TechNed

Stress on the workfloor ??

Paul Kok — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:05:00 GMT

Earlier this year Dutch media reported about companies that have imposed an e-mail-stop on specific days in order to fight stress on the work floor. The companies involved were Intel, Deloitte and U.S. Cellular. Research findings show that workers get stressed when they see a full e-mail inbox. On average workers send 47 e-mails a day. And some of them check their inbox about 40 times per hour. The companies mentioned above imposed e-mail free days, especially on Friday.

The first reactions from workers were negative and they have criticized the e-mail stop, as they have a heavy workload that can only be handled with a working e-mail system.

To me the decision to come to an e-mail stop feels like senior managers who are not connected to the younger generation of workers, who perfectly know how to use the new media and the social media efficiently. In general, I think that managers should worry about this. Understanding the way the workers do their work is getting complex.

One of my clients reported that he closed certain web spaces for their personnel, in order to prevent spoiling time and costs. The downside of this was that many workers could not act properly toward their clients. This too is an example of disconnectedness of senior management.

The new media and the social media are tools for workers to keep control over their work and actually prevent stress. Stress and new media is more an issue for senior managers in corporate environments. They should make sure they get connected with their workers and their new media life.

Dramatic reduction in attractiveness of IT

Paul Kok — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:20:00 GMT

ICT sector in The Netherlands faces dramatic reduction of attractiveness

The latest edition of the Incompany 500 survey in The Netherlands about attractiveness of companies as an employer, investment and business partner was presented on May 23 in Amsterdam. It shows a dramatic reduction of attractiveness of ICT companies such as Microsoft, HP, IBM, Getronics, LogicaCMG and Atos Origin. This is the second subsequent year that the ICT sector has lost much of its appeal to professionals in the Netherlands.

The 3300 business managers scored 500 companies, with no ICT brand reaching the top 20.

Actually the only five ICT brands in the top 20 (Microsoft, HP, IBM, Logica CMG, Atos origin) in 2006 dropped out in this years rankings.

Attractiveness of ICT companies as employer fell from 8% of the group of 3300 to 3%.

What is going on?

As a result of the collaps of listed stock in 2000, many companies, especially ICT firms, have reduced operational costs with layoffs and new cost saving systems and software. Some years ago the outsourcing of ICT services to countries like India and Romania, was and is also based on the reduction of costs model. Jobs and work at ICT services organisations is also outsourced to other countries, with its clients doing the same. Not innovation but cost reduction is the motive. That is an evident engine for reduction of attractiveness.

Another development is internet and open source technology; two low cost ict facilities that create the image of a commodity instead of highvalue added ict, where qualified labor is required.

And finally, ICT companies in The Netherlands evidently do not develop corporate presence due to their internal structures and sales office positions in the local market; initiatives like that of Google with Intel for green computers are rare.

What should happen?

ICT companies should increase their corporate presence with initiatives that fit in with concerns that people and target groups have about the environment, energy, privacy, identity, safety, development and education.

Communicate that properly, while taking the standpoint of the customer, not the standpoint of the product. And see that customers have concerns.

Finally, explain how outsourcing works and what is left over in the west. Show a vision on what should happen in the west.

The agency challenge: Contracting Public Relations popular in ICT sector

Paul Kok — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:33:00 GMT

A recent survey among 200 major ICT companies in The Netherlands, held by Research & intelligence agency Annalise SVP and commissioned by Hill & Knowlton Netherlands in Amsterdam, learned that 75% of the companies uses an external PR agency for their PR work. Crucial in the relationship between ICT companies and PR agencies is knowledge of the market, contacts with the ICT trade media and journalists, a good pro-active cooperation and a good ‘chemistry' between the external consultant and the contact person of the company.

Public Relations

In most cases the marketing manager is responsible for Public Relations. The activities involved are: contributions to mutual understanding between the company and clients, suppliers, distributors, employees and policymakers on several levels. Credibility is the central theme and Public relations focuses on media coverage.

PR more involved

The survey also showed that ICT firms will do more PR work in the future. All ICT companies see advertising and PR as the marketing tools. As a result of the recession in the ICT sector, advertising budgets have been reduced during the past years, but PR-budgets have remained stable. Two third of the ICT companies expect to continue with advertising on current level and more than half expect to do more on PR.

When PR is compared to other marketing instruments, most ICT companies see PR as an adequate instrument to create credibility and increase brand awareness. For generation leads or stimulating sales other marketing tools fit better.

In-house PR

25% of the ICT companies have in house PR. Contracting PR is popular at big companies (more than 100 employees) and at small ICT companies (less than 20 employees). The most important reason for not contracting PR is experiences with agencies that do not have market knowledge and no capable copywriters.

PR agencies in The Netherlands

In The Netherlands we have more than 2.000 companies registered at the Chamber of Commerce as Public Relations agency; the majority is a one-man operation. 50 PR firms have between 10 and 20 staff and 22 have more than 20 staff. 70% is located in the west of the country (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague). There are more than 20 in ICT specialised PR- agencies or agencies with a specialised technology practice.

The agency challenge

The positive attitude in the ICT market towards contracting PR work to agencies creates a challenge for PR agencies. A repetition of what happened in the period 1998 - 2002 should be avoided. That requires a critical attitude towards clients requests. Agencies should assist clients in getting their act together and provide journalists with the information they need for their readers/viewers/listeners.

This survey shows that clients realise that credibility is key. Hopefully that will prove to be the best learning from the internet bubble burst.

Strong improvement of client satisfaction ICT services in the Netherlands

Paul Kok — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:56:00 GMT

Recently business publication Incompany published its Incompany 100: the results of an annual national survey about client satisfaction in the services industry in the Netherlands. 4.245 decision makers of clients rated 4 items: know-how, price, service and results. In the survey the ICT services industry is one of the nine sectors that are reviewed.

After underperforming in 2005, the 2006 research showed a strong growth of client satisfaction for the ICT services sector. 1.233 clients of ICT services firms in the Netherlands scored an average of 6,65, against 6,44 last year. With an increase of 0.2 point (on a scale of 10) this is the biggest improvement of all sectors.

Number one is Advisie Automatisering. The others in the ICT Top 10 are Inter Access, Twynstra Gudde, HP, Dell Business Services, Sogeti, Deloitte Consulting, Oracle Consulting, LogicaCMG and Fujitsu Services. IBM Business Consulting services scored number one position in the Management consulting sector.

This is good news for the IT industry. The increase of client satisfaction is an indicator for more improvements in the future (image, turnover, profits). And the industry needs this. Image and reputation of the IT industry are still under pressure and have dropped dramatically last year. Better performance and improvements in service, know-how and results are the best indicators for a successful way of managing image and reputation. But this will not be enough. Image improvement takes a long time and requires active communications that goes beyond basic product promotion.

Must Read: The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

Paul Kok — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:27:00 GMT

During my holiday this summer (2006) I have read Thomas Friedman's bestseller ‘The World is flat', which was a great experience. Actually this book is a ‘must-read' item for every professional in technology and especially for PR professionals working in an ICT environment. This book is good for the ict sector's image. And it contains many issues around ict these days in relationship to society. For consumers, business and politicians. That makes it very relevant for the PR practice in ict.

This book is an excellent overview of technology effects on the current global economy.

With ‘the world is flat' the writer means that distances have disappeared and the level playing field has levelled all over the world due to fibre infrastructure, workflow management software, wiki, search engines etc. Economies like India and China (especially since China joined the WTO in 1991) benefit a lot from this level playing field.

The ongoing outsourcing and offshoring of work to low-wages countries is also addressed as a benefit for all of us. The writer gives direction to the way western countries should develop next steps in their own economies: education, infrastructure and leadership.

He is very critical and against the Bush administration who actually exports fear instead of regaining its position as the moral leader of the world. Regained moral leadership could be achieved by taking the lead in the energy and environment debate by starting a program to reduce the share of oil in energy consumption dramatically. It is argued that the President of the United States should kick-off like John F. Kennedy did in the 60's when he stated that the US would have the first man on the moon within 10 years. The effect of that strategy on science and technology, and later on society was immense and gave the USA a leading role.

In short: I strongly recommend this book to every-one. It is a must-read for our technology practice at Hill & Knowlton in Amsterdam.

Greenpeace report stresses lack of corporate presence

Paul Kok — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:12:00 GMT

In its recent report (Friday August 25, 2006) with a ranking of computer and mobile phone vendors along the line of environmental friendly policies and recycling practices, Greenpeace criticises the practice in the industry. The top two (Dell and Nokia) are praised for their policy and practices. Others on the bottom of the list are criticised.

Greenpeace has checked two things with a questionnaire for each ICT vendor: policy and application of chemicals in equipment and policy and application of recycling of products.

The ranking was constituted after comparison of the questionnaire and statements on the website of the company. This way of compiling the ranking is questionable. I am sure all big international brands have environmental policies in place and staff working on the implementation of it. It could be that the policy of specific companies is underway. But drawing conclusions and distribute press releases based on some quick web search is not acceptable looking at the interests en investments within the companies involved.

However, generally speaking Greenpeace has a role in addressing environmental behaviour.

It underscores the added value of this organisation, which we need to keep everyone awake. Communications in the ICT (technology) industry is still mainly focussed on product selling and less on product context.

Lack of presence

This report also underscores the lack of corporate presence of many ICT brands. Corporate presence is about issues that affect the industry and/or the brand. That is ‘product context'. Companies should deal with these issues and communicate about them, both on an international level as well as on a local level. At this stage companies hardly pro-actively communicate on these issues.

A company delivering products in the field of customer relationship should deal with privacy issues. A company delivering masses of consumer electronics products should take care of waste and recycling of these products. This should be communicated clearly, not only to the public and the business community but also to organisations like Greenpeace. These audiences should know about the specific practice in large international corporations.

As long as corporate presence is not taken care of properly, the ICT industry will remain vulnerable and will suffer damage in the overall industry image.

The blog as news medium - a best practice?

Kalle Siebring — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 08:48:00 GMT

Until last week Roger Dassen was external accountant for Ahold, mother company of Holland's largest supermarket chain Albert Heijn and foreign supermarket Tops. He is also chairman of the board of Deloitte.

Last week he held his leaving party at Ahold (because he could not combine both jobs). In his weblog he writes that he has left the company with ‘mixed feelings'.

This insight is considered to be news by a reporter from Holland's most influential business daily Het Financieele Dagblad. And according to him news should not be posted on a weblog. The reporter writes (on the frontpage) that above all weblogs are a marketing instrument and that spreading news through a weblog is "not a best practice".

On the other hand, in a letter to the editor some days later Dassen is applauded for posting news on his blog. The writer DOES see it as a best practice.

We at Hill & Knowlton (the Technology practice in Amsterdam) strongly disagree with this letter. If every CEO posts news on its blog, where does that leave us? Shouldn't corporate news be made accessible for everybody on recognized public places? For listed companies this isn't even voluntarily: they are limited by strict laws about how one should release news: compulsary publication. If you don't stick to the rules, your company will be (temporarily) taken off the market. Also, it is only 'fair play' towards the journalists and public to release real news through the usual public channels, accessible for all.

If I would get on a soapbox on the street corner and exclaim my news to passersby, can I say to others some time later: "Yeah, but I DID make it public, didn't I? You just were not there on the street corner."

The same goes for blogs. As long as they are not being widely read by each and every journalist (real public places), blogs are not suitable for communicating news. Blogs are great for other purposes like giving an inside look in the company or the CEO's mind and share opinions. But we as PR professionals should be reluctant in advising our clients to use their blog as a news media.

Lack of corporate presence hurts ICT brands

Paul Kok — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:34:00 GMT

The lack of corporate presence in local markets like The Netherlands hurts ICT brands. Recent image research by the Dutch magazine 'Incompany', executed in end of 2005/beginning 2006, shows a dramatic drop in appreciation of ICT brands. At the same time financials grow very strong in their appreciation by business people in The Netherlands.

In the latest edition of our local electronic newsletter 'Highlights' (July 2006) I tried to find some explanations for this dramatic drop. The lack of corporate presence of ICT brand is the result of the way local offices of worldwide ICT brands are organised and operate. They have very little room for corporate presence and attention and that makes them very vulnerable in hard times.

See the full article: Highlights July 2006. In that newsletter you can find more background information about the research executed.

Get your act together

Kalle Siebring — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:06:00 GMT

Earlier this year research institute Motivaction and website Marketing Online conducted a simple yet interesting research among Dutch ICT and telco journalists. They asked them to judge telco companies and their press departments in The Netherlands.

It turns out that the accessibility and reaction speed of spokespersons are the most important aspects when judging telco companies.

The full list, from most to least important:

Accessibility and reaction speed of spokespersons
News value of press releases and quality of the information
Knowledge level of the spokespersons
Accessibility of the management
Collaboration with and openness of the spokespersons
Pro-active approach towards journalists

Not very shocking but it shows once again that it's all about the basic things. If you don't know how to manage your department and get your act together on the basic stuff, the media won't come to you anymore. In other words: if you're unable to respond quickly, 24/7 to journalists' requests, you're in trouble!

Not surprisingly ‘national pride' KPN Telecom topped the ranking, followed by T-Mobile and Vodafone.