Sample: Communication Director Asia Pacific 03 2017

COMMUNICATION  DIRECTOR Issue 3/2017 ASI A PACI F I C EDI TI O N

www.co mmunicatio n-d ir ecto r.co m

THE MAGAZINE FOR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Made to measure The personalisation of communications

This time it’s personal

Today, contemporary anxieties about privacy, the abuse of personal information and rampant commercialisation of the public sphere sit uneasily alongside our ready acquiescence in handing over private data for access to online products and services. Nowhere is this tension better embodied than in the current ubiquity of personalised communications – from algorithms that determine your Amazon recommendations to tailored emails in B2B marketing, data has empowered companies to personalise their messages at scale. The Issue Focus section of this magazine explores the how and why of data-driven personalisation, as well as the pitfalls and ethical implications. What is the business strategy behind personalisation and how can it be used to boost brand awareness and loyalty? How can we find the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track us and our interests? We’ve invited communications heads at major brands as well as experts in data mining to answer these questions. But personalised communications is more than a question of commercial branding: political parties also utilise personalisation techniques such as micro-targeting to get engage us with their ideas and persuade us to vote for them. We’re already living with the consequences of this fracturing of the political sphere: our interview with controversial US political strategist Vincent Harris brings us insights into this development from the front line.

DAFYDD PHILLIPS

Photo: Laurin Schmid

Editor in Chief

Brought to you by the Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors www.apacd.com

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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REGULARS

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CAMPAIGNS

PR ESSENTIALS

#KEEPQUESTIONING

BOOKS

Agenda Setter

The personalisation behind your purchases

Melissa Fleming

Communications reader

Recent eye-catching communications campaigns

Customisation that builds brands

We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

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New and upcoming titles for the communicator’s bookshelf

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APACD

LAST PAGE

Association

5 tips for...

Latest developments in the Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors

Quick insights into building internal relationships

ISSUE FOCUS: THE PERSONALISATION

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The personal touch

Analyse this

In order to retain and grow their customer base, businesses need to get personal with their consumers

How can organisations choose the right data-analysis strategy to suit their personalisation needs?

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A revolution in personalised marketing

The dark side of personalisation

“Micro-targeting allows you to scare people easier”

CEO leadership in a broken system

Can AI deliver on the promise of marketing: true personalisation at scale?

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Finding the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track our every move

The father of the Republican internet on Trump, Twitter and the pitfalls of online echo chambers

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

A more personalised, authentic approach to communications can help engage the sceptics

Photos: Keolis; Bernal Revert

OF COMMUNICATIONS

INSIGHTS

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Collaboration ver- Arts patronage 2.0 sus cooperation

Beyond the great firewall How China came to lead in digital innovation – and what it means for the communications industry

To encourage collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it’s time to unearth some old board games?

Brands and the arts: making creative partnerships work – trends, best practices and insights into successful collaborations.

26 “We’re looking to redefine the television experience” Azran Osman-Rani on challenger brands, start-ups and the future of video on demand

STRATEGY

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Designing a smoke-free future

Sparking conversations with VR

A reputation of truth

Curiosity-driven content

Why one cigarette company is communicating smokefree products

How cardboard virtual reality viewers can attract the employees of the future

Exploring the new scope of stakeholder engagement

What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it?

BEST CASES

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The power of breaking your own bad news

Going social with MaxConnect

Accelerated learning

When ANZ launched its first global enterprise social network, communications programme promoted a new way of working

Global companies include networks of knowledgeable experts: but how can companies identify these experts, access their knowledge?

Negative headlines, poor staff morale – sometimes shying away from negative stories just isn’t an option

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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AGENDA SETTER

Henkel: customised glue When clumsy workers knocked lose the iconic beard of King Tutankhamen’s death mask during routine maintenance work, they hastily chose everyday epoxy glue to fix it back on – leaving visible marks and a crooked beard. Henkel immediately offered the help of its R&D experts to the restorers and developed a customised glue to fix the boy king’s beard back – while at the same time raising awareness of its ad-

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hesive business and ensuring good relations with authorities in an im-

Photo: Khaled Elfiqi

portant growth market for the German company.

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

AGENDA SETTER

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AGENDA SETTER

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

Event Horizon | presented in Hong Kong by the British Council, 2015| Photography by Oak Taylor-Smith

AGENDA SETTER

British Council: Event Horizon In order to encourage discussion and advocate for the role of public art in the cultural development of Hong Kong, the British Council presented Event Horizon, the most extensive public art project ever to be installed in Hong Kong. It encompassed a collection of 31 life-sized naked sculptured figures by Antony Gormley, with 27 installed on rooftops and four on street level. An award winning integrated public relations strategy, created and implemented by Sinclair Communications, achieved wide scale community awareness by using media stories, social media platforms, educational programmes, marketing

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collateral and stakeholder engagement to amplify the messaging.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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#APCA17

CELEBRATE YOUR WORK

14 NOVEMBER

Live Jury Meeting 15 N OV E M B E R

Award Show www.communications-summit.asia/apca

#APCS17

2 Days

30 Speakers

Register now

AI CSR Crisis

Driving Post-Digital Communications Keynotes

Change Leadership Storytelling Fergus O‘Hare Facebook

Azran Osman-Rani iflix Malaysia

15-16 N OV E M B E R

2017

HARBOUR GRAND,

HONG KONG

www.communications-summit.asia

Alan Hilburg Hilburg/Malan

PR ESSENTIALS

THE PERSONALISATION BEHIND YOUR PURCHASES From cutting-edge algorithms to customised products, from major e-commerce companies to our favourite lifestyle apps, personalisation exerts a powerful pull on how we interact with brands. Here’s 10 of our favourite examples.

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N A R R OW I N G D OWN T H E C H O I C E N E TF LIX From its inception, Netflix has used data as an asset to personalise its relationship with customers and solve a problem faced by several content providers: the service has too much content so a viewer gets lost. When it launched an open competition for the best collaborative filtering algorithm to predict user ratings for films in 2006, it positioned itself as a thought leader in personalisation; in 2013, its decision to commission House of Cards was largely based on algorithmic insights that suggested its users would embrace a reboot of a BBC political drama starring Kevin Spacey and led by David Fincher.

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

PR ESSENTIALS

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P E R S ON A L I S E D B OT T L E S C OKE It began in Australia in 2011, spread to Europe in 2013 and then the US in 2014,where it resulted in increased sales volume for the first time in four years. Designed to reach millennials, with each bottle carrying one of the most popular first names in that generation, semi-personal labels were soon added, such as “better half”, and this year the campaign was relaunched to include popular holiday destination “to remind people of the refreshment and great taste that only an ice-cold Coke can bring on a hot summer day”, according to an official statement.

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T H E PE RF E C T PL AY L I ST S P OT I F Y Has Spotify cracked the personalisation conundrum? With its hugely successful Discover Weekly feature, as well as the regular Recommended for You function. Edward Newett, the man behind what has been called “one of the most influential innovations in music”, described the algorithm to Wired magazine: “By trying to mimic the behaviour of all of our users when trying to put together their perfect mix, we can leverage Spotify’s two billion playlists, target individual tastes and come up with playlists that will be interesting.”

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MI C R OS I T E S A N D M A R K E T I N G M A I L I N G S IBE R IA A I RL I NE S In 2016, Iberia Airlines sent out emails to their customers posing the question: if you could visit any destination, where would you go and who would you go with? To answer, customers were directed to a microsite to fill in their responses and the email addresses of their travel buddy. The friend would then receive an email with a holiday greeting about the dream vacation – but to view the card, they had to first click a link to view in their browser. That last step is key: by enabling cookies to see the greeting e-card, Iberia Airlines made sure that the friend would be followed by banners across the web, suggesting the perfect gift – a dream vacation.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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FINTECH

BEYOND THE GREAT FIREWALL How China came to lead in digital innovation—and what it means for the communications industry.

BY R AC HEL CATA N AC H

C

hina boasts the world’s largest

upper hand over the longer term . Star ‘wars’

population, its strongest econ-

is now data ‘wars’.

omy and its most mobile mar-

Big data will also enable brands to

ket. Not incidentally, it leads the

pivot from precision marketing to predictive

world in disruptive communications tech-

market, helping them combine context with

nology. Chinese internet giants such as Ten-

consumer insight to identify the right touch-

cent, Alibaba and Baidu are creating online

points to connect, at the right time and with

ecosystems so sophisticated that they are not

the right message. SY Lau posited that Big

just changing how people in China communi-

Data would replace the Big Idea as the mar-

cate, but how they live their lives. To under-

keter’s main currency of value. Whether cor-

stand these companies and the scale of their

rect or not, it was a provocative concept at a

domestic impact is to understand the future

festival that celebrates and rewards the best

of the communications industry – not only

of the best Big Ideas.

in China but further afield as well.

tions for granted, its digital dominance is a

success, in part, to the country’s population.

relatively new phenomenon. For 30 years, its

At the recent Cannes Festival of Creativity, SY

economy was fuelled by low-cost labour and

Lau, the chairman of group marketing and

investment in fixed assets: infrastructure like

global branding for Tencent, described how

roads, bridges and hospitals. Now that Chi-

its database numbers more than 900 million

na is reaching the limits of catch-up growth,

users. Many of these are people who use the

those two inputs are nearing the point of di-

company’s WeChat platform for everything

minishing returns.

from buying a Pepsi to making a doctor’s appointment.

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While we now take China’s innova-

China’s technology titans owe their

To find alternative sources of growth, the country’s leaders and innovators turned

The massive quantities of data avail-

their attention to science and technology. The

able to Tencent and other companies in Chi-

share of China’s economy dedicated to R&D

na give that market a significant strategic ad-

has tripled since 1998 and now accounts for

vantage. The space race that fuelled national

more than two per cent of China’s annual gross

ambitions during the Cold War has been re-

domestic product – a higher percentage than

placed by a similar, less public, race for glob-

the 28 member states of the European Union.

al supremacy. This time it’s being driven by

In addition to this favourable fund-

the opportunities provided by artificial intel-

ing environment, China’s digital entrepre-

ligence, big data and cloud computing. The

neurs have unexpectedly flourished under the

U.S. is currently winning, but China, by sheer

Great Firewall , which blocks access to foreign

dint of its data volumes, potentially has the

platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Quick

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

FINTECH

low the brand on WeChat. Retailers offering smart creative O2O initiatives to complement

to learn, they are creating indigenous digital ecosystems that enable people to chat, shop, game and bank online – you name it. Beyond providing platforms for e-commerce, the likes of Tencent and Alibaba are also investing in content such as music and movies, recognis-

“China’s digital entrepreneurs have unexpectedly flourished under the Great Firewall.”

sales marketing are the ones to watch. Burberry, for example, which is at the vanguard of the ‘see now buy now’ world, introduced selling direct from the runway in September 2016 with the fashion-conscious Chinese consumer in mind.

3. Experiencing is believing Chinese consumers want unique experiences and to try things for themselves. Augmented reality and virtual reality are two innovative

ing the opportunities presented by China’s

ways they can do this and these new technol-

new and growing leisure class.

ogies are becoming increasingly commonplace

As digital platforms have developed

in campaigns, with the aim of getting people to “try” before they buy.

so quickly in China, the communications industry has struggled to keep pace. Strategies

For example, e-commerce giant Aliba-

which succeed in London and New York are

ba’s Single’s Day is the world’s biggest e-com-

outdated in Guangzhou. Everything in China

merce shopping bonanza: last year in just 24

is now digitally led with e-commerce at the

hours, the company ran up $17.8 billion in

centre. While on the surface, many campaigns

sales, roughly the same as the entire country

seem highly tactical, designed to drive sales

of Spain‘s e-commerce sales in 2016, according

rather than build brand equity, they deserve

to eMarketer’s research. The event also made

more analysis. Here are eight trends from

headlines because it gave Alibaba’s millions

China today that every communications pro-

of customers the first complete virtual reality

fessional should expect to encounter soon in

shopping experience. They broke records yet

their home market.

again and many brands were privately saying behind the scenes that it was one of their

1. Customisation is king

2. Online to offline to profit

Chinese consumers like customisation and

In China there is more blurring of the on-

their expectations rise with every successful

line and physical worlds. The online-to-of-

campaign. Take Coca Cola’s global campaign

fline (O20) sector, where start-ups use QR

“Share a Coke” which was based on custom-

codes, apps, mobile payments and other digi-

While micro videos are gaining popularity in

ised coke bottles. In France, it was sufficient

tal tools to tempt shoppers to buy from phys-

other parts of the world, in China long-form

for Coca Cola to release bottles with 250 names.

ical stores or to purchase real-world servic-

video streaming has really gained traction.

For China, that was only the beginning. In its

es, is predicted to grow from US$335 million

And people can’t seem to get enough of it, no

first year, Coca Cola used nicknames like Su-

in 2015 to US$626 million in 2018 according

matter how mundane the content.

perstar or Dreamer, tapping into the social

to iResearch.

most successful promotions of 2016 in terms of driving sales.

4. Video killed the radio star (again)

Makeup brand Maybelline has seen

media culture of the time. In the third itera-

A consumer’s relationship with a brand

great results using the Meipai live stream-

tion the company customised bottles with fa-

is more entwined in China than in the West:

ing platform. Its Chinese brand ambassador

mous movie quotes. Adopting a more nuanced

Consumers engage with brands online dur-

Angelababy recently hosted a two-hour live

and targeted approach to messaging in China

ing the day at work, then they may use the

broadcast promoting lipsticks, which result-

paid off for Coca Cola. After the campaign,

store for a physical shopping experience and

ed in around 10,000 lipsticks sold for about

Chinese sales were up 4% by volume in 2014.

if they have a great experience they will fol-

US$220,000.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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COLLABORATION

COLLABORATION VERSUS COOPERATION IN AN ERA OF CONNECTIVITY Do we really know collaboration? Or do we just think we know? Spoiler: it’s more than just the act of working together with someone. To define, encourage and improve on collaboration at your workplace, perhaps it’s time to unearth some old board games?

BY R A J I V VA I D BASA I AW M O I T

Cooperation

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Collaboration

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T

Collaboration can’t be turned on with the flick of a switch

hese days, one often hears that

timates made in 2012) that by 2020 we will be

“collaboration is the new black”.

more than four billion connected people, us-

I first encountered this phrase in

ing over 25 billion embedded and intelligent

2010 when the pharmaceutical in-

systems and sharing over 50 trillion gigabytes

dustry and the biotech industry argued for

of data. I will let that sink in for a second. We

more collaboration. We have of course come a

are not only entering an era of connectivity but

In principle any activity, when framed in the

long way since 2010. The tools of modern soci-

are entering an era of unprecedented connec-

right context, may lead to collaboration. How-

ety have changed – we are much more mobile

tivity in the history of humankind. This kind

ever, unlike cooperation, collaboration cannot

than before, data is much more accessible than

of connectivity is setting up demands for col-

be turned on with the flick of a switch. There

before and we are increasingly more connect-

laboration that are also unprecedented. How-

is a fundamental difference between collab-

ed. In fact, the International Data Corporation

ever, do we really know how to collaborate, or

oration and co-operation. In collaboration,

has predicted (and these are conservative es-

are we only cooperating?

partners have a mutual shared goal with a

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

COLLABORATION

The idea of using simulations and games for

thing that is innate or easy to do, why train for

training is not new. For instance, in 1970 the

it in the first place? But as explained earlier, this

Financial Times released a “National Manage-

stems from the fact that most people mistake

ment Game” that successfully ran for 15 years

their cooperativeness (defined by friendly ges-

and involved more than 70,000 people. The

tures, willingness to share information, pleas-

game tried to simulate the day-to-day running

ant behaviour and so on) with collaboration.

of a business and train managers to manage fic-

The second observation also touches on hu-

tive balance sheets and handle competition. Pi-

man behaviour – coupled to an acceptance of

lots have long had to train for many hours on

dogma – that competition is always good and

flight simulators before flying passenger planes

that societies only advance by being competi-

on their own. Medical students are accustomed

tive. This is also reflected in traditional game

to training on cadavers or plastic patients that

design which defines games as “a system in

are pre-programmed with symptoms. So what

which players engage in an artificial conflict,

is new about using games for training today?

defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable

What has changed is the landscape and the com-

outcome” (to quote Katie Salen and Eric Zim-

plexity of games and the ease of accessing, de-

merman in Rules of Play: Game design Funda-

signing and using them. In the past, the entry

mentals. This understanding is also amplified

barrier for simulations had always been high.

by the concept of the Nobel-prize winning Game

Not so today. These days, thanks to technolo-

Theory, which, according to Wikipedia, is “the

high-degree of trust and a high level of in-

gies such as Unity, game design is much more

study of mathematical models of conflict and

ter-dependency. In a cooperation, on the oth-

accessible than ever before. Board games have

cooperation between intelligent rational deci-

er hand, the partners might be inter-dependent

also made a comeback and the board games

sion-makers” and which contrasts games as ei-

but they undertake the partnership with indi-

of today are very different from the simplistic

ther Zero-sum (‘I win or you lose’ logic) or non

vidual goals in mind. Thus, cooperation might

games of the past. They are complex, engaging

zero-sum (win-win or lose-lose logic).

deliver a shared outcome but is built on indi-

and very well designed. These “serious games”

Thus, according to traditional Game

vidual goals, whereas true collaboration deliv-

have established an identity of their own. Fur-

Theory, games fall into two categories: com-

ers on a mutual goal and shared value. Cooper-

thermore, the entry and evolution of gamifica-

petitive (e.g. chess and checkers) or cooperative

ation is comparatively easier to achieve which

tion defined as “the use of games/game-mechan-

(for example, Settlers of Catan). But there is a

is also why more examples of cooperation can

ics in non-game contexts” (Sebastian Deterding,

third genre: that of collaborative games (for ex-

be found than of collaboration.

Gamification: Toward a definition) has cement-

“Collaborative games need to have certain elements to boost collaboration.”

ed the central role of games and gamification

Gaming as a way to facilitate and train for collaboration

in society today.

Effective game design

True collaboration is a process (and thus can be

It should, however, be reiterated that a game is

learned), it is a mindset (and thus can be incul-

only as good as the design behind it. Needless

cated), and is essentially dynamic (i.e. it requires

to say, a game designed to ask the right ques-

flexibility). This is where games and gamifica-

tions will always deliver greater value than just

tion set in. Games designed with collaboration

a good-looking game. While games have en-

in mind require one to spend time with oth-

tered the 21st century and are more pervasive

ers engaged in an activity towards a common

than in the past, games designed for true col-

goal. This allows for trust-building which is an

laboration are still rather rare. The reason for

essential ingredient of collaboration. Anoth-

this can be multi-faceted, though two general

er important ingredient is a level-playing field

observations can be made. 1) The demand for

within a safe environment where players ex-

serious collaboration games is not very high; 2)

change ideas, opinions, strategies, perspectives

The history of game-design itself has often re-

and so on without fear of judgement –gaming

lied on competition as the main driver for en-

often creates this. Often these exchanges con-

gagement with the game.

tinue post-game and lead to real-world boosts

The first observation is rather easy to explain –

in collaboration.

as collaboration has often been viewed as some-

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

COMPETITIVE VERSUS COOPERATIVE GAMES ••

In a competitive game goals of players are diametrically opposed.

••

A cooperative game models a situation where two or more individuals have interests that are “neither completely opposed nor completely coincident” (John Nash) (e.g.

Settlers of Catan).

••

But there is a third genre in games...

••

Collaborative games: Collaboration as a team differs from cooperation among individuals in that cooperative players may have different goals and payoffs where collaborative players have only one goal and share the rewards or penalties of their decisions. (e.g. Pandemic, Dungeons & Dragons)

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INTERVIEW

"WE'RE LOOKING TO REDEFINE THE TELEVISION EXPERIENCE" The 2017 Asia-Pacific Communication Summit, taking place in Hong Kong on November 15 and 16, features a line-up of communication trailblazers from across Asia Pacific. Among them is Azran Osman-Rani, business innovator and chief executive officer of iflix Malaysia, one of the region’s most notable ‘challenger brands’. We asked Azran about using strategic communications to pit challenger brands against established rivals, what corporates can learn from start-ups and the future of video on demand.

I N T E RV I E W BY M AT T H I AS G U TSC H M I DT

F

rom your own experience with Air Asia X and now iflix, how would you characterise a challenger brand?

A challenger brand not only takes on existing incumbents who already have a dominant position in a particular market, but does so by challenging prevailing industry or market convention or long-held beliefs on what is or is not practical or feasible. Often, the value proposition of challenger brands are dismissed by both existing players as well as by customers who are already served by existing incumbents. They start because they identify segments that are below-the-radar, the latent demand from unserved or under-served segments typically ignored by incumbents.

How do you use strategic communication to position a business to make sure it stands out from the crowd?

Firstly, a very straightforward, clear value proposition, with one main selling point or a

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single product without any variations, tiers, packages that add clutter or complexity to the offering. Then repeating that selling point over and over again. Secondly, in the different communication touch points, emphasising the target segment is facing with existing incumbent products or services, and how our offering directly addresses these pain points.

Thirdly, the authenticity covered in the next question.

What’s the recipe to making a challenger brand like iflix authentic in its own right in the face of such well-established competition?

While there are no magic-bullet recipes, we believe in the principle of authenticity of communication. Having us as leaders stand up and lead the brand from the front. We take every opportunity to speak directly, whether to the media, during events, or on our social media platforms. We cannot hide behind a brand but we bring the brand to live ourselves.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

And our communications must be real and not corporate-speak. Target users can gauge whether or not the brand's CEO (spokesperson) is connected or detached from his own experience.

How do you go about building the right team to work on a challenger brand?

And is this by definition much easier for smaller brands than big corporates?

Building a team that scales (e.g, AirAsia X reaching 2,500 staff in six years and iflix reaching 650 staff in 2 years) requires structure. We codified and defined our values. And specifically, we have to define the attributes that we look for when we hire people (especially those who will take on roles managing others) and having a distinct culture fit interview process; we have a clear on-boarding process, and a performance management process that focuses on lots of constant, regular twoway feedback. It’s a lot of work, whether in a small or large organisation, and we see leaders

INTERVIEW

generally take culture for granted instead of giving it the same discipline and rigour as operations, marketing or finance.

The numbers point to Asia Pacific being a leader in mobile digital communications and also a driver for innovation within the field. What do you think contributes to that? And what are the challenges presented by such a diverse region in terms of cultures and markets?

Sheer numbers. Even if you exclude China and India, there is still another one billion people. They are entering the middle class for the first time, connected to the internet for the first time through the mobile phone.

However, the challenge is that this is not a homogeneous group. There are different cultures, languages and consumer behaviours.

Infrastructure (internet broadband, payment systems, logistics and so on) vary significantly and are usually under-developed in most markets. They require boots-on-the-ground to deal with these issues and connect with consumers, something that big global companies avoid because it’s just too difficult.

What is the single most important thing a large scale corporation can learn from the start-up mind-set? And with so many start-ups crashing and burning before or shortly after their IPOs, what can startups learn from corporates? (a) Courage to try something new and unproven; (b) relentless focus on one specific product or segment, instead of hedging and having a portfolio of initiatives that dilutes time, attention and resources; (c) speed and agility to keep iterating and changing, and constantly learning; and (d) humility to know that whatever success today can be replicated by competitors quickly, so tomorrow its back to square one to find the next innovation to stay ahead of the game. As for what start-ups can learn from corporates, it’s (a) thinking big (global scale); (b) investing in growing the leadership bench beyond founders; and (c) cross-border communications and coordination.

What’s the next big development on the horizon for the streaming video on demand business?

We're looking to redefine the television experience, especially to create an experience that is superior to how someone could consume

“While there are no magic-bullet recipes, we believe in the principle of authenticity of communication.” television through an illegal pirated streaming service. That includes the level of personalisation, redefining the concept of a "channel", and creating a more socially immersive and community aspect to television shows that becomes "sticky".

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A Z RA N O S M A N- RA N I CEO, IFLIX MALAYSIA

In July 2007, Azran was appointed as the founding chief executive officer of low-cost long-haul airline AirAsia X. In 2015 Azran left AirAsia X and joined iFlix Group as its group chief operating officer and chief executive officer of internet television service iflix. He is also an investor and board member with financial tech services firm MoneyMatch, and chief executive officer and co-founder of health tech start-up Naluri Hidup Sdn Bhd.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

AS I A- PAC I F I C C O M M U NI CAT I O N S SUMMIT NOV E M B E R 1 5 - 1 6 2 0 1 7 H A RB O U R G RA N D H O N G KO NG

Truth be told, there’s a huge amount of noise and choice in Asia-Pacific communications. Mobile, digital, instant gratification - it takes more and more effort to tell resonating stories while simultaneously/at the same time encapsulate long-term goals.

That's why we’ve assembled a core group of senior communication leaders, scholars and experts to join forces and engage in discussion.

Together, we want to look beyond the digital horizon.

How can Asia Pacific's communicators act as a driving force for more authentic and relevant communication? The Asia-Pacific Communications Summit is your one stop shop for learning about the focus and direction in which the communication sector is moving and to engage with key stakeholder groups across the region.

Alongside Azran Osman-Rani , the Summit’s keynotes and main session speakers represent such organisations as Facebook, the Foreign Trade Association, HSBC; Polycom, the British Council, BASF, WWF and many more.

Find out more about the summit at www.communications-summit.asia/apcs

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STRATEGY

DESIGNING A SMOKE-FREE FUTURE This year, PMI launched a new manifesto with the aim of building a future on smoke-free products that will one day replace cigarettes. After a decade of investment culminating in the launch of a new portfolio of smokeless products, the change in company direction and promise to shareholders has set a new tone for the tobacco industry – and a new era for PMI’s communications.

BY TO N Y S N YD E R

I

have a question for you: how long will the

this number is projected to remain largely

causes or potential causes of smoking-related

world’s largest tobacco company still be

unchanged by 2025.

diseases such as lung cancer, cardiovascular

making cigarettes? That is a question we are trying to answer for ourselves. We do

not have the answer yet, but we know it will

Smoke-free products

come at some point.

disease, and emphysema.

We have developed smoke-free products that heat tobacco without burning it and accordingly generate much lower levels

Our vision to one day stop selling

Cigarette smoke contains flavours from the

of harmful chemicals. With over $3 billion

cigarettes is unprecedented for a tobacco

tobacco blend, as well as nicotine that exists

invested in R&D to date, we now have a

company. Many will question our motives

naturally in tobacco leaves. It’s these elements

suite of non-combustible products, including

based on the distrust surrounding our

in the smoke that consumers enjoy while

e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products,

industry; others will wonder why we would

smoking. However, the very same burning

which have the potential to significantly

completely change our existing, very profitable

process that releases the tobacco flavors and

reduce individual risk and population harm

business model. The answer to this question is

nicotine also produces over 8,000 chemicals, of

compared to continued smoking of cigarettes.

simple, because we can and we should.

which about 1 per cent have been identified as

We are leading a full-scale effort to ensure

We understand the millions of men

reduced risk products ultimately replace

and women who smoke cigarettes. Those who

cigarettes – to the benefit of adult smokers

don’t want to quit are looking for less harmful,

and society, our company and shareholders.

yet satisfying, alternatives to smoking. We have the resources to meet that demand and thanks to the imagination and perseverance of many at PMI we have developed breakthrough products that are smoke-free and enjoyable.

We are investing people, resources, time and money to develop further and assess the risk-reduction potential of these new, alternative products to cigarettes.

The tobacco industry means different things for different people . For some it is one of the most reviled industries that exists. And

“The tobacco industry means different things for different people.”

This decision has set our company on a new path. Amid the many global trends today, technological innovation is transforming our industry. For commercial, ethical and public health reasons, PMI is leading this transformation. Nearly three million smokers have already converted to our new products, and this is just the beginning.

In prioritising the development and commercialisation of these alternative products, we want to address the health impact of our combustible cigarette business

despite tobacco control efforts, the World

head-on, not only setting our company on a

Health Organization estimates that over a

new course, but also making a new contract

billion people currently smoke cigarettes, and

with society.

28

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

STRATEGY

relationship we have had with society has to move from the marketing of a brand to the embracing of a concept. And that requires a whole different set of messages, a whole different set of tools and a whole different agility to make sure we get traction.

Our new website, PMI.com, typifies our

When was the last time you visited the

PMI website?

intent. Lots of companies go through website revamps, but an exercise to update our website had a profound effect. As a company, it

Find out more on the new

really helped us establish a new tone of voice,

pmi.com

clarity and simplicity of language designed to demonstrate our commitment to openPMI_Poster_DTP_.indd 1

15/12/16 11:58

Part of PMI’s new poster campaign to raise awareness of their relaunched website / Image: PMI

ness, transparency and honesty. It also represented a significant milestone articulating the company’s shift and vision.

Facing a deficit of trust

Therefore, we have a duty to engage and ac-

The messaging we use on PMI.com is

tivate society. We need to educate on the fact

more than just a style of writing. It is a way

that there is a role for an alternative. It is not

of being. We are coming from below zero to

just a quit or die conundrum. Harm reduc-

earn trust and credibility, and it is important

Let me explain the journey we are taking as

tion is a third option to address the health ef-

we are plain speaking and transparent. There

a company and the communications chal-

fects of smoking.

simply is no time for ambiguity.

lenges we face to build the necessary support

That is where communications has

to accelerate a smoke-free future. In 2017 we

become not just something to reiterate the

launched our manifesto, Designing a Smoke-

position of a company, not just something

Free Future, which we published in conjunc-

of positioning the image of the corporation,

tion with a refreshed website, PMI.com. This

but has become something that really needs

is a very public declaration of our vision for a

to be at the forefront of this disruptive, pos-

smoke-free future, promoting a world where

itive change in our industry.

every smoker has an opportunity to make a

Our commitment to a smoke-free fu-

better choice. In fact, we believe the solution

ture has started a conversation. We want to

of a smoke-free world will benefit all stake-

ensure there is a debate in society. We rec-

holders, from investors to society. But this will

ognise and accept that there will always be

require the transformation of our industry

people who are on a side that says: “you can-

and the disruption of our business models.

not trust the industry”. We know that there

The transformation that we are going

is a deficit of trust. Why should you believe

through goes far beyond the product itself. It

what we have to say? And yet we know that

is a transformation of who we are and who

the message is so important that we have to

we collaborate with. Unfortunately, not every-

do everything we can to make sure it comes

body feels that we have the right to do that.

across. We feel we have a duty to advocate for

To some we have no right in society to talk

what we believe is right.

about the solution because we are so much

Our old communication stance was

part of the problem. Also, we often run into

very much based on a belief that if we stuck

the misconception that smoking is already

our head up we would be shot at. We were

sorted. People don’t see many smokers nowa-

not heavily involved in a wider dialogue with

days. They are not hanging around in bars and

society. We did not need explain who we are

restaurants in the way they were decades ago.

and where we want to go.

It is important regulation is updated

Now, we are moving from the back foot

to allow smokers information on smoke-free

to the front foot, out of the shadows into the

products and provide access to these prod-

world at large. This requires a lot of internal,

ucts, but this is not enough. Treating reduced

cultural and behavioural change. We have to

risk products like cigarettes confuses people

start building new relationships, new chan-

and does not encourage smokers to try them.

nels, and working with different partners. The

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

TOBACCO MEETS TECHNOLOGY According to PMI, its most popular smoke-free products use its tobacco heating system IQCS: over 2.9 million consumers are reported to have switched from cigarettes to this product.

IQOS use electronics that heat tobacco just enough to release a nicotine-containing vapour but without burning the tobacco.

The tobacco in a cigarette burns at temperatures in excess of 600°C, generating smoke that contains harmful chemicals. But IQOS heats tobacco to much lower temperatures, up to 350°C, without combustion, fire, ash or smoke. PMI claims that the lower temperature heating releases the taste of tobacco and that, because the tobacco is heated and not burned, the levels of harmful chemicals are significantly reduced compared to cigarette smoke. PMI have announced plans to make IQOS available in over 30 countries by the end of 2017.

29

ENGAGEMENT

SPARKING CONVERSATIONS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY To attract today’s talent it isn’t enough to highlight the work your organisation does.

Potential employees want to know what it feels like to work in it. For this, Siemens found that a simple cardboard device came in handy.

BY R O SA R I ER A

dress. These questions include: what does it

It is about how the people view the

feel like to be part of a team that worked on

organisation as an employer. In contrast to classic corporate branding,

employer branding is not primarily about an organisation’s products and services.

Take my company, Siemens. We do some amazing stuff. Among other things, we are currently working on doubling Egypt’s energy production, finding ways to prevent malaria, making cities smarter and more eco-efficient, designing mobile, autonomous, and connected 3D printing robots and helping NASA explore Mars. In short, we are changing the world through engineering.

Highlighting these things will help attract talent, for sure. But talent today has plenty of ways of finding out about a company’s portfolio: through ads, business news, events and many other channels. And the power of a portfolio as an attractor is waning, with talent becoming ever more interested in the deep-

“What really sparks an interest in our company as a potential employer is a presentation of the human side.”

this company’s products and services? What does it take to develop the products? How does delivering the services shape the working week? What were the challenges along the way? Questions like these often provide the best answers for interested prospects as to whether they might fit into an organisation.

Recently, the need to communicate this more human aspect of working at an organisation has increased due to shifts in labour market preferences. Before we started to develop our own new employer brand, we put a lot of effort into trying to understand these shifts and the ways in which today’s internal and external talent markets are evolving. From this we gained valuable insights into what today’s labour market expects from employers, enabling us to develop our employer value proposition.

An example of a recent shift in labour

er questions that even platforms like Glass-

market preferences is the one highlighted in

door or Kununu, where employees can review

a recent study by Universum, a specialist

their employer, often do not adequately ad-

in talent market intelligence and employer

34

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

Assembly instructions for a virtual reality cardboard viewer given to Siemens employees / Image: Siemens

E

mployer branding is about identity.

ENGAGEMENT

branding, which found that within Genera-

doing this, but knew that using technology to

tion Z, 55 per cent prefer the idea of found-

drive scale and, furthermore, selecting a tech-

ing or at least working for a start-up to that

nology that would by its very nature give em-

of working for an established player. For Siemens, these shifts have led to a decline in our attractiveness scores as an employer. Merely doing impressive things no longer automatically makes us the kind of place where a gifted engineer, data scientist or technologist might consider working.

Although we have found that the preferencet for start-ups is often based on a misunderstanding of what is like to work for an established player, at the same time we have come to recognise that correcting this misunderstanding is more than a matter of presenting facts and figures. Data can, of course, point prospective employees in the right direction. But according to our research, what really sparks an interest in our company as a

“The rationale for choosing virtual reality is its immersive features and ability to transport people into another world.”

ployees and prospects something interesting and relevant to talk about, would resonate particularly well in an engineering company like Siemens.

So, among other things, we decided to produce state-of-the-art virtual reality documentary videos featuring colleagues working in different countries and different businesses. We call these featured employees “Siemens Future Makers” because we want to highlight how they are able to put their unique experience, capabilities and expertise to use at our company not just to do a job but to contribute to making the future of engineering happen.

The rationale for choosing virtual reality as a channel is based on its immersive features and ability to transport people into

potential employer is a presentation of the hu-

another world. This technology offers a com-

man side of working at it. In order to change

pletely new way of imparting what it is like to

people’s perceptions of working at a large com-

operate in a particular environment, such as in

pany like Siemens, we found that it is crucial

the work environment at Siemens. The series

that they connect on a human level and feel

of virtual reality documentary videos that we

something. This insight now forms the basis

have produced allows the audience to step into

for employer branding at Siemens.

the various different worlds of work inhabited by different Siemens employees around

The conversation principle

always at the human level and thus provide

the world. They enable prospective employ-

an important insight into what it is like to

ees to experience on a very personal level how

work at Siemens.

these employees spend the working day and

This conversation principle is influenc-

how the impact of their work on society mo-

We know that the most powerful way to

ing all of our employer branding activities. In

tivates them. The employees and stories fea-

find out what working at an organisation is

early 2017, for example, we relaunched siemens.

tured in these documentaries were selected

like is through speaking with someone who

com/careers, the second-most frequently vis-

in collaboration with colleagues from the re-

works there. And we know that the more our

ited website at siemens.com, restructuring it

spective countries to ensure that the content

world digitalises, the more a personal con-

around employee-driven stories that provide

is relevant and authentic and represents Sie-

versation with an old college friend or for-

an authentic look at what it is like to work

mens in the most insightful way.

mer colleague will stand out from a message

at Siemens. Our aim is to give potential can-

To ensure that the experience is scala-

carefully curated by a company department.

didates as unedited an account as possible

ble in practice we employed technology that is

This dialogue creates a much more person-

of what they can expect from Siemens as an

easy to use and easy to share. We created an

al impression of an organisation and helps

employer. We believe that, as long as we re-

app, Siemens 360°, for iOS and Android. This

convey its culture. This is why at Siemens we

sist trying somehow to inject corporate jar-

app, used in combination with the virtual re-

have introduced a new employer branding

gon or corporate messaging into the dialogue,

ality Google Cardboard viewers that, branded

strategy based on sparking conversations,

these conversations are the best tool we have

with our own logo, we were able to produce in

namely ones about the future of engineering

for spreading knowledge about what it is like

huge numbers at relatively low cost, is start-

and what it takes to get there.

to work at our company and the kind of cul-

ing to make it possible for pretty much an-

ture that awaits a new recruit.

yone around the world with a connection to

These conversations are not intended to take place on an abstract level between

And while developing the new strate-

or interest in Siemens to experience virtual

our company and the talent market. The aim

gy, we asked not only what content we could

reality and to do so within the context of the

is to spark a multitude of conversations with

use to spark these conversations but also how

Siemens employer brand. As with all our em-

society. They can be initiated internally or ex-

we could spark these conversations at scale.

ployer branding activities, the initial focus was

ternally. The important thing is that they are

We were pretty agnostic as to how to go about

internal. This was not just because we were

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

35

CONTENT

CURIOSITY-DRIVEN CONTENT What content is most engaging? Why? What can we learn from it? The same curiosity that drives research at CERN has helped develop its editorial content, with findings from a study into how people react to CERN social media helping shape and adapt its content. A few useful tips for crafting digital content and improving engagement.

BY KATE K A HL E

C

ERN, the European laboratory for

1. Education: to begin a journey, using social

weeks of data across five of CERN’s social media

particle physics, is home to the

media to link back to the website to encourage

channels. Each social media post in the study

Large Hadron Collider, the larg-

people to find out more; 2. Engagement: to foster

including an image, resulting in 214 posts in

est machine in the world. CERN

engagement and form an online community

total, of which 94 were newsworthy and 120

research is a global endeavour and the world

of stakeholders interested in the laboratory

wide web was born at the laboratory. In 2012,

and its work; 3. Marketing: to retain positive

CERN announced the discovery of a new parti-

sentiment towards the laboratory. By keeping

cle, known as the Higgs Boson and nicknamed

the sentiment positive and handling the negative

“the God particle” by the media. But a Higgs Bo-

sentiment constructively by responding as

son discovery doesn’t come along every day, so

appropriate to questions or concerns, CERN’s

how do we develop regular, engaging content?

strong brand identity is retained.

The editorial content development section

As well as creating and sharing content

includes the writing, web and social media teams.

about the latest advancements in particle physics

We source stories, craft written content and work

(CERN’s raison d’être), we also have regular social

with designers, photographers and videographers

media posts to share more stories and showcase

to showcase CERN in the best possible way. Our

engaging photos, with each post linking back

editorial content is just part of our communication,

to the CERN website. Every Thursday, we

education and outreach offerings, which are all

have a throwback Thursday post highlighting a moment in CERN’s history. Every Friday, we post a photo and ask people to guess what it is by adding their comments, then each Monday we post the answer with a link to find out more.

Testing our content

were simply attractive historic or quirky images.

Being surrounded by curiosity-driven research

Across these 214 posts, we identified 35 high-

at CERN, with scientists asking questions

engagement items and looked closely at these

about the fundamental building blocks of

to see what we could learn from them.

our universe, we can’t help but apply similar

For the highly engaging news items,

curiosity to our content creation. As a way

audiences reacted by liking, commenting, sharing

of testing whether our social media strategy

and clicking-through, but spent very little time

was effective, I collaborated with academics

on the webpage, quickly consuming the content

from Israel to publish a scientific study in 2016

and moving on. Interestingly though, of the 35

entitled Footprints of Fascination: Digital Traces

high-engagement items, more than half were

guided by our communication strategy. As a

of Public Engagement with Particle Physics on

not news-related but instead involved beautiful

component of this, CERN social media has three

CERN’s Social Media Platforms, available via

or surprising images. The power of imagery on

main strands to its strategy:

http://cern.ch/go/plos. We investigated eight

social media can work for organisations for

38

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

CONTENT

“Social media gives nontraditional opportunities to directly engage with the public.”

the same Twitter post in English and in French,

numbers when comparing #InTheory to

the English-language followers had all the

all CERN mentions on social media, there

information they needed in the tweet so were

were moments during the campaign when

less motivated to click-through. Whereas the

more people were talking about #InTheory

140-character-limit made the French tweet

than CERN. And did we keep people on the

a more enigmatic “clickbait”, with readers

website longer? Well, the final moment of

intrigued to find out more, resulting in 2.5 times

the #InTheory series saw the average time

the average click-throughs.

on the website increase from roughly two

Tailoring content to a specific audience

minutes to 14 minutes!

also led to higher engagement, be it a beautiful

Social media gives non-traditional

detector image shared with the visually minded

opportunities to directly engage with the

audience of Instagram or French Twitter users

public . We can convey the same message

being led to a whole publication of content in

with different packaging, to make it more

their native language and spending longer on

accessible and less formal. For example, each

the site by clicking through multiple stories.

year we prepare an April Fools fake news

A human focus is one of the most

story and in 2015, our Star Wars inspired

established attention-grabbing features in the media, and this is no different for a science-minded audience. One of the biggest stories during the data-taking period was the

marketing, engagement and education. We also

announcement that Fabiola Gianotti would

found that when social media took visitors to a

become director general of CERN. The comments

webpage including a video or virtual tour the

discussed different aspects of her identity as a

visit duration increased, especially when the

scientist, an Italian and a female, they related

video was placed further down the page and seen

to her and congratulated her on a personal

after reading the text. Retention also increased

level. In another example, a Facebook post took

when viewers were led to playlists where they

people to a series of stories written in the first

could click to watch additional videos.

person. Although the click-throughs were not

Social media posts with a higher than

higher than average, those that did click were

average number of comments were often due

engaged in the history and kept clicking further

to discourse in unexpected directions, with

to read the full long-form article.

the discussion dominated by arguments about unrelated, user-introduced topics. Social media provides a space for more engagement, but gives organisations less control of the message.

What can be controlled is how the comments

The human touch, humour and help

are addressed, either with a suitable response

April Fools story – CERN had discovered “the force” – resulted in 26.5K engagements

or by enforcing a comment policy. CERN’s for

The scientific study awakened our curiosity

on social media. Although not something

example is “CERN welcomes your comments

to test these trends even more. In particular,

we can do every day, these jokes do give us

and will moderate them using these guidelines:

we wanted to test human-interest stories and

an opportunity to tap into the lighter side of

Please keep comments relevant. Irrelevant,

whether they kept readers on the website for

science and strike a chord with our audiences.

inappropriate or offensive comments may be

longer. It was time to tell stories. In 2016, we had

CERN is part of a scientific community

deleted. Stay on topic. Other readers expect the

two series of long-form articles that showcased

so it’s important to collaborate on social media

comments about a post to deal with the topic at

theoretical physicists and experimental

with other organisations and laboratories. We

hand”. Thus, where comments are concerned, it is

physicists: #InTheory and #InPractice. Then

use our platforms to showcase the successes

important to read the content and tone carefully

in 2017, we launched #IWorkAtCERN, which

of others from congratulating the Physics

to really understand the effectiveness of a post.

began with the International Day of Women in

Nobel Prize winners, to highlighting the

Language played an unexpected role in our

Science but then went wider with more posts

gravitational waves discovery of LIGO. We

high-engagement items. CERN is a bilingual

to highlight different professions at CERN. We

also use #FollowFriday to highlight the

English and French organisation and although

wanted to highlight the people behind the science

worldwide particle physics research taking

our social media platforms are predominately

and showcase diversity around CERN, as well

place in national physics laboratories. As

English-language we do have a @CERN_FR

as keeping the audience on the website for

CERN scientists are strong ambassadors, we

Twitter account in French. When comparing

longer. What we saw was that despite lower

encourage them to use social media and have

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

39

INTERNAL

GOING SOCIAL AT ANZ WITH MAXCONNECT When ANZ launched its first global enterprise social network, it was a major step forward to achieving its goal of being a leading social-enabled enterprise in financial services. To shift behaviour and enable business success, a communications programme promoted a new way of working by being more open and social than ever before.

BY R ITA ZON I U S

done in the depths of your email mail-

Tangible value

box, taking the step to open up and work visibly can be daunting. In an increas-

While an ESN may have been a logical step

ingly social business world, enterprise so-

for ANZ to take at the time, it was not always

cial networks (ESNs) are gathering momen-

an easy road to travel. We found no matter

tum, changing the way everyone works, for

where around the globe we went when talk-

the better.

ing about the project the conversations we

Many large organisations have tools

had with our people focused on culture. Spe-

to manage the ebb and flow of lots of infor-

cifically, was ANZ ready to welcome the in-

mation. Your people will either help or hinder

formal and non-hierarchical nature of enter-

the flow and we’ve all worked with sharers,

prise social networking?

hoarders and people with styles somewhere in between.

An early analysis of the enterprise social industry, other companies using enterprise

MaxConnect poster

I

f you’re accustomed to getting things

Two years ago at ANZ we took a leap

social, ANZ staff surveys and focus groups,

of faith when we rolled out the company’s

showed an ESN could enable greater connec-

first-ever ESN, MaxConnect, to more than

tivity among our people and form a vital part

55,000 of our people around the world. The

of ANZ’s digital workplace. Benchmarking

good news is we turned it on and the world

research into similar companies around the

kept on turning. In the meantime, the pro-

world uncovered case studies demonstrating

ject was an outstanding success. As work-

ESN use provided benefits such as productivi-

place communications evolved, it became

ty improvements, streamlined executive com-

clear ANZ needed to become a more socially

munications and problem solving, while an

our people. For example, we had senior lead-

enabled business. We needed to improve the

internal communications audit of our own

ers who understood the business case for a

way our people interacted across geographies

showed a strong appetite for an internal so-

new way of working with enterprise social,

and businesses to solve problems, drive col-

cial tool to help people do their work.

but also doubters, worried our people would

opportunities of introducing MaxConnect to

laboration, improve productivity and facilitate

We knew from this legwork however

multi-directional, authentic communication.

simply ‘switching on’ an ESN would not be

We learned through our research com-

Fast forward in time and MaxConnect

enough. It was critical the strategy supporting

munity managers are integral to the success

has been welcomed as a key business tool,

the introduction of MaxConnect cause a shift

of online communities, but without enter-

with the communications program behind

encouraging our people to embrace a different

prise social, ANZ didn’t have any communi-

it helping to change work habits, drive adop-

way of working and generating business value

ty managers.

tion and ultimately deliver tangible business

– being more open and social than ever before.

While our people wanted mechanisms

At the outset, stakeholders from across

to enable more collaboration, there was a risk

Today, more than 70 per cent of staff have

ANZ’s businesses and functions were brought

our people wouldn’t come to grips with the real

used our ESN, connecting with peers and sup-

together to help define the use and scope of

benefits of MaxConnect in the face of compet-

porting one another to find the answers they

an ESN. A change management assessment

ing priorities and workloads. Introducing our

need to do their jobs.

also helped uncover the impacts, issues and

ESN was going to be an issues-rich challenge.

value for ANZ.

44

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

do the wrong thing.

INTERNAL

Lifting off While we wanted to create an open and collaborative environment for our people in MaxConnect, we did take steps to establish a governance model and request process for key communities.

This was to ensure important communities were actively managed by trained community managers and operating with clear and compelling objectives. This process prevented duplication of communities,

“The fear of ESNs – worrying people will waste time, wondering how we control what’s posted and so on – is linked to a fear of change and the unknown.”

replication of ‘old’ business silos and facilitated greater collaboration.

At this stage, we also set about tapping into ANZ’s existing communication channels to recruit MaxConnect Champions. They would act as our arms and legs

and planning a very social, visible launch of

on the ground, helping build enthusiasm

MaxConnect at ANZ’s head office and in our

for a new way of working right across ANZ.

key locations around the world.

Not ‘launch and leave’

With these building blocks in place, we

A range of training options were de-

Following launch, we continued with regular

turned our attention to training, education

veloped for different user groups, including

training webinars and instituted a commu-

an online training module for community

nity manager education program, to encour-

managers, key user training sessions, FAQs,

age our people to build a habit of using Max-

Quick Reference Guides and infographics.

Connect regularly.

In the design stage of MaxConnect, our internal digital communications team devised a communications program which would drive a new way to work with enterprise social focused in four areas: •• Leveraging senior leaders across the bank as role models leading the shift towards a new way of working.

•• Establishing compelling business use cases delivering clear business value through ANZ’s use of enterprise social.

A communications campaign flagged

Ongoing communications and real suc-

the upcoming arrival of MaxConnect. Launch

cess stories emphasised how incorporating the

events were held in more than 20 locations,

use of MaxConnect in the workday was help-

including kiosks, a staff competition, all-staff

ing our people to solve business pain points,

email and dedicated intranet site. The roll-

crowdsource ideas, find experts and save time.

out of MaxConnect was progressive, making

External industry thought leaders were also

the most of existing communication channels

engaged to provide their perspectives on the

and meetings to make it easy for our people

benefits of enterprise social, knowledge shar-

to learn about and use the tool.

ing and ‘working out loud’.

•• Creating a groundswell of support for our ESN through a network of champions to help educate and inspire others.

•• Building strong participation in MaxConnect and turning staff into confident users of enterprise social.

MaxConnect-screenshot

•• invests in establishing a true creative partnership, they should also put sufficient effort into telling its story. Digital media provides many opportunities to engage the public in a conversation about art and culture and gives them a deeper experience of creative collaborations.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

45

#KEEPQUESTIONING

#KEEPQUESTIONING

MELISSA FLEMING In the face of public apathy, can one human story illuminate a large-scale crisis? We put your questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

52

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

#KEEPQUESTIONING

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

53

#KEEPQUESTIONING

“Communicators who speak about people as statistics might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster change and inspire action.”

W

hen 19 year old Doaa and her boyfriend Bassam, Syrian refugees trapped in a grinding existence in Egypt, handed over all of Bassam’s life savings to refugee smugglers for a journey on a rusting fishing

boat, little could they have imagined the horrors that lay ahead. After their boat was attacked and left to capsize in the Mediterranean,

Doaa – but not Bassam – was finally found by rescuers after four days in the water, one of just 11 people who survived from the boat.

How do we know this? Because Doaa’s experiences before, during and after these harrowing events have found a storyteller – Melissa Fleming, head of communications for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – who developed Doaa’s narrative into an online article, then a Ted Talk, then a book... and soon a major motion picture produced by Steven Spielberg. In the first of our new series of #keepquestioning interviews, we invited communication professionals from across Europe to put their questions to the head of communications of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about the strategy behind UNHCR’s storytelling, the fight against apathy and their long-term vision for supporting refugees.

Melissa Fleming on stage at the 2017 European Communication Summit / Photo: Bernal Revert

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COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

#KEEPQUESTIONING

Helen Palmer Strategic Media Director, Weber Shandwick: “The stories you have told are heart rending and it is hard to comprehend how people could be unmoved by them. However, apathy and prejudice about refugees still persist. How do we reach and move those people who will never watch a TED talk or read a newspaper account of a refugee’s story?”

We are doing audience research in a number of key countries to determine people’s attitudes toward refugees and also where they get their information. We also test how various Karin Helmstaedt Television and Event Presenter:

groups respond to certain messages. This allows us to decide

“You’ve taken Doaa’s story a long way: it's become a book and

not just whom we should target but also with what kind of

it is going to become a film. Yet this story will also run its

news and stories, via which medium and how we want them

course, it will reach a point of saturation. Do you have other

to respond. We are trying to move away from just preach-

stories in the pipeline to replace it when you need to make

ing to the converted and working to reach the undecided

the next assault on the lack of empathy?”

and anxious middle. People who care about a fair society,

It is amazing to me how Doaa’s story has not run its course,

human rights and helping people in need but who have very

but actually keeps resonating with new audiences. If I accept-

legitimate worries. We don’t bother trying to convince the far

ed all the speaking requests I am getting, I could be telling her

right who operate on a platform of hate toward migrants and

story full-time around the world! But yes, there are so many

refugees.

other important refugee stories that I and my team are committed to telling. To build empathy, these stories must show

Kathleen Noonan Director of Philanthropies and Education

the person’s resilience, and also that there is hope. For one, a

Communications, Europe, Microsoft:

young Yazidi woman from Iraq recently reached out to me

“In the past, UNHCR worked closely with celebrities and ambas-

wanting me to tell her story. She and her two younger sisters

sadors to draw attention to specific programmes and crises. You

were kidnapped by ISIS and held as sex slaves. She managed

are now expanding beyond that approach and doing innovative

to escape after two years in horrific captivity and get resettled

partnerships with Humans of New York and working with vir-

to Canada. But her sisters are still enslaved.

tual reality to draw attention to the Syrian Refugee crisis. Why have you made the decision to shift your storytelling strategy,

Ivo Banek Managing Partner, Communication Works:

and how you have implemented it?”

“How do you balance empathy and the professional distance

We haven’t fundamentally shifted our strategy – we are still

you need in order to be credible as a communicator?”

working with traditional media and with celebrities as Goodwill

In my field, if you don’t feel empathy yourself with the refu-

Ambassadors. But we have expanded our reach through other

gees you are representing, then you will have no credibility.

partnerships. Your Humans of New York example is a good

As the saying goes, “statistics are human beings with the tears

one. We reached out to Brandon Stanton when the U.S. gov-

dried off.” Communicators who speak about people as statistics

ernment and media were expressing concerns about resettling

might make headlines but they won’t build compassion, foster

Syrian refugees. We arranged for him to meet with refugees in

change and inspire action. That is why I travel frequently to

Jordan and Turkey who were scheduled to depart for the U.S.

war zones and refugee camps to meet refugees and learn about

His photographs and storytelling generated an enormous wave

their circumstances. That said, taking in refugee stories can be

of sympathy and funds. One of the refugees, a Syrian inven-

overwhelming too. You feel a kind of secondary trauma, which

tor, was even invited to the White House and seated next to

can cause a lot of stress and feelings of guilt. So it is important

Michele Obama for the State of the Union address. We have

to recognise how lucky we are to live in a peaceful place, to have

also recently partnered with Google to create this innovative

passports, to have a home and to be able to chose where we live.

website, Searching for Syria which shows Syria then and now.

Only then can we have the strength to help others.

Media partnerships are absolutely crucial to getting our message out and placing our content.

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR 3/2017

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ISSUE FOCUS

The personalisation of communications 60

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The personal touch

A revolution in personalised marketing

“Micro-targeting allows you to scare people easier”

Can AI deliver on the promise of marketing: true personalisation at scale?

The father of the Republican internet on Trump, Twitter and the pitfalls of online echo chambers

BY A N DY PH I L L I PS

I N T E RV I E W BY DA F Y D D PH I L L I PS

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Analyse this

The dark side of personalisation

CEO leadership in a broken system

How can we find the right balance between protecting our privacy and allowing organisations to track us and our interests?

Against a background of declining trust in CEOs, a more personalised, authentic approach to communications can help engage the sceptics

In order to retain and grow their customer base, businesses need to get personal with their consumers.

BY C ÉL I N E F E N E C H

How can organisations choose the right data-analysis strategy to suit their personalisation needs?

BY EL I Z A B E T H P R E S S

BY F E D E RI C O G U E RRI NI

BY J U ST I N B L A K E