Corporate communication Relevance

Relevance is not limited to strictly traditional operation or marketing communications. In the changing corporate environment, for the internal, there are many applications for the distribution of messages through documents to the different departments, associates, and management. For the external, it even delivers the messages to clients, prospects, suppliers, investors, and government.

Companies in the past, as well as current small businesses, were small enough that they could get by with much less sophisticated communication activities, as one person could often perform many different functions at one time. However, it becomes much more difficult to manage this function in organizations with thousands of employees. The increased globalization of business has also led to the growing importance of corporate communication. For example, if a team of businessmen and/or businesswomen must travel overseas to another country for matters such as finalizing a merger, it is vitally important that they have knowledge of the proper communication methods and ways of conducting business.

There are some relevant communications corporations was incorporated recently and is a software developer specializing in the development of software for corporate communications by e-mail, voice, fax, and on-demand (Internet), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications.

Relevance is particularly important when communicating with clients for a number of reasons. Relevance...
1.demonstrates an understanding of client needs and the specific information they require in 2.order to reach decisions or solve problems.

3.The lack of knowledge of client objectives and the inability to see the world from their perspective often results in miscommunication that can jeopardize client relationships.
4.gets the client’s attention: Clients are constantly inundated with unsolicited e-mails, faxes, voice messages, junk mail and telemarketing calls. It is becoming increasingly difficult to penetrate filters in order to deliver a commercial message to a prospective client.
5.enables companies to target clients selectively on a permission basis. It's an accepted fact that customized communications get opened and read more than their non-customized counterparts. 6.provides clients with information that is targeted to the individual - concise and consolidated.

Relevance is a measure of how closely information provided to a client matches their information needs. It motivates clients to take action. In the search for a perceived solution to a specified need, relevance is the single most significant factor in getting prospects to take action,
enables companies to provide a superior client experience. Improving the client experience will increase loyalty, which means an enduring, more profitable client relationship. Studies have revealed that great service is still the much-appreciated exception rather than the norm.

Relevance works equally well for one-to-one on-demand documents, and pre-scheduled broadcasts to thousands of recipients. Document generation and distribution can be triggered manually, programmatically, or pre-scheduled.

Relevant Communications provides a practical 360° view, as a multi-pane window into your corporate-wide data where each pane presents information from a specific data source that is relevant to the client view, and germane to the specific application.
Intelligent documents perform the content integration necessary to present a concise client view of the relevant data.

References: http://www.relevantcommunications.com/whyrelevance/relevanceinuse.htm

21st Centuary Trends

Today’s governments, organizations and companies are dealing more and more in a global scenario.
We are no longer constrained by borders or distance and as a result globalization has meant a fundamental change in who, where and why we do business. The people that make these
Organizations tick, from the workers, to bosses to suppliers, are increasingly based in remote locations in foreign countries or drawn from a rich mix of cultural backgrounds. The need for effective and clear intercultural communication is becoming vital in securing success in today’s globalized workplace.

Working in the globalized world economy is proving to have a positive effect on individuals and companies. As people are forced to think outside the box they develop greater interpersonal skills, flex their creative muscle and learn news ways of doing things. In conclusion, the need for intercultural communication skill is obvious – we are all working in an interconnected global economy and it is important to build good relationships with people from other cultures. This leads to better business.

Today, financial capital movement has expanded to a global basis. Almost any time during a week day, many financial markets throughout the world are open and trading. The traders are no longer limited to that country, but are generally based worldwide. Often changes in one market directly lead to changes in other markets. Some financial traders attempt to follow all the major financial markets on a daily basis. A country’s trade deficits and its balance of payments often play a major role in the changing values of its monetary units. High rates of inflation are another major influence of the rates of exchange. Foreign investments have become of increased importance in the last decade.

In the 20th century, “communication” became an important category in society:

1.The growing power of mass communication and propaganda raised many questions.
2.New professions and industries (media, advertising, public relations, etc.) developed.
3.“Better communication” became the answer to social problems and the key to personal success and happiness.

Globalization:
• Integration of economies through trade and financial flows
• Movement of people (labor)
• Movement of knowledge (technology)
• ‘Global Economy’ core activities work in real time on a planetary scale

Globalization of Technology
• International exploitation of national technological capabilities;
• International technology alliances;
• Globalization of innovation across countries
http://www.atpsnet.org/content/files/documents/Sunil%20Manu.doc
Globalization index Degree of integration
– Economic integration
– Personal contact
– Technological connectivity
– Political engagement

Networking
• Industrial age : large factory dedicated to mass production
• Information age : networking
• Network functions by circulating
– Money
– Information
– Technology
– Goods
– Services
– People

Diversity:In a business context, appearance diversity, (ethnicity, gender, color, sexual orientation, body size) is approached as a strategy for improving employee retention and increasing consumer confidence. The "business case for diversity", as it is often phrased, is that in a global and diverse marketplace, a company whose staff embrace ethnic representation and gender composition which mirrors the demographics of the marketplace it serves is better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company whose appearance is out of step with its market's appearance.

Still, US anti-discrimination law prohibits employers giving any consideration to customers’ preferences for being served by employees of a given gender, ethnic group, or color.

FLEXIBILITY:Allowing job flexibility is one method of accommodating the complexities of contemporary life. It utilizes extended connectivity and helps employees reduce their exposure to dangerous levels of stress due to incompatible work schedules.

Flat: Instead of vertical communication, organization needs horizontal communication. This will increase the satisfaction from low level to high level workers. Think flat : The role of CIO in Flat world in explain in this link: http://thinkflat.infosys.com/pdf/Bahl-perspective.pdf

Crisis Comunication

“Crisis” communication is not just limited to big corporations facing a major incident, such as the recent Dell product recall or the Enron bankruptcy. These basic communication principles can be applied to any situation of any scale. Here, they are applied to project management in the IT sector.
Crisis communications are generally considered a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. These challenges may come in the form of an investigation from a government agency, a criminal allegation, a media inquiry, a shareholders lawsuit, a violation of environmental regulations, or any of a number of other scenarios involving the legal, ethical, or financial standing of the entity.

Crisis communications professionals preach that an organization’s reputation is often its most valuable asset. When that reputation comes under attack, protecting and defending it becomes the highest priority. This is particularly true in today’s 24 hour news cycle, fuelled by government investigations, Congressional hearings (in countries that have Congress, lawsuits, and “gotcha” journalism. When events like these happen, the media firestorm can quickly overwhelm the ability of the entity to effectively respond to the demands of the crisis. To emerge with its reputation intact, an organization must anticipate every move and respond immediately and with confidence. Companies facing such a threat will often bring in experienced crisis communications specialists to help prepare and guide them through the process.
Communicating the right message at the right time is critical to managing a business crisis. In emergency situations, there are multiple audiences – employees, customers, investors, the media, and the community and government agencies – with multiple needs. Responding quickly and with confidence is the only way to demonstrate your organizations ability to face, and overcome, a business crisis.

The most challenging part of crisis communication management is reacting - with the right response - quickly. This is because behavior always precedes communication. Non-behavior or inappropriate behavior leads to spin, not communication. In emergencies, it's the non-action and the resulting spins that cause embarrassment, humiliation, prolonged visibility, and unnecessary litigation.

The Dimensions of a Crisis

True crises have several critical dimensions in common, any one of which, if handled poorly, can disrupt or perhaps destroy best efforts at managing any remaining opportunities to resolve the situation and recover, rehabilitate, or retain reputation. Failure to respond and communicate in ways that meet community standards and expectations will result in a series of negative outcomes.

Seven critical dimensions of crisis communication management: Operations, Victims, Trust/credibility, Behavior, Professional expectations, Ethics, and Lessons learned.

The Internet can create a crisis in a variety of ways - through rumors, hacking and other forms of cyber-terrorism - whether intentional or not, such as through the relatively benign actions of bored computer geeks. There are now crises that start and exist only on the Internet, or, in the worst case, quickly become the stuff of mainstream news. Many of these are the actions of an angry employee or a customer that vents frustration by creating a parody or “shadow” web site.
http://www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/groups/02C2/Johnson%20&%20Johnson.htm This link will discuss the Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis.
The Four P’s of Crisis Preparation are Policy, People, Plan and Platform.

"Good crisis communications is based on a system already in place," says former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater. "When there is a crisis, you just tighten it up and make it better. If you routinely had a daily press briefing, you would tighten it up and make it three times a day. A crisis is no time to design a new system."

http://www.caponigro.com/pdf/nations_restaurant_review.pdf this link describes how to prepare before and after the crisis.

Crisis preparation and simulation is a time-consuming process that demands senior management's full attention. Whether you are a communicator for a large multinational financial institution, a major sports team or a government agency, you owe it to every one of your constituents to undertake a thorough assessment of your crisis preparedness. Not doing so puts your company at risk and makes your management team and the board extremely vulnerable during an actual crisis event. In today's world of stricter corporate governance, relentless media, intolerant investors, and the new group of emerging citizen journalists and bloggers, it's a risk few companies should take.

Internal Communication

There's no disputing the value of effective internal communications in any small or medium-sized business. Employees who are better informed are more satisfied, feel more involved in the fate of your company and ultimately contribute more to your success. Companies that make internal communications a priority are more likely to reach their objectives with motivated employees. In turn, you can resolve conflicts quickly and improve employee productivity.

Essentially, you should have 2 key goals in mind:

1.You want to create a sense of belonging. Employees have to feel that they're a part of a larger whole. Helping them see the big picture will help you reach your overall company objectives, such as increasing sales, developing more customers, or dealing with company changes, such as mergers, downsizing or management changes.

2.You want to secure employee buy-in: employees who believe in your initiatives will make them happen.

Internal communication has six interlocking parts: Instructions, Information, Involvement, Improvement, Innovation, and Integration.

1. INSTRUCTIONS - delivering top-down messages

These are the "must do's" - not for discussion. However, to get compliance the communication style must be one that gets "buy-in" from everyone. Just "telling" may not be enough.
2. INFORMATION - delivering "top-down" messages AND receiving "bottom-up" feedback

The focus is on facts, figures, data and the knowledge held by employees (what's known, what's wanted, what's a problem, etc). It's about matching the needs/concerns of the service with the ability of employees to act and respond in the most effective way to them.
3. INVOLVEMENT - delivering two-way conversations (listening and responding)
This is the core communication process that puts people together with people, and people together with information that's important to them. Real conversations (open and honest) are needed to ensure that the information that is acted on will lead to the most effective actions. When real conversations take place in teams (and between teams) the action achieves mutual benefits and better results.
4. IMPROVEMENT - delivering "side-to-side" exchanges inside the organization.

This is often called "continuous improvement" where the objective is to achieve better results - even excellence. It requires the sharing of knowledge and the exchange of best practice across teams, locations, professional disciplines and any other invisible barriers you can think of. This is where communications technology can make a real difference, especially if everyone has the skills needed to use it effectively. Side-to-side communication can create problems if effective top-down and bottom-up communication is in place. If people don't feel informed and involved, why they should care about making improvements or sharing best practices.

5. INNOVATION - delivering side-to-side communication for the customer's benefits.

Innovation is about seeking the new, not the improved, to attract new customers or renewed interest in the service. This requires employees who deliver different parts of the service to the same customer to collaborate, and build on each other's ideas and best practices. This is the challenge of Best Value - innovation inside the organization and partners outside to continuously improve services for a diverse range of customer needs. People cannot create or innovate unless they can communicate sufficiently well to understand other people, find common ground, develop shared visions and move beyond quick fixes.

6. INTEGRATION - linking all the above dimensions of communication.

Recent developments in communications technologies have opened up new opportunities for organizations to manage their internal communications more effectively. New systems are likely to encourage decentralized decision-making through its effect on employee ability to share information more freely. However, not all organizations are likely to embrace electronic-based channels of communications on account of the prohibitive costs involved in acquiring new technologies and providing employee training.

A strong internal communications practice is increasingly viewed as core organizational capability that adds value from both a commercial and employee perspective. The practice may be wide-ranging, from keeping employees informed on a regular basis about business strategies to informing them of recent changes in personnel. The goal is to create understanding of the company’s objectives and values in a way that helps individuals understand their own contribution to achieving the company’s performance targets. Internal communications may thus engender a stronger sense of ownership and commitment to the company’s culture, resulting in improved matching between individual preferences and job requirements.

Yet, as workforces become more mobile and decentralized, effective internal communications becomes increasingly difficult. In the past, voids were either filled with overlaps in functions or through a horizontal company structure with reduced hierarchies. However, with the recent developments in technologies and increased global competition, internal communications strategy has become more complex and requires a systematic approach for obtaining desired results. For instance, although the solution is widely seen in the adoption of new technologies such as electronic mail (e-mail) to improve the efficacy of communication channels, little is known about the nature of the relationship between existing organizational practices and how they influence the outcome of new communications technologies.

There have been the rumblings of a seismic shift in the employee engagement and internal communications arena for several years now. Digital technologies are expanding our opportunities, consumer power and influence grows apace, and traditional organizational structures and hierarchies creak under the strain of 21st century business velocities. The contract among employers, employees, investors, stakeholders and customers is being re-written.
But a lot of it is equally about assessing what interaction is taking place among what stakeholders – internally and externally – and to ensure that those interactions are supported in a way that relentlessly points at the heart and mind of the customer. This must be more than just a campaign about being “customer centric.” It’s got to be more than an initiative to define, articulate and deliver an “employer brand” and an employee experience. These are important parts of the equation, of course.

But if we are truly to thrive and face the challenges of 2007 and beyond, as internal communicators, we need to become part management consultant, part HR professional, part IT consultant, part brand manager, part organizational psychologist, part executive coach, part media relations expert … and part accountant.
We need to get outside our box, without apology, and stick our noses into other peoples’ business. Because everybody in the organization, and many of our stakeholders who aren’t necessarily on our distribution lists, helps us deliver our customer experience and our “brand” — which is, after all, our reputation.

References:
·http://www.bdc.ca/en/my_project/Projects/articles/hr_internal_communications.htm?cookie%5Ftest=1
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_communication

Media Relations

The media’s role is to package and spread news, current affairs and public interest information to the public. They have great power to shape and influence public opinion, to target and exploit audience reactions, emotions and opinions.Setting up and maintaining good relationships with the media can be of enormous benefit. Effective media relations promote trust and balance between the media and an individual and their organization.

Once you’ve proved yourself as a useful and dependable information source, you’ll realize it can; help to get your story into a news cycle, and provide opportunities for the media to approach you for comment on appropriate stories which in turn helps a journalist add depth, by filling gaps or backing up information, to their story.

Effective media relations are about working with, rather than against, the media. That’s not to say you can’t have a robust relationship with the media. However, adopting this approach gives you better access to journalists when there is something to say in the media. Being available for comment when asked is another essential ingredient in effective media relations.

Consider for a moment reactive media relations - the only time you deal with the media is when things go wrong. The reactive situation puts pressure on outcomes and doesn’t always allow for your messages to be delivered in a positive way. Obviously pressured reactive responses or worst still, no response at all, can negatively influence public opinion of you and your organization.

Media relations is also about; putting out regular media releases on appropriate issues that catch the eye, with short paragraphs written in newspaper style; actively providing comment on issues and or decisions; knowing what builds or makes a story; and knowing how to keep a story alive and when to let it go.

Using the media effectively can help you win public support. Public support is critical when trying to convince others, such as government or bureaucracy of the merit of a particular proposal or application.

If you’re not ready to manage your own media relations, but would like to work toward it, consider approaching a specialist in the field. They can provide advice or management as appropriate on media issues, help write media releases, distribute media releases, organize news conferences, facilitate one-on-one meetings with journalists, as well as deal with crisis and issues management.

The role of media in globalization is shown by this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6HRt1bH_dw

Effective media relations can help you and your organization develop a media profile. The benefit of a media profile becomes obvious when doors open wider for you within government, business and the community.

The media covers a wide range of topics, but coverage of business affairs has increased through the years after high-profile businesses like Enron and Microsoft were in the media spotlight for various reasons. It seems as though the business dealings are things that the general public wants to now a lot about, especially when considering the speed at which the world moves.

Media Interviews: Preparation - Confidence, Control and Credibility

1.Define your agenda. Clarify your communication objective(s).
2.Determine how the interview might offer you the chance to make positive points or provide helpful information about your topic/issue/organization.
3.Write down and practice key message points in brief statements or bullet points.
4.Remove jargon or long explanations.
5.Have back up data to support your points if appropriate. Review facts and figure so you are comfortable discussing them.
6.Anticipate questions (easy, hard and terrible) and your responses. Practice with a colleague or in front of the mirror (yes, it looks silly, but heck, it is worth it!) Are you planning to talk about the same thing the reporter expects to discuss?
7.Get to know the media outlet -- what type of publication or program is it? Who is their target audience? What other media outlet is covering the story?
8.What is the interview format? Length? Live? Taped? Solo or multi-guests?
9.If you are part of a group, make sure everyone has the same message!
10.If you are meeting with more than one media outlet, make sure your message is consistent with each reporter.

Exclusive interview of Phil Wilmington president &CEO of Outlook soft:
http://www.outlooksoft.com/us/pdf/news/DMReview_PWInterview_50107.pdf

We can see how to prepare THE COMMANDER for a media interview with this link: http://cawg.cap.gov/html/Pa/pcmi.pdf

Ways to cultivate media relations include:

1. Inviting media representatives to visit your site to learn firsthand about your environmental
programs;
2. Providing positive newsworthy information about your organization, industry or new law (press releases);
3. Understanding the media representative’s style of reporting;
4. Providing statistics, records, photographs and other information to facilitate coverage;
5. Offering to serve as an industry and/or environmental professional reference for the media
representative.
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”
Malcolm X quotes (American black militant leader who articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the early 1960s, 1925-1965)

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Given the choice, 74% of us could happily live without the ability to cook food for a week. But nearly 50% of us could not live without our computer and internet connection. This is according to research conducted by Yahoo!, carried out to celebrate a decade of evolving communication technology and to coincide with their 10th anniversary.The research shows that over the past 10 years our perception of what we consider a 'life essential' has drastically changed. This communication evolution has meant a shift in basic needs. Our control of communication via technology and the ability to connect in 'real time' with friends, family and colleagues are now key daily priorities. We no longer see technology as just gadgetry; it's a critical, essential extension of our daily lives.

The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.Steve Ballmer - Technology - Learning - Innovation - Solutions


Brits choose to keep their PC over their cooker, TV and even over their mobile* We're happy to live on take-away, but we're not too pleased at the prospect of having the computer taken away! Yahoo! asked respondents what they would sacrifice for a week. 72% were willing to do without the TV and 74% without the cooker. 67% said that they would give up the fridge. Surprisingly, almost 60% would also give up their mobile phone. However, when it comes to the PC, only half (51%) are willing to make that sacrifice. Being constantly connected has become one of the most important parts of our daily life.


It is our need for 'real time' communication that has made the computer more of an essential tool than the cooker. In 1995, only 5% of respondents of the recent survey used SMS text services and 8% used email. Today, over 55% use both text messaging (59%) and email (56%). The most instantaneous form of online communication - instant messaging is used by 69% of respondents compared to only 2% 10 years ago. By comparison, regular use of the post has gone down from 38% in 1995 to 31% in 2005.The 'communication evolution' means that Britons are in touch and in control.


In a busy world, the evolution of communication technology allows people to stay in touch and have more control over daily lives. 75% of respondents said that developments in communication technology made them feel in touch and 42% said it made them feel in control. Our friendships are stronger, with more of us logging on to keep in touch. It's no surprise that we feel the need to check emails all the time when so much of our communication is happening online. When Yahoo! started 10 years ago, only 1% used the online medium as their main way to communicate with friends.


Today, 99% of us communicate with friends online and 56% use email or instant messaging services as the main way to keep in touch with our friends. Forget upgrading the furniture - the PC comes first. Give us some spare cash and the chances are we will spend it on a new scanner or printer, rather than furniture. 73% of computer users have spent money on new accessories or gadgets for their PCs over the past twelve months, and almost 58% have upgraded or bought a new computer. However, when it comes to everyday household items, only 43% have 'upgraded' an item of living room furniture and only 31% have brought new kitchen equipment.


The internet has become our life engine. The internet has turned into an essential life tool that we use to find everything from holidays to cars. Only five years ago, less than 31% of us searched online for holidays, 28% for cars, 30% for financial information, 38% for jobs and 26% for property. Today, these figures have doubled; 69% for holidays, 72% for cars, 70% for financial information, 63% for jobs and 74% for property.According to Simon Hinde, Editor-in-Chief at Yahoo!: "1995 was the era of Chris Evans, Oasis v Blur, Take That and The Word - and we've covered it all*. However, the changes since Yahoo! first started haven't only been cultural. Today computer ownership is almost ubiquitous and internet uses an intrinsic part of everyday life." Simon added, "As our research shows, people don't feel that they are part of the wider world unless they have the ability to communicate and access information in real time. This is reflected in the fact that we are now the first port of call for millions of Britons who want to do everything from registering for a free email address to checking the latest share prices online."To mark its 10 year anniversary, Yahoo! has created a connectivity calculator at yahoo.co.uk/reconnected. With the calculator people can find out whether they are still stuck in the age of the brick phone and slow download speeds of 1995 or whether they have embraced the new technology and instantaneous communication of today.

MOST POPULAR DIGITAL DEVICES
PC - 85%
WAP-enabled mobile phone - 57%
Games console - 53%
MP3 player (not iPod) - 48%
Laptop - 47%
3G-enabled mobile phone - 30%
iPod - 20%
High Definition TV - 15%
PDA - 13%


QUICK GUIDE TO TECH TERMS
VOD - video-on-demand
Wikis - Collaborative technology for editing websites
IPTV - internet protocol television
RSS - Really Simple Syndication alias automated news feeds
PVR - personal video recorder
Web 2.0 - user-generated content phase of internet
Triple-play - internet, TV and phone in one subscription
VoIP - voice over internet protocol
IM - instant messaging
Blogging - frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts on the web
Podcasting - internet broadcasting for playback on MP3 players

Multiple Input/Multiple Output (MIMO) is an area of intense development in the Wireless industry because it delivers profound gains in range, throughput and Reliability. As a result, manufacturers of wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless Metropolitan area network (WMAN), and mobile phone equipment are embracing MIMO technology.

Misuse of “MIMO” is a disservice to consumers facing an urgent problem: wireless LAN products based on existing Wi-Fi standards don’t always have sufficient range to cover entire homes. Wireless LAN products incorporating genuine MIMO technology often solve this problem, while products claiming “MIMO” based on the use of multiple antennas or channels may not.

The proposed IEEE 802.11n standard strives to draft technical specifications for the next generation of high throughput WLAN technology. Supporters of the two leading 802.11n proposals—firms such as Broadcom, Intel, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments—are promoting genuine MIMO solutions. Vendors delivering genuine MIMO wireless LAN products today include Airgo Networks, Belkin, Linksys, and SOHOware. Samsung has announced a MIMO-based wireless LAN. Orthogon Systems has field-tested a MIMO-based wireless MAN.

http://www.prompt-communications.com/blog/2006/08/old-jokes-new-tricks.html

References:
From Theory to Practice: An Overview of MIMO Space-Time Coded Wireless Systems Gesbert et al. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication, vol. 21, No 3, April 2003, pp. 281-302

IDENTITY, IMAGE, AND REPUTATION

Implementing an identity infrastructure has real rewards, say customers, but it isn't easy. By Dan Tynan
The identity of a company is actually made up of its people; a company is not a building or a concrete thing.”
Identity is a term used to explain who or what an organization is (either from the perspective of employees or outsides, depending on the disciplinary stance adopted).
Image refers to the ways in which an organization is perceived (i.e. its mission, values, priorities, successes and failure etc.) and can stem from inside the organization (i.e. assuming what outsider think of us).
A good reputation starts with identity.

“Your reputation is a reflection of your identity,” says Peggy Simcic Brønn at the Norwegian School of Management.

The importance of a good reputation is gaining respect from business and industry. Nevertheless, Peggy Simcic Brønn is of the opinion that many organizations start at the wrong end when trying to enhance their reputations. “A lot of attention is focused on reputation, but what people forget is that identity is actually the important thing. Image is simply a reflection of how people interpret your identity,” says Brønn.

“When companies send out messages that fail to correspond with their identities, their reputations is affected.”
“You can ‘buy’ a reputation from a PR agency, but this is a very short-term thing which cannot really be maintained. At business schools we use words like corporations, the company and firms, but we forget that these are all run by people!

There are several elements of a good logo. An effective logo -

1.should be unique, and not subject to confusion with other logos among viewers
2.is functional and can be used in many different contexts while retaining its integrity
3.should remain effective whether reproduced small or large can work in "full-color", but also in two color presentation (black and white), spot color, or halftone
4.should be able to maintain its integrity when printed on various fabrics or materials (where the shape of the product may distort the logo)
5.displays basic design principles (space, color, form, consistency, and clarity) represents the brand/company appropriately

Logos Today

Today there are many corporations, products, services, agencies and other entities using a sign or emblem as logo. As a result, only a few of the thousands of signs people are faced with are recognized without a name. It makes less sense to use a sign as a logo, even together with the name, if people will not duly identify it. Therefore, the trend in the recent years has been to use both images (icons) and the company name to emphasize the name instead of the supporting graphic portion, making it unique by its letters, color, and additional graphic elements.
New brand and vision revealed for London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games
Check this link
http://www.ci-portal.de/index.php?id=34&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1033&cHash=3b785ac150

Thinks Red Cross – the symbol and the tagline, "Together, we can save a life." The Red Cross vigilantly reinforces its brand in every marketing vehicle with the inclusion of its logo and this tagline.Click here to review the Red Cross branding campaign, as applied in print advertisements: http://www.redcross.org/press/psa.html#print

Nike's Identity and corporate image is the Nike Swoosh. Everyone knows when they see that swoosh, even if the word Nike is nowhere around, that it is a Nike advertisement. By having big name celebrities as models in their advertisments, Nike have a good reputation as the leader in sportswear and sports gear, this is also product advertisement. Even with stories of child labor in sweat shops overseas, Nike is the leader in sports.

However, for a brand to provide these benefits, it must offer more than a recognizable name and image. There must be a corresponding organizational commitment to deliver products (goods, services, or programs) that are consistent with the brand's positioning.
There are different factors that have direct impact on the reputation of a company:
1. Management: This refers, mainly to the approach, integrity and ethical compliance of management with regards to enhancing the reputation of a company.
2. Risk of associating with companies or product that could have a negative impact on the reputation of a company.
3. Reinvention or merger: The purpose is to highlight situations where in companies try to introduce new products and completely side track their primary goals.
4. Physical accident: Accidents are created through intentional or unintentional means. Intentional means occur when someone purposely tries to destroy the company’ image y tainting the product of company. Unintentional means occur when damage is incurred as a result of external factors.
5. Lastly the Media: Due to the fishbowl effect, it is difficult for companies to squash rumors effectively, without the media creating a proverbial media event with the story. This, therefore, creates the factor of publicity which could seriously impair the reputation of a company, if it is not handled correctly.

In order to ensure a good reputation, companies must ensure that the primary requirement for any management policy is that of transparency: in other words, management must be open and honest, with no hidden agendas. Decisions that are made openly make corporate life simpler, whereas decisions that are surrounded by a high level of secrecy are bound to expose sooner or later.

Corporate Advertising

Product advertising is a well-known phenomenon in marketing. A brand is a promise to the customer that goes beyond the generic product, the technical and physical attributes. When selling a branded product the company promises that the consumer will achieve special qualities by using the product, different qualities than when using a similar non branded or different branded product. A typical message from the company is “when using this product you will be more attracted, become better looking and signal a higher social class“. By using the branded product the consumer can communicate his/her lifestyle or wanted lifestyle.

On the other side corporate advertising refers to the practice of using a company’s name as a product brand name. It is an attempt to leverage corporate brand equity to create product brand recognition. It is a type of family branding or umbrella brand.

Among the advantages of a corporate advertising strategy we can count:

1.The corporate brand is the face of the business strategy, portraying what the corporation aims at doing and what it wants to be known for in the market place, is the overall umbrella for the corporations’ activities and encapsulates its vision, values, personality, positioning and image among many other dimensions.

2.It creates simplicity; it stands on top of the brand portfolio as the ultimate identifier of the corporation.

3.A corporate branding strategy can drive some cost efficiencies that can often be achieved as opposed to a large multi-brand architecture where the corporate brand plays a smaller or insignificant role.

On the other side among main disadvantages of this strategy is that products may not be treated individually, which reduces the focus on the products’ unique characteristics or that the corporate name can become synonymous with a product category.

Three different strategies can be approached for corporate advertising:

Branded identity is when a company uses different brands for their products that function independent from each other and the company’s brand. The strength of this strategy is the flexibility. The company can build different brands in different marked segments and for different products. If a brand is involved in a scandal it will only damage that brand, and will not hurt the other brands of the company.

Endorsed brand identity is when an organization has a group of products or companies that it endorses with a group name and a common identity. The strength of this approach lies in the relationship of the products/companies, they can benefit from the goodwill given to others with the same common identity.

Monolithic brand identity is when a company uses only one name and one visual style for all it products. The strength is the simplicity and the potential for growth. The weakness is that one happening; one scandal can cause severe damage even to big strong brands.

Tags: corporate branding, corporate identity, product branding, martin roll, brand name, brand equity, business strategy, branded identity, endorsed branding, monolithic branding, corporate branding strategy

If companies want to attract investments, they advertise in order to stimulate interest in a company's stock investor - or somebody who could become an investor in the future. These advertisements can even increase stock prices! Advertisements are also done in order to influence opinions about the company and increase its reputation. Increased reputation is often followed by higher sales and more profit.Probably the most companies, however, use corporate advertising to increase their sales, clients, or patients. Recruiting employees can also be the reason why companies create advertisements. Such advertising can help to attract the best people at the entry level and at management levels.Product advertisements are not focused on the company, but on one special product. The advertisements are done to increase sales of a special product, to introduce a new product or to compete against competitor's products.

Advocacy advertising is used by companies to respond to external threats from with government or special interest groups. Issue adverting typically deals with controversial subjects. If a company decides to pursue an advocacy campaign, senior management must have the courage to argue forcefully to its ideas and must not be afraid to alienate certain constancies. Corporate advertising is widely used by companies to publicize their philanthropic actives, which can least to enhanced reputation.

While corporate advertising brands a company and its image, product advertising brands a certain product. The goal of product advertising is to target a special focus group by advertising a special product and increase the sales volume of that product. For example, see this product ad which clearly focuses only on Coke Zero and not on the whole Coca Cola Corporation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1VxrT1vDwU).

Advertising may have many purposes, so identify a specific objective for a specific campaign. A campaign may be designed to do the following:
Raise awareness of your company, product, or service within a clearly identified target market
communicate the benefits of your product or service generate leads for the sales force solicit customers through a direct response campaign persuade prospective customers to switch brands support a marketing event, such as a sale or an exhibition inform customers where to obtain the product build confidence in your organization.

For example, to raise awareness of its new range, one company advertised in special interest consumer magazines designed for its target audience. Advertisements included the telephone number of an information line. Editorial articles in the same group of publications backed up the advertising by providing more detailed information for consumers.

Product advertising should focus on solving the needs of your customers; consequently, your advertising should stress the product’s benefits. This type of advertising is important when research shows low awareness of product benefits, if your products have recently been improved, or if you need to counter competitors who have introduced products with similar or better benefits.

For example, if research shows that your company’s products are perceived as old-fashioned or poor value for the money, you need to take action to communicate the real benefits of your products. The phrase “perception is reality” definitely applies in advertising.

For Microsoft advertising expenses are: