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?