I feel compelled to share with everyone something BIG that's happening at Telemundo right now. And the readings for this week couldn't have come at a more perfect time, specifically the Hinds & Mortensen article, as Telemundo will be unveiling a brand spanking new logo and tagline.
This is a pretty big deal, to put it lightly, as Telemundo is the second-largest producer of original Spanish language content on the planet; it can be seen in over 100 countries and this content appears in multiple formats. Needless to say, a lot of work has taken place - and there's still lots to do as we prepare to essentially "flip the switch" in October, when on one day viewers will literally see a synchronous change from old to new from one day to the next.
In order to achieve such a feat, there has been a heavy flow of communication across the board, from stations owned by NBC Universal to Telemundo affiliates. Many players are involved outside of the Marketing arena, as everyone is involved and plays a role in the effort, from production managers and national sales offices to station master control operators.
Hinds and Mortensen refer to new technologies that "offer new opportunities for engaging in geographically distributed work" (Hinds & Mortensen, 2005) and this is most definitely the case here. But the article suggests that communicating across multiple locations has its disadvantages. specifically that "teams are difficult to manage and often fall short of performance expectations" (Hinds & Mortensen, 2005). In the case of Telemundo, we have had to include more traditional face-to-face communication tactics for this project and not rely solely on Google hangouts, conference calls and Skype check-ins.
For example, focus groups with key stakeholders in different markets have been conducted to get a better sense of viewer's attitudes, thoughts and feelings towards Telemundo and what it stands for as a provider of Spanish language content. Two weeks ago, we used the Promax BDA summit in Las Vegas as an opportunity for all Marketing Directors throughout the country to discuss the direction and strategy behind the new rebrand. It was here where NBC Universal and Telemundo executives were faced with some of their most challenging questions and internal conflicts on a variety of issues, more specifically as to the direction the network is heading in and major differences of opinion in the early logo prototypes.
This called to mind the management of paradox in the Hill article, as the marketing team is a diverse group with different voices and points of view yet we collectively have one goal, which is flipping that switch in October. "For the team to benefit from the diversity, the team has to have a process that allows for the different voices — perspectives, priorities, styles — to be expressed and heard" (Hill, 1995). Our process was meeting face to face in Las Vegas rather than to solely rely on the technology that allows us to bypass the expense of business travel. Although this meeting was only one part of the process, it was important, as everyone is now on the same page moving forward, which will help us flip the switch and the rebranding of our identity.
References
Hill, L. (1995) Managing Your Team, Harvard Business School, pp. 1-22
Hinds, P. H., and Mortensen, M. (2005) Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication. Organization Science, 16, pp. 290-307
Phillip, I would like to hear a bit more about the teams involved in this transition. You say that face-to-face meetings have been critical during this time, but how can you facilitate the development of a shared identity or the transfer of tacit knowledge when face-to-face meetings are not an option? Is there a way to make your Skype check-ins more productive? Should there be more spontaneous communication? In your view, do team members have a shared context, meaning they have access to the same information and share the same culture?
ReplyDeleteGood questions, Doctor Pade. I actually believe that face-to-face communication is really important when it comes to sharing tacit knowledge. From what I have been witnessing, the higher up the chain one is, the more spontaneous the communication and sharing of ideas comes into play. From there the communication flows down with some opportunity for feedback amongst middle managers but not as much as I would expect or hope for. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason is that top Telemundo brass feel that having too many chefs in the kitchen is counterproductive. The president of the Telemundo station group essentially said when asked why regional marketing people weren't consulted or asked their opinions on the new logo design, his response was, "Essentially, you were represented - through me." And that's a perfect segue way to my next reason. In class (and in many classes), we don't touch on the politics and ego that come into play in organizations along with the theory and models we learn. And in this industry, there's a lot of that going around.
DeleteSo Las Vegas was basically the network's pitch of the new materials to us, the marketing people in key areas that will have to execute. So to answer your last question, no, there isn't an official shared context with everyone having access to the same information. In my case I have taken some initiative and have been in direct contact with the head of marketing and shared ideas.
Nik - if it wasn't for these two classes and the information I have been able to take with me, I'm not sure if the higher ups would be taking me as seriously. Seriously. Surveys, focus groups, networking, all of the stuff we're working on ties into what is happening right now. Yeah, the ball is rolling but I still have a voice and they still have ears. The trick is to walk the fine line between contributing and not rubbing people the wrong way, which is easy to do. In Las Vegas we did go through terrific team-building exercises related to the brand, new tagline options and how tags could develop into cool slogans at the local level. People are slowly taking ownership over what we're doing after a rocky start (everyone not being involved).
Audrey, Houston is a big market and my counterpart, Art Sobarzo, is doing a good job there while he baby sits the Dallas market. We are in need of Marketing Director there. Susan Solano is the SVP of Marketing for Telemundo and she is leading the charge. She's a wonderful person and has been very receptive to my ideas. To answer your last question, well, that's a terrific question because this is actually the next step for us. A tagline reflecting all the data from focus groups and surveys is being finalized and I am proud to say that I submitted an idea that is being considered. We are running all possibilities through the legal team and making sure we aren't treading in copyright hell.
Cynthia - I think (hope) there's a good system in place where we won't replicate the Boston Harbor debacle from the reading this week. The decision to make a change wasn't made on a whim and lots of good people have worked hard to make sure we're moving forward in a way that shows accountability and reasoning for the decisions that are being made. Ultimately, once the switch is flipped, every key member of the network would have signed off on it - making everyone accountable. THE ONLY loophole I see is that I don't feel that enough input was provided by the very people who will be implementing the branding and marketing at the local level. I would think they would have viewed this group as key stakeholders in all of this.
Hi Phillip,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are just getting into the thick of it with the whole rebranding-so now is a great time to apply what we are learning. The article that I reviewed for the post talked of implementing what are called convocons, or conversational icons to help facilitate relationship building in distributed groups. The basic idea was that throughout a team task there would be strength building exercises to get the actors to rely on each other (each party had either a riddle or solution.) I wonder if there's opportunity for you to apply something like this to your situation? It sounds like the ball is already rolling, but any chance to strengthen the group would surely be a good thing...
Phillip, interesting project going on and I can't wait to see your launch since Houston is a big market for you. Who is leading the team on this project? Did you find that the team members were working autonomously? From the face to face how will you follow-up as a team?
ReplyDeletePhillip, that's really interesting that in your industry--TV--face to face was seen as an important part of the process (plus a meeting in Vegas certainly energizes). Are there feedback loops in place, so that a Nut Island Effect doesn't develop where you're all so energized in moving collectively toward October, that some crucial piece gets missed or forgotten, or some diverse team member isn't heard?
ReplyDeleteHi Phillip -- Must be interesting to be at the center of such a major rebranding. You mention NBC Universal, and I wonder what their connection is with Telemundo. Is this a new strategic alliance? If so, can you say anything about the level of trust involved between the two companies, as you've witnessed it?
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