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Archives for 2009

Words and How “Live Blogging” Can Affect Your Corporate Sales

Words are very powerful. The things we say can bring lots of joy…or not so much joy. Our words have the power to change nations, change the lives of people and carry the ability to shape the future, simply with the words that we speak.  Sounds poetic, doesn’t it? However lofty sounding it may be, it is true.

Basically, the things that we say and write, and the things that are said and written about us, make a difference. They can often make such a significant difference in our businesses world that it is well worth the effort to take the time to ensure that what’s being said is at least accurate. Although there is no way to completely control what the opinions of others are (and you shouldn’t want to), what you can do is to ensure that 1.) the facts are presented, 2.) there are no unanswered questions or ambiguous thoughts and 3.) you don’t actively contribute to the speculation pool of gossip with your actions.

Just how powerful are words? Imagine having your every word typed immediately onto a platform that allows the world to instantaneously know what you’re saying. Imagine that even your funny stories, uhm’s, ahh’s and bad jokes are all on display for others to edit, discuss and dismiss. Now imagine having all of that affect your bottom line.

Live Blogging

A while back, I blogged on the idea of corporate media live blogging and just recently did a search to see how popular this idea was/is. It is quite popular. Live blogging implies just what the name suggests – – Live Blogging. Blogging while you are right in the middle of an event, a speech, a workshop or seminar. A live blogger or a live blogging episode allows the writer to instantaneously relay information as it happens. The cool part about this type of blogging is that you get information right away. The not so cool part of this type of blogging is that you get information right away. I’ll explain why later. 

Corporate Blogging

Corporate blogging has an unfortunate reputation of being stale and sometimes boring. Numbers, statistics, dry news reads, etc. Although this is not the case in every type of corporate blog, it can take a lot to convince readers to participate in a corporate blog forum. The reason why is because they’re usually uneventful and contain information that often doesn’t pull the reader in. So, the challenge of a corporate blog is to get traffic to the site and to engage the readers so that they will want to read more and come back again and again.

Live Blogging + Corporate Blogging

Bringing together live blogging and corporate blogging in one setting can prove valuable for a company. Although this is my opinion, and quite relative, what I am referring to specifically is the recent live blogging event of Phil Schiller’s keynote speech from Apple. SF Gate had a live blogging platform going on from the MacWorld ’09 event. There has quite a buzz on the internet over the past few weeks about Schiller’s keynote, the absence of Steve Jobs and the effect of that, the speculation that Apple would unveil a new product, etc. etc. No one knew what to really expect from Apple or the leaders there. Since the brand is so popular and interesting, followers are quite interested in what happens at the events, especially if they are unable to attend. Enter – – live blogging.

When a company like Apple creates such a strong brand and an almost cult-like following as they have, everything they do will be magnified and criticized. There’s just no way around it. The same thing can happen with a corporate blog, minus the cult. If corporate companies entertain the idea of live blogging, how significant would their sales change? Even if the CEO is not a Steve Job’s, or even if the product the company manufacture’s doesn’t have a digital interface or touch screen and even if it isn’t quite clear what the brand is, corporations have the ability, the power with their words via their blogs to impact their consumers. Sure sales can NOT increase, but they can also decrease. It can all hinge on what’s going on or not going on at your event. And, it can hinge on the blogger and their take on the whole program.

Live blogging can be great for sales. It can create a buzz with customers concerning any new products. Customers like to be a part of the action, to feel that they are “in”. Once they feel connected, they will follow your product, your brand, your label and your stats. Whether your company is performing favorably or not so favorably, your resource to connect cannot ever be replaced nor should it be undervalued. What can you live blog about today that will make a change, even a small one in your business? What can you offer to your customers that will make them want to watch your company’s every move? What can you do to affect your company’s bottom line?

Satisfaction for All Comers on IR Websites

We’ve discussed the idea of who the target audience of an Investor Relations website is before.  From employee and retiree shareholders, to retail investors, to analysts, and the financial media, an IR website can be expected to cover a lot of ground.  That is why Investor Relations departments try to mash so much information onto a single webpage.

Quick Investor Relations

Cisco is one of the world’s leading networking companies.  Its hardware runs inside the networks of companies big and small.  That means that it is on the minds of many people both in the technology industry and not.  Interest can jump quickly based on numerous events including media coverage that concerns the company either directly and tangentially.

The Cisco corporation can also be considered a fit for numerous investment categories, technology, networking, hardware, telecommunications, and even plain old large cap U.S., which means that in addition to a spot on the public’s awareness radar, it also commands a spot in many stock screeners or other investing tools that return companies based on various criteria.

Just how to provide useful investor information at once to the savvy retail investor or professional analyst, and the event driven investor, or investors looking for “a technology company”, can be a design and logistics nightmare.  Those who come to a company’s IR site frequently, don’t want to be bogged down with a long list of links burying the specific information they came to get, while those who are new to the site don’t want to have to figure out which menu has what, just to get a quick look at the company.

Company Fact Sheets
Cisco Systems - Overview The investor relations webpage is accessible from the Cisco homepage, though it is not visible until one clicks on Quick Links (tsk, tsk).  From there, an information packed and useful IR landing page greets potential and current investors.  All the usual information is readily accessible, stock quote, regulatory filings, financials, even events and presentations.  Additionally, a Fact Sheet link commands a prominent space in the left side menu.

The fact sheet at Cisco is, like many other companies, actually an offering of the “news” section of the Cisco website, but it contains a treasure trove of information for new investors who want to take a quick look at Cisco and decide if it is an idea they wish to pursue further.  But, since those investors are likely to arrive via the IR site, they may never find this source of information which may fit their needs better.

The easy to find link on the IR menu ensures that all arrivals have the opportunity to decide that their needs might be best served by a fact sheet rather than fully navigating the information available on the IR side.  By offloading these potential investors to this one-stop shopping style information page, the Cisco IR department can focus on building its Investor Relations web pages and navigation to suit those investors who may be making one of many returns to the Cisco IR information.

IR Best Practices

For the fact sheet to be a useful way to provide “at a glance” information to potential investors, it needs to contain links to the most commonly requested information.  Use your own experience by leveraging the knowledge of those who serve as investor contacts at your company.  They will likely be able to rattle off a small laundry list of items which are the most frequently requested by callers and email.  Position those items on the company fact sheet as well as other information that you would like quick hitting information seekers to find.  On the Cisco fact sheet for example, the company lists its many awards so that anyone viewing the sheet will see them regardless of their intention to seek out a list of such kudos.

By creating a quick and easy way for users looking to go through a lot of information one click after another, you make life easier for them.  At the same time, you relive the burden of sifting through a unruly stack of links from frequent IR visitors, creating a win-win situation for all potential and current investors.

The Apple Brand and Steve Jobs Review: Change + Quality Work Well

What Changes Mean in Corporate Leadership

Corporations are no different that any other business, large or small. Companies can operate for a period of time with all things being optimal, and then one day things can change. Perhaps they may not go the way they’ve always gone. Whether those changes are subtle, or in direct connection to the success of the business, anything different does require researching and reviewing to see what topic(s) need to be addressed in order to place the company back into position.

There are times when changes in corporate leadership become necessary. This can be attributed to slow company growth, poor sales, poor leadership, high employee turnover or all of the above. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the company itself is a poor investment or invaluable. It can simply mean that a shift in leadership and thinking can refocus the corporation back to a strong position of direction and leadership. But often, just because there is a change in the leadership does not automatically dictate a change in the company overall. With each leader comes a change in personality, style, direction and overall sense of doing things a new way.

Acting Like a Leader

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)), a leader in computer and digital technology, announced to the media that their 2009 Macworld tradeshow presence would the final time that Apple will appear at the show. They stated in their press release  that “trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers“, therefore they have decided to pursue other methods of customer acquisition.

The press release news of the changes at the Macworld conference has caused quite a flurry in the blogosphere. Also, with the general absence and participation of Steve Jobs at various events, many people wonder and are concerned about Apple’s current leadership. There have been speculations about Jobs’ personal health, about the company’s business positioning if he has failing health and whether there will be any new bombshell product announcements. Although Apple maintains a news and development page on their site, there is nothing there confirming or dispelling stories about Jobs’ viability as a continuing leader.

What should a corporation do when there’s nothing to tell?

How to Present Changes to Your Customers

While it is a fact that Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, will not present the keynote address at the 2009 conference, he has declined to say why he won’t present  the address. What is known is that Phil Schiller, the senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will be the keynoter. Bloggers are speculating whether or not he’s being positioned to take Job’s place. What if this is true and it does happen? What will happen with the quality of their products or level of customer service once a new leader is at the helm? Does it matter? Will it make a difference? Will the quality of their products change?

Even though change is not always readily welcomed, it can be something positive for all involved. Apple has done, in my opinion, a great job in presenting and managing change with their customers. Some of the things that Jobs’ did when dealing with the question of his health and other issues was to address them directly. After he addressed them, he made it clear that he would not entertain further questions so that the focus could get back on the company and away from him. As corporations, here are some things that can be done in the same way as Jobs’ implemented to keep the business in an upwardly mobile state:

1.) Dispel panic and pandemonium. 

He felt that his health issues were of no consequence to the viability of the  company, therefore he did not spend a whole lot of time on it addressing it. If it is not directly related to sales, marketing or customer service, don’t spend any more time on it than is absolutely necessary.

2.) Use your blog or website to communicate to your customers.

Update it frequently. This should go without saying in this day and age of mega social networking sites and Twitter fever. With a brief click and a few typed characters, you can connect quickly and easily to your customer base. This keeps them feeling in the loop and a part of the whole process.

3.) Always exercise quality.

This is something that Jobs’ is notoriously known for. He’s a perfectionist and demands the same from his staff. When you provide exceptional products and service to your customers, quite simply, you reap perpetual rewards, both tangible and intangible.

 

With the changes that both Jobs’ and Apple are experiencing, I doubt seriously if there will be a change in the level of quality that we’ve come to associate with the Apple brand. If anything, Job’s, Schiller and the rest of the Apple team will work diligently to ensure that the customers are satisfied, that Apple stays on top and that the focus will always be about the brand and not non-essential news.