IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Corporate Communication

  • Think Pink…Football?

    When someone says football, more likely than not the first images that come to mind are big, sweaty, muddy and masculine MEN. However, as a yearly tradition this month the NFL will be getting in touch with its more feminine side. To be more precise, all of the players will be accessorizing with pink. Pink sweat bands, socks, cleats and even pink mouth guards, all in honor of Breast Cancer awareness month. The NFL has designated all games from October 5-27th as NFL Breast Cancer Awareness games, started its own campaign called “A Crucial Catch” which encourages mammograms and also donated 14,000 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure at the beginning of the month. Not only is the NFL taking action, throughout the year Major League Baseball is incorporating 250 pink bats into its games, and the National Hockey League players will be using pink hockey sticks as well as many other professional athletic teams. It seems that breast cancer awareness has turned “Think Pink” into a masculine concept as well.

    From the view of a Corporate Communication student, there is more to this concept than meets the eye. Professional sports such as football, hockey and baseball has had (for the most part) a predominantly masculine appeal. Not to say that thousands of women don’t love a full Sunday of watching their favorite team score touchdown after touchdown, or even participate in the sport itself. However, this “Think Pink” concept has become an athletic BRAND of its own. Fans of all genders love to see there favorite male players donning there pink accessories in order to create awareness of a disease that is statistically expected to effect 207,090 women by the end of 2010. Considering the biggest risk factor for being diagnosed with breast cancer is just simply being a woman, sports teams all over the nation that consist of mostly men are creating a whole new concept of branding for themselves. Star players within all areas of the athletic industry are taking action to show their concern for the cause; from Alex Rodriguez using a pink Louisville Slugger bat, to Cowboy’s LB Bradie James forming his own personal foundation that supports breast cancer, “Foundation 56”.

    It’s pretty obvious that breast cancer is a disease that effects all parties involved, not only the women (and men) who are diagnosed. This month, the NFL and other sports teams are making a statement about their normally masculine “brand” and letting everyone know that real men really do wear pink.

    – Lora Hampton

  • The Greeting Card Industry: An Accessible Form of Corporate Humor

    There are many people in the world who have sent a card at some point in their lives to a friend or relative. It can be for any holiday or special occasion whether it’s Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or newborns. The list goes on and on. Cards are a testament to the power of print and it continues its existence into the digital age. Cards are symbols of humor from the corporation and cards need that humor to convince consumers to purchase them.
    One of the biggest (and best-selling) greeting card companies is Hallmark Corporation. This company sells a majority of greeting cards in the United States, with Christmas being the hottest season. No two cards are the same and each one has to incorporate some kind of humor in order to amuse the sender and the receiver. The cards use every method at their disposal, such as photos, graphics, puns, jokes, or all of the above. However, the cards can take this humor too far. Several cards that have come out recently have become more crass and sometimes politically incorrect (One example is a card with a photo of a person mooning the reader). There have been a few instances where Hallmark had to recall certain cards because some members of the public saw them as offensive. So, the industry has to rein in some of the humor to avoid potential conflicts.
    Despite its strong sales in print, Hallmark has embraced digital mediums as well. On their website there is a selection of e-cards. These cards have their own quirky charm. You can customize and expect some surprises whenever you click on the graphics. There are some well-known card mascots online. For example, Hoops and Yoyo, Hallmark’s animated duo featured in many of their e-cards. The company has created an entire mini-brand around a pink cat, Hoops, and a green rabbit, Yoyo.
    Hallmark is not the only greeting card industry; American Greetings has a substantial amount of business as well. But each card industry has the same objective: to bring in strong sales based on humor. All of these corporations need employees with a sense of humor so that newer and funnier cards can be put on the shelves. Sometimes humor can overstep its bounds, but humor is something our society needs in some of the more difficult times.

    Sarah McIntosh, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson, Sean O’Connell

  • Haha… j/k… lol

    Why are so many of us under the assumption that the workplace has to be so serious all the time? Many corporation’s business hours are anywhere between 7 am to 7 pm. If this is the case, when do we have time to joke around and have some fun in our day to de-stress from our busy lifestyles? In corporate communication, there is a time and place for everything, this includes humor.

    As we all have encountered, probably on more than one occasion, humorous or not so humorous misunderstandings over text messaging and even conversations over the phone. These misunderstandings can also be the same communication failures in corporate communication. Though a topic or scenario at work might be funny, there is a certain time and place for that. In an e-mail, a comical statement may be taken the wrong way and come off as offensive and even rude. In e-mails, there is no body language or tone of voice, which makes it harder for the receiver to understand what your intentions are. Conversations over the phone are a little bit easier to pick up on the humor because you are able to hear the laugh or chuckle in the speakers’ voice. Even with this type of communication, if the speaker doesn’t offer enough information, or any hint of humor, it will be difficult to catch the joke or phrase.

    Face-to-face communication is typically the easiest way to read and understand a joke, comical phrase, or sarcasm. In a corporate setting we all could stand to have a little less stress. During a presentation for a client, humor may not be the best idea depending on what you’re presenting and who your client is. Take for instance, a weekly staff meeting. It has to be done, and most of them just go over all the same basic information. Many of these could be less mundane and stressful if a joke was said during it or more comedy was incorporated into it.

    Here is a manager’s perspective on humor in the workplace.

    Lauren Dehart

  • Humor Finding Its Place

    At the beginning of this semester our class set out to define Corporate Communication.  An example from one group in our class was in our first post for the semester, “The communicative interaction of building and maintaining a reputation and consistent brand while fostering relationships internally and externally.”(IMC-Hawks, Aug 30,2010. “What is Corporate Communication?”)

    Near the midway point of the semester now, I can say with confidence that our understanding of the concept of Corporate Communication has expanded and evolved. Differing from one organization to the next, Corporate Communication is an umbrella under which organizations can house as little as just shareholder communication, to as much as, marketing, advertising, public relations, and the communicative culture that exists between members of the organization itself.

    Focusing on humor in Corporate Communication this week I have found that it is most prevalent in advertising as well as cultivating the culture of communication within an organization. Research shows that humor can be devastatingly effective as an advertising tool. Funny jokes are easy to remember and people are much more likely to talk about your add with others if it made them laugh. If this happens, you have just generated free, positive publicity which is a great thing for any business.

    With respect to cultivating the culture of communication within an organization, humor, when used appropriately, can go a long way. Humor has an uncanny ability to relieve stress, and with a lower stress level at work members of an organization are more likely to communicate openly and honestly which fosters a trusting environment. “In a workplace with a trusting environment people open up to new ideas, find it easier to implement new ideas, and are more likely to engage in creative problem solving.” (Romero and Pescosolido, 2008) That being said it would appear to me that humor certainly has a home within Corporate Communication; organizations can, and should benefit from it’s appropriate implementation.

    Here are some funny commercials that I would bet you will tell someone about.

    Citation:
    Romero, Eric, and Anthony Pescosolido. 2008. “Humor and Group Effectiveness.” Human Relations 61: 395-415.

    Wade Boteler

  • Bring a Little Humor to your Job

    Amusement..Laughter…Jokes…Scarcasm… humor

    Any of these words describe the corporate communication to you?

    Humor in the workplace is a touchy subject. Some critics say it takes away from the serious-ness of the work environment, while others believe it is a way to reduce stress and make days a little more enjoyable. We have come to find humor brings positive attributes when moderately used in corporate communication.

    To moderate your humor there are many do’s and don’ts, just as there are restrictions when communicating with stakeholders and publics of an organization. To make humor appropriate it is important to always consider the message, make sure to stay away from serious topics or offensive topics, and know who you’re talking to or who your audience is.

    As we all know, the show The Office on NBC, stars Steve Carell as Michael Scott, who clearly depicts great examples of humor NOT to use in the work place. Examples such as this can be detrimental to corporate communication in an organization.

    When delivering a message to your audience, humor within corporations has also been said to help your audience better understand what you are communicating. According to the Corporate Communications International Journal,  “Humor has been proven to contribute to increases in compliance, learning, attitude shifts and enjoyment. It also contributes to improved organizational cohesiveness.” Sounds positive, wouldn’t you say?

    Humor is an important aspect that if done correctly can create a great synergy for an organization’s corporate communication. As long as we stay away from “Michael Scott humor” we all can add a few more smiles to corporate communication.

    -Arielle Williams, Haley Williams, Lora Hampton, Danielle Dorantich

    Citation: John McIlheran, (2006) “The use of humor in corporate communication”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 11 Iss: 3, pp.267 – 274

  • Communication Studies: The Major with the Mostest

    The Communication Studies department uses corporate communication to create a message and transmit that message to its publics through various mediums.  The Communication Studies department encompasses many different fields such as broadcasting, speech writing, public relations and research. The department sends out messages about why it is a worthwhile major and what the benefits are of having a degree in it. It is a very broad and far-reaching major, making opportunities for later employment very probable. It offers students a chance to express themselves and find their niche. This major teaches students about certain communication mediums and how to utilize them to spread its influence.

    As we mentioned above, the Communication Studies department has several different mediums it uses to send out messages.  First of all, the department has its own section of the UNCW website where you can find information about the major, contact information for professors, and the mission statement. The department also sends out emails to all registered members of the major to discuss on-campus events and important occurrences within the department. Some of these events include Make the Most of Your Major, which helps students to better understand the classes that are being offered within the department. The department also has Com Studies Day, in which several events are held to teach students about life in the real world and how to best use the knowledge imparted to them. One example is the Dress For Success Fashion Show, which teaches students about proper business attire for an interview or a presentation. There is also a club for majors called Communication Studies Society, which helps members become more involved in the community and in campus life. Additionally, there is the Lambda Pi Eta Honors Society, which takes in academically advanced students and helps stimulate interest in the field of communication. Another event offered through the major is Rock for the Cure, a fundraiser that is held each year to raise money for breast cancer research and support. Each of these events signifies how an organization can reach out to the masses.

    The Communication Studies department uses all these events and mediums to communicate their message to the public. These mediums include emails, posters, banners and online advertisements. Even this blog helps to spread the word about the department. The objective is to help students get more involved and achieve a more fulfilling college experience. The Communication Studies department uses corporate communication to raise awareness and send out their message about the major.

    Sarah McIntosh, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson, Sean O’Connell