In a skype conversation a former colleague asked me what services does 7Skies Communication offer. I rattled off "pr, communications, marketing and social media". He said he doesn't get it. His impression is it is all "very broad". And he went on to say: "people I met are very specialized in social media. One guy does marketing through mobile apps. Another focuses on product campaigns and leads generation. It helps to remember what they do". Of course, and many called themselves SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Specialists too. I was about to add my entry but he went offline.
First, I will not pretend what I am not. I am no technies, I cannot write or market apps.
So what do I offer ?
I help businesses and individuals establish relationships, build relationships, connect, enrich and deepen relationships. Social media is just one of many pr tools to do that. The fundamental purpose of PR is to manage reputation. And social media is a process in attaining the communication goal.
So my friend, I won't bothered to be "less broad" just to get noticed. I am more than social media.
P.S. In case you are reading this blog, please don't take offence I promise I won't spam you if you skype me :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Of shepherds, sheeps, and integration success
Two mega corporate mergers in my 15 years career. I was part of the marriage deal between a 200 years old European company called Danzas, and AEI (Air Express International), a successful corporation in the US then.
Both gave themselves two years to harmonize any differences and work the right balance. They listed in the "will" the people, assets, liabilities, and share of voice on both sides. They adopted both names and called themselves DANZAS AEI. Quite a fair marriage.Two years later, Danzas AEI took DHL as a partner. This time, the decision was swift. They decided to bury Danzas and named the combined entities DHL, due to its global brand equity.
These integrations taught me many things. However one thing prevails. People work for people.
The key team who cut the deals - Danzas, AEI, and DHL, are mostly around, fiercely loyal, and the best talents in the industry. They went on to achieve many great things in the corporate history.
A corporation can change directions many times. They can rewrite new mission statements and core values. They can rebrand themselves. They can acquire new assets and buy more companies. All these can be done in a controlled fashion. When it comes to matters of the heart - people's attitude, values, belief, respect - they look only to their leaders for guidance. No amount of carrots dangling can move your people to do what they don't believe in, unless you have nurtured strong shepherds to herd the sheeps. Don't omit the good shepherds from the will for they determine the success.
Both gave themselves two years to harmonize any differences and work the right balance. They listed in the "will" the people, assets, liabilities, and share of voice on both sides. They adopted both names and called themselves DANZAS AEI. Quite a fair marriage.Two years later, Danzas AEI took DHL as a partner. This time, the decision was swift. They decided to bury Danzas and named the combined entities DHL, due to its global brand equity.
These integrations taught me many things. However one thing prevails. People work for people.
The key team who cut the deals - Danzas, AEI, and DHL, are mostly around, fiercely loyal, and the best talents in the industry. They went on to achieve many great things in the corporate history.
A corporation can change directions many times. They can rewrite new mission statements and core values. They can rebrand themselves. They can acquire new assets and buy more companies. All these can be done in a controlled fashion. When it comes to matters of the heart - people's attitude, values, belief, respect - they look only to their leaders for guidance. No amount of carrots dangling can move your people to do what they don't believe in, unless you have nurtured strong shepherds to herd the sheeps. Don't omit the good shepherds from the will for they determine the success.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Don't give PR a bad name
Someone spoke about changing mindset of PR professionals - from the Classical PR(service provider)to Consultative PR (business partner) model.
It reminded me of a female avatar who fits within this classical PR type. Besides sucking up to her CEO, she turns the limelight on herself at company's events, and is a master at outsourcing - including the communications strategy; presentation deck to the board; and her very own mailbox. Pleasing the internal stakeholders at all cost is her motto! Service provider mentality.
Give PR the respect it fully deserves. Quit the bimbo-ish act to compensate for the lack of skills. Stop kicking downward. Show real talent. When you manage business relationships genuinely, you help individuals, company, and yourself to grow. A righteous business partner who possess personas of strong values and belief is a true leader.
It reminded me of a female avatar who fits within this classical PR type. Besides sucking up to her CEO, she turns the limelight on herself at company's events, and is a master at outsourcing - including the communications strategy; presentation deck to the board; and her very own mailbox. Pleasing the internal stakeholders at all cost is her motto! Service provider mentality.
Give PR the respect it fully deserves. Quit the bimbo-ish act to compensate for the lack of skills. Stop kicking downward. Show real talent. When you manage business relationships genuinely, you help individuals, company, and yourself to grow. A righteous business partner who possess personas of strong values and belief is a true leader.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Be kind when you blog
A mega church was recently under probe in Singapore and the news were widely debated in the bloggosphere. A pastor of another church remarked "If you blog, be kind. After all we are all preaching the gospel of grace". For those who saw the news as a chance to hit back at churches or christianity or anyone, look at yourself first before you judge others.
Monday, June 7, 2010
What to do with your internal blogs
I hate getting emails about when the server is going down. And those employee telephone and email directory listing. On average I received 150 - 200 group emails per day while I was working in corporation. Less than 30% of emails are relevant to me. If only companies see the benefits of blogs as an email killer apps... As I see it, here's a list of ways to use an internal blog:
1. Alerts - Instead of sending out those server failure emails, IT can request employees to subscribe to their blogs to be notified of such updates.
2. Departmental - Besides the intranet where you will find this sort of who's who, services, achievements, monthly/quarterly reports.. here's an opportunity to invite your employees to give their feedback on your department's work eg invite them to brainstorm or show their support for your initiatives.
3. News - Again, promote interactivity. Employees can respond to a topic be it industry or group's news.
4. Sales - Have a sales blog to share with fellow colleagues about a customer's visit or report on the sales developments of a customer.
1. Alerts - Instead of sending out those server failure emails, IT can request employees to subscribe to their blogs to be notified of such updates.
2. Departmental - Besides the intranet where you will find this sort of who's who, services, achievements, monthly/quarterly reports.. here's an opportunity to invite your employees to give their feedback on your department's work eg invite them to brainstorm or show their support for your initiatives.
3. News - Again, promote interactivity. Employees can respond to a topic be it industry or group's news.
4. Sales - Have a sales blog to share with fellow colleagues about a customer's visit or report on the sales developments of a customer.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
There are more important metrics than ROI
Love this quote from the new CMO at Dell from her interview in Adweek
Can social media scale and be measurable?
I think it can and has to. We have 2 billion conversations online a year. If I can't scale to the requirements, I can't continue to be a thriving business because that's increasingly how customers are shopping and engaging. It's not even an option not to scale, but it's to figure out how to do it around the customer. We're less focused right now on attributing ROI to everything we're doing. We're focused on "does it enhance the customer experience?" Does it look like revenue and profit are following? I'm less interested in measuring cost per contact. I know engagement with a fan on Facebook is a really good thing. I don't measure if that shortens the sales cycles. The things I can measure I feel great about. Those I can't I'm not losing sleep about.
via www.adweek.com
Can social media scale and be measurable?
I think it can and has to. We have 2 billion conversations online a year. If I can't scale to the requirements, I can't continue to be a thriving business because that's increasingly how customers are shopping and engaging. It's not even an option not to scale, but it's to figure out how to do it around the customer. We're less focused right now on attributing ROI to everything we're doing. We're focused on "does it enhance the customer experience?" Does it look like revenue and profit are following? I'm less interested in measuring cost per contact. I know engagement with a fan on Facebook is a really good thing. I don't measure if that shortens the sales cycles. The things I can measure I feel great about. Those I can't I'm not losing sleep about.
via www.adweek.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
More than skindeep, touches the heart strings
A DHL courier's red and yellow uniform caught my eyes as I stepped out of a client's boardroom yesterday. I welcomed the familiarity and everything sweet associated with that brand... couldn't conceal my smile to the boy.
I remembered sitting in the Parkview Square office 7 years ago... doing the tedious inventory of the number of vehicles (from scooters, bicycles, cars, vans to 40-foot container trucks), inferior and exterior office signages (which building is prominently located and facing the freeway? which is hidden within industrial parks?), uniforms, office stationery, airwaybills, tapes, bags, invoices - all things operational. Every single touch point with Management, Employees, Customers, Media and general publics needed us to move the world with just one aim. That is to show the world the new DHL brand. Yes, "us" the tiny Regional Communications Department of less than 7 leading the mega rebranding project in 2003.
Every single quarter were a report-out to Corporate tracking old vs new assets. Every single month was a party in at least one country with employees, customers, and media. Every week was a mad rush to push news in all propoganda channels to reach every corner and soul of DHLer. Every day we lived a rebranding high ! The power to excel and the can-do spirit was intoxicating. Everyone in the organization embraced the new brand. It was money very well invested to get people excited isn't it - especially when budgets was a free-flow commodity those days.
Within 12 months, all 40 countries and terrorities completed the project. AP topped the world's records to become the first region to wrap up the monster task. I believed it is the positive spirit of all in one and one in all... that got us through in such amazing speed and precision !
Yeah, we painted every city red, and left a specially blended yellow pantone in everyone we touched. I even suspected there was yellow in my blood ! 7 years on, I still love those colours. DHL was a rebranding success. I had the best time of my professional life.
I remembered sitting in the Parkview Square office 7 years ago... doing the tedious inventory of the number of vehicles (from scooters, bicycles, cars, vans to 40-foot container trucks), inferior and exterior office signages (which building is prominently located and facing the freeway? which is hidden within industrial parks?), uniforms, office stationery, airwaybills, tapes, bags, invoices - all things operational. Every single touch point with Management, Employees, Customers, Media and general publics needed us to move the world with just one aim. That is to show the world the new DHL brand. Yes, "us" the tiny Regional Communications Department of less than 7 leading the mega rebranding project in 2003.
Every single quarter were a report-out to Corporate tracking old vs new assets. Every single month was a party in at least one country with employees, customers, and media. Every week was a mad rush to push news in all propoganda channels to reach every corner and soul of DHLer. Every day we lived a rebranding high ! The power to excel and the can-do spirit was intoxicating. Everyone in the organization embraced the new brand. It was money very well invested to get people excited isn't it - especially when budgets was a free-flow commodity those days.
Within 12 months, all 40 countries and terrorities completed the project. AP topped the world's records to become the first region to wrap up the monster task. I believed it is the positive spirit of all in one and one in all... that got us through in such amazing speed and precision !
Yeah, we painted every city red, and left a specially blended yellow pantone in everyone we touched. I even suspected there was yellow in my blood ! 7 years on, I still love those colours. DHL was a rebranding success. I had the best time of my professional life.
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