Progress on the English version of Business Campaigning is slower than planned. One reason is that I have to do more work for clients than I expected while being in Australia, far away from home. The other reason says more about the whole concept. It’s the importance of definitions. Today I had my second meeting with Cate Newman-Marshall and like last time, we spent all of our time with definitions. But without them, without defining important expressions in a way that they will be understood correctly by the readers of the book, the whole book would make no sense. Especially, as this is one of the major problems of the whole communications industry: too many expressions that are not clearly defined. Of all things the communication industry… Just think of words like marketing, communication, PR and advertising – where exactly are the boundaries between them?
So, it is a natural part of a book on a concept like business campaigning®, that a lot of time is spent on definitions, which then form the ground on which to build a stable concept that will not be blown away so easily. A few examples:
Changerator: (this word is our own creation) Anything that can be used to change a mindset, behaviour or outcomes and thus help you to achieve your goal(s). Changerators can be found within your profession, sector, or experience and also from external, different or unconventional sources. Examples for changerators are: flyers, billboards, marketing, psychotherapy, organisational development, product development, PR, internal communication, online campaigning, networking, interventions, legal action etc. It can be one sentence spoken at the right time to the right person.
Communication: The result of conscious or unconscious exchange of information between at least two people, parties or entities, involving various levels of interaction. The highest form of communication is reached when it creates a connection between these people, parties or entities.
Competitor: Anything or anyone that interferes negatively with the process of achieving your goals.
Complementor: Anything or anyone that interferes positively with the process of achieving your goals. Through their success they naturally complement your success. And/or through their operations they create greater demand for what you do.
Guidelines: Rules and/or principles that are used to guide or direct your decision making, behaviour and/or activities.