Author Bethany AndellCategories Internal CommunicationsLeave a comment on Annual Reports in 2013 - The Trends say it’s not Print vs. Online, but Both Annual Reports in 2013 - The Trends say it’s not Print vs. Online, but Both
In my previous post on the Current Trends in Investor Communications, I highlighted some of the data from the January 2013 data on annual reports from the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). What we are finding is that many of the trends we saw two years ago, such as the shift away from the traditional report to the summary and 10-K wrap, are still continuing, and the shift towards digital is increasing.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Culture/Employee Engagement, Employer Branding, Savage ThinkingLeave a comment on The Advantages of a Strong Company Culture to Employee Engagement The Advantages of a Strong Company Culture to Employee Engagement
A company with engaged employees is easy to spot. In these organizations, the culture is clearly defined and employees understand the purpose and goals they are working toward. Simply put, there is a feeling of shared success.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Branding, Culture/Employee Engagement, Marketing CommunicationsLeave a comment on Need More Effective Communications? Start by Aligning Your Brand with Your Culture Need More Effective Communications? Start by Aligning Your Brand with Your Culture
Your company is sending out communications every day, but do these messages paint an accurate picture of your customers’ experience with the company? If your customers see a disconnect between what you say you do and what your employees actually do, then that creates a “credibility gap” for your brand.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Branding, Culture/Employee Engagement, Savage ThinkingLeave a comment on M&A Cultural Alignment: A Unified Culture Means a Strong Brand M&A Cultural Alignment: A Unified Culture Means a Strong Brand
When companies participate in M&A activity, they understand that there will be challenges associated with combining two unique businesses into a single entity. How customers will react to the combined business is a big concern. Managing customer expectations, ensuring that the company’s external brand is shifted smoothly and value remains high all need to be addressed in the external rebrand.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Branding, Marketing Communications, Social MediaLeave a comment on Storytelling for Branding and Marketing. Links to Read and Follow. Storytelling for Branding and Marketing. Links to Read and Follow.
Stories motivate, inform and inspire. Like campfire stories of old, they are memorable because they invite the audience to “actively participate” and absorb key points by relating to the narrative elements. Because of this, storytelling is a powerful tool for brand communications (and let’s not forget social media too).
Author Bethany AndellCategories Innovation, StrategyLeave a comment on On Being Innovative. Links to Read and Follow. On Being Innovative. Links to Read and Follow.
Perhaps it’s the start of a new year (which makes everyone more optimistic), but innovation has surfaced in many articles I’ve researched and read over the past week. I thought I might share a few that highlight variations of that theme. Let the reading, bookmarking, sharing and following begin.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Design, Web + Online MarketingLeave a comment on 10 Benefits of a Website Redesign 10 Benefits of a Website Redesign
Your website is your best marketing asset – always working to support your sales team and provide value for your customers. But if it’s overdue for a redesign, you may not be extracting as much value as you can, leaving dollars on the table. In the age of tighter marketing budgets, you need to maximize each communication and marketing channel, starting with a hard look at your website to determine if it’s time for a redesign.
Author Bethany AndellCategories SEO/SEM, Usability, Web + Online MarketingLeave a comment on Creating User-Centered Websites: Part 2, The Key to Designing User Experiences of the Future Creating User-Centered Websites: Part 2, The Key to Designing User Experiences of the Future
As new trends emerge, technology will affect the actions of web users through some common themes. We explore mouse-driven behaviors, typography, and mobile engagement for the future. It’s an exciting time to be planning and designing user interactions, so read more for our insight.
Author Bethany AndellCategories Usability, Web + Online MarketingLeave a comment on Creating User-Centered Websites: Part 1, How to Design for Results Creating User-Centered Websites: Part 1, How to Design for Results
Designing a user-centered website means putting your user’s needs, goals and motivations at the beginning of the process and harmonizing those needs with your expertise and “persuasive guidance.”