Reaching More Responsible Communications

a conversation with peter knight


CG: Among the stories various companies tell to the marketplace, are ones about their corporate responsibility (CR), social responsibility, sustainability and citizenship. But many of these are laden with masses of data or top-heavy with detail, does this make sense?

PK: Data is important because it differentiates hard performance from soft assurances. But more vitally important to many groups is the nature and quality of the [top-line] corporate narrative. Because these people want to read the stories that are told [by and] about the company, not concentrate on all the metrics and supporting detail.

CG: Most of the reporting and messaging that’s done looks largely backward, like annuals do, at prior-year performance. But couldn't they do more heavy-lifting, both for themselves and for their audiences? Especially by being more, and more meaningfully – not just lightly – forward looking.

PK: Yes. A lot of companies have a big opportunity to use a CR report to show and discuss [for stakeholders] their road map for taking the business toward a higher plane of responsibility…and profitability.

It's a powerful but underused platform, one that could be far better leveraged to convey the company narrative; from its management to its vision. In a way that can go beyond [the limitations of] what’s possible with often hidebound and jargon-filled annual reports.

CG: What role should designers of CR reports, sites and other communications play beyond making content look and lay out well?

PK: It depends on the medium for the given messages, whether that’s on paper or the web or something in between, like PDFs. But regardless, good design is imperative. And, it must always be done with the understanding it’s just a tool to help convey information successfully, and not an end in itself. It should support but never trump the content.

Designers need, as well, to look carefully at each audience and each medium involved, and figure out the right visual styling for each. Because it can vary widely. Some audiences, for instance, are only interested in data and not in pictures.

Designers can also add value by helping clients define and differentiate the needs of given audiences, and by recommending the right channels to reach each of them.

CG: You believe the practice of communicating CR is still too immature. Why? And what growth agent is needed to mature it and improve all these stories and messages?

PK: Only when CR is taken more seriously by a large majority of the more important stakeholders in companies; only when they demand this kind of content – as I'm sure they will in time – will the whole exercise evolve. Right now, for most, this messaging is only a nice-to-have not a must-have.

As for improving these communications, my advice is look to an inspiration like George Orwell: stick to fundamentals. Write simply. Be direct. Be brave. Be adventurous.

CG: So why isn't the ‘Orwell Approach’ in wide use? If it would make companies’ stories of their responsibility all the more engaging and impactful?

PK: Because so many companies are spineless when it comes to corporate communications. They're terrified of breaking the mold. They benchmark furiously. Never want to step out of the fold. They retreat into soft assurances and old shibboleths, where they feel safe. That’s the tragedy of most forms of corporate communications.

CG: Paging the brave and adventurous out there...we need you.

CG: What useful things can companies, and the design, marketing and other consultants assisting them, learn or borrow from the corporate responsibility realm, to enlighten other parts of their business narratives?

PK: Talking straight. Corporate responsibility stories demand it, even though those who practice this straightforwardness are still in the minority. There's no question every company would benefit by it.

In addition to this, recognize that “negative” topics can actually enhance [through contrast and balance] the positive elements of a story.

CG: Do you also believe companies have a ‘responsibility’ to tell their audiences richer and more dynamic stories, ones aligned with readers’ needs? Versus giving people vacuum-sealed presentations that miss a sense of active listening [by the company], or lack the feeling of a desired kind of "conversation" or running dialogue happening between the lines.

PK: Some companies want to be more engaging. You can see this in the corporate responsibility blogs by McDonald’s, Intel, Sun Microsystems and others. But these are early days, and these blogs are suitably sanitized. Unfortunately, the willingness to put forward edgy, engaging stories -- even though it would be welcome and beneficial -- is outweighed by the perceived risk of litigation.

CG: How far away are we from truly enlightened or at least more enlightened stories in this area?

PK: Very far away. Especially since the dysfunctional economy is making it more difficult for companies to behave with integrity. Maybe the economic change we're going through will catalyze business to align its values more closely with those of society.

That said, never before has integrity been so high up on the scale of need than it is today.

CG: And I would add, never before has the integrity of companies’ stories themselves, and telling those stories more responsibly, been more important – to everyone on the receiving end.

Thanks, Peter, for your good thoughts.



Peter Knight is President of Context America, a leading corporate responsibility communications group, that advises some of the world’s most well-known businesses on CR strategy and content, www.econtext.co.uk He is also a former UK Environmental Journalist of the Year, and was a regular contributor to the Financial Times in the 1990s and 80s.


Colin Goedecke
www.tenowls.com
www.linkedin.com/in/colingoedecke

Content Drives Everything

a conversation with sebastian kaupert


CG: Sebastian, as a seasoned creative director and design educator, why do you believe “content drives everything?”

SK: Shaping the delivery of a message is no longer enough. The most enlightened designers bring a wholly fresh point-of-view. That’s the new price of entry: an original form and visual point-of-view around equally original and interesting content. This is what will engage and is engaging people; what will drive brand and business success now and into the future.

You have mainstream marketers today who 'sponsor' original art, entertainment and thought; and support creative endeavors of all kinds, somewhat like the Medicis did during the Renaissance. The quality and relevance of this content casts a welcome glow on their brands, and on the 'patrons' behind it.

Take L Studio, Lexus’ Internet channel and its bleeding-edge content. None of it has to do with cars or selling cars, but draws instead on and across art, entertainment, science and literature. The intent is to have the Lexus brand thought of more favorably.

The other big dynamic: the many millions of people who curate their own media diet. They go wherever they need to go in digital space to get messages. But only messages that are relevant, that make sense to them. Those that aren't relevant they pay no attention to.

CG: Are creative groups still living in an old paradigm? And where do social networks fit in?

SK: Yes, mostly groups resisting giving up their well-oiled but failing business models; and those unwilling or unable to evolve with our new paradigm. Consider Facebook: in December of 2008 it had 222 million members. Its demographic has gone from mainly young people to people of all ages and places. It’s a vital part of how a lot of us communicate and get information we're interested in. It's a valuable part of the media mix now, or should be. All marketers need to tune into these social networks,but only with customized, relevant and rich content; that’s well designed-and-delivered, in order to engage and compel audiences.

And let's be clear, it's not about 'using,' manipulating the Internet as a marketer: it's about being where your audience is, where it hangs out. If that's in and around social media, then it's simply sensible, not revolutionary, to be there. If your audience is watching a lot of television, then by all means that's where part of your advertising and/or marketing needs to be happening.

CG: How do creative professionals get their clients to this essential next dimension?

SK: They need to think of themselves as higher level program directors. They need to look beyond the creative brief, strategy, themes and goals, and also understand the conversations audiences are having with each other. It’s not about creating beautiful images and layouts or clever visual puns. It’s about inventing original stories and brand worlds that relate to those conversations, and intuitively express and validate a brand and its promise and experience; and do all this within a context not in a vacuum.

CG: What do you mean inventing "original stories?”

SK: I mean originality like the Japanese artist Murakami. Or Damien Hirst, who makes art from industrial materials, formaldehyde and dead animals in ways that both attract and repel, but ultimately engage, move us, make us talk.

It requires all of us as designers to rise to a next level of creativity and ingenuity; one that doesn't look for validation in focus groups, but begins and sustains a rich, real-world conversation; creates a new and worthwhile brand currency.

CG: What creative groups are already out front, thinking and working in this way?

SK: There are more and more that are breaking the old mold. Crispin Porter + Bogusky is one. Look at their work for Burger King, Ikea, Mini Cooper. Often it’s more an event than an expected campaign, and it creates starting points for conversations...that take on lives of their own.

Also Anomaly, which has the right business model to deliver this kind of compelling approach. A great example is outofyourleaguegirl for Converse. The paid-for media was just a small portion of the significant actual ‘distribution’ it achieved.

CG: Is B2B marketing a much different story than B2C?

SK: No. When you look at the most successful marketing in either category, you'll see it transcends all the usual statements about the product or service, and speaks to audiences’ real-life issues; seeks to inspire them where they live and work and think.

CG: So what about those who believe there’s nothing wrong with plain-vanilla marketing messages that are “well designed.” Are they out of synch?

SK: Yes, because this kind of marketing has little impact or credibility today; engages no one; builds no equity. Anyone selling this isn't serving their clients, or their own best interests. But some marketers and designers just don't know how (or why) to take any other path than the familiar one.

CG: How do you teach this to up-and-coming designers, like your students at Pratt?

SK: I start by helping them develop critical communication skills. I also push them to stretch their notion of creativity to include business thinking. Especially how to understand a client’s business, and marketing issues, and to see as their first and foremost goal solving those challenges.

CG: What distinguishes the best designers? What should clients look for? Or expect of them?

The best designers aren't distinguished by their design skills, but by their human skills: their capacity to listen, observe and analyze, and help create genuine connections that lead to lasting relationships.

This is what transforms our value as designers; and leads to entirely new insights and stories. This is what helps our clients succeed, in a marketplace where success revolves in an increasing way around the viral power of individuals' preferences. It cannot be bought, is has to be earned -- by the quality, originality and relevance of their stories, messages and other content.

CG: Thanks for your good thoughts, Sebastian.





Sebastian Kaupert is an inspiring thinker, creative director and design educator. His Brooklyn-based practice is Cradle Studios; his professional profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/sebastiankaupert

Reality Check Up

Is your story in excellent shape, inside and out? Diagnose how healthy, unwell or at risk it is, by giving it a proper check up, looking for telltale symptoms and treating issues including…

OVER OR UNDERWEIGHT?
Chubby or bloated stories put too much stress on readers’ systems. Slimmer is better. And those that are too thin – in character, or too slight on benefits – are even worse. Add calories and build more message mass; more muscle.

PRESSURE TOO HIGH?
When a story markets too hard, readers black out or back away. Don't force it: take care to convey thoughts and points in a low-or-no pressure way.

ACTIVE OR SLUGGISH?
Well worked-out stories move with vigor in the marketplace, and leave lethargic ones gasping for air. The best exercise programs include voice toning and rigorous editing.

HYDRATED OR DEHYDRATED?
Fluid stories are far more quenching than stories bone-dry in style or spirit.

BALANCED DIET?
Put all the right nutrients into a narrative, from premise and promise to relevance and openness, to enrich and energize audiences -- and satisfy their needs.

AND REMEMBER TO KEEP A FINGER ON THE PULSE
Actively observe the condition of your content, as internal and external realities change. And use a trained eye. It’s good preventive medicine.

Regular check ups will help ensure a story’s well being, and enhance the long-term fitness and vitality of the business.









www.tenowls.com
strategic story development

Leaping Off Points

It isn’t information that strongly engages and motivates people: it’s stories, ones with energy, thought, texture, longevity – and meaningful messages.

Giving audiences anything less than a real narrative puts you at risk of being boring, lifeless, uninspiring; and wasting effort.

STAND BACK
You can’t appreciate the full sweep of a landscape when you’re sitting in the center of it. Assume a higher and wider perspective: see how the company’s entire story will appear; will contrast with other stories out there; will fit into the overall business environment and social climate.

CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR
Personal outlooks and instincts have their place, but not here. It’s not about you: it’s all about the company and the purest possible embodiment and expression of its attitude, beliefs and voice.

OPEN SESAME
Ideas can become hermetically sealed, or held captive to one person’s thinking, and suffocate. Fling open the story-shaping to input from the strategists, writers, designers and others involved in the effort and the basis of your messages. Openly airing and hearing thoughts around the table is invaluable.

GET OUTSIDE
What the company’s outside world truly cares about – and doesn’t care about, are essential things to find out and factor in. Things you can’t assume or presume to know. Go and talk candidly with a cross-section of them, on their turf, about what matters. Everyone will benefit.

SYNCHRONIZE
Most companies tell their stories one way externally and another way internally. When you remove the difference, dramatic things happen. Conventional thinking moves to the back seat, and opportunities for new clarity, language and breakthroughs come forward.

STRIKE CHORDS
The best stories reverberate in the mind’s ear. Big Ben-like; Steinway Grand-like, between the lines. Find ways to strike deep chords with your audiences, ones that will echo long after their reading.

PRODUCE SPARKS
People want their imaginations to be inspired; their spirits to be stirred. Use animated, illuminated language, anecdotes and metaphors to ignite, intrigue and excite them.

GO WITH THE FLOW
A company’s story is a living thing. Allow it to be supple; to evolve with changing times and needs -- and keep it from becoming static, inflexible or stagnant.

LITMUS TEST IT
Stories that succeed strike the right balance on every level. As you develop yours, and before the ink dries, make sure it’s completely 1) clear, 2) relevant, 3) engaging, 4) believable and 5) compelling.

ENJOY THE RIDE
Freely interacting with diverse creative and business people to bring a story to life is a great pleasure in and of itself. It also leads to a richer process and a better outcome.








www.tenowls.com
strategic content development

Going from Black-and-White to Color

When The Wizard of Oz goes from black-and-white to color, the story springs to life all the more vividly; extraordinarily.

In the eyes of today’s audiences, many companies’ stories, images and messages are missing a richly individual character: a truly distinctive color, contrast, aura; personality.

Looking and sounding monochrome or mundane; or running with the herd is not only inadvisable but strategically suicidal, when people are fleeing sameness and clamoring for uniqueness.

Fortunately, otherwise lost or plain-vanilla identities can be brought to real life and living color. Partly by communicating with…

A One-of-a-Kind Voice. Anywhere, anytime you hear Sinatra or Elvis singing, or JFK talking, it can only be them. Each company can and should sound like no other when it “speaks.” Cultivate a singular voice.

A Decisive POV. Anyone with a strong point-of-view is more sharply defined in people’s minds and memories. Project personality by showing how intently the company thinks and feels about the world.

A Definitive Energy. Dynamic personas rivet attention; excite; engage. All content great and small should both embody and emanate a strong spirit, and a deep sense of passion and purpose.

And remember, it’s not about adding character, like varnish or veneer. It’s about finding and revealing the unique character that’s already there; that exists within. And infusing those qualities into the molecules of every communication, every message.

Building character takes boldness and brainpower, including the ingenuity of storytellers steeped in business and strategic thinking.

The rewards can be dramatic. Even cinematic.









www.tenowls.com
strategic content development

Authenticity Matters

How authentic is the company’s story?

Because the world is different. There's sky-high demand for businesses that say and do genuinely meaningful things…and low-to-no tolerance for those that pay little more than lip service.

Being true to the core, and to clients, customers, stakeholders and others is fundamental to companies’ success. Which makes authenticity a powerful engine, anchor, and beacon.

Inauthentic stories and messages are simply risky business. Pretending to be authentic is just as perilous. People sense what’s sincere; are sick and tired of spin; and have the power to ruin or revitalize even the largest reputation.

How to communicate authentically? It means marketing and selling from a true-blue place, a place of top-to-bottom integrity:

Creating a perception based on an actual -- not a virtual – reality. Audiences should be able to see and feel what makes the company tick, its ethic, outlook, intrinsic qualities.

Showing the genuine value the business is bringing to its marketplace. Qualify and quantify wherever possible the most relevant and competitive benefits.

Being open-handed. Candor is king, and transparency is a prized currency, so companies need to be as up front as possible in every communication.

Speaking to audiences’ vital concerns. Help them see and believe the company is on the exact same page, and pro-actively on top of their big issues.

Not claiming authenticity but proving it; reflecting it. Let it resonate and be revealed through the company’s actions and activities; illuminated by good, real-world examples.

With so much opportunity and risk riding on the faithfulness of your story, make sure you bring all the right thinking and skill to telling it.









www.tenowls.com
strategic content development

Brief Encounters

A creative brief is central to any truly smart communication. To put and keep everyone on the right page. Yet it’s often overlooked or underpowered.

As the road map, resource, prime fuel source for the messaging platform, writing and design, it deserves fierce attention. As does the quality and clarity of the briefing input -- and analysis.

How to gather the vital input? Go higher, deeper, farther.

Make the briefing as long as necessary to flesh out the story, to set the stage; especially the fine points.

Pose astute and thought provoking questions. Among other things, make sure you...

>look at the company and project from different levels & layers: from 40,000 feet up, and below the surface: from guiding vision to fundamental values

>define goals, practical and emotional angles, and desired opening & closing impressions

> cover all the bases; connect all the dots, including

• greatest strengths & weaknesses


• key challenges & opportunities


• seeing what candid outside input would be valuable to bring in, such as informally interviewing a cross-section of constituents

> establish the crux of the communication

• the single most important idea or sense to convey, and what will make it authentic, relevant, believable -- and compelling


• the ultimate promise to the audience
  

> fully profile the audience and their m.o., including their

• shared needs & expectations


• inflection points of interest & resistance


• urgent or underlying issues or concerns

Just as crucial to the process is how strategically, not just creatively, the resulting input is analyzed…and alchemized.

So why not take the time and opportunity to focus more sharply on the front end of your story. And transform lightweight or lackluster briefs (and the communications they’re piloting) into blockbuster ones.

www.tenowls.com
strategic content development