If you are working in the communications field in the Geneva region, you might want to check out our Networks page. There are quite some specialised networks for different areas of communications: web professionals, luxury professionals and those interested in CSR.
Communicating across multiple cultures is always a hot topic, particularly for those working in such a multicultural environment as Switzerland.
It was no surprise then, that when the question of communication differences between UK and US English arose last week on Melcrum’s Communication Network, it sparked a hot debate and a flood of phrases, terms, anecdotes and words of wisdom all relating to language and its correct usage.
Many of the network’s members also pointed out that it’s not just geography that can cause confusion in the workplace, stressing the ongoing need to stamp out business jargon and speak in basic terms to avoid unnecessary ambiguity in all corporate communications.
Following the popularity of this subject, you can now find a summary of the debate and its recommendations on the Melcrum Blog >
Melitta
The Financial Times recently published an article looking at internal newsletters and magazines and how they are being used within organisations during a downturn.
The conclusion is that corporate literature of this kind remains alive and well. And, while many firms are moving their newsletters online to cut costs and integrate dynamic technology into their communications, the printed magazine remains a staple for many others – helping them spread the Corporate word to disparate and remote teams.
The article also highlighted some of the current challenges for corporate communications:
Melitta
Intranets have the opportunity to play a front line role in corporate efforts to combat global warming. That is according to the Intranet Benchmarking Forum’s (IBF) latest brieifing paper: ‘The green intranet’.
The document provides organisations with 10 tips for using the intranet to combat climate change and build environmental practices. It draws on real-life examples from organisations including: IBM, Aviva, BT, Highways Agency, Nokia, Yahoo! and Sun Microsystems.
Here are the IBF’s 10 tips in summary:
Wikipedia is one of the World’s most important sources of information online, accounting for 8% of global internet traffic with around 60 million unique visitors a month. As such, it can play an important role in managing a company’s public perception and reputation – but recent research has revealed that firms are failing to actively manage these challenges and capitalise on the available opportunities.
The study by Lundquist, an international strategic communications consultancy, looks at how Italian companies are featured on Wikipedia and forms part of its research series examining how companies are taking advantage of new trends in web communications.
The study found that, despite having dedicated Wikipedia articles, information on most major Italian companies is generally limited, scoring on average just 8.4 out of a possible 18 points for completeness. One reason could be that companies have been scared off engaging with online communities following a variety of scandals involving corporate manipulation of Wikipedia articles.
Effective public relations with online communities has had proven success, however. Fiat, for example, has achieved high viewing figures for its corporate information on Wikipedia as a result of engaging directly with the site’s editors.
“The most important thing for companies is to realise that Wikipedia can boost their international profile,” said Joakim Lundquist, founding partner of Lundquist Srl.
Tips from the report include:
For more about the study and its findings, download the Executive summary >
Melitta
A recent YouGov survey of 524 white-collar workers in the UK, commissioned by financial comms agency Financial Dynamics, found that only 15 per cent of respondents felt that their employer had communicated news about job security “very well”, while 37% said communication had been poor or non-existent.
And the worrying statistics don’t end there.
Less than half (48%) agreed that they had a clear picture of their company’s performance – with the ‘rumour mill’ seen as a more trustworthy source of information than official channels.
And when it comes to leadership communication, only 28% of respondents said they trusted messages from their chief executive more than “a little”, and just one third have regular face-to-face time with their superiors. Yet a significant 81% said that face-to-face contact with their line manager was the most trusted form of communication.
Nadia Kelly, director of PR at Ask Jeeves, warned: ‘Too many companies have turned their attention to protecting their external reputations during the recession at the expense of their internal reputation. But the two need to be absolutely integrated, especially in uncertain times such as these.’
For more information, read the PR Week article >
Melitta
Half of employees are disappointed by their companies CSR performance according to a new study led by coaching, consulting and training company Krauthammer, the University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University of Rotterdam. One explanation for the split could be that some companies just aren’t communicating their CSR activities to staff well enough.
“CSR is needed, especially during an economic crisis,” said Professor Rob van Tulder from Erasmus University.
“The global economic crisis puts the spotlight on CSR in an almost perverse manner. On one hand everybody acknowledges that the causes of the economic crisis lie with a clear lack of CSR. On the other hand, it’s fiercely disputed whether the solution to the crisis entails stepped-up CSR efforts. In the end, the systematic nature of the crisis demands longer-term approaches involving all relevant actors.”
Four findings from the survey
For more information, download the Executive Summary or full report >
Melitta
Only 40% of full-time UK employees feel their company has a clear plan to withstand the recession, according to a new study by Threshold Communications, specialists in communication and behaviour change.
These figures are particularly important to business leaders as the research also shows that a link with productivity and morale. Of those who feel strongly that their company has a clear plan to withstand the recession 82% have considerably more enthusiasm in their day-to-day jobs and 86% feel committed to their organizations long-term success.
The research also stresses the importance of good manager/employee communications, stating that: “People don’t leave companies – they leave managers”. Key in this relationship is the managers ability to listen and respond to staff.
Other key findings:
For more information about the survey and its findings, see the full report >
Melitta
In October 2008, when the Financial Crisis was in full tilt, Lundquist Srl, a corporate communications consultancy based in Milan, surveyed 51 of the worlds most important banks to discover what information, if any, they were putting on their respective websites.
The research highlighted a growing gap between the demand and supply of corporate information. While users are increasingly turning to online resources for answers, on the whole banks are ignoring this important medium as a means of sharing key information.
Learning from the survey, Lundquist suggest that to effectively communicate online the following principles should be kept in mind:
A summary of the survey’s findings was presented earlier this year to the annual meeting of the world federation of stock exchanges Zurich. For more information, download a copy of this presentation >
Melitta
If you are a communications professional, please take a few minutes and participate in a global benchmarking survey designed to measure best practices in public relations measurement and management.
This survey builds on research undertaken five years ago. The results of the current survey will be presented at the First European Summit on Measurement, June 10-12 in Berlin, Germany.