Ketchum Pleon Inspire Magazin #6 Augenschmaus english

Inspire #06 The official magazine of Ketchum Pleon | January 2015

Eye-catching Visual Communication

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Eye-catching: Visual Communication

Dear readers, The sixth issue of our Inspire magazine is dedicated to the many and varied aspects of visual communication. We take a peep behind the scenes of visual products, from video clips to press photos. Our authors provide recommendations for the use of imagery in various areas of business and industry, such as the tourism and food sectors. And we also discuss possible applications in different fields of communication, for example corporate communication and change communication.

In addition, we offer you a number of visual tips for your own sphere of work, whether it involves PowerPoint, the use of new visual online tools, or “visual thinking” with the aid of sketchnoting, graphic recording and graphic facilitation.

There is a diverse range of options for visual working. When devising visual content for the eye – and the brain – the challenge is to find which forms are most suitable for the particular company and the relevant subject matter. So you can look forward to plenty of “appetizers” on the following pages.

Your Ketchum Pleon Inspire Team PS: See our blog for the digital version of the magazine: www.kpg-blog.de

content

10 8 6 4

Picture with a view

12

Achoo! – When the virus arrives

Visual PR meets Healthcare

14

The stunt is back

16 18

PR stunt – in Saxon dialect

Catching up: corporate goes multimedia reportage

25

More salt and pepper, please

34

Vine, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr…

23

Werbung in eigener Sache

36

The power of the icon: Movember

20

User-generated content keeps on growing

38

26 28

The journey begins in the mind

32

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Making change visible

30

Little visual helpers: review of online tools

The corporate design formula

The box of PowerPoint tricks

I see what you mean: visual thinking

Show me your pins: Pinterest

MOVING IMAGE

Photos: Mario Föllmer

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USER-GENERATED CONTENT KEEPS ON GROWING Steffen Gentis, BBDO’s Chief Production Officer and Head of Craftwork, on new trends in advertising films, tweaking creative parameters and the efficiency of water and champagne.

Mr. Gentis, you are considered to be one of the highest-profile

only constant is change itself. Take EPG, for example: a single screen

commercial filmmakers. Having been a successful photogra-

as the central interface for everything. Apple surprised us when

pher, how did you get involved in films? What attracted me was

instead they simply came up with a whole range of screens, all of

the challenge of relating highly complex stories in a very short time

which synchronize one another.

frame. As well as that, films bring together not only lots of people but also lots of components – that’s what I find so fascinating.

So, instead of EPG, second, third and fourth screens: what’s the effect of that? The consequences are very significant, because we

What kind of components do you mean? Music, for example: a

need to adapt our content to the different screen formats …

car being driven along a country road, cheerful music coming from its radio – clearly the motorist is in a happy mood. But imagine the

Why is this necessary? Because we relate differently to the differ-

same scene with dramatic music, and the viewer begins to wonder:

ent screens: the TV set is an old friend we like to watch sport and

might there just be a corpse in the trunk of that car? Sound, light and

have a beer with on Saturday evenings. The laptop is our big brother:

technical systems are the creative levers we filmmakers manipulate

someone to play with and sometimes work with – and someone to

to achieve our effects.

seek advice from now and again.

On the same subject, the speed of technical development in the

And what about the mobile phone? The mobile is our great

field of moving images is phenomenal – can even the profes-

love: we carry it close to our heart and use it to swap very personal

sionals keep pace with it? The story is the same for all of us: the

information.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT KEEPS ON GROWING

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And the effect of all this? The characteristics of the device deter-

push up the cost of filmmaking are not so much technical systems

mine the type of story we tell as well as its content. I would watch a

or crazy ideas, but rather logistics, travel expenses, actors’ fees and

movie on a TV set, a laptop or a tablet, but I wouldn’t really be inter-

third-party rights.

ested in seeing it on my iPhone.

Finally, a look ahead to the future: What trends lie in store for us In other words, the size of the screen determines the length of

this year? There will be further growth in user-generated content. It is

the film? Not just the length of the film, but also the type: the

extremely important for firms to permit and manage this in order to

smaller the screen, the more concise and graphically powerful my

ensure brand consistency. And I see the increasing influence of tech-

film’s message needs to be. Many clients still find that surprising.

nology on brand narratives. A current example is the MINI Collection Screen Dancer, a project which Craftwork has undertaken together

In terms of corporate communication, where is the greatest

with the BBDO agency Interone – highly sophisticated technically and

potential for the successful use of moving images? Let me turn

featuring completely new use of the medium of film. It’s worth taking

that around and ask you: Where can they not be used successfully?

a look, at http://www.mini.de/screendancer //

Companies need to communicate their standpoint and their culture to an increasing extent. With PowerPoint I can convey facts and figures, but no emotions – that’s where film is unbeatable. And that applies not only to the corporate sector but also to the branding sector. Because the brand story is what fans and buyers identify with.

Nowadays anyone can make a film. Does this vast number of video clips have a damaging impact on professional filmmakers? I call that “democratization”: anyone can film something with a smartphone, cut it, and then place it on YouTube. It takes just 30 seconds to make a visual statement that would normally take three minutes to express in words. Indeed, a lot of what I’m now saying could be conveyed much more precisely in 90 seconds of film!

If anyone can be a filmmaker, why do we still need agencies?

Clients hold us in high esteem because we are professionals. At Craftwork we are a network of specialists who not only develop ideas but who can also implement them across all available channels. We moderate, we cut, and we know how films can be disseminated and marketed. In other words, if the brand is the actor and the brand story the film, then we are the directors. And we say to the brand: do it this way, play it like this – so that the brand message comes across consistently and credibly on all channels.

What do I need to know as a customer before I commission a

CONTACT PERSONS

film? Ask yourself the question: What do I want to say, who do I

@Steffen Gentis

want to say it to, and what is the context? The context is hugely

Steffen Gentis is Chief Production Officer at BBDO and Head of Craftwork, BBDO‘s production unit. He is also the initiator of “Regielounge”, the advertising film industry‘s international get-together which has achieved cult status and which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2014.

important! If there is a captive audience of 1,000 people at an annual meeting, I make a film on a relatively broad scale and tell a detailed story. If the film is intended for a trade show, I need to get the same message across to passing visitors in a completely different way – no sound is needed, but the message must be an arresting one.

@Ulrich Nitsche

A lot of people are reluctant to spend money on films …

One shouldn’t generalize here. Our motto is “the biggest bang for your buck”. We tell clients: “You can use champagne to put out a candle – but water is more efficient!” And company employees are often better actors than expensive professionals. The factors that

Uli Nitsche, Senior Editor and Senior Consultant at Ketchum Pleon, is well aware: In the beginning was the word… He advises clients on all matters relating to Corporate Publishing – both print and online.

Photo: Screenshot Snowflavia New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

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CORPORATE GOES MULTIMEDIA REPORTAGE

CATCHING UP: CORPORATE GOES MULTIMEDIA REPORTAGE It all began with Snow Fall (photo). Now multimedia reportages are enjoying a major boom – in the journalism sector at least. Yet there has been comparatively little development in this field on the part of business and industry, even though multimedia reportages are the ideal platform for successful storytelling.

Start Story Digital storytelling, multimedia reportage, scrollytelling, online story-

such as the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel but also in

telling, scroll reportage – there are many names for a form of online

regional papers such as the Rhein-Zeitung and the Hannoversche

journalism that has gained popularity over the past few years. The com-

Allgemeine. In view of the volatile state of the newspaper and mag-

mon denominator for these different terms: instead of texts simply

azine markets, publishers cherish the hope that multimedia report-

being supplemented with graphics, images or videos as in the past, all

ages might be a means of reaching new target groups – and younger

elements now merge to form a unit. The result is impressive: a guided

people in particular. Through the combination of different communica-

multimedia information experience with an entertainment component.

tion resources, stories can be made more vivid, more exciting and more entertaining.

The originator of the form is considered to be John Branch, a sports reporter with the New York Times. Shortly before Christmas 2012 he

By contrast, multimedia reportages have so far made little impact in

published a multimedia reportage entitled “Snow Fall”, an evocative

the corporate sphere – although this form of presentation offers the

narrative about a fatal avalanche in Washington State. The presenta-

perfect platform for one of the biggest trends in corporate communi-

tion, which integrated videos, animated infographics, photographs

cation: storytelling. Online, there is growing demand not only for good

and maps, captured both national and international attention, achiev-

stories but also for well presented stories. But there are a number of

ing four million readers by the beginning of January 2013, according to

good examples, such as the story “Gegen die Uhr” (“Against the

the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper. It was also the cue for Germa-

Clock”), compiled as part of the “Mein Märkisches Viertel” project

ny’s media to take a serious interest in this new format, as Jochen

about one of Berlin’s boroughs. It has been commissioned by housing

Wegner, editor-in-chief of Zeit Online, explains: “This story was a

company Gesobau AG, which hopes that the project will boost the

wake-up call for the entire industry, because it featured a new combi-

public image of the suburb and thus make it more attractive for pro-

nation of standard digital elements with the aim of recounting a

spective tenants.

lengthy, multi-faceted story in a compelling, absorbing manner.”

Compared with the volume of journalistic projects which have been Since then, numerous multimedia reportages have also been pub-

undertaken, there has been little activity as yet on the part of the cor-

lished in Germany, not only in leading newspapers and magazines

porate sector – despite the fact that there is certainly no shortage of

CORPORATE GOES MULTIMEDIA REPORTAGE

Possible elements, taking as an example www.stillenacht-kandahar.de/

Title Introductory text

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reasons, for instance lack of experience in the use of the new tool and the consequent questions: What is the best way to structure text and individual multimedia elements, for example? What is the ideal ratio of text and multimedia features? And what types of stories lend themselves best to multimedia treatment? Not every topic is suitable for

Video incl. sharing ­functions (via Vimeo)

this kind of elaborate presentation. It is advisable to select multi-­ faceted subjects with a certain “timeless” character. Multi-faceted: in order to give the story depth and to give significance to the individual elements. Timelessness: to ensure that the story will have an enduring impact in view of the effort involved and will not have to be

Timeline in text, imagery, incl. references to further links (timeline tool: http:// timeline.knightlab.com)

removed from the internet after a matter of weeks.

A further hindrance to the use of multimedia reportages in corporate communication is the amount of financial outlay and personnel effort involved. It took 16 people around six months to compile the “Snow Fall” article for the New York Times, with costs estimated to have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The newspaper Die Zeit code-named the preparation of a multimedia reportage about the Tour de France a “holiday layout” (because its principles are so dif-

Animated map (interactive points on the map via www.thinglink.com)

ferent from those of the main online media on working days). One possible solution is to engage in cooperative ventures. For example, the production company 2470media is currently working on a web documentation on the subject of human trafficking, which is being sponsored by a foundation, a travel company and a magazine. Michael

Introductory text for map orientation

Hauri, Creative Director at 2470media, explains: “If the main thrust of the story is defined beforehand by mutual agreement and if, as in this case, the companies don’t interfere with the content, then cooperative projects of this type are a highly promising option. The advantage: the communication departments acquire authentic, high-quality content for their channels in a completely straightforward manner.” //

Interview with external author

REFERENCE LINKS Further interesting multimedia reportages:

A tumblr.blog serves as platform for the reportage

Firestorm (http://bit.ly/1bix0J3): The British newspaper The Guardian documents a firestorm in Australia caused by bush fires.

Contact person, contact data, imprint

Borderland (http://n.pr/Pq7UkS): Story of a road trip along the 2,500-kilometer border between the United States and Mexico.

Hollow (http://hollowdocumentary.com): Documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion describes the decline of McDowell County in West Virginia, USA.

Mauerkomödie (http://bit.ly/1xxwAsb): An amusing story about three ­communists who set out to save socialism – and accidentally bring about the collapse of East Germany.

subject matter, as the following two examples show. To mark the centenary of commercial aviation, Britain’s Guardian newspaper published a multimedia reportage about the history of the industry and its future prospects: a story that could just as easily have been covered

by Lufthansa, for example. The first monthly issue of Wired Germany dealt with a pharmaceutical topic, featuring a story about combating tuberculosis with the aid of supercomputer Watson. The reluctance on the part of business and industry may have other, understandable

@Patrick Damberg Patrick Damberg is a Senior Consultant at our Düsseldorf office. He is convinced that seeing the bigger picture – whether it be journalism or Hollywood – is always an enhancement for corporate communications.

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MOVING IMAGE

Volvo‘s Epic Split: the perfect length of an ad (photo by Volvo Trucks). Further viral classics on the icons: Psy‘s Gangnam Style, the first viral to achieve a billion views; Edeka‘s “Supergeil”, an example showing that polarizing content can be successful. And if all else fails: there‘s always cat content. ;-)

ACHOO! – WHEN THE VIRUS ARRIVES They are both the dream and the nightmare of marketing and communication consultants: virals. The dream scenario is when they “take off”, prove immensely popular and make a huge impact without costing a single euro. The nightmare: when it is simply impossible to cancel a viral if one’s efforts are less funny than those of Sixt, less creative than Edeka or less daring than Volvo with the Epic Split. This raises a fundamental question: Is it possible to plan and create a viral that is sure to be successful?

“Every time a consultant in an agency says ‘Let’s do a viral’, the internet

But what actually constitutes a viral clip? A viral exceeds a certain num-

collapses in laughter.” This quote has long since become a familiar say-

ber of views within a comparatively short period of time, with organic reach in excess of paid reach. A viral video there-

ing. It also contains the only rule that can definitely be applied to the creation of virals, namely that their success cannot be planned in advance.

They are dependent on a host of variables, not all of which can be calculated, let alone influenced.

A viable alternative is to make a successful video

“Let‘s make a viral!” says the consultant – and the internet collapses in laughter

instead of launching a viral. This will mean taking

fore needs to be successful inside a relatively short space of time, say six months. Why so quickly? Because there are no expiry dates in YouTube. Once on YouTube, you are there forever.

The longer a video is online, the more views it will receive. If a video clip remains on YouTube for

account of certain basic factors at the production stage – and with a

100 years (this can be checked 91 years from now) and generates a

little bit of luck the clip may even go viral!

million views, that can hardly be described as a viral success.

ACHOO! – WHEN THE VIRUS ARRIVES

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How many views are necessary before one can talk about a viral? Here,

outlets (such as Mashable or TechCrunch), online stars and offline stars

too, a precise definition is essential: the number of views isn’t always

(e.g. Taylor Swift).

the number of views. For example, YouTube stars with over one million followers can easily achieve 150,000 views per video on their channel

As we see, good content and an effective catalyst are important for the

– yet no one would refer to this as a viral. On the other hand, a video

success of a video. Good timing is also helpful: if a major media event

that

generates

is taking place parallel to the video release, especially online, then

100,000

If the reference group is talking about it offline, the probability of a viral effect is very high.

the target group’s attention will be limited. On the other hand, if the

of view also plays a role here: if one’s own immediate reference group

same as winning the national lottery. And yet, or because of that, we do

is discussing the topic on all social channels, and even offline, then the

our utmost to win the viral jackpot. As sure as the onset of winter

likelihood that it has gone viral is very great.

brings colds and flus, virals will continue to circulate, causing us to

views more or less from nowhere and whose producer doesn’t have a sizeable community on YouTube can be defined as viral. A relevant

film features an ongoing trend or a burning issue, this can boost coverage substantially. Here the mechanisms are similar to those associated with conventional media activities.

Conclusion: The probability of making content go viral is roughly the

factor from the users’ point

laugh, cry – or possibly sneeze. // The most critical factor is the ratio of organic reach to paid reach. The characteristic feature of a viral is its organic reach, the so-called user shareability rate.

The success of a video is dependent on two main elements: good content and an effective catalyst. Good content is as short as possible and as long as necessary – ideally not more than 90 seconds in length. The content of the video should tell a story which polarizes (or in the some cases is possibly provocative) and triggers a particular emotion: happiness, sadness, revulsion, surprise, etc. Only one emotion should be aroused – if too many genres are mixed together, this is usually asking too much of users and they lose their way in the content. After all, we don’t go to cinema to see a love-action-horror-thriller-teenage-romancesci-fi movie. “Social motivation” then indicates whether the content has made an impact with the internet community: How often is the video being shared with others, forwarded and/or recommended?

Experience has shown that the less emphasis on the brand, the more frequently the video will be shared.

REFERENCE LINKS More about virals? The following links are interesting:

This is where the catalyst comes into play. Because if no one is aware of the impressive content which has been developed by the brand or by a private person, no one is

If nobody knows about the content, then nobody will see it.

going to view it. A number of dissemination mechanisms are available. The standard “paid” system features advertising (usu-

ally online), thus drawing the viewer’s general attention to the content

How to Make Viral Videos: http://www.tintup.com/blog/how-to-make-viralvideos/ How These 10 Marketing Campaigns Became Viral Hits: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233207

@Evi Bader Evi Bader is a Digital and Social Communications Consultant in our Munich office and is fascinated by visual networks such as Pinterest.

before the content develops further – more or less by itself. A second option involves facilitators or “multipliers” who share the content with

@Norbert Brema

their community (randomly or by way of seeding) and consequently

Norbert Brema is also a Digital und Social Communications Consultant in our Munich office – with a passion for developing (viral) videos.

raise the video above the attention threshold. Once this has been achieved, users share the content and in so doing boost the viral effect.

All types of multipliers can be used: standard online media (such as Spiegel Online) or influencers (YouTube stars), national and international

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PRESS ACTIVITIES

PICTURE WITH A VIEW: THE PR PHOTO LIBERATES ITSELF FROM THE PRESS RELEASE

Voith GmbH‘s winning pohotograph: “Voith Francis Turbine”, Photo: Marius Hoefinger

The PR Picture of the Year 2014 (www.pr-bild-award.de) was a surprise. The winning entry in this competition for Germany’s best press and PR photograph wasn’t a glamorous celebrity portrait or an action-packed image from the numerous PR events and stunts which took place during the year. Petra Sammer, Ketchum Pleon’s Chief Creative Officer and a member of the jury for this competition, gives us the inside story.

PICTURE WITH A VIEW

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In 2014 the PR Picture of the Year award didn’t go to one of the many

utilize, but which has been underestimated and unused in the press

NGOs who submitted emotional images depicting child poverty, world

activities of brands and companies for many years. For far too long

hunger or flood catastrophes in a bid to raise public awareness. No,

imagery was neglected in press activities, its sole purpose being to

this year the winning entry was a truly eye-catching photograph (see

illustrate the text. It is high time to adopt a different approach – and not

left) which featured clear esthetics, outstanding workmanship and

just with the PR Picture of the Year.

attention to detail. More than 20,000 users cast their votes online.

Photographer Marius Hoefinger’s picture of the “Voith Francis

You would like to use press photographs which tell a story and

Turbine” was also a hit with the jury. He was commissioned by the

make an emotional impact? Here are some tips to help you with

Swabian engineering firm of Voith to photograph the massive tur-

your choice:

bine blades of the Bratsk hydroelectric power station in Siberia.

Analogies and comparisons: Choose pictures which have unusual

Hoefinger succeeded not only in capturing this impressive and fas-

similarities.

cinating feat of engineering but also in conveying a clear message

Contrasts: Pictures which attract attention to content-related or

with the composition of his picture, namely that people are still at

optical contrasts or conflicts are particularly successful.

the heart of every technical system.

Universal: Motifs showing universal values and timeless archetypes visually can be used internationally with great success.

The surprising aspect of this choice is that this year the winning picture

Normal: Photographs which illustrate mindsets, prejudices or

seems at odds with our hectic, digitally oriented press sector – Hoefin-

assumptions are powerful subjects.

ger presents us with a clearly and calmly structured image and a sim-

Hybrids: Pictures which combine the unusual, such as remixes or

ple esthetic. Yet with this photograph he succeeds in reproducing more

collages, have a high shareability factor.

than a simple feat of engineering. His photograph invites the viewer to

Familiar: Images which feature familiar scenes or objects from a

take a second look. And that’s the quality which makes for a great pic-

new point of view and consequently allow recognition and redis-

ture nowadays. In a highly visual landscape in which each print medium

covery of what is familiar are particularly popular in the internet.

seeks to attract readers with ever more pictures and infographics, in

Surprising: Pictures that are illogical, funny or shocking have a high

which Facebook and Twitter compete with Instagram and Pinterest for

likeability rate.

the visual attention of users, and in which more photos are taken with

Transforming: Before-and-after pictures and pictures that tell a

smartphones every day than in all the decades since the invention of

story sequentially are suitable for online communication.

the camera, a PR photograph needs to be so much more than simply

You: Images of ourselves, and portraits of people one identifies

the visual accompaniment to a press release.

with, invariably succeed.

The function of PR pictures has never been a straightforward one. They

Tip: Test yourself! Look at pictures actively and observe yourself as

are a strange cross between journalistic lead photographs on the one

you do so. Which images make you curious? What makes you look

hand and esthetically exaggerated advertising-style illustrations on the

at something more closely? Photographs that tell a story are real

other. Press photographs should have the effect of being professionally

“eyecatchers”: these are the pictures where, being curious, you

edited, yet at the same time “promoting” their content. They should

ask yourself the question: “So what has happened here?” //

therefore create awareness and arouse curiosity. The latter, in particular, is a key quality of good PR pictures in today’s highly visual and digital world of PR media. Ideally, curiosity is aroused by a “story” which turns out to be hidden behind the image.

Weiterführende Links Images are like snapshots The phenomena of modern communication, such as likeability, sharea-

You will find more tips about visual storytelling and storytelling in marketing and PR in Petra Sammer’s book (in German): “Storytelling. The Future of PR and Marketing”, O’Reilly Publishing, 2014 http://www.oreilly.de/catalog/storytellingger/

bility and above all real-time communication fuel the use of images.

Nowadays campaigns are no longer developed in agencies and communication departments on the basis of the question “What headline is to be used for our campaign?” but rather “What picture do we want to use?” The seemingly simple product motif from Voith’s production facility demonstrates the potential in good photographs: potential to awaken curiosity and to tell stories by means of images. A potential which outstanding photographic artists have always been able to

@Petra Sammer Our Chief Creative Officer, based in Munich, is a powerful advocate of greater creativity and storytelling, whatever the company or area of business.

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PRESS ACTIVITIES

VISUAL PR MEETS HEALTHCARE Babies and small children are the most at-risk group for bacterial meningitis triggered by meningococci. Each year an average of 506 cases of this highly infectious disease are recorded in Germany, 50 of which have fatal consequences. So how can World Meningitis Day be used to raise awareness of this life-threatening illness? In both 2013 and 2014 the Ketchum Pleon Team for Novartis Vaccines decided to adopt a very special and extremely graphic approach, which is described in the following. Like the winning PR picture (2014) in the preceding article, this approach demonstrates that even supposedly “niche” issues and challenging content can be communicated by visual means. With all the necessary tact and discretion, as the following two examples illustrate most impressively.

2013: Teddies with a Mission Working in close collaboration with the patients’ self-help group “United Against Meningococci”, in 2013 the Ketchum Pleon Team tackled the challenge of informing young parents about the extremely dangerous infection. But how could awareness be generated for an ailment that afflicts comparatively few people? And how could the issue of meningitis be communicated without reverting to the customary statistics and warnings?

The answer: by means of an IMAGE. An image that would capture observers’ attention and move them deeply. Not a shocking image,

Photos: Novartis Vaccines

but one which would cause people to pause and think. And so the 456 teddy bears in white beds, symbolizing the number of instances registered (and ultimately non-fatal), plus 50 white wooden crosses, representing the number of fatalities, conveyed a very clear message: these are far too many cases – especially among young children.

The press photograph was sent to picture editors two days prior to World Meningitis Day. The promotion was backed up by media activities and an on-site information stand.

VISUAL PR MEETS HEALTHCARE

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2014: Portraits of children by Anne Geddes This is Elias, a seven-year-old boy from north Germany, who – only just – survived meningitis and who bears deep scars all over his body as a result of numerous operations and amputations. Bernadette, portrayed in the smaller picture at bottom left, has also been “through the mill” with the disease.

The internationally popular photographer Anne Geddes has photographed these two children, and many others, in order to raise awareness of the life-threatening illness on behalf of Novartis Vaccines and to draw attention to ways and means of protecting children against the disease. Unusual, deeply moving portraits.

Would the German media show these courageous photos? This remained unclear until shortly before the day on which the portraits would be officially presented.

But then dpa, ZDF, NDR and numerous other media confirmed interview dates. This was followed by a wave of positive items and articles in Hallo Germany, Brisant, Bild, Hamburger Abendblatt, Focus, T-Online, Die Zeit and Die Welt. Since then the exhibition has been on tour in Berlin, Dortmund and Wiesbaden.

The company’s initiative deserves recognition, since it Photo: Anne Geddes für Novartis Vaccines

performs a balancing act: creating widespread awareness in connection with World Meningitis Day by presenting touching, expressive images of victims of this terrible disease, but without in any way making a public spectacle of the persons portrayed. //

CONTACT PERSONS @Eva Bauer and @Henrike Zock Eva Bauer is Business Director and Henrike Zock Senior Consultant in our Munich office. They are convinced that healthcare companies, in particular, need to come up with a new imagery in order to create awareness of diseases and methods of treatment.

Screenshot from the video “David Droga, Droga 5 Who tagged Air Force One” (vimeo.com/72205636)

14 //

PRESS ACTIVITIES

“Tag the Impossible.

Tag Air Force One”

The Stunt is back Staging stunts and other communicative happenings now back in vogue.

Just as advertorials (also known as “native advertising”) have been

in 1989, in the form of a highly impressive installation set on the orig-

enjoying a renaissance for some time now, PR stunts are increasingly

inal Suzuka circuit using light and sound.

being welcomed back to communication and, in particular, advertising and marketing departments. This is reflected in the numerous

But are these to be classified as events, marketing promotions or

submissions for the Cannes Lions in the summer of 2014: many of

possibly viral ads? In this age of PESO, in which paid, earned,

the winning entries featured a “stunt inside” – courageous, creative

shared and owned media formats blend together, a precise deline-

communication with daredevil action at its core. Here, too, mention

ation is neither possible nor really meaningful. To bridge the gap,

must be made of a standout example: Volvo Trucks’ “The Epic Split

we might refer to this as a communication stunt that captures

feat. Van Damme” (http://bit.ly/1szyZzs), in which Belgian martial

attention by means of an unusual action and publicizes this via dif-

arts star Jean-Claude van Damme carries out his legendary split

ferent channels (which can be an event, a film, a picture, etc.),

between two reversing trucks. Or Honda’s “Sound of Honda/

taking its cue from the traditional news factors used in the world of

Ayrton Senna 1989” (http://bit.ly/1GPqpTL), which replicates the

journalism. Different, new, significant, big, etc. But what actually

world’s fastest lap set by Formula One legend Ayrton Senna in Japan

lies behind these stunts?

THE STUNT IS BACK

Lots of technology and symbolism thrown in

// 15

crisiseverywhere.com that “it doesn’t need to be an elaborate feature in order to grab people’s attention.” An example is soccer player

The two examples mentioned above are impressive not only because

Dani Alves’ “Banana Bite” against racism in football. The key factors

of their technical complexity and outlay, but also because of their refer-

are proximity, engagement, spontaneity, flaws, emotion, casualness,

ence to past events. The actor Van Damme made his breakthrough in

attitude, humor, solidarity and courage. Popp adds: “All this fits in well

the film industry with his “roundhouse kick” in the 1986 movie “No

with our present age, in which communication is ad hoc and gut deci-

Retreat, No Surrender” (German title: “Karate Tiger”). Millions of mar-

sions count for more than careful consideration and planning.”

tial arts fans all over the world recall this famous kick and like to reminisce about where and when they first saw the movie in younger years.

Even more dramatic is the symbolism used by Honda. In their PR stunt the ghost of the Formula One hero Ayrton Senna, tragically killed a few years later, appears to be driving again in this mystical and emotional campaign. The viewer sees not only an impressive show but is at the same time part of a unique, epic moment.

Money is no object No doubt the budgets allocated by Volvo Trucks and Honda for the two PR stunts were also of epic proportions. This is curious, because the videos were actually made for product communication purposes: Volvo were promoting their automatic control system (“Dynamic Steering”), while Honda were highlighting their “Internavi” naviga-

Under the slogan “Simply Saxony”, virtuoso cellist Jan Vogler recently gave a spontaneous performance in London‘s Victoria and Albert Museum. Photograph: Simply Saxony.

tion system. Surely a press release, an infographic, or a few POS and trade show activities would have done the trick? No, insisted the

To sum up: whether PR stunt, viral or press photograph, the mecha-

two vehicle manufacturers, opting instead for an extravagant com-

nisms are similar. Massive budgets do not guarantee success –

mercial. This was not always the case by any means, according to

what matters are big or bold ideas which in many cases are rejected

Petra Sammer, Ketchum Pleon’s Chief Creative Officer:

immediately at the brainstorming session. Would you have believed it possible to place a top-class musician in the middle of London’s

“At the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, trips for

Victoria and Albert Museum to play the cello in a promotion for his

journalists were all the rage. Then Greenpeace achieved a major coup by

home region?

occupying the Brent Spar oil platform as part of its campaign against ocean dumping. This was an artificially created publicity stunt: before

So if you find yourself exclaiming “That’ll never work!”, “That would

long, PR had taken this method on board and subsequently the focus was

be outrageous!”, “That would be quite something” in the near future,

not only on the new product or the exciting launch party. Instead, one

don’t reject the suggestion out of hand – it could well be that you

created one‘s own source of publicity and media reporting. For example,

have discovered your ideal PR stunt. On the next two pages you will

Ketchum established its own party for Germany‘s general elections in

find, for your encouragement, further examples which demonstrate

1998 – the “BKD”, with the Whopper as the top candidate (running

that major investment is not always necessary: what matters is to

against the Big Mac). But with the bursting of the internet bubble around

have the courage to try something new, something that has never

the year 2000 money was in short supply and journalists had had enough

been attempted before. //

of chasing after and reporting on these productions. But today they are back in vogue. In short, “the stunt is back.”

The stunt is back – but this time not just for journalists but also for YouTube, blogs, Facebook and the like, thus creating shareable content. An example? One of the best viral stunts is David Droga, Droga 5 Who tagged Air Force One. This hoax stunt not only caught the attention of journalists: it even resulted in an official denial from the Pentagon.

A low-cost communication stunt?

Ketchum Pleon CEO Dirk Popp writes in his crisis blog http://

REFERENCE LINKS The “father of PR stunts” is considered to be Edward L. Bernays, who linked the issue of women‘s rights to Lucky Strike cigarettes. Find out more in this article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: http://bit.ly/16sPjNW

@Christian Decker is a Consultant Business Development and well known for his unusual stunt ideas. He battles fervently for the approval of these ideas during creative sessions with clients and colleagues.

16 //

PR STUNTS − SAXONYSTYLE

Photos: So geht sächsisch.

Case studies from the ongoing “Simply Saxony” campaign.

PR STUNTS − SAXONY-STYLE

// 17

Saxon is much more than just a dialect. Saxon is a state of mind.

Gewandhaus Orchestra gave a street performance – with their inimi-

That’s nothing new for people who live in Saxony. However, outsiders

table, unpretentious Saxon style – in the heart of New York City.

know far too little about the Free State of Saxony – and all too often that lack of knowledge is replaced by clichés. It’s a well-known fact

Saxon traditions featured prominently during the Advent season,

that Saxons have their problems with standard German (High Ger-

when the Free State focused on its affinity with Christmas, while at

man). But the regional campaign “Simply Saxony” shows what

the same time generating further publicity by means of promotions

Saxons should be better known and admired for: for their cool prag-

with a modern, international flavor in such cities as Nuremberg,

matism and their determination to get things done without making a

Hamburg, Brussels and Paris. However, the “Simply Saxony” organ-

song and dance about it; for new ideas and steady, ongoing develop-

izers ran up against opposition when they set out their stall in

ment. All of these strong points are highlighted both nationally and

Nuremberg: the idea of handing out samples of Saxon mustard to

internationally by the integrated campaign, which focuses on differ-

go with Nuremberg’s iconic sausages didn’t go down at all well in

ent areas: business, industry, science, landscape and – as the follow-

the Franconian capital. Rather unjustly, local shopkeepers expressed

ing examples show – art, culture and hospitality.

concern about their business.

The “Simply Saxony” campaign has been in progress with a wide

But the Saxons turned the matter into a clever PR stunt by immedi-

range of activities since the beginning of September. These include a

ately shifting their promotion to a village of 36 souls in Lower Bavaria.

traditional advertising campaign with TV and cinema ads, large-format

Its name? Nuremberg. This “wurst case” achieved nationwide media

posters, banners and online advertising, in addition to various maga-

attention – with additional publicity for the Saxony campaign, of

zines which are published exclusively for Saxony and distributed nation-

course. You can read the full story of this incident here: https://

wide via leading newspapers and magazines. For example BUNTE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MojrsBkd_oU

weekly’s special issue “Saxony Special. City & Country”, a Christmas magazine, and a business edition entitled “Saxony is the Future”. An

At all events, the campaign has already achieved one major mile-

active Facebook community, a YouTube channel, and a website contain-

stone: according to a representative survey, some 41 percent of

ing success stories from Saxony round off the current campaign.

Germans are now aware of the “Simply Saxony” promotion – an excellent basis on which to build in 2015. //

“Simply Saxony” is organized not only by the initiators, Saxony’s State Chancellery and the Ketchum Pleon PR agency. Acting as ambassadors, a number of Saxon artists and sports personalities are also helping to boost the brand image. This has inspired the campaign managers to develop several very unusual PR stunts – always with a

REFERENCE LINKS Further information about the various campaign activities is available at www.facebook.com/sogehtsaechsisch?fref=ts

view to telling stories from and about the Free State in the social and

@Kerstin Steglich

traditional media. For example, a surprise concert was given by the

is head of our Dresden office. She is not only a dyed-in-the-wool Saxon: she has a great feel for effective PR promotions that generate images and make a lasting impact.

internationally acclaimed cellist Jan Vogler in London: not in a concert hall, as one might expect, but in the Victoria and Albert Museum – amid works of art and watched by a group of astonished visitors. And on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall the celebrated Leipzig

PRESS ACTIVITIES

Movember Graphics

18 //

THE POWER OF THE ICON: MOVEMBER Children in tears or sad music are often used to inject emotion into charity promotions. Their purpose is to prick consciences, generate awareness and ultimately encourage people to make a donation for a good cause. But quite different approaches are possible, as recent examples have shown: having fun, doing good, getting others to join in. The primary focus of the latest charity campaigns has been on (visual) experience and the fun factor rather than on the donation itself.

It’s summer 2014. People are having buckets of icy water poured over

was a complete success – but it lacked a powerful independent sym-

their heads and having themselves filmed as this happens. The Ice

bol or icon which people would associate with the activity. The decisive

Bucket Challenge is at its peak. The challenge: to be filmed having a

advantage of this distinctive visual symbol: the high recognition level

bucket of ice water poured on one’s head or to make a donation to

would ensure immediate association with the campaign, with the

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research. And although the inter-

possibility of repetition and/or unlimited extension.

net community soon made a point of changing the “or” to an “and”, that did not diminish interest in the challenge. Thanks to the built-in

Campaign on a thumbnail

viral factor (“After your challenge, nominate three friends via the social media”), the idea spread worldwide in no time at all. The partic-

Symbols and icons have always played a pivotal role in human com-

ipation of celebrities ensured even greater publicity. The challenge

munication. They trigger in the viewer associations and conse-

was visualized by way of short smartphone video clips which were

quently emotions which ideally result in a certain form of action.

posted on Facebook. Without question, the Ice Bucket Challenge

Icons are intuitive representations and therefore highly popular in

THE POWER OF THE ICON: MOVEMBER

// 19

global advertising and PR campaigns. Creating them is an art in itself, because space is of course at an absolute premium. Normally the core message has to be communicated on an area of 2.5 by 2.5 centimeters, in other words a thumbnail as the brand messenger.

From icon to digital product In the case of the global charity movement Movember, the distinguishing emblem of the campaign is the mustache. It is a symbol of solidarity and is a walking, talking billboard for men’s health. The original idea arose in an Australian pub at the end of October 2004.

A group of young men were wondering what had happened to the mustache cultivated in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the one worn by film star Tom Selleck. The men in the bar then challenged themselves to grow a mustache by the end of November as a tribute to their mustachioed hero of past times. This was quite a daring venture at a time when hipsters’ “ironic facial hair” had not yet come into vogue. But the initiators of Movember justified their mustaches by claiming they were for a good cause: with this icon of manliness they were seeking to raise awareness of the issue or men’s health and to procure donations for its improvement. This led to the idea of “Movember” – a portmanteau word made up of “mustache” and “November”. Today, ten years later, the mustache is the icon for a global movement which induces hundreds of thousands of men to grow a mustache for 30 days in November every year with the specific goal of fundraising. The initiators have succeeded in generating a “need”: the desire to be part of the movement – even if it means taking on board some extra “facial furniture”.

The success of Movember has been astonishing. The normally unremarkable mustache has developed into a fashion symbol which is visible not only on men’s faces but also on T-shirts, shoes and caps. Even women, not normally mustache wearers by nature, have been sporting tattooed mustache icons on exposed parts of their bodies. In this social media age, actions such as this are rapidly shared, liked and commented on, the message being “I am showing you my mustache and stating who I am and what I stand for.” The Movember mustache icon has become a kind of digital product, the multiplication of which underscores the success of the campaign.

However, a word of caution is necessary here, because in some cases campaign icons take on a life of their own and enter new regions which go far beyond the actual brand core or the product which the icons are meant to be representing. If a campaign icon becomes too much detached from its original meaning, the campaign is in danger

REFERENCE LINKS The following short film explains the background to the Movember campaign: http://wdc.com/ventito/creativity/pro/why-we-redesign-movember-every-yearLink How willing are Germans to donate in 2014? The press release of the German Donation Society is available at: http://bit.ly/1GqBxIv Handelsblatt online discusses why the Ice Bucket Challenge is annoying but cannot be ignored, at: http://bit.ly/1ABYuoa

of being perceived as being opportunistic rather than original. Not to

@Christopher Langner

mention the falloff in donations which this would entail. //

Christopher Langner is a Consultant Digital & Social Media at our Munich office and a selfconfessed Instagram fan with a passion for sunsets, sneakers and trees. instagram.com/chrislangner

20 //

social media

VINE, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM , TUMBLR …

What is it?

The ultimate comparison of today’s most visually expressive social media platforms. Part 1 of our visual platform series.

Vine is a social network for short videos (not more than six

Pinterest is a network in which pictures and GIFs are shared. Users set

seconds). The network includes the Vine app, which is used to

up boards on which individual pictures are pinned. Interestingly, behind

make the video clips. Because the videos are so brief, many of

the images there are links which indicate their source (website, shop,

them are made with breaks, which can make them resemble

etc.). Pinterest recently set up an office in Germany and is keen to

GIFs. The Vines are repeated automatically when they are

press ahead with its expansion there (see following interview).

played and are referred to as “loops” on account of their “never-ending” character. Vine was taken over by Twitter in

Around 70 million users worldwide, 80 percent of them in the United

States. Additional reach is achieved by integrating the videos

States. Roughly 70 percent women. More than 750 million boards

into one’s own channels or into other networks.

have been set up with a total of 30 billion images.

At present chiefly women with an interest in fashion, lifestyle, cos-

female; in the United States, very often successful creative

metics, DIY and interior design.

Young (to an above-average extent) and just under 60 percent

Vine is not a typical community. The primary focus is on the

Users are principally interested in inspiring others, while at the same

viewing of videos; there is little or no sharing of private con-

time showcasing their own styles and tastes on their boards. Very

tent. Vine users are looking for entertainment – not so much on

few of the pins have comments beneath them; the same goes for

the Vine platform but more commonly on other websites

private pictures of “last year’s vacation”.

Management

Usefulness in campaigns

Users

Roughly 40 million registered users, chiefly in the United

Community

Reach

October 2012.

people who collaborate closely with companies.

where the Vines are embedded.

Vine is ideal for all enterprises which think creatively and which

Companies serving specific target groups, e.g. in the fashion, interior

can tell a short story in just six seconds.

design, food and travel sectors. Pinterest also supplies traffic for online shops.

Vine can be used to back up campaigns. Thanks to the capability of integrating the short videos in other websites, Vine is

Pinterest is ideal for campaigns, but only provided that a suitable

also interesting as a hosting site. A further advantage is its

number of followers have been acquired, i.e. the account has been

close links to Twitter: five Vines are tweeted every second. And

properly managed beforehand. Since it is not possible at present to

branded Vines are shared four times more frequently than

place advertisements and thus purchase publicity, growth is organic –

branded videos.

via pins and repins.

At present advertising is only possible as “sponsored”

Sponsored pins are currently being tested in the United States (see

content in the Vines of other users.

also following interview).

Account management: continually. Posts: one or two per

Pinning and repinning individual images continuously. Creating and com-

week.

piling complete boards on a particular theme: one or two per month.

VINE, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, TUMBLR …

// 21

More than 200 million users, with an estimated three million in

Tumblr is a microblogging platform which can integrate not only text

Germany. Instagram is a mobile-only service for sharing photos and

but also images, videos, GIFs, audio files, links, chat and quotes. Unlike

videos (maximum length 15 seconds); a large number of filters are also

the other networks, with Tumblr it is possible to control the appearance

available. Instagram was acquired by Facebook in April 2012. Originally

of one’s account. Templates and extensions are available free of charge.

it was only possible to share photographs. Video-sharing was subse-

Founded in 2007, Tumblr was acquired by Yahoo in May 2013. Tumblr is

quently allowed in order to win coverage from rivals such as Vine.

now growing at a faster rate than Instagram.

In Germany: approximately three million, including 650,000 active

The Tumblr network numbers more than 200 million blogs and

daily users. Instagram also offers the option of sharing images on

420 million users. The exact total for Germany is not known.

Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr and Foursquare at the same time.

The majority of Instagramers are aged between 16 and 24. Some 54

Very young, primarily in the 13-22 age group. Besides self-producing

percent of users are male.

users, there are users who only re-blog other people’s input.

Instagram opted for the use of hashtags # right from the start and 83

Following, liking and re-blogging are the interaction options. Com-

percent of posts carry a #. Communities are formed with an interest

menting is not possible. Some blogs support direct messages.

in a particular subject or issue. The close links with Facebook also

Blogs with similar subject matter re-blog one another, with the

mean that Facebook friends can easily be found. Unlike Pinterest,

result that different items about a particular topic complement one

private material is shared by Instagram users.

another to produce a unified whole.

Theoretically suitable for all sectors. As a rule, however, the more emo-

Tumblr can be suitable for companies with young target groups (and

tional a company or its products are, the more suitable Instagram is as

this can boost their corporate image), if the company in question is

a channel. The most popular brand just now: Nike. Basically, Instagram

prepared to try something new even though the reach is compara-

is well suited for campaigns and a number of impressive cases prove

tively small.

this point. The core component of any campaign will invariably be the #.

It is also interesting that the #’s in Instagram can be exported. Images

With a well managed account a brand can position itself as a pio-

tagged in this way can then be collated on a landing page/microsite.

neer, but the reach is still limited for campaigns. The introduction of buy or pledge buttons at the beginning of December could well serve to boost the e-commerce segment. Tumblr is also a possible option in the reportage sector (cf. article on multimedia reportages on page 6).

There are sponsored posts in the United States. The United Kingdom

Sponsored posts, app install posts, special placement in the mobile

and Australia will soon be following suit. Cooperative ventures with

app and integration of the sponsored posts on yahoo.com, as well

successful Instagramers are now standard practice.

as cooperative arrangements with other blogs, are possible.

Account management: continually. Posts: at least three of four each

Account management: continually. Posts: two or three per week. //

week.

close up Tips and interesting corporate examples involving the Vine, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr platforms. Part 2 in our visual platform series.

The hashtags referred to earlier are all-important. They are the pivotal factors as far as visibility, development of reach, and the ultimate success of campaigns are concerned.

Example: With its GLA configurator, Mercedes-Benz provided an example of how Instagram can be used to produce creative configurations. Various accounts were created in

Vine cannot hold its own yet with other social net-

order to promote the new GLA. Users begin their journey

works (especially Instagram) in terms of reach and interac-

with a “standard” GLA and then the choice of color, after

tion. However, the way in which Vines are produced is

which they are guided to a new profile in which the car can

unique, providing users with a highly interesting format.

be seen with the color that has been selected. Then follows

And since August it has also been possible to upload vid-

the choice of wheel rims – and so on.

eos which were not made with the app.

(http://bit.ly/1uYcxkp)

Example: Oreo is an excellent example of creativity and entertainment. The short spots feature Oreo Snack Hacks, Oreo Halloween Cookies, and a number of little tricks and games. Compared with the outlay involved, the number of followers (roughly 30,000) is not particularly high, but relative to the overall coverage, Oreo is well ahead. And the reach is multiplied by video shares, especially in other social media channels.

With Tumblr also, reach is achieved not only through ads

(http://bit.ly/1szjyY2)

but also through the use of hashtags.

Example: At the 2014 Shorty Awards, Lexus came top in the Tumblr category with “The Signal”. Here Lexus succeeded in developing for the younger target group an image which is no longer sedate and predictable but rather noble,

The issue of image rights in connection with so-called

innovative and luxurious. To achieve this, it used hashtags of

repinning (profile) has not been fully clarified. The

the fashion and lifestyle blogs. The specially produced con-

anticipated wave of calls to cease-and-desist has not ma-

tent is visually impressive and created

terialized and now seems improbable.

a powerful identity with the brand.

Lexus ensured that this content fitted

Example: In order to promote its new collection, the Japa-

perfectly into the top 10 Tumblr tag

nese fashion label Uniqlo not only pinned items of clothing

categories. The imagery – unusual

but also focused on one of the most popular topics on

for Lexus – surprised and fascinat-

Pinterest: hairstyles. Users were provided with DIY inst-

ed users. The (media) response

ructions on how to create certain fashionable hairstyles.

outside of Tumblr was also significant.

The models were of course wearing the

(http://bit.ly/1l2y479)

new collection, which was widely publicized by means of numerous repins on Pinterest. Together with a small comreached a large number of users on Pinterest and in the social internet.

CONTACT PERSON @Sascha Knorr Sascha Knorr is a Consultant Digital in our Berlin office. He is convinced that there is still considerable scope for development in the creative visual usage of the social media networks.

Photo: unsplash.com

petition and blogger relations, Uniqlo

PINTEREST INTERVIEW

// 23

SHOW ME YOUR PINS: PINTEREST Interview with Jana Würfel, Marketing & Communications Manager at visual bookmarking platform Pinterest

Pinterest in Germany: What is the present status and what, in

Pinterest has much greater potential in terms of directing traffic to

short, is your forecast for the next few years? To begin with, we had

the sites of e-commerce companies, publishers, etc. Although

no locally based team in Germany until mid-August 2014. Our Country

Facebook has far more registered users, Pinterest already accounts

Manager Jan Honsel, two other colleagues and myself now constitute

for a quarter of this kind of traffic.

the team for Pinterest Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Over the past few years Pinterest has experienced powerful organic growth here –

Are the main users of Pinterest female and aged under 40?

and of course we now aim to maintain this expansion by means of a

Roughly 65 percent of our users in Germany are indeed female.

number of specific measures.

However, the platform here has less of a feminine look than was the case in the United States in the recent past. Basically, we offer users

Pinterest versus Facebook: What are the main differences? A

of all ages that content which will fit in with their personal interests,

direct comparison of the two platforms isn’t really possible. In the

whether home decor projects, vacation trips, fashion tips for both

case of Facebook, I am following friends and family and interacting

sexes, bicycles or cars. There is practically no limit to the possibilities

with them. I am communicating externally and, conversely, I am on

available – for both men and women. The user base is of course not

the receiving end when someone posts a holiday photo or a picture

restricted to bloggers, although they often regard themselves as

of their new baby. I mostly use Pinterest for myself: I don’t necessar-

“tastemakers” and create particularly extensive profiles, with pins

ily follow all my friends, but rather profiles that reflect my own per-

numbering many thousands.

sonal interests. I create pinboards and pin on them things which inspire me. This also helps me to plan future projects – for instance, a

The Pinterest community: Who are these people and is there

vacation trip next year, a new look for my kitchen, or simply my next

such a thing as blogger relations for Pinterest? We define our

spring outfit.

community as the users who are particularly close to the brand and who also frequently get in direct touch with us. We sound out their

In cold statistics, according to a recent Shareaholic study (https://

mood, chiefly on our social media channels, we receive feedback, and

blog.shareaholic.com/social-media-traffic-trends-10-2014/),

we recommend certain profiles and pinboards to users. And from

24 //

PINTEREST INTERVIEW

If both parties then engage in promotion among their target groups, visibility is increased and additional incentive ensues. And if someone wishes to organize a competition that integrates Pinterest, then so much the better!

Photos: Pinterest

What about Pinterest ads or cooperative ventures/corporate partnerships? At present paid presence on Pinterest – for example in the form of “promoted pins” – only exists in the United States, where experiments with these forms of integration are currently under way. This will all come to Europe, of course: in the case of time to time we get personally in touch with “super pinners”, i.e.

Germany, in about 18 to 36 months’ time at the earliest. Until then

users who use the platform particularly intensively and therefore

we are offering selected partners cooperative ventures based on

enjoy a kind of “ambassador status” in our eyes. My colleague Anna

mutual reach. We can help partners achieve rapid follower growth

Neumann is in charge of blogger relations. She contacts bloggers in

and consequently greater visibility. In return, we expect partners to

our focus categories and gives them advice about their Pinterest

be active pinners and to use their channels to actively promote their

presence. By means of a partnership program we are able to help

own Pinterest profiles.

partner bloggers to increase their visibility on Pinterest – in return for visibility in their blogs.

Any tips for companies wishing to join Pinterest? Success on Pinterest begins with a well managed profile – preferably a business

How are companies currently using the platform? Pinterest can

profile, so that Pinterest Analytics can be used and the development

provide brands with increased visibility in their target groups. When

can be evaluated. The profile should have a sufficient number of pin-

active pinning takes place, Pinterest can also have a visible impact

boards. Pinning should take place every day as far as possible – it is

on traffic and even on sales revenues. In Germany, the potential

advisable to start mainly with content from one’s own website. A

inherent in Pinterest has been recognized primarily by digital start-

check should also be made to determine whether “rich pins” should

ups up to now. DaWanda, for example, not only has a German

be used. These are enhanced pins which automatically take over the

Pinterest profile with several thousand pins: it also has country

logo and certain basic information from the original site and are

profiles for each individual market. The online marketplace pins the

anchored in each pin, even when the pin continues to be pinned.

most attractive products from all categories on Pinterest, thus

Last but not least, we advise keeping one’s site as “pinnable” as

ensuring additional visibility; if someone clicks on the pin, they land

possible: in other words, integrating the Pin It button. This is because

directly in the shop. Further positive examples include Zalando and

most traffic will always come from people who undertake work for

MyTheresa. Pinterest can also be a channel for increased traffic for

the company, i.e. they pin from their sites. And, as mentioned earlier,

media and publishing houses – Fit for Fun, for instance, makes good

there should be due referral to the firm’s own Pinterest presence.

use of the platform, as does the Gruner + Jahr brand essen & trinken.

On the one hand, our widgets are suitable for this: they can simply be integrated into the site. On the other hand, it is always worth-

Are there Pinterest-based campaigns which have been launched

while building Pinterest into one’s own marketing channels. Detailed

by companies – in the same manner as Twitter hashtag cam-

instructions for all the procedures referred to here are available at

paigns? Pinterest places the emphasis on longer-term integration into

business.pinterest.com/de //

communication strategy rather than on ad-hoc campaigns. The secret of a company’s success on Pinterest is to build up a good profile which puts across the corporate brand effectively. Then it is of course important to pin every day, preferably from the firm’s own website, to obtain as many repins as possible so that traffic can be boosted. The company should refer to its own Pinterest profile on all of its marketing channels, for example on its own website, in its newsletter, on social media and

CONTACT PERSON

in print publications, in order to encourage its own community to

@Jana Würfel

become “followers” and publicize the content. The company which

Jana Würfel is Marketing & Communications Manager with the visual bookmarking platform Pinterest at its new German office. Previously she was Head of International Marketing & Community at DaWanda.

takes these steps will be on the right road. This approach is much more effective and enduring than any short-term campaigns.

As far as campaigns are concerned, we recommend, for example, group boards in conjunction with celebrities or well-known partners.

LITTLE VISUAL HELPERS: REVIEW OF ONLINE TOOLS

// 25

LITTLE VISUAL HELPERS: REVIEW OF ONLINE TOOLS Whether film clips, infographics or proprietary newspapers – there are now countless freemium offerings (basic version free, premium product for a subscription fee) online that are worth looking at for possible everyday usage. Here is a short selection.

Creating your own infographics: At www.easel.ly users can create their own infographics. The capability of integrating real data is somewhat limited with pie charts and bar charts, whereas this tool offers an attractive icon library with a range of different shapes and templates.

It is also free of charge (in the basic version). JPEG and PDF downloads are possible. If the infographics are to be processed further, however, they need to be stored online (publicly). Additional libraries can be purchased and profiles can be upgraded.

Interaktive Timelines für den Online-Auftritt can be conjured up with the http://timeline.knightlab.com/ tool. In this way photographs, YouTube videos or media articles, for instance, can be embedded and the end product can be placed in one’s own blog or website. The tool functions with Google Spreadsheets and requires a certain amount of technical know-how. An outstanding example is Time magazine’s timeline on the life of Nelson Mandela: http://ti.me/1AEdjXe Newspaper and personal magazine on your chosen topic: Creating your own newspaper or magazine with curated (social media) content on a specific topic is possible with paper.li and flipboard.

Basically, this is a thematically focused newsroom in which users define the subject matter and reference sources themselves, i.e. their own filter bubble. The paper then updates itself with new content continually by way of the predefined sources. Whereas the concept and style of paper.li are more news-oriented, flipboard has more the character of a personal magazine in which photographs and mobile usage on all devices play a more prominent role.

Generating “word clouds”. An idea for your next presentation: using a “word cloud” to give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in your source text. This is based on http:// www.wordle.net. You can either enter a complete text or individual words using the “Advanced” menu option.

Visual meditation with a digital spirograph: Known up to now as the analog “spirograph” (http://bit.ly/1wiYBpb), the colorful meditation toy is now available in a virtual version, the “Inspirograph”: http://nathanfriend.io/inspirograph //

26 //

Publishing

Zum Bildhintergrund: Quarzglas­Stäbe von Heraeus sind wichtige Bauteile für die Halbleiterindustrie.

Ich entwIckle netzwerke. und ermöGlIche bezIehunGen. Christina binDer ist IT Consultant bei Heraeus. Zuvor hat sie bei uns bereits ihre Ausbildung zur Informatikkauffrau absolviert. Jetzt studiert sie berufsbegleitend.

Ihr Ziel: der Bachelor of Science in Wirtschaftsinformatik. Christina Binder arbeitet an der Weiterentwicklung unserer IT­Infrastruktur. Sie sorgt dafür, dass unsere internationalen Teams virtuell zusammenarbeiten können. Ihre individuellen Gestaltungsfreiräume nutzt sie zur Implementierung eigener Ideen und Lösungen für unser Intranet sowie für den IT­Support ihrer Kollegen.

Heraeus zählt in Deutschland zu den Top 100 Arbeitgebern des Universum Student Survey und Professional Survey. www.heraeus.de/karriere

01

The DB Schenker Service Catalog for B-to-B was layouted and programmed as an e-book with interactive elements.

03

The motifs for the Heraeus Group’s new Employer Branding were generated by means of the complex computergenerated imagery (CGI) system.

02

The customer magazine “21 grad” for Vaillant attaches great importance to an uncluttered layout and large-format images.

GRÜNER WOHNEN

GRÜNER WOHNEN

Alles so schön grün hier!

Natürliche Feinde der Raufaser: Die kunstvoll gestalteten Tapeten machen aus jeder Wand ein schmuckstück. ob florales Design, Fischmuster oder retro – der internetstore „Meine Wand“ bietet eine große Auswahl an originellem Wandschmuck aus ökologischen Materialien verschiedener hersteller. Zum Beispiel Amour (links) von harlequin oder Derwent von osborne & little (unten). Kostenpunkt für Designliebhaber: 60 bis 100 euro pro rolle. www.meinewand.de www.osborneandlittle.com

Design und öko schließen sich nicht aus. im gegenteil – nachhaltigkeit kann richtig gut aussehen! An der Wand, auf dem Boden, zum sitzen oder als Deckenleuchte.

www.harlequin.uk.com

TEXT sabiNE scHRöR

spurenleser aufgepasst! Wer sich beeilt, erhascht vielleicht noch etwas von den frischen Möhren. Wenn nicht, ist’s auch nicht schlimm. Dann streckt man sich einfach auf dem flauschig weichen Teppich aus und träumt vom osterhasen. Teppich charle von lyk carpet. 100 Prozent handgekämmte und -gesponnene tibetische hochlandwolle. handgeknüpft, pflanzlich gefärbt. www.lyk-carpet.de

THE CORPORATE DESIGN FORMULA Quite apart from all trends and temporary fashions, there are five basic factors which ensure the success and attractiveness of every publication. But this calls for a lot of know-how. Here is a crash course for beginners in the publishing industry.

01 Form follows function – still.

The digital world is

02 Honey, look at the photo!

Expressive subjects, individu-

extremely fast paced. It is therefore very tempting to try out

al visual esthetic, direct associations: nowadays – at last – photogra-

every innovation and to launch projects with this goal in mind.

phy occupies the position in communication which it has always

Whether this is in fact a constructive strategy is certainly de-

deserved. The photograph is the highest-ranking ambassador for our

batable. This can be seen, for example, in the flood of apps

core (emotional) statements. In practice, however, savings are often

which have appeared in the past few years. A recent study in-

made on high-quality pictorial material, since all kinds of adjustments

dicates that 80 percent of all branded apps are downloaded

and amendments can be made with mobile phone cameras and

fewer than 1,000 times. Our advice is therefore: Stick to what

Photoshop. But this is rushing to the wrong conclusion. In order to

you know! When selecting communication tools, top priority

stand out from the sheer volume of social media channels, website

must be given to content, the communication objective and,

headers and Google search results, a certain level of quality is essen-

most importantly, the target group‘s media usage behavior.

tial. As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

THE CORPORATE DESIGN FORMULA

04

// 27

Erfolgs rezepte E r fo l

gsrEzEptE

Die Jubiläumszeitschrift von metro cash & carry.

Successful persuasion: the Employer Branding for Media-Saturn guarantees a high level of awareness among the target group.

RZ MCCI Anniversary Magazin DE 20140929b.indd 1

08.10.14 13:48

05

Standard war gestern! Media-Saturn sucht mutige Querdenker mit eigener Meinung und Begeisterung für den Handel. Lerne Europas Marktführer im Elektrofachhandel kennen und begleite uns auf dem Weg zur Nr. 1 im Multichannel Business. Absolviere ein Duales Studium oder ein Praktikum, schreib deine Abschlussarbeit bei uns oder steig nach deinem Studium gleich direkt ein.

Nein zu Business as usual. Ja zur Nummer 1! Bewirb dich jetzt!

Mehr Infos unter: www.media-saturn.com/karriere

MSH HR Anzeige Handelsblatt 90x125mm hoch 20140521.indd 1

21.05.14 09:55

Publications for METRO Cash & Carry are supplied with print enhancement, repackaging and supplements.

03 No fear of white space.

In Goethe‘s Faust, Faust himself

are lugging huge parcels, wrapped in thermofoil, through down-

says words to the effect that if one has something sensible and

town areas, the surface of the packaging is gradually thawing –

reasonable to say, then no special skill in formulation is necessary

and revealing a clear message from DHL, namely: “DHL is faster”.

in order to communicate it to other people. And the same holds good today. Brochures, websites and mobile interfaces that are chock-full of information may well offer plenty of content, but they are not communicating it properly and thus have lost before they

05 Anything goes. And that takes courage.

Whatever

hasn‘t been hated can never be loved. Do you want a project that

have even begun. This is especially the case nowadays, with our

is striking or one which is so inconspicuous that it doesn‘t bother

addressees selecting very precisely and strictly what content they

anyone? Probably the former option? Of course you cannot cross

are prepared to devote their attention and (limited) time to. Accord-

any boundaries of taste or ethics – here it is advisable to have a

ingly, white space (other colors are permissible, of course) is en-

large feedback pool. But good ideas and powerful designs are rare-

joying success across all media. Against this background, the new

ly free from criticism. Not even Apple manages that – the world‘s

rule for creativity is: plenty of blank space – for which every art di-

most valuable design brand. Good ideas stimulate their recipients

rector is constantly battling – structures the content and highlights

to think, to discuss, to express opinions and – ideally – to like! And

compact texts containing nothing more than unique, necessary

that‘s a good basis to build on. //

statements. If more information is needed, there are always books.

04 The new touch and feel.

For many years print and digital

were pitted against each other. This state of affairs was unjust for both media groups. Today we are in the agreeable situation that for every message we can choose from the largest-ever media pool (see also 1), with the result that each instrument can show itself to best effect. And print design is demonstrating its greatest strength: the tactile experience. Nowadays finishing processes in the printing sector are a science in themselves, offering every brand the sensuous experience of its content. An example of this is Jung von Matt/Neckar‘s successful “Trojan horse” guerilla campaign for DHL, which turns competitors of the parcel delivery firm into unwitting testimonials. While the unsuspecting delivery men

REFERENCE LINKS: www.behance.net, www.awwwards.com, www.photoawards.com

@Isabel Schaller Isabel Schaller is Art Director in Ketchum Pleon Düsseldorf‘s Creation Division. She serves clients in the Campaign, Editorial, Online and Event sectors. She finds that trends in communication design often represent the startling discovery of comparatively well-known truths – which of course are none the worse for that.

Business skills

Photo: Cordes

28 //

POWERPOINT’S BOX OF TRICKS Visual tricks for PowerPoint dilettantes

Hallo, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my one-hour presentation,

Anyone who then says “We don’t need to pretty them up, it’s the

for which I have prepared roughly one hundred charts – we should get

content that matters” is in the wrong as far as live presentations are

through them all OK! We begin with the research undertaken over the

concerned. Because if the listener has switched off his or her atten-

past five years … my seven principal hypotheses … the following find-

tion through boredom or even through disbelief, the remainder of the

ings “Firstly, secondly … tenthly …” Anyone who by this time has not

content will be lost on them. But if the presentation is communicated

fallen asleep, checked their emails, or arranged a “get-me-out-of-

coherently – visually and verbally –, listeners will both hear and under-

here” call with an outside friend is either still very new in the job or

stand the content. And only what is understood will leave a lasting

unbelievably courteous. Since the program first made its appearance,

impression.

the mass phenomenon of “Death by PowerPoint” has been sufficiently lamented, but seems to be here to stay – in spite of Gen Y and

If anyone has an uneasy conscience on thinking back to their most

Digital Natives. Although there has been a noticeable reduction in the

recent presentation, they would be well advised to consult Power-

use of rainbow colors, Microsoft clippings and high-speed animations,

Point guru Nancy Duarte’s standard work “Slide:ology”, which is a

the majority of presentations are simply unattractive.

“must” in every office. A further recommendation from Ketchum

POWERPOINT’S BOX OF TRICKS

// 29

Pleon’s Creativity Network is Duarte’s second book, entitled

a black background)? But remember: the elements in existing slides

“Resonate”. While “Slide:ology” deals with the best techniques

won’t fit the new format automatically; they are liable to be distorted.

for visual communication, “Resonate” brings together presenters and their audiences on an emotional level. Tip: the multimedia version

6.) A trip to the second dimension. For anyone who wishes to

is available at http://resonate.duarte.com/#page0 free of charge.

shake off the traditional format of PowerPoint presentations, Prezi. com offers various new options. The online-based presentation

Let’s take a brief look now at PowerPoint’s box of tricks. Whether you

software does not provide charts, but instead an unlimited work-

regard yourself as a design-resistant type, PowerPoint dilettante or

space. Text, images and videos can be placed there any way the

PowerPoint professional, with a few tips and tricks your listeners will

user likes. The zoom function presents content dynamically and the

be positively surprised by your next presentation.

user has the impression that he/she is “traveling” across the workspace with a camera. Before starting a Prezi it is very important to

1.) Lots of free space here. The text in the charts should underscore

define the presentation (template/canvas). It is difficult to go back

the essential points of the presentation. The content should summa-

and make changes. Prezi will only be effective and capture the

rize your talk – not replace it. A maximum of six lines or one to three

imagination of your audience if it has a well though-out structure –

sentences will be sufficient to express concisely what you have to

otherwise camera trips that are too fast or offer little content are

say. Everything else should be consigned to the Notes section.

liable to make your listeners dizzy. An example of a successful Prezi project is the magazine accompanying the Annual Report of

2.) Datamania. Especially when working with numbers and statis-

Thyssen-Krupp: http://bit.ly/1IXymKo.

tics, you should ask yourself: “What exactly do I want to tell my audience? What is meant to stick in their minds?” Infographics can illus-

In short, PowerPoint is here to stay – and with it the challenge to use

trate complex subject matter, but if presented unevenly they can

it as creatively as possible. Make use of the many little helpers, keep

result in visual overkill. The guiding principle for the use of infograph-

off the beaten track, and you will find that your presentations make a

ics is therefore also: “Each chart contains only one key statement!”

lasting impact. //

Our tip: Look for inspiration in Pinterest.com or Pinfographics, for example. Free tools for self-production are described on page 29.

3.) Where there’s a will, there’s also a design. Most companies have a corporate design which defines layout, colors and font. This can be a blessing or a curse. For those who have a degree of flexibility in this respect, specialist online platforms offer a wide range of templates and layouts. Download the template with a click, enter the content – and that’s it. A further practical tip: Steer well clear of PowerPoint’s own templates – everyone is familiar with them already. For greater creativity go to slideshop.com or http://graphicriver.net/ category/presentation-templates/powerpoint-templates.

4.) Timeline with swipe effect. Animations are effective provided that they back up the content and don’t distract from it. The function “Slide transitions” with the variant “Push”, for example, is very popu-

REFERENCE LINKS

lar with presenters. In this case charts are transitioned by means of a

TED Talk by David Epstein: Using all the tools in his arsenal, the sports scientist

swipe movement – just like on a smartphone. A key element, such as

and investigative reporter presents impressive sets of statistics in Prezi format:

a line, passing through all of the charts reinforces the effect and the

http://bit.ly/1fN93di

viewer has the impression that he/she is seeing a single, unified image. In this way you can, for example, “travel” the timeline for your annual planning and take your audience along on the journey in the same way as with an animated timeline.

5.) Changing format. A minor change with a major effect. You can alter the format of your slides with the aid of Design/Slide Size on the menu bar. How about a square presentation, for instance? Or even a “round” presentation (a white circle against

20 tips for easy-to-understand presentations: http://bit.ly/1yVslG3

@Carolin Fuchs Carolin Fuchs is a Consultant at our Stuttgart branch and a member of the Creative Network. She enjoys changing text into imagery.

30 //

Business skills

I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN “Visual Thinking” – a future method of interdisciplinary working.

The moment when the Trojan horse was drawn on the Metaplan board

steps required in order to work out a solution. Welcome to the won-

broke the spell: green, squint-eyed and the wrong shape, it was an

derful world of visual thinking!

Illustration: Yasmine Cordes

instant hit with everyone at the workshop, and from then on was regarded as a striking image which epitomized the strategic concept

We use “visual thinking” in the following as the overriding term for

of the project. We gathered together terms which symbolized the

working with simple drawings, sketches and illustrations in business

“horse” and drew the “landing”, the “forward movement” and the

settings. The purpose of using it is to explore and understand topics

choice of the correct “city gate”.This analogy made it easy for all partic-

and issues together on a broad basis. You may already have encoun-

ipants to discuss core messages, distribution and the selection of

tered the term in the form of sketchnoting, scribing, graphic recording

media channels to suit different target groups. The fact that the people

or graphic facilitation. This method of working is being employed

in the room did not particularly like one another and the attention span

increasingly in business and industry, since it helps ensure construc-

had dropped considerably was quickly forgotten. The horse had suc-

tive, solution-oriented collaboration. In addition, the representation of

ceeded in focusing everyone’s attention on the subject matter and the

content in the form of drawings fits in perfectly with the non-linear

I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN: VISUAL THINKING

// 31

thinking and multiperspectivity that are required in connection with

like a lot of work – but the method can be mastered with a certain

complex and interdisciplinary projects. All the interrelationships and

amount of practice!

interdependencies are presented here at a glance – in a drawing – instead of on a string of 50 PowerPoint charts. The following overview will serve as a useful guide: This is a cross between moderation technique and graphic recording. The group deals with a theme or topic interactively using suitable illustrative landscapes (for instance, the team’s ascent of a The startup method for your own use: instead of compiling notes and

challenging mountain peak). The “facilitator” plays a controlling role

records of meetings, conferences or congresses, you could make

as he/she acts as moderator – unlike the “recorder” referred to

drawings of what you have heard. You can choose whether to use a

above, who works separately from the speaker and the audience,

notebook or an iPad. The artistic merit of your notes is of little impor-

putting the content to paper and only occasionally interacting with

tance – a few strokes of the pen, a few arrows, a few small sketches

either of them. Graphic facilitation is widely used in change and

are usually quite sufficient. The decisive factor is that you filter out that

team processes, which call for a joint approach.

part of the talk or lecture which is important for you, make the relevant sketches or drawings, and relate them to one another. This

Whether you wish to discuss problems impartially in a group or to

method is more enduring, helps you to memorize, and goes a long

take a close look at specific processes, whether you are faced with

way toward preventing “conference fatigue”. Inhouse meetings or

difficult team coaching sessions or a change process, or whether

personal annual planning sessions are the ideal opportunity to prac-

you have to reach a final decision at your management meeting:

tice this system. The same applies to TED (technology, entertainment,

visual thinking helps to make the thoughts of groups (as well as of

design) talks and shopping lists. In some countries there have been

individual persons) “visible”. Results that have been achieved jointly

initial moves to include sketchnoting in lessons, since it has been

are recorded in word and picture on an impartial drawing board. And

shown to improve concentration and therefore the learning process.

these findings do not simply disappear in the stuffy air of the meeting; instead, they remain visibly documented for all to see. This is a fun method – it keeps people on their toes and encourages collaboration. A productive discussion with one another instead of against

So-called “idea sketching” is already widely used in creative sessions

one another. More meetings of this type, please! //

and is also explicitly called for in creative methodologies such as design thinking: during meetings, ideas are noted down directly in the form of rapid sketches and are then helpful for the explanation of communication measures and campaign concepts. It is immaterial whether a flipchart, whiteboard or post-it note is used for this. Participants sketch their ideas themselves: matchstick men, connecting arrows, boxes and circles are all they need by way of drawing tools – “I can’t draw” is no excuse! If a person prefers to let someone else do the drawing, they can invite an illustrator to the meeting in order to immediately sketch the ideas which participants come up with.

Now for a more advanced approach. Perhaps you have been to a conference or congress where a professional illustrator stands next to the stage and sketches the talk or lecture for participants using a

REFERENCE LINKS If you wish to imbue your workshops, meetings and conferences with more visual thought, feel free to get in touch with us. In the meantime, here is a selection of recommended reading on the subject: The Sketchnote Handbook – Illustrated guidelines for the creation of visual notes: Mike Rohe outlines the basics of sketching and shows how someone “with two left hands” can use this method – and have a lot of fun doing so. http://amzn.to/1teQV2j On the Back of a Napkin: Dan Roam explains how a few strokes of the pen can be more convincing than a lengthy presentation. http://amzn. to/1v3M3QN UZMO – Thinking with a pen: Martin Haussmann provides a detailed overview of the different concepts of visual working and explains the preparations and procedures for visual meetings. http://amzn.to/1tpWGcG

large-scale flipchart or poster. This is a form of sketchnoting for a larger audience, who watch the drawer as he/she works. This is an effective means of retaining content in the form of a visual record for subsequent processing. And a positive side effect is that the finished illustration can be distributed to attendees at the conclusion of the conference. In the case of graphic recording, the drawer must have the ability to listen, to retain things in his/her memory, to find appropriate illustrations, and to proceed with the drawings. This sounds

@Yasmine Cordes is Director Business Development Germany. Her work includes organizing workshops and communicating inspiring presentation formats – preferably sketched.

MAKING CHANGE VISIBLE

Illustration: Yasmine Cordes

32 //

MAKING CHANGE VISIBLE The use of visual communication in the change process.

Successful change communication makes use of visual resources in

This is where the Reasoning Map comes in: we reduce complexity

order to explain and outline complex strategies, to initiate change pro-

by organizing all arguments and core messages according to a sim-

cesses, and to emotionalize factual content. Here are three proven

plified structure. Visual implementation of the Reasoning Map is

examples from our methodological “construction kit”:

based on a mind map. It guides the manager step by step through the lines of argument. A well thought-out grid, clear connections

Reasoning Map or: the change story in a nutshell

between different goals, and color coding all help inject clarity and structure into the content. There are various methods of using the

How does the tool work? Take a major international company which

tool: large-format poster, animation or possibly as an app.

has developed a new strategy. The ingredients of this strategy are backgrounds, objectives, lengthy lines of argument, and complex

What are the benefits? The tool facilitates the understanding, mem-

messages. From management’s point of view it is sometimes

orization and depiction of complex strategic initiatives, most of

difficult to take this all on board and to see the “bigger picture” – to

which run in parallel in the company or overlap one another. It is

say nothing of communicating the content to company personnel in

helpful if the management team sends out unified core messages

a comprehensible manner.

(and only the essential ones) within its organization. In this way we ensure that these multipliers not only convey decisive information to

MAKING CHANGE VISIBLE

// 33

the company, but can also provide convincing answers to critical

which are hard to grasp, such as corporate vision or corporate cul-

questions.

ture, are particularly well suited for this. It is standard practice to use a screen and a lot of bright colors. Particularly creative participants might even like to use paper and glue – for instance, to produce a

The Dialog Poster: the worksheet is a thing of the past

vision of the future in the form of 3D images.

A company has been working with System A for what seems like an

So what do we achieve with it? Abstract, unclear terms which most

eternity. Each member of staff is familiar with the system, everyone

people understand and interpret differently become identifiable,

knows what they have to do. But since System A no longer meets

concrete and powerful symbols of change. Aspects such as future,

present requirements, management has decided to introduce Sys-

teamwork and globalization are translated into a simple imagery: for

tem B – more efficient, faster, less expensive. In short: much better

example, colleagues with different flags on their T-shirts could be

than the old system.

rowing in a boat together, heading for the horizon. The picture of unity reflects the consensus that has been achieved – a joint under-

For the company’s employees, however, this means a decisive

standing of the issue has been established. At the same time, the

change: no one knows the new system and hardly anyone is clear

methodology promotes teamwork and creativity. And best of all: it

about what they now have to do differently. The general view is along

works across all hierarchy levels. So: let’s get going! Sleeves rolled

the lines of “The old system worked well, didn’t it?”

up, colored pens at the ready! Be sure to include a session in your next vision workshop! //

We get the employees affected by the change to work on the Dialog Poster in small groups – a large-format poster with four key questions. In this case: What changes does the new system bring about?

How well prepared are we for this? What information do we require from management? What stands in the way of implementation? The participants note their answers directly on the poster, which is then evaluated. For those employees who never warmed to Metaplan warfare or to moderation card pingpong, the Dialog Poster is an ideal solution.

So what do we achieve with it? We create interaction and dialog and we lower the levels of fear and uncertainty by not only familiarizing the target group with the new setup but also encouraging employees to actively face up to the question of change. We present different standpoints and create space for a constructive exchange of views and information. Actually, the most common settings for the Dialog Poster are management workshops, major events and conferences. But even in smaller settings such as team meetings the tool has proven invaluable. And it is also highly useful for train-the-trainer courses and seminars.

Experiential Learning: giving free rein to the creative streak How does the tool work? As the name suggests, this tool involves doing something creative together. The principle: a group of managers or other company employees is placed at a table or, better still, in front of a white space. There should be a prior assessment to determine the extent to which the creative process needs to be controlled, for example with the aid of key questions or an overriding slogan. The challenge then is to consider these abstract topics and themes through a mutual exchange of views and experience, to find images, and to translate them into pictorial language. Subjects

REFERENCE LINKS Some literature about the subject? Here you are: Buzan, Tony: Change Now! Shaping the future with mind maps. mvg Verlag, Munich 2006, for instance here: http://amzn.to/1uN0ciW Fuchs, Helmut; Huber, Andreas: Metaphoring. Managing complexity successfully. Gabal Verlag, Offenbach, 2002, for instance here: http://amzn.to/1yRQ5e0

@Emily von Eschwege Emily von Eschwege is a member of the Munich-based Change Team and advocates drawing ideas rather than writing them down during brainstorming sessions.

@Anastasia Wagensonner Anastasia Wagensonner is a Junior Consultant in the Change Team. She is convinced that working with visual and creative techniques enhances the range of change methodologies.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND TOURISM

Photo this page: Y. Cordes, photo right-hand page: Marina Bay Sands (1), Y. Cordes (2, 3)

34 //

THE JOURNEY BEGINS IN THE MIND Few sectors are as dependent on the use of emotional pictures to target their customers and accompany them on their travels (literally) as the tourism industry. But what are the key factors here? We take a look at Instagram, stereotyped images – and the travel bug.

8.5 by 12.2 centimeters – the measurements which revolutionized

“accompany” us from the preparation stage through the vacation itself

communication in the travel industry. With the introduction of the

until long after we have returned. And their impact far exceeds that of

picture postcard at the end of the 19th century it was suddenly not

the traditional – but of course static – travel guide or coffee-table book.

only possible to send brief text messages: from then on, travelers

The numerous new (and above all individual) channels of visual commu-

were able to share their experience with friends and relations at

nication play a decisive role here. For tourism companies, this not only

home – and when they returned, the postcards were a welcome

represents immense potential but also poses a challenge. They have to

pictorial memento of their travels.

answer questions such as these: What resources and channels for the visual emotionalization of destinations, hotels or airlines are strategi-

This basic principle has changed little a century and a half later. In

cally correct and also valuable from a business point of view? What

virtually no other domain are images so closely linked to what has

imagery inspires and motivates the target group to make an initial visit?

been experienced as in the vacation and travel sectors. People are

How can I integrate guests into the pictorial language through my own

frequently bitten by the travel bug when they see pictures of white

commitment and thus induce them to make a further visit? One factor

sand, blue sea and snow-covered mountains; for the returning vaca-

seems crystal clear: text alone is not sufficient – image-based commu-

tioner they bring back mostly positive memories. Like the good old

nication is normally more effective, especially in the tourism industry.

picture postcard, vacation snaps are a means of sharing one’s holiday sentiments with others.

Branding experience in the tourism sector: Instagram and Pinterest can help

One of the main changes between the picture postcard and the photograph is the actual time when they make the greatest impact. No longer

The figures speak for themselves: more than 200 million users

do the pictures only affect us emotionally after a vacation; instead, they

worldwide use the Instagram photo-sharing service; visual discov-

THE JOURNEY BEGINS IN THE MIND

// 35

ery network Pinterest has more than 40 million users. The two

National Geographic is proof of the immense visual interest in travel

communities, with their focus on visual communication, offer not

and nature themes. The recipe for success in this case is the type of

only private users a host of options for sharing multimedia con-

photographs which are presented: emotional moments which tell

tent. They also provide companies in the tourism industry with

the story of mostly native peoples. The experts are in agreement: a

numerous exciting opportunities. Simply enter #Singapore and

study undertaken by Marketagent.com and the Munich-based adver-

see what happens. Stunning landscapes, stylish hotel rooms,

tising agency Hello concludes that lasting impact can only be

exquisite food or a high-level hotel pool are so much more inspiring

achieved by telling a story and putting a face to one’s destination.

than fact-filled descriptions. Especially if, as we know from TripAdvisor,

The study analyzed the promotion of 68 Alpine resorts. The majority

professional photographs are complemented with snapshots taken

make use of typical, interchangeable images such as snow-covered

by ordinary travelers.

peaks and romantic couples skiing down the slopes. In contrast to this, the authors of the study presented a fictitious vacation region

Photowalks with Thomas Cook

and featured individual images alongside the stock winter vacation pictures. The viewers’ response left little doubt: the pictures with a

One of the companies which already makes use of the potential

storytelling character remained much longer – and in much greater

inherent in emotional imagery is Thomas Cook. The travel operator

detail – in the memory than the run-of-the-mill images.

has opted for Instagram as its visual communication channel and for the strategic usage of user-generated content. And since here too

So what do we learn from this? Not only has the imagery changed

the rule is “The account alone doesn’t count, it’s the traffic that

– there has also been a radical change in observers’ perception of

counts”,Thomas Cook has introduced, among other things, so-called

pictures. The travel bug still bites us when we see photos of white

Instagram Photowalks: photographic enthusiasts meet in a particu-

sand, blue sea, unspoiled landscapes or imposing buildings. The dif-

lar city or destination and go on a “photowalk” together. Their

ference is that nowadays we expect that behind these images there

pictures, marked with a predefined hashtag, are published on

will lie a different experience, an individual experience – a story that

Instagram. In this way not only pictures of the event but also

might turn out to be our very own. //

numerous photos of the product or destination find their way into the public social media domain. The Photowalk is led by well-known Instagramers such as Thomas Kakareko, who has more than half a million photo community followers in Germany.

For Thomas Cook this type of Instagram usage has several advantages. On the one hand, there is the possibility of incentivizing

REFERENCE LINKS

Photowalks with competitions, e.g. with a prize for the best photograph. The hashtags of the tour photographs generate the attention of other Instagram users, who then in turn become potential new Thomas Cook followers. On the other hand, the differently themed Photowalks produce a gallery of user generated content covering a large number of destinations. But above all else, the use of Instagram opens the door to a new method of customer retention based on commitment and interaction.

One picture is worth a thousand words? Yes – but only if the content is right!

With more than nine million followers, the Instagram profile of

Sightseeing and snapping pictures at the same time – for instance, on a “photowalk”: http://photowalks.thomascook.de/ Longing for the faraway? Check out the National Geographic photographs at http://instagram.com/natgeo The findings of the Alpine survey are available at: http://bit.ly/1BONWGb

@Sara Yussefi Our Frankfurt-based Business Director Consumer Communications has specialized in communication in the tourism industry for many years.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND FOOD

Photos from left to right and from top to bottom: Unsplash.com (1, 2), Cordes (3), Fotolia (4, 5, 6), Cordes (7, 8), Fotolia (9), Illustration: Cordes

36  //

MORE SALT AND PEPPER, PLEASE! What food communication can learn from cookery shows and food bloggers.

Eating and drinking are extremely sensuous and emotional activities.

Esthetics and context

The same cannot be said about the corporate and branding communication of food matters. Of course it is difficult to build tactile, olfactory

Photographic esthetics which match the subject of food is only

or acoustic stimuli into communication and thus stimulate all the

making a gradual impact in the PR sector. PR photographs are still

senses at the same time, as is the case with eating. But visual com-

given second-rate treatment and in many cases photos produced for

munication, at least, offers a few simple means of making a sensuous

retailers or for homepages are simply reused by others. Besides the

impact as a brand or as an enterprise. Here are three examples of how

obligatory pack shots, companies commission food stills or people

this effect can be achieved: firstly, cookery books whose content is a

photos relatively seldom nowadays. And when they do, they try to

(sensuous) pleasure to look at; secondly, the success of exquisitely

save costs as far as possible, with less money available for stylists,

produced food magazines which make ingredients resemble works of

models and photographers. The result: contrived-looking marketing

art (for example Beef, www.beef.de); and thirdly, the visual excel-

photographs in which the product is invariably shown full-size, still

lence of food blogs (such as www.gourmetguerilla.de). In addition,

intact, and with the label toward the camera – typically, a full bottle

the increasingly popular cookery programs on TV demonstrate clearly

beside a full glass. In other words, the product just as the consumer

that eating is a shared experience which is convivial and creative and

would find it on the supermarket shelf. Photographs like this do little

can be presented in a sensuous manner. Here are five suggestions for

to whet the appetite. It has been shown in practice that investment

modern-day communication which embraces all the senses.

in well-made food photo shoots pays dividends. Those photographs

MORE SALT AND PEPPER, PLEASE

in which the product is part of the overall picture, i.e. depicted in the

// 37

Tastings: practice beats theory

context of eating, living and/or lifestyle, increase considerably the chances of being used by publishers and bloggers. A glance at popular

Although the concept of tastings is not new by any means, the

Instagram channels (such as http://bit.ly/1ttMHUT) shows how

choice of participants, the configuration, and the resulting media

this can work.

output have all undergone change. Whether they involve journalists, bloggers or – to an increasing extent – consumers, food tastings are

Food bloggers lead the way

enjoying growing popularity as small, exclusive events. In most instances, however, they take place behind closed doors and posi-

The successful food bloggers (for instance www.highfoodality.com or

tive comments by experts or consumers are, at most, used as

www.seriousabout-food.de) have mastered the art of presenting food

quotes. But it’s a simple matter to photograph tastings, cookery

esthetically and have been the most experimental in this field. Interest-

events and the like and to make use of the images for communica-

ingly, there are now also special food photography courses for bloggers.

tive purposes. If the target group is known to make considerable use

There is considerable interest in these and the courses have proven

of the social media, then “digital” tastings are recommended, i.e.

highly successful. Some of the food blogs even outshine the traditional

tastings or cookery sessions under the leadership of experts. These

media not only in terms of content but also composition and produc-

can not only be followed in the internet via video streaming: they can

tion. Companies could well take a leaf out of their book, because the

also bring participants together digitally for a special event. In this

bloggers are also featuring products – but in a natural way and in

way, bloggers can, for example, share their impressions of a prod-

practical applications.

uct’s taste or they can try out a kitchen utensil during a live transmission, while at the same time chatting with the onlooking community

Expanding the product press release: communication for all the senses

by way of their blogs. Thus, the second screen and real-time communication have found their way into the world of TV, private and blogging cookery. Whether context-related photo shoots, the use of

Although conventional press releases are suitable enough for the

moving images, or digital tasting and cooking events: against a back-

product innovation pages of the (specialist) media, they are scarcely

ground of increased visualizatio, food communication requires above

adequate for more broadly based communication. The solution to this

all imagination and the courage to try something new. It may then be

is the Multimedia Press Release (MMPR), which makes it possible to

necessary to fend off criticism, but the brand and the enterprise will

combine background material about the product, tips for the use of

– ideally – gain both authenticity and credibility. In our view, this is

the product, recipes, quotes and statements by facilitators and multi-

the “tasty” solution – and the opposite of dull, mainstream fare. //

pliers (including chefs and nutritionists) – in the form of text, images, video or audio files. The resulting “mixed bag” of information can then be processed by the recipient either partly or completely, as required.

In our experience, the usage rate for these multimedia information packages is greater than that for conventional press releases.

Two that go well together: food and moving images Comparatively rational video tutorials and explanatory films – with subjects ranging from baking bread to gutting a goose – have been part and parcel of food communication for many years. Yet today there is a marked increase in the use of more elaborate storytelling concepts and emotional content – and not only by the leading storyteller, Coke. In 2014, creative and highly visual stories, such as those issued by Chipotle (http://bit.ly/12BSsbZ) and Honey Maid (http://bit.ly/1yZCpS1) ensured an immense media buzz and impressed not only consumers but also the jurors at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. And that although (or perhaps because) critical voices were also to be heard.

Chipotle, the restaurant chain serving Mexican food, has even gone one step further and entered the field of gamification, developing an online game based on its campaign film. Both of these campaigns cited as examples focus not only on the product and its usage, but also on much wider social themes. And these need to be communicated credibly.

REFERENCE LINKS In the following, a few appetizers for bold visual food communication.

A splendid influencer promotion by Brazilian company Tramontina: http://bit.ly/1qbA1oL Laphroaig presents the results of its product tasting: http://bit.ly/SpbeOK For additional information on trends in the food industry and food communication, please refer to our food magazine “Inspired by Food”, which is due to appear on our blog www.kpg-blog.de from the beginning of January 2015 onward.

@Natalie Haut Natalie Haut is the head of our Frankfurt office.

Her passionate interest in food communication, especially the enjoyment of food and its visual impact, probably stems from having a photographer father and a French mother. She loves to cook and has a particular weakness for French cheeses.

38  //

INTERNAL ADVERTISING

Inspire #02

Inspire #03 Das Themenmagazin von Ketchum Pleon | Juni 2013

Das Themenmagazin von Ketchum Pleon | Januar/Februar 2013

Nie mehr allein?

Guten Morgen 2013.

Schwerpunkt Allianzen

Schwerpunkt Entwicklungen

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18.02.13 11:58

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20.06.13 12:31

Inspire #04

Inspire #05

Die Speed-Edition

Love it, change it, leave it

Vom Inspiration Day 2013

Schwerpunkt Change-Kommunikation

Das Themenmagazin von Ketchum Pleon | 28. Juni 2013

Inspire #4 Ketchum Pleon 20130705.indd 1

Das Themenmagazin von Ketchum Pleon | Januar 2014

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INTERNAL ADVERTISING

// 39

A little bit more?

Just a brief ad!

Inspiration arises when people, thoughts and ideas all come together. Here, for example, …

Ketchum Pleon “Inspire” magazine:

backgrounds. The result is a broad range of themes and viewpoints.

We believe this is what communication is all about nowadays: lots

We have been publishing the Ketchum Pleon “Inspire” magazine

of people telling stories and sharing the same understanding of

since 2013. In this publication we take a close look at the latest

communication.

communication trends, for example Collaboration, Leadership, Change and Real-Time Communication; the most recent issue

Inspiration Day:

deals with Visual Communication. Our authors write about the chosen topic from their own specialist perspectives, so diversity is

In June each year, we invite clients,

guaranteed. You will find all of the issues on our Slideshare channel

friends and partners of the agency

(link: http://de.slideshare.net/ketchumpleongermany) as well

to one of our branch offices for an

as in the Ketchum Pleon Blog www.kpg-blog.de. Happy reading!

“Inspiration Day”. In 2015 the net-

2015

Inspiratio n Day 11.06. // D üsseldorf

work event will be held in Düsseldorf

KPG-blog.de:

for the first time. The theme will be “Everything new? Innovations in and through communication”. The

Our blog provides articles and messages from the agency’s areas of

Inspiration Day features motivating talks, workshops, unconven-

competence and consulting on a daily basis. We shine the spotlight

tional consulting offerings and networking – all in a very informal

on current market developments, campaigns, studies and publica-

setting. If you are interested in attending, please get in touch with

tions in which we as an agency have been involved. This includes, for

your Ketchum Pleon contact person. We will be delighted to wel-

instance, the annual Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor

come you! There are also many opportunities to get to know our

(KLCM) and the ComGap study (link: http://www.slideshare.

branches and personnel at local level – for example, during creative

net/ketchumpleongermany/comgap-2014-sample-report-

lunch breaks, breakfast sessions, talks or short workshops. Inter-

germany-1). The contributors to the Ketchum Pleon Blog are col-

ested? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! //

leagues from different divisions and with different professional

January 2015 Ketchum Pleon GmbH Bahnstrasse 2 40212 Düsseldorf Germany Concept and execution: Ketchum Pleon Business Development Yasmine Cordes Final editing: Ulrich Nitsche Layout: Ramona Bornhoff, Yasmine Cordes, Mario Föllmer, Isabel Schaller Production: Ramona Bornhoff