Communication Vision SONGWON WEBSITE EMG ASIACOM FORUM NEW CLIENT WINS The end of the year is coming fast. Once you complete a few last projects you can do the communications happy dance through Christmas and New Year to celebrate your success. But wait, don’t start dancing just yet. Think about what January is going to look like – employee kick- off communications, external campaigns - you’ll be right back in execution mode with little time for planning. So many audiences … employees, customers, media, analysts, investors… So many communication channels … emails, intranet, employee webcast, town hall events, company website, customer call center, online marketing, tradeshow, Facebook, Google+, Vine, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Foursquare, trade press, business press. We know you know them, and the list goes on. It makes a communicator’s head spin. That is exactly what a communicator in today’s world needs to do – spin their head - in a full circle to see every direction. We call it having 360° communication vision. page 3 page 3 page 2 page 4 page 4 GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS but sometimes it doesn’t happen for a variety of reasons. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you. Share results and planning; engage leaders, managers and content experts in the communications plan. It’s a critical driver of business success. Tools and Tactics Time to consider a few activities to help you achieve your plan. Develop a calendar and schedule the news and stories you plan to tell. You should have lots of material - product launches, expansion activities, new or improved service offerings and maybe special thought leadership campaigns around an industry trend. EMG SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT What better time than now to get a head start on creating your communications plan for 2014? Here are a few steps we recom- mend to start you on your way. Assess, Plan, Share Assess the past year’s results. What stories, campaigns and channels worked well to result in a positive outcome? Use your measurement tools to assess results. Plan your strategic communications for 2014, based on the company’s business objectives. Then review and update your key messages – they’ll be the backbone of your communication activity for next year. Share. We realize this seems obvious, Here are 4 things you need to develop 360° communication vision: 1 A clear understanding of your target audience(s) 2 Knowledge of the channels they use or online community where they live and get their information 3 A rock solid message platform and compelling content 4 The ability to target your message and content across multiple channels Having 360° communication vision means you understand your target audience’s universe and can create a dialogue to engage them across all available channels. Remember to spin 360° when you develop your next communications plan. For more information on how EMG can help, please contact [email protected]Odds are you’ll revise this as the year progresses, but you’ll benefit from the initial structure and stay focused. It also helps your internal partners in their planning, if they understand the communications process and timing. Review and identify external opportunities to position your spokesperson as an expert, by participating in an event or contributing an article or feature story for your company. This can also feed your social media content. What are the industry trends? What can your company spokespeople CHANNELS AUDIENCE KNOWLEDGE MESSAGE or bloggers contribute? What does your audience want to know? Put these in your calendar – make a column for opportunities. Case studies are still golden, and there are so many great ways to share them across digital channels too. You know the products and activities launched this year; the commercial team has the orders, so revisit or develop your list now. Starting the process and getting your customers on board to tell their story and yours, months in advance, helps with their planning too. Remember your website. It’s a constantly accessible and often under-utilized resource. Many companies still rely heavily on press releases and are slowly finding the right voice for their website and social media. While press releases are an important ingredient in your B2B PR mix, develop short compelling stories & blogs, post videos, quotes or photos. By ensuring this content is optimized for search engines, you have a platform to spread your news. GET A JUMP ON 2014 DEVELOP YOUR 360° COMMUNICATION VISION
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Communication
VisionSONGWON
WEBSITEEMG ASIACOM
FORUMNEW CLIENT
WINS
The end of the year is coming fast. Once you complete a few last projects you can do the communications happy dance through Christmas and New Year to celebrate your success. But wait, don’t start dancing just yet. Think about what January is going to look like – employee kick-off communications, external campaigns - you’ll be right back in execution mode with little time for planning.
So many audiences … employees, customers,
media, analysts, investors…
So many communication channels … emails,
intranet, employee webcast, town hall events,
company website, customer call center, online
marketing, tradeshow, Facebook, Google+, Vine,
Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest,
Tumblr, Foursquare, trade press, business press.
We know you know them, and the list goes on.
It makes a communicator’s head spin. That is
exactly what a communicator in today’s world
needs to do – spin their head - in a full circle
to see every direction. We call it having 360°
communication vision.
page 3 page 3page 2 page 4 page 4
GET yOUR MESSAGE ACROSS
but sometimes it doesn’t happen
for a variety of reasons. Make sure it
doesn’t happen to you. Share results
and planning; engage leaders,
managers and content experts in the
communications plan. It’s a critical
driver of business success.
Tools and Tactics
Time to consider a few activities to
help you achieve your plan.
Develop a calendar and schedule
the news and stories you plan to
tell. You should have lots of material
- product launches, expansion
activities, new or improved service
offerings and maybe special
thought leadership campaigns
around an industry trend.
EMG SChOOL BUILdING pROjECT
What better time than now to
get a head start on creating your
communications plan for 2014?
here are a few steps we recom-
mend to start you on your way.
Assess, plan, Share
Assess the past year’s results. What
stories, campaigns and channels
worked well to result in a positive
outcome? Use your measurement
tools to assess results.
plan your strategic communications
for 2014, based on the company’s
business objectives. Then review
and update your key messages –
they’ll be the backbone of your
communication activity for next year.
Share. We realize this seems obvious,
here are 4 things you need to develop 360° communication vision:
1 A clear understanding of your target audience(s)
2 Knowledge of the channels they use or online community
where they live and get their information
3 A rock solid message platform and compelling content
4 The ability to target your message and content across
multiple channels
Having 360° communication vision means you understand
your target audience’s universe and can create a dialogue to
engage them across all available channels. Remember to spin
360° when you develop your next communications plan.
Media Relations - The EMG Way™In addition to a highly experienced and motivated team, EMG has a number of proprietary tools that help
to deliver effective media relations programmes for our clients. Visit our website to learn more.
Communication Vision
One year into the journey, we
caught up with Maurizio Butti,
Songwon’s Chief Operating
Officer and Kevin Noels, account
manager Marketing Solutions.
What was the goal of Songwon’s new
website?
M. Butti: The new website needed
to reflect our consolidated market
approach and more importantly
it needed to be an extension of
Songwon’s commitment to provide
customers with excellent service
around the globe.
Because we operate globally in a
complex and technical industry,
we wanted the site to be a global
information centre to provide
existing and potential customers
ready access to company
information, which was easily
understood, in a user friendly format.
What did we do to achieve this?
K. Noels: Working in close
partnership with Songwon
we focused on making the site
comprehensive to the different
user groups by providing financial
It is often said that anyone can issue a press release. In recent years, the process has certainly become easier and faster. however, gaining a significant share of voice requires more than some words, pictures and a list of email addresses. In fact, it takes some very special skills
as well as a significant investment in time.
COMpREhENSIvE, EASy TO USE, ACCESSIBLE…bringing customers to Songwon’s website
ARE yOU BARKING Up ThE RIGhT TREE? Turning media contacts into media relations
statements, product selection tools
and key chemical data including
regulatory information in an easily
accessible way. The result, well, it’s
like a giant online library – currently
there are 3100 PDF documents
available for downloading. Relevant
product, service and technical
information is available along with
business-oriented content like
investor information, job postings
and news releases.
The improved site structure and
accessibility has boosted rankings
in major search engines and we use
Google Analytics to track website
traffic and user behaviour statistics
to further improve the site on a
regular basis. The site is optimized
for several platforms, including
tablets and smartphones, and is
now available in several languages
including Korean, Chinese,
Japanese as well as English.
An interesting special feature
we integrated into the site is the
registration system. It allows
Songwon to analyze the information
requirements of customers and
propose an upgraded registration
level to provide more tailored
information. It’s like a web-based
customer service program and fits
with Songwon’s focus on providing
its customers with the right service
at the right time in the right place.
What has the visitor response been,
do you have some results you can
share?
M. Butti: We are really pleased
with the results. We draw about
8500 unique visitors a month. And
based on feedback from registered
users, the site is fast and efficient in
helping them find what they need.
Our statistics show registered users
are coming back frequently, the site
has active global use, which was an
important goal for us, and we have
frequent downloads with product
information being most popular.
To have such a comprehensive
website means a lot of reading, in an
age when people seem to want their
information in 140 characters or less?
M. Butti: For us that is not the
case. Our industry is complex and
technical, so our customers need
Important questions to ask when hiring a web developer• Where can I find current examples of your work?
• Can you provide references?
• What is your favourite website and why?
• What content technologies do you use to build and maintain websites?
• What tools and techniques will you use to optimize my website?
• What special features can you integrate?
• What is your approach to security issues?
• How easy is it to translate and localize your websites?
• Who will own the website?
detailed information that is globally
aligned, easy and fast to find, and
up to date. Marketing Solutions
not only helped us to design and
build the site, but their industry
knowledge combined with content
management expertise is critical in
our strategy to provide outstanding
service to our customers.
One year in, what would you say was
Songwon’s biggest learning point?
M. Butti: Be sure your organization
understands the objective of their
site. This may sound painfully
obvious, but if you don’t have
this understanding across your
organization, you can spend many
specific interests - and throughout
the year we regularly contact
them to discuss topics that might
interest their readers and the way
our clients may be able to submit
input. And before trade shows, we
talk to editors to schedule briefing
meetings and interviews.
Conducting an on-going
dialogue
EMG uses a mix of tried and tested
When Songwon moved from a domestic player in Korea to the #2 manufacturer of polymer stabilizers in the world, they enlisted the support of Marketing Solutions, a member of the EMG Global Group. Together they refreshed Songwon’s branding and corporate communications strategy and undertook an ambitious website redesign.
wasted hours focusing on items
that your customers just don’t
need. Be sure to design for the user.
And don’t underestimate the time
it takes to maintain your website.
Marketing Solutions’ expertise here
has been outstanding.
Any final thoughts Kevin?
K. Noels: Yes, as an agency,
understanding design and usability
is important, but equally so is
understanding the business of
our customers. With 22 years of
experience specialized in industrial
communications, we can advise on
providing the right information for
their customers and prospects.
At EMG, we maintain our own
media database covering the
print and online publications in
key industrial sectors. We know
the leading editors - and their
methods: press releases, feature
articles, one-on-one interviews
and social media. And because
opportunities do not always
happen spontaneously, EMG
initiates and organises individual
and multi-client media briefings
around the world.
Once you have captured an editor’s
interest, it is important to provide
feedback and follow-up on a
regular basis. This is why we talk
about media relations. After all, in
a business where it is not only what
you know that matters, but who
you know, EMG helps its clients to
stand out and make a difference.
Maurizio Butti, Chief Operating Officer of Songwon
We cannot tell a lie, we sit a lot at
the EMG office. It’s the nature of our
work – developing communications
plans, talking to editors on the
phone - we have active minds, but
not so active bodies. On the other
hand, after hours we’re all pretty
sporty. So when we brainstormed
ideas for our Autumn team building
activity several themes dominated:
activity, competition and charity.
We wanted to do something active
together that challenged us and
we wanted to lend a hand, in a
meaningful way. Steps for Schools
was born.
A worthwhile cause
Steps for Schools is a one month
charity-based fitness campaign
designed to raise awareness and
money to support Schools For
STATING ThE OBvIOUSTo make sure everyone is singing off the same hymn-sheet, here is a short check-list:
Review industry trends and company news so your team can demonstrate its expertise and have a meaningful dialogue
Prepare around 3-5 key messages highlighting your capabilities and the benefits they bring
Collect examples and proof points – where possible make them personal and relevant - customer testimonials are great, but only if they have been approved
Train your spokespeople - and practice, practice, practice.
In the long run, the success of your communications will depend on your preparations – not the quality of your hospitality.
Of course, you know your company’s
key messages and you have a few
good examples at hand to illustrate
your points. But ask yourself this:
“Does the stand duty team actually
know what those key messages are –
and are they able to get them across
in a concise and compelling way?”
In other words, do they have a story
to tell? And can they get it across
convincingly? If the answer is no, or
even maybe, it is time to act.
practice makes perfect
Not everyone is a natural storyteller.
So when you are preparing for a
WHat’S tHe StoRYGetting your message across at trade shows
GUIdE TO A SUCCESSFUL INTERvIEW
Autumn 2013
GET FIT ANd MAKE yOUR CONTRIBUTION COUNTEMG commits cash and issues global challenge to support school building project
Salone, a non-profit organization
dedicated to transforming lives by
rebuilding schools devastated in
the 10-year civil war in Sierra Leone.
EMG’s Steps for Schools campaign
will raise money specifically for the
Gbumbeh Primary School.
Since Schools for Salone began in
2007 they have built 15 schools in just
6 years. And the cost to build a school
is so little by European standards –
approximately €40,000,- every Euro
raised goes a long, long way.
Schools for Salone is about people
helping people, it is about building
a better future for children and
about relying on partners and
teamwork for success. We like this
simple concept and it motivated
our Steps for Schools campaign.
Still time to contribute
The EMG team and their friends
around the world began their
campaign on Friday September
20th.
To check their progress, visit the
Steps for Schools website at
www.emg-pr.com/s4s.
To raise more money you can still
make an individual donation.
trade show, or in fact any event, it
is important that everyone knows
the company’s key messages – and
can repeat them – preferably in a
personalised way, so as to make the
message really come alive. Ideally,
everyone should be able to give
some corporate highlights, before
focusing on more application or
industry specific topics, all of which
can be rehearsed well in advance.
Because practice makes perfect,
EMG has been running many pre-
show meetings, workshops and
rehearsal sessions for clients who
want to make an impact when
it matters. From identifying key
messages to on-camera training for
spokespersons, time invested before
the show has paid back handsomely,
Before the interview
• Understand the reporter’s needs
• Read the reporter’s recent coverage on your topic
• Prepare and memorize your top three messages
• Practice your messages as “sound bites” or “quotable quotes”, avoid jargon
• Collect references to prove your point
• Arrange the logistics (how much time does the report have? Prepare a presskit)
What?
- One month fitness campaign focused on raising funds
to help build a school in Gbumbeh, Sierra Leone
how? - Participants donated €15 to the school, EMG provided
a step counter free of charge
- For every participant that achieved the target of 230,000
steps during the month, EMG donated another €10 to the
Gbumbeh school
- You can help raise more money by donating to SFS
When?
- September 20th – October 21st
3
3
3
3
During the interview
• Be truthful and concise, stop talking when you have made your point
• Check with the reporter for understanding of the topic; don’t assume
• Never criticize the competition
• “We” is better than “I” when answering questions
• Never speak off the record - whatever you say can be quoted
Love them or loathe them, trade shows are an essential part of the promotional mix – and most companies carefully select the events where they are most likely to meet new and existing customers. Your trade show attendance can only be successful if you manage to get your key messages across – to (potential) customers and any visiting editors.
Margo joined the EMG support team in April to oversee our Media Information Centre. Her primary role is to ensure our editorial contact database is kept fully updated and to expand our coverage in response to changing client needs. She has wide experience in various administrative roles in both the legal and property sectors, most importantly for EMG she has direct experience of the media industry, joining EMG from Ediat Intermediagroep. Margo studied an MBO in Business Administration.
Margo houtepen
relations pre show, at the show and
post show.
“EMG provided excellent support at
Chinaplas this year so it was a logical
step for us to work together again
with their European team for the K
fair. They understand our needs and
messaging. It’s refreshing working
with one global communications
agency that understands our needs
and helps us tell our story,” says
Dharm Vahalia, Global Marketing
Director at Ascend Performance
Materials.
Over 25 senior B2B communications professionals
attended the second EMG Asiacom forum held in
Shanghai on August 30th. Presentations and discus-
sions centred on the changing media landscape in China,
hot topics in the media, and the issues, challenges and
trends in business communications today. Keynote guests
included a senior executive from the China Merchants
Bank who answered panel and audience questions on
China’s banking system and economic development.
“Another fantastic event for EMG Asiacom, with extremely
lively, interactive participation from both speakers and audience members,”
says Helen Han, EMG’s General Manager in Shanghai. “The purpose of the
EMG Asiacom forum is to bring professionals together from the world of
B2B communications, to discuss and exchange experiences and insights
on the important, current aspects of their work, with a particular focus on
China and Asia. We look forward to our next event.”
