All corporate companies need to harness and focus the full potential of employees as individuals and as groups, towards the objectives of the company or organisation they work for. I know I have said this before, but a company should be focused on turning its employees into fans. Most organisations are not set up to create or maintain fandom among employees. HR is focused on managing employee satisfaction and dealing with pay and rations, the marketing department is trying to build the brand and drive sales, the finance department is measuring and monitoring the money and the CEO is often trying to define the vision for the future in terms that many people find difficult to relate to. But fandom in the world of sport is an old concept. In the corporate arena there is an increasing awareness and understanding among modern leaders that the traits of a fan – employee fandom - can be a phenomenal driver of employee and customer behaviour and ultimately financial performance.
We have seen many of today’s innovations being put to great effect when engaging consumers and I have been saying for a long time that these types of engagement methods are not just for consumers. It is high time that corporate clients started treating their internal and business audiences as consumers and building more immersive and engaging experiences. In these recessionary times of staff disillusionment and uncertainty a company has to engage and motivate its staff. To do this you have to understand your audience, how they communicate, what makes them tick and how they would like to be engaged.
If you have something to communicate, do not start with a pre-diagnosed solution. Do not hold an event simply because you have always held one at this time of year, or in a particular situation. Take a step back and take a long hard look at exactly what you are trying to achieve.
Start by working out what fandom means in your organisation, why it is important and what financial improvement you expect as a result of increasing levels of employee fandom. Look at working with a partner, or indeed partners that can help you get to grips and define exactly what you are trying to achieve. This process should start with analysis and solution planning.
With that step done look for real life examples from within your organisation that can be used to demonstrate what you mean by fandom, what the traits and behaviours you will reward and the financial benefits derived from behaving as a fan. Develop an engagement strategy - there is a plethora of communication channels that should be pulled together into a powerful and continually evolving organism that can engage, inspire and empower people and organisations to be the best they can be.
Establish a baseline measure of fandom in your organisation that will measure both the outcomes and the drivers of fandom. Consider working with a research specialist - initially to ensure that you identify exactly what you are trying to achieve and then to define exactly how you are going to measure and evaluate it.
Live events are an extremely powerful communication tool - especially when used in unison with other communication channels. Today’s conference and B2B meeting organisers are utilising the latest wireless and HD technology. When audience interaction, education and content sharing is required, we are seeing an increase in the use of interactive and touch screen technology as well as brands embracing the use of social media and digital platforms to share, measure, and amplify their events. There are so many new and innovative ways to inspire and engage the corporate audience and developments in areas such as digital theatre and content sharing are creating a revolution in the corporate communications and event arena. In this day and age there is no excuse for “death by PowerPoint” and I am certainly not referring to virtual events.
The recessionary budgets coupled with the challenging business environment of 2009 forced many internal events to shed their frills and focus on getting the message right. This confirmed to many, including organisers and clients alike that the most important part of any event is just how powerful face-to-face communication is, and how it is still the best method for delivering business content - not the 'whizz bangs' that can surround it. This education over the past 12 months will have a positive impact on conferences and exhibitions in 2010.
Experiential techniques, once the exclusive property of the marketing department are now transcending into the corporate world and being used to engage their staff. Never before have we seen so much distrust in big companies, but business leaders across the world agree that an engaged and motivated work force is the first step for corporates to take to reconnect with their customers and claw back this trust. We are all consumers, so treating staff as such and ensuring that all methods of internal communication are as engaging and relevant as the external marketing messages is key.
