Multi-Channel WCM Projects: Making Them Work Vern Imrich CTO Percussion Software http://www.percussion.com/contentions CM Pros Fall 2007 Compelling Content Experiences

Today’s Agenda Introduction to Multi-channel WCM Usability Content Reuse Business Process and Lifecycle Modeling and Template Design Emerging Architecture Trends Summary

Introduction to Multi-channel WCM

Usability

Content Reuse

Business Process and Lifecycle

Modeling and Template Design

Emerging Architecture Trends

Summary

Multi-channel WCM Multi-channel content management Multi-media describes types of content Rich media, structured vs. unstructured, files, data, etc. Multi-channel describes types of content delivery Web, online vs. offline, your site vs. other site, mobile, etc. Most channels may consume and deliver ALL types of content Why multi-channel WCM WCM is about “customer facing” content Brand, customer experience, loyalty, outreach, leads, etc. “ it’s a multichannel world, united by content” – Forrester 2006

Multi-channel content management

Multi-media describes types of content

Rich media, structured vs. unstructured, files, data, etc.

Multi-channel describes types of content delivery

Web, online vs. offline, your site vs. other site, mobile, etc.

Most channels may consume and deliver ALL types of content

Why multi-channel WCM

WCM is about “customer facing” content

Brand, customer experience, loyalty, outreach, leads, etc.

“ it’s a multichannel world, united by content” – Forrester 2006

Perspectives on Multi-channel Initiatives “ Enterprises that expect an increase in customer interactions across multiple channels face the daunting task of providing a consistent customer experience. Many have spent the last few years experimenting with treating each channel independently, compounded recently by the use of blogs, RSS, and wikis to both capture and publish content. This has led to duplication of content, inconsistent content usage, redundant processes, and frustrated employees. Providing a consistent customer experience across channels, and improving those processes, now pushes many organizations to manage their content centrally and deliver it through the right channel.” – Forrester 2006 “ The market will be positioned toward the marketing buyer, not IT departments. But fast growth in this fragmented market will require IT involvement early and often, because there are many platforms, delivery models and integration points to reconcile. ” – Gartner 2007

“ Enterprises that expect an increase in customer interactions across multiple channels face the daunting task of providing a consistent customer experience. Many have spent the last few years experimenting with treating each channel independently, compounded recently by the use of blogs, RSS, and wikis to both capture and publish content. This has led to duplication of content, inconsistent content usage, redundant processes, and frustrated employees. Providing a consistent customer experience across channels, and improving those processes, now pushes many organizations to manage their content centrally and deliver it through the right channel.” – Forrester 2006

Usability Challenges Content contributors expect to work in “the” channel Task flow dependent on “the” channel Pick a page design (template), fill it in, save the page Purpose of content elements based on “the” channel Q: “What is a promo blurb?” A: “the piece of text that shows up over here” Quality of content based on “the” channel Is this title “too long?” (need to add examples and screen shots of each)

Content contributors expect to work in “the” channel

Task flow dependent on “the” channel

Pick a page design (template), fill it in, save the page

Purpose of content elements based on “the” channel

Q: “What is a promo blurb?”

A: “the piece of text that shows up over here”

Quality of content based on “the” channel

Is this title “too long?”

(need to add examples and screen shots of each)

Customer example

Usability examples

Addressing Usability for Multichannel Refocus users on the business task, rather than the channel task Integrate channel communications with core business activities Example: Create an Event, not an Event Page Example: Launch a new branch office, not a new branch office site or area Content Purpose and Quality ARE channel specific Embrace working in the context of a channel Leverage channel experts at steps in the process Enable multiple users to touch the same content in the context of the channel(s) they are familiar with Do not force users to guess about channels they never see

Refocus users on the business task, rather than the channel task

Integrate channel communications with core business activities

Example: Create an Event, not an Event Page

Example: Launch a new branch office, not a new branch office site or area

Content Purpose and Quality ARE channel specific

Embrace working in the context of a channel

Leverage channel experts at steps in the process

Enable multiple users to touch the same content in the context of the channel(s) they are familiar with

Do not force users to guess about channels they never see

Content Reuse Challenges Consistency versus practicality Form factor issues are real Text: too long, too short Rich media: aspect ratios, sizing, thumbnails Content type effectiveness varies across channels Example: True Podcasts vs. “reading articles” Usage paradigms in channels are different Content optimization diverges Example: Email/RSS subject line vs. link or title text in a page Spam filters vs. SEO

Consistency versus practicality

Form factor issues are real

Text: too long, too short

Rich media: aspect ratios, sizing, thumbnails

Content type effectiveness varies across channels

Example: True Podcasts vs. “reading articles”

Usage paradigms in channels are different

Content optimization diverges

Example: Email/RSS subject line vs. link or title text in a page

Spam filters vs. SEO

Customer examples

Reuse examples

Content Reuse for Multichannel Consistency through “aggregation rather than integration” of channels Similar themes, messages done distinctly for each channel “Derivative reuse” critical Content is “translated” for each channel Copies are made specific to form factor, media type Special fields/elements created for each channel Linkage back to originals is maintained Process allows all to be maintained in unison Consistency of phrase, color, “brand”

Consistency through “aggregation rather than integration” of channels

Similar themes, messages done distinctly for each channel

“Derivative reuse” critical

Content is “translated” for each channel

Copies are made specific to form factor, media type

Special fields/elements created for each channel

Linkage back to originals is maintained

Process allows all to be maintained in unison

Consistency of phrase, color, “brand”

Business Process and Lifecycle Challenges Workflow Approvals/permissions, usage restrictions, business rules can be channel specific Example: Special promotion available only from Web site Example: Syndicated article may not allow use of graphic Publishing modes Not all channels allow all modes: update/edit, remove/unpublish Example: Newsletter cannot be corrected after sent Lifecycle (Time) issues Channels set different times for: launch, expire, embargo, archive, restore Example: “Expired” vs. “old” vs. “no longer accurate”

Workflow

Approvals/permissions, usage restrictions, business rules can be channel specific

Example: Special promotion available only from Web site

Example: Syndicated article may not allow use of graphic

Publishing modes

Not all channels allow all modes: update/edit, remove/unpublish

Example: Newsletter cannot be corrected after sent

Lifecycle (Time) issues

Channels set different times for: launch, expire, embargo, archive, restore

Example: “Expired” vs. “old” vs. “no longer accurate”

Customer examples

Process Examples

Business Process for Multichannel Mix of manual vs. automated processes Add additional approval steps for use in channels, over and above steps for content approval Leverage channel experts as “down stream” editorial control Allow editors to “override” time issues not relevant to channel Example: Continue to promote old articles Distinct publishing processes Separate “approved” from “live” (public vs. published) Group publishing activities by channels Use channel-specific date-time triggers

Mix of manual vs. automated processes

Add additional approval steps for use in channels, over and above steps for content approval

Leverage channel experts as “down stream” editorial control

Allow editors to “override” time issues not relevant to channel

Example: Continue to promote old articles

Distinct publishing processes

Separate “approved” from “live” (public vs. published)

Group publishing activities by channels

Use channel-specific date-time triggers

Modeling and Template Design Challenges WCM: separation of content from format So channels should be easy, right? Channels are NOT just formats! Aggregation modes are different Example: Multiple “snippets” on a page vs. focused landing page for email campaign Navigation modes are different Example: RSS short linear time-sorted lists vs. relevancy and click-path driven web site links Example: Link text vs. rich media links (embedded into Flash etc.) Preview What does it mean to preview a Feed, Newsletter, Syndicated article? Preview the “whole” or the “parts?” Example: preview the article fragment or where/how it appears in the feed?

WCM: separation of content from format

So channels should be easy, right?

Channels are NOT just formats!

Aggregation modes are different

Example: Multiple “snippets” on a page vs. focused landing page for email campaign

Navigation modes are different

Example: RSS short linear time-sorted lists vs. relevancy and click-path driven web site links

Example: Link text vs. rich media links (embedded into Flash etc.)

Preview

What does it mean to preview a Feed, Newsletter, Syndicated article?

Preview the “whole” or the “parts?”

Example: preview the article fragment or where/how it appears in the feed?

Customer examples

Template examples

Modeling and Template Design for Multichannel Nested “levels” of templates (template reusability) Innermost templates deal with format of channel What is a title, subject, subtitle, link text, etc. Adopt heavy use of CSS to maximize reusability Outer templates manage aggregation, navigational differences Can also apply channel-specific business rules Example: sort by relevancy to target vs. sort by date Multichannel requires multi-preview Users need to switch from one template to the next Reuse models drive this Example: different test used for “title” showing in channels

Nested “levels” of templates (template reusability)

Innermost templates deal with format of channel

What is a title, subject, subtitle, link text, etc.

Adopt heavy use of CSS to maximize reusability

Outer templates manage aggregation, navigational differences

Can also apply channel-specific business rules

Example: sort by relevancy to target vs. sort by date

Multichannel requires multi-preview

Users need to switch from one template to the next

Reuse models drive this

Example: different test used for “title” showing in channels

Emerging Architecture for Multichannel WCM: Separation of content from format Reuse content elements across many formats Multichannel WCM: Separation of “customer targeting” logic from “channel presentation” logic Reuse customer segments and targeting rules across all applicable channels Centralize the “customer experience” to maximize consistency Example: segment content based on customer demographics, reuse aggregation in email campaigns, or when they visit Web site independently of email. Example: Promote an event or product across channels Cross channel feedback Use Web site based usage analysis to drive other channels Example: Web site A/B Test results drives better newsletter Example: RSS/blog traffic drives visitors to internal cross promotions

WCM: Separation of content from format

Reuse content elements across many formats

Multichannel WCM: Separation of “customer targeting” logic from “channel presentation” logic

Reuse customer segments and targeting rules across all applicable channels

Centralize the “customer experience” to maximize consistency

Example: segment content based on customer demographics, reuse aggregation in email campaigns, or when they visit Web site independently of email.

Example: Promote an event or product across channels

Cross channel feedback

Use Web site based usage analysis to drive other channels

Example: Web site A/B Test results drives better newsletter

Example: RSS/blog traffic drives visitors to internal cross promotions

Architecture examples

Summary Multichannel is NOT simply multi-format Usability Embrace both “content centric” AND “channel centric” Content Reuse Derivative content reuse is critical, channels managed like “locales” Process Use process to iterate between content and channel experts Key enable to marry reuse and usability modes Templates Separate aggregations from individual content elements Architecture Separate “customer” from “channel” to maximize consistency

Multichannel is NOT simply multi-format

Usability

Embrace both “content centric” AND “channel centric”

Content Reuse

Derivative content reuse is critical, channels managed like “locales”

Process

Use process to iterate between content and channel experts

Key enable to marry reuse and usability modes

Templates

Separate aggregations from individual content elements

Architecture

Separate “customer” from “channel” to maximize consistency

Multi-Channel WCM Projects: Making Them Work Vern Imrich CTO Percussion Software http://www.percussion.com/contentions CM Pros Fall 2007 Compelling Content Experiences