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First annual multi-stakeholder conference on global energy in Geneva

Energy Pact , the fiirst annual multi-stakeholder conference on global energy, environment and development issues is being held in Geneva – from 16-17 March 2009.  Some further information:

Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany, will chair the Conference. Speakers with different backgrounds and expertise will include Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, GholamHossein Nozari, Oil Minister of Iran, Gary Ross, CEO of PIRA Energy, a world-renowned energy market specialist, Ashok Khosla, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and President of the Club of Rome, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Co-Chair, International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, academics from MIT and Harvard as well as visionaries such as Johan Galtung and the Swiss aeronaut Bertrand Piccard.

More information and registration>>

By | March 5th, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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Communicating your way through a recession

Despite being written one year ago, the HBS article, ‘Marketing Your Way Through a Recession’, is still relevant today. In the piece, professor John Quelch explains that the is key is to marketing during a recession is understanding how the needs of your customers and partners has changed, and adapting your strategies to the new reality.

Much of what Quelch imparts in his article is as relevant for those in communication, as it is for those in marketing:

Research the customer. Preferences have changed, and so communicating successfully with your audience will rely on understanding their new needs. This will also help you target clients more effectively and not waste any of your time, energy or spend.

Focus on Family Values. During hard times, people spend more time at home and focus their attention on those closest to them, therefore images of homely scenes will have a big impact as people seek to be comforted.

Maintain communication spend. Now is the time to negotiate great rates and lock these in for the long-term. By maintaining strong communications with your customers now, you will have a greater chance of gaining market share at low cost, as well as gaining a lasting an edge over the competition.

Know your plans well. Understanding your current strategy well will help you to eliminate those areas that are weak and adapt your strategy to the current climate without affecting outcomes.

Support your partners. Everyone is struggling, but by working together with your partners, you may be able to find new and better ways of achieving your goals, whilst simultaneously building strong relationships that will help you survive the downturn.

Emphasize core values. While lay-offs may be inevitable, now is the time to cement the loyalty of those who remain by assuring employees that the company has survived difficult times before by maintaining quality rather than cutting corners and focusing on existing and key customers. CEO visibility will be key. 

Read the original article >

Melitta

By | March 4th, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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IABC event: Branding Crunch

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is holding a networking and seminar event on Wednesday 18 March titled:
‘Branding crunch: keeping your  brand alive during a recession’, one of the toughest communication challenges today.

At the event, you will hear from a leading marketer – Ago Cluytens, Global Head of Marketing, Private Banking, ING Bank, and have the opportunity to network with other attendees.

Event details:

Time: Networking starts 18.30, seminar starts 19.15, close 21.00  

Venue: Hotel Bristol, 10, rue du Mont-Blanc, 1201 Geneva 

Price:  IABC Members CHF 25, non-members CHF 35 

To register or for more information email Marcus Ferrar, President, IABC Switzerland:  marcus@ferrar.ch.

By | March 3rd, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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International Women’s Day – Women Leading Change

For International Women’s Day, Wednesday, 04 March 2009,  Geneva Women in International Trade is organising a roundtable on “Women Leading Change – Traction for Trade”:

Leveraging the unique concentration of female talent in Geneva – members of this interactive panel will explore how they create impact from the local to global levels, through leading change.  The event aims to draw us together around leadership in achieving women’s economic empowerment through trade.  Opportunities for engagement will be shared during the session with time for follow-up during the cocktail and networking hour.

Panellists:

Patricia Francis – Executive Director – International Trade Centre

H.E Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, Ambassador and Head of World Trade, Switzerland

Myret Zaki, Head of Finance Edition, Le Temps

Richard Newfarmer – Special Representative to WTO and UN – World Bank

Moderator:

Ania Jakubowski – President – Geneva Women in International Trade

Further information and registration>>

By | March 2nd, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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Bring Authenticity/Audience Perception to Social Media

Another look at our current ‘Hot Topic’ this time in an interesting piece by Mary Cullen. She believes that the open nature of Social Media will encourage people to improve the quality of their communications and be more authentic in the way they interact with their audience, which will, in turn, have a positive impact on the quality of social media in general. Read the full article >

Melitta

By | February 28th, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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Roundtable – manage your reputation in times of crisis, 5 March

On Thursday 5 March, SRRP are organising a roundtable (in French) on the theme of “Managing your reputation in a times of crisis”. Our very own Vincent Lusser will be speaking at the event.

En période de difficultés économiques, le défi pour les spécialistes RP est de trouver un moyen pour communiquer le juste équilibre entre objectif et performance, rétablir la confiance des principaux actionnaires et renforcer la réputation des entreprises.

Dans le cadre de cette nouvelle réalité économique, Burson-Marsteller vous présentera les résultats de l’étude Purpose&Performance menée dans 11 pays à travers l’Europe, parmi lesquels la Suisse, auprès de 200 dirigeants d’entreprise et faiseurs d’opinion influents: PDG et présidents, représentants du gouvernement, journalistes, ONG, professionnels de la communication en entreprise et universitaires.

Cette présentation sera suivie par une mise en perspective et un partage d’expériences, avec notamment la participation de Vincent Lusser, Chef de la communication interne du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR), Genève.

La soirée se poursuivra autour d’un apéritif par une discussion ouverte.

Further information and registration>>

By | February 27th, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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Genevacom workshop at lift09

Thank you to all the participants who attended our workshop at Lift yesterday. It was a very interesting discussion. Here are the slides summarizing some of the major points. 

Lift09 Networking Workshop Slides   

Stay tuned for some photos and video coverage of the session.

Enjoy the rest of the Lift conference!!

Patricia

By | February 26th, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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The corporate silo lives!

A recent working paper from Harvard Business School has revealed that despite the efforts of many organisations to break down internal boundaries, the corporate silo is still alive and well.

For the report, titled: Communication (and Coordination?) in a Modern, Complex Organisation, the authors spent three months analysing communications between staff within a large unnamed company with more than 100,000 employees.

The team was taken aback by the lack of communication across the organisation. They found that most people tended to communicate with others in their own group or with peers. With women being one of the few exceptions.

Although the research doesn’t try to answer why corporate silos are so difficult to tear down, the authors hope that the data will help managers understand, pinpoint, and remove bottlenecks within their own organisations.

Key concepts from the report include:

  • Inside the studied company, practically speaking, little interaction occurred across three major corporate boundaries: business units, organisational functions, and office locations.
  • Communication patterns were extremely hierarchical: Executives, middle managers, and rank-and-file employees communicated extensively within their own levels, but there were far fewer cross-pay-grade interactions in the firm.
  • Junior executives, women, and members of the salesforce were the key actors in bridging the silos.
  • Relative to men, women participate in a greater volume of electronic and face-to-face interactions and do so with a larger and more diverse set of communication partners.
  • Server logs can provide valuable information to managers on communication flows within their own organisations.

Read more in a Q&A with co-author Toby E. Stuart >

Melitta

By | February 24th, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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LIFT Conference in Geneva – 25-27 February

This week the infamous Lift conference will be held at the CICG in Geneva from 25-27 February.  For those who haven’t signed up, you may still be able to get a spot.

“Lift is a series of events built around a community of doers and thinkers who get together in Europe and Asia to explore the social impact of new technologies. Each conference is your chance to turn changes into opportunities, by anticipating the major shifts ahead, and meeting the people who drive them”

The GCN will be organising a workshop on Wednesday 25 February at 16h. For more information about the conference or to follow some of the presentations online check the website:  www.liftconference.com

By | February 23rd, 2009|Other events|0 Comments
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Social networking with baby boomers

An interesting article in The New York Times of 20 February on:

Baby Boomers, Luddites? Not So Fast.

It’s probably safe to say that Whopper Sacrifice, Burger King’s impish Facebook campaign that offered users free burgers in exchange for dropping 10 friends, wasn’t aimed at retirees. But maybe it should have been.

A recent report from Forrester Research indicates that while it might be tempting to categorize all aging Americans as techno-dinosaurs and Luddites, more than 60 percent of baby boomers are avid consumers of social media like blogs, forums, podcasts and online videos. That’s up from roughly 40 percent a year ago.

Read complete article >>

By | February 21st, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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