tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76033536134794618862024-03-13T02:23:37.812-04:00Corporate Storytelling & Business Anniversary TipsCorporateHistory.net, a custom publisher and history consultancy, offers tips and tools to leverage company history and business anniversaries.info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-72043151129264843322015-12-31T13:00:00.000-05:002015-12-31T13:00:07.734-05:00New Year, New Blog<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPasZjwh21mh2l0UPopgdAOKV6aTsVB8b2ag2qiwATs1LHuJ5OGn-OQZCg5a7Ikw5i-ZDk-hRRP1FMUw0PFdwkBvXtd6fT9Kp_T-Bh37WIsx7l6Hlfuij7tKrrRHXZG0LvWL4IoJaf0M/s1600/NYPL+Jan+1+datebook+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPasZjwh21mh2l0UPopgdAOKV6aTsVB8b2ag2qiwATs1LHuJ5OGn-OQZCg5a7Ikw5i-ZDk-hRRP1FMUw0PFdwkBvXtd6fT9Kp_T-Bh37WIsx7l6Hlfuij7tKrrRHXZG0LvWL4IoJaf0M/s320/NYPL+Jan+1+datebook+image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art courtesy George Arents Collection,
The New York Public Library. <br />
Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-8261-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99</td></tr>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Starting January 4, 2016, we invite all Blogger.com and Blogspot.com readers -- and everyone interested in corporate history and business anniversaries -- to follow us at our blog's new home, <span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.corporatehistory.net/blog/">http://www.corporatehistory.net/blog/</a></span> <br /><br />The CorporateHistory.net team sends best wishes for a superb New Year's weekend! </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.corporatehistory.net/blog/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></a></span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-26930695297426730402015-12-16T11:18:00.001-05:002015-12-16T11:18:19.130-05:00Microsoft Stories<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8mt87dlyIYaMoNBhzR2IJWlQCT7zomDUXEjEr8RdhD84mXtvS6vyHxlmb3iytgqzhMwI-i3ZTAbTW09E4I4lyEDrjwosAZtiNsFUVLYaBAysQRLjQ78q2snrI3nIuJzA4Uz3-CuSxAU/s1600/Microsoft+stories+homepage+cropped.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8mt87dlyIYaMoNBhzR2IJWlQCT7zomDUXEjEr8RdhD84mXtvS6vyHxlmb3iytgqzhMwI-i3ZTAbTW09E4I4lyEDrjwosAZtiNsFUVLYaBAysQRLjQ78q2snrI3nIuJzA4Uz3-CuSxAU/s400/Microsoft+stories+homepage+cropped.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://news.microsoft.com/stories/index.html<br />Echoes the classic company print magazine but optimized for online reading.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remember company magazines and employee newsletters? All of us corporate history researchers and archivists have paged through them. They proliferated through the 20th century as the chief means of internal and external communications, and they remain a source of memory-keeping for companies without formal archives or annual reports. These publications were usually quite good, with news and features by top-notch writers (often journos who jumped ship) and strong photography to match. The <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/stories/index.html" target="_blank">Microsoft Stories blog </a>is today's version of these mags: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the requisite C-suite foreword (Brad Smith's "In the Cloud We Trust" is as long as a keynote speech and may have been one), numerous </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">well-written profiles, and clever cartoons by Hugh McLeod that I particularly enjoyed (example below). Compared to 20th century print publications Microsoft Stories actually goes one better, as it can function as a recruitment tool as well. My only cavil is that it may offer too much of a good thing, at least in one place. The home page scrolls down to offer dozens of articles. I'd rather have a pull-down list of extras to choose from.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> But, all in all, a great example of corporate storytelling.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWSbEkyToCFjWA9-y8P1hofdxaUHmXFrF_YgK8MeVBw3uffmxmPQ9peQTARFKgd365z-Ydtd5c9KW8UZLz6mfbUDKKwPsIfzaw47r7wDFRl7AJviA90v6rs_M81vwFQRfQCSbr3tg3SA/s1600/microsoft+stories+hugh-macleod-illustration-time-love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWSbEkyToCFjWA9-y8P1hofdxaUHmXFrF_YgK8MeVBw3uffmxmPQ9peQTARFKgd365z-Ydtd5c9KW8UZLz6mfbUDKKwPsIfzaw47r7wDFRl7AJviA90v6rs_M81vwFQRfQCSbr3tg3SA/s320/microsoft+stories+hugh-macleod-illustration-time-love.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
</h2>
From cartoonist Hugh MacLeod’s "illustrated guide to life <br />inside Microsoft," part of the Microsoft Stories site<span class="offscreen"></span><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-6732071156560044812015-12-07T12:59:00.002-05:002015-12-07T12:59:43.503-05:00Oral history of a 1950s company town<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-k4_3KKswTn6RKZVo_tE-V_-dXb1NifMlytBDpLYVHz3s4xwyK__wxf0ZbcYxZOvDSbAhFLAyYbrE7EenY7wF09haiSiB0w_3CHlpab5goA0sJ5aERyoX8ps8o-vc0Frz0UGZVAR33mE/s1600/marketplace+Pike+County.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-k4_3KKswTn6RKZVo_tE-V_-dXb1NifMlytBDpLYVHz3s4xwyK__wxf0ZbcYxZOvDSbAhFLAyYbrE7EenY7wF09haiSiB0w_3CHlpab5goA0sJ5aERyoX8ps8o-vc0Frz0UGZVAR33mE/s320/marketplace+Pike+County.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norm and Betty Jo Anderson, Piketon, Ohio 2015.<br />Credit: Lewis Wallace, Marketplace.org</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kudos to Lewis Wallace of Marketplace.org for a fascinating oral history of Piketon, Ohio, which is struggling with Cold War era nuclear cleanup. It was once the quintessential company town. Great use of voices, especially those of Norm and Betty Jo Anderson. Norm: </span><br />
<div class="Normal1">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“It’s hard to tell people of the magnitude of those buildings,” [The one he worked in had 33 acres to a floor.] "And those were concrete floors. Can you imagine pouring 33 acres of concrete?” Now they're demolishing it. </span></div>
<span style="line-height: 1.42857em;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.marketplace.org/2015/12/04/economy/nuclear-cleanup-work-sustains-ailing-ohio-town#.VmXF-iOqHa0.blogger">Nuclear cleanup work sustains ailing Ohio town | Marketplace.org</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.portsvirtualmuseum.org/history-goodyear.htm"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">http://www.portsvirtualmuseum.org/history-goodyear.htm</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-56250665825497170072015-12-03T10:43:00.000-05:002015-12-03T10:43:12.315-05:00Turning Customers Into Cultists<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhk64lxoR0ixjvOlJzLtK4QSK9kNnFqVs6zWebbig3_TarFnd7MZAND9k_cpTFOoDYd5GskW5VcYxb7MKETFo1oNHgThVC4ogE-mnzP-ELXFKcKzb_wGbyfE-HYai3lAlbHM3FQyTA6k/s1600/apple+cult+image+The+Atlantic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhk64lxoR0ixjvOlJzLtK4QSK9kNnFqVs6zWebbig3_TarFnd7MZAND9k_cpTFOoDYd5GskW5VcYxb7MKETFo1oNHgThVC4ogE-mnzP-ELXFKcKzb_wGbyfE-HYai3lAlbHM3FQyTA6k/s400/apple+cult+image+The+Atlantic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration (c) Matt Chase from <i>The Atlantic</i>, December 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="hed" itemprop="headline">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Turning Customers Into Cultists" by Derek Thompson ran in <i>The Atlantic </i>and is </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">well worth a <a href="http://theatln.tc/1yqmoCq" target="_blank">read or re-read</a>. It explains why the release of a new iPhone rouses buyers to "squat for hours outside the nearest Apple store like Wiccans worshipping before Stonehenge" (ha!). Thompson also explores how brands are learning to cultivate identity and community in their corporate storytelling -- not quite to the extent of <i>cult</i>-ivating, we hope. </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-1227014171602446362015-11-24T12:08:00.004-05:002015-11-24T12:08:43.129-05:00150 Years at Shaw University<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNjTpdL8goIjL3ZQEukhqdN20gnq6sZGALQwH6le_KAO2GqW_p1lyRVlAMdwFicEE5JDwAApq7zJD4d8Jb5swDQO-82bqULN_WqnvpTO0H87u6NdgGE-B3gmdJYzoEn2IXVChQeYnk_o/s1600/Shaw+150header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNjTpdL8goIjL3ZQEukhqdN20gnq6sZGALQwH6le_KAO2GqW_p1lyRVlAMdwFicEE5JDwAApq7zJD4d8Jb5swDQO-82bqULN_WqnvpTO0H87u6NdgGE-B3gmdJYzoEn2IXVChQeYnk_o/s400/Shaw+150header.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.shawu.edu/150/" target="_blank"></a>Kudos to Shaw University, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the US's first historically black college, on its upcoming 150th anniversary. Shaw has obviously put time and thought into a far-reaching campaign. <i>Business anniversary tip:</i> These key elements, highlighted on a <a href="http://www.shawu.edu/150/" target="_blank">dedicated section of Shaw's website</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, are worth emulating:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Timeline with good photos and visuals</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Invitation to alums and friends to Share Your Story </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Events such as a 150 Voices concert, Bear Witness gathering, Founders' Convocation, and gala dinner dance </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Blount Street Mural Project in the surrounding community</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Invitation to donate--straightforward, well-written--a must for nonprofits</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The only thing that may be missing is a print component. Is there a book or publication to mark this momentous landmark? I'm especially curious because Shaw has been open to all races, creeds, and genders from Day One, a most unusual attribute for a college founded in 1865. (The photo below shows the class of 1907. My own alma mater, Rutgers College, was founded in 1766 but did not admit women until 1972.) Shaw alums include New York State's first black legislator, Edward A. Johnson (class of 1891), pioneering pilot and flight instructor </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ida Van Smith</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> (class of 1939), and Angie Brooks,</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> president of the UN General Assembly (class of 1950). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB75CpcbonpnG15CYxsQGDKef1dXdUhn1g8ZqEraU9QSLNR_dGlqZwL3CIwNtY5379qmcuzmoulyiqZvFaax1oX4OLnE7D1-l_u9bOxMcQriWECYeLidA4wDst-9YpJnzRc4aJDAOn71k/s1600/Shaw+Univ+Classof1907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB75CpcbonpnG15CYxsQGDKef1dXdUhn1g8ZqEraU9QSLNR_dGlqZwL3CIwNtY5379qmcuzmoulyiqZvFaax1oX4OLnE7D1-l_u9bOxMcQriWECYeLidA4wDst-9YpJnzRc4aJDAOn71k/s320/Shaw+Univ+Classof1907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-50310333867592202402015-11-18T17:40:00.000-05:002015-11-18T17:40:04.449-05:00How Authentic Is Your Brand?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxEHJ7ukprxMiDCGeLaO4pyaJdYjG-ri6uScTeB-_C2wZJxNaxh2UVHJjEuPcU0pBX_m9yy9E5afvM2GG9oRVSbbuCoXO07AGjU_weHUaywCbZGGW5SeR3ISHCvpZWXT2fGyL91VJYI4/s1600/Economist+authenticity+image+by+Brett+Ryder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxEHJ7ukprxMiDCGeLaO4pyaJdYjG-ri6uScTeB-_C2wZJxNaxh2UVHJjEuPcU0pBX_m9yy9E5afvM2GG9oRVSbbuCoXO07AGjU_weHUaywCbZGGW5SeR3ISHCvpZWXT2fGyL91VJYI4/s320/Economist+authenticity+image+by+Brett+Ryder.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Consumers say they want 'authentic' items and brands, but what does that mean? Corporate storytelling plays a big part in backing up those words. <i>The New York Times </i>makes this point: "You could argue that these stories are a reaction against goods delivered by container from China, to be bought at Walmart." <a href="http://nyti.ms/1BdFGfA." target="_blank"><i>http://nyti.ms/1BdFGfA. </i> </a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the bracingly sardonic style that <i>The Economist </i>musters so well, a November 14, 2015 article by Schumpeter states: "Shoppers at Whole Foods can peruse scintillating biographies of the chickens they are about to casserole . . . . authenticity is far easier to pull off when your product has some real-world qualities that its competitors lack. The most striking recent example is that of America's craft beers." <a href="http://econ.st/1Oe5LTc" target="_blank"><i>http://econ.st/1Oe5LTc </i></a>(Illustration copyright 2015 </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Brett Ryder; it appears with the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>The Economist </i>piece.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Your brand storytelling develops authentic muscle when it's based on your corporate history. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i> </i></span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-75325451136847708042015-11-10T16:42:00.002-05:002015-11-10T16:42:54.728-05:00Stay Tooned for King Features' 100th Anniversary Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxi_lGAGjd33sKEVP39b3BSTpjQ0pL8EFSWHf3IDukVtLEmg5iz7oNoUIxaE713P_wlryeHpDd8DQW5KS7VJZWjbkcNeGIOAuo4EdizOG1Dt1o4Q3v5AxJsVAvJQvhFSPdNjY2teug9w/s1600/KingFeatures100thAnniv+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxi_lGAGjd33sKEVP39b3BSTpjQ0pL8EFSWHf3IDukVtLEmg5iz7oNoUIxaE713P_wlryeHpDd8DQW5KS7VJZWjbkcNeGIOAuo4EdizOG1Dt1o4Q3v5AxJsVAvJQvhFSPdNjY2teug9w/s320/KingFeatures100thAnniv+book.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On Sunday, November 15, King Features Syndicate will celebrate its company anniversary with a fun freebie for US newspaper readers: a 16-page insert featuring KFS strips from Krazy Kat and Popeye to Flash Gordon, Beetle Bailey, Blondie and Dagwood (my personal favorite), Prince Valiant, and dozens more. <i>Business anniversary tip: </i>Could your organization do the equivalent, using its own legacy images and distribution system? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Better yet, King Features also commissioned a substantial <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/king-of-the-comics-one-hundred-years-of-king-features-syndicate/" target="_blank">anniversary book,</a> shown above. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mainstream cartoons in newspapers have gotten a bit soft in the past decade, but great stuff can still be found in the monthly <a href="http://funnytimes.com/" target="_blank">Funny Times</a> and elsewhere. And, of course, artists/writers such as Alison Bechdel have transformed the genre. Cartoonists with a bite are among the undersung heroes of American culture.</span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-82492288441981043002015-11-03T17:51:00.002-05:002015-11-03T17:51:21.957-05:0050 Years of Space History in 20 Pages<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsEQ2KM1TSIaw6rRKEEue9MoOriNFRGNPiKJ4HpbgvytHmuEMOWEVFgNRSYCe4uTXK5dvz7Ypmlb-t56hW7FGsSe-HwYqa43nL87oOOFWvcKFYiRxqq3GgZujqarQg-5E_G7NxitmrjQ/s1600/Flight+Loads+Lab+at+50+jpg_Page_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsEQ2KM1TSIaw6rRKEEue9MoOriNFRGNPiKJ4HpbgvytHmuEMOWEVFgNRSYCe4uTXK5dvz7Ypmlb-t56hW7FGsSe-HwYqa43nL87oOOFWvcKFYiRxqq3GgZujqarQg-5E_G7NxitmrjQ/s320/Flight+Loads+Lab+at+50+jpg_Page_01.jpg" width="247" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While space travel isn't my favorite subject, I'm nonetheless impressed with this 20-page publication covering 50 years of what's now known as the Neil Armstrong Flight Center. It came to our attention as a fellow winner of an 2015 APEX Award. The cover is a bit busy and hard to read, but the interior is organized magazine-style. <b>Business anniversary tip:</b> Test your cover for readability at small sizes. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Per the APEX
Awards judges' review: "This special issue, focused entirely on the 50
year history of the Neil Armstrong Flight Research Center, carries a lot
of appeal. Interesting spreads, dramatic, well-chosen photos, in-depth
captions — and writers and editors who know how to convey often complex
technical and engineering subject matter in a very interesting and
engaging way — make it a keeper." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">See the whole publication here: </span><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/FLL%282%29.pdf">Flight Loads Lab at 50</a>. <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Congrats to creators Jay Levine, X-Press Editor and Christian Gelzer, NASA Armstrong Historian, Jacobs Technology/NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA </span><br /> <br /> info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-42103962467434736462015-10-26T14:57:00.001-04:002015-10-26T14:57:50.763-04:00CorporateHistory.net now mobile-friendly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iI6FMfdY6bCVZL3D7TBspSTnpwnRE-xzt_j0geDy599sV3NVnOvcR6LZ530-R0AqpiSSbCbfRBvmtfcob7U0h-m6Tq029p2nIf-qeYNbmZmccj8ILtkvrggHqmRxKuCzDa1iYRoJ8PM/s1600/smartphone+shot+Google+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iI6FMfdY6bCVZL3D7TBspSTnpwnRE-xzt_j0geDy599sV3NVnOvcR6LZ530-R0AqpiSSbCbfRBvmtfcob7U0h-m6Tq029p2nIf-qeYNbmZmccj8ILtkvrggHqmRxKuCzDa1iYRoJ8PM/s320/smartphone+shot+Google+test.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We're celebrating our own 10th business anniversary with a fresh new website. Check out http://corporatehistory.net on smartphone, tablet, or good old desktop and tell us what you think. Kudos to our intrepid web designers at cdeVision in Holyoke, MA -- </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bill and Antonio, you're the best. </span><br />
<br />info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-3624232543840815812015-10-19T06:39:00.001-04:002015-10-19T06:39:38.910-04:00How to Write a Great Website Timeline (Part 3)<div class="MsoNormal">
History faces tough competition on the Net: when was the
last time you shared a website timeline? Before we talk about the details of <a href="http://www.ge.com/about-us/history/1878-1904">General Electric’s timeline</a>,
let’s note that not only were we intrigued enough to look through each of the
12 pages of the timeline (starting with 1878), but we spotted two items so
irresistible that one of our writers shared them on Facebook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBeNv00Uzx3twUr8sGKcOpTpcJ0WXPNS_BKQGj_9gxRpDuFhLcYs0rhuHYNwCtZ7uCAP7yxMUlTB0oIC-DcPINF0rYs9aO8MCNV_GgX90DTrpAQlCNmiVa9CPXm0MY4puFO999k5rzFk/s1600/GEtimeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBeNv00Uzx3twUr8sGKcOpTpcJ0WXPNS_BKQGj_9gxRpDuFhLcYs0rhuHYNwCtZ7uCAP7yxMUlTB0oIC-DcPINF0rYs9aO8MCNV_GgX90DTrpAQlCNmiVa9CPXm0MY4puFO999k5rzFk/s320/GEtimeline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What makes General Electric’s web timeline so great? Let’s
look at it in terms of the questions and <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-to-write-great-website-timeline.html" target="_blank">guidelines </a>in our first post on this
topic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>1. Audience(s).</b>
The timeline is focused on GE’s spectacular achievements across a wide range of
fields, over more than a century. There’s no mention of mergers and
acquisitions, but after reading a few pages, we were sorry we hadn’t invested in
its stock a century or so ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2-3. Major events and
structure</b>. If you want a quick overview of the company history, the leading
paragraphs of the 12 segments combine to form a coherent story. The breaks in
the timeline are irregular (1878-1904, 1905-1912, etc.) - presumably so that
major events can be featured in the segment’s leading paragraph.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those who want more information, the second section -- below
the leading paragraph on each page -- offers a series of 8 or more major events
in a slideshow of a very superior sort. Each major event has a well-chosen
photo and a brief description of the event and its importance. (See #4 below.) The
navigation bar beneath each event (with simple, obvious left and right arrows)
summarizes this major event in a few words, <i>and</i>
states how many events are in this particular sequence. Someone at GE knows how
to work with short attention spans!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4. Context.</b> The text
for each major event puts corporate history in the wider historical context. For
example, from <a href="http://www.ge.com/about-us/history/1913-1924">1913</a>:
“<span lang="EN">GE develops the hot-cathode, high
vacuum X-ray tube. By replacing the cold aluminum cathode with the hot tungsten
filament in a high vacuum, the company could provide tubes with better control
and greater output than had ever been achieved. The development greatly
facilitates the use of X-rays for diagnosis and treatment.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>5. Images.</b> The
leading paragraph on every page has an image, and so does every single major
event. The images are large enough to see, but small enough to flip through
easily: a tricky balance to achieve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Below the leading paragraph and the major events is a
wonderful third section: a series of GE advertisements from the period. As a
brief history of advertising styles these are great fun. But even better: every
single one shows how cutting-edge GE’s products were and still are. (<a href="http://www.ge.com/about-us/history/1935-1945">1939</a>: “General Electric
Television Receivers! Thrilling reception of exciting events as they happen!”)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>6-7. Layout and
navigation.</b> The three-part layout for each page of the timeline is easy to
grasp: leading paragraph, series of major events, sample GE advertisements.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The layout is the sole point where the GE website timeline
has a flaw. The header image is a photo of Thomas Edison, with links to his
bio, GE’s research, and GE’s past leaders. On a laptop, this header is so large
that it takes up all the above-the-fold screen real estate. We assumed this was
due to the fact that the page was designed to be mobile-friendly ... but then we
discovered that on a smartphone, too, the header image is so large that the tabs
and leading paragraph are pushed to the next screen. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This would barely matter, if it didn’t discourage visitors
from finding the excellent content below the header image. Fortunately there’s an
easy fix: make the header shorter top to bottom (much wider than its height).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that’s a minor quibble. Overall, GE provides a great
example of a website timeline done right.<o:p></o:p></div>
info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-77200848843627093662015-10-12T07:29:00.001-04:002015-10-12T07:29:25.337-04:00How to Write a Great Website Timeline (part 2)<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week we offered <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/2015/10/how-to-write-great-website-timeline.html">guidelines and suggestions forwriting a great website timeline</a>. This week, CorporateHistory.net looks at the
timeline on the website of Pepsico, a corporation that has plentiful resources
and more than a century of company history. Sadly, Pepsico’s timeline isn’t
spectacular.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXHcQBY8HJPnnHe48Dsnx13tu1EYbkKHdZp0BbtCNEde5oWPYU8bkrhmdMoN_w7rGrrWI9-AEfacE48SuBeZKqHbANQjMP0XeFEooJ-m-sN4XF6HboFSaIFLj8c0CTtUJE2dHM1xcw7s/s1600/Pepsi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXHcQBY8HJPnnHe48Dsnx13tu1EYbkKHdZp0BbtCNEde5oWPYU8bkrhmdMoN_w7rGrrWI9-AEfacE48SuBeZKqHbANQjMP0XeFEooJ-m-sN4XF6HboFSaIFLj8c0CTtUJE2dHM1xcw7s/s320/Pepsi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.pepsico.com/company/our-history">Pepsi’s
timeline</a> is a single series of dates and events, with the most recent date
at the top. A tab option at the top allows readers to skip from decade to
decade. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kudos to Pepsi’s designer for the layout, which is simple
and elegant. The font for the years is easy to read, and a vertical line
indicates the direction of the time flow. More kudos for the well-chosen and
plentiful images. Of the 70 or so entries, 28 have illustrations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, the text of the entries is subpar. We have no
clue which of the 70-odd events are most important in Pepsi’s corporate history.
For example, the inauguration of the first Pepsi-Cola operation in China (1982)
is immediately followed by Frito-Lay’s introduction of Tostitos (1981). Given
this mix of topics, we don’t even know whether the timeline is aimed at
consumers or potential investors. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But much worse comes (or doesn’t) at the end of the
timeline. Pepsi was founded in the 1890s, but the company history from then
until 1966 is summarized in <i>one</i> very
short paragraph. Most of that paragraph consists of names of CEOs, rather than
storytelling. There’s not a single image. What a waste of a great history! If
people have been loving your product for over a century, why not flaunt that
fact with vintage ads, logos, and photos?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next week, we’ll see how another major corporation handled
its website timeline. (Hint: much better!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-16722450089496251572015-10-05T07:52:00.000-04:002015-10-05T07:52:00.884-04:00How to Write a Great Website Timeline (Part 1)<div class="MsoNormal">
Like a well-written <a href="http://corporatehistory.net/pages.php?name=faqs#1">corporate history</a>,
a well-written website timeline can be a great marketing tool: it can set your
organization apart from its competitors, let you brag a little, and tell your
story in a way that makes your company memorable. In decades of writing
corporate histories, we’ve created dozens of timelines and looked at hundreds
more. (For some examples, see our blog posts tagged with “<a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/search/label/web%20timelines">web
timelines</a>.”) In the next two weeks, we’ll look at the website timelines for
two corporations that have more than enough resources to make wonderfully
effective timelines ... But did they?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s CorporateHistory.net’s series of questions and
guidelines for writing a great website timeline.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>1. Consider your audience(s).</b>
Will your readers be your clients or possible investors? In other words: will
they be more interested in your products, or in your mergers and acquisitions
history? Consider separate timelines, if appropriate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2. Use major events
as centerpieces.</b> Given your target audience, what are the six to eight
major events in your company history? Make sure these don’t get lost in a
barrage of less important data.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>3. Build story into
the structure</b>. Given that website visitors have notoriously short attention
spans, can you make your timeline a connected story? A series of problems and
solutions? A brief history of a niche subject, with your company in a starring
role? A humorous escapade, like <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/2015/07/happy-75th-col-sanders.html">Kentucky
Fried Chicken’s timeline narrated by Colonel Sanders?</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>4. Layer in larger
timelines—maybe.</b> Do you want to keep readers laser-focused on your company,
or will you set your company’s achievements in the wider framework of science,
business, politics, or pop culture? Will your framework be your company, your
community or industry, the United States, or the world?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>5. Add images and
captions</b>. What will you use for visuals: current or archival photos, logos,
advertisements? Any item with an image will get more attention than an item
with only text. Captions will get more attention than text. Choose your visuals
and captions accordingly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>6. Strategize the
structure.</b> Will you have one long timeline, or split it into or sections?
If sections, what are the best divisions? Decades are easy and obvious, but if
your major achievements came in 1932, 1939, 1955, and 1959, consider breaking
the timeline in a way that gives those dates get more attention. Don’t forget
to mark business anniversaries!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>7. Make navigation
easy. </b>Is the layout easy to understand? (In July, we <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/2015/05/boeing-about-us-evaluation-by-corporate.html">commented</a>
on <a href="http://www.boeing.com/bds/strategicairpower/?cm_re=March_2015-_-Roadblock-_-Strategic+Airpower#1924/dwc">Boeing’s</a>
bafflingly complex timeline.) If you’re using tabs for sections of the
timeline, can readers see that option on both laptop <i>and</i> mobile screens?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next week, we’ll analyze how one major corporation handled
its website timeline.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-77911023065144665542015-09-30T09:41:00.000-04:002015-09-30T09:41:01.740-04:00Easiest Marketing Tip Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMLb2vg9uUBJIzZjIjOgdYuUmAf5I4tRr0t3PnvL5nssZExfXLHAaZGz8l_9teLPNFn_jgA6bxXDMY8CaC2ExJwHilgJcm3OPNOjczsDNwIhQWfpKOiByxtETDSwbYtnIybEStRSUZQQ/s1600/Calendar+Oct+1+circled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMLb2vg9uUBJIzZjIjOgdYuUmAf5I4tRr0t3PnvL5nssZExfXLHAaZGz8l_9teLPNFn_jgA6bxXDMY8CaC2ExJwHilgJcm3OPNOjczsDNwIhQWfpKOiByxtETDSwbYtnIybEStRSUZQQ/s320/Calendar+Oct+1+circled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For marketing purposes, the end of one month equals the next month. Today is September 30, and in the past three days I've received five marketing e-newsletters dated "September." "Yikes," I think to myself, "these folks do run late and are desperately playing catch-up." But if they'd changed the date on the masthead to October, I'd think, "Congrats, these folks are on top of things by issuing their newsletter a few days early." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So what if changing the date means skipping a month? Get out in front of your marketing instead of falling far behind it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This advice applies in spades to corporate history. History doesn't happen overnight and it can't be reconstructed overnight. Business anniversary books, websites, timelines, and campaigns take time to develop. When your organization has a milestone coming up in a year or two or three, allow plenty of lead time. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Your project will go more smoothly and it will cost less. </span><br />
<br />info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-26556464648673282792015-09-21T11:52:00.001-04:002015-09-21T11:55:43.144-04:00Graphic Design USA Award for CorporateHistory.net's BAYADA Book<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdThW4y9c3oBg-nVhHHt-vwINiV1dyGempjCOe-cED6cEKSzP1-VYA5JvUHlEyDvg_k1LszcIKlWi1TfyhM8ZFE9nXXj2JZvt4V-Y3L28JQ9GszJjCZuzxULT6ko43NV2GqVmAT0YonM/s1600/BAYADA+for+new+website+Janice+Chris+MC+Steph+by+sign-good+one.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdThW4y9c3oBg-nVhHHt-vwINiV1dyGempjCOe-cED6cEKSzP1-VYA5JvUHlEyDvg_k1LszcIKlWi1TfyhM8ZFE9nXXj2JZvt4V-Y3L28JQ9GszJjCZuzxULT6ko43NV2GqVmAT0YonM/s400/BAYADA+for+new+website+Janice+Chris+MC+Steph+by+sign-good+one.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BAYADA history book at company's annual Awards Weekend. Clients extraordinaire!<br />
Left to right: BAYADA manager Janice Lovequist, author Chris McLaughlin,<br />
editor/publisher Marian Calabro, and BAYADA senior associate Stephanie Smith. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thrilled to report that <i>BAYADA: 40 Years of Compassion, Excellence, and Reliability</i>, created and published by CorporateHistory.net, is a winner in the Graphic Design USA Health + Wellness Awards competition. Honors went to just 125 of the 1,000+ entries. Kudos to art director and production manager Chris Reynolds, who embodied excellence and reliability through many long nights and right up to the press run; the pros at Penmor Litho and Riverside Bindery, who fussed over every detail down to the curves of the debossed dove’s wings under the book jacket; author Chris McLaughlin, a model of dedication; and our phenomenal clients, including the awesome Baiada family and ace in-house project runners Janice Lovequist and Stephanie Smith. Thank you for letting us tell your story!</span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-80862515417084405042015-09-08T10:39:00.001-04:002015-09-08T10:39:24.223-04:00Writing Well for Business Success Q&A<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBpivzxvpB6kOrpTqf9UDc2V7S5awxuYWsEyJKZAIHGGF8ZzcNX8pxMtrpaSbL_p1ntMNYayFIx7ScBHpQZMjL2QXB-1GbEGvr9HnW3fcE_6kbQgi6RIeGFWpOSHTeiRfqdP_y9EStUU/s1600/Writing+Well+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBpivzxvpB6kOrpTqf9UDc2V7S5awxuYWsEyJKZAIHGGF8ZzcNX8pxMtrpaSbL_p1ntMNYayFIx7ScBHpQZMjL2QXB-1GbEGvr9HnW3fcE_6kbQgi6RIeGFWpOSHTeiRfqdP_y9EStUU/s320/Writing+Well+book+cover.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Published Sept. 2015 by St. Martin's Press</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Writing Well for Business Success </i>by <a href="http://www.sandralamb.com/">Sandra E. Lamb</a> fills a big gap in how-to books for the workplace. Sandra is an award-winning author, journalist, lecturer, and business consultant. She and I are members of the Authors Guild and American Society of Journalists and Authors. <br /><br />I can vouch for this book’s value because I’ve taught Basic Business Writing and Email Etiquette to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Columbia University </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">staff for years. Finding smart, up-to-date resources for those classes is always a challenge. When I read praise for this book by the straight-talking Patricia T. O’Conner, author of <i>Woe Is I</i>, I was sold: "Lamb can tell you how to deliver that bad-news memo, how to write email like a grown-up, how to take blame without groveling, and how to be grammatically correct without being stiff. She knows!" <br /><b><br />Marian Calabro: Why was it time for a new business writing book?</b><br /><br /><b>Sandra E. Lamb</b>: The #1 problem employers have today is that their employees are challenged when it comes to effectively communicating. Recent figures suggest that employers spend well over $3 billion a year on efforts to improve their employees' communication skills. And now that business is conducted by email, the problems have been exacerbated. <br /><br /><b>MC: What’s your #1, “if you only remember one thing” piece of advice for workplace writers (meaning people whose primary job is not as a writer)?</b><br /><br /><b>SL:</b> You mean besides buy my book, read it, keep it on your desktop, and use it? The top complaint I get from senior executives is that employees don't determine before starting to communicate by email that it is the proper vehicle for their message. If your message needs negotiation, for example, email is the wrong vehicle.<br /><br /><b>MC: How about emails – what are your key do’s and don’ts there?</b><br /><br /><b>SL</b>: All the rules of good writing apply to email, plus. Using email requires special understanding of what it is and what it is not good for in communicating electronically. Here are a few examples: Don't email if your message contains personal or personnel information; if you need to negotiate; or if your message has elevated emotional content.<br /><br />One senior vice president, who has teams of employees around the world, complained that too often his employees email as a way of not making a decision, but instead just passing a problem on. He said this defers or prolongs the decision-making process. In his business, he added, it's a huge cost factor because it wastes a lot of employees' time, and impedes progress.<br /><br />Do email when you want to pass on information. But more importantly, email only after you've employed the best principles of effective communication. That includes starting by thinking your message through and making a few notes, organizing, writing, and editing, editing, editing. <br /><br />Many executives I interviewed complained about email content--too long, unedited, and disorganized. <br /><b><br />MC: What’s your personal pet peeve about business writing?</b><br /><br /><b>SL: </b>Verbosity. <br /><br /><b>MC: Mine is snark, </b>which has crept in via the supposed anonymity of the Internet. I was delighted to read your cautionary advice about that: “Before you fire off a flip response or join in the ‘innocent’ sport of ‘poking fun,’ take a few minutes to reflect.”<br /><br /><b>SL:</b> Absolutely. What you write or post in private can easily come back to bite you in a very public way, like during a job interview, a performance review, or a disciplinary-action meeting. <br /><br /><b>MC: My readers are often involved in business history or company anniversary campaigns. They may be on a committee or team preparing for, say, the business’s 30-year anniversary. Any special advice for them? </b><br /><br /><b>SL: </b>Having a very-well-thought-out-and-written plan before starting is essential in getting the task done most optimally. It can make all the difference in achieving the best execution.<br /><br /><b>MC: Thanks, Sandra, for taking the time for this Q&A over Labor Day weekend.</b><br /><br /><i>Writing Well for Business Success</i> by Sandra E. Lamb<br />St. Martin's Press, paperback, US $16.99, Canada $19.50<br />ISBN-10: 1250065511<br />ISBN-13: 978-1250064516<br /><a href="http://www.sandralamb.com/">www.SandraLamb.com</a><br /><br /></span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-44305523723850503202015-09-02T12:36:00.001-04:002015-09-02T12:38:21.771-04:00Fred Harvey: Rise & Fall of a Pioneering Brand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8vEpCWlGdHGPR2eXpmPXN_KVelBLjT2TM5PutVJYtMNt06jMGqucWiCUWHxbG1-i5UHW5sgFPGnqVr_x4OE65XP9lnd3oN2JiCgdVHhHD-3-O7S-ZrNN3vjknQdLi74KPc5XmPU9zLE/s1600/Harvey+Girls+docum+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8vEpCWlGdHGPR2eXpmPXN_KVelBLjT2TM5PutVJYtMNt06jMGqucWiCUWHxbG1-i5UHW5sgFPGnqVr_x4OE65XP9lnd3oN2JiCgdVHhHD-3-O7S-ZrNN3vjknQdLi74KPc5XmPU9zLE/s320/Harvey+Girls+docum+cover.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What does a corporate historian do for summer reading? Mine included Stephen Fried's fascinating business history <i>Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West--One Meal at a Time. </i>(The subtitle is a bit overstated. There were native civilizations in the west for millennia; they just weren't WASPs like British immigrant Fred.) </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was named one of the 10 best books of 2010 by both <i>The Wall Street Journal</i> and the <i>Philadelphia Inquirer, </i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">yet it might well be difficult for such a book even to find a mainstream publisher today. The level of detail is exhaustive. <br /><br />The hospitality company that bore Fred Harvey's name really did pioneer "the chaining of America" well before Howard Johnson, McDonald's Ray Kroc, and all the other chains that now proliferate. The company is best remembered for its female employees, fictionalized in a novel and an MGM musical with Judy Garland. I enjoyed learning about them via Leslie Poling-Kempes's <i>The Harvey Girls: The Women Who Opened the West </i>(1989), a narrative built around oral histories done in the 1980s. I'm looking forward to downloading a one-hour Harvey Girls <a href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/23102">video by Assertion Films (2014)</a>, cover shown above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />How sad that the Fred Harvey Company never produced a corporate history. Nor did the execs or heirs invest in proper archiving. Chunks and bits of Harvey history are scattered across histories of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, physical locations, and numerous websites. Too many of the latter yield "Page Not Found" error messages -- including, inexcusably, that of Xanterra, the conglomerate that now owns the Harvey name and the historic Grand Canyon South Rim holdings. There's a nod to Harvey on <a href="http://www.xanterra.com/about-us">Xanterra's one-paragraph About Us page,</a> but that's all. What a wasted opportunity! Commandment 3 of CorporateHistory.net's <a href="http://corporatehistory.net/upload/docs/10CommAboutUs.pdf">10 Commandments of About Us Pages: </a>Reveal Thy Personality.</span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-89853269010479779732015-08-25T16:32:00.001-04:002015-08-25T16:32:19.822-04:00Happy 100th, National Park Service<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_oZaj8wUiK7OH6QoNEKggFUCLqfuMqxHospXjHQbpYuXW5AgXsG2DvPaVXrPk6JRgQ8Z1V77Ab2bn8yEkyXPbYz_TOzkSpkHVCw7fAIaP_uI-HVuN14kV5QeXgbNp2B2kzIfMF8iNqQ/s1600/marjory+stoneman+douglas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_oZaj8wUiK7OH6QoNEKggFUCLqfuMqxHospXjHQbpYuXW5AgXsG2DvPaVXrPk6JRgQ8Z1V77Ab2bn8yEkyXPbYz_TOzkSpkHVCw7fAIaP_uI-HVuN14kV5QeXgbNp2B2kzIfMF8iNqQ/s1600/marjory+stoneman+douglas.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For its 100th anniversary, the U.S. National Park Service has erected a handsome if glitchy <a href="http://nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm.">centennial web portal</a>. Readers can delve into: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stories of individual parks (Find Your Park)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Future plans (Building on Success) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Visionary Leaders (such as environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, shown above with a feline friend; Douglas's book, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yymmDQhYmzgC&dq=The+Everglades:+River+of+Grass&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=23KoeXu80O&sig=eImcsh7e7fJrTdcMNsRdYPg9oes&hl=en&ei=Vh-USojoAsfSlAflmZyoDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false">The Everglades: River of Grass</a></em>, published in 1947, describes "the natural treasure she fought so hard to protect").</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">a</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">nd a call to action (Get Involved); this is always a good idea, especially for a perennially underfunded institution such as NPS</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Unfortunately the centennial page's back button seems to lead to dead-end error messages. And NPS would benefit from a clear link to a separate batch of wonderful <a href="http://nps.gov/history/stories.htm">organizational stories</a>. Last but not least, why no Timeline? Maybe it's in there, but we couldn't find it. <b>Business anniversary tip</b>: Honor Commandment 7 of our 1<a href="http://corporatehistory.net/upload/docs/10CommAboutUs.pdf">0 Commandments of About Us pages</a>, namely Keep Navigation Easy. </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-58844972218706653502015-08-17T11:32:00.003-04:002015-08-17T11:36:59.890-04:00Strand Bookstore Timeline Display<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvdEeSxcuHr5P105J-qTTQ5asjw4x6FjZc_gRcLjalkgryJL9YM9dCgpBHqsjqvNbaupxTskfqMlO3kEZNrcmGX3Ttn19PnY4EH6l-AhKtFqDUuzQ9y9gBemmz83U2zpQ0MM1JcfeOF8/s1600/Strand+full+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvdEeSxcuHr5P105J-qTTQ5asjw4x6FjZc_gRcLjalkgryJL9YM9dCgpBHqsjqvNbaupxTskfqMlO3kEZNrcmGX3Ttn19PnY4EH6l-AhKtFqDUuzQ9y9gBemmz83U2zpQ0MM1JcfeOF8/s400/Strand+full+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Displaying your timeline is one of the most powerful ways to showcase your company history. Here's a good example from Strand Bookstore in New York City, a handsome mix of business history photos and infographics. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">> The historical timeline enlivens what could be dead space in the stairwell. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">> It's a reminder that Strand is the sole surviving bookstore on Book Row in Manhattan.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> It never hurts to make your customers feel good about where they're shopping. When I buy books at the Strand, I'm helping to keep alive independent bookselling, the publishing business, New York history . . . . </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">> Creating an organizational timeline compels you to gather your big-picture history. It's how most corporate historians initially organize their research. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'd love see another panel that updates the timeline to 2015!</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wKyEkkB2Ptkr5UuCUPplfNHAfjV5iKzRfDSvVTCf3rLZou78dSfPNXW8QKqkwAAv66MxdbT8xg9Ff6a7F54BJpItnvYCKd9PsaACySBLMu8quApd5QMRY7PlZJOQuyvnhUhtZvDdI6Y/s1600/strand+bookstore+timeline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wKyEkkB2Ptkr5UuCUPplfNHAfjV5iKzRfDSvVTCf3rLZou78dSfPNXW8QKqkwAAv66MxdbT8xg9Ff6a7F54BJpItnvYCKd9PsaACySBLMu8quApd5QMRY7PlZJOQuyvnhUhtZvDdI6Y/s320/strand+bookstore+timeline.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-56632122325274062662015-08-08T21:59:00.001-04:002015-08-08T21:59:05.895-04:00Airline Visual Identity<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdvrh-ZNiP3AqZE5Mo2yuYhxDJQVCEY2e2KMyuxsXf0SjvMxrDed4UQQtkSzVoszURCl39wZw_Ky6JWPG_cAZzq4bdeWIGnE3znQAAKPqd-7tjNW6_tI2OF2zSkMeghKoDM21GXwCfFU/s1600/Air_France_CF105755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdvrh-ZNiP3AqZE5Mo2yuYhxDJQVCEY2e2KMyuxsXf0SjvMxrDed4UQQtkSzVoszURCl39wZw_Ky6JWPG_cAZzq4bdeWIGnE3znQAAKPqd-7tjNW6_tI2OF2zSkMeghKoDM21GXwCfFU/s320/Air_France_CF105755.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From "Airline Visual Identity<br />1945-1975," Callisto Publishers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can your organization tell its story in a single image? For inspiration, look to <i>Airline Visual Identity 1945-1975 </i>by M. C. Huhne, new from European fine arts publisher <a href="https://www.callisto-publishers.com/en/buecher/airline-visual-identity-1945-1975">Callisto</a>. The book costs $400, but consider that the trim size is 12 x 16 inches. As we like to say at CorporateHistory.net, a book is not truly a coffee table book until it's the size of a coffee tables. Also, per Callisto's website: "To reproduce the outstanding work of that era as precisely as possible, a
total of 17 different colors, five different types of varnishes,
and two different methods of foil printing and embossing were used,
resulting in a book of exceptional vivacity that highlights the state of
the art of today’s printing technology."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A 17-color print job! This is no mere business history. Instead it's the visual chronicle of an industry in a golden age of transportation and design--truly a historical timeline. </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-15503456884952785442015-08-03T06:48:00.000-04:002015-08-03T07:39:04.385-04:00Union Square Hospitality Group: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net<div class="MsoNormal">
Danny Meyer’s first restaurant (opened when he was 27 years
old) is the award-winning Union Square Cafe, which has held the top spot in Zagat’s
New York City restaurant guide nine times. Under the name Union Square Hospitality
Group, Meyer also runs the Gramercy Tavern, a catering service, and restaurants
at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney, among others. Together these have
won 26 prestigious James Beard Foundation awards. And let’s not forget the
ubiquitous Shake Shacks. The main About Us page is <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/">Company</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>OVERALL GRADE: B<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Products/Services: B<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMf7RWp752K6j7zqlLuOe_8BXpY5NHld_7WZdEh5FV4_RXNzkPcsGgCCrC91F0o3Zozka2Wd2DOPOmCmlSOk810lxSb-1-EcVRXuLX9-yA477tESrfith0132KxP82vE1l8mrfOStmwoA/s1600/ScreenShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMf7RWp752K6j7zqlLuOe_8BXpY5NHld_7WZdEh5FV4_RXNzkPcsGgCCrC91F0o3Zozka2Wd2DOPOmCmlSOk810lxSb-1-EcVRXuLX9-yA477tESrfith0132KxP82vE1l8mrfOStmwoA/s320/ScreenShot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The above-the-fold graphic on the <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/">Company</a> page is (how rare!) full of
solid business history content: when the company opened its first restaurant
and its first Shake Shack, number of Beard Awards, number of employees with the
company for more than ten years, and so on. It’s concise and attractive. Adding
links to pages with more information - for example, a list of Beard Awards
received – would be a great idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The text below the graphic gets a slow start with an
abstract discussion of what it means to enrich lives. For the sake of fickle
web-surfers and those of us who appreciate corporate storytelling, why not
start with the second paragraph: “We’ve created some of New York City’s most
beloved and celebrated restaurants ...” ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We appreciate the clever text of the timeline (<a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/our-history/">History</a>), which has catchy
phrases such as “elegant and fiercely seasonal cuisine.” But once the corporate
history has made our mouths start to water, why not offer us links to the
websites of the restaurants mentioned on the timeline? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Personality: B<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Our <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/p/10-commandments-of-about-us-pages.html">Commandment
3 of About Us pages</a> is, “Reveal thy personality.” Danny Meyer, founder of
the Union Square Hospitality Group, unfortunately isn’t given much space on the
<a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/">Company</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>and
<a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/our-history/">History</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>pages. There is a <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/setting-the-table/">page</a> is devoted to
his book <i>Setting the Table: The
Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, </i>with a sidebar that offers a
thought-provoking quote of substantial length from Meyer (bravo!). Digging into
the <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/people">People</a> and <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/people/leaders-2/">Leaders</a> pages, we found a
good <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/people/leadership/danny-meyer/">bio of
Meyer</a>. But ... we assume that as the founder, it’s his ideas and his drive
that have led to the award-winning quality of his restaurants as well as his
focus on philanthropy (see <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/company/community/">Community</a>).
Why not have him explain in his own words why he made these choices and where
he plans to go from here? That would make for compelling corporate
storytelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Accessibility: C<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The <a href="http://www.ushgnyc.com/contact/">Contact</a>
page (available from the footer) offers a mailing address, phone, and email
address, with social media icons). This is adequate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>TAKEAWAY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Even if you’re proud of the stellar team your company has
assembled, don’t be afraid to let the founder’s or leader’s personality shine
through in your About Us pages: it’ll give visitors a much better sense of what
makes your company tick.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">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?). To talk about your About Us
page, </span></i><a href="http://corporatehistory.net/pages.php?name=contact"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">contact us</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Today’s example was chosen at random;
CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-28984027276461481872015-07-27T09:40:00.000-04:002015-07-27T09:40:23.460-04:00Happy 75th, Col. Sanders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tcBA-7L8kgnuXYSP0OFqK3oSC7IQpbJAbHswuCAsNXF5X3Wz1tvG_wzAMRbYwcw-4PTt1t_cli8oU2z6dAB0RCfVtJCN2URHwE38j5hmaeI8IcFdZilcX7WZreSKO9REb3oRCvlaeW8/s1600/Col+Sanders+at+desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tcBA-7L8kgnuXYSP0OFqK3oSC7IQpbJAbHswuCAsNXF5X3Wz1tvG_wzAMRbYwcw-4PTt1t_cli8oU2z6dAB0RCfVtJCN2URHwE38j5hmaeI8IcFdZilcX7WZreSKO9REb3oRCvlaeW8/s320/Col+Sanders+at+desk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Colonel Sanders is out of retirement after 21 years. KFC has given him a cool new <a href="http://colonelsanders.com/">75th anniversary website</a> of his own, in which the Colonel (at six stages of his life) talks about Cuban donkeys, strums a mandolin, and of course fries up some chicken. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The animatronics</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> are cute, with </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SNL alum Daryl Hammond playing the Colonel.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Business anniversary tips:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1) It's refreshing when the Founder as Great Man is presented with a sense of humor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2) It's fun to have a person or character narrating the corporate timeline. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Great work by agency <a href="http://wk.com/">Wieden+Kennedy</a>.</span><br />
<br />info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-34747890752663651112015-07-20T07:02:00.000-04:002015-07-20T07:02:45.675-04:00L.L. Bean: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net<div class="MsoNormal">
L.L. Bean was founded in 1912 in Freeport, Maine, by Leon
Leonwood Bean, to sell a single product – the “Maine Hunting Shoe.” The company
now has about 5,000 employees, and annual sales of $1.61 billion. Its
headquarters is still in Freeport, Maine, and it is still privately owned. The
main About Us page is <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/company_information.html?nav=ln">Company
Information</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>OVERALL GRADE: A<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Products/Services: A
minus<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov5FCncN9ivyeXkDwHxCAf2Fv3IRsFeUyymihxFWwMFbY5lTTMYUtMMaHMuy3Aq0QzATOr0bX4RkWUCgYf0NwGK3DD5_tuBZ_UYDj_aogwejyKPeAdUCA-dmcCOnz3Lp7R_FXBxL9J1w/s1600/ScreenShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov5FCncN9ivyeXkDwHxCAf2Fv3IRsFeUyymihxFWwMFbY5lTTMYUtMMaHMuy3Aq0QzATOr0bX4RkWUCgYf0NwGK3DD5_tuBZ_UYDj_aogwejyKPeAdUCA-dmcCOnz3Lp7R_FXBxL9J1w/s320/ScreenShot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/company_information.html?nav=ln">Company
Information</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>page looks at first like a raging
bore: long, dense, and with headings that are less than enticing (“Current
Corporate Information,” “Products,” “Manufacturing,” etc.). In fact, however, the
page is great corporate storytelling. It explains what the company does, and
where and why and how. As a series of bullet points this sort of information would
be unreadable. It’s fascinating here because we’re given a backstory (for
example, the reason behind each expansion) and provided with several engaging quotes
from past and present leaders of the company.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One quibble: many people read on their phones, where it’s easy
to be interrupted and to lose one’s place on a very long page. A simple
solution would be to split this page into separate pages for Products,
Manufacturing, etc. – with copious links between pages, so that visitors would
still be guided to read them in a certain sequence. Our <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/p/10-commandments-of-about-us-pages.html">Commandment
6 of About Us pages</a> is, “Honor thy visuals.” Shorter pages on a specific
topics could be made even more interesting by including photos from L.L. Bean’s
century-long history. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are numerous, excellent photos on the timeline, <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/timeline/index.html?nav=ln">100
Years and Counting</a>. It’s cleverly compiled so that reading the blurb on
each decade gives a visitor a short company history. The focus is on L.L. Bean,
Inc. – as it should be - but enough national events are listed to set the
context. There’s even an option for customers to share their own L.L. Bean
stories – a great idea. Unfortunately, during our four visits to the site, the
interactive aspect wasn’t working, so we’re not sure we’ve seen all of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
High marks to the <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/newsroom/index.html?nav=s1-ln">Newsroom</a>
page, which puts company press releases front and center, but has a sidebar,
“As Seen In,” with links to products featured in sources as diverse as <i>Redbook</i>, <i>Elle</i>, and <i>Field & Stream</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A downgrade: Yes, the company commissioned a centennial
anniversary book, entitled <i>Guaranteed to
Last: L.L.Bean's Century of Outfitting America</i>, by Jim Gorman.
(CorporateHistory.net was not involved with it in any way.) Alas, there’s no
reference to it on the history pages. To find it, we had to enter “book” in the
product search box. If you’re still selling your corporate history book, why
not make it easy to find?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Personality: A<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/company_history.html?nav=s1-ln">Company
History</a> page is also long, dense, and excellent. It begins as the story of
an outdoorsman with wet feet, and tells how he solved the problem with the
original “Maine Hunting Shoe.” Bean’s early trials and tribulations – 90 of his
original 100 pairs were returned – establish the company’s dedication to
quality and customer satisfaction. This is business history at its best. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Quotes from the founder and from later leaders liven up the
text, as do occasional fascinating factoids. We learn, for example, that by the
1930s, L.L. Bean’s mail-order business comprised more than 70% of the volume of
the Freeport post office, and that the flagship store has no locks, because
it’s open for business 24/7. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The list of awards at the end of the <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/company_history.html?nav=s1-ln">Company
History</a> page would get more attention if it were on a separate page, with
logos, but it’s great to see so many confirmations of L.L. Bean’s status collected
in one place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a lovely change from celebrating one’s centennial and
then forgetting about company anniversaries for 10 or 25 years, the <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/company_history.html?nav=s1-ln">Company
History</a> page ends with highlights of L.L. Bean’s centennial year. Here
you’ll find quick bullet-point references to the aforementioned centennial
book, as well as the timeline—but these should be hyperlinked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/leadership.html?nav=ln">Leadership</a>
page is top-notch. Why? Because the bio of the founder and his three successors
all focus on the values that drive them as leaders of L.L. Bean, and on the
results they achieved there. Even the philanthropic activities and hobbies mentioned
reflect the values of the company: for example, membership in the Audubon Society
and the Nature Conservancy. Our <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/p/10-commandments-of-about-us-pages.html">Commandment
3 of About Us pages</a> is, “Reveal thy personality.” We’ve seldom seen that
done better than on L.L. Bean’s site.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Accessibility: A<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How many times have you flinched from phoning a company’s Customer
Service line because you were worried that the representative wouldn’t be able
to speak English? L.L. Bean’s <a href="http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/510618?bvCategory=510618&nav=ftbar">Customer
Service</a> page begins with a characteristically forthright note: no matter
how you communicate with the company (there are options for Phone, Call Me,
Chat, Email, and more), you’ll be speaking with a person in Maine: “because
Maine is more than just an address – it’s part of who we are. It’s tough
winters, Yankee ingenuity and a unique character you just won’t find
elsewhere.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>TAKEAWAY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your company may not have the size or the hundred-hear
history of L.L. Bean, but it’s unique in who founded it, where it’s been, and
where it’s heading. Make your About Us page reflect that uniqueness with great
content, well told.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">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?). To talk about your About Us page, </span></i><a href="http://corporatehistory.net/pages.php?name=contact"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">contact us</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Today’s example was chosen at random;
CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company, although we have been
satisfied customers for years.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-38497926133542276632015-07-13T12:28:00.000-04:002015-07-13T12:28:36.160-04:00Healing History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuFmX46CGREJLL2649Fhr0944GU4jos8AQ_eR6pnm7qJ_pU7DgF9KV0BZM6LXlVyUaH154zlY6dMiKiBxZw3yM_Bzyr_Ie8NZjrdh5cd3I_eDvMLP1iIMEKJp6lzXU8Zb3JAbcyjMKkg/s1600/healinghistorywebad_600x215_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuFmX46CGREJLL2649Fhr0944GU4jos8AQ_eR6pnm7qJ_pU7DgF9KV0BZM6LXlVyUaH154zlY6dMiKiBxZw3yM_Bzyr_Ie8NZjrdh5cd3I_eDvMLP1iIMEKJp6lzXU8Zb3JAbcyjMKkg/s400/healinghistorywebad_600x215_v2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Belated kudos to <a href="http://communicationdesign.com/">Communication Design Inc</a>., which produced the marketing materials for the Healing History conference hosted by <a href="http://us.iofc.org/">Initiatives of Change USA </a>in Richmond, VA. In CDI's words, "The theme of building bridges became the basis of a cohesive brand identity centered around an iconic illustration of diverse figures working together to support a common cause--crossing a great divide." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The conference coincided with key anniversaries of landmark civil rights events: the Emancipation Proclamation, the end of the Civil War, the Selma to Montgomery March, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Given the truly momentous events that have happened since the conference -- the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">tragedy of Charleston</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> and the removal of the Confederate flag by South Carolina and other states -- the importance of the Healing History effort takes on added urgency. </span>info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-28164245584828174812015-07-06T07:21:00.000-04:002015-07-06T07:21:35.774-04:00Dockers: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net<div class="MsoNormal">
Dockers, established in 1986, is the division of San
Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co. that’s devoted to khakis and casual
accessories. It’s a leading brand of business casual clothing for men and women.
We were curious to look at Dockers because it’s part of a larger company, but
has its own brand. The main About Us page is <a href="http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/about">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>OVERALL GRADE: C
minus<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtRZFnj8Vo6s-YvvIEywxPRAK49o9RQ3LPwAX8ejHzJw-VbyKL2w_VBJ3GdyojbiPbAY59LVYYaSVfavBWAy2vc3w141njXyxMaIkupYVb22jzGGRYLfwoho-FftjWeJvz_CHnnmT_lw/s1600/ScreenShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtRZFnj8Vo6s-YvvIEywxPRAK49o9RQ3LPwAX8ejHzJw-VbyKL2w_VBJ3GdyojbiPbAY59LVYYaSVfavBWAy2vc3w141njXyxMaIkupYVb22jzGGRYLfwoho-FftjWeJvz_CHnnmT_lw/s320/ScreenShot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest flaw in this set of About Us pages is that we
found them via a Google search, and can’t find a link to them on Dockers’ own
site. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The main page has two headings, each with a distinctive
tagline: Our Products (“Well-crafted comfort to help conquer the day,” with
links to pages on size and fit) and Our Company (“A rough and tough work ethic
is deeply rooted in our family tree”). Below these are links to Contact Us and
Careers. It’s a simple, clear layout that works almost as well on a desktop as
on mobile. (In fact, these pages are among the least offensive mobile-friendly
pages we’ve seen, in terms of layout, because the header images are much less
high than wide. Hence on a desktop screen, they don’t fill all of the prime above-the-fold
real estate.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Products/Services: A<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Under the Our Company heading on the About Us page are links
to <a href="http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/about/our-company">About Levi
Strauss & Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/about/history-timeline">History and
Heritage</a>, and <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/about/social-responsibility">Social
Responsibility</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/about/our-company">About
Levi Strauss & Co.</a> has a pithy statement linking the current brand to
the long corporate history of Levi Strauss. One minor glitch: this opening
statement says the first blue jeans were created in 1853. Further down the
page, under “Our Values,” the “Originality” blurb gives the date as 1873. Our <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/p/10-commandments-of-about-us-pages.html">Commandment
9 of About Us pages</a> is, “Worship clarity.” An error such as this leaves the
impression that someone isn’t minding the details.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/about/history-timeline">Timeline</a> (“History
and Heritage”) is good corporate storytelling. It focuses on the long history
of khaki pants at Levi Strauss, then offers nostalgic glimpses of pop culture (<i>Seinfeld</i>) and advertising history (“Nice
pants!”). Haute couture and culture are represented by names such as Alexander
Wang and <i>Vanity Fair</i>. Each timeline entry
has an intriguing headline, a short blurb, and an archival image – all large
enough to see easily. Having done a timeline or two ourselves (such as <a href="http://bit.ly/1TGEUCE">this one</a> for California’s State Compensation
Insurance Fund) we appreciate the design and content of the Dockers example.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Personality: D<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/about/history-timeline">Timeline</a> is
excellent for showing where the company has been, but not for showing what its
current goals are. No information or links are given for the company’s
leadership. Mentioning Levi-Strauss as a parent company doesn’t fill this gap,
since there are no links to Levi-Strauss’s leadership team, either. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Accessibility: E<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/customer-service/contact">Contact Us</a> page
(accessible via the main About Us page or the Help link in the footer) is elegant
in layout but quite confusing. The options are “Find a Store” or “Get Help.” Clicking
“Get Help” sends us to a <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/customer-service">page</a> with the
options “Contact Us,” “Send Feedback,” “Find a Store,” or “Top Reads” (a FAQ). But
clicking either “Contact Us” or “Send Feedback” takes us right back to the <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/customer-service/contact">Contact Us</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>page. So in fact, the only ways to reach Dockers are
via the 800 number in the footer and the online email form that is (we
eventually noticed) below the fold on the <a href="http://www.dockers.com/us/en_US/customer-service/contact">Contact Us</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>page. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our <a href="http://corporatehistorynet.blogspot.com/p/10-commandments-of-about-us-pages.html">Commandment
8 of About Us pages</a> is, “Remember to make yourself and your organization
easily accessible.” Dockers, do you really want to hear from us?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>TAKEAWAY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a fresh pair of eyes (or two or ten) look at your About
Us pages for obvious errors, including whether those pages can be easily discovered
and whether visitors to the site can contact you easily. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">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?). To talk about your About Us
page, </span></i><a href="http://corporatehistory.net/pages.php?name=contact"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">contact us</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Today’s example was chosen at random;
CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603353613479461886.post-46893873712310808172015-07-03T12:13:00.000-04:002015-07-03T12:13:04.984-04:003 Lessons Learned from a Painful Public Speaker<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>1. Match the speaker to the occasion. </b>A rat-a-tat military man may not be the right choice for a roomful of benign trustees at the annual meeting of a co-operative organization. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>2. If the bad match is a <i>fait accompli</i>, build a bridge. </b>The speaker made no effort to localize, customize, or otherwise bridge his (supposedly) motivational presentation. No corporate storytelling. No mention of the org's 100+ years of company history and community support. I suspect this fellow didn't make even the most basic inquiries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>3. Never, ever phone it in. </b>Public speakers are actors, performers, <i>professionals. </i>When we step to the podium, it's show time, every time. A loud voice and speed do not equal energy. If we don't project true energy and interest, we shouldn't be speaking. Barreling through a PowerPoint doesn't cut it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I won't name names because the evening was presented in good faith. But I felt pain as I watched fellow audience members wincing, feigning interest, or snoozing. Best I can say is that Mr. X provided a wake-up call for my next presentation and, I hope, for yours. </span><br />
<br />info@corporatehistory.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14456666200304030612noreply@blogger.com