*Did he really say that? The way news travels around the office - whether formally or informally - may help employers determine the best modes for corporate communication at
their company, according to a recent survey by office-services firm Steelcase. Observing the ways employees gossip and identifying the 'hubs' (the employees that know the news)
and the 'gatekeepers' (those who grant access) can help communications executives shape internal strategies. Statistics include:
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64% of office workers say that co-workers gossip about company news;
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76% of respondents report that news they hear from co-workers is accurate always, usually, or some of the time;
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Only 9% of workers ages 18 to 24 keep company news quiet, compared to 48% of workers ages 55 to 64;
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10% of employees spread news through e-mail and on instant messenger;
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36% said they exchange information with co-workers in the kitchen or break room; and,
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59% said that e-mail is the most popular mode of formal communication.
Source: Inc.com
*Talking the Talk: A new survey of 132 marketing/communications firms and 118 client marketing decision makers proved that most firms simply don't "walk the walk" when it comes
to agency marketing. Executives and owners questioned by marketing consultant Robb High said they typically focus on billable client work, assigning the most junior person to
handle outside communications. The findings include:
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76% of firms had no regular outbound communications directed to marketing decision-makers, of which more than two-thirds couldn't name more than five agency brands;
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59% of those who know five or more brands rate their depth of familiarity as "agency brand name only;"
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68% of firms with outbound communications send to a list of fewer than 100 companies, although only one in 16 clients conduct a review in a given year;
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79% of firms with an outbound communications program use only land mail; and,
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97% of decision-makers select email as their 'preferred' form of business communication.
Source: Repmanblog.com
*Making the CSR grade: If consumers were concerned about corporate social responsibility before, now they have a tangible way of keeping score of the best and worst players.
Climate Counts, a nonprofit organization funded by Stonyfield Farm, recently released a Global Warming Scorecard that targets the everyday consumer to influence their purchasing
decisions. The scorecard - based on 22 criteria that determines if companies measure their climate "footprint," reduce their impact on global warming, supported progressive
climate legislation and publicly disclosed their actions clearly and comprehensively - offers consumers a ranking of 56 major corporations.
*Web Power: According to a survey by marketing consultant Robb High, agency Web sites are at the peak of their importance. Among the findings:
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97% of clients looking for a new agency consider an agency's site when deciding;
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More than 75% of responding client decision-makers believe that the staff profile section of a Web site is the most important component;
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Nearly half of those poll have sites that only contain profiles of the senior-most people; and,
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18% of respondents don't feature employee profiles on their sites at all.
Source: Repmanblog.com
*Top this: Retaining top talent is a definite challenge; here are a few perks Fortune 500 companies are offering employees to keep them happy:
- A monthly professional house-cleaning service;
- An on-staff chef/free meals;
- Employee field trips to the movie theater;
- Allowing animal lovers to bring their pets to work;
- Sabbaticals for long-term employees.
Source: Inc.com