COMMUNICATION  DIRECTOR Issue 3/2017 ASI A PACI F I C EDI TI O N
www.co mmunicatio n-d ir ecto r.co m
THE MAGAZINE FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Made to measure The personalisation of communications
This time it’s personal
Today, contemporary anxieties about privacy, the abuse of personal information and rampant commercialisation of the public sphere sit uneasily alongside our ready acquiescence in handing over private data for access to online products and services. Nowhere is this tension better embodied than in the current ubiquity of personalised communications – from algorithms that determine your Amazon recommendations to tailored emails in B2B marketing, data has empowered companies to personalise their messages at scale. The Issue Focus section of this magazine explores the how and why of data-driven personalisation, as well as the pitfalls and ethical implications. What is the business strategy behind personalisation and how can it be used to boost brand awareness and loyalty? How can we find the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track us and our interests? We’ve invited communications heads at major brands as well as experts in data mining to answer these questions. But personalised communications is more than a question of commercial branding: political parties also utilise personalisation techniques such as micro-targeting to get engage us with their ideas and persuade us to vote for them. We’re already living with the consequences of this fracturing of the political sphere: our interview with controversial US political strategist Vincent Harris brings us insights into this development from the front line.
DAFYDD PHILLIPS
Photo: Laurin Schmid
Editor in Chief
Brought to you by the Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors www.apacd.com
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
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REGULARS
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CAMPAIGNS
PR ESSENTIALS
#KEEPQUESTIONING
BOOKS
Agenda Setter
The personalisation behind your purchases
Melissa Fleming
Communications reader
Recent eye-catching communications campaigns
Customisation that builds brands
We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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New and upcoming titles for the communicator’s bookshelf
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APACD
LAST PAGE
Association
5 tips for...
Latest developments in the Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors
Quick insights into building internal relationships
ISSUE FOCUS: THE PERSONALISATION
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The personal touch
Analyse this
In order to retain and grow their customer base, businesses need to get personal with their consumers
How can organisations choose the right data-analysis strategy to suit their personalisation needs?
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A revolution in personalised marketing
The dark side of personalisation
“Micro-targeting allows you to scare people easier”
CEO leadership in a broken system
Can AI deliver on the promise of marketing: true personalisation at scale?
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Finding the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track our every move
The father of the Republican internet on Trump, Twitter and the pitfalls of online echo chambers
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
A more personalised, authentic approach to communications can help engage the sceptics
Photos: Keolis; Bernal Revert
OF COMMUNICATIONS
INSIGHTS
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Collaboration ver- Arts patronage 2.0 sus cooperation
Beyond the great firewall How China came to lead in digital innovation – and what it means for the communications industry
To encourage collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it’s time to unearth some old board games?
Brands and the arts: making creative partnerships work – trends, best practices and insights into successful collaborations.
26 “We’re looking to redefine the television experience” Azran Osman-Rani on challenger brands, start-ups and the future of video on demand
STRATEGY
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Designing a smoke-free future
Sparking conversations with VR
A reputation of truth
Curiosity-driven content
Why one cigarette company is communicating smokefree products
How cardboard virtual reality viewers can attract the employees of the future
Exploring the new scope of stakeholder engagement
What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it?
BEST CASES
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The power of breaking your own bad news
Going social with MaxConnect
Accelerated learning
When ANZ launched its first global enterprise social network, communications programme promoted a new way of working
Global companies include networks of knowledgeable experts: but how can companies identify these experts, access their knowledge?
Negative headlines, poor staff morale – sometimes shying away from negative stories just isn’t an option
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
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AGENDA SETTER
Henkel: customised glue When clumsy workers knocked lose the iconic beard of King Tutankhamen’s death mask during routine maintenance work, they hastily chose everyday epoxy glue to fix it back on – leaving visible marks and a crooked beard. Henkel immediately offered the help of its R&D experts to the restorers and developed a customised glue to fix the boy king’s beard back – while at the same time raising awareness of its ad-
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hesive business and ensuring good relations with authorities in an im-
Photo: Khaled Elfiqi
portant growth market for the German company.
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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
AGENDA SETTER
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AGENDA SETTER
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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
Event Horizon | presented in Hong Kong by the British Council, 2015| Photography by Oak Taylor-Smith
AGENDA SETTER
British Council: Event Horizon In order to encourage discussion and advocate for the role of public art in the cultural development of Hong Kong, the British Council presented Event Horizon, the most extensive public art project ever to be installed in Hong Kong. It encompassed a collection of 31 life-sized naked sculptured figures by Antony Gormley, with 27 installed on rooftops and four on street level. An award winning integrated public relations strategy, created and implemented by Sinclair Communications, achieved wide scale community awareness by using media stories, social media platforms, educational programmes, marketing
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collateral and stakeholder engagement to amplify the messaging.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
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#APCA17
CELEBRATE YOUR WORK
14 NOVEMBER
Live Jury Meeting 15 N OV E M B E R
Award Show www.communications-summit.asia/apca
#APCS17
2 Days
30 Speakers
Register now
AI CSR Crisis
Driving Post-Digital Communications Keynotes
Change Leadership Storytelling Fergus O‘Hare Facebook
Azran Osman-Rani iflix Malaysia
15-16 N OV E M B E R
2017
HARBOUR GRAND,
HONG KONG
www.communications-summit.asia
Alan Hilburg Hilburg/Malan
PR ESSENTIALS
THE PERSONALISATION BEHIND YOUR PURCHASES From cutting-edge algorithms to customised products, from major e-commerce companies to our favourite lifestyle apps, personalisation exerts a powerful pull on how we interact with brands. Here’s 10 of our favourite examples.
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N A R R OW I N G D OWN T H E C H O I C E N E TF LIX From its inception, Netflix has used data as an asset to personalise its relationship with customers and solve a problem faced by several content providers: the service has too much content so a viewer gets lost. When it launched an open competition for the best collaborative filtering algorithm to predict user ratings for films in 2006, it positioned itself as a thought leader in personalisation; in 2013, its decision to commission House of Cards was largely based on algorithmic insights that suggested its users would embrace a reboot of a BBC political drama starring Kevin Spacey and led by David Fincher.
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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
PR ESSENTIALS
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P E R S ON A L I S E D B OT T L E S C OKE It began in Australia in 2011, spread to Europe in 2013 and then the US in 2014,where it resulted in increased sales volume for the first time in four years. Designed to reach millennials, with each bottle carrying one of the most popular first names in that generation, semi-personal labels were soon added, such as “better half”, and this year the campaign was relaunched to include popular holiday destination “to remind people of the refreshment and great taste that only an ice-cold Coke can bring on a hot summer day”, according to an official statement.
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T H E PE RF E C T PL AY L I ST S P OT I F Y Has Spotify cracked the personalisation conundrum? With its hugely successful Discover Weekly feature, as well as the regular Recommended for You function. Edward Newett, the man behind what has been called “one of the most influential innovations in music”, described the algorithm to Wired magazine: “By trying to mimic the behaviour of all of our users when trying to put together their perfect mix, we can leverage Spotify’s two billion playlists, target individual tastes and come up with playlists that will be interesting.”
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MI C R OS I T E S A N D M A R K E T I N G M A I L I N G S IBE R IA A I RL I NE S In 2016, Iberia Airlines sent out emails to their customers posing the question: if you could visit any destination, where would you go and who would you go with? To answer, customers were directed to a microsite to fill in their responses and the email addresses of their travel buddy. The friend would then receive an email with a holiday greeting about the dream vacation – but to view the card, they had to first click a link to view in their browser. That last step is key: by enabling cookies to see the greeting e-card, Iberia Airlines made sure that the friend would be followed by banners across the web, suggesting the perfect gift – a dream vacation.
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FINTECH
BEYOND THE GREAT FIREWALL How China came to lead in digital innovation—and what it means for the communications industry. BY R AC HEL CATA N AC H
C
hina boasts the world’s largest
upper hand over the longer term . Star ‘wars’
population, its strongest econ-
is now data ‘wars’.
omy and its most mobile mar-
Big data will also enable brands to
ket. Not incidentally, it leads the
pivot from precision marketing to predictive
world in disruptive communications tech-
market, helping them combine context with
nology. Chinese internet giants such as Ten-
consumer insight to identify the right touch-
cent, Alibaba and Baidu are creating online
points to connect, at the right time and with
ecosystems so sophisticated that they are not
the right message. SY Lau posited that Big
just changing how people in China communi-
Data would replace the Big Idea as the mar-
cate, but how they live their lives. To under-
keter’s main currency of value. Whether cor-
stand these companies and the scale of their
rect or not, it was a provocative concept at a
domestic impact is to understand the future
festival that celebrates and rewards the best
of the communications industry – not only
of the best Big Ideas.
in China but further afield as well.
tions for granted, its digital dominance is a
success, in part, to the country’s population.
relatively new phenomenon. For 30 years, its
At the recent Cannes Festival of Creativity, SY
economy was fuelled by low-cost labour and
Lau, the chairman of group marketing and
investment in fixed assets: infrastructure like
global branding for Tencent, described how
roads, bridges and hospitals. Now that Chi-
its database numbers more than 900 million
na is reaching the limits of catch-up growth,
users. Many of these are people who use the
those two inputs are nearing the point of di-
company’s WeChat platform for everything
minishing returns.
from buying a Pepsi to making a doctor’s appointment.
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While we now take China’s innova-
China’s technology titans owe their
To find alternative sources of growth, the country’s leaders and innovators turned
The massive quantities of data avail-
their attention to science and technology. The
able to Tencent and other companies in Chi-
share of China’s economy dedicated to R&D
na give that market a significant strategic ad-
has tripled since 1998 and now accounts for
vantage. The space race that fuelled national
more than two per cent of China’s annual gross
ambitions during the Cold War has been re-
domestic product – a higher percentage than
placed by a similar, less public, race for glob-
the 28 member states of the European Union.
al supremacy. This time it’s being driven by
In addition to this favourable fund-
the opportunities provided by artificial intel-
ing environment, China’s digital entrepre-
ligence, big data and cloud computing. The
neurs have unexpectedly flourished under the
U.S. is currently winning, but China, by sheer
Great Firewall , which blocks access to foreign
dint of its data volumes, potentially has the
platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Quick
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
FINTECH
low the brand on WeChat. Retailers offering smart creative O2O initiatives to complement
to learn, they are creating indigenous digital ecosystems that enable people to chat, shop, game and bank online – you name it. Beyond providing platforms for e-commerce, the likes of Tencent and Alibaba are also investing in content such as music and movies, recognis-
“China’s digital entrepreneurs have unexpectedly flourished under the Great Firewall.”
sales marketing are the ones to watch. Burberry, for example, which is at the vanguard of the ‘see now buy now’ world, introduced selling direct from the runway in September 2016 with the fashion-conscious Chinese consumer in mind.
3. Experiencing is believing Chinese consumers want unique experiences and to try things for themselves. Augmented reality and virtual reality are two innovative
ing the opportunities presented by China’s
ways they can do this and these new technol-
new and growing leisure class.
ogies are becoming increasingly commonplace
As digital platforms have developed
in campaigns, with the aim of getting people to “try” before they buy.
so quickly in China, the communications industry has struggled to keep pace. Strategies
For example, e-commerce giant Aliba-
which succeed in London and New York are
ba’s Single’s Day is the world’s biggest e-com-
outdated in Guangzhou. Everything in China
merce shopping bonanza: last year in just 24
is now digitally led with e-commerce at the
hours, the company ran up $17.8 billion in
centre. While on the surface, many campaigns
sales, roughly the same as the entire country
seem highly tactical, designed to drive sales
of Spain‘s e-commerce sales in 2016, according
rather than build brand equity, they deserve
to eMarketer’s research. The event also made
more analysis. Here are eight trends from
headlines because it gave Alibaba’s millions
China today that every communications pro-
of customers the first complete virtual reality
fessional should expect to encounter soon in
shopping experience. They broke records yet
their home market.
again and many brands were privately saying behind the scenes that it was one of their
1. Customisation is king
2. Online to offline to profit
Chinese consumers like customisation and
In China there is more blurring of the on-
their expectations rise with every successful
line and physical worlds. The online-to-of-
campaign. Take Coca Cola’s global campaign
fline (O20) sector, where start-ups use QR
“Share a Coke” which was based on custom-
codes, apps, mobile payments and other digi-
While micro videos are gaining popularity in
ised coke bottles. In France, it was sufficient
tal tools to tempt shoppers to buy from phys-
other parts of the world, in China long-form
for Coca Cola to release bottles with 250 names.
ical stores or to purchase real-world servic-
video streaming has really gained traction.
For China, that was only the beginning. In its
es, is predicted to grow from US$335 million
And people can’t seem to get enough of it, no
first year, Coca Cola used nicknames like Su-
in 2015 to US$626 million in 2018 according
matter how mundane the content.
perstar or Dreamer, tapping into the social
to iResearch.
most successful promotions of 2016 in terms of driving sales.
4. Video killed the radio star (again)
Makeup brand Maybelline has seen
media culture of the time. In the third itera-
A consumer’s relationship with a brand
great results using the Meipai live stream-
tion the company customised bottles with fa-
is more entwined in China than in the West:
ing platform. Its Chinese brand ambassador
mous movie quotes. Adopting a more nuanced
Consumers engage with brands online dur-
Angelababy recently hosted a two-hour live
and targeted approach to messaging in China
ing the day at work, then they may use the
broadcast promoting lipsticks, which result-
paid off for Coca Cola. After the campaign,
store for a physical shopping experience and
ed in around 10,000 lipsticks sold for about
Chinese sales were up 4% by volume in 2014.
if they have a great experience they will fol-
US$220,000.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
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COLLABORATION
COLLABORATION VERSUS COOPERATION IN AN ERA OF CONNECTIVITY Do we really know collaboration? Or do we just think we know? Spoiler: it’s more than just the act of working together with someone. To define, encourage and improve on collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it’s time to unearth some old board games? BY R A J I V VA I D BASA I AW M O I T
Cooperation
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Collaboration
+
T
Collaboration can’t be turned on with the flick of a switch
hese days, one often hears that
timates made in 2012) that by 2020 we will be
“collaboration is the new black”.
more than four billion connected people, us-
I first encountered this phrase in
ing over 25 billion embedded and intelligent
2010 when the pharmaceutical in-
systems and sharing over 50 trillion gigabytes
dustry and the biotech industry argued for
of data. I will let that sink in for a second. We
more collaboration. We have of course come a
are not only entering an era of connectivity but
In principle any activity, when framed in the
long way since 2010. The tools of modern soci-
are entering an era of unprecedented connec-
right context, may lead to collaboration. How-
ety have changed – we are much more mobile
tivity in the history of humankind. This kind
ever, unlike cooperation, collaboration cannot
than before, data is much more accessible than
of connectivity is setting up demands for col-
be turned on with the flick of a switch. There
before and we are increasingly more connect-
laboration that are also unprecedented. How-
is a fundamental difference between collab-
ed. In fact, the International Data Corporation
ever, do we really know how to collaborate, or
oration and co-operation. In collaboration,
has predicted (and these are conservative es-
are we only cooperating?
partners have a mutual shared goal with a
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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
COLLABORATION
The idea of using simulations and games for
thing that is innate or easy to do, why train for
training is not new. For instance, in 1970 the
it in the first place? But as explained earlier, this
Financial Times released a “National Manage-
stems from the fact that most people mistake
ment Game” that successfully ran for 15 years
their cooperativeness (defined by friendly ges-
and involved more than 70,000 people. The
tures, willingness to share information, pleas-
game tried to simulate the day-to-day running
ant behaviour and so on) with collaboration.
of a business and train managers to manage fic-
The second observation also touches on hu-
tive balance sheets and handle competition. Pi-
man behaviour – coupled to an acceptance of
lots have long had to train for many hours on
dogma – that competition is always good and
flight simulators before flying passenger planes
that societies only advance by being competi-
on their own. Medical students are accustomed
tive. This is also reflected in traditional game
to training on cadavers or plastic patients that
design which defines games as “a system in
are pre-programmed with symptoms. So what
which players engage in an artificial conflict,
is new about using games for training today?
defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable
What has changed is the landscape and the com-
outcome” (to quote Katie Salen and Eric Zim-
plexity of games and the ease of accessing, de-
merman in Rules of Play: Game design Funda-
signing and using them. In the past, the entry
mentals. This understanding is also amplified
barrier for simulations had always been high.
by the concept of the Nobel-prize winning Game
Not so today. These days, thanks to technolo-
Theory, which, according to Wikipedia, is “the
high-degree of trust and a high level of in-
gies such as Unity, game design is much more
study of mathematical models of conflict and
ter-dependency. In a cooperation, on the oth-
accessible than ever before. Board games have
cooperation between intelligent rational deci-
er hand, the partners might be inter-dependent
also made a comeback and the board games
sion-makers” and which contrasts games as ei-
but they undertake the partnership with indi-
of today are very different from the simplistic
ther Zero-sum (‘I win or you lose’ logic) or non
vidual goals in mind. Thus, cooperation might
games of the past. They are complex, engaging
zero-sum (win-win or lose-lose logic).
deliver a shared outcome but is built on indi-
and very well designed. These “serious games”
Thus, according to traditional Game
vidual goals, whereas true collaboration deliv-
have established an identity of their own. Fur-
Theory, games fall into two categories: com-
ers on a mutual goal and shared value. Cooper-
thermore, the entry and evolution of gamifica-
petitive (e.g. chess and checkers) or cooperative
ation is comparatively easier to achieve which
tion defined as “the use of games/game-mechan-
(for example, Settlers of Catan). But there is a
is also why more examples of cooperation can
ics in non-game contexts” (Sebastian Deterding,
third genre: that of collaborative games (for ex-
be found than of collaboration.
Gamification: Toward a definition) has cement-
“Collaborative games need to have certain elements to boost collaboration.”
ed the central role of games and gamification
Gaming as a way to facilitate and train for collaboration
in society today.
Effective game design
True collaboration is a process (and thus can be
It should, however, be reiterated that a game is
learned), it is a mindset (and thus can be incul-
only as good as the design behind it. Needless
cated), and is essentially dynamic (i.e. it requires
to say, a game designed to ask the right ques-
flexibility). This is where games and gamifica-
tions will always deliver greater value than just
tion set in. Games designed with collaboration
a good-looking game. While games have en-
in mind require one to spend time with oth-
tered the 21st century and are more pervasive
ers engaged in an activity towards a common
than in the past, games designed for true col-
goal. This allows for trust-building which is an
laboration are still rather rare. The reason for
essential ingredient of collaboration. Anoth-
this can be multi-faceted, though two general
er important ingredient is a level-playing field
observations can be made. 1) The demand for
within a safe environment where players ex-
serious collaboration games is not very high; 2)
change ideas, opinions, strategies, perspectives
The history of game-design itself has often re-
and so on without fear of judgement –gaming
lied on competition as the main driver for en-
often creates this. Often these exchanges con-
gagement with the game.
tinue post-game and lead to real-world boosts
The first observation is rather easy to explain –
in collaboration.
as collaboration has often been viewed as some-
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
COMPETITIVE VERSUS COOPERATIVE GAMES ••
In a competitive game goals of players are diametrically opposed.
••
A cooperative game models a situation where two or more individuals have interests that are “neither completely opposed nor completely coincident” (John Nash) (e.g. Settlers of Catan).
••
But there is a third genre in games...
••
Collaborative games: Collaboration as a team differs from cooperation among individuals in that cooperative players may have different goals and payoffs where collaborative players have only one goal and share the rewards or penalties of their decisions. (e.g. Pandemic, Dungeons & Dragons)
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INTERVIEW
"WE'RE LOOKING TO REDEFINE THE TELEVISION EXPERIENCE" The 2017 Asia-Pacific Communication Summit, taking place in Hong Kong on November 15 and 16, features a line-up of communication trailblazers from across Asia Pacific. Among them is Azran Osman-Rani, business innovator and chief executive officer of iflix Malaysia, one of the region’s most notable ‘challenger brands’. We asked Azran about using strategic communications to pit challenger brands against established rivals, what corporates can learn from start-ups and the future of video on demand. I N T E RV I E W BY M AT T H I AS G U TSC H M I DT
F
rom your own experience with Air Asia X and now iflix, how would you characterise a challenger brand?
A challenger brand not only takes on existing incumbents who already have a dominant position in a particular market, but does so by challenging prevailing industry or market convention or long-held beliefs on what is or is not practical or feasible. Often, the value proposition of challenger brands are dismissed by both existing players as well as by customers who are already served by existing incumbents. They start because they identify segments that are below-the-radar, the latent demand from unserved or under-served segments typically ignored by incumbents. How do you use strategic communication to position a business to make sure it stands out from the crowd? Firstly, a very straightforward, clear value proposition, with one main selling point or a
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single product without any variations, tiers, packages that add clutter or complexity to the offering. Then repeating that selling point over and over again. Secondly, in the different communication touch points, emphasising the target segment is facing with existing incumbent products or services, and how our offering directly addresses these pain points. Thirdly, the authenticity covered in the next question. What’s the recipe to making a challenger brand like iflix authentic in its own right in the face of such well-established competition? While there are no magic-bullet recipes, we believe in the principle of authenticity of communication. Having us as leaders stand up and lead the brand from the front. We take every opportunity to speak directly, whether to the media, during events, or on our social media platforms. We cannot hide behind a brand but we bring the brand to live ourselves.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
And our communications must be real and not corporate-speak. Target users can gauge whether or not the brand's CEO (spokesperson) is connected or detached from his own experience. How do you go about building the right team to work on a challenger brand? And is this by definition much easier for smaller brands than big corporates? Building a team that scales (e.g, AirAsia X reaching 2,500 staff in six years and iflix reaching 650 staff in 2 years) requires structure. We codified and defined our values. And specifically, we have to define the attributes that we look for when we hire people (especially those who will take on roles managing others) and having a distinct culture fit interview process; we have a clear on-boarding process, and a performance management process that focuses on lots of constant, regular twoway feedback. It’s a lot of work, whether in a small or large organisation, and we see leaders
INTERVIEW
generally take culture for granted instead of giving it the same discipline and rigour as operations, marketing or finance. The numbers point to Asia Pacific being a leader in mobile digital communications and also a driver for innovation within the field. What do you think contributes to that? And what are the challenges presented by such a diverse region in terms of cultures and markets? Sheer numbers. Even if you exclude China and India, there is still another one billion people. They are entering the middle class for the first time, connected to the internet for the first time through the mobile phone. However, the challenge is that this is not a homogeneous group. There are different cultures, languages and consumer behaviours. Infrastructure (internet broadband, payment systems, logistics and so on) vary significantly and are usually under-developed in most markets. They require boots-on-the-ground to deal with these issues and connect with consumers, something that big global companies avoid because it’s just too difficult. What is the single most important thing a large scale corporation can learn from the start-up mind-set? And with so many start-ups crashing and burning before or shortly after their IPOs, what can startups learn from corporates? (a) Courage to try something new and unproven; (b) relentless focus on one specific product or segment, instead of hedging and having a portfolio of initiatives that dilutes time, attention and resources; (c) speed and agility to keep iterating and changing, and constantly learning; and (d) humility to know that whatever success today can be replicated by competitors quickly, so tomorrow its back to square one to find the next innovation to stay ahead of the game. As for what start-ups can learn from corporates, it’s (a) thinking big (global scale); (b) investing in growing the leadership bench beyond founders; and (c) cross-border communications and coordination. What’s the next big development on the horizon for the streaming video on demand business? We're looking to redefine the television experience, especially to create an experience that is superior to how someone could consume
“While there are no magic-bullet recipes, we believe in the principle of authenticity of communication.” television through an illegal pirated streaming service. That includes the level of personalisation, redefining the concept of a "channel", and creating a more socially immersive and community aspect to television shows that becomes "sticky".
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A Z RA N O S M A N- RA N I CEO, IFLIX MALAYSIA
In July 2007, Azran was appointed as the founding chief executive officer of low-cost long-haul airline AirAsia X. In 2015 Azran left AirAsia X and joined iFlix Group as its group chief operating officer and chief executive officer of internet television service iflix. He is also an investor and board member with financial tech services firm MoneyMatch, and chief executive officer and co-founder of health tech start-up Naluri Hidup Sdn Bhd.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
AS I A- PAC I F I C C O M M U NI CAT I O N S SUMMIT NOV E M B E R 1 5 - 1 6 2 0 1 7 H A RB O U R G RA N D H O N G KO NG
Truth be told, there’s a huge amount of noise and choice in Asia-Pacific communications. Mobile, digital, instant gratification - it takes more and more effort to tell resonating stories while simultaneously/at the same time encapsulate long-term goals. That's why we’ve assembled a core group of senior communication leaders, scholars and experts to join forces and engage in discussion. Together, we want to look beyond the digital horizon. How can Asia Pacific's communicators act as a driving force for more authentic and relevant communication? The Asia-Pacific Communications Summit is your one stop shop for learning about the focus and direction in which the communication sector is moving and to engage with key stakeholder groups across the region. Alongside Azran Osman-Rani , the Summit’s keynotes and main session speakers represent such organisations as Facebook, the Foreign Trade Association, HSBC; Polycom, the British Council, BASF, WWF and many more. Find out more about the summit at www.communications-summit.asia/apcs
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STRATEGY
DESIGNING A SMOKE-FREE FUTURE This year, PMI launched a new manifesto with the aim of building a future on smoke-free products that will one day replace cigarettes. After a decade of investment culminating in the launch of a new portfolio of smokeless products, the change in company direction and promise to shareholders has set a new tone for the tobacco industry – and a new era for PMI’s communications. BY TO N Y S N YD E R
I
have a question for you: how long will the
this number is projected to remain largely
causes or potential causes of smoking-related
world’s largest tobacco company still be
unchanged by 2025.
diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular
making cigarettes? That is a question we are trying to answer for ourselves. We do
not have the answer yet, but we know it will
Smoke-free products
come at some point.
disease, and emphysema. We have developed smoke-free products that heat tobacco without burning it and accordingly generate much lower levels
Our vision to one day stop selling
Cigarette smoke contains flavours from the
of harmful chemicals. With over $3 billion
cigarettes is unprecedented for a tobacco
tobacco blend, as well as nicotine that exists
invested in R&D to date, we now have a
company. Many will question our motives
naturally in tobacco leaves. It’s these elements
suite of non-combustible products, including
based on the distrust surrounding our
in the smoke that consumers enjoy while
e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products,
industry; others will wonder why we would
smoking. However, the very same burning
which have the potential to significantly
completely change our existing, very profitable
process that releases the tobacco flavors and
reduce individual risk and population harm
business model. The answer to this question is
nicotine also produces over 8,000 chemicals, of
compared to continued smoking of cigarettes.
simple, because we can and we should.
which about 1 per cent have been identified as
We are leading a full-scale effort to ensure
We understand the millions of men
reduced risk products ultimately replace
and women who smoke cigarettes. Those who
cigarettes – to the benefit of adult smokers
don’t want to quit are looking for less harmful,
and society, our company and shareholders.
yet satisfying, alternatives to smoking. We have the resources to meet that demand and thanks to the imagination and perseverance of many at PMI we have developed breakthrough products that are smoke-free and enjoyable. We are investing people, resources, time and money to develop further and assess the risk-reduction potential of these new, alternative products to cigarettes. The tobacco industry means different things for different people . For some it is one of the most reviled industries that exists. And
“The tobacco industry means different things for different people.”
This decision has set our company on a new path. Amid the many global trends today, technological innovation is transforming our industry. For commercial, ethical and public health reasons, PMI is leading this transformation. Nearly three million smokers have already converted to our new products, and this is just the beginning. In prioritising the development and commercialisation of these alternative products, we want to address the health impact of our combustible cigarette business
despite tobacco control efforts, the World
head-on, not only setting our company on a
Health Organization estimates that over a
new course, but also making a new contract
billion people currently smoke cigarettes, and
with society.
28
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
STRATEGY
relationship we have had with society has to move from the marketing of a brand to the embracing of a concept. And that requires a whole different set of messages, a whole different set of tools and a whole different agility to make sure we get traction. Our new website, PMI.com, typifies our
When was the last time you visited the
PMI website?
intent. Lots of companies go through website revamps, but an exercise to update our website had a profound effect. As a company, it
Find out more on the new
really helped us establish a new tone of voice,
pmi.com
clarity and simplicity of language designed to demonstrate our commitment to openPMI_Poster_DTP_.indd 1
15/12/16 11:58
Part of PMI’s new poster campaign to raise awareness of their relaunched website / Image: PMI
ness, transparency and honesty. It also represented a significant milestone articulating the company’s shift and vision.
Facing a deficit of trust
Therefore, we have a duty to engage and ac-
The messaging we use on PMI.com is
tivate society. We need to educate on the fact
more than just a style of writing. It is a way
that there is a role for an alternative. It is not
of being. We are coming from below zero to
just a quit or die conundrum. Harm reduc-
earn trust and credibility, and it is important
Let me explain the journey we are taking as
tion is a third option to address the health ef-
we are plain speaking and transparent. There
a company and the communications chal-
fects of smoking.
simply is no time for ambiguity.
lenges we face to build the necessary support
That is where communications has
to accelerate a smoke-free future. In 2017 we
become not just something to reiterate the
launched our manifesto, Designing a Smoke-
position of a company, not just something
Free Future, which we published in conjunc-
of positioning the image of the corporation,
tion with a refreshed website, PMI.com. This
but has become something that really needs
is a very public declaration of our vision for a
to be at the forefront of this disruptive, pos-
smoke-free future, promoting a world where
itive change in our industry.
every smoker has an opportunity to make a
Our commitment to a smoke-free fu-
better choice. In fact, we believe the solution
ture has started a conversation. We want to
of a smoke-free world will benefit all stake-
ensure there is a debate in society. We rec-
holders, from investors to society. But this will
ognise and accept that there will always be
require the transformation of our industry
people who are on a side that says: “you can-
and the disruption of our business models.
not trust the industry”. We know that there
The transformation that we are going
is a deficit of trust. Why should you believe
through goes far beyond the product itself. It
what we have to say? And yet we know that
is a transformation of who we are and who
the message is so important that we have to
we collaborate with. Unfortunately, not every-
do everything we can to make sure it comes
body feels that we have the right to do that.
across. We feel we have a duty to advocate for
To some we have no right in society to talk
what we believe is right.
about the solution because we are so much
Our old communication stance was
part of the problem. Also, we often run into
very much based on a belief that if we stuck
the misconception that smoking is already
our head up we would be shot at. We were
sorted. People don’t see many smokers nowa-
not heavily involved in a wider dialogue with
days. They are not hanging around in bars and
society. We did not need explain who we are
restaurants in the way they were decades ago.
and where we want to go.
It is important regulation is updated
Now, we are moving from the back foot
to allow smokers information on smoke-free
to the front foot, out of the shadows into the
products and provide access to these prod-
world at large. This requires a lot of internal,
ucts, but this is not enough. Treating reduced
cultural and behavioural change. We have to
risk products like cigarettes confuses people
start building new relationships, new chan-
and does not encourage smokers to try them.
nels, and working with different partners. The
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
TOBACCO MEETS TECHNOLOGY According to PMI, its most popular smoke-free products use its tobacco heating system IQCS: over 2.9 million consumers are reported to have switched from cigarettes to this product.
IQOS use electronics that heat tobacco just enough to release a nicotine-containing vapour but without burning the tobacco. The tobacco in a cigarette burns at temperatures in excess of 600°C, generating smoke that contains harmful chemicals. But IQOS heats tobacco to much lower temperatures, up to 350°C, without combustion, fire, ash or smoke. PMI claims that the lower temperature heating releases the taste of tobacco and that, because the tobacco is heated and not burned, the levels of harmful chemicals are significantly reduced compared to cigarette smoke. PMI have announced plans to make IQOS available in over 30 countries by the end of 2017.
29
ENGAGEMENT
SPARKING CONVERSATIONS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY To attract today’s talent it isn’t enough to highlight the work your organisation does. Potential employees want to know what it feels like to work in it. For this, Siemens found that a simple cardboard device came in handy. BY R O SA R I ER A
dress. These questions include: what does it
It is about how the people view the
feel like to be part of a team that worked on
organisation as an employer. In contrast to classic corporate branding,
employer branding is not primarily about an organisation’s products and services. Take my company, Siemens. We do some amazing stuff. Among other things, we are currently working on doubling Egypt’s energy production, finding ways to prevent malaria, making cities smarter and more eco-efficient, designing mobile, autonomous, and connected 3D printing robots and helping NASA explore Mars. In short, we are changing the world through engineering. Highlighting these things will help attract talent, for sure. But talent today has plenty of ways of finding out about a company’s portfolio: through ads, business news, events and many other channels. And the power of a portfolio as an attractor is waning, with talent becoming ever more interested in the deep-
“What really sparks an interest in our company as a potential employer is a presentation of the human side.”
this company’s products and services? What does it take to develop the products? How does delivering the services shape the working week? What were the challenges along the way? Questions like these often provide the best answers for interested prospects as to whether they might fit into an organisation. Recently, the need to communicate this more human aspect of working at an organisation has increased due to shifts in labour market preferences. Before we started to develop our own new employer brand, we put a lot of effort into trying to understand these shifts and the ways in which today’s internal and external talent markets are evolving. From this we gained valuable insights into what today’s labour market expects from employers, enabling us to develop our employer value proposition. An example of a recent shift in labour
er questions that even platforms like Glass-
market preferences is the one highlighted in
door or Kununu, where employees can review
a recent study by Universum, a specialist
their employer, often do not adequately ad-
in talent market intelligence and employer
34
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
Assembly instructions for a virtual reality cardboard viewer given to Siemens employees / Image: Siemens
E
mployer branding is about identity.
ENGAGEMENT
branding, which found that within Genera-
doing this, but knew that using technology to
tion Z, 55 per cent prefer the idea of found-
drive scale and, furthermore, selecting a tech-
ing or at least working for a start-up to that
nology that would by its very nature give em-
of working for an established player. For Siemens, these shifts have led to a decline in our attractiveness scores as an employer. Merely doing impressive things no longer automatically makes us the kind of place where a gifted engineer, data scientist or technologist might consider working. Although we have found that the preferencet for start-ups is often based on a misunderstanding of what is like to work for an established player, at the same time we have come to recognise that correcting this misunderstanding is more than a matter of presenting facts and figures. Data can, of course, point prospective employees in the right direction. But according to our research, what really sparks an interest in our company as a
“The rationale for choosing virtual reality is its immersive features and ability to transport people into another world.”
ployees and prospects something interesting and relevant to talk about, would resonate particularly well in an engineering company like Siemens. So, among other things, we decided to produce state-of-the-art virtual reality documentary videos featuring colleagues working in different countries and different businesses. We call these featured employees “Siemens Future Makers” because we want to highlight how they are able to put their unique experience, capabilities and expertise to use at our company not just to do a job but to contribute to making the future of engineering happen. The rationale for choosing virtual reality as a channel is based on its immersive features and ability to transport people into
potential employer is a presentation of the hu-
another world. This technology offers a com-
man side of working at it. In order to change
pletely new way of imparting what it is like to
people’s perceptions of working at a large com-
operate in a particular environment, such as in
pany like Siemens, we found that it is crucial
the work environment at Siemens. The series
that they connect on a human level and feel
of virtual reality documentary videos that we
something. This insight now forms the basis
have produced allows the audience to step into
for employer branding at Siemens.
the various different worlds of work inhabited by different Siemens employees around
The conversation principle
always at the human level and thus provide
the world. They enable prospective employ-
an important insight into what it is like to
ees to experience on a very personal level how
work at Siemens.
these employees spend the working day and
This conversation principle is influenc-
how the impact of their work on society mo-
We know that the most powerful way to
ing all of our employer branding activities. In
tivates them. The employees and stories fea-
find out what working at an organisation is
early 2017, for example, we relaunched siemens.
tured in these documentaries were selected
like is through speaking with someone who
com/careers, the second-most frequently vis-
in collaboration with colleagues from the re-
works there. And we know that the more our
ited website at siemens.com, restructuring it
spective countries to ensure that the content
world digitalises, the more a personal con-
around employee-driven stories that provide
is relevant and authentic and represents Sie-
versation with an old college friend or for-
an authentic look at what it is like to work
mens in the most insightful way.
mer colleague will stand out from a message
at Siemens. Our aim is to give potential can-
To ensure that the experience is scala-
carefully curated by a company department.
didates as unedited an account as possible
ble in practice we employed technology that is
This dialogue creates a much more person-
of what they can expect from Siemens as an
easy to use and easy to share. We created an
al impression of an organisation and helps
employer. We believe that, as long as we re-
app, Siemens 360°, for iOS and Android. This
convey its culture. This is why at Siemens we
sist trying somehow to inject corporate jar-
app, used in combination with the virtual re-
have introduced a new employer branding
gon or corporate messaging into the dialogue,
ality Google Cardboard viewers that, branded
strategy based on sparking conversations,
these conversations are the best tool we have
with our own logo, we were able to produce in
namely ones about the future of engineering
for spreading knowledge about what it is like
huge numbers at relatively low cost, is start-
and what it takes to get there.
to work at our company and the kind of cul-
ing to make it possible for pretty much an-
ture that awaits a new recruit.
yone around the world with a connection to
These conversations are not intended to take place on an abstract level between
And while developing the new strate-
or interest in Siemens to experience virtual
our company and the talent market. The aim
gy, we asked not only what content we could
reality and to do so within the context of the
is to spark a multitude of conversations with
use to spark these conversations but also how
Siemens employer brand. As with all our em-
society. They can be initiated internally or ex-
we could spark these conversations at scale.
ployer branding activities, the initial focus was
ternally. The important thing is that they are
We were pretty agnostic as to how to go about
internal. This was not just because we were
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
35
CONTENT
CURIOSITY-DRIVEN CONTENT What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it? The same curiosity that drives research at CERN has helped develop its editorial content, with findings from a study into how people react to CERN social media helping shape and adapt its content. A few useful tips for crafting digital content and improving engagement. BY KATE K A HL E
C
ERN, the European laboratory for
1. Education: to begin a journey, using social
weeks of data across five of CERN’s social media
particle physics, is home to the
media to link back to the website to encourage
channels. Each social media post in the study
Large Hadron Collider, the larg-
people to find out more; 2. Engagement: to foster
including an image, resulting in 214 posts in
est machine in the world. CERN
engagement and form an online community
total, of which 94 were newsworthy and 120
research is a global endeavour and the world
of stakeholders interested in the laboratory
wide web was born at the laboratory. In 2012,
and its work; 3. Marketing: to retain positive
CERN announced the discovery of a new parti-
sentiment towards the laboratory. By keeping
cle, known as the Higgs Boson and nicknamed
the sentiment positive and handling the negative
“the God particle” by the media. But a Higgs Bo-
sentiment constructively by responding as
son discovery doesn’t come along every day, so
appropriate to questions or concerns, CERN’s
how do we develop regular, engaging content?
strong brand identity is retained.
The editorial content development section
As well as creating and sharing content
includes the writing, web and social media teams.
about the latest advancements in particle physics
We source stories, craft written content and work
(CERN’s raison d’être), we also have regular social
with designers, photographers and videographers
media posts to share more stories and showcase
to showcase CERN in the best possible way. Our
engaging photos, with each post linking back
editorial content is just part of our communication,
to the CERN website. Every Thursday, we
education and outreach offerings, which are all
have a throwback Thursday post highlighting a moment in CERN’s history. Every Friday, we post a photo and ask people to guess what it is by adding their comments, then each Monday we post the answer with a link to find out more.
Testing our content
were simply attractive historic or quirky images.
Being surrounded by curiosity-driven research
Across these 214 posts, we identified 35 high-
at CERN, with scientists asking questions
engagement items and looked closely at these
about the fundamental building blocks of
to see what we could learn from them.
our universe, we can’t help but apply similar
For the highly engaging news items,
curiosity to our content creation. As a way
audiences reacted by liking, commenting, sharing
of testing whether our social media strategy
and clicking-through, but spent very little time
was effective, I collaborated with academics
on the webpage, quickly consuming the content
from Israel to publish a scientific study in 2016
and moving on. Interestingly though, of the 35
entitled Footprints of Fascination: Digital Traces
high-engagement items, more than half were
guided by our communication strategy. As a
of Public Engagement with Particle Physics on
not news-related but instead involved beautiful
component of this, CERN social media has three
CERN’s Social Media Platforms, available via
or surprising images. The power of imagery on
main strands to its strategy:
http://cern.ch/go/plos. We investigated eight
social media can work for organisations for
38
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
CONTENT
“Social media gives nontraditional opportunities to directly engage with the public.”
the same Twitter post in English and in French,
numbers when comparing #InTheory to
the English-language followers had all the
all CERN mentions on social media, there
information they needed in the tweet so were
were moments during the campaign when
less motivated to click-through. Whereas the
more people were talking about #InTheory
140-character-limit made the French tweet
than CERN. And did we keep people on the
a more enigmatic “clickbait”, with readers
website longer? Well, the final moment of
intrigued to find out more, resulting in 2.5 times
the #InTheory series saw the average time
the average click-throughs.
on the website increase from roughly two
Tailoring content to a specific audience
minutes to 14 minutes!
also led to higher engagement, be it a beautiful
Social media gives non-traditional
detector image shared with the visually minded
opportunities to directly engage with the
audience of Instagram or French Twitter users
public . We can convey the same message
being led to a whole publication of content in
with different packaging, to make it more
their native language and spending longer on
accessible and less formal. For example, each
the site by clicking through multiple stories.
year we prepare an April Fools fake news
A human focus is one of the most
story and in 2015, our Star Wars inspired
established attention-grabbing features in the media, and this is no different for a science-minded audience. One of the biggest stories during the data-taking period was the
marketing, engagement and education. We also
announcement that Fabiola Gianotti would
found that when social media took visitors to a
become director general of CERN. The comments
webpage including a video or virtual tour the
discussed different aspects of her identity as a
visit duration increased, especially when the
scientist, an Italian and a female, they related
video was placed further down the page and seen
to her and congratulated her on a personal
after reading the text. Retention also increased
level. In another example, a Facebook post took
when viewers were led to playlists where they
people to a series of stories written in the first
could click to watch additional videos.
person. Although the click-throughs were not
Social media posts with a higher than
higher than average, those that did click were
average number of comments were often due
engaged in the history and kept clicking further
to discourse in unexpected directions, with
to read the full long-form article.
the discussion dominated by arguments about unrelated, user-introduced topics. Social media provides a space for more engagement, but gives organisations less control of the message. What can be controlled is how the comments
The human touch, humour and help
are addressed, either with a suitable response
April Fools story – CERN had discovered “the force” – resulted in 26.5K engagements
or by enforcing a comment policy. CERN’s for
The scientific study awakened our curiosity
on social media. Although not something
example is “CERN welcomes your comments
to test these trends even more. In particular,
we can do every day, these jokes do give us
and will moderate them using these guidelines:
we wanted to test human-interest stories and
an opportunity to tap into the lighter side of
Please keep comments relevant. Irrelevant,
whether they kept readers on the website for
science and strike a chord with our audiences.
inappropriate or offensive comments may be
longer. It was time to tell stories. In 2016, we had
CERN is part of a scientific community
deleted. Stay on topic. Other readers expect the
two series of long-form articles that showcased
so it’s important to collaborate on social media
comments about a post to deal with the topic at
theoretical physicists and experimental
with other organisations and laboratories. We
hand”. Thus, where comments are concerned, it is
physicists: #InTheory and #InPractice. Then
use our platforms to showcase the successes
important to read the content and tone carefully
in 2017, we launched #IWorkAtCERN, which
of others from congratulating the Physics
to really understand the effectiveness of a post.
began with the International Day of Women in
Nobel Prize winners, to highlighting the
Language played an unexpected role in our
Science but then went wider with more posts
gravitational waves discovery of LIGO. We
high-engagement items. CERN is a bilingual
to highlight different professions at CERN. We
also use #FollowFriday to highlight the
English and French organisation and although
wanted to highlight the people behind the science
worldwide particle physics research taking
our social media platforms are predominately
and showcase diversity around CERN, as well
place in national physics laboratories. As
English-language we do have a @CERN_FR
as keeping the audience on the website for
CERN scientists are strong ambassadors, we
Twitter account in French. When comparing
longer. What we saw was that despite lower
encourage them to use social media and have
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
39
INTERNAL
GOING SOCIAL AT ANZ WITH MAXCONNECT When ANZ launched its first global enterprise social network, it was a major step forward to achieving its goal of being a leading social-enabled enterprise in financial services. To shift behaviour and enable business success, a communications programme promoted a new way of working by being more open and social than ever before. BY R ITA ZON I U S
done in the depths of your email mail-
Tangible value
box, taking the step to open up and work visibly can be daunting. In an increas-
While an ESN may have been a logical step
ingly social business world, enterprise so-
for ANZ to take at the time, it was not always
cial networks (ESNs) are gathering momen-
an easy road to travel. We found no matter
tum, changing the way everyone works, for
where around the globe we went when talk-
the better.
ing about the project the conversations we
Many large organisations have tools
had with our people focused on culture. Spe-
to manage the ebb and flow of lots of infor-
cifically, was ANZ ready to welcome the in-
mation. Your people will either help or hinder
formal and non-hierarchical nature of enter-
the flow and we’ve all worked with sharers,
prise social networking?
hoarders and people with styles somewhere in between.
An early analysis of the enterprise social industry, other companies using enterprise
MaxConnect poster
I
f you’re accustomed to getting things
Two years ago at ANZ we took a leap
social, ANZ staff surveys and focus groups,
of faith when we rolled out the company’s
showed an ESN could enable greater connec-
first-ever ESN, MaxConnect, to more than
tivity among our people and form a vital part
55,000 of our people around the world. The
of ANZ’s digital workplace. Benchmarking
good news is we turned it on and the world
research into similar companies around the
kept on turning. In the meantime, the pro-
world uncovered case studies demonstrating
ject was an outstanding success. As work-
ESN use provided benefits such as productivi-
place communications evolved, it became
ty improvements, streamlined executive com-
clear ANZ needed to become a more socially
munications and problem solving, while an
our people. For example, we had senior lead-
enabled business. We needed to improve the
internal communications audit of our own
ers who understood the business case for a
way our people interacted across geographies
showed a strong appetite for an internal so-
new way of working with enterprise social,
and businesses to solve problems, drive col-
cial tool to help people do their work.
but also doubters, worried our people would
opportunities of introducing MaxConnect to
laboration, improve productivity and facilitate
We knew from this legwork however
multi-directional, authentic communication.
simply ‘switching on’ an ESN would not be
We learned through our research com-
Fast forward in time and MaxConnect
enough. It was critical the strategy supporting
munity managers are integral to the success
has been welcomed as a key business tool,
the introduction of MaxConnect cause a shift
of online communities, but without enter-
with the communications program behind
encouraging our people to embrace a different
prise social, ANZ didn’t have any communi-
it helping to change work habits, drive adop-
way of working and generating business value
ty managers.
tion and ultimately deliver tangible business
– being more open and social than ever before.
While our people wanted mechanisms
At the outset, stakeholders from across
to enable more collaboration, there was a risk
Today, more than 70 per cent of staff have
ANZ’s businesses and functions were brought
our people wouldn’t come to grips with the real
used our ESN, connecting with peers and sup-
together to help define the use and scope of
benefits of MaxConnect in the face of compet-
porting one another to find the answers they
an ESN. A change management assessment
ing priorities and workloads. Introducing our
need to do their jobs.
also helped uncover the impacts, issues and
ESN was going to be an issues-rich challenge.
value for ANZ.
44
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
do the wrong thing.
INTERNAL
Lifting off While we wanted to create an open and collaborative environment for our people in MaxConnect, we did take steps to establish a governance model and request process for key communities. This was to ensure important communities were actively managed by trained community managers and operating with clear and compelling objectives. This process prevented duplication of communities,
“The fear of ESNs – worrying people will waste time, wondering how we control what’s posted and so on – is linked to a fear of change and the unknown.”
replication of ‘old’ business silos and facilitated greater collaboration. At this stage, we also set about tapping into ANZ’s existing communication channels to recruit MaxConnect Champions. They would act as our arms and legs
and planning a very social, visible launch of
on the ground, helping build enthusiasm
MaxConnect at ANZ’s head office and in our
for a new way of working right across ANZ.
key locations around the world.
Not ‘launch and leave’
With these building blocks in place, we
A range of training options were de-
Following launch, we continued with regular
turned our attention to training, education
veloped for different user groups, including
training webinars and instituted a commu-
an online training module for community
nity manager education program, to encour-
managers, key user training sessions, FAQs,
age our people to build a habit of using Max-
Quick Reference Guides and infographics.
Connect regularly.
In the design stage of MaxConnect, our internal digital communications team devised a communications program which would drive a new way to work with enterprise social focused in four areas: •• Leveraging senior leaders across the bank as role models leading the shift towards a new way of working. •• Establishing compelling business use cases delivering clear business value through ANZ’s use of enterprise social.
A communications campaign flagged
Ongoing communications and real suc-
the upcoming arrival of MaxConnect. Launch
cess stories emphasised how incorporating the
events were held in more than 20 locations,
use of MaxConnect in the workday was help-
including kiosks, a staff competition, all-staff
ing our people to solve business pain points,
email and dedicated intranet site. The roll-
crowdsource ideas, find experts and save time.
out of MaxConnect was progressive, making
External industry thought leaders were also
the most of existing communication channels
engaged to provide their perspectives on the
and meetings to make it easy for our people
benefits of enterprise social, knowledge shar-
to learn about and use the tool.
ing and ‘working out loud’.
•• Creating a groundswell of support for our ESN through a network of champions to help educate and inspire others. •• Building strong participation in MaxConnect and turning staff into confident users of enterprise social.
MaxConnect-screenshot
•• invests in establishing a true creative partnership, they should also put sufficient effort into telling its story. Digital media provides many opportunities to engage the public in a conversation about art and culture and gives them a deeper experience of creative collaborations.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
45
#KEEPQUESTIONING
#KEEPQUESTIONING
MELISSA FLEMING In the face of public apathy, can one human story illuminate a large-scale crisis? We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
52
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
#KEEPQUESTIONING
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
53
#KEEPQUESTIONING
“Communicators who speak about people as statistics might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster change and inspire action.”
W
hen 19 year old Doaa and her boyfriend Bassam, Syrian refugees trapped in a grinding existence in Egypt, handed over all of Bassam’s life savings to refugee smugglers for a journey on a rusting fishing
boat, little could they have imagined the horrors that lay ahead. After their boat was attacked and left to capsize in the Mediterranean,
Doaa – but not Bassam – was finally found by rescuers after four days in the water, one of just 11 people who survived from the boat. How do we know this? Because Doaa’s experiences before, during and after these harrowing events have found a storyteller – Melissa Fleming, head of communications for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – who developed Doaa’s narrative into an online article, then a Ted Talk, then a book... and soon a major motion picture produced by Steven Spielberg. In the first of our new series of #keepquestioning interviews, we invited communication professionals from across Europe to put their questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about the strategy behind UNHCR’s storytelling, the fight against apathy and their long-term vision for supporting refugees.
Melissa Fleming on stage at the 2017 European Communication Summit / Photo: Bernal Revert
54
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
#KEEPQUESTIONING
Helen Palmer Strategic Media Director, Weber Shandwick: “The stories you have told are heart rending and it is hard to comprehend how people could be unmoved by them. However, apathy and prejudice about refugees still persist. How do we reach and move those people who will never watch a TED talk or read a newspaper account of a refugee’s story?” We are doing audience research in a number of key countries to determine people’s attitudes toward refugees and also where they get their information. We also test how various Karin Helmstaedt Television and Event Presenter:
groups respond to certain messages. This allows us to decide
“You’ve taken Doaa’s story a long way: it's become a book and
not just whom we should target but also with what kind of
it is going to become a film. Yet this story will also run its
news and stories, via which medium and how we want them
course, it will reach a point of saturation. Do you have other
to respond. We are trying to move away from just preach-
stories in the pipeline to replace it when you need to make
ing to the converted and working to reach the undecided
the next assault on the lack of empathy?”
and anxious middle. People who care about a fair society,
It is amazing to me how Doaa’s story has not run its course,
human rights and helping people in need but who have very
but actually keeps resonating with new audiences. If I accept-
legitimate worries. We don’t bother trying to convince the far
ed all the speaking requests I am getting, I could be telling her
right who operate on a platform of hate toward migrants and
story full-time around the world! But yes, there are so many
refugees.
other important refugee stories that I and my team are committed to telling. To build empathy, these stories must show
Kathleen Noonan Director of Philanthropies and Education
the person’s resilience, and also that there is hope. For one, a
Communications, Europe, Microsoft:
young Yazidi woman from Iraq recently reached out to me
“In the past, UNHCR worked closely with celebrities and ambas-
wanting me to tell her story. She and her two younger sisters
sadors to draw attention to specific programmes and crises. You
were kidnapped by ISIS and held as sex slaves. She managed
are now expanding beyond that approach and doing innovative
to escape after two years in horrific captivity and get resettled
partnerships with Humans of New York and working with vir-
to Canada. But her sisters are still enslaved.
tual reality to draw attention to the Syrian Refugee crisis. Why have you made the decision to shift your storytelling strategy,
Ivo Banek Managing Partner, Communication Works:
and how you have implemented it?”
“How do you balance empathy and the professional distance
We haven’t fundamentally shifted our strategy – we are still
you need in order to be credible as a communicator?”
working with traditional media and with celebrities as Goodwill
In my field, if you don’t feel empathy yourself with the refu-
Ambassadors. But we have expanded our reach through other
gees you are representing, then you will have no credibility.
partnerships. Your Humans of New York example is a good
As the saying goes, “statistics are human beings with the tears
one. We reached out to Brandon Stanton when the U.S. gov-
dried off.” Communicators who speak about people as statistics
ernment and media were expressing concerns about resettling
might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster
Syrian refugees. We arranged for him to meet with refugees in
change and inspire action. That is why I travel frequently to
Jordan and Turkey who were scheduled to depart for the U.S.
war zones and refugee camps to meet refugees and learn about
His photographs and storytelling generated an enormous wave
their circumstances. That said, taking in refugee stories can be
of sympathy and funds. One of the refugees, a Syrian inven-
overwhelming too. You feel a kind of secondary trauma, which
tor, was even invited to the White House and seated next to
can cause a lot of stress and feelings of guilt. So it is important
Michele Obama for the State of the Union address. We have
to recognise how lucky we are to live in a peaceful place, to have
also recently partnered with Google to create this innovative
passports, to have a home and to be able to chose where we live.
website, Searching for Syria which shows Syria then and now.
Only then can we have the strength to help others.
Media partnerships are absolutely crucial to getting our message out and placing our content.
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017
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ISSUE FOCUS
The personalisation of communications 60
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The personal touch
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