Corporate communication at digital age

Corporate communication has a great effect in the organizations. It is how we interact with stakeholders, gain information, and disseminating it to various stakeholders.

Corporate communication takes many forms and mediums throughout history from oral histories and stories, to cave paintings, to town criers and newsboys shouting, extra, extra, read all about it on street corners, to twenty-four hour news cycles.

In today’s digital age, it is easier than ever to find information, but what impact has this new found accessibility had on our perceptions, our culture and the way we manage business? To understand the workings of media, as McLuhan advised, one must also understand that the format, the medium, and the shape of the way we project, communicate, or demonstrate our ideas shapes the message itself.

Today’s digital devices demand our constant attention, completely changing the ways we interact, advertise, work, entertain, gain knowledge, conduct business, create, communicate and so much more.

Today we can talk to anyone at any time. Ideas can flow quickly and are often quite explosive. Businesses that do not understand the explosive nature of the digital communication network can often find themselves struggling to catch up with a negative story line.

The digital revolution has given us the ability to easily copy and replicate things. While this may be helpful in championing a product on the digital highway, it also means managers will need to work harder to protect their original ideas, product innovations, and copyrighted insights.

 Digital has changed our way of life. In 20th century consumers bonded in tightly in neighborhoods, today’s target demographics gather together in global communities. They can easily gather in chat rooms, YouTube communities, and online forums to share personal stories or provide advice.

Business managers will need to do more to win new communities in order find influencers who can help them build a brand message. Images and photographs used in communication and marketing must be clear, precise and meaningful. They need to add to the storylines that consumers are creating for themselves.

The dynamics of communication change in cyberspace people are more open and do not use as many filters as they would in face-to-face communications. Sometimes people share very personal things about themselves. On the other hand out spills rude language, harsh criticisms, anger, hatred, even threats. 

How businesses can stand out in what is now considered to be an equal playing field where everyone and anyone can create a website or blog, and say what they want.  They can take a lesson from the way celebrities, learns to interact with their fans in a new way. Prior to computers, magazines and cinema were the sole outlets influencing your perception of beauty.

Now, Stars lives are chronicled on a daily basis because of Twitter, blogs, online magazines e.t.c, creating an almost intimate relationship between the public and the stars. While stars and celebrity fan sites may be focused on perceptions of gossip, beauty and popularity, business managers can use these very same outlets to build similar, almost intimate relationships with the consuming public.

                                            Mkessa Patricia