Multi-Channel WCM Projects:Multi-Channel WCM Projects:Making Them WorkMaking Them Work

Vern Imrich

CTO Percussion Software

http://www.percussion.com/contentionsCM 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

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

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

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)

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

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

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”

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”

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

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?

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

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

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

Multi-Channel WCM Projects:Multi-Channel WCM Projects:Making Them WorkMaking Them Work

Vern Imrich

CTO Percussion Software

http://www.percussion.com/contentionsCM Pros Fall 2007

Compelling Content Experiences