Business Corporate Communication Strategy.
Corporate communications strategy helps
organizations effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders,
including employees, vendors, customers and the public at large. When done
effectively, it streamlines communications among business functions, helping
management, human resources and marketing maintain a unified voice and
consistent messages. Developing a solid corporate communications strategy can
help a business thrive by preventing the costly mistakes that inevitably result
from miscommunication.
History
The
field of corporate communications, with documented strategies to foster
effective business communications, emerged in response to the recognition that
the better a business communicates, the more successful it tends to become. For
example, improved communications translate into a 29.5 percent increase in
market value and employee turnover rates below or significantly below similar
companies without formal, strategic corporate communications programs,
according to the "Communication ROI Study" conducted by human
resources consulting firm Watson Wyatt in 2003
Because "communication" applies to
so many different processes within the business world, the scope of a strategic
corporate communications plan can be somewhat hard to define. In general, it
addresses the way management communicates with employees as well as the way the
company communicates with external parties, like customers and vendors, to
improve overall business operations. A comprehensive corporate communications
strategy should include tactics to maximize employee, shareholder, customer,
community, media and public relations. Creating consistent, concise and clear
messages so that management, human resources and marketing can do the best
possible job is the goal.
An article by Paul Argenti, Robert Howell and
Karen Beck in the MIT Sloan Management Review titled "The Strategic
Communication Imperative" illustrates how critical long-term planning is
to effective corporate communications. The article argues that the
"tactical, short-term approach to communicating with key
constituencies" that so many large corporations employ may actually do
more
harm than good. In short, the authors confirmed that communication strategy
must precede the development and implementation of larger strategic company
goals to achieve lasting success.
Implementation
The
first step toward creating a strategic corporate communications plan itself
relies on strong communications. Gather key management, human resources and
marketing personnel to present the case for formal planning and seek buy-in.
Next, work together to outline key areas of concern. Focus on communication
challenges and successes. Next, create a formal plan that specifies how key
business functions will integrate and share information externally and
internally. During this process, be certain to align the voice and messages
promoted with the company's larger strategic mission, vision and objectives. An
internal corporate communications professional or external consultant can be
invaluable during this process, helping participants to better document and
implement new communications processes.
BY JAMES CATHERINE
BAPRM 42566
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