One: Capturing That Elusive Culture
Corporate culture should exist in the heart of every communications effort. It is a blending of the personalities and ethos of leadership, the nature of business practices, and the workplace environment, along with the organization’s Vision Quest...a crystal clear image of who you are, what you offer and what you expect to achieve.

Two: One Language. One Flag.
Organizations are like countries. Each should have its own well-defined, unswerving culture so that everyone who comes into contact with it knows precisely who and what is on offer. There is a need to develop a strong, consistent set of visual icons and messages that project the culture in a powerful way. So that people instantly know the difference between Patagonia and Columbia or Apple and Gateway, just as they would between France and Germany.

Three: The Babbling Brook of Marketing-speak
Most communications efforts inflict cruel and unusual punishment on the recipient. They use complex language, poorly organized, with a reliance on tired words and phrases that create speed-bumps to understanding. The challenge is to have the discipline to create a simple message, told in a clear, concise and compelling way.

Four: Anthems Not Mission Statements
A Mission Statement can be one of the most counterproductive efforts an organization will ever undertake. If it doesn’t resonate with the reader, it dampens the spirit. Missions are about epic battles. They can’t be communicated through generic phrases composed by committee. Mission Statements should be Anthems that express the reason you all get up in the morning to join the shared journey.

Five: Navigational Tools
It’s easy to get lost along the way when viewing a brochure or annual report. People want easy access to what interests them. Good communications offer the clarity of a “You Are Here” map. Words, color treatments, icons all create a simplified organization for your story so readers know where they are, what’s of interest and how it all fits together in the big picture.

Six: A Religious Devotion
The point in telling a compelling story that connects is to create disciples. Whether it’s nurturing happy, challenged employees or long-term, motivated suppliers, or lifetime consumers who swear by your brand. Once you’ve put the effort into making the connection, you develop a community with a religious devotion.

Seven: Avoiding the Deadly Dance of the Cancan
It’s essential to have a good strategic plan in place that guides every penny spent on communications. Otherwise, you end up with a staff performing nothing but a series of knee-jerk reactions to chaotic opportunities, not all that dissimilar to a line of Parisian showgirls dancing the Cancan.

Eight: Strangers in the Bedroom
When outsourcing communications to ad agencies, marketing and public relations firms, design studios, and independent contractors, it’s important to make sure your message doesn’t get lost, garbled or abandoned. All resources should have an approved copy of your corporate story close at hand to guide all projects.