An inside look at the Financial Times' inaugural Digital Learning Week, a high impact dose of information and insights into new developments in digital and social media for Financial Times employees that ran from 9-11 October 2012.
2. Overview
From 9-11 October 2012 the FT held its first Digital
Learning Week (DLW), aiming to inform, educate
and create a dialogue with FT staff about all things
digital and social media.
DLW included 40 events in seven FT offices
around the globe. It consisted of presentations,
panel discussions, interactive workshops and
online learning courses covering themes of social
media, data analytics, digital in the media industry,
mobile and digital advertising. A range of internal
and external speakers presented.
Several hundred staff attended sessions in person,
with key presentations filmed and added to Neo for
later viewing.
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3. Objectives
Raise awareness of the Inform, educate and
FT’s digital strategy and create dialogue with
how this impacts staff about all things
advertising, editorial and digital and social
product development media
Enhance the FT’s Enhance digital skills and
reputation as digital awareness of FT staff
employer through external
promotion of DLW.
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4. Key messages
The FT’s inaugural Digital Learning
Week will empower staff with digital
skills and knowledge, ensuring they
are ahead of the curve with all
things digital.
Digital Learning week will educate
staff about the FT’s digital
strategy, how this is relevant to
their work and how we compare to
our competitors.
The FT’s digital strategy positions
us as a leader in the media and
publishing industries. Our digital
access model powers growth and
we use smart data analytics for
audience understanding and
development.
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5. Speakers and schedule
500+ staff attended 40 events in seven FT offices over three days, with presentations from:
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6. Internal communications
•Schedule, RSVP system & details hosted on intranet
•Email and poster teaser campaign
•Desk drop on DLW launch day
•New internal screens promoting schedule
•Staff notes from CEO and Communications team
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7. External communications
400 tweets with
#ftdlw12 & #ftdlw Storify wrap-up of FT press release
formed 730,000 online activity generating external
impressions media coverage
The FT has just held Digital Learning Week for all 2000 staff across editorial and commercial teams,part of
an on-going effort by the FT to ensure that all staff are up to speed on the latest trends and products in an
area that has redefined its business model. The paper has a good track record of being quite innovative
digitally and no-doubt this is part of it. They held sessions in all of the paper’s seven offices with internal
and external speakers from companies including Facebook, Google+, NYT, BBC and Enders. That’s not a
comprehensive list, but interesting the mix of new and old media and by definition, the FT’s competition
- Stockwell Digital Drop
“From what I’ve observed today, from both my workshop this morning and one on
mobile I sat in later, there clearly is a strong desire from FT people to take
advantage of a unique learning opportunity to gain insight – much of it
undoubtedly actionable – from the menu of choice offered over the three days.”
- Neville Hobson, Blogger & DLW Presenter
9. Results – DLW feedback survey
• 73% of respondents said DLW has expanded their personal knowledge levels in the digital
space
• 71% said they feel motivated to go on and find out more in this area
• 67% said they are applying learnings from DLW to their day-to-day job
• 58% have shared specific content from DLW session with a colleague
• 85% rated the quality of discussion very highly
• 86% rated the relevance of sessions very highly
• 88% said cross-company awareness of DLW was very good
• 88% said communication around DLW was very good
• 81% said the FT should run regular DLW events to keep staff up to speed
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10. Staff feedback
DLW was a refreshing and welcome opportunity to
A chance to see the impact of digital on hear how other companies are operating in the
the other teams in the building and get digital space and how other areas of the FT business
to see their take on developments and are contributing to our overall objectives. It was also
how it affects them. Really good way of a great way to make FT staff feel part of a united
getting new perspectives and get input cause and I'm sure it will prove to be a catalyst for
on where people see things going next. future collaboration and innovation.
As someone who has only been with the FT for
DLW has definitely made me think about some
one month in a Program Lead BA role, it was very
alternative ways to raise the profile of the brand and
helpful and interesting to learn more about FT's
myself within my target prospect clients. There are a
vision, success and challenges. I will be hoping to
few sessions I couldn't attend, however I am looking
use the enthusiasm, motivation and curiosity
forward to catching up via Neo on what I missed.
clearly present in the London office to facilitate
progressive thinking around innovation, delivery
and product development in B2B.
From an L&D standpoint, I think it
was great to connect with people
from various
A fantastic way of connecting Great innovations can originate
companies/backgrounds to better
the digital divide. There from the simplest of things.
understand how we can integrate
social media into our digital should be more events like
training. this. Maybe at least twice a
year?
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