FLSmidth cements leading position with quality communications

As demand for cement plant projects hits a worldwide high, FLSmidth has fought off tough competition to win a large slice of the contracts. Part of FLSmidth's success stems from a language and communication strategy that works anywhere in the world.

Branding the word
As a world-leader in cement plant solutions, FLSmidth needs to communicate the right company image in a consistent way. Anders Godiksen, FLSmidth's marketing manager explains, "Communication is part of the branding process. We have to be skilled, not only in our solutions technology, also in our use of language. If our English was poor, we would be taken for a second-rate company."

So communications is split into two. General marketing material, such as the customer magazine Highlights, is written by FLSmidth staff together with professional English-language writers. The aim is to produce a sophisticated, story-telling style that's elegant, but not difficult for readers in Algeria or China to understand. Once readers are hooked, they move onto the product information, which is written by technical experts.

Success keeps on rolling
FLSmidth's business is all about long-standing relationships. The company supplies leading-edge, energy-efficient and environmentally sound solutions, and also trains its customers' staff to implement them. This means communications must be consistent right across the board and in every step of the process.

"In a world of PCs and email where everyone puts on their spell-checker and writes, the standard has dropped a little. That's all the more reason for having consistently high standards in mass communications," believes Anders.

Outsourcing creates creativity
FLSmidth's in-house writers are highly proficient with many years' experience in the cement industry. But sometimes it can be an advantage to break the mould. Anders explains, "It's healthy to get inspiration from other people. For example, we use agencies such as Eye for Image to give us new ideas and suggest new ways of doing things."

And unlike freelancers, agencies tend not to disappear overnight. "I know there's always someone in the agency who can do the work. I'm confident it will get done, so we can achieve our objective of great language."