Photo: Jacqueline Althaller
We spoke with Jacqueline Althaller, Founder, Managing Partner of ALTHALLER communication about authentic and strategic B2B Communication and the secret of her success
Ms. Althaller, first of all, congratulations on more than 25 years of ALTHALLER Communication. In fact to be precise, it is now 27 years. Can you tell our readers the secret of your success?
We build relationships. That is our fundamental aim, even if in practice the ways in which that aim is achieved can be incredibly diverse. Especially in the field of B2B communication, where it is a matter of positioning a business with sustained effect.
It is really very fulfilling to develop and apply tools that are as perfectly tailored as possible, and tell the story with passion.
In recent decades there have been some significant changes not only the way in which we communicate in every field, but also in the conversations that take place in the market and within companies. To what extent has that impacted on the way you interact with your clients and on the internal focus of your agency?
Businesses are more than ever engaged in dialog with their target groups. Communication is a cross-media process, and there is no channel that does not call for a precision, fine-tuned approach. For the past 10 years our “Social Media in B2B Communication” survey has recorded the ways in which communication patterns are changing, and the results show that the community has matured.
Strategic communication takes place across multiple channels, moving image communication is becoming steadily more important, and ideally communication should be a boardroom task.
We support our clients in these areas and create editorial plans that in turn provide a framework that is brought to life through interviews, podcasts and explanatory videos.
The exceptionally high standard of education and training you live and provide internally is a particular feature of ALTHALLER Communication. What form does that take as part of the working day, and where does your content focus lie?
This year is a year of learning. New collaborative tools are constantly being developed, new software with which to structure communications content, and we aspire to keep abreast of these and communicate efficiently for our clients. So education and training is a constant part of the process.
You are a founder of the SocialMediaB2B Work Group which recently presented the initial results of your survey. What motivated you to form this Group, and how were the participants selected?
Some 10 years or more ago, what our clients needed above all was help in navigating social media. What can we expect? How does it work? How do I plan my resources? These were the questions in our minds when we met to establish the Group, and we set to work. The plan was to answer them one by one on a regular basis. Either between ourselves or with the help of external contributors.
The participants are exclusively communications specialists at B2B companies in a wide variety of sectors. It says something about the rising demands on how we interpret strategic communication that after 10 years we are still meeting and still not short of issues to address. In the meantime, an atmosphere of trust has developed in which best practices can be proposed and difficult communication issues discussed in the round.
Elevator pitch; survey conclusions and what can companies learn and rethink?
Communicate authentically. That’s the only thing that sets your company apart. Use the various social media channels to speak to precisely your target group.
Be approachable and make an impression.
Place video messages, explain what you do in short film clips and take a stand on current trends, especially through podcasts.
What role do external impressions play in your view, or to put it another way, where does the boss get her ideas? You don’t just have to be a breath of fresh air for your clients, you surely also need to inspire your colleagues?
There is nothing more exciting that to talk to other people and exchange points of view.
Is there a particular agency highlight or project that is close to your heart and that you would like to share with our readers?
The relaunch of a customer magazine has most certainly been a fantastic task in which we had an entirely free hand from concept and design through to implementation. The opportunity to provide the full content for this magazine this year for a second time and continue to develop the medium in digital form is without doubt one of the highlights of the year and underscores our trust-based relationship with our clients.
insurance Magazin
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As market communication experts our customers can also expect us to provide unusual or original positioning proposals. In this case, we came up with the idea of a book on payment solutions covering all the latest topics comprehensively and concisely.
– More than 25 years of ALTHALLER communication–
The credo for excellent market communication:a high level of personal commitment, outstanding educational levels and ongoing further training and skilling.