Employee Comms for the Creative Economy
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The document discusses the evolution of communications from the industrial economy to the creative economy. In the industrial economy, advertising dominated but public relations (PR) was seen as less important. As customers gained more information and choices, PR became more important to validate advertising claims. However, in the creative economy, managed PR is less trusted and social media allows employees to directly communicate. The document argues this marks the rise of internal communications, or "the red headed stepchild," which can help organizations attract and engage talent, foster innovation, and enable authentic advocacy through empowered employees.
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Employee Comms for the Creative Economy
- 1. The Rise of the Red Headed Stepchild Employee Comms for the Creative Economy www.coxc.co
- 2. In the mass market industrial economy, communications was ruled by the Mad Men
- 4. PR was the annoying little brother Advertising was King
- 5. PR was the annoying little brother Advertising was King Internal Comms was the red headed stepchild*
- 6. *red headed stepchild A person or group treated without the favor of birthright. The boss treats this department like his red headed stepchild.
- 7. Advertising had the brightest talent, the biggest budgets, and the best parties
- 8. No matter how dull your business was, the best advertising could always make you look better
- 9. And then we moved from the industrial economy to the information economy
- 10. Customers began to question the advertising they were being served
- 11. Faced with an increasing array of choices, customers began to look for third-party validation of advertising claims
- 12. Customers also began to care about the corporate behaviors behind their brands
- 13. It was 2002 and according to marketing pros, Al & Laura Ries, we were experiencing: The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR*
- 14. *fall of advertising Anytime anyone forecasts the fall (or the death) of something, they are always overstating the case But if you forgive the hyperbole designed to grab your attention, there’s often an underlying trend worth paying attention to
- 15. The annoying little brother was fast becoming the 21st Century Spin Doctor Advertising was King
- 16. Companies turned to PR to authenticate their message and put a human face to their story…
- 17. …even if that face was often media-trained to within an inch of automation…
- 18. …and the message vetted by lawyers to within an inch of being interesting
- 19. PR worked behind the scenes with media to ensure that readers and viewers were shown the truth they wanted them to see
- 20. PR mirrored the command and control management style of the day
- 21. Messages were crafted Messengers were trained Media were managed
- 22. No matter what issue you faced, smart PR could always make you sound better
- 23. And then we moved from the information economy to the creative economy*
- 24. *creative economy an economy of continuous innovation & transformation A new kind of organization is emerging, capable of achieving both continuous innovation and transformation along with disciplined execution... ...delighting those for whom the work is done and inspiring those doing the work It is generating a new economy —the Creative Economy Stephen Denning: The Leader's Guide to Radical Management: Re-inventing the Workplace for the 21st Century
- 25. As direct access to information increases, managed media is becoming as mistrusted as the advertising that supports it Source: Edelman’s 2016 Trust Barometer Less than half the population now has trust in the media
- 26. Press statements from official spokespeople are overshadowed by social media comments from authentic employees “On a work call the other day, one of the managers said technicians like me were tools to accomplish a task. We’re not tools. We’re the public face of Verizon. We talk with customers. We solve problems. We restore service. And we help our company make $1.5 billion in profits every single month.” Source: An Open Letter to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam on medium.com
- 27. It’s 2016, and now we’re told by global PR leader, Robert Phillips, to: Trust Me, PR is Dead*
- 28. *PR is dead Anytime anyone forecasts the fall (or the death) of something, they are always overstating the case But if you forgive the hyperbole designed to grab your attention, there’s often an underlying trend worth paying attention to
- 29. Neither advertising or PR is going away any time soon Nor should they
- 30. It still makes sense to look better and sound better when you can…
- 31. VW’s Europe Market Share Slumps to Five-Year Low on Scandal Volkswagen AG’s European market share narrowed for an eighth consecutive month since the German carmaker’s admission to rigging diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests… May 12, 2016 …it’s just no longer enough
- 32. …in the creative economy, you can’t just look better, or sound better, you actually have to be better
- 33. Alex Bogusly was a modern day Mad Man Voted Creative Director of the Decade by Advertising Age in 2010
- 34. In that same year, he turned his back on the Ad World and wrote a book explaining why brands must think beyond advertising…
- 35. “The old rule was: Create safe, ordinary products and combine them with mass marketing.”
- 36. “The old rule was: Create safe, ordinary products and combine them with mass marketing.” “The new rule is: Create truly innovative products and build the marketing right into them.”
- 37. “Creativity has become the ultimate business weapon.” Alex Bogusly & John Winsor - Baked In
- 38. “The same creativity that's been used to change culture through advertising can also be applied to distribution, packaging, and even the product itself.” Alex Bogusly & John Winsor - Baked In
- 39. “While collaboration with customers is key, the ability to collaborate internally is even more important.”
- 40. Which is why it’s time for the rise of the red headed stepchild
- 41. Only Employee Comms can help you actually become better Great advertising can make you look better Smart PR can help you sound better
- 42. But the red headed stepchild needs to evolve…
- 43. From message management, annual surveys and newsletters, to… Talent management Innovation Authentic advocacy
- 45. The war for talent is over…
- 46. …talent won! The war for talent is over…
- 47. “Capital is being superseded by creativity and the ability to innovate - and therefore by human talents - as the most important factors of production.” Klaus Schwab Founder of the Word Economic Forum
- 48. “Capitalism is being replaced by Talentism” Klaus Schwab: Founder of the Word Economic Forum
- 49. A ruthless pursuit of efficiencies, with employees seen as cogs in the machine A ruthless pursuit of customer delight, with employees seen as the differentiating factor 20th Century Capitalism 21st Century Talentism
- 50. The need to attract, retain and motivate top talent has risen to the top of the boardroom agenda
- 51. 13% Source: Gallup 24% 63% But most employees are not engaged, or are actively disengaged Not Engaged Actively DisengagedEngaged
- 52. Employee Comms can help attract top talent and retain a more engaged workforce
- 53. Purpose-driven companies have 40% higher levels of retention, and tend to be 1st or 2nd in their market Source: Deloitte - A New Model for Employee Engagement
- 54. Smart Employee Comms can help leaders articulate a purpose beyond profit, and bring it to life with stories that attract new recruits and inspire employees
- 55. 80% of organizations believe their employees are overwhelmed with information at work 21% cite the issue as urgent Fewer than 8% have programs to deal with the issue Source: Deloitte Global Human Trends 2014
- 56. Smart Employee Comms can simplify the work environment, by giving employees the information they need, when they need it, in their preferred format
- 57. In high-turnover companies, the 2nd-highest-rated issue in employee engagement is the organization’s willingness to “listen to an employee’s perspectives.” Source: Quantum Workplace
- 58. Smart Employee Comms can help leaders to listen… …create safe environments for employees to speak… …and strengthen the organization through honest and open dialogue
- 60. Three-quarters of CEOs now regard innovation as at least equally important as operational effectiveness Source: pwc Innovation Report
- 61. But companies understand that innovation is no longer the preserve of the lone creative genius
- 62. The key ingredient is creating an organizational culture that encourages innovation in all areas
- 63. Innovation Collaboration Communication is built on which is driven by
- 64. The better your organization communicates, the stronger it will collaborate, the faster it will innovate
- 65. Smart Employee Comms can help every employee become a better communicator
- 66. Great storytelling is an art mastered by a few…
- 67. But the basics of storytelling can be learnt by all
- 68. It takes a lifetime to master the tools of visual design…
- 69. But it only takes a few hours for employees to (re-)learn how to draw
- 70. Smart Employee Comms can help coach and mentor every employee to become a better communicator
- 72. Only 30% of buyers trust brands
- 73. of people trust recommendations from people they know 30% trust brands… 90%…while
- 74. of consumers are more likely to buy a product they hear about from family and friends 77%
- 75. Those family and friends are more likely to be your employees… …than your company spokesperson
- 76. Which is why 90% of brands are pursuing, or have plans to pursue, an employee advocacy program Source: Altimer
- 77. But if most employees aren’t even engaged in their work, why will they be engaged in an advocacy program?
- 78. You can’t pay employees to be authentic advocates
- 79. And if you give employees permission to speak on your brand’s behalf, what will they say?
- 80. The Edelman Trust Barometer shows that one-in-three employees doesn’t even trust his or her own company
- 81. The implication is clear: Employees who trust their leaders will be more likely to say good things about their employer. And consumers will believe them. Source: Edelman Trust Barometer
- 82. By the same token: Employees who don’t trust their leaders will be less likely to say good things about their employer. And consumers will believe them too. Source: Edelman Trust Barometer
- 83. Employee advocacy begins with Smart Employee Comms
- 84. Smart Employee Comms can help ensure their organization is one that employees will be proud and passionate about
- 85. Smart Employee Comms can help employees understand the personal benefits of being an authentic advocate
- 86. Smart Employee Comms can help discover and develop compelling stories that employees will want to share
- 87. Employee advocacy is the dividend you get for being a remarkable employer If advertising is the tax you pay for having an unremarkable product…
- 88. Evolving from corporate messaging, annual surveys and newsletters, to: Talent management Innovation Authentic advocacy
- 89. It’s time for the rise of the red headed stepchild
- 90. Chris Cox is a integrated communications professional with a passion for the power of employee comms. He works with clients to design and deploy programs that inform, inspire, involve and improve employees; helping organizations and brands become better, rather than just look better or sound better. www.coxc.co