How TikTok, Spotify or Clubhouse can be used for effective and professional corporate communications was demonstrated by the Bachelor’s students of FHWien der WKW’s English Corporate Communication cohort in a business field project with Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB).
Entertaining videos on TikTok, music streaming via Spotify, and interviews via the Apple Clubhouse app open up the world in particular to a young target group. The channels, which are still little investigated for corporate communications purposes, offer both opportunities and risks for companies. The ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) took this as an opportunity to have the platforms thoroughly analyzed in a business field project with students of the English Bachelor’s program Corporate Communication from FHWien der WKW (6th semester). After a thorough SWOT analysis, they designed customized personas, created accurate content for each channel, and convinced the client with comprehensive communication concepts ranging from strategy to creative implementation with timing and budget plan.
Rethinking new channels – between casual and elitist!
As different as TikTok, Spotify and Clubhouse are, the advertising format must also be differentiated. With a flair for finding, the students created content plan proposals including precisely fitting authentic video/image/audio worlds combined with optimal messages – from casual for TikTok to elitist for Clubhouse in professional “agency style”. A detailed analysis explained the mechanisms of the respective channels and the algorithm behind each platform. Infotainment was the keyword for a perfect balance between the advertising message and the entertaining content, in the spirit of “entertain – explain – inspire”.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
For the final presentation in mid-May 2021, each student team developed their own agency corporate design. “Adtempus”, “Branding Ovation”, “Futuremind”, “Goldig”, “Ideenwerkstatt” and “Smoking Brains” then competed against each other in the pitch and convinced with a strong performance. The enthusiasm of the clients was great: “We appreciate the cooperation in the business field projects with FHWien der WKW very much. Once again, the students have done profound analysis work and provided some new ways of thinking, which we will now take a closer look at,” underlines Robert Lechner, Head of Corporate Communications ÖBB-Holding AG. Academic Coordinator and Coach Kirstie Riedl is also full of praise: “It’s unbelievable with how much verve the students approached the project, even despite the online setting. The results are something to be proud of!” So there is only one thing left to say: The channels have been studied – now it’s time to try!
Are you curious and interested in a business field project with the Communication Management Study Programs at FHWien der WKW? Martina Zöbl, Academic Coordinator Business Field Projects/Internships is at your disposal:
Mag.a (FH) Martina Zöbl
Academic Coordinator
Business & Law
Business Field Projects / Internships
Head of Program MSc Retail Management
Phone.: +43 690 40 476-084
martina.zoebl@fh-wien.ac.at
>> Learn more about the Bachelor’s Program in Corporate Communication