Say Cheese! Operations & Opportunities (Part 16)

The Operations and Opportunities series will posted on Tuesdays Wednesdays, and Thursdays through the month of August 2011. A number of operational issues will be addressed in the blog. For more detail, depth or individual information and answers, please contact Soltys, Inc. Comments and questions are welcome. We will post answers and responses.

Do you know these people?

• Tom Hunk, a bit on the vain side still uses his high school graduation photo in his marketing. The handsome young man in the picture is fit and displays a bit of mischief in his smile. That smile is still there but over 40 years after graduation, the hair is thin and much lighter and the man has not seen weight south of 250 lbs. in over 25 years.
• Suzy Queue is using a photo from a commercial photographer who was creative with lenses, lighting and Photoshop. From across the room, there might be some resemblance.
• Harriett Hero uses a caricature to illustrate her super powers. No one knows who she really is or whether or not she is a real person.
• Others you are sure to know include - Mike Mugshot, Daisy Doglover, Bobby Andhiskids, Wendy Washout and Cathy Casual.

While we may chuckle thinking of pictures we have seen, the pictures, information and items related to you become your persona and identity to potential business.

Companies suffer from the same type of image problems which may be compounded because these ofteninclude all of the individual representations and reflection. Look at the profiles of the people related to your company which may range from blank or insignificant one-liners to information overload which loses value as a reason to do business with you.

The company facilities are often profiled in street shots rather than a look inside showing what you do and giving a virtual experience of working with you. It seems that most happy people on company web sites are from stock photos that rarely convey the differentiators of the company.

What do the pictures, profiles and information I might find about you on your site and on the web tell me about your leadership, the community of your company, the services you offer and what it would be like to work either for you or with you? Does it appear that people on your site are looking for a job or offering valuable services?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Thanks to 24 x 7 Internet access there are countless numbers of words and in some cases picture of all of us. The information and images come together as a collage that becomes our identity on the web. The collection is not only what you have fed to the web but in many cases information and images that may or may not be related to you. It really changes the game and will impact most company’s operations from marketing through policies and management.

The Internet is the single most important media today for marketing with greater reach and efficiency. It is also a great source for disinformation, confusion and potential for blending into the noise. Like every other part of your operational machine, it requires maintenance.

Just like the anchors on the morning news shows, the experience and visual recognition should bring a feeling of comfort in working with you and a reason to select you and your company. Take a look in the mirror of the web and see yourself as others see you. If you do not like what you see, it can be changed.