August 2015 | Dunk Design

Internal comms – transformational heroes!

But why and what role is marketing communications playing?

As the roles in what “was” traditional human resources evolve further, we see the parallel evolution of what I’m calling “internal comms”. These are the marketing practitioners who focus their skills on employee engagement, talent acquisition, change management, brand development, and the list goes on.

These are the champions who work with corporate communications specialists, who focus on investor relations and CSR; as well as external facing brand and marketing specialists, who focus on connecting with customers and markets for commercial success; and with HR colleagues, who are driving employee engagement across the entire employee & employer relationship.

Phew! A lot to ask.

So how exactly is internal comms evolving?

Peter Cheese, Chairman of the CIPD, gave us some context at a London HR Connections event back in January of this year.

He said we were at an inflection point in business thinking, and it’s the most exciting time for HR. He also said we need a bonfire of HR policies and to look at employee engagement differently.

He was talking about the changes in how we work, where we work and the scope of our roles. So with more virtual working, networked business models and even brand partnerships, the landscape for the internal communications role is facing a revolution.

But marketing disciplines are changing too and this is where our internal comms heroes can steal the lead in this revolution.

The age of the company intranet is over. Sharepoint, Yammer, GoogleDocs, and even our favourite emojis on IM are all changing the way we align and engage with our colleagues and the employer / employee relationship.

Internal comms practitioners are at the heart of this revolution and are able to engage with performance data, behavioural economics and organisational design.

These are the individuals who are networked into the data scientists supporting corporate communications analyst-packs; as well as the marketing and design agencies that are delivering cut-through campaigns for customers; and the IT infrastructure teams that are helping HR connect with every single employee.

Theirs is the little black book worth having; and you can bet your bottom dollar that, for them, it’s no longer about newsletters and the company intranet. Now it’s all about well designed messaging that supports a fully integrated campaign across multiple platforms and metrics.

Take a second look at your internal comms people, they’re an asset worth knowing for the future.

The dawn of brand confidence.

But what next?

We at Dunk Design think we’re starting to see brand confidence pervading brand provenance in the restaurant sector.

We went to Hawksmoor in Knightsbridge this week and the simplicity and clarity in their menu design, and understated provenance, gave the impression that this brand really knows what it is doing.

Less is always more in my eyes. It’s a steak house, with superior seafood options and cracking cocktails.

Research undertaken back in 2012 by foodservice analysts Horizon showed that, although people are exposed to more exotic tastes via the media and wanted to see innovation from their casual dining experience, the top 10 most commonly listed dishes remained largely unchanged. People still want steaks, burgers, pizzas and fish and chips from their casual dining.

So as economic and consumption trends tell us that ‘experience’ will become the tradeable commodity of the future, what does this mean for the casual dining sector?

How will design change – specifically menu design?

Yes, consumers have wanted innovation in the past but we think their behaviours then and now suggest otherwise, and 2016 will see a shift back to the confidence of your choice in ‘experience’ … rather than a noisy menu with vintage brand elements assaulting your senses.

All the tricks of the trade, including menu layout, anchors, pricing and overall language surrounding food provenance will be replaced by a simplicity that allows the brand to be truly who it wants to be.

Hawksmoor is already there. This is a brand that isn’t trying too hard to be everything to everyone. It has a clear menu, with a clear and superior experience.

Although the casual dining sector, including managed pubs, has seen growth over the past 12 months we think consolidation of concepts is on the horizon.

So what role will your brand play? And how can you inject more confidence into your brand provenance?

Take a look at Hawksmoor, or better yet, visit. It will be worth your while.

Is the age of nostalgia over?

Huh!? OK, let me explain.

Taken under the wing of Richard Caring back in 2009, we think he saw something in Bill’s concept the rest of us missed. We think he saw a trend for food provenance and brand provenance, and its power with consumers who have little trust in an age of austerity.

Think back to the 2012 Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee, when you were organising street parties with Union Jack bunting and getting all nostalgic about what it meant – then and now – to be British. And witness our very own Instagram-eyed Boden catalogue with its whiff of vintage re-tooled as aspiration.

In my view this has all helped to accelerate an abundance of reassurance messages in brand provenance – now so prevalent in the food and casual dining sectors, it has fundamentally changed food retail design.

So Bill’s brand – starting as a deli concept in 2001 designed around organic and local produce – really took off and continued the theme of authenticity through all communication. It was the right brand in the right place at the right time. And the interiors, menu design and their partnerships all truly support the provenance of their brand.

It’s not just about where the food has come from, but also where they’ve come from.

So are restaurants like Bill’s and Jamie’s Italian riding the wave after a perfect storm? A perfect storm which sees us exhausted with the worry of cost and heading for casual dining; taking refuge in the warmth of authenticity driven by nostalgia and provenance?

We’re now seeing more relaxed design and matey-matey Jamie Oliver/Jimmy Doherty conversational language, however there is now evidence of a rejection of the over use of pointless adjectives.[1] The likes of ‘infused’, ‘drizzled’ or ‘warmed on a bed of organic air’ are beginning to irritate diners whose expectations and savvy is improving in the wake of casual dining growth.

We’re also seeing a rejection of the graphic noise that has surrounded some brands. Those more confident in their overall brand are beginning to simplify their menu layout and structure – avoiding the paradox (and sometimes panic) of too much choice.

Now we’re seeing economic growth – and potentially a new experience is what we want. Our heel-snapping, social-media-chomping Millennials may be continuing to drive a focus on honesty and authenticity, but is the abundance of colourful messages in the casual dining sector turning into white noise?

Will we be yearning for a simpler but more genuine experience when we’re eating out?

Could nostalgia be replaced with something else?

[1] 8th May, 2013 @Amy_Fleming http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/may/08/restaurant-menu-psychology-tricks-order-more

A lesson in content.

Why? Because it’s so intellectual. It truly makes me ‘think’ and it takes me time to understand every piece, from the front cover to the back cover.

I love it.

It is the kind of content that is definitely King. The irony is that the Queen is the Patron of the RSA, so I suppose it’s fitting the content is of a royal standard.

But this issue is about policy and governments, driving growth and innovation. And the thing that has struck me most is the use of the words ‘growth’ and ‘innovation’.

Just like my addiction to my RSA Journals – and I still have the full collection from the date I became a Fellow – I feel like the words ‘growth’ and ‘innovation’ are good, great and exciting; but somehow wrong, out-of-place, or even dirty in the context of this content.

In fact, they’re being redefined in the context of what I’m learning about, what our future society could look like.

This content is changing me, not just passing me by.

So while I’m trying to understand Market Failure Theory and why social networks, the entrepreneurial state and policy must change, I’m reminded of why content is king.

Good content changes the way we become aware, consume and understand a message. The story changes around us by those influencing us, as well as by how the message is delivered. And this can happen fast.

We can now consume information so fast, in such enormous quantities, that we’re sometimes not sure where we heard it, or the context.

So as entrepreneurs, communities and marketers, facing enormous change, I wanted to remind you of a brand that remains consistently compelling through a truly effective content strategy…..and tip my hat to the RSA for maintaining their purpose.

Challenge me, inspire me, educate me and empower me. And never steer away from your content strategy – it is at the heart of what makes you great.

Internal comms – transformational heroes!

The dawn of brand confidence.

Is the age of nostalgia over?

A lesson in content.

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