bringing an authentic executive voice to your communications · 10 and predictive of other key...
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Bringing an Authentic Executive Voice to Your Communications
@frame_nation
linkedin.com/in/susanneframe
Susanne Frame
Director, Global Content ExperienceScotiabank Digital Factory
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How I got here – from employee communications to all types of content
Book publishing Trade magazine Employee
communications
Digital content
strategy, frameworks
and style
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Brand Belonging – a new study from IBM iX
Download the report
Listen to the podcast
Learn more about Brand Belonging
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This was my childhood
A little Dawson’s Creek Some Breakfast Club My social media
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This is our world now
The average consumer
is exposed to
10,000brand messages per
day.
Attention spans have dropped from 12 to
8 SECONDS over
the last 15 years.
Consumers switchbetween screens up
to
21 TIMESper hour.
40% of
18–24 year olds share they’ve
NEVER FELT AN EMOTIONAL
CONNECTIONwith a brand or
business.
55% of consumers
would
PAY MOREfor a better customer
experience.
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Building belonging works
But brands can build that sense of belonging.
And the ones who are doing this are seeing results.
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Cultivating Brand Belonging has a significant business impact. 3
The study showed top Brand Belonging performers grew revenue over six years at
Xthe rate of lower-performing brands.
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Brand Belonging is predictive of sales and growth
2%PER YEAR.
1Increasing Brand Belonging can grow revenue up to
0%1Top-performing brands gained market share of up to
OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD.
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And predictive of other key marketing measures
8%HIGHER RATE
Top-performing brands have an
in purchase funnel conversion.
9%
Top-performing brands are
MORE LIKELYto be recommended than lower performing brands.
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Who’s doing this well?
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Apple
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Amazon
3
PBS
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Disney
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Chevrolet
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AmazonPrime
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USAA
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Ford
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Harley-Davidson
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Honda
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Tesla
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Marriott
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Subaru
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AARP
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Toyota
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REI
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Netflix
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Lego
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Lincoln
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Sabra
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Jeep
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Airbnb
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Hilton
The top 25 Belonging Brands
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Brands are creating belonging through six traits
Activated Purpose
Compelling Relationship
Empathic Innovation
Trustworthy Excitement
Everyday Enrichment
Empowered Community
Brands are creating
belonging through six
traits
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Brand Belonging is for employees, too
You can’t build a brand without your biggest advocates.
Your employees
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How can an executive make me feel like I belong?
Provide the bigger
picture
Help me understand
why we’re going in a
certain direction –
drop the jargon and be
clear!
Be a real person and
speak like a human –
not like the
corporation
Give me confidence in
our business
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Don’t just accentuate
the positive – where
did we go wrong?
Get to know me Tell me some stories
about your life
Earn my trust
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Have a real
conversation with me
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The fragmented world of employee communications
How do you help employees feel like they belong?
That’s if you can reach me.
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Here’s the one major problem today
Subject line: 1Q Performance Results
Earlier today, Janet King, Senior Vice President, posted a video blog on our intranet – her point of view on front office transformation and the role of collaboration. Now, Janet and her leadership team want to hear your ideas on how we unlock new growth and become the most essential provider of high-value services to these new client decision makers.
Why would I read this? When I’d rather read this.
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Executive communications need a voice to stand out
Our performance in the quarter continued to show progress.
To be considered for promotion, you need to complete the validation package.
As part of his role, Dave will lead the creation of a new client-focused program that will broadly leverage the power of our team.
Our differentiation in the marketplace is becoming clear.
These are just a few examples of how we are uniquely positioned to help clients realize their growth agendas.
Without a distinct voice in your communications, everything will sound the same.
Does this sound familiar?
Our topic for today
HOW TO CREATE EXECUTIVE COMMUNICAITONS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO READ (EASY!)
AND THEN GET YOUR EXECUTIVE ON BOARD WITH YOUR APPROACH (NOT SO EASY!)
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VOICE AND TONE IS THE NEW LOOK AND FEEL*
*I can’t remember where I saw this on Google, but I agree with it. BIG TIME!
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STEP 1Identify your executive’s brand
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Your voice creates/reflects the personality of your brand
We are a technology company that offers:• Blockchain• Cloud• Cognitive and quantum computing• IT Infrastructure• Internet of Things• Research• Security
We put smart to work – we are:• Agile• Creative• Design-led• Digital• Human• Inclusive• Modern
Who are you? Who do you want to be?
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Voice gives you an identity
Without a defined voice, your content can be…
SAFE
B O R I N G
BLAND
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
FORGETTABLE
Which #cloud strategy you adopt – and how you implement it – can be a deciding factor in accelerating business results.
We had a great time at #WOBINYC! Let's continue the conversation and reimagine your business together.
Ushering in the era of #QuantumComputingand the possibilities in store.
Join us today to learn how #AI helps shoppers find the perfect product or service.
Go, go, go! #MondayMotivation
The biggest offender? Corporate accounts on Twitter
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Voice helps you stand out
With a defined voice, your content can be…
BOLD
C O N F I D E N T
ADDICTIVE
DISTINCT
MEMORABLE
I am living for this @RGA Twitter account!
Find out more about this guy in No Country
for ‘Cool Dads’: Meet the Man Behind
R/GA’s Twitter Account
Let’s find out –Who is your boss?!
Before you can write like a boss…
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Design Thinking helps us develop empathy for our users and understand their emotion and pain points.
When we understand our user, executive or audience, we can create great content.
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Your tools for today
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Let’s warm up!
Take two minutes to design a bridge.
Take two minutes to design a better wayfor people to enjoy getting from one side to
the other.
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Exercise 1: Empathy Maps (15 minutes)
Empathy maps help us understand the perspective of our users – and build empathy for them.
Before writing for an executive, it’s good to see communications from their perspective – not just ours.
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Executive empathy mapping
DOES
THINKS
FEELS
What’s your
executive saying?
What’s your
executive doing?
What’s your
executive thinking?
What’s your
executive feeling?
Joan Maplewood
COO, Donuts International
DOES
THINKSSAYS
FEELS
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Executive empathy mapping
DOES
THINKS
FEELSJoan Maplewood
COO, Donuts International
DOES
THINKSSAYS
FEELS
What do they say or need to say to others? How do they speak?
QuotesWhat do they think about the situation? What is their world view?
Expectations & Reactions
What do they do to get their job done?
ActionsHow does this person feel about their job?
Values
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The DisruptorConfident and exciting with
a long list of goals to
accomplish. He’s here to lead
the revolution and become
famous while he’s at it.
The Nice GuyMild-mannered and low-key.
His steady hand steers the
ship but not everyone knows
who the captain is.
The Old School Tough and demanding because
her rise to the top was a long
series of overcoming obstacles
and proving herself ten times
a day.
Let’s work on three executive personas
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Playbacks and discussion (5 minutes for each persona)
Have someone in your group walk us through the main ideas and insights
from your persona.
What does a great voice sound like?
Time to start writing the story!
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STEP 2Find inspiration in both writing and design
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Voice is not just for text – it also influences design
Elegant, clean, modern, understated Fun, playful, warm, community-focused
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Voice should reflect your brand, values and purpose
These guys nailed it with clear, plain language and beautiful,
clean design!
Read more about the team behind the brand! Wealthsimple Is
Aiming For U.S. Millennial Investors With Creativity And No BS
Don’t read your in-flight magazine? You do when you fly Porter!
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Your voice should be everywhere – from your lip balm to your chatbot
Glossier’s voice is consistent across everything they create – their website, product descriptions,
email confirmations – every detail is covered.
Shipping box Back of their lip balm Website and customer emails
“I am genuinely interested in what executives have to say, and then get bored quickly when I realize it’s not in their
voice.”
One of my teammates on the struggle with employee and executive communications at IBM (and this guy is a highly
engaged employee!)
Voice gives your content authenticity
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Voice keeps everyone readingThe greatest struggle for any corporate communicator? Getting people’s attention – these days, it’s truly a fight
for employees’ time.
Subject line: Share the news - Shifting focus from maintenance to innovation Subject line: Look What Hatched! Northern iXposure 2016 Year in Review
Zzzz…zzzz…wake me when this generic content is over.
Now that’s a newsletter with a bold, confident voice!
How do you identify your executive voice?
(or, for some of us, give it an upgrade?)
Identifying/re-inventing your voice
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Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts.
A durable voice takes time!
You have to train it, test it and put in practice
every day.
No pain, no gain!
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Check out the competition – or companies you just like
See what’s going on across all platforms – websites, LinkedIn content, mobile apps,
Instagram stories, Twitter, etc.
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Listen to your employees, readers and customers
Is another department doing some cool stuff? Save it and study it! See how they’re trying to communicate to their teams.
What are employees talking about on Slack? And what’s the tone of voice that gets the most engagement?
Comb through the comments on your intranet or website to hear how people are talking. Is there something that’s worked in the past? Keep track of examples that connect with your readers.
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Look for other content you enjoy
Anything from The Ringer, but in particular, the Jam Session podcastwith Amanda Dobbins and Juliet Litman. House of Carbs is also solid!
Use Instagram to help you practice your one-liners! @beigecardigan and @mytherapistsays always have some excellent memes.
Just trust me on this one. The new S.W.A.T. does a good job in creating suspense. The Flash is a close second!
I’m also a big fan of email newsletters from Big Spaceship, InVision, Klick Health, Boagworld, Daphne-Gray Grant, Copyblogger and Chatbots Magazine.
Branch out! My inspiration for good content comes from a variety of sources) – advertising, podcasts, bloggers, YouTubers, social content from my friends and a lot of TV. As Hondo says, stay liquid!
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Jeff Bezos Satya Nadella The Queen!
Check out other executives you admire
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Pay attention to your leadership team
They think I’m just taking selfies for the newsletter, but I’m secretly taking notes on our mobile strategy.
Office parties are the perfect time to catch up with our Salesforce leader and the latest client success stories!
It’s the holidays! No better time to talk about the ROI of social media than with my communications mentor, Catherine.
Warning: employee communications is a 24/7 job. I’m always listening for the most interesting story angle. See below!
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Chose one of our three executive personas
and edit or make suggestions on how you
might approach this piece differently.
Exercise 2: Let’s write? Nah. Let’s edit! (15 minutes)
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What persona did you choose? And what’s your
approach to their content?
Bonus points! What’s your pitch to the executive to
adopt this new approach and style?
Let’s hear your ideas! (15 minutes)
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The big reveal! (Not really…)
Those personas are from the executives I wrote for in the last couple of years. Here’s how I won them over (and got
people to read their messages).
The Disruptor The Nice Guy The Old School
Short sentences with controversial statements that got him noticed: “we need to be bolder, we need to move
much, much faster.” He loved it and it achieved the results he
wanted.
He was all about the team –never himself. I just decided that people should know the
kind of smart yet selfless leader he is. This content had
a bold vision, but was still warm and funny.
Kept it formal, focused and to the point. I also increased the frequency to help build more visibility for her. Big
win? Sneaking in a couple of contractions!
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STEP 3Now write your way to a distinct executive voice
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My two non-scientific approaches – ease in or go for it!
Take this approach if…
• you’re in a more conservative industry (insurance,
government, academia, etc.)
• previous content has been pretty formal
• your audience is external clients
Take this approach if…
• you’re in a creative industry – or a company that
wants to transform itself and its image (like IBM!)
• you’re communicating to employees
• you’re writing for yourself – blogs and any updates
on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter
EASE INGO
FOR IT!
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I went for the “ease in” approach
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But got bolder with each issue
If your executive asks why you’re doing this kind of content, just tell them offering a variety of content
is similar to any print newspaper or magazine. Works every time!
Pro tip! If you want to try something fun, mix it in with your business content.
And start to write your business stories in a more casual, conversational voice.
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In the meantime, I was practicing my voice
Look for safe ways to exercise your developing voice. Trying writing internal blogs just for you – not your executive.
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I also practiced my own voice on social media
Even on LinkedIn, you should add personality
to your content. Many companies are way too
conservative with their content. You want me
to read it? Go for it!
Mix up your content on Twitter. It shouldn’t just be
a firehose of whitepapers and quarterly reports
written in a wooden voice.
Instagram is a great place to
show the people and
personality of your organization.
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Look for ways to add fun, life and personality to your subject
Stuck for content? Throw in something from Anchorman. 60% of the time, it works every time!
Adjust the voice to your content, audience and context.
Your voice should be flexible
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Keep it clear with any technical documentation
For any quick reference guides or
technical documentation, I keep the
writing as straight-forward and concise as
possible.
I’ll still use:
• contractions to keep it warm and
conversational
• “you” and “your”
But my main goal is to convey the
information as quickly and clearly as
possible.
For error messages, write the clearest
instructions possible first. Then go back
and see where you can warm up/play
with the text.
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Mobile and web menu items – go for clear over cute or clever
Lululemon adds in personality in other areas of their home page, but keeps the top menu items easy to understand and navigate. Don’t frustrate your users or make them struggle with simple tasks, like
finding the home page or purchasing an item.
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Messages to the user? Make it feel personal!
The Saks receipt is straight-forward, but impersonal. This is a missed opportunity to connect with your customer or reader!
Tarte Cosmetics understands how to integrate a consistent voice into their messages – even an email order confirmation.
Subject line: SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Receipt for Transaction XXXX Subject line: Susanne, your order has shipped...get excited!
If you’re not sure, test the content with your audience.
Take the time to test it out
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Does it sound good to you? Of course it does! But it doesn’t matter
Your User ≠
YouYour momYour daughterYour clientYour project managerYour management teamYour CEO
One of usability’s most hard-earned lessons is
that you are not the user.”
Jakob Nielsen
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HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD TEST YOUR VOICE
Check out this new loyalty program campaign –
I think they missed the mark on their tone.
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I’m never in the mood for a little legal
I take my loyalty points very seriously! I’m
actually worried about these two programs
coming together, so I was surprised at the off-
the cuff tone when talking about my money.
I do like the subtitle here and the straight-
forward FAQs about the program. It’s a nice mix
of conversational and tone and details about
what’s ahead.
No thanks and never! When it comes to legal
content, keep it direct and as plain as possible. Now
I don’t feel like Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws
are taking me seriously.
The new PC Optimum points announcement
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I just want to enter my star codes, man!
Don’t wish me “good hunting” below the search bar when all the links to enter my star codes take me here.
Always consider how your users feel at this moment. They’re probably going to be frustrated because they can’t find the page. And I’m not taking the time to hunt around your site.
Now is not the time for weak jokes.
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Ways to test your content
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Either hire an external third-
party to run these for you or
invite your employees or
customers to your office for
an hour.
Focus Groups
2
Ask your customers or
employees through email if
they’d be willing to take a survey
about your content – show them
examples of your content and
ask them for feedback.
Surveys
3
You can either do this in person
or over the phone. Prepare a list
of questions and give it to the
person before the interview so
they have time to think about
their answers.
Interviews
Create a style guide and keep track of content
that works!
Start documenting your style
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My favourite style guides
MailChimp Content Style Guide Yahoo! Style Guide (content no longer available online, but you can still buy the
print edition for only $23 on Amazon!)
Microcopy: The Complete Guide
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What to cover in your style guide if you create your own
Error messages
Spelling,
grammar and
punctuation
SEOButton text
Concrete
examples of
voice and tone
Writing for
accessibility or
mobile
(including push
notifications)
Chatbot/voice
UI text
Additional
guides you
follow, such as
CP or AP Style
Include guidance
on:
I may be casual with my language, but I keep my spelling, grammar and punctuation as close to perfect as possible.Most importantly, keep your style guide short!
I’ve seen (and written) many comms plans and style guides that just collect dust on a shelf.
STEP 4Collect and evaluate feedback to sharpen your vision
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Analyze your data, present your findings and get sign-off on your approach
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Explain your findings in one sentence –how are people
asking you to communicate with
them?
Compare your research findings with what you see in your corporate culture –
are they compatible?
What do people from all levels of the
organization tell you verbally and in
writing?
Talk about statistical feedback – what do pulse surveys tell
you?
Are there any other ways you can find out if people are reading, paying attention and taking action because
of the story?
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First, we applied a consistent voice in all of our communication
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Next, we applied it beyond internal communications
Screenshots from #mobilize – a tablet app for IBM employees that consolidates all of our mobile client references and thought leadership
Our goal – make the content and design informative as Wired, as stylish as Details and something that employees would choose to read on a Friday night
Winner of the Ragan 2015 Content Marketing Award for Best Mobile Website or App
Some of our feedback
• “Outstanding! A great app which shows we can be both smart and cool!”
• “Fantastic experience – brought together all clients, description, products. Love it.”
• “By far the best app we have. Highly relevant and embodies the new design and culture we are going to market with. Please please continue to build on this platform for future comms, case studies and client briefings platforms.”
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Next, we applied it beyond internal communications
Fun, relevant, contemporary topics
Creative, unexpected ways to highlight the personality and expertise of our team
Inspired by pop culture
Distinct voice, tone, style and personality
Equal emphasis on both writing and design
Custom design where possible – not just stock images
Screenshots from #mobilize, our global email newsletter to employees selling and delivering mobile work at IBM; winner of Ragan 2015 Employee
Communications Award for Best Electronic Newsletter
“I’m a year into my role and every day I learn that it’s about culture. Culture over everything.”
– Puvi Sinna, Digital Experience Leader and Partner, IBM iX
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What we learned today
Let’s recap
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Key takeaways
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Set a goal
pick the best traits in
your executive and
emphasize those
Explore
look everywhere for
inspiration in both
writing and design
Practice
write, rinse and
repeat (you’ll get
cleaner prose!)
Validate
always improve your
content the way a
good editor would
Write like it matters
because it does!
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Bringing an Authentic Executive Voice to Your Communications
@frame_nation
linkedin.com/in/susanneframe
Susanne Frame
Director, Global Content ExperienceScotiabank Digital Factory