How to Manage Corporate Communication

Corporate communication is a set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications aimed at creating favorable point of view among stakeholders on which the company depends.  It is the messages issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its audiences, such as employees, media, channel partners and the general public. Organizations aim to communicate the same message to all its stakeholders, to transmit coherence, credibility and ethic.

Corporate Communications help organizations explain their mission, combine its many visions and values into a cohesive message to stakeholders. The concept of corporate communication could be seen as an integrative communication structure linking stakeholders to the organization.

Corporate communication is the process of communicating with stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers, investors and journalists so that they gain a better understanding of your company. Effective corporate communication helps to build a positive attitude toward your company and improves your chances of market success. Companies that are recognized and trusted in the market place are likely to obtain more sales opportunities.

Step 1

Identify your target audience. Include the stakeholders that have the greatest influence on the success of your business. Make customers aware of your product range and your capability as a reliable supplier. Build enthusiasm and commitment among your employees. Strengthen relationships with suppliers by convincing them of the value of working with your company to build stronger relationships. Build confidence in investors and financial analysts to ensure funding for your business. Cultivate relationships with journalists to build a positive reputation for the business.

Step 2

Carry out preliminary research to identify attitudes and levels of awareness among stakeholders. Monitor social networking sites, blogs and media that mention your company or your products. Ask your sales representatives for their views on levels of customer awareness. Compare understanding and awareness levels with the levels you would like to achieve. Identify any areas where there is poor understanding or awareness as a basis for prioritizing corporate communication.

Step 3

Develop a plan for your corporate communication program. Set objectives based on your preliminary research and your communication priorities. Examples of objectives include “make customers aware of your new product development program,” “raise awareness of customer care among employees,” and “convince investors that your company has a viable future.” Outline the communication activities that you will use to meet the objectives, including press releases on new products or customer wins case studies on customer successes and financial press releases on annual results, management appointments or major investments.

Step 4

Choose media that reach your stakeholders cost effectively. Distributing press releases to local newspapers, for example, is a low-cost way of communicating with employees and local customers and suppliers. Your website is also an important medium. Post company information of interest to different stakeholders. Set up a forum and allow customers, employees and others to post comments about your products and the company. Respond to the comments to build dialogue with stakeholders.

By PROTAS LEVINA

BAPRM 42657