ITT Industries Recognizes its Best Communicators

The theme of ITT Industries' third annual Communications Best Practices Awards can be summed up as "creativity with a business purpose." All three winners tackled a pressing communication problem with flair and a focus on their company's business goals.

• Lowara was honored for the second year in a row. Last year, they built a customer-focused website. This year, the company created a 3-D stereoscopic animated character -- LOOP -- that helps make the company's technical communications more inviting and understandable.
  
  With the release of its SV multi-stage product, Lowara needed a way to let customers know it was selling total solutions -- not just pump products.  LOOP starred in a short film that first entertained viewers and then explained the technical aspects of the product. In his debut role, LOOP was so successful and memorable that the character has become the company mascot and will be used to introduce future products. Already, LOOP has starred in a sequel video, this one featuring an 8-inch borehole pump
  
  
• Jabsco Worldwide was looking for a way to foster a "one company" feeling among employees working in different markets -- from boat compasses to beverage pumps -- and in the United Kingdom and both coasts of the United States. In addition, the far-flung sales force felt somewhat detached from the day-to-day interaction of the office.
  
  The solution was an intranet overhaul. Borrowing a page from the Flygt book, Jabsco reinvigorated its intranet with Web Management System (WMS). The tool allows users the ability to contribute content and manage the site, all within a defined template. As a result the site is now growing rapidly, with regular updates and relevant information. New news is shared quickly and in a unified manner, and there is improved communication between units.
  
  
• The third and final winner, Night Vision, knew it needed a better way to determine which trade shows to attend each year. The company depended on these shows for direct customer communication, but wanted to scientifically measure which ones gave them the most "bang for its buck."
  
  To make a data-driven decision, a business development team created a matrix evaluation tool that measures everything from strategic importance to cost and staffing. Each category is given a numerical rating based on specific criteria, and Night Vision is now a no-show at low-scoring shows. The tool is also being used to identify how the company can improve its performance at shows it does attend.

To see how Lowara used its new cartoon character, LOOP, to introduce its new multi-stage pump series, click here to see the trailers of LOOP's first two starring roles: www.lowara.com/video-trailer.php.

Adding to the excitement, Lowara created a 3-D movie of LOOP and distributed stereoscopic glasses to its customers at trade shows and in CD mailings.