Showing posts with label ragan communications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ragan communications. Show all posts

Monday, April 6, 2015

Ford Motor Company Wins Best Benefits Communication



I'm very proud and excited to annouce that myself, along with my Ford Compensation and Benefits team, have been awarded Ragan Communication's Best Benefits Communication Award for our creation of Ford's Benefits eGuide.

On my first day as a Team Detroit employee working with Ford Motor Company, I was handed a brand new project which was a redesign and refresh of printed booklet Ford mailed to employees to explain their benefits and prepared them for the annual Open Enrollment period where they would have to make their benefit selections.

Together with the Ford Compensation and Benefits communications team, we developed a digital, interactive guide that walks employees through all of their benefits and retirement options as well as outlines the steps for Open Enrollment. The 2015 Benefits eGuide was born!

Our interactive 2015 benefits enrollment guide, which is accessible outside the company firewall on desktop and mobile devices, provides a one-stop shop for benefits information from wherever employees (or the family members responsible for decisions) happen to be.

The eGuide features tabs employees can click to seamlessly move through the materials, identifying what they need to know before enrolling, the various choices available to them, and easy-to-follow instructions for completing their enrollments online. Links to calculators and other tools enhance the document, which is also available in printable versions for workers without online access (or with a preference for print).

A comprehensive communication campaign accompanied the revamped enrollment, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of calls to the service center and a high rating in a follow-up survey. Ford was also able to tout the ecological benefits of a mainly digital enrollment guide while reducing the cost of production, print, and mailing. And because the document was crafted as an informational resource, it serves employees year-round, and is part of the new hire toolkit.


Ragan writes, "In addition to a sound strategic plan and good, measurable outcomes, the production values of the finished guide blew away the competition"

Recognized for our outstanding work producing what is often a dry, officious communication, Ragan's 2014 Employee Communications Award for Best Benefits Communication was awarded to Ford Motor Company. Congratulations to Catherine Biondi (Ford), Kathleen Hurt (Ford), and Katelyn Davis (Team Detroit), along with our counterparts at Xerox.

Ragan Communications has been the leading resource and publisher of information about corporate communications, internal communication and employee communications for three decades.

One of their most popular award programs, the Employee Communications Awards draws hundreds of the finest internal communicators from around the world. The entries demonstrated the many extraordinary ways that internal communicators are informing and engaging employees. This year’s program offered awards in categories covering digital and print publications, videos, intranets, employee communications and more.

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Whitepaper: Internal Communications Measurement

Wishing you could benchmark your internal communications measurement against those of other organizations?

The free white paper, “Internal Communications Measurement” will give you a rare chance to compare satisfaction, roadblocks, and measurement standards. It might even provide data useful for dealing with bosses and budget-cutters.

This guide, drawn from a survey of 776 communicators, reveals that:

  • Internal takes a backseat to external. Of those communicators who measure internal communications, 64 percent don’t receive the same attention or budget that PR, marketing, and sales get. 
  • Most measure less than half their programs. Thirty-eight percent said they measure 20 percent or less of their internal communications efforts.
  • Dissatisfaction with measurement is high. Fifty-six percent said they were either unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with how they measure internal communications; only 16 percent said they were satisfied. 
  • The biggest roadblock to measurement is lack of tools. Fifty-four percent of communicators who measure said their biggest challenge was the lack of tools, followed by lack of time and manpower. 
  • A key weakness in tools is measuring outputs instead of outcomes. Sixty-two percent said that the lack of outcomes measurement is one of the top weaknesses of their measuring tools. 
  • Budgets are slim. Thirty-two percent of communicators said their internal communications budget is between $0 and $4,999; only 15 percent said they have budgets of more than $100,000. 
Find out more about this and other data by downloading this FREE white paper from PoliteMail and Ragan Communications called “Internal Communications Measurement.”

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Friday, May 2, 2014

What Journalists Want from PR Pros

A producer at an ABC affiliate in upstate New York occupies a different niche in the media ecosphere from that of a London-based editor at Reuters News. But when it comes to pitching reporters, their advice is similar.

Journalists are swamped. Their inboxes are overflowing. They don’t have time for off-topic pitches or information-choked emails. Cut to the chase.

“Just tell me what you want,” says Larissa Hall, digital content manager at 13WHAM in upstate New York. “‘I want this guest on your morning show. I want this big opening covered. I want you to send cameras to this place at this time.’”

Adds Mark Jones, the London-based Reuters global communities editor: “The thing that really gets journalists’ goat is the kind of unsolicited and irrelevant media release plugging up their inbox. ... You can see from Twitter what [journalists] are interested in. It takes a few seconds. It allows you the option to focus your distribution list on people who are most likely to run with the story.”

It can be a humbling experience to promote a story angle you know is great but can’t get reporters to look at. It gives you a leg up if you act like a pro.

 Here’s how to reach out to media outlets, interact with journalists, and ace that interview.

Click here to download this free ebook from Ragan Communications.
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Monday, April 14, 2014

The Ultimate Survival Guide for Internal Communication Video

Here is another great resource that came out of Ragan Communication's annual Social Media for Public Relations and Corporate Communications conference that I attended earlier this month!

A UK-based research firm found that 93 percent of internal communications teams see video as an important tool.1 More than 54 percent of professionals said their employees now expect to see video inside the organization.1
Fill out the form to the right to receive a free copy of our “The Ultimate Survival Guide for Internal Comms Video.” It’s full of tips to help you get started shooting your first video.
In the guide, you’ll find out everything you need to get started producing videos including:
  • Camera, lighting and audio equipment
  • How you plan your videos
  • Production tips
  • Suggestions for sharing your video
Click here to download the free guide.
1http://www.hrcommunication.com/Main/Articles/Use_of_video_grows_in_internal_communications__6981.aspx
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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

MediaSource: The PR & Marketer's Guide to Brand Journalism

Here is a great white paper that came out of Ragan Communication's 2nd Annual Social Media for Public Relations and Corporate Communications Conference last week!

From those of us that attended the conference know how important Brand Journalism is for companies.

In this summary Lisa Arledge Powell, MediaSource, has provided us with an excellent summary of what defines the practice of Brand Journalism, how it is essential to the success of modern organizational public relations and marketing and how to effectively leverage the practice to build brand value and maximize ROI.

Brand Journalism is one of the top trends in PR and marketing. Technologies such as digital TV, mobile internet and social media have transformed how consumers engage and evaluate credible, newsworthy content. The ability to understand and leverage Brand Journalism is critical to modern organizations that wish to build brand value and influence consumer choice to increase returns on marketing dollars spent.

For those who have interest in building and leveraging Brand Journalism, I highly recommend this white paper.

You can download The PR & Marketer's Guide to Brand Journalism for free, here.
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Saturday, April 5, 2014

#RaganDisney Day 2: Behind the Scenes

Here is a look at what is going on behind the scenes during Day One of Ragan Communication's Social Media for PR and Corporate Communications Conference in Disney World.

For a behind the scenes look at Day 1, click here.










Also, I received a lot of recognition online for my award as the conference's Top Social Media Reporter:
And lastly, here is Candidio's wrap up video from the #RaganDisney Beach After Party:

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

#RaganDisney Day 1: Behind the Scenes

If there is one big thing we've learned today, especially from Thomas Smith the Social Media Director at Disney Parks, is that the behind the scenes looks is what interests audiences and ultimately sells your brand.

Here is a look at what is going on behind the scenes during Day One of Ragan Communication's Social Media for PR and Corporate Communications Conference in Disney World:


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Living in an "Internet of Everything" World


His goal: to make you uncomfortable because being uncomfortable makes you learn.

Carlos Dominguez is a Senior Vice President at Cisco and a technology evangelist who motivates audiences worldwide through his unique perspective on how technology is changing how we communicate, collaborate, and especially how we work. During his keynote at Ragan's Social Media for PR and Corporate Communications Conference in Disney World, Carlos gave a humorous, highly-animated presentation full of deep insight into how the right technologies and the right culture can create winning organizations. He draws from more than 20 years in the industry and a career spent in communications, he revealed how technology is changing the rules of business and explored strategies to avoid getting left behind. Carlos addressed many questions about collaboration including what motivates people to collaborate, how to establish rewards for collaborating, to how find the right experts both inside and outside your company, and how to keep people coming together both online and in person. Most importantly, he discussed what we, as a society, need to do to adapt to living in an "internet of everything" world--meaning a world that relies heavily on the internet for every aspect.

In order to live in this world, you need to do two things:

He wants you to see the world differently.
Change your perspective. 

He stressed how much the world is continually changing. Things that exist now didn't exist a short time ago in humanity's past.
  • 20 years ago there was no internet.
  • 10 years ago there were no social networks.
  • 10 years ago the Today Show was trying to figure out what the internet was and was trying to figure out a way to explain it


  • If you work in web programming, online marketing, mobile phone and app development, your jobs didn't exist 20 years ago.
This means my job didn't exist when I was born. This job hardly existed when I started college. No wonder my parents looked at me like I was insane when I first told them I wanted to go into social media. People were still trying to figure this stuff out but the world was going digital so fast!

It made people uncomfortable, so they learned and changed.

And now we live in a world where within the first few days of a child's life, there is over 40 gigs of data uploaded in its honor. That's pictures and posts and videos. Now the internet and all its stuff is ingrained into our lives from day one... literally.

Every industry is going through a reboot.

Traditional media has always been radio, television, and newspapers and now we're tuning in to podcasts, YouTube, and blogs. The world is changing because of the internet and because our society is becoming increasingly social.

Look at the music business. One day people were buying CDs and the next some guy started this newfangled thing for file sharing and everyone had music for free. Then 12 year old kids got sued for piracy. The world is crazy.

"If someday we all go to prison for illegally downloading music,
I only hope they split us by music genre." - Carlos Dominguez

Bottom line: Embrace change. Become adaptable.

 The more things change, the more susceptible we are of becoming uncomfortable and the greater opportunity we have to learn. So embrace it.
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How to be a Brilliant Digital Storyteller and Create a Sudden Urge to Act

A great story will inspire people to act.

How do you measure the impact of the placements you land? Page views of the press release? Media reach? What if it doesn't really matter? nIn the digital world you can tell stories that directly impact sales. (Bet your CFO would love to hear that!)

In Andrew Davis', bleeding-edge marketing futurist and author, keynote on Inspired PR at Ragan Communications' 2nd Annual Social Media for PR and Corporate Communications Conference at Disney World he showed on consumer brands, non-profits, and event B2B companies exploit digital and social media to increase sales through inspired story telling.

And guess what? There is no one better positioned to improve the bottom line that you and your communications team!

Here are Andrew's to biggest hard-hitting words to live by:
  • Valuable Content increases demand for the products and services you sell.
  • Moments of Inspiration (MOI) increase demand for the products and services we sell.
These things inspire action!

Driving Demand with Great Stories

It's only appropriate that since we're here we talk about Disney and their amazing legacy of storytelling on and off the screen. Disney is a master of MOI. For example, think about how many Clown Fish and fish tank equipment Finding Nemo has sold. It's insane. 

Inspiring content can inspire you to purchase crap you  didn't know you need and didn't need before that inspiring content existed. 

How does being a storyteller increase demand?
First there is a Moment of Inspiration that triggers the initial consideration set in which the consumer goes into an active evaluation stage where they compare and contrast other brands and other options. Then comes the moment of purchase and this is your biggest opportunity to create move MOI which continues the loyalty loop. 

So how can you become a brilliant digital storyteller that creates a sudden urge to act among your customers?

Here are Andrew Davis' Four Secrets to Creating Moments of Inspiration:

1. Build Suspense
Suspense is anxiety about what will happen. Create a story that keeps people on the edge of their seats about what will happen or come next. Drama is anticipaton mingled with uncertainty.  Drama in a story can be used to create anticipation and drive demand for more. 

2. Foster Aspiration
Create content that will inspire people to be what they're not. What does your audience inspire to be? Create a story to help them. This will gain their trust and loyalty. 

3. Drive Empathy 
Make a commitmet and tell a story. Be emotionally invested in your product or service. Your consumers will then empathize with the characters in your story. Bring emotion to the table.

4. Harness Emotion
Emotion is what inspires the action. This is what traditoinal media has always done: Inspire people to take action on something they didn't know they felt strongly about. Make people buy things they don't need.

Focus on MOI rather than ROI.

NOTE: This was written live during the #RaganDisney conference. Please stop by later for a more robust edition.
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Overcoming 4 Obstacles to Create Effective Brand Journalism with Video

I know this happens to all of us corporate communications people, someone comes up to us and casually says "Let's make a video." Just like that. Like it's easy. Like it's just something simple you can throw together this afternoon.

But we all know, this is easier said than done.

Most communicators will agree that we all have the same obstactles standing in our way:
1. Time
2. Money
2. Technology
3. Creativity 


Dealing with Time Constraints
Clear some things off your place to make room for video, don't add video on top of it. Find something on your editorial calendar that would make more sense being visual and change the medium from written word to video. 

Another idea is to try something small. Try a quick take of raw footage like asking your employees a simple question and giving them 60 seconds to answer. 

Lastly, Rocky tells you to focus and do it right. This will help you in the end to save time editing and and keep you on track. 

How to Save Money
We can't have "shiny object syndrome" if you're looking to save money. The best of the best equiptment comes with a price tag. Look for a cheaper option and stick to it until it is impossible for you to complete the task then purchase something higher.

What type of investment should we put into these videos? There are three things to consider: speed, audience, and shelf life. You should manage the expectations of the requestor to make sure you're making the right decisions for the right instance. 

If this is a video that is going to just be posted on Facebook and after a few weeks it is going to fade into the shadows, then all you need is an iPhone video and a simple editor. But if you're creating a new corporate overview, you may want better equiptment and editing software and you may even want to contract it out for the best quality. 

Lastly, keep it simple! First pilot the program and see if you can get leadership and legal buy-in. Don't make it an investment without buy-in.

Dealing with Technology (or the lack thereof)
Just like with everything, it's important to be mobile. At some point you will need to go to where the news is happening. Make sure you're prepared for that. But there is also a need for an in-house studio with quality video, sound, and lighting. The studio set-up would be more for projects that are high quality and with ample time permitting.

Especially in the case of the studio, this may be a big investment and going along with saving money so it might be worth investigating whether or not outsourcing to a vendor. Vendors often time have world-class equiptment and software paired with the talent and skill your department may not have in house. 

How to get Creative
Walk the halls of your company and find stories. There's no need to create stories, there are good ones out there... you just have to find them! Put your reporter hat on and be a brand journalist. 

Having a hard time feeling creative? Get inspired by being a consumer of media by other creative souls. Try industry related books, case studies, and success stories from other companines' campaigns.

Lastly, remember to come up with cathy titles. This is something I need to remember for my blog...

As a part of the social media and digital communication world, we've been hearing for years that visual is the way to go but beyond pictures, visual is hard. Hopefully with these tips from Rocky we can all begin to produce better corporate video. 

NOTE: This was written live during the #RaganDisney conference. Please stop by later for a more robust edition.
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