Communication professionals rarely have the time to keep up with the constant flow of academic literature. This column helps bridge the gap between communication theory and communication practice. Drawing from fields such as organizational communication, industrial psychology, and mass media, this recurring feature will profile the latest research and discuss its practical application.
From the time we wake up in the morning, to the time we go to bed at night, we are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of corporate advertisements.
There's Intel's funky disco dancers in jumpsuits and the perfectly coifed doctors representing local HMOs.
As communication practitioners, you probably spend a lot of your time trying to build employee commitment and satisfaction within your organization.
And while the communication environment already contains a whole host of factors, involving employees may be one variable which you have not previously considered. So while professionals in your HR function or OD department are busy communicating your company's vision and values, employees may be paying far more attention to the ad aimed at your customer during morning drive-time.
In the January issue of the Journal of Marketing, doctors Mary Gilly (University of California, Irvine) and Mary Wolfinbarger (California State University, Long Beach) suggest marketing decision makers consider employees in addition to customers as a key audience for corporate advertisements.
They quote one ad exec as saying: "Employees know that advertising is their face to the community... if you feel good about the company for which you spend eight or nine hours a day, you are most likely to do a good job."
Employees perceive ads differently than consumers. They see their company's advertisements as an extension of their identity.
If they like a particular ad, it can have a positive effect on how they feel about working for the company. Of course, the opposite is also true.
And while the person in charge of employee communications may be hard at work on the company newsletter, your 30 second spot during Must See TV may be having a far greater impact on the workforce.
Here are some strategies to get employee buy-in:
Give employees a preview:
Heed the authors' words: "In particular, an organizational premiere or other memorable event is likely to create a context in which advertisements are likely to be viewed in a positive mood, a condition associated with both reduced critical evaluation of the advertisement and positive attitude changes."
Consult employees regarding accuracy:
Front line employees who interact with customers on a daily basis have valuable information regarding the claims and promises in your ads.
Inform your employees about the overall campaign:
"Information about a campaign's objectives, strategy, likely effectiveness, and actual outcomes will go far in gaining employee support," Gilly and Wolfinbarger say.
Efforts to improve communication about advertising can represent a significant investment of time and money - both of which are in short supply these days.
But Gilly and Wolfinbarger outline some compelling benefits for your consideration, including greater pride and enthusiasm among employees, a better-informed workforce, and more effective ads. (Source: Gilly, M.C. & Wolfinbarger, M (1998). Advertising's internal audience. Journal of Marketing, 62(1), 69-88.)
Jennie Wong Simpson holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication and speaks on a wide variety of topics related to business communication and layoff survivor syndrome. She can be reached at 714/424-4439.
On Employees, Commercials and Cars
I recently spoke with Greg Martin, manager of corporate communications for Saturn Corporation, about its success with commercials featuring real employees.
The company has discovered that these ads don't only serve its external audience by building a strong brand image, they also serve to motivate employees. Corporate feedback indicates they've helped make workers more committed.
In particular, Martin points to the Saturn ad featuring Saturn's first shipment of cars to Japan. The spot, which featured a group of employees watching a shipload of Saturn cars leave for Toyohashi, Japan, has created a strong emotional tie for employees.
But Saturn's commercial success doesn't come by chance. The highly favorable internal response to its marketing campaigns are traced back to this kind of employee reaction and involvement: for example, Saturn's Regional Marketing Council has always had a United Auto Workers representative
Most importantly, its ads are consistent with their company culture. External communication about partnership and team work would do nothing to boost employee morale if it was not also reflected by internal communication. In this arena, as with all areas of organizational communication, consistency is the key to effectiveness. -- Jennie Wong Simpson