NEW YORK-Communicators hoping to maximize their online PR should convey an image that is consistent with corporate standards for a Web site to be successful in the long-term.
That was a key lesson culled last week during the "Best Practices in Online Corporate Communications" conference held here.
Without consensus, "you end up with a patchwork quilt of sites for business-unit groups versus an umbrella format," cautions Scott Dean, senior media relations, government and public affairs for Amoco Corp. [AN], Chicago.
The Dow Chemical Company [DOW] solved this problem with a directive from CEO William Stavropoulos. All Web activities must be cleared through the centrally-located communications department, which ensures that online communication is coordinated, says Kanina Blanchard, senior communications manager. This helps the company achieve buy-in for the site on all levels, she adds.
Additionally, the team working on your sites must realize that the Web is taking on an ever-changing role for consumers, media and investors, attendees at the World Research Group conference learned. Savvy Internet users expect quick access to product information and the Web can serve as an effective crisis management tool, speakers said.
The Amoco Way
Amoco, a $31 billion international company that employs 43,000, is held by many as the prototype of a successful site.
By providing information on its wide array of services and products, Amoco has constructed a multi-pronged URL that's become a $250,000-budgeted communications vehicle. To help pay for the site Amoco charges a flat fee to each business unit that participates.
Traffic at http://www.amoco.com has grown to more than 1.2 million per month since month since it launched in November, 1995 and received 78,000 hits in that month.
A visitor can learn about the company's ventures in China and environmental efforts with endangered foxes in Canada.
The site offers technical specifics about engineering polymers and Amoco lubricants. Amoco also posts job listings; provides shareholder content; and recently launched an area with breaking details that's aimed toward the media and other stakeholder groups. The area is meant to provide operational and geographical information should a crisis erupt.
However, the reach of any corporate site must be compared against objectives, such as earning revenue or reaching shareholders. And online components should be overhauled if goals aren't met, say Dean and Gregory Duncan, Internet project leader.
Since the Amoco site premiered, it's undergone a months-long revamping to increase return on investment, leading to more of an emphasis on its products and services.
"People are hunters, not browsers," says Dean. "Surfing the Web is becoming an outdated notion. People [customers] want to get information and get in and get out."
Amoco Following Consumer Trends
Amoco seems to be on track, offering crisis services and product information.
Product information is the top reason consumers visit company Web sites, says Nancy Ruscheinski, GM and executive VP/director of interactive solutions, creative resources at Edelman, Chicago. Ninety percent of consumers said they are looking for such information online, according to a report from Market Facts.
Additionally, the Internet is a key medium during a crisis, she says.
Several years ago, Odwalla, a juice producer, solicited Edelman's support to create an emergency Web site after an E-coli scare linked to its juice products.
That partnership prompted Edelman's 1998 launch of Crisis Preparation and Response(CPR) software.
The CPR module costs between $20,000 and $25,000 and is based on a "dark site," a URL that's ready to go up in hours should a crisis or controversy erupt.
The site can feature audio, video and text components that provide information from the company that is experiencing the crisis. CPR prototypes can be augmented via photo archives, third-party statements, consumer hotline numbers, chats, regulatory input and answers to customers' concerns.
Amoco' s Investor Relations
Amoco includes these elements on its Web site area for investors:
- Amoco Stock Prices
- Transfer Agency Notice
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Amoco Direct Access Plan
- Dividend Information
- Stock Certificate Information
- Shareholder Assistance