Not so long ago, talk of new forms of disintermediated communication by companies was a fast track to being declared anathema by the guardians of journalistic and communicational essences. How did companies dare to consider occupying spaces traditionally reserved for the media? However, the combination of several factors, such as the media crisis (of business model and credibility), the digital tsunami that reduced the costs of creating and disseminating messages to a minimum, the generalised use of social networks and the need for companies to The fact that the debate has become a part of the conversation on the internet has caused it to become diluted in the ocean of this liquid society.
Thus, media websites now abound with pieces of branded content -which represent a flourishing source of income for the media- and brand communication initiatives through social networks, corporate blogs or media of comparable quality to traditional media are now commonplace in this information society. The case of Orange is paradigmatic in this trend because of the boldness of its combination of media and messages.
The reality of a company does not fit in a communiqué
Rare is the company that does not use digital tools to reach its audiences directly, better selecting the situations in which it requires the participation of traditional media to communicate its messages. Because not all of a company's reality fits into a press release, press conference or interview, although these tools are still unquestionably useful.
Today, companies that make a difference are companies that have a purpose and make a mark on the world by making a positive contribution to it. After all, it is society that legitimises companies to become opinion leaders. This purpose also helps companies to always keep their raison d'être in mind, helps to attract and keep the most qualified professionals, helps potential partners to feel attracted and approach the company with which they share values and objectives, etc.
In the case of Orange, its approach to communication is varied and bold, ranging from traditional press releases to branded content, social networks, corporate blogs and Nobbot.com, an innovation media that plays in a similar league to other information websites of these characteristics, be they traditional media or not.
Content for good use of technology
As far as branded content is concerned, the company has opted for this format in order to, according to Isabel Alonsoits Director of Brand, Communication and Sponsorship, "to provoke a reflection on the relationship between technology and families, and to show that we want to accompany them and help them in the responsible use of new technologies".
With this objective in mind, Orange generates valuable conversations about relevant issues that concern us all, linked to the use of new technologies, opening the debate on such sensitive issues as sexting, cyberbullying, abuse of mobile phones by minors and adults, sharenting and the exposure of children to adult content.
To this end, has designed an educational website that expands its content on a monthly basis to cover the issues that most concern families and society in general.The website finds a good means of dissemination through videos and reports published in the media, in the form of branded content pieces. All under the umbrella of #Porunusolovedelatecnologia.
But what results has Orange obtained from this commitment? Well, in addition to numerous awards, such as the third prize Youtube Ads Leadersboard, Silver at the CdeC festival, and awards at the El Sol Advertising Festival, among others; the campaign's videos have more than 13 million monthly views. This extraordinary diffusion has, according to company studies, improved the public's perception of the brand.
With regard to Orange's other communication proposals, which feature websites and actions on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, the results are not far behind either. The set of corporate websites - By Orange, Hablemos de Empresas, Pop Tv - accumulate 5 million visits per yearwhich are combined with other data, such as the 4 million video views on YouTube or 7.5 million views on Instagram. Its website dedicated to the emerging esports phenomenon -Unlocked- has also been a success and has become one of the most popular sites for information on the so-called "sport of the 21st century".
Special mention should be made of Nobbot.coman informative website on innovation that does not so much talk about the Orange brand as about the environment in which it operates and offers "neutral" information with a purely journalistic profile on innovation and progress in all areas in which technology and, beyond that, human progress play a predominant role. This risky venture has received the backing of the audience and Nobbot.com will end 2018 with more than 7 million visits.
It is clear, in the light of these Orange data that serve as an example, that we are fortunate to be living in an unusual moment in human history in which, thanks to technology, we can all speak and be heard to become vortexes of opinion currents that can generate dynamics of social change. And this possibility lies in the hands of individuals, but also in the hands of organisations. We are all already the beginning and the end of communicative processes and also the means.
By David Martínez Pradales
Editorial director of Nobbot, Orange's innovation website