Linking common threads.

More than 130 conference delegates came from 18 countries in Europe and beyond to hear and share knowledge and experiences on the forces and changes driving organisational communication in Europe today. During two days in London in November, this international gathering of senior business communicators participated in 10 sessions of feature-packed presentations and discussions on the essential issues in internal and external communication.

"Communications for a Changing Europe" was held at the Langham Hilton, London, on November 4 and 5, 1993. Organised by The Conference Board in association with IABC and Time magazine, the conference theme was "business success through communication" and addressed the latest ideas and solutions in areas such as organisational change management, employee communication, strategic communication planning, media relations, environmental communication and corporate image management. "Leading-edge thinking and leading-edge strategies" was how Robert M. Falcey, vice president, conferences, The Conference Board, described what delegates would experience over the two-day event, in his opening address.

The unwavering commitment

Day one concentrated on internal communication issues. According to Paul Rutherford, corporate communication manager, Rank Xerox Ltd., who began the sessions, aligning internal communication with the corporate business plan and communicating a consistent message, both internally and externally, are the key elements in successfully sharing the organisation's vision with diverse audiences. "Vision has to be sold," he said. "To stimulate ownership, you must talk to the head and sell to the heart." The message of alignment was echoed by Nigel Taverner, director, London office, Opinion Research Corporation. "The most successful firms in the 1990s," he said, "will be those that manage to align the internal organisation to deliver the external marketing and service promise." The use of technology in helping achieve strategic objectives was illustrated by Ian Slater, director of corporate affairs and internal communication, Ford of Europe. Outlining the intense change the world automotive industry has been experiencing in recent years, he said his industry is in an environment where effective internal communication assumes great strategic importance. Speaking of how change creates uncertainty, he said, "Employees are entitled to expect from their company's management a clear and realistically confident picture of where their business is headed." He said this requires an unwavering commitment to effective internal communication, with perhaps the most important principle being the need to maintain trust and credibility at all levels in theorganisation. Slater described how Ford in Europe, with some 83,000 employees in 20 countries, implemented a multilingual in-house television network as an effective source of information for employees throughout the region. Good for the soul

This broad linkage of vision, trust and credibility was carried through to the day-two presentations and discussions on external communication issues. Mary Carroll, director of group corporate communication, Grand Metropolitan Group, focused on achieving fair treatment by the business press in implementing a comprehensive media campaign. In the form of a case-study presentation, she spoke of the many issues which arose during Grand Met's acquisition of the Pillsbury Company in 1989, where effectively communicating with shareholders, employees and the media was crucial during the hostile takeover battle.

"You have to work on a hostile takeover once in your life," Carroll stated. "It's good for the soul."

Joseph Romero, director, Broad Romero International, showed how culture can be a useful tool in reaching diverse audiences in Europe and other regions. He explained how creating an image of U.S. organisations such as Philip Morris Companies and JP Morgan allied to distinctly European cultural events proved successful in focusing European media coverage on particular segments of their business activities. Romero said this type of communication strategy can be highly effective in creating new perceptions of an organisation's business. "What's really of interest?" he asked. "You focus on the culture."

"Revolution not evolution" is perhaps an apt description of how Lloyd's of London, the international insurance market leader, is managing fundamental change. Peter Hill, head of communication (and president, IABC/UK), spoke of how an ongoing campaign of influencing customer loyalty with the corporate name is helping reposition the organisation in its major markets worldwide.

Quality and learning

"Communications for a Changing Europe" was pronounced "a great success" by The Conference Board programme director, Lee Hornick. Also present at the event were IABC President Norm Leaper, ABC, and Chairman Marcia Vaughan, ABC. "I am delighted that IABC participated," said Vaughan, who fulfilled a role of session moderator on the first day. "Such an alliance with The Conference Board has helped us increase our visibility in Europe."

Although IABC members were in the minority, their attendance gave them excellent opportunities for linking up with fellow members and learning about other chapters in Europe and elsewhere. "I found it invaluable meeting so many IABC people from other countries," said Franci Zavrl, director of Pristop, a public relations consultancy in Ljubljana, Slovenia. IABC Europe/Africa Region sponsored a display stand, and provided interested potential members with joining information, as well as information on IABC/Hyperspace, IABC's newest "chapter," on the CompuServe information service.

The conference also provided an opportunity for Theo Vorster of IABC/Southern Africa, communication manager of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, to profile to all conference delegates the chapter's planned conference in Johannesburg next October. The theme? "Communications for a Changing South Africa," said Vorster. "Out of Africa, there is always something new."

Neville Hobson is an independent communication consultant currently based in Reading, England. His CompuServe electronic mail address is 100015,633.