Historic Corporate Pages 2002-2004 (Part 2)

Four sorry corporate information pages (2002)

In 2002, I used four pages of corporate information as part of my training resources. They were Microsoft Corporate Information, Mitsubishi philanthropy, Philip Morris Our People, and About Toyota.

When training web authors, I prefer to use good examples of their kind, so these must have been either typical or among the best I could find at the time. However, they certainly did not contain content to skite about.

These pages in 2002 were a salutary reminder that while we do want to see text on a web page, vague boilerplate text or irrelevant text is worse than none at all. All four pages were a waste of space.

We go to corporate web sites for facts.

Puffery from Microsoft (2002)

Microsoft's Corporate Information index page was headlined "What we do" and contained nothing but 72 words of standard self-inflation:

"Microsoft's vision is to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. As the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing, Microsoft strives to produce innovative products and services that meet our customers' evolving needs. At the same time, we understand that long-term success is about more than just making great products. Find out what we mean when we talk about Living Our Values."

This page was essentially an index page for the corporate information area of the site. In the olden days, index pages were often wasted on "burble burble burble", as above. Today, we are more aware that an index page is an invaluable opportunity to help people find what they want.

On the plus side, this 2002 page also had the corporate headquarters address and 15 links.

More puffery from Mitsubishi (2002)

The 2002 Mitsubishi philanthropy page was squandered on a similar patch of burble.

Contributing to the community through philanthropic activities goes naturally with contributing through business activities at the Mitsubishi companies. In addition to undertaking wide-ranging philanthropy individually, the Mitsubishi companies sometimes undertake public-interest activities together.

It's worth pausing to note the bland high-school report style, without an ounce of awareness of the audience or the medium. You can almost hear the imaginary corporate-speak teacher instructing the writer, "Don't give me any facts: just impress me."

Next the unfortunate reader of this 2002 page was expected to "Select" from two drop-down menus, one listing company web sites, the other listing headlines from the pages of the Mitsubishi Monitor. It probably seemed a brilliant solution at the time, but this self-help supply of corporate information was both lazy and unfriendly.

Philip Morris International on people or overview or USP (2002)

Philip Morris International's Our People page in 2002 had a confused purpose, starting with four consecutive headlines in different styles:
1. Our People
2. Overview
3. What makes Philip Morris International Different?
4. Our People Come First

So, what was the page actually about? In fact it turned out to be about career opportunities.

The 2002 page had no shortage of text, with 293 words. But the content was strictly PR and mainly generic. I guess most international companies would claim exactly the same thing:

We are a truly international, dynamic, and challenging organization, and we are committed to helping all our employees fulfill their potential.

It's hard to see why anyone would seek this page out or find it useful.

Toyota on Toyota or how to use a web site (2002)

Toyota's About Us page in 2002 was not pompous like the others, but essentially pointless. The text on page consisted of ugly, superfluous tips on how to use the site:

WE'VE MADE IT EASY FOR YOU TO INTERACT WITH US. Here you can request more information on our products, Toyota's operations in the United States, Toyota's commitment to the environment or an annual report .
* Find direct answers to your questions by visiting our FAQ page.
* Find your nearest dealer using the Dealer Locator or by dialing 1-800-GO-TOYOTA.

More text and more information in 2004

All the sample corporate information pages have changed substantially since 2002. Three offer more information, or more specific information. They contain less corporate-speak, and more awareness of what people want.

In 2004, Toyota's About Us index page now has a 70-word summary of the corporate message. It also has eight text links with explanations, amounting to 80-odd words.

Today, Mitsubishi's page about corporate philanthropy has much more information, and it is more specific and factual. Four topics are introduced in 350 words, with links to further information: corporate contributions, matching gifts, corporate drives, and community involvement.

In 2004 the page is not filled with waffle, but gives facts:

The company is committed to spending 2% of its after tax income on these programs.

At the executive level, our CEO serves as Co-Chair of Carnegie Hall's Corporate Fund and we have executive participation on the Earthwatch Corporate Advisory Council, the Board of Sanctuary for Families (which works to end violence against all women and their children) and the Global Forest and Trade Network Advisory Group.

The 2004 version of the Philip Morris page is now called Our Employees, not Our People. At 236 words the content is shorter, but it says more.

In 2002, the words were idealistic and vague:

We encourage applications from well-qualified, talented, team players who are ready to experience the diverse and rewarding world of Philip Morris International.

On the Web, this kind of writing is inclined to make one react with a skeptical snort.

In 2004 the text is more honest and specific:

But we still have a way to go. For example, we need to address gender equality higher up the ladder. We are working to increase the number of women in senior management.

Microsoft: One step forward and two steps back

The Microsoft mission and values page has certainly changed since 2002, but not for the better. True, there are now 408 words - but they are unmitigated corporate jargon. Consider this horrible 40-word sentence:

Thinking and acting globally, enabling a diverse workforce that generates innovative decision-making for a broad spectrum of customers and partners, innovating to lower the costs of technology, and showing leadership in supporting the communities in which we work and live.

Corporate statements of mission and values are nearly always deeply embarrassing in the cold light of public scrutiny. Such statements are essential for staff and valuable for investors. But they should either be flossied up for public consumption, or hidden deep inside the company web site to spare other people the pain of finding them by accident.

On balance, an improvement

From this tiny sample of nine corporate web pages, there is only one page that is actually less useful to people than the equivalent page in 2002. The others either supply more quality information, or have remained the same.

Let us cautiously salute this modest improvement and hope for more.

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/mission/
http://www.micusa.com/about/corporatePhilanthropy.shtml
http://www.philipmorrisinternational.com/pages/eng/ourbus/Our_employees.asp
http://www.toyota.com/about/

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