On Message

Precision Communication for the Digital Age

Theo Theobald

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780749464875
• eBook ISBN: 9780749464882
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Communication
• Index: Business

Gone are the days of the traditional sales letter. Engaging with global audiences in an increasingly competitive world means that what you say has to be incisive, relevant and delivered in a way that can't be ignored. On Message provides expert guidance to help you keep up with the demands of the newest of new media, build a community and compete with big players. Packed with examples and practical help, it includes: templates; simple formulae for better messaging; practise exercises; review techniques; tips on flexing your writing muscles, and strategies to develop hard-hitting communication.

Examining how to capture more followers who listen for longer and more intently, On Message will teach you how to develop your voice, segment your audience for more effective messaging, edit existing copy and engage with new and emerging markets.

Section Five

Advanced technique:
going global, expanding creativity, storytelling and more

• expanding creative horizons;
• storytelling;
• the future.

Practise will make us all better writers. As long as we keep listening to our prospects and customers, taking time out to review our progress and honing our copy to be in tune with their lifestyle, we will continue to get better and better.

Beyond this there are some final tools and techniques to consider if we are to expand the business beyond the current horizon. International markets are available to many more businesses today than ever before, but we need to tread with caution with our messaging to gain acceptance and minimize the risk of causing offence by mistake.

Onwards and upwards, we also look at advanced methods of thinking about our messaging including the development of our creative side and the benefits and techniques for developing the skill of storytelling, an age-old form of communication that is paradoxically making a big comeback in the world of social media.

Chapter Fifteen

Crossing boundaries and going global

Time was when you opened your shop on the high street, people turned up and bought your wares, and everyone was happy with the arrangement. Things have moved on since then and now everyone has the potential to be an international player.

It is also true that for a while the only people who could expand their business beyond insular boundaries were those who had sufficient capital to set up a branch abroad. For many years that took very deep pockets as it was necessary not only to cater for the tastes of the locals, but to understand their culture too.

Case study − Unilever

In the late 1970s the UK-based foods division of Unilever tried to develop instant hummus for Middle East markets. A bit like packet soup, the powder was mixed with water to make a quick and easy version of this staple food of the region. Part of the marketing rationale is that Middle Eastern women spent many hours making fresh hummus every single day, boiling the chick peas, mashing them and adding tahini and olive oil, but now there was an alternative.

Setting aside the difficulties of replicating the real thing from a packet, what they failed to understand was that culturally these women had no problem with the existing process: neither they nor their families were looking for a ‘convenience’ solution. Which shows that if you don’t understand all the motivations of your audience, you will fail. Culture is a large part of this.

The seismic shift in the business landscape has been based upon the enabling force of technology which we have acknowledged elsewhere. As well as giving us all the communication channels necessary to get to market, we can at the same time portray ourselves as much bigger players than we really are. Working out of an office in the spare bedroom at home is no barrier to creating a professional-looking online presence which has the appearance of a much larger enterprise. These days, we are all global players, or at least could be if we chose.

In this chapter we look at the impact this has on how we communicate. How can we successfully cross boundaries, not so much from a language barrier point of view (in fact this is easily solvable in most cases today) as from a cultural and values viewpoint?

As well as looking at the differences we might encounter in other markets, we shall also examine how using fundamental business principles allied to simple, plain language will take us a long way into the heart of a new market, giving us acceptance and building rapport with an entirely new customer base.

This is of direct relevance to businesses which are trying to exploit the whole market, irrespective of geography; but if you are not in this category there is still a lot to be learned here. Although you might not be reaching out to ‘link hands across the water’, this does not mean your existing customers will be inclined to always continue to shop local. You may not be global, but they are!

Finding similarity and celebrating difference

Engaging with people in new markets can happen as a consequence of finding things we have in common, but also by understanding and being interested in the differences between us. This is not just to do with tastes, but culture and behaviours too, as often this will drive how we integrate with each other, define the boundaries of acceptability and influence the method and tone of our communication. In polite cultures like the Far East it pays to be polite. This may come across as stand-offish in a gregarious South American context. Follow the lead of the host country and you won’t go far wrong.

We should be aware when communicating in a multicultural environment there is potential for confusion. There are some basic steps we can all follow when we’re crossing boundaries which will minimize the risk of misinterpretation.

Researching your new markets

For a small business the thought of market research can all be a bit scary; apart from anything else, it sounds expensive. When Mars or McDonald’s conduct research the costs are proportional to their size and what they want to find out. As a smaller organization our research needs are more generalized and the need for pinpoint accuracy is lessened. All we are really trying to ascertain is whether there is demand for our output, what the price point is, how the competition operates and, most importantly, how to deliver our messages in terms of both channel and content.

The first thing to say is, ‘Don’t panic!’ You don’t need all this information at once; it is okay to build it up over time. However, the rule is to tread carefully at first until you have amassed some market knowledge.

Here are some suggestions on how you can research a new international market.

Online

This is obvious. There is a lot of intelligence that you can gather without leaving your desk. An internet search will turn up all kinds of market reports, anecdotes and opinion for free. This is called secondary data, it has been collected by someone else, and as long as you use a broad range of it rather than pinning all your expectations on single source, it should yield good results.

As well as seeking out market reports which will tell you the potential of the territory, try to get a sense of what it is like to do business. Most of all have a good look around the online presence of potential competitors. It may even be worthwhile purchasing a small amount from them, to get a feel for how transactions take place.

In person

If possible and affordable, visit the place and see for yourself. Wandering aimlessly around will be of little benefit, so try to arrange as many appointments as possible with potential customers or even competitors. You might even consider some kind of partnership arrangement, where each of you represents the other in the respective territory. Informal discussions are fine at this point, but if a contract is to be drawn up, use a qualified legal representative.

Develop a network

Part of our communication strategy is about getting others to follow us through sticky messaging. By doing this we can begin to foster two-way communication, asking for feedback and input. Here is an opportunity to get some incisive knowledge from people who know. Ask opinions about who is best in the market, what they like about existing purchases and where their unsatisfied needs are. You may need to set up a competition, incentive or promotion to encourage response, but the knowledge you gain will be worth it. A good rule of thumb when entering a new market is to keep asking questions until an understanding of the new challenges is gained.

Trusted friend

The idea of having a presence in the new country is an excellent one; it can provide real-time feedback on what is happening. The responsiveness you are able to display at home just because you have your finger on the pulse can now be extended abroad.

How do you find such a source? It makes sense to nurture an existing relationship rather than seek out a new one, so a loyal customer would be a good place to start, someone who you are already trading with. You can make a customized ap...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Imprint
• Table of contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Section one: The digital landscape: context, competition and technology change
• Section two: Guiding principles: stickiness and blogging
• Section three: Understanding customers: personal branding, segmentation and sales principles
• Section four: The nuts and bolts of better writing: ‘how to’ guides on writing and editing
• Section five: Advanced technique: going global, expanding creativity, storytelling and more
• Further Reading
• Full imprint