Communications as Ikor

Integrated Communications (PR) 

 

Bulletinboard던가 제가 Integrated Communications System에 대해 글을 쓴적이 있던걸로 기억이 납니다.

 

MBA출신들이 가장 오르고 싶어하는 자리가 CEO(Chief Executive Officer)라면, Corporate Communications, Public Relations같은 Business Communications 계열 전문석사출신들이 가장 오르고파 하는 위치는 기업내에서 CCO (Chief Communications Officer)일 겁니다.

 

이 CCO라는 위치는 기업내에서 여러 핵심파트를 책임지는 CEO바로 아래의 최고 참모 중역입니다. CIO, CFO, CKO 등등과 함께지요.

 

미국에서 MBA를 마치고 한 7-8년 정도 일한 사람들 중에는 Vice President라는 직함을 가진 사람들이 많습니다. “와, 30대 중반의 나이에 벌써 부사장님이?”

아닙니다. 미국 기업 내부 시스템에는 Vice President들이 한 직장내에도 여럿이 있습니다. Executive도 남발 수준이 되고요. 이 또한 기업들의 구조조정 이후 Empowerment라는 명목하에 직급에 대한 명칭 프레미엄이 올라서 이런 현상들이 일어난 것 같습니다.

 

옆길로 이야기가 빠졌지만, 하여튼 제 자신도 언젠가는 인하우스에서 은퇴전에 CCO한번 해보고 싶은게 소원이라면 소원입니다.

 

CCO의 업무의 매력은 말그대로 Integrated Communications를 경영하는 수장이라는데 있습니다. PR Budget에 대한 결정도 가능하구요.

 

CCO로서 가장 해보고 싶은것은 Integrated Communications System이 기반이 된 Corporate Philanthropy Project 하나, 거대한 Campaign 하나, 그리고 마지막으로 Corporate Culture Integration Project 하나입니다.

이중 하나라도 제대로 하고 은퇴를 맞을수있을지는 의문입니다. 하여튼 꿈은 그냥 품고만 있어도 아름다운거니까…

 

우연히 케이스들을 뒤적이다가 제법 그럴듯하게 Organize된 Integrated Communications Project Case가 눈에 띄어서 이렇게 여러분들과 함께 구경을 해 봅니다. 언젠가 이런 프로젝트 하나쯤.. 하고 꿈을 꾸시는 욕심장이 홍보인들이 많이 계셨으면 합니다.

 

지난해 미국내 UPS(United Parcel Service)의 파업은 회사와 근로자 양쪽이 모두 피”를 본 실패작이었습니다. 구경하던 고객들도 함께 불편을 겪었지요.

그러나 그 아픔이 가시기도 전에 미국내 2위의 속달 서비스인 FedEx (Federal Express)가 (크리스마스경으로 기억되는데) 파업을 하려고 시도 했었습니다. 우체부(일종의) 없는 크리스마스를 상상하는 고객들은 어떤 기분이 들까요. 회사로서는 UPS, DHL, AirBorn같은 경쟁사들이 행복의 괴성을 지르는 것을 어떻게 상상하겠습니까.

 

오늘의 케이스는 이러한 일종의 위기가 예측되는 상황에서 긴급히 마련된 위기 대처 PR팀이 보여주는 Crisis Management의 일종으로, Integrated Communications의 전형을 보여 줍니다. 이 사례에서 분류되어 제시되는 형식을 눈여겨 보시기 바랍니다. 저희가 부족한 Evaluation의 섹션도 주목해 주십시오.

또한 글속에 나오는 “War Room”의 개념과 운용의 효율성은 한번 깊게 연구해 보기에 충분한 소재라고 생각합니다.

 

Please take a look… 먼저 홍보!

********************************************************

 

Defending FedEx’s Reliability: Absolutely, Positively, Whatever It Takes

 

Federal Express with Ketchum

SILVER ANVIL AWARDS ’99

 

 

OBJECTIVE

During the hectic pre-holiday business season, the threat of a pilots’ strike at Federal Express Corporation jeopardized the very foundation of FedEx – its reliable service – and loomed over the company’s relationship with four key audiences:

 

*With customers, who might be forced to divert volume from FedEx to protect their 1998 holiday business;

 

*With FedEx employees, who feared massive layoffs if the company was forced to restructure to survive a strike;

 

*With FOX shareholders, who foresaw the potential earnings drain of a prolonged job action;

 

*And with pilots, who were influenced by a formidable and negative campaign by the FedEx Pilots Association.

 

The stakes were high – and global. Working hand-in-hand with senior management and the negotiating team, the FedEx Corporate Communications Department faced a daunting task: To create an integrated communications plan that would reassure all key audiences and turn crisis into opportunity. By leveraging all resources – the external counsel of Ketchum Public Relations plus internal resources from media relations, employee communications, investor relations, and other FedEx divisions – the communications team moved quickly to favorably shape public opinion, which helped influence a timely resolution to a potentially damaging global business crisis.

 

RESEARCH

 

National and local research – both quantitative and qualitative – was conducted intensively from mid-October to mid-December, given obvious time pressures.

 

Customer Studies: Focus groups were held in Chicago, New York and Phoenix to gauge awareness of contract negotiations between

 

FedEx and its pilots union. In mid-October, few customers had heard of a possible FedEx service disruption. However, customers who had been hindered by the previous summer’s strike at UPS stressed the importance of advance, honest communication about any service problems. During November, telephone polls of express shippers continued to show low awareness of a potential strike at FedEx.

 

Memphis Polling: FedEx research specialists conducted weekly polls of residents in Memphis, the company’s headquarters city and home to one-third of the pilot force. While early polls revealed a neutral stance toward FedEx and the union, later polls reflected a dramatic shift in favor of the company – the city’s largest employer – and against a strike.

 

Industry Analysis: The team analyzed case studies of companies that had faced similar labor situations, specifically UPS, Northwest Airlines and Caterpillar, Inc. Key learning was applied to the FedEx communications strategy.

 

Media Monitoring: Several times a day, the team monitored media outlets, Web sites, chat roams, and online newsgroups to track relevant commentary. This ongoing “litmus test’ of public opinion helped the team continually fine-tune its strategies and messaging.

 

PLANNING

 

Anticipating the negative tactics of the FedEx Pilots Association, the team took a true campaign approach with a positive and disciplined communications plan that focused on the strengths of the FedEx organization. The campaign had to build a compelling case that FedEx had the resolve, financial muscle, and additional resources to restructure, if necessary, in order to survive a pilots’ strike – unlike UPS, which was shut down by a Teamsters’ strike in the summer of 1997. Early in the planning process, the team set up a central “War Room,” clearly defined all communications responsibilities, and met daily to map out key messages and strategy. Full-scale scenario planning also provided the flexibility to adapt to constantly-changing conditions. Risk management was the overarching goal as the team identified all possible allies and leveraged research findings to determine the best strategy to reach each audience.

 

Target Audiences: Customers; Non-pilot Employees; Shareholders and Pilots

 

Objectives:

 

1) Retain customers and maintain package volume during peak shipping season

2) Keep morale and service levels high among 143,000 + non-pilot employees

3) Maintain stock price and shareholder confidence in FOX, parent company of FedEx

4) Persuade pilots to return to the bargaining table and reach an equitable agreement

 

Strategies:

 

1) Reassure customers that FedEx would remain operational, no matter what

2) Keep non-pilot employees informed and assured of their importance

3) Reinforce strength of FOX network to shareholders via national financial media and analysts

4) Correct pilots’ misperceptions by relaying details of the company’s proposals

 

Budget: $300,000 in fees and $ 100,000 in other expenses (비싸기도 하군요..)

 

EXECUTION

 

The team conducted twice-a-day, cross-functional meetings attended by Customer Service, Legal, Marketing and Investor Relations, as well as Public Relations and Employee Communications. Based on this daily feedback, messages and positioning were constantly refined in order to keep the campaign fully aligned with corporate strategy. Throughout the crisis, the team also capitalized on media interest in FedEx to highlight the company’s strengths, such as its superior information technology, unique employee culture, management depth, and operational adaptability as a subsidiary of FOX.

 

1 ) Reassuring customers: FedEx feared that even the threat of a pilots’ strike – coming at the brink of its busiest season – could prompt customers to make irreversible shipping decisions. With “poaching” competitors increasing their capacity to handle new business, FedEx had to move quickly and decisively to reassure customers that it would continue to meet their shipping needs. To prevent widespread shipper panic, the national media strategy focused on the FedEx commitment to its customers and its ability to reconfigure the network to remain operational. The team used the high-traffic FedEx web site for customer communication and coordinated one-on-one messaging with Customer Service and the FedEx Global Sales staff. The team also used press releases, video news releases, and b-roll to drive national media coverage of this ‘business as usual” commitment. To secure third-party endorsements, the team held one-on-one contingency plan briefings with customer executives.

 

2) Informing employees: Facing potential paralysis as employees feared for their job security, FedEx mounted a comprehensive campaign to keep non-pilot employees informed and motivated. The “Absolutely, Positively, Whatever It Takes’ theme reinforced the positive tone of the campaign and refocused employee spirit on meeting customer needs. The campaign theme was carried out on posters, buttons, banners, bumper stickers, T-shirts and sweatshirts, and was highlighted daily on FXTV, the company’s digital broadcast network and an a special intranet “sitelet.” Non-pilot employees were also reached externally via national and local media stories. In addition, the FedEx CEO and COO conducted 15 meetings in mid-November, speaking to more than 6,000 employees in Memphis and Indianapolis – the company’s two largest operations – with FXTV coverage that extended the reach around the world.

 

3) Maintaining shareholder confidence: On the investor front, FedEx walked a fine line between offering a contract the pilots would accept and maintaining shareholder value. The team regularly contacted key buy-side and sell-side analysts to forestall any downgrading and to explain the financial implications of the FedEx offer and the union’s demands. As negotiations progressed, the team also set up financial media interviews with the CFO of FDX to detail specifics of the company’s contingency plans in the event of a strike.

 

4) Convincing pilots: When the union leadership deliberately deprived its members of the details of the company’s latest and best offer, FedEx was concerned that pilots would make ill-informed decisions and support a strike movement. After a neutral third-party analysis characterized FedEx’s proposal as favorable, fair, and industry leading, the company sent the proposal and analysis directly to pilots’ homes. When union officials encouraged members not to read the information, the team appealed to pilots through frequent local media intervi  (나중에 찾아 마저 올립죠.. 편집자 배상)