Filed under: Uncategorized
By Todd Pendergast
The content that I plan to develop is a new Getting Connected section for Kidde.com. This section will be the first step toward developing an ongoing relationship between Kidde and users of its products and web sites. This should help us to better gauge the needs of our customers in terms of customer service, product design and web site information.
Getting Connected (name may change) will include the following pages:
- A Main Page that will feature copy that introduces the section and its purpose, followed by short blurbs describing with links the three pages of the section
- A Register Page which will feature a registration form with questions needed to establish regular contact, a few survey questions, and options to sign-up for future notices and an e-newsletter (to be created separate from this project)
- A Share Your Story Page that will include explanatory text, examples of past testimonials from customers, a contact form and link to a video testimonial (current content)
- A FAQ Page that will include frequently asked questions and answers and will include terms of use information outlining user’s rights and confidentiality.
I will not be including some content that was being considered during last week’s initial planning. However, I do plan to explore the feasibility of the following ideas for the future:
- Podcasts that would explain various topics relevant to home safety
- A Blog site allowing for more regularly refreshed content and customer interaction
- A Users forum that would feature commonly asked questions received by customer service and their answers. This troubleshooting forum would require regular moderation
- A Multimedia Page that would include videos showing the proper use of safety products
In determining the needs for the various pages, I will need to research other sites that use this type of content effectively. I will also need to interview staff from several departments, such as customer service, consumer research, public relations and legal. This will help me develop copy and visuals that will meet my project goals and the organization’s requirements.
Filed under: Uncategorized
I have decided to create content for my employer, Kidde, a leading manufacturer and brand of safety products for the home and business. I work as a web communications manager at Kidde Residential and Commercial, which is headquartered in Mebane, NC. I chose to create content for Kidde, because I believe the products we make serve a noble purpose, and I think we can do a much better job of educating the public about safety problems and their solutions.
Point of view
As a company representative, my aim is to act as:
- An educator and helpful source of knowledge about home safety
- A facilitator of two-way communication between Kidde and customers
It will be clear in my writing that I am a company representative, but the message should not sound like it is coming from a marketing or sales perspective. We usually reach our customers through targeted public relations campaigns. This often involves promoting a safety issue that is not being addressed enough in the media or it has low public awareness. We usually target a specific demographic and back up our story with independent research and expert recommendations. Therefore, as an educator I need to be knowledgeable, credible and helpful in presenting our message. As a facilitator I need to be curious and attentive as I begin and maintain a positive interaction between Kidde and its customers.
About Kidde (pronounced “Kidda”)
Globally, the company has a long history of developing safety products and services for residential, commercial and military applications.
History:
- Kidde was founded in 1917 in Belleville, NJ by Walter Kidde, a 23 year old engineer.
- In 1933, the company established new operations throughout the UK where it would later move its global headquarters.
- During World War 2, Kidde expanded its production of fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and smoke detection systems for military and industrial applications.
- The industrial focus continued after the war, but in the 1950’s Kidde began designing and selling products for home, automobile and marine uses.
- In 1972, Kidde’s U.S. fire extinguisher manufacturing and North American headquarters moved to Mebane, NC. This Kidde division would eventually be named Kidde Residential and Commercial (Kidde R&C).
- In 1997, Kidde R&C expanded its product line to include smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. With the rapid growth of the large home improvement chains in the 1990’s, Kidde expanded its brand presence in consumer and commercial safety products.
- In 2005, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), purchased the global Kidde organization, and then merged it with its global fire and security companies to form UTC Fire and Security.
Kidde R&C
Kidde’s operation in Mebane focuses on the North American consumer and commercial market. Our marketing team includes advertising, promotion, public relations and creative functions. The main Kidde Web site Kidde.com, is maintained through an enterprise content management system administered through our parent company in Hartford, Connecticut. One of the major challenges is creating cutting-edge consumer-friendly content, while using this system that was developed by and for a global industrial business. One strategy that we employ is the use of PR micro sites developed for various national campaigns. These sites often center on an issue such as child proofing a home, and often partner with a major safety advocacy organization.
The micro site strategy has its pros and cons, but it has taken resources and attention away from the main site in recent years. I have evaluated traffic patterns and user feedback and determined that much of our core audience may be under served by the site.
Our audience
We determine our current site’s audience mainly by using Web analytics results, consumer research studies and educated guesses.
Who are they? 90 percent of our site visitors come from North America, 5 percent from Western Europe and 5 percent from other areas. Our main audience is a diverse mix of consumers, electrical contractors, business customers, industry professionals, investors and journalists. We do not have an accurate breakdown of these groups in terms of their current site usage. However, I feel that our site under serves current or potential users of our products. Reaching this group also happens to be the main goal of most of our promotional campaigns. Our research indicates that our target audience for advertising should be female North American homeowners. It is often narrowed down to mothers between 22 and 54 years of age, because research has shown that they often initiate the purchase of safety products. Because our main audience is broad, we communicate at the high school education level and assume our audience is multiracial.
How do they get here? A third of our site’s users come from search engines, another third through a direct URL, and the rest from a diverse mix of sources. We believe that many consumers visit because they recently purchased a product and want additional information or services. There is probably a large group that is aware of our brand or other keywords through media exposure.
What are the challenges for the audience? Users face a problem of too much information that is not concise or accessible enough. The information is usually provided by government agencies, which offer too much text and not enough visual or multimedia options. The other source is manufacturer websites which often focus on selling products at the expense of safety education. Our site offers information such as user manuals, material safety data sheets, product updates, recalls, buying information, safety education, customer service and contact information. We need to learn more about what users need most and how to make it more accessible.
How should content be offered? We need to use compelling visuals and multimedia to tell a story that is easy to understand and relate to. We also need to interact with and learn about the site’s users. I would like to introduce interactivity and enhance readership through the use of videos, pod casts, flash demos, surveys, newsletter sign-ups, and the sharing of safety success stories. Our analytics suggest that nearly 70 percent of our users have broadband connections and most use Internet Explorer 6 or above, so multimedia components such as flash video should be supported.
In having this conversation with our audience, several questions can be anticipated. I would expect questions about the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide and how to mitigate them. Users need to know the best way to protect their home and family and it needs to be easy to understand.
Where do they go now? There are several sites that offer home safety information: Firehouse.com, iVillage, HGTV.com, NFPA.org, CPSC.gov and NFPA.org.
How often do they come? New visitors arrive daily, but how often they return is difficult to determine. Most of our traffic is first time visitors who may visit infrequently, or industry professionals who may make repeat visits. We would like to make the site a more regular destination and have users that visit several times during the year. This could be accomplished by refreshing content more often and by emphasizing customer interaction.
Developing a style
Kidde has explicit brand guidelines that indicate the tone of writing and speech to be used, as well as the proper use of graphics, fonts and colors. There is no official indication for a writing style guide, but most of my colleagues use the Associated Press Stylebook. Therefore, I am planning to use this as my style guide going forward.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Part 1. Find three examples online of poor headlines used as links and suggest a fix:
Headline: Shagging downtown
Problem: This headline can easily be offensive to someone who only knows the British slang term ‘shagging’ and not the beach music dance style. This can cause off-topic curiosity, but it is inappropriate and doesn’t give enough information.
Solution: Downtown building renovated for beach music.
Headline: Spiked eagles tale set to fly
Problem: This headline did get my attention, but it was confusing and didn’t give enough information to make me click. Is it about the Philadelphia Eagles? Is it a play on the word eagle’s tail? What does spiked mean?
Solution: Salacious Eagles memoir to be released
Headline: Bulla scout hut returns
Problem: This headline was confusing for me. What is a Bulla Scout? Most people wouldn’t know it was named after a person or know what a scout hut is.
Solution: Local scouts get their cabin back
Part 2. Find an article that could benefit from the use of lists.The following example is from the full version of an article at Press Mediawire. The article does utilize keywords, but the thrust of the article is about John Edwards steps for piece. Therefore, I added an ordered list to highlight the main point of the article and to aid in scannabilty.An excerpt from the article in its original form:Edwards believes we should work with NATO, one of the world’s most effective security organizations, to make sure the U.N. process will be as rapid, tough and effective as possible. We saw the success of NATO in the Kosovo operation under President Clinton. Edwards believes a combination of U.S. and NATO actions will accelerate the peacekeeping process and stop the genocide. Edwards has called for the following steps:
Convene an emergency NATO meeting. We should call an emergency meeting of NATO’s leadership to support and accelerate the deployment of 26,000 U.N. peacekeeping forces to Darfur. Deploy our extraordinary assets to support peace.Lead a NATO support effort. America should lead NATO countries to support the deployment of U.N. troops with logistical, operational and financial support. Establish a no-fly zone. The U.S. should work with NATO to establish a NATO-led no-fly zone over the region to cut off supplies to the brutal Janjaweed militias and end Sudanese bombing of civilians in Darfur. Implement new sanctions. We should work with NATO member countries to impose new multilateral sanctions on Sudan’s government and individuals complicit in the genocide. Lead a divestment effort. The U.S. should lead an effort by the American federal government, by American states, by American companies, and by individuals to divest holdings from companies and countries that do business with the Sudanese government. We should deploy American airlift capabilities, logistical support and intelligence operations to assist U.N. and African Union peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.
My edited version of the article using an ordered list:
Edwards believes we should work with NATO, one of the world’s most effective security organizations, to make sure the U.N. process will be as rapid, tough and effective as possible. We saw the success of NATO in the Kosovo operation under President Clinton. Edwards believes a combination of U.S. and NATO actions will accelerate the peacekeeping process and stop the genocide.Edwards has called for the following steps:
- Convene an emergency NATO meeting. We should call an emergency meeting of NATO’s leadership to support and accelerate the deployment of 26,000 U.N. peacekeeping forces to Darfur.
- Deploy our extraordinary assets to support peace. We should deploy American airlift capabilities, logistical support and intelligence operations to assist U.N. and African Union peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.
- Lead a NATO support effort. America should lead NATO countries to support the deployment of U.N. troops with logistical, operational and financial support.
- Establish a no-fly zone. The U.S. should work with NATO to establish a NATO-led no-fly zone over the region to cut off supplies to the brutal Janjaweed militias and end Sudanese bombing of civilians in Darfur.
- Implement new sanctions. We should work with NATO member countries to impose new multilateral sanctions on Sudan’s government and individuals complicit in the genocide.
- Lead a divestment effort. The U.S. should lead an effort by the American federal government, by American states, by American companies, and by individuals to divest holdings from companies and countries that do business with the Sudanese government.
Part 3. Rewrite the headline from your writing sample. My original title and subhead:
Happier
By Tal Ben-Shahar.
Reviewed by Todd Pendergast for JOMC 711
My rewrite aims to attract the reader’s attention and better summarize the content of the article by focusing on the fundamental question of the book being reviewed. This also helps to set the mood and tone of the piece. I also tried to make it more quickly understood by not having two author’s names in the same headline and subhead. I think it is clearer now that I mention the book reviewer and then wait to first mention the book’s author in the opening paragraph. The headline rewritten:
Can we ‘learn’ to be happy?
Book review: “Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment”
Reviewed by Todd Pendergast
For JOMC 711
Part 4. Write 3 headlines for a news story from week 7 module.
Headlines:
China blocks imports amid criticism of its exports
China blocks imports of U.S. meat
China responds to criticism of its exports:
Blocks imports from major U.S. meat producers
