When internal memos leak outside the organisation
There have been a few rather too public instances of private internal memoranda being leaked outside the originating company. Loyalty and corporate discretion may be a thing of the past, but modern organisations need to be aware of the potential issues surrounding internal documents that get publicised.
A great summary of the three types of leaked memo has been written up by Jackie Huba at the Church of the Customer blog.
Type 1
1. The Rorschach memo.
The idea: Write a memo that explains how your company has lost its
way and must make big changes. Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz made
made news last week for his "Starbucks has lost its way" memo
Type 2
2. The Maguire Gambit.
The idea: Write a memo on how your company is
screwed up and must make big changes. The caveat: You’re not the boss,
so your job or career could be on the line like the fictional character [Jerry Maguire]
for whom the gambit is named.
Type 3
3. The Wild-Eyed Memo.
The idea: Write a memo that’s equivalent to jumping
on the bar with tequila bottle in hand, screaming how much you kick
ass. Oh, and how much it sucks to be jilted.
The last has strong relevance for creative agencies because it was written by the MD of Cramer-Krasselt a US advertising agency who decided they were insulted by their client, Career-Builder, when asked to re-pitch for the business. See the long list of sites about them from this simple Google search. Including the Chicago Tribune and Adrants.
Interestingly, their website looks like it’s entirely flash-built and so doesn’t come up well on Google…. but see the new front page which is rebuilt to focus entirely on their Career-Builder adverts and a box at the bottom just about the bloggers who have had their say on the saga….. I suppose you can call this a positive (honest?) response to the publicity surrounding the memo that was leaked. But I think it just shows crass arrogance of the advertising agency ego. Would you give them your business?
If you want more on this subject and how to keep your clients and win re-pitches, may I recommend Jon Steel’s book Perfect Pitch. His underlying lack of arrogance and over-riding desire to come up with the best possible creative work for his agency’s clients comes through so strongly that I just wanted to hand him my business without a pitch. His focus on the client and the client’s needs over the needs of the agency shine through. I hope that hiring WPP is exactly like that for anyone who works with them.
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