Corporate Publishing Infel recently invited clients to an event. CP thought leader Manfred Hasenbeck spoke as a guest speaker on quality issues. In his opening remarks on the occasion of
At a customer event, Beat Schaller, managing director of Infel,
on our gut: It acts like a second brain; the
The importance of gut decisions should not be underestimated. These, stemming from the
Aspects familiar from advertising can also be found in corporate publishing (CP)
be applied. CP products stand out thanks to «Emotional Publishing»
the flood of advertising messages coming our way. But the customer magazine
is not the same as a customer magazine. Effective magazines cover the
Customers' need for balance (which provides guidance),
Dominance (being more intelligent, «smarter» than others) and stimulation
(atmospheric, stimulating).
Break the rules
«Corporate Publishing Guru» Manfred Hasenbeck, Managing Director of
BurdaYukom Medien in Munich and President of Forum Corporate
Publishing, which presented familiar topics in a lighthearted way and with plenty of linguistic wit
— such as the fact that the customer is looking for top quality at an affordable price
and that there is no longer such a thing as «the customer.».
However, companies must also draw their
Drawing conclusions. Hasenbeck criticized the customer magazine of a
a renowned automaker, which is thus targeting both the affluent
The clientele for luxury cars, as well as buyers of mass-produced vehicles
attempts to match the mid-range vehicles it manufactures. Above all,
Given that companies are targeting the 20-somethings with high purchasing power
Since approximately 80 percent of sales were generated by these, one must consider these
Customers can also do much more. Hasenbeck called on companies
Therefore, they should diversify their communication: In the area of
Corporate publishing encompasses a wide variety of media (channels),
including special features, case studies, retailer magazines, online newsletters,
Magazines, poster news, and so on.
The journalist explained that many traditional publishers lack
Innovation is lacking because it fails to reach the mainstream—that is, the general public—,
would have to use. With the corporate publishing tool, they could
Target audiences, on the other hand, can be reached more effectively.
Focus on «Uniqueness»
Today, companies must strive for uniqueness. This
Uniqueness is all the more important given that people in our regions
About 5,000 brand interactions take place every day. Here, there is enough
However, attracting attention is an extremely difficult
Attempt. Hasenbeck cites a study according to which citizens in
On average, people in Germany now read for only about twenty minutes a day.
His conclusion: If you want to stand out in print media, you have to
in order not to highlight and present unique characteristics
around.
In corporate publishing, uniqueness can be achieved by those who break the rules.
Perhaps the topics should be presented differently for this purpose,
than any other title or competitor did—perhaps because
"from a different perspective," Hasenbeck explained. Breaking the rules in the
The communication environment is all about capturing attention—this can only be done
already achieved by using a different paper size or landscape orientation
be
It is also becoming increasingly necessary to communicate via traditional
to operate beyond a single channel and across multiple channels (multi-channel)
Communication). One approach is to link a magazine with the
Internet, including integration with a customer relationship management solution
(CRM). The CRM can be used to track responses to
measure, so that activities (sales promotions) can also be included
can be started.
Magazine on a Memory Stick
Hasenbeck opted for a communication strategy based entirely on online channels
However, this raises several questions: This could allow top decision-makers
cannot be achieved, or can be achieved only with great difficulty. Based on this insight
As a result, his company began publishing a «Stick Magazine» as a supplement»
developed.
Memory sticks, which are very widespread and popular today and serve as the basis for
Hasenbeck views the use of this means of communication as
an ideal medium for information. In addition to being primarily intended for reading
The information presented there can include, above all, multimedia content
Content is conveyed. From customer interviews to media coverage
Through animation, Stick Magazine offers a different, broader way to access the
Target audience.
Jürgen Franck