Dear Readers,
With the specter of the local economic crisis just barely out of the picture and the economic recovery just about to gain momentum, nature suddenly started to wreak havoc with one of our leading industrial nations, threatening a nuclear catastrophe of doomsday proportions. And while it is our propensity to quickly ban catastrophes from our minds as long as they seem far away enough (remember Haiti?), we are now confronted daily with the effects of the dreadful events happening in Japan. Naturally, all of us were overjoyed to learn, after the first scary hours, that our colleagues of Fleishman-Hillard in Tokyo were fine. But our heart goes out to those of our customer’s employees who are still in the eye of the storm. Even some of the production sites have been hit. To this date, no-one has any inkling of the catastrophe’s long-term effects, e.g. on the high tech industry.
I am of course not telling you anything new when I admit that even us communications professionals often find it hard to return to business as usual under such circumstances. But that is precisely the reason why this issue of our newsletter wants to keep you posted on the latest interesting projects and communications activities developed and realized in cooperation with our clients.
With this issue, we will be inviting you on a first ever ”glimpse beyond the rim of the proverbial teacup“ – for the first time we will be presenting projects from our Practice Groups Healthcare and Public Affairs. We are convinced that in addition to giving you exciting insights into the portfolio of Fleishman-Hillard, it will also open the floodgates on a wealth of new and interesting ideas.
Please do give us some feedback on whether or not you find the expansion of our newsletter to our colleagues’ projects helpful. Your suggestions, your criticisms, your praise and your general feedback will be just as much appreciated as your feedback in our day-to-day cooperation.
Cordially yours,
Markus Hermsen
2nd Munich Marcom Round Table: The Wisdom of Many – a Challenge and an Opportunity for Corporate Communication
Following the overwhelmingly positive response to our 1st Munich Marcom Round Table of last year we are pleased to invite you again this year for exchange of information and discussions all about corporate communication.
On Tuesday, June 7, 2011, starting at 6:30 pm, Arne Klempert, Director Digital with Fleishman-Hillard and long-tenured Wikipedia spokesperson, will be giving you glimpses into the world of Wikipedia and other open platforms designed to give users the opportunity to pool their knowledge and opinions. In addition, attorney-at-law Thorsten Feldmann from online law specialist JBB law offices will be available as an expert on all legal aspects of user-generated contents.
For the 2nd Munich Marcom Round Table we want to discuss the following issues with you:
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How do these community-used platforms work? Who is behind them?
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What is the best way for companies to deal with these platforms – especially where critical contributions are concerned?
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What lessons can communication executives learn from the Guttenberg case?
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How can the “Wisdom of Many“ be successfully used for internal and external corporate communication?
We are looking forward to big attendance and spirited discussions.
To register early for the event or obtain further details please contact Angela Prochaska.
re:publica 2011: Between Class Reunions and Do-Gooder Congress
There is hardly any better place to get an insight into the German network community than re:publica. If you are looking for practical recommendations on this Conference on Blogs, Social Media and the Digital Society for working in online PR or online marketing you have definitely chosen the wrong destination. But, to gain a deeper understanding of the key players and influencers of the German online community we highly recommend a visit to the conference taking place in Berlin every year.
After starting five years ago, the event has grown into a large conference with around 3,000 visitors. Therefore, many participants affectionately call the conference a “class reunion” of the German blogosphere. The atmosphere is relaxed, but the conference gets to the heart of the matter as regards content: participants consider the web as a great opportunity to improve society and want to actively contribute to this change. Many of them have a political agenda: Daniel Domscheidt-Berg, the former WikiLeaks spokesperson who currently builds OpenLeaks, an alternative project for the distribution of secret information. Or Markus Beckedahl, founder of the influential weblog netzpolitik.org and co-organizer of the conference. He announced the foundation of an association called Digital Society which will in future represent the interests of users of open communication systems. Much attention was given to Gunter Dueck – as CTO of IBM one of the few speakers with a strong corporate background. With much wit, he covered a variety of topics in his lecture The Internet as Operating System of the Society seemingly effortless, from terminals to the changed idea of man. Accordingly, the Recording has quickly found its way to the internet. Worth seeing! (Material available in German only)
Bayer Tiergesundheit (Animal Health): Correct Piglet Livestock Management
The biggest reference book libraries and unlimited internet search options are of little use if you don’t have them on hand or can’t bring them along for hygienic reasons. This is a problem often faced by veterinarians and farmers. That is why Fleishman-Hillard developed the so-called livestock guidelines handbook for piglets for Bayer Tiergesundheit (Animal Health). The guidebook is clearly structured and easy to navigate – much like an index card system. And it is laminated – for convenient pocketing and taking along even to the barn. It contains a wealth of professional advice in compact form on all steps and measures necessary for raising healthy piglet livestock – from birth all the way to weaning.
The issues addressed by the guidebook include antenatal preparation, initial medical care, zootechnical measures, and general recommendations. In addition to specific instructions it contains a wealth of expert advice based on field experience and standard operating procedures as well as helpful hints for the implementation of a modern health management. Last but not least, the handy guidebook provides spaces for own notes or veterinarian’s recommendations.
The livestock guidebook for piglets is available free of charge either from attending veterinarian or from www.bayerfarm.de (available in German only). Apprentices, pupils and students can receive copies from Bayer Tiergesundheit for classroom education.
Platform for Energy Politics and Rural Areas
Primagas, one of Germany’s leading gas suppliers, in collaboration with Dutch SHV Gas, recently launched an initiative across Europe promoting energy supply to rural areas. Numerous Fleishman-Hillard offices are supporting our client in this task: e.g. our teams in Brussels, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Warsaw and London, all of whom are actively involved for Primagas. Under the heading “Future of Rural Energy in Europe“ (FREE), this Krefeld-based family-owned business is working to establish an interdisciplinary and independent platform dealing with energy policy issues in Germany. This initiative is aimed at the representatives from politics, industry and associations, and, naturally, at the consumers.
Nearly half of all EU citizens live in rural areas, the total of which cover approximately 90 percent of Europe. This fact notwithstanding, energy supply is still being geared primarily to the needs of urban centers. To boost the significance of rural areas for agriculture, cultural and economic development, and last but not least to bring about a change in energy politics, the FREE initiative is making a point of joining associations and NGOs alike on a European and national level. The initiative’s German-language website contains a wealth of information, case examples, and comprehensive link collections on follow-up technical materials.
This integrated communication approach includes events, a periodic newsletter in magazine format, and a website closely interrelated with the newsletter. Classic PR work informs relevant multipliers about the initiative’s goals. A political stakeholder program including discussions and statements are a valuable adjunct to the initiative’s activities across Europe. In Brussels and Berlin, concerted positions and harmonized demands are being forwarded along the regulatory framework directly to the political decision-making processes.
The FREE initiative demonstrates how integrated communication strategies are gaining increasing significance as the political and social perception of markets and actors is beginning to come out of the confines of the heavily regulated branches of industry. For some years now, this effect has been leading to an increasing dissolution of the classic silos between marketing, communication, and public affairs/government relations.
Rapid Response: Pitch Your Latest Story Angles for Instant Business Media Success
Getting a dose of the morning news is how communicators start their day. Even before breakfast, we are deluged with information from RSS feeds, Flipboard or – more traditionally – newspapers, radio, or breakfast TV. Be it the ecological disaster in Japan, the ash cloud emerging from Iceland, or another filched data CD from Liechtenstein: every single one of these news items has actively influenced and shaped our clients’ day-to-day business. At the same time, journalists’ analysis of current events depend on first-hand critical assessments. That is where we come in as our clients’ eyes and ears: by keeping a permanent eye on the latest news and screening them for potential communication leads. The resulting up-to-the-minute statements, aptly entitled ”Rapid Responses“, are disclosed to the journalists on a daily basis. A typical Rapid Response will contain two or three quotable sentences issued on any given subject by our clients’ management boards or CEOs. Experience has shown that these Rapid Responses are great for getting one’s foot in the door and getting established on a medium or even long-term basis as the daily and business press’s main contact for specific issues.
For example, the ash cloud from Iceland and the ensuing restricted air traffic were used as story angles to present our client Avaya’s state-of-the-art communication solutions in alignment with the benefits afforded by flexible working models. In another case a comment issued by Lumension Security on the latest cases of data theft helped support the editorial work of German dailies Handelsblatt and FAZ.
Permanent screening of the news pipe is essential to getting out prompt reactive statements. That is why we were well prepared once press inquiries about the effects of the earthquake in Japan on the high tech industry started to roll in.
Three Steps to Successful Rapid Responses:
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Step One: Start screening the daily news pipe first thing in the morning; keep an eye on the latest developments; identify relevant editors.
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Step Two: If something interesting for your client pops up, draft a short and crisp statement and obtain the quote source’s approval immediately. Short response times on all ends are of the essence!
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Step Three: Immediately forward the statement to the journalists in charge of the topic – if at all possible with any picture available. In some cases it may be helpful to ring the most important contacts beforehand and to offer the statement personally.
Ergonomics in the Workplace: Fellowes Trains Companies and Employees
Back problems, headaches, muscle tension and slipped disks are maladies of civilization and more often than not the consequence of a perennial sedentary lifestyle – whether at the desk, during meetings, or on airplanes. Why suffer when there are simple exercises and humble tools at the workplace that are powerful enough to alleviate or even prevent the majority of complaints?
To make the workplace healthier, Fellowes, supplier of office equipment and technology accessories for the private and office sector, has launched a campaign entitled ”Sit up to a smarter way of working”. Anyone interested will find a host of helpful hints all about ergonomic sitting and working under http://www.ergo.fellowes.com/ , including an offer for a free workplace analysis.
The campaign is based on an independent market study investigating workplace situations on behalf of Fellowes. Registered users will additionally have a shot at winning a Nintendo Wii.
In Germany, the campaign, which aims at raising consciousness for a healthier work style at the desk, is complemented by two Social Media Releases. One version is aimed at the employers, with a strong focus on the consequences involved for the companies, e.g. employee absenteeism and the related cost factor. The second version is aimed at the employees, with a focus on employee health complaints, and a host of helpful hints for improvement. Additionally, the team at Fleishman-Hillard also offered this issue, which addresses a wide target group, to a number of media from sectors such as health, lifestyle, general interest, and office equipment, personnel/HR and consumer electronics.
Do you sometimes have a painful wrist from the same repetitive mouse movements? Are your neck and shoulders tight? Do you have a burning sensation in your eyes? In that case, waste no more time and go straight to: http://www.ergo.fellowes.com/en/workstation-assessment
Additional details on Fellowes’ ergonomics campaign and lots of ideas on how to integrate products into a general-interest theme setting are available from Sabine Sikorski.
Location Tip: Ackselhaus in Berlin
Are you tired of spending your nights at the usual run-of-the-mill cookie cutter hotels where you barely remember which town you are in when you wake up in the morning?
Because we believe in a certain wellness factor as being very conducive to successful business trips, we presented an interesting accommodation alternative in Hamburg in our most recent Newsletter issue.
Thanks to the great feedback, we have decided to continue this series featuring customized, centrally located and very special hotels, this time presenting the Ackselhaus in Berlin.
The Ackselhaus is located right in the center of the trendy Prenzlauer Berg district and combines two Wilhelminian-style houses into a single, cozy boutique hotel with an extraordinary flair. The apartments and rooms are all theme-decorated in exotic safari, beach cottage, oceanic or Roman styles. All apartments and rooms are equipped with bathroom/toilet, with rates starting at 110 Euros. A romantic, secluded garden with many little nooks and crannies provides an oasis of relaxation right in the middle of hectic big city hubbub – perfect for unwinding or gathering your strength before embarking on Berlin’s famous dazzling nightlife, or one of the countless shopping meccas in Prenzl’berg, or your next business appointment.
To learn more about Ackselhaus please go to http://www.ackselhaus.de/
Do you have a special location tip for us? Please don’t hesitate to contact Julia Richter.
Contact
Fleishman-Hillard Germany GmbH
Markus Hermsen
Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 26
80331 München
Tel.: +49-(0)89-23 03 16-62
Fax: +49-(0)89-23 03 16-66
markus.hermsen@fleishmaneurope.com
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Gas supplier Primagas and Dutch SHV Gas launched initiative across Europe promoting energy supply to rural areas
