CorpComms Magazine

When Royal Bank of Scotland led its ultimately ill-advised takeover of Dutch banking group ABN Amro in November 2007, it was glaringly obvious that employee communications during the merger would need some serious planning.

A change of any sort within an organisation is always a worry to employees but a takeover creates uncertainty about everybody's future. However, the first hurdle when it came to explaining the situation to employees was simply the sheer scale of the new group. Webcasting formed the core of the communication strategy for the new group, which was advised by streaming media and webcasting group Groovy Gecko.

'These were two huge organisations and you couldn't get everyone in the same room,' says Craig Moehl, managing director of Groovy Gecko. 'Lots of the staff watched webcasts about the merger during a multi-session conference. It was all about providing information on the viewers' own terms.'

Although it is the most obvious, size and geographical spread are not the only reasons many firms are turning to webcasting and streaming (a hi-tech method of distributing video) to manage employee communications.

In the current economic climate, the cost-effectiveness of webcast communications is particularly compelling, especially for organisations under pressure from other stakeholders to cut costs.

COST EFFECTIVE CHANNEL

Web video company BroadView found that a webcast it managed for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) came to just 50p per viewer - less than it would have cost to post a communication in paper form to all ACCA members, and that is before the time and cost of producing and printing the materials are taken into account.

'Overall, cost cutting is playing in favour of webcasting,' notes Joakim Jönsson, head of client development at communications specialist Cantos. 'In 2001, everyone pulled back their budgets but this time we are not seeing much scaling back on webcasting. It is the obvious alternative to sending 100 people to Frankfurt for three days. There are also travel restrictions and green initiatives within companies to consider.'

BroadView is currently mounting a campaign to promote what it terms 'hard-working communications to save time, money and carbon'. The group commissioned carbon management specialist co2balance to compare the carbon footprint of a traditional conference with that of a webcast carried out in New Orleans for doctors.

'We found that the people who watched online saved 17,222 times the carbon they would have used if they had gone in person,' says managing director Stuart Maister. 'That was with only 500 people watching - it saved half a football pitch-worth of trees.' The report took into account all the carbon emissions from the production of the webcast.

Groovy Gecko, which produces Live Presentation Systems (LPSs) for clients using webcasting as the main communication tool, says it costs around £5,000 to put one together. 'Just getting 350 people together in a room, with the planning, catering, equipment and so on is a lot more. Plus the webcast can be reproduced for other purposes,' says Moehl.

If you throw in the cost of people travelling from other countries, hotel expenses and catering bills, it becomes obvious that using a webcast to talk to employees will save money, even if you turn it into an event of its own.

TIME SAVING

Jönsson, who runs virtual conferences for clients, often from a series of 'hub' locations, uses the example of one client who had planned to convene 80 senior staff members in Miami for a conference. The bill was expected to be £500,000, so the client opted instead for a virtual conference using webcasting. The final cost was closer to £60,000, which included strategic advice about the messages, pre-recording of some webcasts and management of the virtual conference as it took place.

As Maister says: 'Time and money becomes a no-brainer. In a world where people travel less and there are fewer people in the organisation, you have to think about virtualising your messages.'

The effectiveness of communications via webcast is straightforward to measure, as it is possible to record exactly who has watched. Some companies even carry out online surveys at the end to check who was paying attention. However, the fact is that webcasts, which are produced to professional television standards these days, are much more likely to hold the attention of an employee.

Moehl, who refers to corporate webcasting as 'YouTube for Business', says: 'People don't come to work and just stop being consumers. The mark that YouTube has indelibly left on consumers is so great that when consumers turn into business people, they have been conditioned to expect video as a communications medium.'

INTERACTIVE MESSAGES

One way to ensure employees are engaged is to make a webcast interactive. This not only makes it more interesting, but also gives companies the tools to measure the response. It is possible to set up an interactive forum within which employees can air their concerns and ask questions as the webcast proceeds. The company can either respond during a live webcast, or make a second pre-recorded webcast later on.

Doing this is a much more powerful way to respond to staff, says Moehl. 'You can be seen to step up to the plate by addressing concerns but in a controlled way. It is important to show empathy and integrity, otherwise you look like you do not care.'

It is also possible to use polling during a webcast to gather information about the issues you are most interested in. For example, ask 'Have you seen evidence in your department that our new cost-saving strategy is having an impact on the bottom line? Yes or no'.

'You get immediate interaction,' says Moehl. 'Polling is a good way to gauge how people are feeling. You can obtain trends in thinking, which is very valuable to companies.'

Nicky Havelaar, director of Crown Business Communications, says: 'Webcasting, because it's web-based, can be multimedia - it need not be one-dimension, one-way communication. The video element can be integrated with a text presentation, include questions and answers, polling, an information or product pack, additional illustrative video, and use of an independent moderator.'

If it is done correctly, webcasting facilitates more democratic communications within an organisation, and makes employees feel that managers are concerned about their welfare.

ENGAGING OVERSEAS

'For 100 years, the ACCA annual meeting was held in central London. Every member was invited, but if you are in Beijing, that is pretty meaningless,' says Maister. 'Two years ago, we started webcasting the meeting and suddenly lots of people were watching it. This a major benefit from a purely democratic point of view.'

Jönsson adds: 'Five or six years ago, webcasting was about talking at people with Powerpoint slides. Now it is more about answering questions and listening to employees' concerns. If you ask for a vote on what part of a presentation to discuss in more detail, for example, it gives employees a feeling of empowerment, and the impression that the company really wants to engage and listen.'

Maister points out that a webcast can unify a company by transcending geographical limitations within an organisation. 'For example, if you do a webcast from your India office, featuring your staff in India to show how well they are performing, it makes it real, brings it to life, and helps overcome the idea of the India office just being out on the periphery somewhere.'

This aspect of webcast communications has widespread appeal. The ACCA, for instance, which has 15,000 members around the world, has found a much higher level of engagement since it started using webcasting.

Twice a year, the association produces an online television programme using webcasts for students to give them the opportunity to discuss issues and receive information and help with their studies. Last year, the Internet audience was 32,000.

Maister says: 'We solicit questions from members and put them to the senior ACCA people. On the last one we did, we had a guy in the studio who was very motivational about doing exams. If you are a student in Ghana, for instance, these exams cost a big part of your salary and take time in the evenings. And here, you are getting help and tips with how to get on with it, and hearing from others in the same situation.'

Similarly, accountancy group KPMG staged a virtual event with SAS Design last year featuring webcasts to promote its Global Mobility Programme, which allows people within its own firms to find jobs in other countries with sister firms.

'We presented 12 countries and had visitors to the virtual event from over 100 different countries,' says Paloma Alos, KPMG's director of global people, marketing and communications.

'It was totally interactive, with podcasts, videos and pre-recorded webcasts.' Participants were invited to register for any or all of the webcasts, which were played at specific times. They could then take part in live Q&A sessions. Around 700 people in each location logged in to take part on their computers. 'It helped to play the webcasts in a 'live' format, because it made it seem like a real event. It was much more compelling,' she says.

KEEP IT SHORT AND RELEVANT

Making a communication easy to digest will also help to keep the audience's attention. This can mean indexing a webcast to enable people to skip to the part they are interested in or it could mean offering the ability to register anonymously if staff might wish to air concerns without the fear of comeback.

Filming in short, bite-sized chunks results in viewers watching between two and six times more film time than they would if it were one long piece, according to Moehl.

'Furthermore, if you are delivering bad news, integrity comes across very well in a webcast - you are not hiding behind a piece of paper,' he says. 'If you have 400 people in a room, you may get mob mentality. Webcasting is a better way to control when and how the message goes out.'

Control is another appealing quality of webcast communications. Apart from the obvious benefit of being able to screen questions and comments, password-protect registration, and avoid the mob potential of a crowded meeting room, interactive webcasting can give managers the chance to steer discussion with employees. This may be by requesting questions or comments on a number of specific issues you wish to stick to.

IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK

'In a corporate communications environment, it is about structuring the conversations which take place,' says Maister. 'You don't want to just create noise. You want to create meaningful conversations. A webcast becomes a catalyst for immediate feedback and a way to drive the dialogue in the way you want.'

Webcasting can also produce a more effective cascade of information through an organisation than a meeting limited to a few individuals. 'Typically, senior managers go to a conference to hear a message from the top staff and then you get Chinese whispers,' says Maister. 'The webcast which is seen by everyone doesn't replace those meetings. It gets the ball rolling. Everyone is starting from the same place.'

Jönsson adds: 'If you fly 100 people to Frankfurt for three days, they come back to work on Monday and are immediately faced with a big pile of things to deal with. The first thing on their mind is not to pass on messages from the conference.

'But if you use a webcast to relay the information to everyone you want to reach, you inform them all at the same time and rather than it being up to 100 people to push the message out, you have thousands pulling it in from outside - by asking follow-up questions, highlighting issues with managers and so on.'

Webcasting can be used in a multitude of ways. It can be live or pre-recorded and downloaded by employees on demand. It can be interactive. It can take the form of a straightforward video interview, or a mini-documentary. It can take place by itself, or as part of a larger event.

If companies want 100 per cent attention then it might choose to stage a virtual conference over a few locations to ensure employees are not distracted by phone calls and emails while watching at their desks.

'You can virtualise events,' says Maister. 'Historically, a company event was something people turned up to, got something from and went away again. An event now is a content-creation activity. In a recession, you can't afford for everyone to fly in, and most people are not there. So webcasting has a value beyond the event. It can virtualise leadership.'

Whatever you do, it should be appropriate to the message and the circumstances surrounding it. Havelaar advises: 'The webcast needs to fit in with the story that sits behind the existing communications strategy and corporate culture, otherwise mixed messages and uncontrollable or unexpected responses can ensue, and it's difficult if not impossible to evaluate the impact of the message or provide effective follow-up.'

KEY MESSAGES REQUIRED

She adds that it is imperative to consider very carefully what the message is going to be. 'We work rigorously with our clients to ensure their core theme is identified, defined and expressed with clarity and economy. The piece of webcast communication may be a one minute update or a 30 minute debate about strategy, but each and every one should be approached thoughtfully, methodically and set within the context of the wider communications strategy.'

Getting a webcast right is crucial, because it has become such an important part of the communication process. As Diane Faulks, client director of Cantos, notes: 'When we first added the function to allow questions during our webcasts a few years ago, very few people would use it. But recently we did a webcast for a property company here and had 70 or 80 questions from among 200 viewers watching live. Webcasting was once seen as an add-on, but now it is very much the core.' 

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