Case Studies
By Raha Naddaf, Staff Writer
(note: all case studies are in PDF format)
Take A Stand: Mobilizing SBC Employees to Deliver Infinite Service
Fleishman Hillard Inc.
Fleishman-Hillard and SBC Communications developed the "Take
A Stand" employee communication campaign to help SBC respond
to an increasingly competitive marketplace by motivating its more
than 60,000 Midwest employees to deliver better customer service
and spark revenue growth. SBC needed to deliver a higher level of
service along with its new competitively priced products and services.
However, its most critical weapon -- more than 60,000 local employees
-- didn't comprehend the new competitive landscape and the need
to differentiate SBC by building customer loyalty through excellent
service. Three initiatives "Take A Stand," "Take
A Stand: Deliver Infinite Service" and "Take A Stand Supervisor
Workshops" were used to drive employees to individual as well
as collective action, address the importance of delivering a higher
level of service to all customers at every interaction, and target
supervisors to help them reinforce the messages in earlier phases
and give them additional tools for ongoing communication and follow
up. As a result of the program, telephone line loss decreased for
the first time in a year, and customer service scores reached all-time
highs.
(full
case study here...)
On Your Marks, Get Set, Sustainability!
BAA plc
BAA operates seven airports in the UK, ranging from Heathrow, the
world's busiest international airport, to smaller regional airports
such as Southampton and Aberdeen. For BAA to grow its business,
it had to demonstrate that it would continue to operate in a responsible
manner by minimizing the airports' environmental impacts. A phased
campaign was developed to raise awareness, increase understanding
about sustainable development, and provide compelling reason for
staff to become involved. A primary goal for the company was to
bring the term "sustainable development" to life and make
it meaningful for staff. A variety of communications were implemented,
including exhibitions stands, leaflets and stickers that could be
used across the airports. Success was measured through surveys carried
out by BAA's market research department. Results indicated an increased
awareness of 14 percentage points, and presentations of the results
were made to company board members. The staff communication program
effectively raised awareness about sustainable development to support
the continued operation and growth of BAA's business.
(full
case study here...)
CPR's Employee Share Purchase & Management Stock Option
Plan Launch
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
An important component of a successful company is the extent to
which employees take an active ownership role. On 3 October 2001,
when CPR launched as an independent, publicly traded company on
the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges, there was an opportunity
to include employees as partners in a new era of the company's history.
In July 2001, the newly appointed CPR Board of Directors seized
this opportunity. The board decided that to be a successful independent
company, a motivated workforce with financial performance incentives
was a must. The board determined the best way to do this was to
give employees the opportunity to become direct owners in CPR through
an Employee Share Purchase Plan. The board also decided to offer
an additional performance incentive to CPR's senior managers through
a Management Stock Option Plan. CPR's Internal Communications department
was charged with the task of ensuring that employees understood
what it meant to become a publicly traded company and what the company
was offering. This enabled them to make informed decisions about
participating. As a result, the motivated workforce boosted CPR's
bottom line and share price. More than 9,000 employees, about 60
percent of the workforce, participated in the plan, one of the highest
participation rates for this type of plan in Canadian corporate
history.
(full
case study here...)
The InfoCenter@AT&Tsm - AT&T's News and Information
Intranet Site
AT&T Corp.
The first part of 2002 saw unprecedented turmoil for those employed
in the once-highflying and ultra-stable telecommunications industry:
Unsustainable business models claimed the existence of some companies
while others dealt with scandal and bankruptcy brought on by major
ethical lapses. For employees at AT&T, there was the added issue
of a major restructuring that saw the spin-off of the company's
wireless unit the year before and the pending sale of its cable
business. This also would result in changes at the top: A new CEO,
a new president, and other leaders would be named to run the new
AT&T. It all added up to employees being hungry for information
about their business, the industry and the company's direction and
goals. A stable connection needed to be made with employees. The
InfoCenter@AT&Tsm, AT&T's employee news and information
site, was revamped and re-launched in 2002 to provide breaking news
and information focusing on the value of AT&T and company strategy
and direction. The site's written content includes event coverage,
profiles, features and announcements, all enhanced with streaming
video, audio, photographs and/or graphics. As a result, the site
now has increased traffic and regular updates to effectively communicate
the value of AT&T to employees.
(full
case study here...)
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