Happy 50th, 1010 WINS

"You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you ... a headache." That's how I twisted the 1010 WINS  tagline when I heard the station booming from the radio in the mailroom of a film company I worked for. The distinctive clatter that ran behind the voices would drift down the hall and upset my train of thought. Well, 1010 WINS has the last laugh. I'm still listening.

This iconic station celebrates its business anniversary of 50 years on April 19, 2015. "You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world" proved such a sturdy concept that it's still going strong. While teletype machines are defunct, the clattery background sound remains. Along with the distinctive voices of WINS reporters, it separates 1010 from other talk stations. The idea of turning a rock music station into a "talking newspaper" was visionary 50 years ago and remains central to 1010 WINS's corporate story.

Like everyone else who relies on "the most listened-to station in the nation," I feel that the people at 1010 WINS are part of my extended family. Here's where you'll find the station's history (page shown above), but WINS or its corporate parent (CBS NY) unfortunately makes it hard to locate. (Remember Commandment 7 of our 10 Commandments of About Us Pages: "Keep Navigation Easy.") I had to Google various phrases in order to arrive at this page and others. Dear WINS friends: Please make it easier for your fans to go straight to your history! It's fun to browse the biggest NY events and celebs of the past five decades. TIP: This chunking by decade is a good idea for businesses seeking an accessible way to celebrate their corporate anniversaries and company timelines. 

P.S. Big thanks for leaving the late, great Stan Brooks in the roster of reporters. I only wish Judy DeAngelis was still with you.

Nikon Corporation: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net

Nikon was founded in 1917 as Japan Optical Industries. It still specializes in optics and imaging products, notably the cameras and lenses for which the company is now named. Headquartered in Tokyo, it is one of the companies of the Mitsubishi Group. The company’s main About Us page is here.

OVERALL GRADE: C minus

Products/Services: C

Our Commandment 7 of About Us Pages is, “Keep navigation easy.” We've read many fascinating pages on Nikon’s site, but we’re not at all sure we could find them again, or that we haven't missed important material. The problem begins with the main About Us page, where the above-the-fold space is taken up with the teasers for Corporate Information, Responsibility, and Investor Relations. It’s easy to miss the below-the-fold links to Technology and Feel Nikon, pages where the company’s products and innovations have a chance to shine. Smaller images with more explanatory subheads would work better here.

The navigation problem continues with hierarchy of menus and naming of pages. Who would guess from its title that the Life with Nikon page (under Technology) is an overview of Nikon’s cutting-edge technology? Recollections is a great page, in terms of company history and showing the innovations that Nikon has created over the last 98 years. But from the main About Us page, it’s difficult to find.  (It’s under Feel Nikon.)

Likewise, the company timeline, with its well-chosen illustrations for nearly every item, provides a great overview of products ... but it’s buried under About / Corporate Information / History / Corporate History, without any indication in its title that it is, in fact, an illustrated business history timeline. Once found, it offers a thoughtful touch: the option of seeing all or no images, and corporate events or products or both.

Personality: C

Under Corporate Information, the first teaser is for the Message from the President, which covers (in brisk but informative terms) the company’s goals for its imaging products, microscope solutions, medical, and other divisions. Well done, even if the corporate storytelling aspect is a bit dry. Sadly, the bios accessible through the Board of Directors page are the driest we have ever seen, consisting of a bulleted timeline of years and job titles for each person.

Nikon’s Philosophy page, where one might expect a glimpse of the company’s guiding principles, has vague terminology and graphics that don’t elucidate. What company would not subscribe to commitments to “Be pro-active,” “Seek new knowledge,” “Communicate well,” and “Display integrity”? Our Commandment 2 of About Us Pages is, “Thou shalt not generalize.” Statements as vague as Nikon’s won’t hold the attention of fickle web surfers.

Accessibility: D

The Contacts page (accessible from the footer on every page) funnels visitors to either consumer or industrial products, and then to specific products, each with its own contact information. Although there is a lengthy warning about the risk of transmitting ideas to Nikon (“Nikon Corporation has no obligation for monitoring any ideas, concepts, suggestions or comments you transmit to this Site by electronic mail or otherwise”), there seems to be no way to email the corporate headquarters or any part of the company.

TAKEAWAY

Make sure that your content is great, and then make sure visitors won’t get exasperated and leave before they find it. This is especially important for a company like Nikon, as it presumably prepares to celebrate a centennial business anniversary in just two years. Polish that centennial brand name until it shines!

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, contact us!

Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.

Piggly Wiggly: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net

In 1916, Clarence Saunders opened a revolutionary grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee: instead of having a clerk fetch items, you picked out your own groceries, put them in a cart, and took them to the front of the store to be checked out. Independent franchisees now operate over 600 Piggly Wiggly stores in 17 states, mostly in the Midwest and South. The company, headquartered in Keene, New Hampshire, is an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Its About Us page is here.

OVERALL GRADE: A

Products/Services: A

Piggly Wiggly’s About Us page is a great example of how much business history can be packed into a single page. It starts by describing Piggly Wiggly’s history as the first true self-service grocery store. Separate headings cover the origin of the lilting name, a list of Piggly Wiggly firsts, a bio of the founder after he left Piggly Wiggly, and a summary of Piggly Wiggly today. All this is laid out in paragraphs of manageable size and illustrated with logos old and new, plus two archival photos. Our Commandment 5 of About Us Pages is, “Honor they readers and their attention spans.” Piggly Wiggly does that with a page of fact-filled, easy-to-read corporate storytelling. Well done!

Personality: A

The connecting link for independently run Piggly Wiggly stores is the concept created by Clarence Saunders, who’s appropriately given a lot of space on the About Us page. Although Piggly Wiggly is now affiliated with the mammoth C&S Wholesale Grocers, Clarence Saunders’ DNA continues to make Piggly Wiggly distinctive—no mean feat as the brand approaches its 100-year business anniversary in 2016.

Accessibility: A

The Contact page (available via a link at the upper right) has an online email form for corporate headquarters, plus an easy-to-navigate directory for those who want to contact a specific store.

TAKEAWAY

A single page that includes the right content with an enticing layout and illustrations can be very effective.

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, contact us!

Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.

Happy 110th anniversary, MTA

Commemorative MTA MetroCard

The Metropolitan Transit Authority, those folks who bring us the New York City subways and buses, is celebrating its 110th year. MTA's commemorative website is robust and well-organized, as befits an organization with professionally managed archives. CorporateHistory.net president Marian Calabro was filmed there when she gave commentary on pneumatic subway pioneer Alfred Beach for The Travel Channel's program "Mysteries at the Museum." It took awhile for non-pneumatic subways to develop; the first predecessor line of the MTA officially opened on October 27, 1904, so the 110-year party has 10 months to rock on.

IRT map 1939 (copyright MTA)

Cool things about the MTA anniversary site that any organization can emulate:
1. Loads of pix and memorabilia, including maps, many also uploaded to Flickr 
2. Google translate button appears on every page, a courtesy that helps a worldwide audience
3. MTA wasn't afraid to celebrate 110 years. Why wait until 125?

Things that can be better:
1. Timeline is not labeled as such (it's under History of the Subway), is overly detailed, and only extends to 2012, a very weird omission
2. There's a link to MTA Arts & Design, but when clicked, this unwelcoming message pops up: "There are currently no Open Calls to artists. Please check back again." Why not run a yearlong 110th anniversary call for art instead?

 

 
 

Kidde: “About Us” Evaluation by Corporate History.net

Kidde was founded in 1917 by Walter Kidde, who in 1918 pioneered the first integrated smoke detection and carbon dioxide extinguishing system for ships. The company, headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina, rapidly became a leading manufacturer of fire detection and suppression equipment. It was acquired by United Technologies Corporation in 2005. The main About Us page is here.

OVERALL GRADE: C

Products/Services: B

Kidde’s main About page gets right to the point: “Founded by Walter Kidde, a pioneer in early smoke detection and fire suppression, Kidde is the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products.” Well done: it’s surprising how few About Us pages express such basic business history information promptly and pithily. The page continues with a well-written and well-laid-out overview of the company’s history, goals, and relationships with clients.

Bravo, too, for giving a very company-specific goal on the Core Values page: “At Kidde, our mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and its related hazards. And for more than 90 years, industry leaders, the military, airlines, firefighters, businesses and millions of homeowners have turned to us to do exactly that.”

The page on Walter Kidde includes an effective combination of a brief timeline followed by a narrative that explains his goals and accomplishments. The Kidde History page offers a company timeline with 24 items, a reasonable number that doesn’t overload the visitor. One minor quibble: the entries for the 1960s and later focus on mergers and acquisitions; why not include some information on the company’s innovations?

The major flaw of the four Kidde About Us pages is lack of illustrations. The one and only image is of Walter Kidde. Our Commandment 6 of About Us pages is, “Honor thy visuals.” A company with a 98-year history surely has a rich archive of historical photos and advertising material that could be put to good use in corporate storytelling.

Personality: C

Our Commandment 3 of About Us pages is, “Reveal they personality.” Since this company still bears Walter Kidde’s name and still produces products in the same line, the stress on the founder’s innovations and goals is very appropriate. Still, information on current management--a message from the CEO, for example--would be welcome.

Accessibility: D

The Contact Us page has a “Find Answers Now” button that dead-ends in a blank page. The FAQ seems to have been shifted to tabs that appear on the page with the online email form (via the "Email a Question" button on the Contact Us page). Yes, visitors may stumble onto the right page--but making them stumble leaves a bad impression. Our Commandment 9 of About Us Pages is “Worship clarity”--which includes triple-checking links so you don’t look careless.

At the end of the Contact Us page is a telephone number, but no mailing address. Kidde is part of United Technologies, but there are no links to the United Technologies contact page, either.

TAKEAWAY

Great corporate history should be supplemented with great images and current information. That’s doubly important when a 100-year business anniversary is on the horizon, as Kidde’s is.

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, contact us!

Today’s example was chosen at random; CorporateHistory.net has no ties to this company.