of communication. It says nothing positive about you. In fact, while your aim may have been to show how ethical and involved you are, it actually serves to demonstrate that it’s lip-service you’re paying to all of these things, no more.

Don’t be tempted to try and stuff everything in there – just like a proper salad, sometimes less is more.

If you’re concerned that your communication is more Russian salad than sliced tomato with olive oil and salt – we’d be happy to talk to you.

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Choosing a Communication Partner is not a Bargain Hunt

Choosing a Communication Partner is not a Bargain Hunt

It’s not like pasta shapes – the biggest and cheapest package isn’t the best

Recently 4TC was invited to tender for a piece of business – it doesn’t matter who or what it was, or in what sector, or the specific services that were required – suffice it to say that it required full-service communication counsel.

Ultimately, we weren’t appointed to manage the account – but it’s a competitive marketplace and, to borrow a phrase, you can’t win them all.

However.

A comparison between the scores awarded to the 4TC tender submission and that of the successful tenderer showed that ours had outperformed in all areas related to the delivery of services – understanding the client’s requirements, programme effectiveness, the quality of the proposed team, and account management.

In fact, in every area except day-rate cost 4TC’s submission scored noticeably higher.

Despite an annual budget for fees being provided within which all tenders had to fit, a decision was made to spend on quantity, rather than quality. The implication is that the larger the number of hours provided, the greater the value of the service.

Professional communication services – PR, corporate affairs, public affairs, internal communication, crisis and issues management – are not one-size-fits-all.

All providers and practitioners are not equal.

Communication services are not like own-label dried pasta shapes – the bigger and cheaper the packet, Tesco, Aldi or Lidl, the better.

Choosing a communication partner should be based on a series of factors, before taking cost into consideration. They are:

  • The people running your account, their experience and expertise. What have they done and what can they do?
  • The quality of the team’s thinking and their understanding of the environment in which you operate.
  • The quality of the team’s proposed programme, their ability to deliver on the programme and to work well with you.
  • The team’s ability to add value, as well as their flexibility and commitment.

“This is where the value of communication lies.

Of course, price matters and if all of these factors are taken into account and your potential partners are deemed to be equally competent then – but only then – should day-rate cost become a factor.

But if your potential partners are not equally competent according to these criteria, and yet they are all proposing to work within your overall budget parameters, then day-rate is unimportant.

 Value – not cost – is what drives the decision.”

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How do you Engage with Influencers?

HOW DO YOU ENGAGE WITH INFLUENCERS?

Seriously? I wouldn’t recommend that you do. When it comes down to it, there have to be other ways of raising awareness in your target audience group that are probably more effective.

Yes, yes, there are product categories that are bang out of options (I’m thinking savoury snacks and sliced bread, don’t know why) but even then – even then – there’s got to be something, right?

Right?

OK, there isn’t. But I still don’t think you’re looking for influencers, or for simple celebrity endorsement. You’re probably looking for ambassadors.

The three things are not the same and although all have ‘influence’ over the audience, roughly speaking one is a product of his or her environment, the second has a touch of sparkledust and the third actually may have done something to deserve it.

Let’s explore that further.

We’re told that influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsement and product placement by individuals, groups or organisations with a supposed level of knowledge/expertise in a particular field (and breathe).

All well and good – but we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t recognise that ‘influencer’ is a synonym for youtubers, tiktokkers and instagrammers with enormous followings based on – erm – stuff. Lifestyle. Attitude. Looks. And it’s all about the money.

Clearly this is all about glitter-by-proxy which, incidentally, is not a charming little village in the Cotswolds. A definition would be something like – a form of marketing involving endorsement of a product, organisation or service via the proximity of a well-known face who might, or might not, have something in common with the product, organisation or service that they are (tacitly) endorsing.

In reality, what we’re talking about is the presence of a celebrity at your photoshoot, product launch, supplier luncheon or corporate event – a presence that you’ve paid for and which makes everyone attending, or looking at the pictures, feel a bit warm and fuzzy.

A very different thing indeed. Ambassadors are experts in a particular field, or well-known public figures, with whom a product, organisation or service has a long-term contractual agreement guaranteeing their participation in certain types of promotional activity at certain pre-agreed levels. But, clearly, your ambassador isn’t going to be any Tom, Cressida or Harriet.

They’re going to be someone who fits – who has knowledge or expertise you want to share, who has qualities you want to be associated with, who is aspirational and relevant in the way you want your product to be.

I mentioned savoury snacks earlier and there’s a case in point – Walkers Crisps and footballer turned pundit turned household name Gary Lineker. There’s a whole other article in exploring why Lineker is (was, or became) such an asset for the brand, and we won’t go into it here.

All this goes to say that it’s very easy, in today’s hyper-connected world of social media likes and follows, to assume you and your asset need an influencer.

Fact is, you probably don’t. But if you really, really do – ask the question.

“Do I actually mean ‘influencer’?”

And if you’re not sure – drop us a line on info@4tc.ie

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Thinking about authenticity? Authentic communication is a good start

Thinking about Authenticity? Authentic communication is a good start

You can’t go anywhere these days – in marketing and communication, anyway – without someone getting all authentic on you. Authenticity is a business imperative.

As such, authenticity needs measuring and tracking – and where better to start that with your communication? After all, if your communication strategies and activities aren’t seen as authentic, then how can you be?

Based on decades of communication and journalism experience, 4TC has developed a self-assessment tool – it’s part of the Authentic8 | Communication Authenticity & Effectiveness Audit.

The Authentic8 Self-Assessment module is based around a simple, thought-provoking questionnaire. It will provide you with a clear indication of where you are on your communication authenticity journey – and the things you might consider to help you go further, faster. Click here or below to give it a go.

Take the Authentic8™ Self-Assessment

It’s probably worth reminding ourselves why authenticity is important, what it means and how it manifests in communication.

  • 90% of people use authenticity to decide which brands they like[1]
  • 83% of marketers consider authenticity to be important to their brand
  • 57% of consumers believe that less than half of brands communicate authenticity
  • Authenticity (in leadership) is the strongest single driver of work happiness and job satisfaction – two key factors in employee engagement

Authenticity is a key factor in business success – but (and in case you’re wondering) what is authenticity? We came up with a definition (based on our decades of communication experience) which no-one (so far) has disagreed with.

Authenticity is:

  • Honest – representing something as it actually is
  • Targeted and Personal – talking to the right people, through the right channels in the right language
  • Professional – transparent in response, able to admit fault and apologise
  • Inclusive – bringing the team along on the journey
  • Not a ‘Tick in the Box’ – false impressions, inconsistency, greenwashing, avoidance

[1] Stackla Research – 2017/19

The 4TC Authentic8 Self-Assessment is based on the eight pillars of communication that underpin the entire Authentic8 audit process.

Language is about the way you speak or write, the flow or words and your choice of words.

Tone is about the overall sense of what you are communicating and what that says about you. How does it make someone feel towards the subject/brand/organisation?

Is your communication structured – beyond language and tone – to contain clear messaging that is important to your target audience?

What does your communication consist of – does the content you choose to communicate add value, does it serve a purpose, and does it benefit your audience?

The accessibility of your communication is as important to your authenticity score as is language, tone, messaging, and content. It speaks to the clarity and visibility of your communication.

Tolerance for inauthenticity may be higher amongst some audience groups than amongst others. Communication should be viewed in the context of who will be receiving it.

How does you communication reach its intended audience? Are you using the right channels – e.g. web, email, social media, news media, internal platforms – and are you executing a strategic approach to delivery?

Engagement is the culmination of language, tone, messaging, content, accessibility, and delivery. It is the ultimate barometer of the effectiveness, and therefore authenticity, of your communication.

Evaluating your communication in the context of each of these elements provides insight into your communication’s authenticity and therefore its effectiveness in communicating your business or organisation’s stories and truths.

If you would like to know more about anything you’ve read here, or would like to discuss the Authentic8 Communication Authenticity and Effectiveness Audit, please get in touch with us at info@4TC.ie

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Should you – Can you – Measure Authenticity?

Should you - can you - measure authenticity?

We’ll start from the premise that authenticity is a good thing. A 2019 survey found that 90% of consumers believe authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support – up from 86% in 2017 – and 83% of marketers agree saying authenticity is very important to their brands.

Authenticity is, of course, not just about brands, it’s also about businesses and organisations, and about workforces, and about individuals. However you look at it, Authenticity is an important thing.

There’s power in using your authentic voice

Former US First Lady Michelle Obama wrote: “There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice.”

Employee perception of authentic leadership is one the strongest single predictors of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and work happiness – all factors in a high employee engagement score.

According to Gallup, the most engaged teams in its (sizeable) database – when compared with the least engaged teams – experience an average of 44% less absenteeism, 10% higher customer scores and 21% higher profitability.

So, authenticity is key to trust, to belief, to propensity to engage and to propensity to purchase. Authenticity is a business imperative, however, you cannot (as a brand, as an organisation, as a leader) be perceived as authentic unless you communicate your authenticity.

Communication strategy is linked to authenticity

Emmanuelle Probst, SVP of Brand Health Tracking at IPSOS, in his 2018 article What Makes a Brand Authentic suggests finding your authenticity in stories about your brand or organisation, and developing those stories to communicate it. Most importantly, he says that the stories have to ring true.

Your communication strategy is inextricably linked to how authentic you are seen to be. Unless you communicate your authenticity, none of your audiences are going to know about it, or understand it, or engage with it in a positive manner.

But the story you’re telling – your communication strategy – has to ring true. If your communication is inauthentic, you will not be perceived as having that quality.

If, therefore, we’re measuring authenticity, then surely a good place to start is to measure the authenticity of a brand or organisation’s communication strategy, direction, activity, and the materials that support them.

There are eight elements that contribute to authenticity in communication and against which communication activity and content can be measured:

The written and spoken words your organisation uses, as well as the choice and flow of those words

The overall sense of what you are communicating and what that says about your organisation and its character

The structure of your communication, containing clear messages that are important to your brand or business

The content you choose to communicate should add value, serve a purpose, and benefit your audience

The clarity and visibility of your communication – as important to your authenticity as language, tone, messaging, and content

The context of who will be receiving your communication – authenticity of communication matters more to some audience groups than others 

The strategic approach to delivery across the most appropriate channels and platforms 

The culmination of language, tone, messaging, content, accessibility, audience identification and delivery and the ultimate barometer of the effectiveness, and therefore authenticity, of your communication

An organisation’s communication (external and internal) can, and should, be benchmarked against each one. This will provide an indicator of how authentic – and, therefore, how effective – communication is, in terms of overall strategy as well as individual programme elements.

Certainty and consistency

Getting communication right and embedding it as a process – a ‘how we do things around here’ – provides certainty and consistency. It enables all your stakeholders to understand and engage with the story of your authenticity, your beliefs, your behaviours and your way of doing business.

 

4TC has developed its proprietary Authentic8 Communication (Authenticity and Effectiveness) Audit to enable businesses and brands to assess their communication strategies and activities for authenticity and, therefore, for effectiveness.

Authentic8 is borne of many decades of PR, corporate communication and journalistic experience. It blends independent assessment with self-assessment and examines communication strategy, content and tactics both from an external and an internal point of view.

4TC’s Authentic8 tool can be tailored to the specific needs of individual businesses and provides an analysis of communication authenticity and effectiveness, accompanied by recommendations on actions that might be taken to enhance your performance.

For further information, contact us at info@4tc.ie

Photo by Mariah Solomon on Unsplash

 

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Get Real – Thinking About Authenticity

get real - thinking about authenticity

Authenticity is a serious buzzword. You can hardly move in communication – and marketing – without someone going all authentic on you. Authenticity has a significant impact on reputation and propensity of stakeholders to engage.

Highly prized, is authenticity and much admired, in those who are deemed to have it – but what exactly is it? Let’s do a search and see. Right.

  • It is, apparently, ‘the quality of being authentic’
  • It is also about “being true to yourself, maintaining strict coherence between what you feel and what you say and do, (and) making value-based choices”
  • In existentialism, it is “the degree to which a person’s actions are congruent with his or her beliefs and desires, despite external pressures to conformity”

Really, it seems to be all about being what you are, and when you’re being what you are, going about it in the right way. But – quite clearly – authenticity is open to interpretation.

It seems safe enough – however – to say that the impression of authenticity is conveyed and built through communication.

It also seems obvious that if a brand (or business or organisation) communicates inauthentically, then it will be perceived to be inauthentic.

So the question for today is – what makes authentic communication (and what doesn’t)?

The definitions we work with are listed below – and we’d welcome your thoughts.

Authenticity means representing something as it actually is. Without embellishing it, without altering the way it looks and feels, without pretending (or attempting to make others believe) that it is something different.

Authenticity also means talking to the right people. Reaching them through the right channels and in the right language. It means expecting feedback and engaging with it when it is offered.

Authenticity is assessing the situation and planning to deal with it. Being transparent in response, being able to admit fault and to apologise.

Authenticity is bringing your team with you. Showing them what the organisation stands for, keeping them informed, walking the walk as well as talking the talk and listening to what they have to say.

Authenticity is not use of language to create a false impression. It is not inconsistency in communication. It is not greenwashing. It is not avoidance. It is not being unprepared. Authenticity is not fixing gingerbread panels to the outside of your factory and calling it a ‘cottage’.

Agree? Disagree? Use the comments, or talk to us directly at info@4tc.ie

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Media Relations in PR – a Game With Rules

media relations in pr - a game with rules

We’ve been thinking about media relations recently – the term used to describe the relationship between the communications industry (PR) and the media (the journalists who create the content that fills the digital, print and broadcast space).

There was a time when it also meant individual communicators creating personal relationships with specific journalists – compiling a ‘little black book’ of contacts, armed with which favourable coverage was almost guaranteed.

(This, of course, is hogwash. While favours might be called in on occasion, if your story is a turkey, it’s a turkey and good journalists don’t do turkey.)

Since the advent of digital media, however, much has changed. Advertising revenue is spread much more thinly, all media finds itself under cost pressure and the result is fewer journalists covering much more ground.

A story only gets covered if it’s something people will want to read

Broadly speaking, there is very little time for building personal relationships and a story only gets covered if it’s actually a story, one that people will want to read.

Media relations is, therefore, how communicators and journalists co-exist. It’s our job to tell our client’s stories in a positive way, and make them newsworthy, and it’s the journalist’s job – broadly speaking – to report the news.

That’s not to say – in any way at all – that it is the journalist’s job to report our stories.

No, it’s their job – or their editor’s job – to decide what is news, what their readers will be interested in and, if our story fits the bill, to make use of it in their reporting.

Let us be very clear, however – the PR/media relationship is a transactional one. If a journalist decides to use our story – if we have made it sufficiently newsworthy and value-adding – then we expect a name-check in return.

If we’ve given you a story about a brand new, labour-saving widget that will be a boon to the ordinary householder, then name the company that’s producing it.

There’s little love lost between PR and the media

Trouble is – and it’s the communication industry’s fault – there is little love lost between us and the media.

Our industry doesn’t always get it right. Some of us bother journalists with turkeys. Our industry spams the media. Some of us make unnecessary phone calls at inappropriate times.

This has led to a relationship that sometimes loses sight of what it should be. The media view PR as somehow ‘pulling a fast one’ – and therefore not meriting the give and take of a normal transactional relationship.

Recently, on behalf of a client, we undertook a piece of simple research – perfectly valid, wholly representative, providing watertight results – to generate a few statistics that could be used to help tell our client’s story.

We wrote the story up and we did it in a style that was easily accessible and which could be reproduced without too much editing (we’re good at this – it’s the product of years of experience).

The story received quite a lot of coverage – because it was reasonably newsworthy, fairly amusing, and relevant to almost everyone.

How the media game is – and isn’t – played

One radio station, however, took against it, deciding that it was facile and quite clearly designed, in some way, to take advantage of them.

Well, OK. If that’s what you think.

Remember, we’ve already told you that you don’t have to report this. It’s your choice. If you don’t want to – throw it in the bin.

Thing was – they did report it. They discussed it for three minutes on primetime breakfast show radio. They filled their programme and entertained their listeners with our story – the product of a reasonable amount of work on our part.

And at the end of their discussion, the presenters agreed – between them, live on air – that they weren’t going to mention our client’s name.

Come on lads, that’s not how the media relations game is played, and you know it. At least you should. Makes us not want to send you stuff anymore, which is a shame.

If you’d like to know more about media relations – or any other aspect of the communication mix, or even just which radio station we’re talking about – contact us on info@4tc.ie

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Evaluating Communication – Can You Be More Specific?

Evaluating Communication - can you be more specific?

I’ve been thinking about outcomes and evaluation and measurement recently. This particular train of thought was prompted by a request for information about what the individual elements of a specific campaign might deliver.

Which is an eminently fair question.

However, it’s not like we’re in advertising, or sales promotion, or CRM here – I can’t say that each €xxx spent will deliver xxx eyeballs, a click-through rate of x.x%, and an uplift in sales in x region of xx%.

I just can’t.

Yes, we can agree clear objectives. Yes, we can be clear on what and when and how much and to what end. We provide years of expertise in how best to deliver the activity. But the nature of the game is storytelling and media relations and – this is the first biggy – I cannot guarantee the outcome.

Way back when, in the days when we used to carry press releases up and down Fleet Street in cleft sticks (no – no, we didn’t – get a grip), there was a thing that I will call Queen Mum Syndrome.

This was based on every newspaper and broadcaster in the land already having front pages and programming schedules ready in case today was the day the ageing Queen Mother popped her clogs.

This was in the UK, but the rule applies across all countries – just substitute an elder statesman, or woman, a major celebrity or sporting icon, and think about how the media will react when, god bless them, they pass on.

Suffice to say, no matter how good your story, if you release it on that day you are going to get next to no traction at all. Despite what you might be told in pitch meetings, unless you are paying for coverage, outcomes are not guaranteed – they depend on many factors.

The second biggy is that storytelling is a long game. Yes, you may luck out and your first story goes viral (as the kids would have it) but usually you need to invest time and effort into building momentum and watching results grow. That’s why it’s called ‘campaigning’.

So asking about what individual elements of the campaign will deliver is never going to be met with a specific answer. We can say what they are intended to deliver and what the delivery might look like – but before the fact, we cannot guarantee anything.

After the fact, you get into the realm of evaluation and measurement, which is a nasty mixture of bog and minefield, if ever I’ve seen one.

Again, way back when, the debate around evaluation and measurement in communication (and how, if a solution was reached, communication would immediately become a serious profession like accountancy) was in full swing. It still is.

Fortunately, there’s now an organisation called AMEC which champions proper measurement in communication (with its Integrated Evaluation Framework).

AMEC does battle with the evil that is Advertising Value Equivalent (a calculation that provides a very rough idea of what coverage might have cost, had you bought it).

Most media monitoring agencies still offer an AVE service however, because they’re still asked for it – and you’d have to be stupid (as a business) to say ‘no’ when it’s a) easy and b) a money-spinner.

Why are they still asked for AVE? Because it’s cheap and easy. Look at the AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework. Have a think about how much it would cost – in terms of money and time. Then look at your budget, and decide whether you want to spend some arbitrary figure – probably 25% of your total outlay – on evaluating your activity.

There is some good news, however. Evaluation – knowing whether your campaign has achieved against your objectives – can be simple, cheap and obvious.

I’m talking about getting phone calls from potential investors or business partners, or seeing an increase in sales, or outlets wishing to stock your products. Perhaps an increase in productivity, or positive feedback from your employees.

Once upon a time, after a busy day, I repaired to the pub for a restorative pint or two. My day had been spent talking to the media about a story dealing with lifestyle trends and some of my company’s products.

As I stood at the bar, I earwigged on a conversation taking place next to me. Two blokes were having a heated discussion about my story, the one I’d issued that morning, and which they’d clearly heard on the radio, or read in the evening paper.

That, I thought – as I scarfed my pint – is a result.

If you’d like to know more about getting results from your communication, contact us at info@4TC.ie

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Hello – can you PR this for me?

Hello – can you PR this for me?

No. Neither can I ‘PR the hell out of this one’. (Both things I have actually been asked to do, I should point out.)

Public Relations is a lot of things – but it’s not a verb

At its core – and very simply – PR is telling people things so that they will like you.  And if people like you, they will be happier doing business with you. They’ll be better at doing business for you. They’ll be happier giving you permission to do business.

Of course, there’s lots of different people you might want to build relationships with. Which is why PR is divided up into different areas.

Broadly speaking, those areas are:

In order that they keep buying it, or decide they want to give it a try

Or that are important in the production of their own products and services

Walking the walk as well as talking the talk, authentic, beyond reproach and prepared for the unexpected

Because it’s mandatory, or because the company wants to sell something, to buy something or just wants to raise money

Particularly when it comes to regulation and legislation, by talking up the organisation’s societal and economic benefits

News about performance, strategy, product development, positions on issues, vision, values, culture, purpose, benefits and reward

Letting them know what it’s doing, how it’s doing it and why, and sometimes lending a helping hand, though sponsorship, or donations, or simply doing a bit of work around the place – so that the community feels involved and important

OK – got that – but how’s it done?

By telling stories, mostly. You see, you don’t often get to tell people things on a one-to-one basis. Mostly, you’ll be using media to get your information across – digital, social, print, broadcast and your own channels – social media feeds and your website.

And to get journalists to publish your information, or people to read it on your website, or engage with it via social, it’s got to be interesting.

And that means wrapping it in a story. We can give you guidance on what makes a story – and how to tell it.

Right – but back to what PR is – do I have to do all of it?

No – do the bits that help you with whatever it is you want to achieve.

That might be one element, or it might be two or three – we can make a recommendation as to what bits you should be considering.

How much does it cost?

Nothing.

OK – it costs nothing to have a conversation about public relations and strategic communication.

After that, when you’ve considered what we’ve discussed, and decided what’s right for you, we’ll look at what it might cost.

The cost will comprise the cost of our time (the fee) and any third-party costs – which could include research, photography, videography, design and possibly print.

The fee can be calculated in one of two ways.

The first is as a fee per activity or piece of work, which is based on our day rate. Second, as a ‘retainer’ fee, which is a sum paid monthly that includes the cost of our time to carry out the agreed activity and – importantly – any extra activities (within reason) that we might agree together.

Right then – how do I get my free conversation?

Put your details into one of the (many) contact us forms on our website (www.4TC.ie) and we’ll call you back.

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Spokespeople and Messages

The Right Message, The Right Spokesperson

So let’s talk a bit about messaging and spokespeople and audience engagement.

So let’s talk a bit about messaging and spokespeople and audience engagement.

A commercial radio news bulletin, here in the Emerald City, concerning the renewal of a corporate sponsorship of a leading entertainment venue.

An opportunity, with the right messages and delivery, to enhance the general perception of a company, and get people on board.

 

Include detail, avoid buzzwords

The spokesperson talked about transforming the sponsored building into a ‘smart venue’.  This may well be a thing – but without any explanation, it’s a lost opportunity to connect with the audience. 

Then there was ‘improving customer experience’. Without specifics, why should anyone care?

It is too easy to substitute a shorthand term for the real message. 

‘Smart venue’, when we mean a building that can tell you where things are, tell you how long the queue for the ladies’ loo is and allow you to pre-order two hot dogs and four pints via an app on your smartphone. 

‘Improving customer experience’ when we mean discounted gig tickets, a chance to meet the band and 4G in the mosh pit.

Messages are the detail that gets people interested, draws them in, makes them want to be involved. In this case, however, both key points sounded like buzzwords from an approved list. 

 

Suitable spokespeople, not senior spokespeople

Agreeing a spokesperson is not easy – often simple seniority carries the day.

An approach is to establish a panel of ‘subject matter experts’ who take the spokesperson role when it’s their area. 

Another is to spread the responsibility – get agreement that a handful of senior people should alternate as spokesperson, thus limiting the exposure of any one in particular. 

And there’s selection of opportunity – the less able spokesperson gets the less pivotal gigs.

 

Training to tell stories

In the real world, of course, this doesn’t always work. The media want to speak with the CEO, and no-one else will cut it. 

Or maybe the news story is about a ground-breaking use of technology and only the CTO will do. 

Which is where, of course, the message and the spokesperson should be managed in tandem. 

Messages are not buzzwords, and a spokesperson is not someone reading buzzwords off a script. Training and rehearsal – above and beyond a simple ‘briefing’ – help the spokesperson to build their own story around the messages.

Telling a story that they’re comfortable with not only brings the message to life, but allows the spokesperson to be genuine in their delivery.

It’s the combination of interesting detail and genuine delivery, by someone who’s comfortable with the material, that creates audience connection and propensity to engage.

If you would like to know more about messaging, identifying spokespeople and training them to do the best job they can, we’d be happy to talk to you – for free, with no obligations.

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