The ad in Utne Reader stopped me short. “Celebrating 4orty Years of Fluevog,” said the little crosshead. (Cute, how more and more folks use numbers as letters.) The shoe photo was like the screaming siren that pulled me over, though—a yellow alligator flat, maybe quasi-alligator, with a silver buckle and a toe that could rival a Swedish steel razor. “Feet that turn heads,” said the tagline. Indeed.
Fluevog, a shoemaker with stores in major US and Canadian cities, tells quite a story on the Web. Oddly, despite the print ad, the sprawling site has no link to the company’s anniversary, not even in the Flueseum—though if you drill down far enough, you’ll find a line of 40th anniversary reissued styles. And there’s a subtle little “40 Years” logo as sharp as the shoe’s toe. I guess they didn’t run with their anniversary because most of these shoes and boots, cool as they are, are better for walking. www.fluevog.com
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
“About Us”: Pumpkin, Inc.
For ten years Pumpkin, Inc., based in
OVERALL GRADE: C-minus
The first problem with this “About Us” page is that it’s quite difficult to find. It doesn’t appear on the top or left menus, only at the foot of the page, as “Company.”
Products/Services: D
This About Us page desperately needs--right at the beginning--a brief description in layman’s terms of the CubeSat, with a link for easy access to technical details.
In cutting-edge technology, company history provides some assurance of reliability. Hence this page should mention, for example, how long the company has been in business and how many CubeSats have been launched or are booked to launch. Testimonials about the product and a mention of some clients would also help. Since the Forbes article mentions several Cubesat customers, that information is no longer confidential.
Given the nature of the product, we’d also like to see more photos. Why not emphasize the scale and the do-it-yourself nature of the kit with photos of the kit and the finished product, and perhaps a household object such as a soda can to give a sense of scale?
Personality: D
Pumpkin’s “About Us” page is high on techno-speak, low on information “About Us.” We’d like to see some of the background from the Forbes article, particularly the education and career of the founder, Andrew Kalman, and his connection with Professor Robert Twiggs of Stanford, an innovator in nanosatellites. This information does appear elsewhere on the site--but given that visitors to websites have limited time and attention spans, we suggest a summary on this page, with a link to other pages on the site for those who want more information.
Accessibility: B
The “Contact Us” link at the foot of the page is helpful, but even better would be a final paragraph telling potential customers the next step: “To begin your CubeSat mission, email us (link), call xxxx, or fax xxxx.” Since the company has been covered in a national publication that may rouse further media interest, we’d add, “For media inquiries call xxxx.”
TAKEAWAY
Most of the information that’s lacking on this page is presented elsewhere on the CubeSat site. But “About Us” is the page where a company can give potential customers the Big Picture: tell us what inspired the product, who developed it, how customers use it, what they say about it. On the “About Us” page, it’s not only acceptable to repeat fascinating information buried elsewhere on the site--it’s highly advisable.
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). Contact us if you’d like to have your site evaluated—there’s no charge and no obligation. Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
3 Minutes, 3 Cards, 3 Fewer Things to Worry About
In public speaking, a little preparation goes such a long way. I'm looking forward to three holiday get-togethers where guests may be asked to "say a few words." I've prepared by spending three minutes with Joan Detz's invaluable book entitled (what else) Can You Say a Few Words? Now I have three sets of notes ready, each on the back of a business card. Sure, I'll improvise, but the notes will keep me on track. Short and sweet is how I like my speeches, whether I'm the speaker or the audience.
Almost everything I know about speechwriting, in short or long form, I learned from Joan. Her seminars in Philadelphia are well worth attending. They've helped me not just with writing and speaking but with presenting and listening. Joan's 2011 schedule is at http://www.joandetz.com/.
Almost everything I know about speechwriting, in short or long form, I learned from Joan. Her seminars in Philadelphia are well worth attending. They've helped me not just with writing and speaking but with presenting and listening. Joan's 2011 schedule is at http://www.joandetz.com/.
Monday, December 6, 2010
About Us: LVMH Gets an A+
You’d expect a high level of quality on the website of the LVMH Group (LVMH Moet-Hennessy - Louis Vuitton): it’s the world’s largest luxury-goods conglomerate, with over 60 brands ranging from fashion and jewelry to perfume, cosmetics, and wine. Among them are Fendi, Donna Karan, Givenchy,
OVERALL GRADE: A+
Products/Services: A+
The brands owned by LVMH are famous for their quality. Under “LVMH Companies and Brands,” each is given a page to itself that includes a history emphasizing its distinctive character. The text is laid out well: an easily legible size, a manageable line length, with paragraphs and highlights that prevent the text from becoming a dauntingly solid block.
Given that we have to scroll to read the whole text of most of these descriptions, we love the “print” option directly below the description. Clicking it opens a new window in which the full text displays.
The visuals are perfectly chosen to convey the luxury and quality of each brand. Equally important for this type of product, the images are sized large enough to be seen and enjoyed--in fact, they’re given equal emphasis with the text.
Considering the number of brands within LVMH, we appreciate the fact that the navigation menu appears on the right side of every page, and that it even includes headings for LVMH’s philanthropic and environmental endeavors. Everything we might want to know is constantly available: no hitting the “back” button to get back to a page that offers all the options.
Personality: A+
The stars on LVMH’s site are not the management or employees, but the separate brands. As noted, the brands are well represented in text and in images. But we also like the fact that the contents of each brand’s page are set within a frame that bears the LVMH logo--an understated, visual way of reminding us what group this brand is part of. What could be less obtrusive than classic black serif letters on pale gray? On that note, one tiny cavil: The light gray body text could stand to be a little darker, maybe even classic black.
Accessibility: A+
The page for each brand includes, at the top, full name, mailing address, email, and website, all set off from the descriptive text by a simple graphic. When you click the “print” button, you automatically get all the contact information as well as the company description. No clicking on an extra link to reach a “Contact Us” page: what a relief!
It’s wonderful to see a site where every element of text and graphics conveys the company’s products and personality--not just competently but brilliantly.
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). Contact us if you’d like to have your site evaluated—there’s no charge and no obligation.
Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Dark Anniversary
Nine years ago today, Enron declared bankruptcy. Coming as it did on the heels of the 9/11 attacks, the event deepened the country's despair. How had Enron deceived so many for so long? Fortune® magazine had ranked it "America's Most Innovative Company" for six years running and dubbed it one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in America."
I always remember the words of a subsidiary head I interviewed for a book, a few months before Enron’s dirty dealings came to light. Let's call him X. “Enough of the widows-and-orphans stock mentality at this company. We’ve got to be more like Enron!” X declared. My recorder jumped as he pounded his desk for emphasis. I believe that "more like Enron” was simply his shorthand for “more innovative”—but X can only hope his transcript remains buried in his company's archives because his words could surely be used against him.
Funny, but after Enron self-destructed, X's company made its own financial stability and scandal-free history a subtle theme in its year-long centennial campaign. Suddenly it was a good thing (again) to be a widows-and-orphans stock with an unbroken record of paying dividends.
I always remember the words of a subsidiary head I interviewed for a book, a few months before Enron’s dirty dealings came to light. Let's call him X. “Enough of the widows-and-orphans stock mentality at this company. We’ve got to be more like Enron!” X declared. My recorder jumped as he pounded his desk for emphasis. I believe that "more like Enron” was simply his shorthand for “more innovative”—but X can only hope his transcript remains buried in his company's archives because his words could surely be used against him.
Funny, but after Enron self-destructed, X's company made its own financial stability and scandal-free history a subtle theme in its year-long centennial campaign. Suddenly it was a good thing (again) to be a widows-and-orphans stock with an unbroken record of paying dividends.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Happy 60th, Elektra Records
Big thanks to WNYC-FM’s John Schaefer for interviewing Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra and Nonesuch Records, about Elektra’s 60th anniversary. As John noted, “Elektra's parent company, Warner Music Group, is mining a treasure trove of photographs, memorabilia, and documents in a vast archive.” Elektra’s artists created the soundtrack of many lives, not least mine: Bread, The Doors, Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan (“Planet Waves,” his first #1 album), the three Toms – Paxton, Rush, Waits — Carly Simon, Hank Williams Jr., and on and on.
Riveting interview—I caught it on the car radio. Sat in my driveway to hear the end of it; didn’t want to miss 10 seconds. Check out Elektra’s site, too, which contains a one-hour video of Jac and Lenny Kaye (guitarist and label historian) chatting onstage at the 92nd Street Y.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/2010/nov/15/
http://www.elektra60.com/
Riveting interview—I caught it on the car radio. Sat in my driveway to hear the end of it; didn’t want to miss 10 seconds. Check out Elektra’s site, too, which contains a one-hour video of Jac and Lenny Kaye (guitarist and label historian) chatting onstage at the 92nd Street Y.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/2010/nov/15/
http://www.elektra60.com/
Monday, November 15, 2010
“Mad Men” Memoir Meta Musings
It’s a meta, meta, meta, meta world. Roger Sterling, the character played by the wonderful John Slattery, was composing his memoirs on last season’s “Mad Men.” Like any good 1960s male boss, he even spoke them into a Dictaphone. This week the book debuts as Sterling’s Gold: Wit & Wisdom of an Ad Man. The supposed gold dishes up program snippets rather than “real” memoirs. Clever, yet is it a missed opportunity?
Two real mad men come to mind, game changers both. Robert C. Townsend, the Avis CEO, created a brilliant book in 1970 that’s still in print, Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits. Short chapters hammered home pithy advice to fellow execs: “Call yourself up,” he urged. “Pretend you’re a customer. You’ll run into some real horror shows.” Townsend died 12 years ago. It’s only gotten worse, Bob. David Ogilvy’s trilogy, launched in 1963 by Confessions of an Advertising Man, was another touchstone. Ogilvy founded the agency that gave us the Man in the Hathaway Shirt (with his eye patch) and Schweppervescence. He was pompous, precise, prescient.
Too bad it took pioneering ad woman Mary Wells Lawrence until 2003 to publish her memoirs. By then the ad agency world had lost its fizz. But in its heyday the industry was fun, fun, fun—or so agency veterans say—and I wish “Mad Men” radiated even one-tenth of that spirit. The theme song is gloomier than a dirge, and is that figure plummeting downward in free fall a metaphor for the industry itself?
Two real mad men come to mind, game changers both. Robert C. Townsend, the Avis CEO, created a brilliant book in 1970 that’s still in print, Up the Organization: How to Stop the Corporation from Stifling People and Strangling Profits. Short chapters hammered home pithy advice to fellow execs: “Call yourself up,” he urged. “Pretend you’re a customer. You’ll run into some real horror shows.” Townsend died 12 years ago. It’s only gotten worse, Bob. David Ogilvy’s trilogy, launched in 1963 by Confessions of an Advertising Man, was another touchstone. Ogilvy founded the agency that gave us the Man in the Hathaway Shirt (with his eye patch) and Schweppervescence. He was pompous, precise, prescient.
Too bad it took pioneering ad woman Mary Wells Lawrence until 2003 to publish her memoirs. By then the ad agency world had lost its fizz. But in its heyday the industry was fun, fun, fun—or so agency veterans say—and I wish “Mad Men” radiated even one-tenth of that spirit. The theme song is gloomier than a dirge, and is that figure plummeting downward in free fall a metaphor for the industry itself?
Monday, November 8, 2010
"About Us" Evaluation: Million Dollar Round Table
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). Contact us if you’d like to have your site evaluated—there’s no charge and no obligation.
Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.
Million Dollar Round Table, founded in 1927, is an international network of leading insurance and investment professionals and advisors. It currently has over 31,500 members. Its “About Us” page is at http://www.mdrt.org/about/index.asp.
OVERALL GRADE: C
Accessibility: B
On the Million Dollar Round Table’s “About Us” page, the lower menu has a contact link for general information and a list of executives and titles. Since MDRT is a membership organization that doesn’t deal directly with the general public, this is adequate.
However, we’d like to see links for specific contacts after we read about them. For example: after the paragraph on the MDRT Foundation, give us the name and an email link for the person in charge.
Products/Services: C
We like the information in the first paragraph about the number of members and the worldwide scope of the association. The mission statement is rather vague: “To be a valued, member-driven, international network of leading insurance and investment financial services professionals/advisors who serve their clients by exemplary performance and the highest standards of ethics, knowledge, service and productivity.” If this page is meant to inform insurance customers and potential MDRT members (and it should be), then providing more details about what the MDRT does is essential. If the meetings and networking are the primary benefits of membership, why not organize them into a bulleted list, with a preliminary statement about the purpose of the meetings?
We are puzzled by the mention of a 9-point strategic plan. The link for it is only open to members; why even mention it here? Only the most important information should appear on any “About Us” page.
Personality: D
The opening paragraph of the page stresses how exclusive membership in the organization is. Why not tell us briefly how one becomes a member? Is the requirement still $1 million in sales, as it was in 1927 when the organization was founded? Is membership by application or by invitation? Here’s an opportunity to impress the general public with the quality of the membership.
Insurance salespeople, especially top producers, are usually superb communicators. Yet in the whole of this dense page, nothing “sells” us on MDRT. And we can’t find one specific person or organization to latch onto. We’d like to be impressed by the names and professional affiliations of some of the members -- the obvious ones would be those who have been leaders of MDRT. Also good would be a statement from a prominent member about how MDRT membership has benefited himself and others.
TAKEAWAY
MDRT’s “About Us” page has 760 words of text, but it doesn’t give us a clear idea of exactly what the organization does and exactly who’s involved in it. Mere quantity can’t replace thinking about who your audience is and how best to convey your personality and products/services to them.
"About Us" Evaluation: Cablevision
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). Contact us if you’d like to have your site evaluated—there’s no charge and no obligation.
Today’s example was chosen because Cablevision was in the spotlight throughout its highly publicized two-week dispute with News Corp. this fall. CorporateHistory.net uses Cablevision’s Optimum Voice and Optonline email services but otherwise has no ties to this company.
Cablevision (established in 1973), one of the nation’s largest providers of cable television and Internet, serves business and residential customers in the Metro New York area.
OVERALL GRADE: B-minus
On Cablevision’s site, the page headed “Corporate Information / About Cablevision” is one of three pages: the second shows company leadership, the third recent press releases. We’re looking primarily at the “About Cablevision” page, http://www.cablevision.com/about/index.jsp
Products/Services: B
The “About Us” page prominently lists the many services that Cablevision provides: Optimum Voice, Optimum Online, Optimum Wi-Fi, and so on. We’d like to see a brief mention of what makes Cablevision’s services unique or superior. Better equipment? A wider range of services? Better prices? The “About Us” page should offer an overview of the compelling benefits that might entice a potential subscriber, providing an incentive to sign up immediately.
Accessibility: B
Cablevision’s Contact link is in small print at the foot of the page, and there are links in the sidebar for residential or commercial customers -- but we often focus so intently on the text that we ignore sidebars and footers. Within the text of the page, we’d like to see some encouragement to sign up immediately, and a link for finding out if Cablevision’s service is available in one’s area.
Personality: C-minus
The corporate “About Us” page mentions the company’s humble beginnings in Long Island, but overall it’s rather impersonal. The page could be dramatically improved by giving a couple more sentences about the history of the company. Cablevision’s founder is still the
TAKEAWAY
Given Cablevision’s high news profile, we’d also like to see a link to a page of news stories presenting the company’s perspective. Odds are that Googling the company will give us a very mixed view at best, particularly with a class action suit by subscribers now in progress. Instead, Cablevision’s current news release page has no postings at all past Sept. 15. During a time of crisis communications, “About Us” pages should provide frequent updates or at least a link to such information.
One more point: The “About Us” page currently ends on a low note, with a paragraph noting that Cablevision no longer owns Madison Square Garden. An invitation for potential residential or corporate customers to get more information would be a much more upbeat ending.
Monday, November 1, 2010
"Fuel to Perform"
Gatorade's Evolution TV spot gets A++ for history. Whodathunkit? This ad snapped my head up during the World Series playoffs. Within two seconds it grabbed me with:
- the upbeat song ("If You Want a Revolution")
- the historical images (kudos for including women athletes)
- and the short onscreen titles (starting with "They balled on peach baskets" and moving on to pithy phrases like "Fuel to perform" and "Protein to recover").
Then comes the main message. "In 2010 we're changing the game again," with G Series foil packs rather than wasteful and oversized plastic bottles. On my next hot-weather bike ride, which granted won't happen until 2011, I'll be more likely to consider buying this stuff at the lunch break. Oh, and kudos to Gatorade's agency for fearlessly creating a 60-second ad. Some of us still have long attention spans, especially when the ad is as entertaining as this one.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
“About Us” Evaluation: Center Rock
Does your Web site’s “About Us” section accurately convey your organization’s history and capabilities? Every two weeks we evaluate one example, grading it in three areas that are key to potential customers: Personality (Who are you?), Products/Services (What can you do for us?), and Accessibility (How can we reach you?). Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company. Contact us if you’d like to have your site evaluated—there’s no charge and no obligation.
Center Rock is a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of air drilling tools and products, in business for 12 years. They were in the news recently for providing the drill bit that helped rescue the miners in Chile. Their About Us page appears below, or you can visit it at http://www.centerrock.com/content/about-us.
OVERALL GRADE: A-minus
Personality: A
We love the bios of Center Rock’s leadership team: they give names and faces to the company. The direct quotes and the description of their careers tell us what drives them, and gives us confidence in the company.
A minor point about the layout: putting the names and positions of the leadership team as headings, rather than part of the narrative, would make the page appear less dense -- hence more readable.
Accessibility: A
Full contact info is at the foot of the page. If we read the whole page and decide to pursue doing business with Center Rock, they’ve made it easy to do so.
Products/Services: B
The page opens with a summary of the company’s products: a good way to begin. We particularly like the fact that Center Rock lists the continents their equipment has been used on. It tells us their worldwide scope without the vagueness of “worldwide.”
We’d like to see a brief comment on what’s unique or innovative about the company, the sort of one- or two-sentence summary that an intelligent nonspecialist (such as a reader of the Wall Street Journal) would understand. Information of this sort appears elsewhere on the site, but it’s important enough to be on the “About Us” page. This would also be a great place to mention awards or testimonials.
TAKEAWAY
Center Rock’s contribution to the rescue of the miners in Chile should be prominently mentioned on the About Us page, with a link to the Wall Street Journal story and to Center Rock’s own press releases. Any other major projects Center Rock has contributed to should be mentioned briefly here, with links to further information.
When writing the “About Us” page, it’s important to remember that visitors may not have time to browse the whole site. Give us the most important information and make it easy for us to find out more, if we need to.
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