Who
runs technology business like a publishing house? We do. Are you surprised? I
bet so.
Back
in 2005 when I decided to relinquish the non-performing publishing business
unit in a subsidiary company, the editorial team was transferred to FingerTec
to take charge of the brand’s branding activities and the websites. The team
comprised of a few writers, editors and graphic designers.
As a
CEO, I assumed the role of de facto chief editor with a vision of FingerTec making
great headlines at all times. With this in mind, every product’s image was
carefully taken care of not only in terms of the product quality but also in
every other aspect of the product which is equally as significant.
The
aspects covered include conceptualizing what type of photos are the ones that
needs to be taken, the product copy and selecting the images that best portray
the product. Being a stickler for details meant putting in a large amount of
effort to revamp the image of FingerTec products. From the then plain and banal
brand, it has now metamorphosed into a sophisticated brand that is known for
products that are futuristic and user-friendly.
Today,
that same editorial team fills some of the top posts in FingerTec. Norana Johar
was promoted from sub-editor to Chief Operating Officer and Tamy Phoon to Senior
Sales Manager. Even after almost a decade, we still carry on the business like
running a publishing house and we are proud of it.
Products
need explanations; even food products require explanation on how it should be
consumed plus some cooking suggestions.
Good writing helps in producing quality tips, user guides and training
materials. To construct and market FingerTec as a brand, we need excellent
writing, great copies, concepts and fulfillments. And, to enter different
markets and countries, translation is another transformation that is inevitable
to reach greater audience. Anyhow, the master copy must be of decent quality
for good translations.
Through
the writing processes and editorial workflows, we introduced our monthly e-newsletter
since 2007 as our marketing tool, which has lasted for seven years now. For the
past three years, we have been introducing our Annual Magazine to be
distributed globally through exhibitions and our clients. All this can’t be
achieved smoothly if we have a team that doesn’t write.
And
in this business, website is king. Some people might disagree with me looking
at many of those who are using websites to simply list their products and
technical info, alongside their company profiles. But, to think that we would
just settle for simple information on the website is just plain wrong. Of
course the objective is not as easy as that, the target was to make it as comprehensive
and as interactive as possible for our clients who indulge in finding
information. Who would be better suited for this task? Definitely the editorial
team cum marketing that does not only know the inside out of our products, but also
understand the need to market them right.
The decline of
newspapers, print media or publishers is foreseeable in the Internet era. The
soaring newsprint prices, slumping ad sales and precipitous drops in
circulation were clear indications of the downfall. But life will find its way,
truly enough, besides the emerging online media. The editorial profession have shifted to find its place in a
lot other industries in the Internet era. The closure of our publishing unit marked
the beginning of utilization of editorial skill in a different perspective, an
effort that was proven to be genius in its own right.
From our
experience, in order to maintain a dynamic marketing strategy as a driving
force for the business, our editorial team definitely is the answer.
