Branding Technical Communicators

Technical Writers are professionals who present information in a structured format that best suits the cognitive and psychological needs of the readers, so that they can work with a product or offering to the fullest. The information that technical writers present is an important interface between the product or service and the user. Technical Writers generate documents without which any customer deliverable is incomplete. A well-written and well-designed document creates a good impression in the mind of the user, not only about the product but also about the organization.
Yet, technical writers are placed at the low end of the value chain in most business models. Their roles and responsibilities are traditionally scoped by the designation or title they carry. They are considered as being just writers. This myopic nomenclature focuses on the basic skill or action, which is writing technical documents. The title technical writer suggests a tool- and task- driven activity and does not reflect the value addition that they bring in. This is a product or commodity level classification of their function. At the commodity level, a task can be measured by tangible attributes like speedy output, competitive price, quality work, and colorful presentation. These attributes translate into primary benefits like saved time, economical or cost effectiveness, and good impression or image.
Technical writers are not merely writers or formatters; they are professionals who are adept at communicating effectively. They understand the values and nuances of good communication. They appreciate the fact that a great product with a sub-standard user manual will dilute the users’ experience.
Technical writers focus on the logical, aesthetic, and grammatical aspects of any document, apart from the core content. In their quest to achieve clarity and brevity, they conduct various studies such as audience analysis, usability studies, customer surveys, peer reviews. Thus, you see them now a notch higher as Technical Communicators. Many of these professionals at this point have also mastered graphic designing skills. As graphic designers they epitomize the value of visual and content to enhance the look and feel of a document and content. Graphic designers are visual communicators and they make communication intuitive, which is the ideal state of communication.
As they hone their skills as technical communicators, you see them widen their scope for a much bigger responsibility. They evolve to assume the role of a ‘Communication Strategist’ or a ‘Communication Architect’. This is a high value, high leadership, and high challenge arena. The paradigm now shifts from a product or commodity level thinking to organization, corporate, and brand level thinking (See the figure below). Information management becomes as important as communication management. As communication strategists, their role now involves integration and synchronization of values across products, brands, and culture, and the customer universe.

Effective presentation of information is integral to the whole product experience., It is linked to the organization’s promise of value to the customer and the customer’s expectation. Somewhere along the line these professionals are making a difference to the way products, services, and organizations at large are being perceived. They are playing the role of profit makers. It’s high time they are elevated to being an important link in the value chain. This will lead clients to pay more for the value they get rather than the fixed rate they usually want to pay, irrespective of the experience and knowledge of the technical writers.

Acknowledgement

This article is influenced by a presentation titled “Are we in an Identity Crises’ by Ms. Andrea L. Ames at the STC India Chapter meet at Hyderabad recently. Andrea is an Associate Fellow and First Vice President, STC, Senior Information Developer, IBM Corporation, Certificate Co-ordinator and Instructor, UC Extension (Santa Cruz).

Reference: Harvard Business Review Article ‘What High-Tech Managers Need to Know About Brands’, Scott Ward, Larry Light, and Jonathan Goldstine: Jul 1, 1999

About the author

Valerian Mendonça is a marketing professional with over 20 years of experience. His core areas of expertise are concept and media marketing. He now heads the technical publication division of Persistent Systems Pvt. Ltd. (http://www.persisentsys.com/).

This article was first published in 'INDUS' the quaterly newsletter of STC (Society of Technical Communicators), India. Link: http://www.stc-india.org/indus//042006/HTML/branding.htm

Tourism Marketing - Goa

This article discusses the fallibility of the Indian politico influenced policies. Unless tourism industry is not left to the professionals to manage and a clear and consistent strategy drawn up and followed we in for lopsided growth.
This article was first published in 'The Navhind Times' Panaroma Magazine on Sunday, September 26,2004. (Goa)

Multi-Position Goa’s tourism industry for success!
With every change at the helm of our States tourism affairs, we find a new strategy on how tourism in Goa should be promoted. Now, the latest we have as a result of an educationist at the helm is promotion of Goa as ‘Heritage Destination’. Tomorrow if the next minister is from say a gourmand we may see Goa being positioned as a ‘Sea Food Specialty Destination’ and yet again tomorrow if the next incumbent is a sportsperson the focus may shift to promote Goa as a destination for ‘Adventure Sports & Football’. The year gone by the focus seemed to be on Night-Life Tourism with Bacardi Blast, Rave Parties, Celebrity Parties and its genre. We had Billboards welcoming people to ‘Azad Panchee City’ exhorting them to be ‘Single and Mingle’ and complimenting the ‘Azad Panchee’s for having a girl friends in every city. A advertising hoarding set up as you entered Calangute said ‘Welcome to Calangute where the Sprits are high and the Skirts higher’ –Are we positioning Goa right? What impression are the visitors carrying back with them? Is our tourism marketing on the right track?

Positioning is one of the most effective tools in tourism marketing. It aims at creating a distinctive image in the minds of potential customers. For different holiday maker a destination evokes different images. They are images that differentiate the destination from the competition and also as a place that can satisfy their needs and wants. Positioning is a communications strategy that is the natural follow-through of market segmentation and target marketing.

Through Positioning Goa must differentiate itself from its competitors on attributes that are meaningful to customers and gives it a competitive edge. This complex process requires careful analysis of the attributes of destinations and the needs of the target markets. There are two tests of effective positioning. First, the position must be believable in the tourist's mind. Second, the destination must deliver that promise on a consistent basis.

Promoting Goa as a Heritage destination is a very good idea. It is infact a very plausible and viable idea when done properly and continuity is ensured. What the policy makers ought to understand is that ‘Heritage Tourism’, ‘Adventure & Sports Tourism’, ‘Sun, Sand & Sea Tourism’ are positioning concepts and sub-brands that appeals to different people. All of these positioning concepts need to be promoted concurrently and not thrown to the back burner with every change. The concept of multi-brand marketing needs to be adopted to succeed at it. To cite an analogy: Surf, Rin & Wheel are products or brands of the same company. Yet they are promoted with a distinct identity, appealing to its very distinct segment in the market place. In the commercials the Casts, the settings and the language are typical of the segment the product is targeted at. So also, we got to understand our different target segment and position Goa in a way that will impress these segment to visit our State. We cannot apply a single positioning concept uniformly to all markets. To implement the multi-positioning concept we have to identify what a holiday means to different market segments. We have to study their lifestyle; their culture, holidaying pattern, their primary concerns and then sort of personalize advertisement campaign and promotion. Of course, before we promise we must ensure that we can deliver or else we are attracting disaster. For example: The Gujarati communities are known to travel in-group of families, and prefer carrying their own snacks and eats. They are not known to experiment with cuisine from other state, they prefer to eat a very Gujarati food. So a campaign trying to attract them to Goa as a ‘Sea Food Destination’ is simply a drain on advertising resources. The tourists from North-India are known to be more boisterous and out-going. They love fun, food and laughter so Goa will interest them for a different reason. This segmentation approach can be done based on communities, region, and countries. A Japanese will need a reason different from that of a American to holiday in Goa – to a ever paranoid American safety (personal & health) is concern very high while considering a destination. A Spaniard will not find the lure of Portuguese architecture a very attractive incentive to visit Goa. The concept of a holiday to a European will be different than that of a South American as result of a very distinct culture.

We tend to position Goa based on our perspective on how the market views us, as a result our positioning and promotional campaign are nothing but ordinary. The markets that we tend to rely on for such a perspective are based on the views, likes and dislikes and holidaying habits of the tourist who visit our state. We must understand that these visiting tourists have come to Goa because they were convinced that Goa would deliver their expectations. We need to make a paradigm shift of our evaluation process and try to understand the mind and expectations of the millions others to whom Goa is not a preferred destination. We got to understand their minds and see through their eyes. We need to research them out there in their country, state or region to find out what hinders them from choosing Goa as a holiday destination.

Benefits, like positioning, exist in the mind of the customer and are determined only by asking the customer. Only after this information is obtained, can a destination match its strengths to the visitors' needs and the benefits sought. This knowledge will also provide a basis for the development of a credible differentiation strategy.

The reality of the matter is that if the target market doesn't perceive the image, the image does not exist. If the target market does not believe that what the destination has to offer is a benefit, it isn't a benefit. If the target market doesn't believe that the benefit can be delivered, promises are meaningless. If the benefit isn't important to the target market, it isn't important. If the benefit is not perceived as being different from that of the competition, then differentiation has not succeeded. In short, images, benefits, and differentiation are solely the perception of the tourist, not the perceptions of tourism officials or the tourism marketer. The credibility of these benefits may diminish rapidly if expectations are not fulfilled. Architecture is soon forgotten if the taxi driver dupes the visitor. The impression of grandeur loses credibility if visitors feel that their personal safety is threatened. Crowded Billboard instead of coconut palms fringed fields along the highway is yet another smudge on the natural beauty of Goa. Indiscriminate advertisements painted on compound walls and houses lined along the roads are yet another sore that devalues the perceived value of the destination. As one approaches Mapuça the Braganza Complex painted red by coca-cola is a real repulse. Maze of unplanned electrical wires obscuring the frame of the photographer, street urchins soliciting alms, pet bottle and plastic bags littered pathways are some of the other irritants. It is the fulfillment of expectations or the inability to that creates the perception of deliverability for the tourist.

Over the years we have seen Goa being dominantly perceived if not deliberately positioned as a Hippie destination, Back-Packers destination, Wild and Rave Party destination, Celebrity destination (The credit for this positioning goes to The King of Good Times, Bollywood Stars and page 3 socialite love place Goa is their favorite get-away in their interviews). Its time now that we adopt a more sustained and consistent multi–positioning stand. Be it a Heritage destination, Sun-Sand-Sea & Fun destination, Sea Food Gourmet destination, Romance/Honeymoon destination, Adventure Sports destination, 365 days on a holiday destination? Or any other such attribute, a separate team focused at achieving the desired objective must handle each of these positioning.
In my opinion there also exists a clear need to position Goa as a Family Destination. I have come to this conclusion mainly because of my interaction with people from other Indian States. When I ask the men to visit Goa with their family, they answer with a wink and a glint – Goa with my family? I prefer coming to Goa with other male friends as stags. This perception I feel needs urgent correction. Come to think of it, are we enabled to deliver what it requires to qualify as a truly Family destination? What do we offer to the children by way of entertainment or holiday activity?

Promoting Goa as a Medical Specialty and Convalescence destination is another interesting segment that can be developed and then projected. The natural relaxed and unspoilt scenic environment are excellent de stressor and rejuvenator and also provide a less costly alternative to people where health care is exorbitantly high.

The hospitality industry in Goa needs to look beyond the bounds of Maharashtra and Gujarat to attract tourist. They seemingly have entered in a comfort zone of feeding their industry with tourist from adjoining States only. As a media consultant I have been trying to convince them to advertise in U.P, Delhi to which they are reluctant, for reasons like Goa is very far or the response is not worth their advertising spend. Only if they looked at those markets differently. Understood what are their idea of a holiday, how they perceive this destination and then devise a campaign that promises to fulfill their expectations.

Our policy maker and tourism marketers must ensure a cohesive multi-positioning strategy based on a thorough knowledge of the needs, wants, and perceptions of the target market, along with the benefits offered by the destination. Answers to a few crucial questions like
What is important to the target market?
How does the target market perceive the destination?
How does the target market perceive the competition?
What attributes should a destination use to differentiate it to make the best use of its limited resources?
would help them evolve a definite strategy that will benefit the five stars, the airlines and the up-market designer showrooms but also the lowly motels, the bus and taxi operators, and the local artisans.

(This article was first published in 'The Navhind Times' Panaroma Magazine on Sunday, September 26,2004)

Branding for Professional Success...

This article is from a series published in 'Herald' Publication titled...'Best Among Equals'

© Valerian Mendonça

“Your ‘Personality’ is the product and your name be it ‘Amita /Eugene / Sharmila / Rajiv’ is the Label or Brand name your ‘Personality’ caries. The prospective employers in the market are the ‘Customers’ interested in hiring and using yours services. So, your Bio-Data, just like a company brochure has to contain enough information, presented in an interesting manner, highlighting your personality features so as to evoke interest in him to invite you for a personal interview.”

Those of you who have been with me through this series will recollect the above commentary from my second article published on December 9th, 2002. I also explained how your bio-data/resume/curriculum vitae is like a company brochure/leaflet and the importance of reflecting your ‘Personality’ through your resume (you may call it brochure, if you wish!)

You are like the ‘Products’ displayed in a super market; a product leaflet draws a customer to the shop where the product is displayed. In your case, you are called to display your capability through an interview, and so are many other candidates. So, in an interview the prospective employer is like a ‘Customer’ ready to choose the ‘Product’ he thinks will benefit him most. Your resume has impressed him to invite you for the interview.

In the super market, among a vast array of product, the product with most attractive packaging catches the customer’s eye. Similarly how you package yourself for the interview matters. If you are turned out neat and smartly dressed you are bound the catch his attention.

In the super market, the customer selects the product, based on the information from the product leaflet, the quality of packaging, and also at times comparing the price. He pays for it and tries it out. If the product meets his expectation then he purchases more of the same product. So also based on the information of your resume, the way you have dressed up for the interview and the discussion during the interview he judges your suitability for the job. Just as he compares the price tag on the product, he may also compare your salary (price) expectation with other candidates at the interview. Just as we at times ask for opinion of a product from its users, so also the employer cross checks with people you know or have worked with, they are called referrals.

You will observe that the above analogy holds good for all type of jobs, be it Accounts, Clerical, Sales, Secretarial… All of us knowingly or unknowingly have to market 'ourselves' to get a job. It is upon us to ensure you don’t pick up tags like “he or she is lazy/irresponsible/unpunctual/selfish…” Such feedback from your referrals will prove very costly and cause irreparable damage to your career prospects. So, please do take care that you don’t get wrong attributes attached to your brand image. I end here with a quote “ Do unto others what you want them to do to you, treat them the way you want to be treated, talk about them what you what them to talk about you.”

You are free to circulate this article among those you feel will benefit from it. Only request is to ensure it goes with my credit by line.