Cisco Systems, an IT company with over 60,000 employees, has asked employees to simplify their language and speak in a voice that is distinctively “one” as a company . Within four months of starting this monumental effort, 200 people were trained and actively using the new language guidelines to create content. Leading executives were speaking in more simple and relevant terms at conferences, in email and at internal events. And the momentum continues.
The Brand Language Program was initiated as a result of feedback from employees. They were confused. We realized corporate speak is everywhere, and it isn’t harmless. It was alienating our employees and affecting our company culture.
To avoid common pitfalls of corporate speak, Cisco Systems made the decision to change their language. They focused on creating simpler content with a voice uniquely the company’s own. During this though provoking session you will learn how, you, too can simplify the language in your content strategy to better collaborate with and engage your employees, including how to:
- Increase employee engagement both online and offline
- Double your internal communications readability
- Deliver on your core brand promise
- Communicate your unique value to your reader
- Enable clearer understanding and more effective collaboration
- Sharpen content for SEO and SEM
Provide writing guidelines for all of your content creators
Validate your position with customers and partners, globally
Michael Lenz, Director, Brand Experience Design, CISCO SYSTEMS
- Date:January 24, 2014
- Time:9:15 am
- Event:Internal Communications-San Francisco
