Building a Connected Brand With Social Business Software...cutting-edge, technology-driven...

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work better together TM © 2016 Jive Software, Inc. All rights reserved | Jive Confidential Case Study Pearson Case Study Pearson is an international media company with world-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing. Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, providing educational materials, technologies, assessments and related services to teachers and students of all ages. The Financial Times Group provides a broad range of business information and multimedian services to international business people. The world famous Penguin brand publishes an unrivalled range of fiction and non-fiction, bestsellers and classics, children’s books and illustrated reference treasure chests in over 100 countries. Building a Connected Brand With Social Business Software In recent years, Pearson had made a number of acquisitions in new markets, broadening its international reach and changing the shape of its workforce. With new companies on board and an increasing need for its different brands to work together, Pearson wanted a solution that would help its people collaborate and communicate across the group. Pearson’s digital products and services are a key part of its offering to customers, and it was keen to provide its employees with an equally cutting-edge, technology-driven collaboration tool. A Single, Robust System For Collaboration Multiple intranets and directories drove requirements In 2010, Pearson was operating in 70 countries under more than 200 brands. It had made several key acquisitions in emerging markets—such as South Africa, South America and China—and had an infrastructure that was widely varied across its different brands and regions. It had multiple intranets and corporate directories and needed a single, robust system for collaborating across the group. What they needed, they concluded, was easy access to all key resources, tools and knowledge across Pearson.

Transcript of Building a Connected Brand With Social Business Software...cutting-edge, technology-driven...

Page 1: Building a Connected Brand With Social Business Software...cutting-edge, technology-driven collaboration tool. A Single, Robust System For Collaboration Multiple intranets and directories

work better together TM

© 2016 Jive Software, Inc. All rights reserved | Jive Confidential

Case Study

PearsonCase Study

Pearson is an international media company with world-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing. Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, providing educational materials, technologies, assessments and related services to teachers and students of all ages. The Financial Times Group provides a broad range of business information and multimedian services to international business people. The world famous Penguin brand publishes an unrivalled range of fiction and non-fiction, bestsellers and classics, children’s books and illustrated reference treasure chests in over 100 countries.

Building a Connected Brand With Social Business SoftwareIn recent years, Pearson had made a number of acquisitions in new markets, broadening its international reach and changing the shape of its workforce. With new companies on board and an increasing need for its different brands to work together, Pearson wanted a solution that would help its people collaborate and communicate across the group. Pearson’s digital products and services are a key part of its offering to customers, and it was keen to provide its employees with an equally cutting-edge, technology-driven collaboration tool.

A Single, Robust System For Collaboration Multiple intranets and directories drove requirements In 2010, Pearson was operating in 70 countries under more than 200 brands. It had made several key acquisitions in emerging markets—such as South Africa, South America and China—and had an infrastructure that was widely varied across its different brands and regions. It had multiple intranets and corporate directories and needed a single, robust system for collaborating across the group. What they needed, they concluded, was easy access to all key resources, tools and knowledge across Pearson.

Page 2: Building a Connected Brand With Social Business Software...cutting-edge, technology-driven collaboration tool. A Single, Robust System For Collaboration Multiple intranets and directories

Jive is the leading provider of modern communication and collaboration solutions for business. For more information, visit www.jivesoftware.com

Pearson Selected A Social SolutionAdoption of Jive grew rapidlyThat access took the form of Jive Social Business Software. Pearson’s initial pilot with 700 users grew organically to 5,000 users before their Jive community, which they called Neo, went live. Six months after their launch, Neo had 27,000 users. By the end of 2011, nearly 75% of Pearson’semployees, and all of the employees from their acquisitions, were engaged in the community.

Initial Focus Was Global Directory, CollaborationUsers could search for expertise without names Pearson wanted its employees to be able to search for expertise in specific areas without having to know the names of those individuals. Case in point:A production editor in one business unit had a book cover that needed tweaks and his designer was out on holiday. He was able to locate alternative resources in another business unit via Neo and make the tight deadline.

Neo Becomes The Intercompany Go-To Venue Collaboration improves through Neo Pearson feels it is particularly critical to help recently acquired companies become part of the family, share content and resources, and engage in the broader conversation regarding Pearson’s market strategy. Intercompany communications prior to Jive typically took the form of newsletters published by the business units and today have been replaced with centralized blogs, posts and discussions on Neo.

Collaboration has soared as well. The transparency of activity on Neo drives a number of synergies among the business units. For example: The UK’s vocational business unit developed a program for a new certification. Pearson staff in Australia saw the posts about the new certification and quickly realized its applicability to their market, and instituted a parallel program from content the UK shared with them. Neo has also sparked content sharing across other functions, including conference development.

Next Steps Significant changes in the way people work Pearson is about to launch a private external Jive community for collaborating with publishers and authors that will allow them to link to content on Neo using Jive’s Bridging module. “We’re very proud of what Neo has achieved so far,” says Karen Gettman, VP and Director, Community and Collaboration. “We’re already seeing changes in the way we work across our different businesses, and this is just the beginning.”

“We’re very proud of what Neo has

achieved so far. We’re already seeing

changes in the way we work across

our different businesses, and this is

just the beginning.” Karen Gettman VP and Director Community and Collaboration Pearson