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AMWAYÂS DATA CENTRAL: A GLOBAL MEDIA ARCHIVE AS A TOOL FOR CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
by Linda Folland, Senior Global Media Archivis4 Imaging Team Leader, Amway
Corporation
Michigan Reaches Out to the World
Amway, a privately held company founded in 1959 by two friends is a singular
phenomenon. In just 37 years, Jay Van Andel and Rich De Vos built a six billion
dollar global conglomerate that now operates in over 65 countries. The two
philanthropic founders are now recently retired, and have turned over the
corporate reins to their children. At every opportunity they gratefully
acknowledge their good fortune in not only achieving the American Dream
themselves but for also being able to help others do the same.
With more than 12,000 employees and a network of more than two million
independent distributors, Amway manufactures some 400 home and personal care
products as well as goods for health and fitness, home technology, and
commercial settings. Via unique direct-sales partnerships and mail order
catalogs, the company also markets a variety of services and more than 6500
items branded by other companies - practically everything needed for daily life.
But they didnÂt have an archivist.
Taking Care of Business
While many companies were cutting back their archives in 1995, Amway continued
to expand, hiring me to work in the Communication DivisionÂs Creative Services
department. Formerly responsible for Special Programs and Collections at Herman
Miller, Inc. I was brought on board at Amway in July to develop a digital
archive of the photography and art for print publications that would be
accessible throughout all of AmwayÂs world operations. Why is the need for image
control so crucial at Amway? Since most of the corporationÂs business is
conducted through catalogues, Amway has created one of the nationÂs largest
in-house printing operations -which in turn has generated an image library with
over two million photographs.
A Change in Strategy
My information management background, research in emerging publishing
technologies, and in-house technical situational analysis soon led me to
recommend a broader scope archives that would also incorporate video and sound
elements, templates, text blocks, and completed digital designs. In short, I
recommended creating a Global Media Archive (GMA). The GMA as envisioned would
operate as a central finding system for multi-use elements that could be
requested and transmitted as data, film, disk, tape, etc., for use in print or
multi-media projects anywhere at Amway.
Amway believes such an archive is necessary to ensure the clear and consistent
corporate voice that a large organization needs to speak to its many diverse
audiences. Having key communication elements centrally accessible also encourage
fuller use of expensive, resources. Take photographs for example: even with a
staff of 15 in-house photographers, a major photo shoot can cost thousands of
dollars. A GMA can maximize the return on that investment by facilitating the
reuse of those images.
Moreover, a GMA can improve information exchange and enhance creativity among
internal, geographically disparate design staff. This kind of data-based
operation, though difficult to configure and connect, can streamline the
publishing process. It can also help the organization to meet the needs of its
target audience with the media of choice - say vii the Internet or by CD.
New Combinations of Old Archival Principles
To fully understand the concept of a GMA, it helps to consider it from both an
intellectual and a physical perspective. To maintain intellectual authority over
the collection, a controlled vocabulary, accessible on-line with pop-up
directories, will be used in conjunction with a natural language, full-text
search engine. This combination is essential to guarantee effective access for
hundreds, maybe thousands of users. For now, the finding system will be English
based, with global language differences to be worked out later.
Physically, magnetic-or optic-based data are not preferred archival storage
media. So the digital central finding system, from which low--resolution images
can be positioned to mock up designs, will be supported by image repositories on
film and an intricately designed back-up system. Eventually users will be able
to request what they need right on-line after viewing and selecting it. Printing
processes will use automatic picture replacement technology to switch the
low-resolution images with their stored high-resolution counterparts just before
printing.
The Staff Gears Up
Apart from setting the communication strategy for the project and figuring out
the technology itself, a big part of the job has been to get AmwayÂs technical
staff aligned behind the undertaking. The work includes collaborating with
technical experts outside Creative Services and helping develop a new,
self-directed cross-functional work team of archivists, lab technicians, digital
prepress operators, and a host of others. This has been a formidable task
because the work team is functionally-diverse - we are essentially creating a
new business paradigm.
In addition to maintaining a demanding schedule of traditional archival
activities, the new imaging work team has in the last year, developed a vision,
mission, guiding principles, and goals for its new operations. The team is now
producing Gantt charts and workflows in support of the GMA project and another
project to set up a digital prepress operation. Many of the work team members
have attended formal, external training relevant to these two projects. To
assist the team, I have compiled an extensive glossary of technical media terms,
now numbering 100 pages and growing. I have also developed several archive
models, first to garner the support of Communications management, and then to
help other archivists and technicians to see how they fit into the overall
picture. Standard-setting and work-instruction writing is also underway, and is
based upon information gleaned from ANSI, ISO, and other relevant professional
standards associations. Likewise, systems requirements have been written,
vendors scrutinized, and a selection made.
Most important of all is acquiring reliable software, hardware, and integration
services so that staff can be trained and the system tested. Installation of the
system is now underway, and testing will begin in the Fall of 1996.
User Interface: Making the Connection
Working with management, I am designing a user-interface plan that includes a
network of professionals across the company. A crucial and necessary part of the
GMA network will be the assigning of key representatives to serve on an advisory
committee. I will involve corporate leaders in the selection process to ensure
that the committeeÂs membership adequately represents the diverse interests of
AmwayÂs global management.
Next steps will be conducting interviews, compiling and analyzing data, and
preparing results reports. Then come domestic and international site visits,
holdings inventories, appraisal and transfer of materials, and finally
organizing and entering the material into the system. ItÂs a process that will
likely take years to unfold.
The intended outcome is to create a systematic means to acquire reusable
elements from across the company and make them globally accessible to key
communicators in a timely, accurate, and technologically convenient fashion.
Such a system will create cross-functional synergies and cost savings that will
produce long-term benefits for Amway. Continued collaboration among the work
team and whole-systems planning will be essential for the permanent success of
the Amway Global Media Archive, as will staying on top of developments in
technology and archival practice.
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overall index
NOT A MICKEY MOUSE OPERATION: ARCHIVING PROFESSIONAL SPORTS IN THE SUNSHINE
STATE
by Edward S. Krajewski, Manager of Archives Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers, &
Miami Dolphins
As one of the most vibrant entertainment regions in the United States, the
Mini-Ft Lauderdale area offers a wide variety of attractions. The Florida
Marlins baseball team, the Florida Panthers hockey club, and the Miami Dolphins
football team are three of the areaÂs most successful competitors for South
FloridaÂs entertainment dollar.
Owned by H. Wayne Huizenga, the architect of the Blockbuster Video business
empire (which he recently sold), these three sports organizations have created a
single archives to preserve the history of their organizations and to capture
their most memorable moments. This atypical tripartite department reports to the
Vice President of Broadcasting, who incidentally works for all three teams as
wet
Catching the Big Ones
One of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of serving as the tri-teamÂs
archivist is the acquisition of sports documents and paraphernalia. Currently
the primary function of this department is to preserve significant artifacts and
records relating to the three teams, and to devise mini-museums and halls of
fame for use at special events.
I have been working since 1994 to create an archival program to successfully
oversee these tasks. Initially, in order to reach an harmonious understanding
with everyone in the tri-team realm about the archives goals I met with each
department director, getting them to consciously think about saving pertinent
records and items for the archives collection. Each organizationÂs equipment
staff and media/public relations department plays a direct role in obtaining
items for the archival collection. These units maintain a watchful eye for any
significant occurrences - particularly in game situations - that need to be
documented for future reference.
Naturally one can expect a certain degree of variance from organization to
organization and from item-type to item-type in the transferal of materials to
the archives. Some departments, like the Marlins promotions staff, prefer to
send items on a monthly basis. Others, such as the Panthers equipment staff,
wait until the end of the season to turn over their artifacts.
With both the Marlins and the Panthers being relative young (four and three
years old respectively), it has been easier to identify and save significant
documentation from those organizations origins and development During the
off-season each department from the teams will launder and reorganize their
files in preparation for the upcoming season. The records which they no longer
require in their files will be sent to the archives for preservation.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, have been a different story altogether. More
than 30 years old, the organization had never made it a priority to document its
past. As a result, I have been forced to retrieve pieces of their storied past
through an alumni program. Until recently the Dolphins had an informal alumni
group, but now the teamÂs community relations department has formed an official
alumni association. This exclusive group assists the archives by loaning
artifacts relating to their careers for display in our permanent exhibit at the
Dolphin Training Facility and for showcase at special events.
Some of the more significant items preserved thus far include: documentation of
the Marlins quest to obtain a Major League Baseball franchise; artifacts from
the Marlins first no-hitter, tossed by Al Leiter on May 11, 1996; Panthers
goalie John VanbiesbrouckÂs mask from their inaugural season; Dolphins jerseys
and awards from 1966, their first season in the NFL; and the prestigious Super
Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII championship trophies.
Managing Sports History
Since the tri-teams place such importance on their histories, the archives is
relatively well-supported. The archives has two staff members working in a 1200
sq.ft. area, as well as maintaining displays at different office locales. Given
their value to collectors, the records and artifacts are stored securely in a
single storage space.
All items are classified relative to the organization they pertain to. The
grouping of artifacts by organization makes it easy for us to regulate the
records, establish control over storage, and retrieve them when need be.
All information on our newly acquired files and artifacts is catalogued on SNAP!
for Windows to facilitate collections management Information on items already in
the collection are currently in the process of being transferred. Ultimately,
this approach will allow us to save time and make consistent entries within each
division when categorizing an item.
Additional documents, mostly periodicals, are scanned in an Electronic Filing
System for easy access and retrieval. As of now, there are two PCs connected to
this system; ultimately, 1 would like to have the media relations departments
hooked up to the system in order to utilize its capabilities to the fullest
Getting Their Money Back
Use of the tri-team collection is varied. Each of the three tens offices
currently features a sampling of distinctive items on display for visitors and
guests to enjoy. Each organization also conducts their own special events and
fan celebrations - Marlins Fanfest, Dolphins Draft Day Party, and Panthers
Hockeyfest. My role has been to create vehicles (mini-museums, halls of fame)
for showcasing various artifacts relevant to each clubÂs history. In order to
bring a breadth of material to these projects, I generally locate and borrow
objects from such external sources as collectors, museums, coaches/players, and
professional sports halls of fame.
On occasion, I received special requests from various organizational personnel
who need to access files or artifacts in the collection for business reasons.
Additionally, fans contact the archives for team or artifact information. And
recently, I have begun fielding requests from area museums who are interested in
borrowing items for special exhibits of their own.
A Day Without Sports is Like a Day Without Sunshine
Virtually every day our sports franchises continue to make history and build
tradition, and we will continue to capture that tale as it unfolds in the hopes
of one day creating a museum which will tell the story of our organizations to
the tens of millions of residents and visitors that make South Florida so
dynamic.
to top of 1996
overall index
DOCUMENTING THE ROAR OF THE TIGER: JOHN E. FETZER, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND A
GAME IN FLUX
by Scott Grimwood, The Fetzer Institute
The Fetzer Institute is a non-profit research and educational organization
dedicated to pursuing the implications of mind-body-spirit unity in a variety of
areas. As the InstituteÂs Archivist/Records Manager I wear many hats, from
establishing a records management program to overseeing office technology to
creating an organizational archives. I came to the Institute in June, 1994 to
arrange and describe the business and personal papers of the InstituteÂs founder
John E. Fetzer (1901-1991).
The John E. Fetzer Collection documents FetzerÂs pioneering work in
broadcasting, his community involvement, and the creation of the Institute. A
significant portion of the collection is devoted to a passion that Fetzer had
since he was a little boy in Lafayette, Indiana - baseball, and in particular,
the Detroit Tigers.
Fetzer turned a childhood dream into reality in 1956 when he became part of an
11-man group that bought the Detroit Tigers. By 1962 he had acquired sole
ownership of the team, which he retained until 1983 when he sold the club. After
the sale Fetzer stayed on as Chairman of the Board until early 1990.
Fetzer also served baseball as whole during his association with the Tigers. He
was a member of Major League BaseballÂs executive committee, its pension
committee, and both the American League and Major League Baseball television
committees. As head of the Major League Baseball television committee, Fetzer
helped put together the baseballÂs first national television contract, a
milestone whose ramifications changed the very core of the game. The Fetzer
Collection documents all these activities and more.
The View from the OwnerÂs Seat
The baseball portion of the Fetzer Collection consists of 31 ln.ft. of
manuscript material, one ln.ft. of photographs, and numerous artifacts. The
manuscript material provides an excellent picture of the operation of a major
league ball club and baseball as a whole during a period of tremendous change.
It documents the upper level administration and general policies of the ball
club and the stadium. These records reflect FetzerÂs philosophy of ownership,
which was to delegate daily operational issues of the club to the general
manager.
The records themselves consist of such items as American League Meeting Minutes,
weekly reports on the operation of the club from the Tigers general manager and
others, and publications (including yearbooks.) The photographs document some of
the organizationÂs facilities and events over the years. Such standard items
such as autographed balls and bats make up the bulk of the artifacts, but there
are also two very rare pieces - the 1968 and 1984 World Series trophies.
The Fetzer Collection is not the only repository to possess records created by
the Detroit Tigers during the period of FetzerÂs ownership. The teamÂs current
owners, Mike and Marion Hillitch (who purchased the team in 1992), has a wide
variety of materials dating to the early 1900s. The archivist for the Tigers is
currently reviewing and organizing the collection, and still has a large amount
of unprocessed material. I hope that this material contains those records that
the Fetzer Collection does not have (detailed financial and thy-to-day
documentation,) as well as the originals of duplicate records in the Collection.
I have also contacted other institutions seeking information on what material
may have on FetzerÂs ownership of the Tigers. In particular I have worked with
the archivists at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Sporting
News not only to unearth relevant material but as a form of outreach. I want
them to feel comfortable in contacting me for any information that they may need
on Fetzer and his activities.
Interactive Archiving
A goal I have for the Fetzer Collection is to use it as a base for educational
outreach to inform the general public of the accomplishments of John Fetzer.
Through this outreach the Institute hopes to increase public interest in Fetzer,
and thus increase interest in and acceptance of the Institute and its work.
Baseball, because of its place in American culture, provides a perfect gateway
for this outreach. Currently, the collection is being used in two projects
funded by the Institute: an oral history and a book. The oral history will
document all of the major aspects of FetzerÂs life, including baseball. The book
is more narrowly focused, examining FetzerÂs baseball activities and in
particular his philosophy of ownership. The oral history will supplement
documents already in the archives, while the book is for the baseball fan
interested in reading about an old fashioned owner.
In the future the plan is to use the collection again as a base for other
outreach projects. One of the ideas in the works is to partner with a cable
network to put together a biographical documentary on Fetzer. Also we want to
upgrade an exhibit on FetzerÂs life and accomplishments at Western Michigan
UniversityÂs Fetzer Center. Currently the exhibit only covers FetzerÂs life to
1984, leaving an incomplete picture. In both projects, baseball would be a
significant part of the final product, and the documents in the Collection will
provide the factual base for a visual end product.
The Past as a Compass for the Future
All of this outreach about John E. Fetzer comes from the InstituteÂs sense of
history. To the Institute it is important to know its past in order to help
provide direction for the future. On several occasions I have had requests from
the staff to search the Collection for information on past activities and
quotations illustrating FetzerÂs views and feelings on various topics relating
to the work of the Institute.
Because the Institute values its past, and it is a well-endowed organization, my
work in the archives is well-supported both professionally and financially. I
have gotten an excellent archival and records storage facility, the ability to
attend several professional meetings a year, and support for my work from the
President on down through the staff. Because I know how rare this level of
support is, I value it even more, and I exercise responsibility in order not to
abuse the advantages given to me.
An Archives on a Mission
The John E. Fetzer Collection is currently closed to outside researchers because
I still have material to process and have not yet fully developed access
policies for the archives. When this work is completed, hopefully before the end
of 1996,1 expect the baseball material will be the most utilized part of the
collection because of AmericaÂs fascination with the game.
It is this fascination that makes The Fetzer Collection a significant holding.
The CollectionÂs baseball material offers a window to a time when the game went
from the national pastime, still full of wonder and innocence, to a troubled
business torn apart by strife and greed, searching for an identity. Through this
collection I hope researchers can achieve a better understanding of why baseball
changed, and whether or not it can ever regain some it its lost glory.