On Wednesday, April 25, Fathom volunteered with Junior Achievement of Southwest New England. We were nervous, excited and didn’t know what to expect. Our time with JA and the kids of Lincoln Elementary in New Britain, Conn. was, to say the least, amazing, inspiring, exhilarating and exhausting!

To learn more about our day, keep reading for some post-experience thoughts from a few Fathomites . . .

“I loved it!  It was so fun to hang out with the kids.  The kids were all so respectful and kind.  They seemed to genuinely enjoy the [...]]]> On Wednesday, April 25, Fathom volunteered with Junior Achievement of Southwest New England. We were nervous, excited and didn’t know what to expect. Our time with JA and the kids of Lincoln Elementary in New Britain, Conn. was, to say the least, amazing, inspiring, exhilarating and exhausting!

To learn more about our day, keep reading for some post-experience thoughts from a few Fathomites . . .

Michelle Bashaw and Jilla Dilmaghani took on a fun and active 1st grade class for their day with JA.

“I loved it!  It was so fun to hang out with the kids.  The kids were all so respectful and kind.  They seemed to genuinely enjoy the material we presented and were super involved in each of the lessons. The teacher was helpful and kind, helping us to keep the kids engaged and bring each of the lessons back to what they had been learning in class.  I really enjoyed the day and would love to do it again sometime!” — Jennifer Ford

“I loved how all of the kids seemed really interested in what we were telling them. I thought a few of the kids were going to knock their chairs over when they raised their hands so fast to participate. My favorite part of the day was watching the students draw what they wanted to be when they grow up. One student drew an entire, very detailed farm. another had a spaceship all planned out and assured us he would grow up to be an astronaut. All of the drawings meant so much to the kids and each wanted to share theirs and tell their story to the rest of the class. The funniest part of the day was when a student told us his dad was Justin Beiber. He was quite adamant about it. All in all though, had a blast!” — Kate Bradley

“I was blown away with the level of engagement of the students. Very eager to learn, helpful with each other, and excited to have us there. It was personally challenging to be aware and super deliberate with how I spoke, which words I chose and how I said them. It was also an amazing exercise in being able to “check in” with the students to see who was tracking and who needed another perspective. Finally, having no answers, only supplying the framework for the student to show up in was the best part. Truly enjoyable, wonderful and would do it again in a heartbeat.” — Brent Robertson

“Mrs. Aldi’s first grade class was very energetic and eager to learn. I was so impressed by how quickly they grasped the concepts of our lessons and wanted to share all about their families, their jobs and their dreams. My favorite was little Anthony who began our class wanting to be a mechanic and by the end decided to explore the even more exciting world of monster truck driving! It was such a joy to see our discussions inspire the kids’ imaginations and encourage them to believe in their future. We knew we made an impact when Angel ran to give us a hug and asked when we’d be back. Hopefully soon!” — Molly Dwyer

“The goal of our JA for a day company outing was to go and spend time with the students to teach them all about life; family, needs, wants, the importance of a job and many other things. Instead, I left the classroom with a better understanding of what life is all about. The students were enthusiastic to learn and participate in every conversation.  Having never attempted to lead a class of 19 1st graders, I was nervous – to say the least. I quickly became comfortable with the students because they were so engaged and curious to hear what we had to say next.  The rest seemed to come naturally. It was an invaluable experience working with Junior Achievement in support of their mission to empower young people to own their economic success.  I’m thrilled to know that, through JA, people have this opportunity to help shape brighter futures for students and their families.” — Derek Donofrio

Often, when building a go-to-market strategy in other countries, companies adopt a “do as the Romans do” approach. Through our work with our B2B clients in Asia, specifically China, however, we have discovered that being an import is more powerful than looking homegrown.

For China, the economic, political and social climates revolve around trust, and more specifically – a lack of it. China has mastered the craft of knock-off brands and, because most large-scale organizations are government controlled, citizens are distrustful of Chinese companies and the marketing used to reach them.

On the contrary, [...]]]> Often, when building a go-to-market strategy in other countries, companies adopt a “do as the Romans do” approach. Through our work with our B2B clients in Asia, specifically China, however, we have discovered that being an import is more powerful than looking homegrown.

For China, the economic, political and social climates revolve around trust, and more specifically – a lack of it. China has mastered the craft of knock-off brands and, because most large-scale organizations are government controlled, citizens are distrustful of Chinese companies and the marketing used to reach them.

On the contrary, foreign brands build more trust because they’re, well, foreign. Successful brands have achieved the balance of assimilating into the culture while retaining their authentic value proposition. Companies run the risk of losing credibility when the uniqueness and history of what they offer is traded in to look or act more like a Chinese company.

Icon from "A Social Media Revolution: China's Answer to Social Networking" infographic.

Because of the trust factor, social media is huge in China. Consumers rely on peers to help make decisions. Understanding the different platforms such as Tianji (their version of LinkedIn) and Sina Weibo (popular micro-blogging site), and how users engage online is critical, as is the technology environment in general. China has the highest Internet population in the world but an incredibly slow Internet connection speed (China has an average speed of 695 kbps, while the U.S. hovers around 4,684 kbps). For some amazing stats on social media and the environment of mistrust in China, see “A Social Media Revolution: China’s Answer to Social Networking” infographic created by HighTable.

Understanding the social media environment in China, and marketing in general, is important but its one piece of your overall strategy. Also take into consideration the following:

• Choose messaging wisely. If you are known in the U.S., but not recognized in Asia, telling the same story on both continents might not work. Deciding what to emphasize in your messaging will be based on familiarity of the market with your company and what parts of your story will resonate the most. Uncovering market and competitive research is key, as is aligning that external data with the most effective marketing messaging and presentation.

• Show that you are global. Chinese citizens and organizations trust global brands. You need to show that you have customers from all over the world and prove that, historically, you are a successful business to work with. This is especially true if you offer a product that doesn’t yet exist in China.

• Pay attention to details. The quality of execution in your marketing materials and tactics is critical to building credibility. If the way you present your brand looks low quality, your brand will be perceived as such. The details matter in your execution — from the quality of paper you choose for a brochure to the placement of content and links on your website.

• Know the climate. The challenge of mistrust is just the beginning of understanding all of the cultural, economic and political nuances that you will need to work with. We mentioned a few considerations here — i.e., slow Internet speed, high volume of users, etc. — but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Do your homework, visit China and talk with as many confidantes as you can about how they’ve been successful in their marketing efforts.

• Work with regional experts. To build an effective marketing plan, leverage local experts. Invest in a ground floor team to help your U.S. team understand what really works when you put it into play. As always, a plan for measuring your activities should be discussed upfront.

Obviously, the decisions you make tactically will be tailored to your particular brand and marketing strategy. But, the seemingly simple idea of staying true to who you are cannot be underestimated. In China, it’s what’s true to you that is most desirable and powerful for others.

Do you remember how much you learned from an executive’s latest business update or Town Hall? Did you take time to read about the new initiatives kicking off in the company’s quarterly newsletter? Or maybe you rely on the intranet for its engaging articles?

. . . crickets . . .

That’s what I thought. You probably missed the Town Hall because of some other critical meeting, the newsletter is lost in the abyss of your inbox, and turns out those intranet articles are not all that engaging.

Internal communication has proven unsuccessful many times over and thus, makes new project or [...]]]> Do you remember how much you learned from an executive’s latest business update or Town Hall? Did you take time to read about the new initiatives kicking off in the company’s quarterly newsletter? Or maybe you rely on the intranet for its engaging articles?

. . . crickets . . .

That’s what I thought. You probably missed the Town Hall because of some other critical meeting, the newsletter is lost in the abyss of your inbox, and turns out those intranet articles are not all that engaging.

Having others adopt what's on your agenda takes skill

Internal communication has proven unsuccessful many times over and thus, makes new project or product launches less effective throughout organizations. Ron Ashkenas, Forbes contributor and an expert in simplifying organizations, talks about the importance of collaboration, “which should be the fastest and most effective way to get results.” If your desired result is to enhance employee awareness and engagement so that your new product or initiative will be more successful and useful for all, than effective communication is the fundamental step before collaboration.

The Formula: Interaction + Opportunity = Collaboration

Here at Fathom, projects are launching from different cannons every day. We do our best to talk about new clients, keep the team in the loop as schedules change and maintain a general awareness about how daily work will be affected. But unless someone on the team is truly impacted, and I mean head-on collision kind of impact, it can be really hard to hear what’s going on over all the other commotion.

A few months ago, Fathom prepared to launch a website for a global leader in healthcare. In just 9 months, Fathom renovated the client’s site by providing an organized design and updating all the core information that was otherwise outdated and inoperable. This launch is the first of many over the next few years and in order for the site to truly be successful, the project team needed the buy-in and feedback from our client’s internal participants, which could only be achieved through a strong communication plan. Like most large organizations, communicating effectively was going to be a challenge due to goals and deadlines, a lack of resources and the mere size of the organization. So why should they listen? What is so exciting about the first phase? And how will they be impacted?

Build Connection with Employee Value Proposition

According to Towers Watson’s Communication ROI Study Report, “when it comes to communication, successful companies pay close attention to articulating their employee value proposition (EVP).” In other words, it is essential to understand what motivates or drives employee performance so that information is relevant for everyone. The drive at Fathom exists within our interesting clients, creative work and social good projects. Our company knows that we perform best off meaningful work and therefore, integrates those topics as part of our business conversations.

For this client, the motivation is to reach business goals effectively and improve sales. It was our job to tell them that the new site, even in its first phase, was going to offer good incentives by positively impacting their role. They could now spend more time in the field to make sales, provide customers with a reliable website and spend less time tracking information. Fathom’s communication plan highlighted the progress to date, the expected next steps and encouraged employees to build a connection with the site to improve their business and ultimately make the site successful for the organization. These key messages were repeated through a variety of channels including executive business meetings, town halls, webinars, newsletters, intranet articles and discussion boards so employees had multiple opportunities to listen and interact in the conversation.

Since executing the communication plan, we received positive feedback on the site’s capabilities and input for ways to improve during the next phase. The constructive feedback proves our communication plan was successful and even paved a path for future collaboration within the organization.

No matter the size, the industry or the dynamic of a company, communicating effectively is tough. But with the appropriate process, the proper execution and a distinct engagement plan, you can ensure your messages get delivered and drive a successful launch.

Communication Strategy & Best Practices

1. Do your research – With this particular project, Fathom conducted internal research through personal interviews to identify the gaps and deliver results that directly correlate to the needs of their distinct audiences. Another option is to conduct surveys, which will allow a company to create a measurable benchmark for ongoing improvement and goal setting.
2. Identify the benefit – Every employee wants to know one thing: what’s in it for me?  Use research to identify a unique employee value proposition that influences the message. Build a theme around the employee benefit that attracts the attention of your audience through each channel of communication.
3. Keep it real – Internal communication is a great opportunity to have a casual conversation with employees. Corporate jargon and meaningless buzzwords have become so overused that employees feel no connection to the message.  Use plain language to tell a powerful story that resonates for all.
4. Keep it brief - Whether you are conducting a town hall or writing an article, the message should be short and to the point. Employees do not have a lot of time and need information to be direct so they can receive it quickly.
5. Listen - Show employees you care by creating an avenue for feedback. Fathom utilized our client’s intranet site to host ongoing discussion boards so employees felt comfortable asking questions and providing input. This helped identify new issues and areas of improvement.

Molly Dwyer brings a background in preparing for Town Halls and other internal communications projects in her previous role at NASDAQ. She interviewed Fathom’s Director of Strategy & Content Marketing, Louisa Desson for this post.

“Why won’t she just do what I tell her to?” I moaned to my wife after finding my 5-year-old covered in tattoo marker.  She looked like Mel Gibson from Braveheart for the better part of a week.  The fact is I can’t tell my daughter to do anything. I constantly have to persuade her to do what I want and there always needs to be something in it for her.

Working with your customers and potential customers is a lot like the relationships you have with your kids. You can’t make them do anything. You need to persuade them why they [...]]]> “Why won’t she just do what I tell her to?” I moaned to my wife after finding my 5-year-old covered in tattoo marker.  She looked like Mel Gibson from Braveheart for the better part of a week.  The fact is I can’t tell my daughter to do anything. I constantly have to persuade her to do what I want and there always needs to be something in it for her.

A Five Year-Old Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands (or, Face)

Working with your customers and potential customers is a lot like the relationships you have with your kids. You can’t make them do anything. You need to persuade them why they should do business with you in the first place and why they should continue to do so in the future.  There needs to be something in it for them.

The truth is, it’s hard getting people to care about you.  You really need to understand what motivates them and build a framework around their motivations before you start implementing tactics.  Consider the following:

• What problems are they facing?
• Where do they look for solutions?
• What language do they use to describe their challenges?
• How do they make buying decisions?
• Who else is involved in the purchase decision and what do they care about?
• How is success measured?

Armed with the answers to these questions we can put together a plan to persuade prospects to take action.  We call these actions “conversions” in online marketing.  Here are a few examples of micro conversions that might lead to the macro conversion of a sale: downloading a trial version, registering for a newsletter, calling for more information, downloading a whitepaper or subscribing to a blog.

A framework that I find useful, when considering how to persuade someone to take action, is the AIDAS marketing model.  Here are the steps in the process:

A: First, you need to grab the prospect’s ATTENTION through AWARENESS. They need to be aware that you are a potential solution to their problem.

I: Next, you have to build INTEREST in your offering. Show your prospects that you can meet their need.

D: After piquing their interest, focus on building the DESIRE necessary for your prospect to take action (or to convert).

A: Propelled by the desire you’ve fueled in your prospect they now take ACTION . . . to buy, to download or to convert in some fashion.

S: Finally, you want your one-time customer to be SATISFIED so that they will become a repeat customer and ultimately a loyal customer that will recommend you to others.

In the weeks to come I will be posting ideas of the kinds of content that you can publish online that will help move your prospects through the AIDAS model.  What do you think?  How do you persuade potential customers to take action?  How do you figure out what’s in it for them?

AIDAS graphic credit: Michelle Bashaw

This Friday Lunch, Fathom was visited by Dave Murphy and his fellow Oil Drum Art board members, Jack Lardis and Donna Donovan. Dave has been working on an amazing local, and soon-to-be global, community project that he hopes (and we do too) Fathom can participate in.

A master woodworker and former MadMen-like advertising exec, Dave has built a catamaran for off-shore fishing that communities in developing countries can construct themselves from oil drums and easily accessible materials. The project began as a way to help raise funds for [...]]]> This Friday Lunch, Fathom was visited by Dave Murphy and his fellow Oil Drum Art board members, Jack Lardis and Donna Donovan. Dave has been working on an amazing local, and soon-to-be global, community project that he hopes (and we do too) Fathom can participate in.

A close-up of Dave's catamaran, size small

A master woodworker and former MadMen-like advertising exec, Dave has built a catamaran for off-shore fishing that communities in developing countries can construct themselves from oil drums and easily accessible materials. The project began as a way to help raise funds for Oil Drum Art. Quickly, Dave saw that the project had bigger possibilities.

One of the biggest challenges in developing countries is building a self-sustaining economy that improves the quality of life. But, fishing is something any shoreline community can do if they have the means. Working with Paul Gemme of Hartford-based Our Piece of the Pie, as well as naval architects and a host of other experts, Dave wanted to confirm that the catamaran could be built with minimal boat building skills. They brought in high school students to build the prototype from Dave’s original scale model. The boat will be placed in the water at the end of this month (details tk) and Oil Drum Art is hosting an event on April 27 to raise awareness and funds for the project.

As for Fathom’s involvement, we are currently discussing where to best put our talents and time. There are several parts of this project that really get us jazzed. Few projects allow for opportunities with the local community to get involved, in a very hands-on way, that will also impact the lives of people we don’t know across the world. We had a lot of ideas flying around — from getting other high schools or community groups to build more catamarans and race them (Robotics-style) to finding ways to get corporate sponsors involved to make the project fundable and scaleable. Wherever this project takes us, Fathom is excited to be a part of it. We’ll let you know how we decide to help out and where you can participate too.

Until then, here are some pics that we took of the visit:

Dave Murphy, making an entrance into Friday Lunch

Dave telling us the story of how the catamaran project came to be

Jack Lardis tells us about Oil Drum Art

Fathom listens in

The scale model and strategic plans are at our disposal

Future catamaran mascot? He's not much of a water dog . . .

Each Friday, the Fathom crew comes together at 12:15 to eat lunch, talk about the week and discuss a topic of interest. Since what happens at Fathom doesn’t have to stay at Fathom (well, mostly), we use our blog to share the conversations that we hope will interest you too.