Communications as Ikor

Corporate Idnetity (CI) : 1  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

요즘 몇 몇 분들에게 CI에 대한 이론적인 의뢰를 받습니다. 물론 제가 CI의 전문가는 아니지만, 개인적으로 Lucent Technologies의 Coffee Cup(Lucent의 로고)을 위한 brand manager인 Hoffman으로 부터 CI 와 BI를 배운 저의 그냥 얄팍한 지식으로 몇 가지 말씀드릴까 합니다.

-CI에 관한 주제는 앞으로 몇 회에 걸쳐 연재될 예정입니다.

오늘은 우리나라의 일반적인 CI 프로그램이 가지고있는 이론적/ 실행적 문제점을 언급하여 봅니다.

우리나라의 CI(Corporate Identity) 프로그램은 한마디로 VI(Visual Idnetity)작업의 한계를 벗어나지 못하고 있습니다.

여러 대기업들이 (어느 회사라고 지명은 않습니다, 그 쪽에서 일을 하시는 방문자 분들이 계시리라 믿기 때문입니다.) 몇년전 부터 서로 경쟁적으로 그들의 소위 CI를 발표해왔는데, 어마 어마한 금액을 지불하고 결국 가져온 것은 새로만든 로고 정도였습니다.

그리고 우리나라에서는 이상하게도 CI를 “기업 이미지 통합”이라는 말로 신문지상에서나 보도자료에서 언급하고 있습니다. Corporate Image Integration은 과연 어떤 이론적인 베이스를 가지고 사용되고 있는지 궁금합니다.(하기는 신문에서 또 종종 IR(Investor Relations)을 “투자 설명회”라고 친절히(?) 부연 설명 해주기도 합니다.)

제가 아는 한, 그리고 배운한 CI는 절대 기업 이미지 통합의 의미가 아닙니다. 그리고 기업의 로고를 만들기 위한 visual 작업도 아닙니다.

CI 프로그램도 CI전문 컨설팅 회사가 맞아야지, 회사내의 디자인 팀이나, 로고 전문 디자인 회사가 맞아야 할 작업”” 은 아닙니다. 

성공적인 CI 프로그램을 경영하기 위해서 먼저 기업은 기업 자신에 대한 광범위한 분석이 필요합니다. 이는 기업의 역사 부터 기업의 비지니스 및 전략, 기업 문화, 경영 스타일, 앞으로의 기업적 비젼등을 총 망라하는 Inventory입니다.- 곧 내부적 CI Inventory입니다.

이 CI Inventory를 바탕으로 기업의 앞으로의 전략이 요구하는 필요성에 따라 어떠한 Idnetity가 추가 또는 제거 되어야 하는지에 대해 연구 합니다.

새로운 Identity 설정 방향이 완성 되었으면 그 때 비로소 CI 프로그램을 기획합니다. 가장 핵심적인 Value가 무엇인지 (예)) Globalization, 업계 최고, 기술력, 창조성, 신뢰성..) / 어떤 방법으로 새로운 Identity를 목표 공중들과 커뮤니케이션 해야 하는지 등을 계획 해야 합니다. CI 프로그램의 핵심은 VI 로서 새로운 로고를 커뮤니케이션하는 것에 있는 것이 아니라, Identity 자체를 (Value를) 커뮤니케이션 해야 하는 것 입니다.

많은 분들이 생각하는 로고 제작은 절대로 CI 프로그램이 아닙니다. (지자체 담당 공무원 여러분들 이해하십시요.) 그냥 하나의 CI를 위한 매체일 뿐입니다. 브랜드 전략에서도 로고와 브랜드의 가치를 혼동하면 않됩니다. 가치인식이 머저 된 후의 로고를 기억 선택 하는 것이지, 가치 인식 없이 로고의 선택은 이루어 지기 힘듭니다.

그와 똑 같이 기업의 가치를 커뮤니케이션 하는 데 성공 적이어야지, 로고가 전부는 될수 없다는 말을 자꾸 드리고 싶습니다.

오늘은 개념적 혼동을 언급 하였지만, 내일 부터는 CI의 기본적인 단계인 진정한 기업 내부 아이덴티티 정립 방법을 논해 보겠습니다.

아래는 British Airways의 몇 년전 새 아이덴티티(물론 Value 위주의) 프로그램에 대한 글입니다. VI를 넘어 어떻게 가치를 커뮤니케이션 했는지 보십시요.

또 하나는 Ciba 와 Sandoz의 결합으로 태어난 Norvatis의 사례 입니다. 실제로 미국에서는 Norvatis가 가치 커뮤니케이션에서는 성공적 이었는데, Naming과 Logo 측면에서는 많은 전문가들로 부터 비판을 받고 있습니다. “What does the hell Norvatis mean?” 이 또한 CI의 성공은 아님이 확실합니다.

읽어 보시고 많은 Feed Back 부탁 드립니다.

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BRITISH AIRWAYS UNVEILS NEW IDENTITY

British Airways, which once brought together thousands of people in the shape of a globe to create a compelling image for one of its television commercials and more recently imposed a giant model of the Concorde on Times Square, is not a company to do things by halves. So when it unveiled what management describes as “a radical new identity” in June, it was no surprise that the company’s public relations people were scattering superlatives like confetti.

According to BA, the company’s new identity was “based on what is believed to be the largest consumer research exercise in the history of the travel industry.” It was introduced through “what is believed to be the world’s largest satellite corporate television broadcast” using 13 satellites, transmitting pictures from almost 25 different places to 126 locations in 63 countries across five continents.

BA may also be able to claim a record for the most corporate identities unveiled at one time by one company. The airline has abandoned the Union Flag that has appeared on the airline’s tailfin since it was founded and is in the process of replacing it with 50 “world images” designed by painters, potters, weavers, ceramicists, paper-cut artists, calligraphers, and sculptors from around the world. The images – 13 of which were unveiled in June – were created by artists from New York to Mpumalanga (eastern South Africa) to Warsaw to the Kalahari Desert.

The airline says it conducted extensive interviews with its passengers, 60 percent of whom originate from outside its domestic market. According to CEO Bob Ayling, “Some people abroad saw the airline as staid, conservative and a little cold” – characteristics that have, on occasion, been used to describe Britain as a whole. The company concluded that it needed to be seen as more modern, dynamic, and responsive to the different cultural needs of its customers.

“We need a corporate identity that will enable us to become not just a U.K. carrier but a global airline that is based in Britain,” says Ayling. “The identity we unveiled is that of a global, caring company, more modern, more open, more cosmopolitan, but proud to be based in Britain.”

The design project was supervised by Newell & Sorrell, an identity and design consultancy headquartered in London and Amsterdam. The firm worked with BA for close to two years, and chairman John Sorrell says its work for the airline was “among the most challenging, exciting and innovative… we have ever undertaken.” In addition to finding the art that now adorns the BA fleet, Newell & Sorrell changed the airline’s color palette, ditching the old pearl gray, dark red, and dark (almost black) blue for the red, white, and blue of the Union Flag. Finally, the typeface for the airline’s name was changed to be softer.

The launch broadcast was viewed by 14,000 employees and guests and was accompanied by an impressive array of special events. In Thailand, a flotilla of traditional barges with sails designed to reflect the company’s new imagery sailed up the Chao Phraya River while in Hong Kong, a dragon dance gave a traditional good luck welcome to the new identity before it was unveiled. At London’s Heathrow, meanwhile, Ayling unveiled two planes: one bearing an image from the Ndbele tribe in South Africa, the other adorned with Japanese calligraphy.

In the U.K., at least, reaction to the new identity was mixed. The director of the U.K’s Contemporary Art Society suggested that some of the designs – notably a tartan pattern for Scotland – were patronizing while “the whole of Germany is summed up with something that looks like a linoleum kitchen floor.” Others questioned the strategy of presenting 50 different images. “Some individual designs are attractive and striking… others seem to be pretty corny,” commented David Barrie, director of the National Art Collections Fund.

Says Ayling, “It is not just that the world is getting smaller, which it is. It is not just that technology is changing the way people communicate, though that has something to do with it. And it’s not just that the competition is getting tougher, which certainly has a part to play. What really has changed is the expectations of our customers.”

BA says the new identity program is part of a sweeping corporate and cultural change at the airline, which began with the upgrading of First, Club World, and Club Europe class travel and will continue with new products and services for leisure and business travelers. The airline will invest more than $10 billion over the next three years, improving its terminal at JFK in New York, providing better in-flight entertainment, adding new routes, offering online reservations, and expanding its relationship with alliance partners like American Airlines.

A new advertising campaign will support the new look. The first ad in the new campaign, from London’s M&C Saatchi, uses international music – instruments range from a Greek bouzouki to a Moroccan snake charmer to a sitar – arranged by Dave Stewart, formerly of the pop group the Eurythmics. The ads focus on the diversity of the world’s geography and on emotions that are experienced by all people regardless of geography, with a voice-over that states, “The more you travel, the more you realize the world is closer than you think.”

두번째 Case****************************************

Creating A Name For Novartis

Organization: Novartis

Agency: Ruder Finn

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OBJECTIVES & AUDIENCE

Ruder Finn and Novartis created a global advertising campaign to build awareness for a brand new company with a distinctive name, and to position that company as a leader in the emerging field of Life Sciences.

When Ciba and Sandoz merged in 1996, the company chose the name Novartis which, from the Latin “novae artes,” means “new skills.” The new skills Novartis offered would enhance life through pharmaceutical, nutritional and agricultural science, thereby making Novartis the leading Life Sciences company in the world.

The objectives of the advertising campaign were two-fold:

To establish name recognition of the newly formed company on a worldwide scale.

To define what a “Life Sciences” company was and to position Novartis as the leading company in this emerging field.

This campaign would focus primarily on key stakeholders in the financial world, the professional world, the media, government, and policy makers and opinion leaders throughout the world.

STRATEGY

To foster a dialogue about Novartis and the meaning of a Life Sciences company, the campaign featured the Socratic method of asking questions that lead to answers. Each advertisement posed a question pertaining to a new innovation within one of the three sectors of Life Sciences: pharmaceutical, nutrition, or agricultural science. For example, readers were asked “Who’s developing new therapies to make organ transplants more successful?,’ and “Who’s finding new ways to feed those who physically cannot feed themselves?” The answer to every question was Novartis. These questions were placed on a background of an electron microscopic photograph of DNA, the building block of life. To emphasize the company’s focus on new approaches, as well as to underscore the meaning of “Novartis,” the tag line for the campaign became “New Skills in the Science of Life.”

The fact that this campaign was a global initiative created a special challenge when we began to define the new field of Life Science in countries around the world. Every advertisement was translated to maintain intended meaning and impact across a wide range of cultures. Additionally, a visual branding at the bottom of the ads always identified “Life Sciences” as the combination of healthcare, agribusiness and nutrition through the use of icons for each of these business sectors. Advertising guidelines and templates on CD-ROM were distributed worldwide to ensure that advertising in every county remained consistent, despite the vast number of different ads that ran.

EXECUTION

Our objectives to create recognition of the Novartis name as well as to define the field of Life Sciences were achieved by creating a global advertising campaign based upon simple words, images and bold colors which could be identified across cultural barriers.

Ruder Finn handled every facet of the creative program of this campaign. All ideas, copy, photographs, and layouts were executed by Ruder Finn.

To gain the attention of the key stakeholders in our target audience, the print ads ran in high-impact publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Forbes, and Fortune. Placement in these international publications was complemented with local print advertising in key countries (Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA). Overall, the print advertisements were created in seven different languages and placed in several hundred publications.

To further reach key stakeholders, airport posters were placed in key international cities including: Basel, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Washington DC, and Zurich.

Television ads were also directed towards financial leaders and were placed on the Asian Business Network, the BBC, CNN, CNBC, the European Business Network, and MSNBC.

RESULTS

Extensive research was conducted to evaluate the global effectiveness of this campaign. Before the start of the campaign, in November1996, a preliminary survey was conducted in the eight countries (Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA) upon which the campaign would focus. With the exception of Switzerland, where the company is based, the overall awareness of the name Novartis and what field in which the company was involved, was below twenty percent among stakeholders.

After the initial ten months of the campaign, in October 1997, the same study was again conducted within the eight key countries. Besides Switzerland, where awareness of the company was already high, the overall awareness of the name Novartis and the company’s business pursuits was at least double pre-campaign levels. In Italy, Japan and the UK awareness rose almost one and a half times the original level, and in the United States awareness of Novartis tripled (see attached chart).

In the short span of ten months, the Novartis advertising campaign has started to produce the desired effect of raising key stakeholder awareness on a global level

PR 의 시작2 : Communications Audit  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

혹시 이 글을 읽으시는 분들중에 Communications Audit이라는 말을 들어 보신분이 계시는지 모르겠습니다. 이미 이 분야는 미국에서 여러 전문 에이젼시들이 해당 서비스들을 제공하고 있는 분야 입니다. 아래의 글은 CA가 무었인지 그리고 어떻게 하는지에 대한 실무적인 자료가 담겨있는 Public Relations Journal에 실린 특집입니다. 이 CA는 현재 우리 기업이 어떻한 형태의 커뮤니케이션 Structure를 구축하고 있고, 어떤 Flows를 따르며, 모든 커뮤니케이션적 활동등 에 대한 실제적 효용성등을 검토하고 문제점을 발견, 개선하기 위한 필수적인 단계사업 입니다. 고리타분해 보이고 Excite하지는 않지만, 입에 쓴 약이 몸에 좋다고 이 CA는 성공적 기업으로 태어나기 위한 보약이라고 해도 과언이 아닐 것 입니다. 읽고 공부 하십시다. Here is all about Communications Audit…

“홍보!”

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The Communications Audit

What it does, how to do it, what it costs, and why it should be an essential part of your internal and external communication plans and programs.

Reprint from Public Relations Journal, Joseph A. Kopec, 6D-058224

Experience demonstrates that the most successful managements create internal and external climates that encourage the support of goals and enlist the cooperation of constituencies in problem solving.

Successful climates are the result of a planned communication strategy based on periodic audits conducted by professionals. Whether the auditors are from inside or outside the organization depends on particular staff skills, responsibilities and budget.

Often I am asked by communicators whether communication audits must be conducted by outside consultants. I usually say that they need not be, but that there are merits to using outside experts. These include time availability and undivided attention to the task, an assortment of similar experiences for comparison, a degree of objectivity, and the credibility factor that often comes with outside credentials.

Here are other questions repeatedly asked about audits.

1. What is a communication audit?

It is a complete analysis of an organization’s communications -internal and/or external – designed to “take a picture” of communication needs, policies, practices. and capabilities, and to uncover necessary data to allow top management to make informed, economical decisions about future objectives of the organization’s communication. An audit should also lead to a series of recommendations.

2. What is the scope of an audit?

The scope of an audit may be as broad and as deep as the size and complexity of the organization’s demands. The audit can measure the effectiveness of communication programs throughout an entire organization, in a single division or department, or within a specific employee group. It can examine communications on a particular subject or communications via individual media, it can uncover misunderstandings, information barriers and bottlenecks, as well as opportunities. It can help measure cost effectiveness, evaluate ongoing programs, confirm hunches, clarify questions, and, in some instances, reorient concepts among senior management.

3. What does the communication audit provide?

It provides meaningful information to members of management concerned with efficiency, credibility, and economy of their communications policies, practices, and programs. It also provides valuable data for developing or restructuring communications functions, guidelines, and budgets, as well as recommendations for action tailored to an organization’s particular situation as uncovered by an analysis of the collected data.

Outside consultants may bring additional features to the process, such as an objective evaluation from one or more communication specialists who have a broad frame of reference gained from education and experience working with many, varied types of organizations on diverse communication assignments. and comparison of the audit findings against data from other clients to see how the organization compares in its needs and capabilities.

4. When should an audit be conducted?

Generally, an extensive audit should be conducted every five to seven years. In the interim, reliable feedback techniques should be obtained periodically through the organization’s routine communication function. This ongoing process can be used to: monitor existing communication activities and to provide background information needed to develop or modify specific communication programs.

Audits are helpful also after mergers and acquisitions, whenever new or revised corporate policies and structures are being implemented, during periods of labor or management unrest, and following a crisis.

5. What subjects are covered?

Typically an audit will cover such areas as:

Communication philosophy – formal written policies (if any), the position of communication among management priorities, management support of communication in a practical (e.g., financial) way, the relations of communication to other staff functions and to operations, and centralized vs. decentralized communication.

Objectives and goals – long-range objectives, short-range goals.

Organization, staffing, and compensation – organizational structure, position duties and responsibilities, salary levels, production support.

Existing communication programs- formal methods and media for communicating downward, upward, and laterally through the organizational pyramid. Techniques used to communicate with external audiences, such as printed materials (annual reports, fact books, histories, news releases, backgrounders, brochures), video tapes, films and other audiovisuals, and special events (annual meetings, open houses).

Existing vehicles and their uses – publications, manuals, bulletin boards, closed-circuit television, videotape, slides, teleconferencing, telephones generally and tape message systems, memos, reports and correspondence.

Personal communications – quantity, quality, and reliability of information, and effectiveness of the one-on-one, interpersonal exchange.

Both internally among supervisors and employees, as well as with outside publics such as media, legislators and financial analysts.

Meetings – frequency, content, format, effectiveness, and duration of departmental and other group get-togethers for business purposes inside the organization.

Attitudes toward existing communications – internally toward formal, organization- sponsored programs, informal message transmission (the grapevine), and externally in the attitudes of various constituencies on subjects of particular interest, including the intensity of their views.

Needs and expectations – departmental needs, including geographical, age, sex and educational differences, and specific areas of concern.

Methodology: how to do it

There is very little mystery to the actual implementation of an audit. Most consultants use the following approach, with slight variations. As the internal and external audit segments diverge, we’ll show the differences in the process.

1. Hold a planning meeting.

Whether or not an outside consultant is used, it’s important to determine the audit’s objectives, identify question areas, plan an approach, and develop a schedule. Research, in its various forms, is a precious commodity which, unlike wine, loses its quality with age. Determine precisely when each element will be done. Stick to the schedule. Internal staff has the most difficulty with schedules because other responsibilities have to be handled. Allow for this common problem if staff is used.

2. Conduct top management interviews.

The purpose of these interviews is to determine management’s attitudes and beliefs about communication, as well as to pinpoint communication problems in the particular management area.

Interviews usually include the chief executive officer and heads of operations, communication, personnel. marketing, finance, and representatives from other key management levels and major functional areas.

This step is crucial because it not only pinpoints areas for additional research, it provides insight into individual managers’ style of communication. For external audits, top executives should be asked to help develop lists of external publics. Use prepared questionnaires that unobtrusively guide the interview. Recording the senior management interviews for transcription is often done – if the executives in question aren’t put off or intimidated by a tape recorder. Transcripts are invaluable for the next step, questionnaire development. Anonymity should be guaranteed, of course.

3. Collect, inventory and analyze communication material.

While all of this has been going on, the auditors collect, inventory, and analyze for effectiveness representative samples of all existing communication vehicles and programs, e.g., such internal materials as orientation packets, publications, audiovisuals, benefit summary plan descriptions, and representative memos, and large of external materials, including hundreds of printed pieces, news releases, and audiovisuals. These should be reviewed in light of the needs identified in the interviews and questionnaires. Through this process, the true strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s current communications can be ascertained.

At this point. the audit splits into two parts. First we will deal with internal audiences or employees, and then the external publics.

4(I). Conduct employee interviews.

Interviews are held with focus groups of employees who discuss the organization’s communications under the guidance of a consultant trained as a group facilitator.

The members of each focus group should be from the same functional area to reduce reticence and anxiety. However, each focus group will be from a different functional area to enable the analysts to get a representative sampling of opinions across organizational lines. The objective of the focus groups is the broad identification of issue areas for further investigation.

Next, face-to-face interviews are conducted with a carefully selected cross section of employees. The employees interviewed are chosen through a random, stratified technique. The purpose is to obtain opinions across demographic lines (e.g., male, female, younger, and senior workers, etc.) as well as to solicit ideas free from the influence of others. In this regard, it is advisable to keep supervisors out of groups with their own employees, and vice-versa. Otherwise, conversations may become stilted, self-serving, and defensive. Videotaping focus groups is quite common in marketing research. However, we do not recommend videotaping audit focus groups. Tape recording and transcription may be permissible if the identities of individual employees are concealed. Even then the presence of a microphone inhibits some employees. Note taking is the best method to record responses.

Focus groups are used first because they often lead to the identification of nuances of feelings and opinions that might otherwise go undetected. The individual interviews can be used to probe for more specific information and reasons.

5(I). Prepare the questionnaire.

Consultants draft a questionnaire composed of specific questions related to communication areas identified during the planning meeting, management interviews, focus groups and individual employee interviews. If you do this yourself, be sure to use an expert to prepare the questionnaire. Nothing is worse than a poorly drawn instrument. Test the questionnaire on control groups before administering it. Flaws often surface at this point.

6(I). Administer the questionnaire.

Administer the questionnaire on site(s). In the case of large, far-flung organizations, it is sometimes logistically more practical to mail questionnaires to employees. We prefer to administer the questionnaire in person whenever feasible. If mailing is necessary, however, always mail to the office, not to the home. Response rates drop in residential mailings and less control is possible over who is providing data.

7(I). Tabulate and summarize responses.

Gather and summarize the responses. This may be another place to flash warning lights. Be sure you have some way to professionally and expeditiously handle this volume of material. And be sure if you use your internal data processing personnel that they understand, and agree to, the high priority this information should have. Be sure you can also guarantee privacy of data. This is critical.

8(I). Communicate results to employees.

Whenever you research an internal audience, expectations are raised concerning some change in the status quo. Be prepared to communicate the results candidly and quickly.

The external audit

Now for a look at how the external procedure is similar and different.

Return to step 3, where the auditor collects, inventories, and analyzes communication materials. For the external audit, the auditor goes one step further and conducts a secondary research study-usually content analysis of recent literature, using news clips, computer search, and similar systems. Don’t forget to cover electronic media through television and radio, video, and audio tapes.

This information is key to the preparation of questionnaires for interviews.

4(E). Identify audiences for research.

Audience identification is a most critical step in an external audit. Top management interviews and a review of existing materials and programs will provide various lists. Finance will enumerate shareholders and analysts, marketing contributes consumer warranty lists, advertising research group, and opinion results, and public relations provides media contacts who regularly cover the organization.

5(E). Conduct focus groups/interviews.

In the case of large, amorphous publics, it’s important to sort out areas for special attention. These “hot spots” may be completely unknown to management. How interviewees respond in focus groups is often at least as important as what they actually say. Visual features, gesture’s and similar nuances are informative to a trained auditor.

6(E). Prepare and test questionnaires.

External audit questionnaires consist of two general types: those used in personal interviews to guide the interview; and opinion research questionnaires for larger audiences where cost or time makes personal interviewing impossible. Testing the questionnaire for telephone or mail surveys usually is wise since wording, length, and format can affect results significantly.

7(E). Conduct interviews and opinion research.

Go to the publics in question, whenever feasible, and interview them. If this is not possible, send out the research forms or survey by phone. Consultants can be helpful in designing the research tool(s) so that the organization obtains optimum response rates. Telephone follow-ups often are used when mail surveys provide inadequate results.

8(E). Tabulate and summarize results.

Interviews should be written up and summarized. Questionnaires are tabulated and run for analysis.

9(E). Analyze and interpret audit data.

Data are analyzed and, together with the analysis of the communication materials, developed into an interpretation of the audit data.

10(E). Prepare and present audit report.

An oral and written summary of the results is presented to management. Suggestions for appropriate attention and action are outlined. Particular emphasis is given to sources of management and employee concern with the idea of maximizing the effectiveness of the organization’s communications.

How much will it cost?

Perhaps the final and most crucial question any communicator asks is: “How much is all of this going to cost?” The internal staff often will say that money will be saved and used for staffing events, and other needs if the audit is done in house. This may be partially true.

The actual charges for a communication audit by outside consultants depend on the range and depth of the study, the time spent by the consultants to conduct the assignment, and the costs of printing, tabulating, and analyzing the questionnaires.

Ask yourself if you have enough time available to conduct an audit given current staff accountabilities, and whether you have in-house expertise to handle the data and materials.

Effective and credible communication is essential to build and maintain a knowledgeable, supportive, and productive work force and to keep lines open with external audiences. And don’t forget, the promotion of a favorable image to external publics involves well informed internal publics. After all, if your own people don’t believe in the organization’s mission, why should anyone else?

PR의 시작 : Employee Communicatins  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

오늘은 PR의 기반적 요소인 “전략적인 Employee Communications”에 대해 말씀과 함께 자료를 하나 게제해 봅니다. 지난글에서도 제가 두서없이 내부에서 부터의 바른 모습을 외부로 발전시켜야 하는것이 PR의 역할이라는 취지의 말씀을 드린것으로 기억합니다.

Employee Communication(EC)은 기업의 전략을 향한 내부 조율의 한 방법입니다.

성공적인 기업치고 EC가 시원찮은 곳은 하나도 없을 겁니다. 특히 근래에 들어서는 기업의 전략적 변화(Restructuring, Reengineering, Downsizing, Out-sourcing, M&A,etc.)를 맞이하는 여러 기업들이 급격한 변화로 부터의 후유증을 최소화 하고 떨어진 Survivor들의 사기와 생산성을 끌어 올리기위해 EC에 각별한 관심과 연구가 벌어지고 있습니다.

Startegic Management의 핵심이 Communications라는 것을 부인하는 사람은 없을 겁니다. 이미 MBA과정에도 Business Communications와 같은 과정이 포함되어 있기도 합니다.(비록 그내용과 심도는 약간 실망 스럽지만)

“나로 부터 개혁해야 사회도 개혁된다!”하던 80년대의 대학가 구호의 짜투리 같이 이제는 “내 기업부터 전략적으로 개혁되야 국가 경제도 개혁된다”는 당연한 명제를 받아들여야 할것 같습니다.

그럼 과연 PR인이 어떻게 거창하게 기업을 개혁할수 있을까요.

우리나라의 예는 아니지만, 과반수 이상의 PR부서의 사람들이 기업의 최고 경영자에게 직접 보고를 하는 위치에 있는 게 미국의 현실 입니다.

PR 전문 카운셀러들은 CEO의 자세가 가장 중요한 선결과제라고들 합니다.

그러나 성공적인 CEO를 창조하는 것은 우리 PR인들이기 때문에 우리는 CEO가 올바른 자세를 정립할수있도록 설득하여야 하는 중요한 임무가 있습니다. EC우선의 PR에 대한 중요성을 일깨워 주는 겁니다.

Corporate Change의 성패를 가늠하는 중요요소로는 다음과 같은 것들이 있습니다.

1. 얼마나 사원들이 현 상황을 이해하고 있는가?

– “뭐가 불경기야, 어제까지만해도 경기가 잘 나간다고 떠들더니 만..”

2. 그들은 적절히 교육되어있는가?

– ” 구조조정이란게 도데체 뭐야? 무조건 짜르겠다는 말이지?”

3. 그들은 회사내에서 어떻게 정렬되어 있는가?

– “회사의 비젼? 가치? Mission? 리더쉽? 그게 뭐야.. 10년 회사에 있었는데도 처음 들어보는 소리네..”

4. 그들은 어떻게 동기화 되는가?

– “돈만 많이 주면 좋은 회사지 뭐, 딴거 있어??

핵심적인 단어는 교육, 전략적 정렬, 동기 부여등입니다.

EC는 사원들을 잘 짜여진 기업의 Infra(저 번에 말씀드린 기업의 제반 기초 요소들- Mission, Vision, Value, Leadership)를 기준으로 하나하나 정렬 시키는 역할을 합니다. 교육을 통해서 그들을 발전시키고, 교육된 사원들을 분석, 동기 부여를 함으로서 “먹을 준비가 되어 있는 사람에게 맛있는 음식을 가져다 주는” 역할을 합니다.

미국내 지난 10여년 동안 시행된 Corporate Change의 70%이상이 실패했다는 연구도 있었습니다. 우리나라는 그 이상 실패할 것을 확신합니다. 실패기업의 가장 큰 원인중 하나는 “내부로 부터의 저항”이 었습니다.

지식 경영을 외치는 작금의 트렌드도 change를 경험한 Survivor들을 Motivation시키고 다시 다가오는 change를 준비시키려는 몸부림입니다. Change는 한번으로 끝나는 것이 아니라 계속되는 것 이라는 걸 암시하는 것이죠.

변화에 쉽게 적응하며 그속에서 더욱 경쟁력을 강화시키는 기업만이 미래의 생존자가 될수 있으며, 그 생존자의 어머니는 우리 PR인들입니다. 힘내십시요..

아래는 Best Practices of Corporate Communications라는 연구 결과에서 발췌한 Synopsis입니다. 전략적 EC의 개념 형성에 도움이 되었으면 합니다.

그럼, 먼저 “홍보!”

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

Internal Communications

Corporate communications is about aligning goals and programs to address – in measurable ways – the priorities of business. The results of a recent “best practice” analysis from among 259 major US corporations showed that employee communications is the #1 issue for communication leaders. Here are highlights of 8 key areas critical to maintaining a future stake in your organizations growth:

1. Business Learning

An environment where people learn the business, understand the financial goals and regularly track progress against those goals. People believe their job is to improve performance and are given a stake in the outcome. Set the context of corporate messages by:

bringing the outside market into the workplace;

teaching employees how the organization makes money;

linking people and what they do to the business strategy.

2. Leadership Communication

Leadership behavior and CEO support have greater impact on communications effectiveness than formal communications media such as newsletters and memos. Consistent messaging allows leadership to reinforce the operational and behavioral implications of an organization’s mission – on an ongoing basis.

implement strategy with accountable objectives

leadership communication should be at all levels

managerial communication training is important

3. Involvement

Engaging employees in the corporate mission ultimately boils down to enabling them to make correct decisions in a way that optimize the performance of the organization overall. Self-directed teams represent one of the deepest levels of employee involvement. Informed employees who know the corporate mission, and understand the business and its priorities will make better decisions than employed people in a traditional hierarchical structure.

4. Technology

Best Practice Companies acknowledge that technology is great for moving operating information quickly and cheaply. At the same time, organizations of people must interact on a personal level for there to be meaningful understanding.

5. Recognition & Celebration

Fulfillment through achievements and recognition for individual and collective accomplishments can be viewed as another process for consistent messaging. Four elements to effective recognition programs:

clear understanding of business objectives

employees raise their performance with goals

employees sense achievement when they meet goals

the organization provides meaningful recognition

6. Measurement

Communications departments are able to show impact on business and operating results when plans and objectives flow out of business plans.

define ultimate customer experience

identify employee behaviors needed to achieve this

train/engage employees to live these behaviors

measure effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty

correlate satisfaction with financial performance

7. Operations Alignment

Actions speak louder than words…and conflict between actions and words can derail or at least slow the achievement goals. Align communication of business objectives and plans with corporate messages.

8. The Communications Function

How does the function support the business operations and structure, and what does it cost? Towers and Perrin suggest these four steps:

set clear objectives tied to business strategy

gather information critical to objectives and strategy

establish a focus

build and implement the resulting strategy

Marketing Public Relations 論 比評  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

어제 밤 늦게 약속 드린데로 오늘은 어제 서강대에서 있었던 이대 신 교수님의 MARKETING PR론 강의를 듣고 제가 느낀 다른 관점을 신 교수님의 관점과 견주어 애기를 나누어 볼까 합니다.

감히 까마득한 후배가 이렇게 말장난 같은 글을 쓴다고 나무라셔도 저는 할 말이 없습니다. 어제 Q&A 시간에 드리지 못한 말을 이렇게 우리 KPRA 식구들과 나누고 싶었기 때문에 이렇게 글을 씁니다.

첫번째 다른 관점:

PR은 지혜의 학문이다. PR의 기본에 대해 많은 연구를 하고 습득을 하면 그 기반으로 부터 파생된 여러 제반 분야(MARKETING PR, INVESTOR RELATIONS, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS,ETC.)들에 대해서도 그 지혜를 연장 적용 시킬수 있다.만약 나는 INVESTOR RELATIONS를 전공했다고 하는 사람이 있다면 그것은 단지 학위 논문을 그쪽에 관계된 주제로 썼을 뿐이지 진정한 전문가는 아니다. 기본에 충실해야 한다. (신 교수님)

저는 이러한 한국 PR관련 교수님들의 생각을 반대하는 사람들 중의 하나입니다. 물론 PR의 기본을 무시하라는 얘기가 아닙니다. 우리나라에는 일반인은 많지만 전문인은 없는 풍토가 문제라는 얘기 입니다. 베토벤, 모짜르트의 이름과, 그들의 몇번 교향곡, 무슨 자장가는 뇌까리면서 진정한 그 음악 하나하나의 곡 구조와 깊은 표현 방식등에 대해서는 묵묵해지는게 우리에게 모두 해당 되는 예일 것입니다. PR계도 마찬가집니다. 진정한 세부 분야에 대한 지식과 트레이닝이 부족하거나 심지어는 전무한 “뻥튀기” 자칭 전문가들이 너무 많습니다. 특히 한국은 경험이 실력을 대신하는 풍조가 일반적이어서 더욱 이런 예들은 일반화 되어 가고 있는게 누구나 아는 사실입니다. 홍보 대학원의 커리큘럼을 보더라도 너무 학부수준의 “일반론” 강의들이 많습니다. 또 강의 시간에도 몇몇 교수님들이 지적하신다던 “현재 한국 PR인들의 문제점은 전문성의 부재이다.”라는 주장은 누워서 침 밷기 식의 논리입니다. 과연 그들을 양산한게 누구입니까? 그럼 현재의 홍보대학원 수료자들은 국제 수준의 PR 전문가로서 손색이 없다고 보십니까? 혹시 전문 분야에 대한 교수님들의 전문성은 확보하고 계십니까?

일반적인 토대만 탄탄하면 언제 어디서나 실생활에 적용시킬수 있는 충분한 PR 전문가적 능력이 생긴다는 주장은 구시대적이고 발전 지향적이지 못한 것 같습니다. 저의 관점은 기본은 물론이고 그 기본을 넘어 자신의 분야에서 극한 까지 치닫는 노력으로 진정한 세부 영역 PR 전문가가 양산 되야만 한다는 것입니다. 

두번째 다른 관점:

광고의 시대는 끝났다.(신 교수님 인용)

그렇습니다. 광고의 효과적인 문제는 빈번한 논의 주제 입니다.

그러나 신 교수님의 PR과 광고를 비교하시는 논의 전개 방식은 이해가 되지 않습니다. 미국에서도 광고의 역할은 무시될수 없는 MARKETING적인 영역을 구축하고 있습니다. 광고와 PR은 전혀 다르면서도 비슷한 성격들을 가지고 있지만, 한 마디로 말해서 광고는 “A MARKETING TOOL”입니다. 그에서 파생되는 여러 사회적, 문화적, 경제적 효과들은 해당 분야에서 연구되어야 하는 2차 적인 이슈들입니다. PR은 “A MANAGEMENT TOOL”입니다. 여러분도 아시다시피 MARKETING은 MANAGEMENT의 한분야 입니다. MARKETING없이 MANAGEMENT없고 그 반대도 마찬가집니다. 우리 PR은 광고의 비 효과성을 부각시켜서 그 자리를 뺏는 시장 투쟁적인 성향을 띄어야 하는 것이 아니라, 광고와 함께 마케팅영역에서 자신만의 POTENTIAL을 과시하는 것이 바람직할것 같습니다. 절대로 광고의 시대는 끝나지 않았습니다. PR의 시대가 끝나지 않을 것 처럼말입니다.

세번째 다른 관점:

나(신 교수님)는 MARKETING PR (MPR)이 CORPORATE PR (CPR)을 개념적으로 포함하는 것으로 이해해야 한다고 생각한다. CPR도 전체적으로 MPR적으로 전개 되는 것이 성공적인 기업들의 일반화 된 예다. (신 교수님)

이또한 개념적인 혼선을 불러 일으키는 구조입니다. CPR을 단순히 기업 이미지 차원의 마케팅 측면으로만 이해하는 데서 오는 관점입니다. CPR의 가장 크고 원대한 존재 이유는 기업 전략의 성공적인 수행을 위한 모든 커뮤니케이션 활동을 CPR이 경영하기 때문입니다. 이는 CPR은 곧 CORPORATE STRATEGY의 준비자, 수행자, 완성자, 평가자의 위치에 있다는 의미 입니다. 간단히 CPR은 현재 CORPORATE STRATEGY의 “핵” 입니다. 단순히 CPR은 기업과 관련된 다양한 이슈들들에 대한 반응적인 TACTICS위주의 개념이 아니라, STRATEGY 그 자체라는 것 입니다. 제 관점은 MPR과 CPR은 경영자(CEO)들에게 관심을 끌기 위한 분류인 뿐이지 실제로는 FULLY INTEGRATED되어야 하는 뿌리가 같은 분야라는 것입니다. 신 교수님의 주장은 CEO들에게는 단상적으로 ATTRACTIVE한 대상이 될수는 있지만 좀더 폭넓고 심도 깊은 PR 발전을 위해서는 바람직하기 어려운 것 같습니다.

성공적인 기업들의 MPR적인 특징도 CPR과의 연계 속에서 발화된 완성도 높은 SYNERGY효과로서의 모습입니다.

네 번째 다른 관점:

이 관점이 가장 심각하게 상이한 관점인데, 신 교수님은 한국및 미국의 CASE들을 나열하시면서 MPR의 사례로 제시하여 주셨습니다. 그 중에 MPR적 전략들의 개발을 논하시면서 사례와 연관 시키셔서 그것이 “MPR전략” 자체인것 같은 혼선을 주셧습니다.

그 전략의 종류들로 제시하신 것이:

1.명성 제고를 위한 MPR

2.신상품 MPR

3.구상품 MPR

4.상품이 처한 위기를 기회로 바꾸는 MPR

5.각 프로모션을 강화 시키는 MPR

6.현장에서의 MPR

7. 후원을 통한 MPR

8.공공 서비스 MPR

9.관계 MPR

10.소구 MPR

11.대변인 MPR

12.국제 MPR 등입니다.

그러나 이러한 것들은 전략(STRATEGY)이 아닙니다. 더구나 하나 하나 들어 주신 CASE들(예: 켐벨 스프 캔의 겉 껍질을 일정량 모아오면 보상을 한다, 등등) 은 하나의 MARKETING PLAN (TACTIC), 즉 PROMOTION일 뿐입니다. 물론 요즘 한국이나 미국이나 전략(STRATEGY)라는 말을 아무데나 붙여서 그야말로 MPR하는 경향이 많은데, 특히 PR에서 STRATEGY 와 TACTICS를 혼동하는 것은 치명적인 실수 입니다. WEBSTER NEW WORLD DICTIONARY에 의하면 STRATEGY는 “THE SCIENCE OF PLANNING AND DIRECTING LARGE-SCALE MILITARY OPERATIONS, SPECIF. (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM TACTICS) OF MANEUVERING FORCES INTO THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION PRIOR TO ACTUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENEMY.” 라고 정의 합니다. 반면에 TACTICS는 “THE SCIENCE OF ARRANGING AND MANEUVERING MILITARY AND NAVAL FORCES IN ACTION OR BEFORE THE ENEMY, ESP.(AS DISTINGUISHED FROM STRATEGY) WITH REFERENCE TO SHORT-RANGE OBJECTIVES”라는 명확한 정의를 내리고 있습니다. 얼핏 보기에는 무척 흡사한 개념이지만 TACTICS는 SHORT-RANGE OBJECTIVES를 기반으로 고안 되는 STRATEGY 수행 요소중의 하나라는 의미입니다.

신 교수님께서 강의 시간에 그냥 무 의식적으로 “MPR 전략적 예”와 제시하신 CASE들을 혼동하실수도 있지만 확실한 것은 단편적인 그러한 CASE들은 진정으로 MPR STRATEGY가 아니라 하나의 PROMOTION이라는 것입니다. MPR STARTEGY의 핵심은 신 교수님 께서도 언급하신 것과 같이 “철저한 조사와 분석”에 기초하여 수립된 “MARKETING 적 목적 수행을 위한 PR 계획”입니다. 전략의 핵심은 곧 과학적인 조사 분석에 있습니다. 신 교수님의 논리는 찬성하지만, 어제 들어주신 단편적인 예들을 MPR전략의 성공 사례로 기억하기에는 약간의 무리가 있습니다. 그러한 PROMOTION들은 아무나 기획할수 있지만, MPR STRATEGY는 MPR 전문가에 의해서만 가능한 것 입니다.

항상 제가 주장하지만, PR에서 특히 MPR에서 단순한 아이디어가 추앙 받는 사례는 더이상 없었으면 합니다. 제 대학원 동료 중 하나는 NABISCO(과자/사탕류 관련 회사)의 MARKETING부에 있었는데 풍선껌의 종류 하나를 더하는데 (망고 트로피카나) 어린아이들 나이 별로 서베이를 하고, 색상을 비교하여 가장 그들에게 매력적인 색상을 알아 내고 하는것을 보니 참 답답하고 신기하기 까지 했습니다. 왜 그렇게 까지 자세하고 많은 시간과 돈을 투자하냐고 물으니 그 여자는 BOSS들은 절대로 확실한 수치 제시가 없으면 한 스텝도 움직이지 않는다는 것 이었습니다. 7세에서 13세까지의 백인 여자아이들이 망고 맛을 얼마나 좋아하는지를 정확히 퍼센테이지화 해서 기획을 해야한다는 것이었습니다. 단순하고 우리에게도 일상적인 예이지만, 이러한 답답해 보이는 한 단계 한 단계가 STRATEGY형성의 밑 받침이 됩니다. “썸머 스플래쉬맛 껌 5개를 사면 망고 트로피카나맛 풍선껌 하나를 꽁짜로 드립니다.” 하는 건 PROMOTION입니다. 망고 껌이 이 플랜으로 10억개를 팔려나갔다 해도 이는 MPR STRATEGY는 아닙니다.

윗글은 신 교수님의 학문적 심도와 권위에 대한 도전이라기 보다는 까마득한 후배/ 후학으로서의 관점 표현이라고 생각하여 주십시요. 부족한 제가 표현상 미숙한 점이 있었다면 널리 용서바랍니다.

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오늘 저는 제가 회원으로 있는 한국 PR 협회의 정기 PR 교실에 참석했습니다.

이화여대 신 호창 교수님의 마케팅 PR 강의가 있었습니다.

신 호창 교수님은 미국 PRSA에서도 저보다 엄청난 선배 회원 님이시고 APR이십니다. 저보다 훨씬 긴 연구 경력과 높은 학위를 가지시고 한국 PR계의 “신흥 실세’ 중의 한분이시기도 합니다.

1시간 반이 조금 넘는 열강을 들으며 저에게 몇가지 아쉬운 점이 남아서 조금 끄적인 것이 있어, 그 것을 토대로 신 교수님의 오늘 강의에대한 제 나름대로의 시각을 표현하는 시간을 이번 주말에 갖고 싶습니다.

감히 보이지도 않는 후배 녀석이 웬 잔소리냐고 하시겠지만, 그냥 저의 작은 견해를 표현 하고 싶습니다. 내일 이러한 이슈를 가지고 인사드리겠습니다.

오늘의 주제는 PR 아웃소싱입니다. 호스트님 께서도 일찌기 관심을 가지시고 이 이슈를 다루셨는데, 조금 독특하신 그 시각이 신선해서 좋았습니다. 이번 글에서는 미국의 현 PR 아웃소싱 현황과 내부 사정을 약간 맛 볼수 있습니다. 최근 우리나라 업체들도 아웃소싱에 점차 관심을 가지고 있는데, PR 아웃소싱의 가장 중요한 포인트는 아웃소싱한 에이젼시를 관리하는 인 하우스 PR 인력은 필히 극도로 전략적이고 PR에 대하여 Professional이어야 한다는 겁니다. PR을 모르고 오직 Cost Cutting적 사고 방식에 사로 잡힌 인하우스 인력은 차라리 안하니만 못한 결과를 가져옵니다. PR 아웃소싱 실패의 90%는 해당 에이젼시의 무능력 보다, 인하우스 조정능력의 부실로부터 기인된다는 말을 먼저 드리고 싶습니다. 언제 한번 PR Outsourcing에 대하여도 전체적으로 논해보겠습니다. 내일은 앞에서 약속 드린대로 신 교수님의 Marketing PR 강의 비평을 싣겠습니다.

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The Survey Says…:

Outsourcing Of PR Activities On The Rise

The trend toward outsourcing public relations activities to agencies or individual practitioners will continue through the next millenium, according to a national survey of public relations professionals.   Seventy-three percent of all respondents who work within corporate PR departments or agencies said their organizations currently outsource activities. Of these respondents, 42 percent say their companies have increased budget expenditures on outsourced activities compared to two years ago, and 79 percent say their companies plan to maintain or increase current levels of outsourcing over the next two years.

        Bisbee and Co., Inc., which conducted the survey with Leone Marketing Research, an independent marketing research firm based in Orlando, Fla., contacted a random sample of 500 PR practitioners nationwide regarding their outsourcing practices. (The survey had a 20 percent response rate.)   The opportunity to bring resources to the company that are not available internally was the most popular motivation for outsourcing (70 percent), followed by the need to supplement staff during peak work periods (67 percent), the opportunity to utilize the vendors’ expertise (59 percent) and the desire to free up resources for other purposes (33 percent).

         The most frequently outsourced activity among respondents was writing and communications (73 percent), followed by media relations (45 percent), publicity (38 percent), strategy, counseling and planning (37 percent) and event planning (32 percent).Speech writing, research, community relations, crisis communications and graphic arts/publication design were also identified, although not as often. Corporate public relations or agency departments with five or fewer employees were the most frequent consumers of outsourcing services (62 percent). As staff sizes grew, the propensity to outsource decreased, with one exception: departments staffed by 11 to 15 people were slightly less likely than those with more than 15 (7 percent vs. 13 percent) to outsource.

         The decision to outsource comes straight from the top, the survey showed. Public relations vice presidents (41 percent) and department directors and account supervisors (45 percent) were most likely to decide if a public relations activity will be outsourced.

Jennifer Bisbee, APR

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자, 오늘은 아주 재미난 회사 하나를 소개해드릴까 합니다.

호스트 이 종혁님께서도 전에 재미나게 언급하여 주셨지만, 정말로 미국의 Southwest Airlines는 재미있다 못해, 황당한 회사입니다.

최근에 가장 첨단(?)의 PR기법으로 각광 받는 기업문화(Corporate Culture)를 이용한 성공적 PR사례 중의 하나입니다. 미국에서는 최근 기업문화(최초로 언급된것은 경영학에서 80년대 초반이었슴)를 이용하여 여러가지 기업 경영적 문제들을 치료 교정 발전 시키려는 노력이 일고 있는데, PR분야도 예외일수는 없습니다. 전통적으로 전설적인 기업 문화를 자랑하는 우리가 익히아는 몇몇 기업 말고도 이렇게 Southwest(항공사)나 Ben & Jerry (아이스크림 회사), Body Shop(여성 목욕용품 및 향신료 회사)과 같은 성공적 기업문화를 구축한 신흥 기업들이 많이 있습니다. 특별히 제 전공 논문이 기업문화였기 때문에 이에 대하여 좀더 깊은 자료나 정보가 필요하신분은 이 사이트를 통하여 질문주십시요.

Southwest의 CEO Herb는 참 괴상한 인물입니다. 나이키 CEO도 그렇고 좀 이런 요상한 종류의 사람들이 미국 탑 경영층에는 많습니다.(물론 PR팀의 어느정도 작품이긴 하지만..) 오십이 훨씬 넘을듯 보이는 이 중년 신사는 큰 시가(Cigar) 담배를 꼬나물고 회사 내 레슬링 시합에 선수로 출전하여 돼지 같이 덩치 큰 사원 하나를 집어 던지고, 목 졸림을 당하고 재미있게 시합을 벌입니다. 사원들은 팦콘과 콜라컵을 던지며 응원을 하고, 흡사 WWF같은 회사 경기 분위기 입니다. 또 그는 종종 회사내 팔씨름 대회 심판을 보다가 시원 찮은 사원을 밀쳐내고 직접 문신이 그려진 팔뚝을 걷어 부치고 거인 같은 상대방이란 팔씨름으로 실랑이를 벌입니다. 그들의 비행기는 어떻구요, 비행기 표를 예약받지 않고 직접 그자리에서 번호를 꽝꽝 찍어 팝니다. 꼭 우리 시골 버스 정류장 같이요. 그대신 비행기 값은 엄청 쌉니다. 승무원들도 거의 유니폼을 입지 않구요, 자연스럽게 지나다닙니다.(아줌마들..) 가끔 기내가 무대 분위기가 되면 멋지게 엉덩이를 흔들며 노래도 부르구요.

포츈 잡지는 이 기업의 기업 문화를 “놀이 문화(Play Culture)라고 부릅니다. 미국에는 현재 이런 기업 문화가 많습니다. 일할때 일하고 놀때는 팍팍하는 것이지요. 기업 문화의 전통적 분류는 4가지가 있는데 그 중의 하나가 이런 문화 입니다. 많은 기업들이 입사 면접에서 이사람이 얼마나 유머러스 한가를 측정하고 있습니다. Serious한 사람은 별 환영을 받지 못하는 부류가 되어갑니다. “유머가 있는 사람은 창조적이다”라는걸 알기 때문일까요.

하여간 Southwest는 유명하고 시끄러운 회사입니다. 여기에는 Southwest의 PR을 총담당하는 Linda와의 인터뷰기사를 실어 봅니다. 좀더 Internal한 시각을 엿 보실수 있습니다. 정말 멋진 회사입니다.

(Corporate Culture에 대해서는 다음 기회에 날을 잡아서 Full-Cover하도록 하겠습니다. 많은 관심 부탁드립니다.)   

그럼 먼저 (홍보!)

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Nothing But Blue Skies (And Jeans) At Southwest Airlines

When Linda Burke Rutheford was a reporter for the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald, she covered Southwest Airlines. Today, she’s manager, public relations, responsible for the Dallas-based airline’s relationships with the national and trade media. And she’s had plenty to discuss with reporters of late: Southwest, long hailed for its exemplary employee relations, was recently named the best company to work for in America by Fortune magazine. Here, she talks with Editor-in-Chief John Elsasser about leveraging the honor with the media, establishing a corporate culture, and wearing blue jeans at work.

When you were named to the top spot by Fortune, you sent out a simple press release. Did you try to leverage the honor any other way with the media?

This is one of those wonderful opportunities that you want to take advantage of. However, you can’t cross the line where positive public relations turns into tooting your own horn. We definitely wanted to get the news out, but we didn’t want to rub it in people’s faces to the point where they get annoyed by it. We are a company that’s almost cursed by our good fortune at times. In today’s media age, travesty and destruction seem to take the headlines over shiny, happy people. That’s a blessing and a burden from a PR standpoint at Southwest because we always have good news to tell. We have to work a little harder to get attention for it.

Some corporations, despite its best efforts, remain lightning rods for criticism based on past crises. Seems as if you have a lot of goodwill built up in the media. How does that impact your role?

It’s a combination of working for a company that has many good things going for it, but it’s also the efforts of the 13 members of our PR department. If we were not responsive or proactive, I don’t think it would matter how great we were. [Southwest Chairman of the Board, President and CEO] Herb Kelleher understands the importance of corporate imaging. Our job isn’t to sell tickets. It is to create that long-term goodwill, so that when someone does consider traveling, they’ll say: “I saw a story on Southwest and their singing flight attendants. That sounds like fun. Let’s give them a call.” Our whole approach to public relations is to be proactive, whether it’s good or bad news. Herb says we’re like a big family: we have our arguments and stumbling blocks, but it’s how you handle those crises, too. You’re only as good as how you handled your last crisis.

The messages on your PR department’s voice mail were some of the friendliest I’ve ever heard. It made me want to call back.

Some people in corporate America view media as a necessary evil. We like to view them as our partner. Whether we’re talking about Fortune naming us the best company to work for or dealing with a crisis, we believe in being as forthright as we possibly can. We continue to put what we call deposits in our goodwill bank. So when we do need to make a withdraw, there is some credibility there and people will know they’re going to get as much help from us whether it’s good or bad news.

Your boss, Herb Kelleher, understands the power of public relations. How much difference does that make to the PR department?

That’s a product of our corporate culture. Herb would say “to define our corporate culture is to destroy it.” He sees our culture as this ethereal thing that has evolved over 26 years, that is the one thing that sets us apart. Now it’s fun for us in public relations because we can sell it as the one thing that sets us apart. Here is how we are unique. Then someone says: “That’s great what does it mean?”

That’s great. What does it mean?

You need to come here and live it for awhile to understand what the culture is. There are a number of extroverts here. Management definitely encourages you to let your personality blossom. It’s that freedom to be yourself that sets up an atmosphere in which people aren’t so intense about the impression they’re making and concentrate on getting the job done. Herb always says to take your competition seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously

What will happen to Southwest’s culture the day Kelleher decides to step down?

Southwest will always be Southwest. Colleen Barrett, who’s our executive vice president for customers, says this is one of her favorite questions. When we had 500 employees, she says everyone asked what would happen when we had 1,000. Same thing happened at 5,000 and 10,000. We’re now at 25,000-plus and that culture is still there. We have more than 100 employees working on The Culture Committee. They are charged with keeping the spirit alive.

You started at Southwest in 1992. Did you immediately notice that there was something unique happening there?

Funny enough, when I was a reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, I covered Southwest. So I had a good working knowledge of the company. It was, in fact, difficult as a reporter to remain objective about the company. You can get really involved with the culture just by walking through the door. I knew that this would be an interesting place to work.

Did you ever think that you’d want to work at Southwest while you were a reporter?

I did. I remember when someone there once said to me: “If you ever want to come work for Southwest, let us know.” After the Times Herald closed, I called and told them I’d be interested if something came up. Luckily for me, something did five months later.

What’s your advice for a company trying to turn around its corporate culture?

It must be sincere. If it appears forced or manufactured, it’s going to be transparent to whoever you’re trying to sell it to. There should be people who take time to get involved with the corporation and find out what the culture is. Are there positive aspects to draw out? For example, you might have a company with a reputation for being a hard-nosed competitor and having a starched-shirt atmosphere. Then you find out there are pockets of philanthropy maybe one department does something such as hold a car wash on Saturdays to raise money for whatever cause. Many of those types of actions go unnoticed. If you work in public relations for a company, the first thing you have to do is try to get deeply involved with the corporate culture that exists and decide what you like and dislike about it. There are some things that are easy to change. There are some things that you can never change you just have to figure out how to manage it.

What’s an example of something that would be easy to change?

We have casual dress here at Southwest. Depending on your business, that’s something easy to implement. You’d be surprised the impact it has on people’s attitudes as they come to work every day. I’m in blue jeans right now. It’s something you could do to enhance your corporate culture. However, you can’t force something that isn’t in the company’s soul.

Besides allowing employees to wear jeans, Southwest has many avenues via your internal publications that recognize and give workers a chance to speak out. How much does this impact the culture?

Southwest has the University for the People, our employee learning and development arm. We hold a corporate culture day four times a year. We invite companies from around the world to hear about Southwest Airlines. The amazing thing is that these participants all come looking for some complex secret about how to turn their company around or how to take what works for Southwest and make it fit for them. That’s just not going to work for some companies.

We emphasize hiring and maintaining the workforce. We spend an inordinate amount of time interviewing to make sure we hire the right person, even if we have to interview 100 people. And then the corporate culture takes over to keep you interested in your job. Also, the majority of promotions are internal. It is rare that a high-level position goes to an external applicant.

Herb Kelleher has said that the most important customer here is the employee. If the employee is happy and challenged, that person is going to provide a service that sets us apart with our customers. Happy employees mean happy customers. Happy customers mean a lot of profit. Lots of profit means happy shareholders. It’s that simple.

P.S.)) 맞습니다. 마지막 문장들과 같은 사고방식을 가진 Herb는 정말 멋진 경영자입니다. 성공적인 기업 문화 생성의 원동력은 강력한 지도력을 가진 경영자에 의해 창조되는 경우가 굉장히 많습니다. Cool ~ 입니다.

PR CASES 2  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

언젠가 제가 클린턴 스캔들에 관하여 이 사이트에서 잠시 언급 한적이 잇는데 여기 한 PR 전문가가 클린턴 스캔달의 PR적 대처 방법을 잘 분석하여 놓은 글이 있어서 오늘의 케이스로 추천합니다. 참고로 미국 백악관은 세계 최고의 PR 팀을 이끌고 있는 엄청난 두뇌 전문가 집단입니다. 그들은 단순하게는 대통령의 복장과 화장술에서 부터, 이슈에 따라 종교, 가족적 가치, 프론티어 정신, 고향에 대한 인간적인 대통령의 모습(Humanism)등의 여러가지 사회 가치를 적절하게 대통령과 연계 시켜, 대통령의 기존 아이덴티티에서 다양하고 시기 적절한 대통령의 이미지를 창조하는 멋진 사람들입니다. 스테파노플러스라는 클린턴의 전직 미디어 참모는 현재 컬럼비아 저널리즘 스쿨에서 굉장히 어린나이로 교수를 맡고있기도 한데 그는 대통령에 대한 모든 것을 알고 있는 참모 중의 참모였고, 그의 개인적 논리성은 과히 동물적이라 할것입니다.

이번 클린턴 스캔달의 백미는 클린턴이 사용한 “Mislead”라는 단어 입니다.

대통령의 사과 단계에서 사용된 이 단어는 클린턴 PR팀의 장고를 거친 작품입니다. 이렇게 우리 PR인들은 “단어 하나”로 역사에 영향을 주는 멋진 직업을 가지고 있습니다. 아래의 케이스를 읽다 보면 알수 있습니다.

그럼 오늘도 “홍보!”

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Lessons From A Troubled White House                                          

By Aviva Diamond

After every corporate crisis, analysts wonder how yet another company could repeat the errors of Exxon or Sears. How could they fail to manage issues? How could they betray the public trust? How could they communicate so poorly? It happens time after time. But this time, the executive making the all-too-familiar errors has been the President of the United States.

President Bill Clinton lied, stonewalled, and then made what many feel was a belated and inadequate apology regarding the Monica Lewinsky episode. In essence, he made the same mistakes as many top corporate executives in crisis situations. Even as this article is being written in late August, before Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr has submitted a report to Congress, it is obvious that the President broke the rules of both open communication in a crisis and good faith with the public.

Rule No. 1: Be honest.

This seems to be a particular problem for Clinton. He gives lawyerly answers aimed at creating “wiggle room” when he’s in a tough situation. In answering campaign questions about his alleged youthful marijuana use, for example, he said, “I’ve never broken the laws of my country.” (He later admitted that he tried the drug in England.)

While we don’t advise clients to tell everything they know, there is a middle ground. Whatever you do say in public must be honest. The kind of hair-splitting answers that have become known in the media as “Clintonspeak” are obvious obfuscations &#8212; misleading and ineffective.

Last Jan. 21, the accusations about Clinton’s relationship with Lewinsky first appeared in the news. According to The New York Times, his advisers pushed for early candor while his lawyers pushed for minimal comment. The lawyers apparently won. That evening, on “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer”, the President said, “I did not ask anyone to tell anything other than the truth. There is no improper relationship.” Maybe there was an improper relationship, but by using the present tense, Clinton indulged what NBC’s Len Cannon called his “resistance to full body contact with the truth.”

Rule No. 2: Don’t be defensive.

The next day, Clinton made things worse, engaging in defensive, circuitous language during a photo opportunity with Yasser Arafat and ending by planting a negative image. “You and the American people have a right to get answers,” he said. “[A]nd we will give you as many answers as we can as soon as we can at the appropriate time consistent with our obligation to also cooperate with the investigations. And that’s not a dodge.”

Rule No. 3: Ask yourself whether what you’re saying or doing will enhance trust or destroy it.

Once you lose the public trust, it is extremely difficult to regain it. On Jan. 26, the President finally communicated well. With his wife at his side, Clinton spoke with passion and conviction. His entire demeanor demonstrated determination, sincerity and contained anger. “I want you to listen to me,” he said, jabbing his finger as he looked directly at his audience. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky, these allegations are false, and I need to go back to work for the American people.”

It was a masterful performance. He was absolutely believable. And that is exactly why so many people felt so betrayed when they discovered he was lying through his carefully clenched teeth.

Rule No. 4: Apologize quickly, sincerely and fully.

The President’s address, when it finally came after months of silence on Aug. 17, fell far short of the humble plea for forgiveness that many Americans said they had expected. Instead of apologizing for lying to the American public, instead of showing through his voice and face and words that he was truly sorry, Clinton used calculated, lawyerly language and a flat delivery.

He missed a major opportunity for redemption. People looking for catharsis and candor received only “I misled people? I deeply regret that.” While admitting that he “did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate,” the President spent much of his address attacking Kenneth Starr and asserting his own right to privacy &#8212; both popular themes, according to the polls.

His performance ranged from stiff to slightly sullen. In an editorial, The New York Times said Clinton “went for the time-tested blend of minimal confession and contained tantrum that got him elected twice.” Michael Kelly of The Washington Post wrote, “This speech wasn’t a mea culpa. It was an everybody else culpa.” Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed outrage on the major television networks. And, after the address, the polls showed that even though 60 percent of Americans still approved of Clinton’s job as President, a whopping 73 percent didn’t believe he is honest and trustworthy.

The effect of that credibility gap became apparent just three days later, after the President ordered assaults on suspected terrorist operations in Afghanistan and Sudan. Clinton went on television twice on Aug. 20 to discuss the attack. Flanked by flags and appealing to patriotism, the man who for months had been the country’s chief sex joke once again shifted his image to that of the decisive, patriotic, forceful Commander-in-Chief.

But that’s just the problem. Because of the lies, because of the loss of trust in the human being who sits in the Oval Office, some people wondered whether the assaults were aimed at distracting attention from domestic difficulties.

For the first time in modern journalistic memory, both reporters and elected officials publicly questioned whether the timing of government military action was politically motivated. “There is a cloud over the Presidency,” said ABC’s Cokie Roberts, adding that people believe Clinton’s “credibility is so seriously damaged that it is very difficult to believe anything that he does or says. Anything he does right now is suspect.”

The shame is that this could have been easily avoided. First, of course, by not indulging in the troublesome behavior at all. But even if Clinton had been unable to avoid his “critical lapse in judgment” with Lewinsky, he could have come clean in January and spared both the country and himself a lot of agony. At the very least, he could have said &#8212; and meant &#8212; that he was sorry in August.

According to the polls, while the public may not approve of the President’s tendency to indulge his roving sexual appetite, most people believe that it is none of their business. What really sticks in their collective craw is the lying, the sense that they’re being manipulated, the feeling that they cannot trust their top elected official. It is an object lesson for corporate executives as well as politicians.

Aviva Diamond is president of BLUE STREAK, INC., a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in media and speaker training. She is an Emmy Award-winning former reporter for ABC News and The Miami Herald.

PR CASES 1  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

글을 쉬다가 문득 들러 CASE STUDY란을 들여다 보니 무척 많은 분들이 다녀 가셨음을 알게 되었습니다. 저번 글에서 말씀드린 것과 같이 질문이 하나도 없어서 그냥 사이트를 나서려고 하는데 첫 화면에 문득 이상한 새로운 문장이 보였습니다. 종혁님이 또 저를 위해 방문 권유 홍보(?) 문구를 적어 주셨더군요.

그래서 또 이렇게 힘을 내서 글을 씁니다.

저는 요즘 작은 일 하나를 개인적으로 준비 중에 있습니다. PR Case들을 모으는 겁니다. 그것이 실패한 것이었건, 성공한 것이었건간에 다다익선의 무식함으로 Case들을 수집하고 있습니다. 우리 PR계의 태두이신 어떤분께서 저의 무식함을 자신이 직접 빛내 주시고자 한번 일을 저질러(?) 보라고 하셨습니다.

저 자신으로도 이 사이트에 들르시는 많은 분들이 CASE에 목말라 하시는 걸 보면서 “그래 그것이 우리나라 PR인 들에게 도움이 되겠다..” 하는 단순함을 가지고 시작 했습니다. 하루 이틀 걸릴 일이 아님을 알기에 더욱 두렵습니다.

하루에도 세계에서 수백개 이상씩 보고되고 실행되는 PR Plan들이 과연 어떻게 실행 되고 어떤 결과를 생성 시킬까요. 오늘은 PRSA의 PR 전문지 TACTIC 5월호에 실린 짤막한 CASE 두개를 소개 합니다. (물론 저자와의 상의 를 거치지 않은 재게제물로서 저작권법에 어긋나지만, 교육용이라는 전제하에서 저는 확실한 “카피 레프터”이기 때문에 실어 봅니다.

I : 최근 질레트가 발표한 MACH3라는 최신 면도기에 관한 PR CASE

II : 최근 인기를 끄는 마케팅기법 Cause-related Marketing 과 PR

그럼 먼저 “홍보”

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Introducing The MACH3

Inside A Razor-Sharp PR Campaign

With the help of a PR campaign that capitalized on secrecy to build public and media anticipation, the Gillette Company created one of the most successful product launches last year for their MACH3, the world’s first triple-bladed razor. The result? During its first week on the market, the MACH3 was the No.1 selling razor in the U.S., gaining a 35 percent market share. The product netted more than 2,000 separate media placements within the first six months following its launch on April 14. What’s more, all of it was achieved through PR, not advertisment. As Gillette Chairman and CEO Alfred Zeien categorizes it: “[It’s] a heck of an achievement&#144; an we’ve done it without one penny of advertisement.” Gillette officials, who worked with Porter Novelli, share the secret to their success.

Eric Kraus, director of communications for Gillette’s North Atlantic Group, recalls the measures taken to ensure that MACH3 news didn’t leak prior to the April 14, 1998 launch press conference in New York City. “The cornerstone of maintaining confidentiality, both internally and with our partner public relations agency Porter Novelli, was disseminating information on a need-to-know basis,” says Kraus.

In fact, according to Kraus, many Gillette employees closely associated with the project did not even know the product’s name until it was announced at a companywide sales meeting just two days before the press conference.

“We invested $750 million in research and development to bring MACH3 to market,” Kraus notes. “And we earmarked an additional $300 million to support a marketing plan that would generate coverage and exposure just prior to the product’s availability on store shelves. We invested a great deal in the timely release of this information.”

Lisa Rosenberg, vice president, Porter Novelli, New York, says that securing media coverage is usually a top priority, but in this case, the success of the launch depended upon not generating coverage until Gillette broke the story.

“An early breaking story or a leak about the product name would not have been good news for us,” says Rosenberg. “The elements of the marketing plan were strategically timed to create a peak of coverage and awareness at the time of retail availability and leading up to full product distribution worldwide.”

Since timing and secrecy were key, Porter Novelli implemented measures that would enable them to control the flow of information. Gillette and Porter Novelli created a public relations guidelines manual for representatives of Gillette’s 18 public relations agencies worldwide. The manual, housed in an unlabeled gray metal James Bond-like case, included approved responses to editorial inquiries and message control procedures.

Porter Novelli also put secrecy measures into place for day-to-day correspondence and launch-planning activities. Each Porter Novelli team member was required to sign a confidentiality agreement and was reminded that revealing the product name – even to a spouse, close friend or parent was absolutely forbidden. A MACH3 razor prototype was kept under lock and key at Porter Novelli’s offices, and all product-related documents, which referred to MACH3 as “Project 225,” were faxed to and from a private fax machine. Product samples, press materials and letterhead were shipped in plain brown boxes and, at Gillette, the MACH3 production line was concealed by high plywood walls that only came down after launch.

While tight controls kept the product information a secret, careful timing of the information’s release generated interest among the media. Press conference invitations, designed to look like airline tickets, hinted at the flight imagery apparent in the product’s name, image and advertising. Hundreds of reporters and editors received these invitations, which noted that Gillette would introduce “a whole new world in shaving.” The invitations alone generated media coverage and a barrage of calls inquiring about the product’s name, benefits, details. Stories about the press conference appeared, but the secrecy measures had succeeded. No one knew what Gillette would introduce as the speculation mounted.

The Introduction

On April 14, 1998, Gillette introduced MACH3 at New York’s Hudson Theatre in the Millennium Broadway Hotel. More than 100 journalists, including reporters from the UK and France, covered the launch event. Porter Novelli distributed a total of 3,250 MACH3 press kits, many of which were overnighted to arrive on the day of launch.

“In our current (media) environment, keeping major news under wraps and then distributing it as widely and quickly as possible means managing details and confidentiality more strictly than ever,” says Rosenberg. “Yet, this painstaking planning can lead to a bigger payoff in client service and results.”

Kraus agrees. “The attention to detail, the strict adherence to our confidentiality procedures and the precision of our timing worked together beautifully. We pulled off a highly successful launch event and proved that the dissemination of information, even in this day and age, can be managed effectively.”

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두번째 Case :

In Cause-Related Marketing,

Make the Product Itself The Means Of Giving

By David Kratz

Principal

Kratz & Jensen Inc.

In today’s business climate, consumers, particularly those young adults in their 20s, have come to expect that the products and companies they support are doing something to help the planet, the environment, or the community in some way.

The easiest way to meet this expectation is to write a check to a not-for-profit organization that appeals to the same demographic the company seeks to reach. But this is not necessarily the most effective way to influence the consumer.

To achieve the kind of indelible impression that leads to brand loyalty and sales, marketers would be well-advised to invest some creative energy in devising programs that make use of their product itself in a charitable fashion.

By weaving the product and the gesture, an impact exponentially greater than merely donating dollars can be attained.

Two additional factors argue in favor of this approach: (a) Often it’s cheaper to make a meaningful in-kind donation than to pay the big bucks required to secure a title sponsorship, and (b) from a media coverage standpoint, sponsorships and donations alone are not as newsworthy as we in the PR business would like to think. If, however, a company’s product or service is a key component of its cause-related marketing program, reporters might find the story more interesting, and, more importantly, will likely include the benevolent company in the story.

Our recent work provides some excellent examples:

Sprint PCS. Nothing looms larger in the minds of New Yorkers than the perennial fear that they will be the victim of a violent crime. To help alleviate this concern in a meaningful, constructive manner, Sprint PCS donated 50 911-equipped, digital wireless phones to the initial phase of a program (“CabWatch”) in which cab drivers were trained in how to properly identify and report a crime in progress. The program, including Sprint PCS’s donation, was covered in a variety of media, including feature articles in The New York Times and New York Post. The message was unmistakable: Sprint PCS phones were not only a dependable mode of wireless communication, but they had also become a crime-fighting instrument.

R?my Martin Fine Champagne Cognac. This upscale spirit seeks to attract a hip, young audience and generally tries to find them in the arenas of independent film, theater and the like. But rather than merely sponsoring these artistic groups and their products, R?my Martin supplements its altruism by throwing opening night parties, wrap parties, and other occasions, allowing the members of these groups to enjoy a celebration they normally wouldn’t be able to afford. It gets even better when these evenings are covered in the press as “R?my receptions” as was the case for the opening night bash for “Wild Man Blues,” a documentary about Woody Allen’s jazz band for which distributor Fine Line pictures did not have a premiere party budget. The event was covered in such publications as Daily Variety and New York Daily News with photographs of celebrities sipping R?my cocktails.

Starbucks Coffee. Last year, our client Starbucks partnered with several other companies to orchestrate a “book buy,” with the goal of obtaining 1 million books for children across the United States. Each participant in the program donated its services: Three publishers sold books at cost, UPS delivered them free of charge, USA Today and ABC provided free advertising space, and so on. Starbucks cleverly “donated” its more than 1,500 retail spaces, the sole venue at which consumers were invited to buy a book plate. In other words, the program drove customers to Starbucks locations where they made a charitable association with the company.

IMPAC Group. This Chicago-based producer of packaging for entertainment products (videotape and compact disc boxes, for example) used its expertise to create a memorable holiday gesture. The company (formerly known as AGI) produced a compact disc on which students of Chicago’s oldest public school sang holiday songs. IMPAC Group then gave the compact disc as a holiday gift to its clients, and donated a large quantity to the public school, whose students sold the discs to raise money to buy instruments for their music program. IMPAC Group’s good will generated money for the school, and great community relations dividends for the company, which saw the story of their compact disc told on local CBS and NBC affiliate news programs, as well as in the Chicago Sun Times.

By making your product or service donations an integral part of your cause-related marketing efforts or charitable giving, marketers can ensure that their good gestures won’t be forgotten. Throughout the year, try to think about ways to let your brand, rather than your checkbook, make a difference.

David Kratz is founder, president and partner of Kratz & Jensen Inc., a PR and marketing communications agency with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

Public Relations Overview 7  < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

어제 말을 끝 맺으며 말씀드린 “일관성 과 통일성”에 대해서 오늘은 말씀드리겠습니다. 흔히 사람들은 “좋은 제품은 팔린다” 하는 말을 굳게 믿고 있는 듯 합니다. 특히 마케팅 커뮤니케이션 프로그램을 계획하면서 만나는 어려움 중에 가장 힘든 것이 전혀 브랜드 나 기업의 인지도가 없는데도 생산 제품이 좋으니까 어떻게 팔리지 않겠느냐하는 무언의 압력입니다.

이런 경우들은 근래 외국 소규모 IT관련 업체 들과 관련하여 맞닥뜨리는 문제점입니다.해외에서 마켓세어가 압도적이고, 역사가 화려하고, 문서로 정보로만 보면 정말 멋진 회사와 제품인데, 우리나라에서 시장점유가능성은 그리 많지 않습니다. 그렇다고, 한국 시장내에 타 경쟁 제품의 품질이 월등하지도 않은데 말입니다.

그 외국 회사들에겐 전혀 BRAND AWARENESS나 COMPANY AWARENESS가 없습니다.

그러나, 그들은 어떻게 우리를 모를 수 있냐고 합니다. 이런 상황은 국내의 신흥 기업들에게도 마찬가집니다. 무조건 열심히 개발 , 생산, 하는 3공화국식의 경영은 이제 시장환경과 맞지 않습니다. 다른 선진적인 업체들이 적극적인 마케팅 커뮤니케이션 노력을 하고 있기 때문에 같이 보조를 맞추어도 그냥 본전일뿐입니다.

약간 말이 옆으로 새는것 같지만 제가 말씀드리고 싶은것은, 너무 단기간적인 실적을 바라지 말라는 겁니다. 제가 말씀드린데로 회사내의 아이덴티티 확립이 첫번째 스텝이고, 그다음이 공중과의 SHARING단계, 그리고 그 다음이 제품이나 서비스에 대한 EXTENSION단계 여야 하는게 정석입니다. 그 이후에 시장에서 가치를 인정 받은 후에는 CORPORATE CITIZEN PROGRAM이나 CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY PRGRAM들을 바탕으로 CORPORATE IDENTITY를 재 정립하는 게 순서 이겠지요. 이러한 플로우는 영구히 계속되는 순환적인 구도로서 하나의 전설적인 기업과 제품 역사의 탄생은 전략을 바탕으로 해도 한 세대를 넘어갑니다.

위에선 언급한 플로우는 커녕 단계별 완성도 되지 못하는 자질을 가지고 무조건 시장에서의 승리와 추앙을 원하는 것은 일종의 “사기”이겠지요. 그것도 단기간에..

많은 기업들이 약간의 조급한 마음과 투자에 인색함을 바탕으로 마케팅 및 PR 관련 커뮤니케이션 활동을 시행하다 보니까, 우리나라에는 정말 전설적인 기업이 드물고, 시대를 지나 유유한 제품이 없습니다. 신제품이 우리나라 처럼 많은 나라도 드물것입니다. 물론 마케팅 측면에서, 우리나라 시장은 너무 협소하기 때문에 새로운 상품을 자꾸 개발해야(비록 프랫폼은 같아도) 소비자들이 소비적 자극을 반복적으로 받아 시장의 유지가 되기때문입니다. 저는 그런 상황은 이해를 해도, 기업들이 단계적 투자와 관심이 부족한 이유는 이해를 하지 못하겠습니다. 가장 큰이유라면 핵심적인 위치에 계신 분들의 개념이 그곳에 있지 않기 때문이라고 생각 됩니다.

마켓팅 커뮤니케이션의 예를 들어 설명드렸지만, PR PROGRAM들은 모두가 그안에서 일관성있고 통일성있게 수행되어져야 합니다. CORPORATE IDENTITY는 CORPORATE IMAGE로, 또 BRAND IDENTITY로 통일되게 EXTENSION 되어야 합니다. BRAND IDENTITY는 BRAND IMAGE로 EXTENSION되고, 확고하고 성공적인 BRNAD IDENTITY는 또 다른 제품의 IDENTITY로 EXTENSION 되는 확산과 순환의 꼬리가 끊임 없이 이루어져 나아가야 합니다. PR을 감과 아이디어로 하시는 분들에게는 위협적인 말이 되겠지만, 이러한 큰 흐름을 모르면서 고민하는 과정은 무의미 한 노동입니다.

이런말이 있습니다. 선택하라, 달려오는 기차에 올라탈것인가, 그냥 그대로 머물것인가. 실천 노력하지 않는것은 자신의 선택이지만 그 결과는 크게 다릅니다. 우리한번 일상의 업무들을 다시한번 돌아봅시다.

내가 일하는 회사가 멋지고, 그 제품이 아름다운 걸 보면 행복할테니까요.