Vol.33: How to Develop Corporate Contents with Consistent Corporate Branding

The previous article Vol.32: 7 Requirements to Deliver Consistent Message Online & Offline was about requirements to deliver consistent message online and offline for synergy.

This article discusses developing online and offline contents to deliver consistent message with consistent corporate branding.

1. What kinds of corporate contents are there?

The following are some of the major corporate contents.

1) Company information

This is information about the company. This includes basic information and data of the company, company vision/strategy and statement including message from the top executive and history of the company to name a few. In short, they are the kind of web contents posted in “About Us” section of company websites and information included in company brochure.

2) Information for media - Press/news release

This was originally announcement/information delivered from the company to mass media exclusively but today it is accessible by the general public also with the emergence and proliferation of the Internet. Topics include everything, from management/corporate information such as company policy/strategy, organizational/leadership announcement and financial performance announcement to new products and services announcement.

3) Financial information (IR information)

This is company information focusing on financial information and other information relevant for investment. Topics range from message to shareholders, presentation (webcast, PPT materials etc.) and events schedule to annual reports. Press releases of financial performance announcement also fall under this category as well.

4) Career information

This is information relevant for job seekers. Topics range from basic company information and contents introducing their employees to event schedule and procedures of application. Some companies use basic company information mentioned above while some others tailor basic company information to meet needs of job seekers to make it separate content.

5) Information of other topics

Some companies have independent strategic corporate contents such as environmental preservation, sustainability/CSR, and Diversity & Inclusion. And in addition to annual report, many companies publish other reports of sustainability, CSR and environmental preservation. How they categorize differs from company to company.

2. Who are main targets of corporate contents?

In theory everyone can be target but assumed specifics (buying persona) depend on contents. For instance, it would be financial institutions and individual investors for financial (IR) information, media and journalists for press/news releases, job seekers for recruiting information, and business partners for company information and financial information.

In reality, it really depends on the objectives of the individual audience. What can be said is that people who access to corporate content are mostly current and potential business person.

3. How are branding and style?

From the assumed objective/ setting of usage and target, it is natural that branding and style of corporate content would be rather official (i.e. not too casual and personal). The degree of how much formal depends on the industry and company.

1) Visual

CI (Corporate Identity) logo and colour is usually developed and determined, and are used consistently throughout the content regardless of types of media/communication channels. CI is an intellectual property and the companies usually acquire copy right. And to assure consistent use of CI and consistent branding, most companies produce guidelines/manuals.

Key images are also usually created, determined in line with corporate branding and therefore this is usually of not too casual and personal. This is also used consistently regardless of types of media and communication channel/tools. Many companies include key image issues in their branding guidelines/manuals.

Design and layout is also usually kept conservative and simple compared to product and entertainment contents. Many companies include this issue also in their corporate branding guidelines and manuals.

2) Text

Corporate contents are usually subjective and their style of writing is usually of business writing. Headlines and texts are developed from company perspective. Body texts are usually written usually in third person. Sentence structure is usually kept simple. Clarity is also important and ambiguity needs to be kept to minimum. Some companies have guidelines or rules of text style, at least in writing press/news releases.

One of the possible exceptions of not being written in third person is content introducing employees to job seekers (new graduates). This is when, for example, it is in interview style or strategically written in first person, introducing the company and how it is working in the company from the eye of the employee.

4. What kind of media and communication channels are used?

Both online and offline media and communication channels/tools are used. Most common ones are website, online and offline news releases, and brochures (offline) and PDF files/HTM pages (online) of various reports and company information.

For online contents, use of rich content such as webcast (streaming content) is effective and in fact already used by many companies for delivering financial presentation, often together with presentation materials. This is a good way to deliver offline event information to as many online audiences as possible who cannot attend offline event. This is also a good way of online and offline integrated communication for synergy.

In addition, more and more companies make effective use of webcast (a few minutes online video) for other strategic contents as well with the popularization of YouTube. More use of effective use of rich content in addition to basic text (static) content is one of the assumed trends even in corporate contents.

5. What is the author’s conclusion?

Corporate contents are in general conservative, kept simple and business like because of the target and the nature of the content to deliver consistent message. Contents can be made attractive and effectively delivered by good designing, layout and text style. And for online contents effective use of web 2.0 technologies can make creative, rich contents. This has already been a trend, and is likely to continue in the future as well.

Underling the consistency is corporate branding. To assure consistent corporate branding, guidelines and manuals are usually developed and rolled out, covering issues such as CI logo, visuals and design/layout. This is applied to all contents and media/communication channels/tools.