Market and Brand Communications

Communication is my passion. Corporate communication is my profession. Not only newspapers, internal communications campaigns, intranets, corporate blogs, videos, folders, outdoors... Those are the tools. I love them, they materialize and uphold the efforts to an open two-way communication. But a truthful communication with employees, costumers, shareholders and all the publics who interacts with a corporation need something more. It needs honesty and transparency. And honesty and transparency are the pilars to and ethical organization the necessary step to build trust. To build and sustain a remarkable reputation. A strong and valuable brand. So, I would like to share with you a new book that I received in my class of Corporate Communication from Syracuse University and ABERJE: " Building Trust - Leading CEOs speak out: how they create it, strenghten it, and sustain it" published by The Arthur W. Page Society . The essays in this book show us how some leading CEOs maintain

As a general overview of the GRI Conference , held in the first week of May in Amsterdam, I highlight here some issues about the latest trends regarding the Sustainability Reports that conform to this model: 1. GRI is the report’s ground, not the ceiling – that is, to report on indicators is the starting point, the minimum. Expectations on the report go far beyond that! 2. An efficient management of the indicators is better than a good res ponse – GRI is a tool, not the focus; companies must use the indicators to a better management of their businesses; 3. Can you believe it? – Readers do not welcome a report that shows only good news, advances and conquests. A crucial issue is: if you promised anything last year, you must fulfill it. If, for some reason, you could not accomplish that, explain why. 4. Make it crystal clear - Transparency is the most important issue regarding Corporate Governance. And please, do not start boasting how “transparent” you are. Let r

In my opinion, there are four basical point for companies that want the Internal Communications programs to work: Face to face communication is the best way to talk to people: every time it is possible to do it, do it - make a gattering, an event, a reunion and put people together to talk. Conversations are the power of the innovative companies. You don´t work with children: employees are professionals and they are adults not children. Treat them with intelligence and respect. Information is not communication: you cannot just deliver information and think that it is really working. Once you start, don´t stop: communication is a continuous and dinamic process.

An efficient communication campaign on health and safety issues must have emotion and information to hit the target and change behaviour. It´s not easy, because human behaviour is a black box - "only Freud explains" ( or not ). To me one good example was produced by the U.S. Department of Labor.The campaign SAFETY: DO IT FOR LIFE had posters and cards produced and talked the language all workers understand with a serious and emotional approach. What do you think?