Molson Coors case-study part 2
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Molson Coors works mainly with Canada, USA and UK.
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Website mainly in English for this reason.
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Audience could be:
investors (present and potential)
customers (present and potential)
employees (present and potential)
people from local community
My Molson Coors case-study
– part 2
This is the 2nd part of my Molson Coors casestudy.
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Please remember that my case study is only a
guideline to help you reflect on your company if
you are doing part 2 of the case-study.
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Please remember that it is not necessary to
study my Molson Coors case-study for the
exam – I'll be interested in your ideas, not mine!
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Prof. Nadia V. Stevenson
- “[...] as the Internet is a medium almost entirely dependent on
reactions to written messages, awareness of the audience must
hold a primary place in any discussion. The core feature of the
Internet is its real or potential interactivity.”
- David Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p. 21
- “ 'The medium matters', requires the language to suit the
technology: 'we need to craft our messages to suit the medium
and its audience'.”
- David Crystal, quoting Butcher, 'Language and the Internet',
p. 78
The medium matters
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Molson Coors uses various aspects of web-based media:
website, blog, twitter, facebook, flickr, delicious
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The medium matters – different media are best-suited to different
activities, messages and types of communication.
The audience matters – different audiences prefer using different
types of media and react differently to different language styles.
Molson Coors clearly considers which is the best possible medium
and choice of language use for its target audience(s).
“'Celebrate the colloquial' is a fine principle, but there are many
occasions where it proves equally necessary to 'celebrate the
formal'.”
- Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p. 85
Global English
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Molson Coors website available in English and French.
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No Global English version.
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English version seems designed for an English-speaking
(L1) audience – the company's market is mainly English
and French-speaking, perhaps Global English is not
necessary.
Their site is perhaps difficult for 'outer circle' users to read.
Molson Coors Canada
“Web pages need to achieve coherence while making
immediate impact; they need structure as well as detail.”
- Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p. 209
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The text on the homepage is mainly non-linear and not similar
to traditional text.
- The homepage is a landing page and gives direction to other
areas of the website.
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The homepage links to different pages of the site which are
more similar to traditional text (writing).
- Company info: very similar to traditional printed text. Middle
paragraph is particularly long, sentences with subordinate
clauses used.
Investors
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Pages intended for investors are very similar to traditional text.
Long paragraphs with several subordinate clauses in many
sentences.
The company wants to provide full detailed information to satisfy
fully the needs/curiosities of the investor.
It seems that investors' questions are anticipated.
Statistics included in text of long paragraphs and not rapidly
accessible to the reader with tables or graphs.
...but the 'stock information' page uses tables and graphics to display
statistics.
Investors (continued)
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Active verbs used to describe the company's activities (adds power).
Passive verbs only to focus on other results (secondary importance:
result more important than who created the result).
Sometimes refers to Molson Coors with subject pronoun “we” to give
strong corporate team image.
Sometimes uses “it” to maintain professional distance and the idea of
strong entity of Molson Coors.
Abbreviations used but some explained:
e.g.” MolsonCoors, Ltd.(CBL)” and subsequently “CBL”
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Specific terminology used, but explained:
e.g. “multiple on premise” (which is then explained in text)
Careers and Departments pages
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The pages which address potential employees are much more
immediate and brief. Provides essential, clear information without
a big risk of boring or losing possible 'ideal candidates'.
Job candidates are not yet 'certainties', may not have a long
'attention span' and want immediate, clear information.
Shorter texts, simple language, fewer subordinate clauses.
More similar to 'Plain English'.
Language is still quite traditional because message and context
are still quite formal.
Short sentences, short paragraphs and short blocks of text.
Accumulative effect of positive adjectives to attract and intensify
the positive image and message.
Careers and Departments
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Choice of verbs all very strong and dynamic, to reinforce the
postive and active role promoted. E.g.:
Brim, drive, maximize, achieve, etc.
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Small presence of unusual punctuation, e.g.:
“We have Opportunities for every taste! “
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Listing features (rather than exclusively traditional text) to
provide key information..
Some play on words and informalities, e.g.:
“Just when you thought the keg was tapped” to signify “Just
when you thought that was all”.
Community Blog
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Directed at consumers, stakeholders and local communities.
Public is similar to website public, but this is designed as a
more informal space to discuss things which are not always
directly related to the 'business' aspect of the company.
Style of language is an 'inbetween' – language is less formal
than the website but more formal than in social networks.
Length of posts is also longer than on social networks but
briefer than on website.
Quickly informs about various latest news items.
A mixture of French and English all in one blog, whereas the
website has a different page for each language. Both languages
together unifies the various languages / publics in one common
space.
Crystal's comments - blogs
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p. 240
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p. 241
On-line shop
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Less formal than on website, hints at humour and selects
language (and comic element) which connects with products:
e.g. “Think of your ex. Now harness that cold. Now that you’re in
a colder place, you’re ready to write your own “colder than”
line for your personalized t-shirt!”
e.g. “Lightweight Dri-Fit polo with a solid knit collar that will keep
you cool on the golf course while you look hot.”
- Language style adapted to suit audience mood/character and
message (sales promotion).
- Audience: probably fans and beer drinkers, bar owners, etc.
- Product = social (beer) → tone of language = social / informal
- Not possible to use the same tone with investors on web-site.
On-line shop
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Sentences which begin in titles and finish in text.
Used as an introductory element.
- Increases curiosity and invite readers to continue reading smaller
print:
e.g.
“Because you don't want to waste your time in shopping malls,”
Lack of linguistic uniformity
Lack of linguistic uniformity between various products in shop:
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Non-uniform use of punctuation:
“SIGN UP FOR EXCLUSIVE EMAIL OFFERS AND PROMOTIONS.
ENTER E-MAIL ADDRESS:”
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Variant lexicon for items (not a very good idea), rather than
maintaining one term for one item e.g.:
'Tee', 'T' & 'T-shirt' all in reference to T-shirts in shop.
Social networks
“[...] what people want from chatgroups. If the answer was 'information
exchange', pure and simple, then I suspect there would indeed be a
problem. Information is the sort of thing that the Web routinely provides.
Chatgroups provide something else – a person-to-person interraction
that is predominantly social in character.”
- Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p, 174 (referring to
chatgroups)
(→ Twitter and facebook)
“[...] some Internet situations do promote such a sense of belonging,
which comes from 'the experience of sharing with unseen others a
space of communication.”
- Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p. 63, quoting Wilbur
Facebook
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Only a few longer posts more similar to traditional style text.
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Many posts shorter with totally different use of language.
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They make frequent use of term “guys” to address public on one of their
facebook product pages.
Emphatic use of capitals to highlight text (NB – Crystal, p, 92); question
without punctuation (no question mark) and excessive exclamations to
highlight exclamative:
( - Crystal, p. 94)
“DID YOU KNOW: Canada averages one septillion snowflakes a yr
– that’s 1 followed by 24 zeros. Happy shoveling!!”
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Exagerated spelling with repeated letters to reflect pronunciation:
“Heeellllooooo Winter!”
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Some lack of punctuation: “couldnt agree more”
(continued)
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Smileys and comment clauses: “something to get you all in the holiday
spirit (or words of warning!) ;) Cheers!”
Exclamatives: “Congrats to the Montreal Alouettes, 2009 Grey Cup
Champions - What a game! 28-27 Wow”
Use of symbols within text, like Netspeak and text messaging, more similar
to speech: “HOCKTOBERFEST starts tonight!! (thanks to
@speakofthedevs 4 the killer handle). Enjoy season openers tonight.
No better combo than hockey + Molson Canadian. Ok...maybe MC +
wings/pizza but I digress... CHEERS!”
'Molson M' page on facebook – company uses a mix of French/English,
even within individual posts (this gives no preference & unites all members
of their public, regardless of language differences)
“Bienvenue a tous nos nouveaux membres! Thank you for joining us !”
“Trop hot !!! Go Molson M Go !!!”
(continued)
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Sporadic use of traditional final greeting on company posts,
not too common on facebook, but used to signal and distinguish
individual Molson Coors representative from anonymity of
'Molson Coors' user ID – this creates the idea of communication
with a real person and not a computer or product. This can
increase strength of relationship created with public.
“Thanks Stephany. I will look into it for you. Graeme from
Coors Light. “
“Molson Canadian 67- Thanks for the note Shelley I'll pass
it on to Ferg :) Miriam “
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Conversation rhythm on facebook isn't usually immediate
because of time lag. It is slower than a traditional conversation
and therefore unlike 'real' speech. Often involves many more
people in a 'conversation', having a contageous or 'viral' effect
at times.
Facebook and twitter
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“Each contributor leaves a linguistic 'footprint', in that what
is said has a permanent pragmatic effect.” - Crystal,
'Language and the Internet', p. 140
- all contributors (both company and public) have an
influence on the kind of language used on the company's
facebook and twitter pages.
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“Short responses are one of the features which give a
chatgroup interaction a dynamic, conversational feel.” Crystal, 'Language and the Internet', p. 151
- short posts on both facebook and twitter add to the
conversational tone and feel of the company's facebook
and twitter pages.
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p. 216 – more interesting Crystal comments.
Twitter
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Twitter posts must have no more than 140 characters per message
(called 'tweets'). Messages are brief and concentrated and therefore
language risks being too difficult to understand for 'outsiders'. 'Insiders'
(frequent users) have quite a strong sense of community.
Question without question mark:
“@starbeer was still pretty wonky...tweetdeck working fine...cheers
Josh...has @molsonmoffat been in touch on all our news”
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Very colloquial, strong presence of netspeak, smileys etc., not how we
imagine the head of public affairs to communicate:
“hey..what's shakin...can't access twitter through twitter.:-( “
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Colloquial style suited to this audience and ideal for informal and more
personal communication which the company is trying to create. Gives
the idea of the character of a 'real person' to the otherwise impersonal
company image.
Twitter
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Arbitrary use of capital letters:
- “Boots for sure out there today toronto...sloppy”
-” i sure wish that Radian6 had a quick dashboard at start
up...like i have with tweetdeck”
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Signs of rapid typing, instinctive communication reflecting thought
flow, but not edited:
“if you pick up a couple of insights, leadsopportunities or get to
help someone...its a great place to be...cheers”
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...Similar to Crystal's comments about the language of blogs –
instinctive, reflecting thought flow.
“At lower levels of grammar too, there are features which would be
considered unacceptable in traditionally printed publications.” Crystal, p. 245
New terminology from on-line
contexts
Influence of new
technologies on
everyday language:
New terminology from
on-line contexts:
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Submit
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Online
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Access
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Wish list
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Account
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“Freeze your beer off. An
innovative technology for
the coldest draught.”
Conclusion
● Company gives little attention to other language users, but
its target market is mainly English and French-speaking.
● Remains specific to its targets.
● Use of language varies greatly according to 'where', 'what'
and 'who' (where = website, blog, facebook etc.; what =
the message; who = the target audience)
● Demonstrates considerable consideration and variety in
choice of medium and language style to suit audience and
message.
● Less attention given to on-line reading habits (not a great
deal of F-shaped text; not always using inverted pyramid,
many long paragraphs, etc.)