This morning I was at my son’s primary school, watching their end-of-term version of Britain’s Got Talent: 17 groups of small children dancing, singing, playing instruments and telling jokes. (Electric guitar, since you ask).
It was, of course, exactly as you’d expect, but the judges found something genuinely good to say about all of them, even when it went horribly wrong.
And sometimes there were flashes of something very special.
It struck me that this was really very like my day job of reviewing and assessing corporate websites.
Superficially, corporate sites can seem similar and predictable – after all, they have to cover pretty much the same ground, and provide the same sort of information. However, when we take the time to look, there’s almost always something interesting and unique about them, at least if the company spends any time making the site about themselves.
And that’s the point: a corporate site is the opportunity to show off the unique nature and talents of the company – to sell the corporate brand. Every day is audition day, and every visitor a judge. The prize, of course, being engagement with the visitor if they decide to buy, to invest, to apply for a job, to read your material, to write about you.
Just like the children I saw this morning, every company is unique and has its own personality. But some present themselves better than others. And, just sometimes, we see something really unexpected, something that changes our perception of the company.
I’m glad I didn’t have to judge today’s talent competition, but I am one of the panel of judges for Communicate Magazine’s Digital Impact Awards. We’re shortlisting now and I hope to meet some of the entrants at the awards dinner in September. Do let us know if that’s you, and come and say hello!
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
