Cadbury Schweppes: Marking the calendar

A simple visual device for updating an events calendar.

The Site

Cadbury Schweppes, the UK-based confectionery group, uses a simple visual device for updating its events calendar that also highlights a shortcoming.

An ‘events calendar’ quick link on the home page of the site’s Investor centre connects to the financial calendar for 2007. This lists 10 key dates and events between February and October. A ‘next event’ starburst graphic, which reflects the cartoonish style of the site, is placed alongside the immediately forthcoming event in the schedule. The details are highlighted with a light tint wash. Although a link to register for e-mail updates and reminders is included with the calendar, there are no links from any of the listed events to related content such as presentations or results.

The Takeaway

Cadbury Schweppes’ event highlighter is a simple, eye-catchingly effective solution to a problem that bedevils calendar features in careers sections as well as investor relations. Not only does it ensure that the next event is immediately obvious, it also means that the list can be left throughout the year as a reference without giving the impression of neglect.

The reference aspect is a particularly useful one in investors, allowing analysts and others to cross-check by date with, for example, press releases or reports. That it is so useful does, however, highlight a shortcoming of the calendar: it obliges users to do their own cross-referencing rather than doing it for them by providing basic linkage (for example, from ‘Announcement of 2007 interim results’ to the relevant page in the ‘results & presentations sub-section).

First published on 11 September, 2007