Reporters are looking for a few simple elements in any online newsroom to make their lives a little easier. In our straw poll of journalists for last week's Media Relations
issue, 100 percent of the respondents told us they visit Web sites at least occasionally during their research process for stories, and about 78 percent reported they use them
often or always. What they wanted most out of the sites they perused: simple information like media relations contacts, press release archives, company and exec backgrounders, and
(please!) a readily accessible address for corporate headquarters. One reporter summed it up: "As a journalist, I like the autonomy of being able to access this info for myself
with some immediacy (without having to wait for a returned phone call or press kit to arrive in the mail)."
Many respondents, however, expressed their frustration that such simple information is lacking - or buried - on so many corporate sites.
In this installment of Web Browser, however, we must sheepishly report that at least one company is threatening our usual thorny skepticism about corporate newsrooms. (Don't
tell the other reporters! We have our rep to consider.)
GE Global eXchange Services (GXS) is the b2b e-commerce subsidiary of General Electric. The company has more than 100,000 trading partners, including Eastman Kodak,
DaimlerChrysler, Target, J.C. Penney, Sara Lee and 3M. It also boasts one of the cleanest, best-designed, richest corporate newsrooms we've run across in years. The site combines
simple design with deep databases of information that make it not only easy-to-use, but a powerful tool for even the most technophobic journalists.
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Criteria
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Grade
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Comments
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| Link from Homepage | A+ | The GXS homepage (http://www.gxs.ge.com) features a prominent link to its News Room in the left-hand navigation bar on the homepage. The site also runs the headlines for its latest press releases on the homepage, with an easy link to the entire release and all the functionality of the News Room. |
| Press Release Archive | A+ | The News Room is neatly designed with prominent links on the first screen to Press Releases, Media Coverage and Analyst Reports. In order to keep things tidy and ensure that all stakeholders have easy access to what they need, only the latest releases are featured, but a link offers access to the last year's worth of press releases. A right-hand navigation bar also offers a link to an archive of releases dating back to January of 1999. |
| Contact Information | B | This site provides fabulous contact information in its first screen: names, phone numbers and email addresses for top-level Global Marcom, PR, Investor Relations and Speaker's Bureau execs. Although the contact information is available on the front page, users must scroll down a bit to find it and might instead end up clicking the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page, which leads to a long list of email contact forms. We would recommend moving the press contact information to the top of the page. |
| Timeliness | A+ | The News Room clearly is updated often: Press releases and media coverage on the front page are from the last two weeks. |
| Archive of News Coverage | A+ | Many online newsrooms lack any recent coverage of the company in the press. It's rare to find one that not only features its latest hits but offers a deep archive of media coverage going back to 2000. |
| Ease of Navigation | A+ | The site's simple design and prominent navigation bars make it a breeze to find the information you're seeking. |
| Search Functions | A+ | This is one of the few online press centers that offers a search function, located prominently at the top of the page for journalists seeking press releases, media coverage or other information on a specific topic. |
| Company Information | A+ | The "About GXS" section (within the News Room) provides an overview of the company as well as information on mission and values, and executive bios and photos. Almost every company offers information on its history, mission and operations on the Web site, but placing the information within the press site is one more way to make it easier on reporters who don't have the time or inclination to dig in a variety of areas for the information they need. |
| Financial Information | A+ | GE doesn't disclose financials on its individual subsidiaries; nevertheless, GXS provides an "investor relations" link to GE's investor site, which offers a downloadable audio archive of an investor meeting, detailed graphics charting GE's financial progress in the last few years, its annual report, as well as SEC reports. Evidently the parent company is every bit as committed to online communications as its subsidiary. |
| Graphics and Other Value-Adds | A+ | The News Room offers an "Education Center" with news on events, case studies, white papers, video clips of the CEO's appearances, and even a glossary of "e-terms." |
| News by Email | F | It was the one tool we couldn't find in our perusal of the site. While not vital, offering reporters a chance to be consistently updated on your news through their own inbox is a convenient way to keep in contact with large numbers of reporters. |
| Overall | A- | Overall, the site exemplifies the ease with which the Web can be used as a communications vehicle to build relationships with reporters and other stakeholders. Ease of use and some of the richest information we've found in any corporate newsroom add up to a very pleasurable experience for any reporter. Plus, the entire Web site demonstrates the company's commitment to communications: The homepage currently features a prominent button linking to the transcript of a recent Washington Post interview with CEO Harvey Seegers. GXS has used its entire site to communicate to a variety of stakeholders and position itself and its execs as experts in the industry. |
Editor's Note: Want to learn more about GXS's newsroom - and get advice on how to build your own perfect press site? Join PR NEWS and Reid Walker, director of global marketing
communications for GXS, on May 21 for a PR NEWS Webinar on building outstanding online newsrooms. Watch our Web site, http://www.PRandMarketing.com, for more information, or contact Amy Urban, [email protected].