Strategies for Corporate Communications

1. Strategies for Corporate Communications Roderick E Wilkes, DipM, Hon FCIM, FIOD, FCMI, FRSA, FCAM, Chartered Marketer Chief Executive

3. To communicate or not to communicate • Understanding markets. • Identifying where you can add value. • Communicating with those within the organisation. • Communicating with those outside the organisation. • Measuring the effectiveness of the value you deliver.

4. Managing relationships

5. Evolution of Competitive Advantage Industrial Age Intellectual Capital Skilled Labour Productivity Efficiency Quality Economies of Scale Mass Marketing Growth Information Age Structural Capital Knowledge Learning Systems Processes Innovation Customer Satisfaction Change Consciousness Age Cultural Capital Relationships Shared Values Shared Vision Social Responsibility Creativity Customer Collaboration Transformation/Evolution

6. Why is Marketing Communications Viewed as a Tactical Rather than a Strategic Function? • Outsourced to marketing services agencies • Advertising and promotion risks being short to medium term • Traditional rivalries between marketing communications disciplines (such as media advertising and public relations), and compartmentalised thinking amongst both clients and their agencies

8. Organisation-centred The different ways of reaching the consumer exist in isolation Organisation-centred or Customer-centred? Customer-centred The channel is unimportant. Relevance, timeliness, convenience and consistency

9. Marketing departments have got used to the idea of the tactical integration of communications messages across different media. Increasingly in the future they will have to embrace the idea of strategic vertical integration – speaking with one voice from the CEO's office right down to the point of sale – even though such a realignment may eclipse their former pre-eminent role.’

10. Marketing communications is traditionally seen as a subset of marketing strategy. Corporate Marketing Marketing is becoming a way of delivering a communications strategy, rather than the other way round. Communications

11. Corporate In this ‘new’ model, communications starts with the company, and marketing becomes part of the ‘delivery mechanism’ for the communications strategy. Communications Marketing

12. Communications will stand above other elements of the marketing mix • It will define what the company stands for (its vision) and it is tasked with expressing that on behalf of the corporation • whether that be directly to stakeholders • via PR • through advertising etc. to customers. • By contrast, marketing in those companies will be charged with physically delivering the corporate vision, via its products, to the end user….

13. Tactical communicationssupport specific marketing initiatives Tactical versus Strategic Communications Strategic communications emanate from the highest levels of the corporation to inform all its activities.

14. Implications • The importance of integrating internal and external marketing communications • The importance of developing distribution channels as conduits of information as well as of goods and money • Push or pull?

15. How customers form a view of your brand Direct mail Customer Service Product design Customers view of marketers brand In store displays Pricing Sales promotion Advertising Distribution

16. Key audiences: G4 Securicor

17. Key messages: G4 Securicor

18. Key tools: G4 Securicor

19. Key learning points: G4 Securicor • Break down communication into manageable “chunks” • Agree priorities early on (but be flexible) • Agree responsibilities quickly (internal & external) • Manage locally – co-ordinate centrally • Guide & support as much as possible • Compromise is not necessarily the answer • Recognise that you’ll never please everyone • Win over the key people – the others will come • Make sure management are “on message” and “walk the talk” • Robust crisis management & communications plans • Day to day business continues throughout

20. Developing Brand Communications • Objectives • Position around the central proposition to be the leading specialist recruitment company in the world • Build the following associations into the brand through all marcomms • aspirational, achievement-based, centre of attention, confident, strong relationships, honest, in control, professional, smart, specialist, trusting • Motivate each business unit to share in overall Hays brand associations • Reinforce via in-house marketing team & management level brand advocates

21. Creating the guidelines that govern the brand communications • Logo usage – size, international, exclusion zone, misuse, sign-offs • Colours – corporate, secondary, tints, print & web specifications • Typography – standard fonts, weights, alignment, spacing, measures • Stationery – letterhead, business cards, compliments slips, fax, memo • Brochures – layout templates, covers / inners, sizes, grids • Photography – direction, colours, cropping, movement, focus • Advertising – design grid, mandatory elements, colour/mono, sizes, flexibility • Website – HTML templates, colour matching, font, tone of voice • Signage – grid, sign-off, colours, materials, change management

22. Launching the new Hays Brand • Communications plan was created for key audiences • Internally – directors, consultants & business support staff • Externally – clients, candidates, city & competitors • Integrated marcomms plan featuring offline & online marketing implemented throughout May, June & July 2004 • Also involved programme of internal engagement at business unit management level with brand project presentation given on 30+ occasions

23. Great communication should demonstrate the following: • It’s clear who we are talking to • We’re showing we know the audience; it’s based on clear insight • We’re exploiting the media to the best of its ability • Where necessary, this integrates cohesively with other activity • We’re demonstrating a point of view • It’s a fresh idea, executed • There aren’t too many clichés • It’s like having your face splashed in cold water

24. Thank you Rod Wilkes, Chief Executive