Corporate communication Function:
Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation play imperative role in any organization. It is very important for any organization to maintain their reputation among the customers, investors, employers, stakeholders, and among other people.
Image and Identity: Image is the corporation as seen through the eyes of its constituencies. Different constituencies can have different images on the organization. The organization’s identity should not diverge from one constituency to another. It consists of a company’s defining attributes, such as its people, products and services. Corporate identity is being composed of three parts:
Ø Corporate Design (Logos, Uniforms etc)
Ø Corporate Communication (Public relation, information, etc)
Ø Corporate Behavior(Internal values, norms, etc)
For example: When I see the logo of horse standing on two feet on stylish automobile, Ferrari comes to my mind.
Successful branding and reputation are defined to create trust, to build a strong a image and to communicate clearly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_identity
The frame work of reputation
Many companies use this method successfully to manage the identity process:
Conduct an identity audit
Set identity objectives
Develop design and names
Launch and communicate
Implement the program.
Corporate and product advertising:
Corporate advertising sells a company. It is consistent with mission and vision of the company and to seek benefit of the image on a long term. Corporate advertising is generally diversified into three categories: image advertising, financial advertising, and issue advocacy. Companies use advertising to:
v Reinforce identity or Enhance Reputation.
v Used to attract investments in order to increase its reputation which is often followed by higher sales and more profits.
v Used to influence Opinions
For Example: Microsoft
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Product Advertising is undertaken by companies seeking to increase sales of a particular product by emphasizing its features and benefits. Product advertising seems to be more ubiquitous. It is also used to build up the image of the corporate. The goal of product advertising is to target a special focus group by advertising a special product and increase the sales volume of that product.
One of the most critical areas within any corporate communication function is the media relations department. The investors, suppliers, retailers, and consumers receive information through this department about and develop image of a company. It involves two-way communication between an organization and its public. The company’s strives to help their people to achieve their professional and personal goals through an inclusive environment that values everyone‘s contributions, appreciates diversity of thought, fosters growth, and provides continuous opportunities for development.
Example: The media relation specialist of “Earnest and Young” supports promotes and enhances its public identity by identifying, developing and executing strategic media plans consistent with the national marketing goals of the firm. The incumbent communicates creatively and effectively about Ernst & Young with reporters, editors, news directors, and producers of newspaper, television, radio, magazine, trade publication, and Internet outlets in a targeted and timely manner, using best practices.
http://workingtorontojobs.canada.com/texis
The responsibilities to be performed to build a better relationship with media are:
Develops and leverages relationships with internal clients and media contacts in order to execute media relations plans.
Creates daily media monitoring reports.
Prepares media tracking reports and analyses.
Assesses the value of interview requests from the media, sources appropriate spokespeople and coordinates interviews.
Drafts for review and edits news releases, advisories, talking points, and media kits.
Develops and manages database of media contacts; builds targeted media lists for various initiatives.
Prepares executives for interviews ensuring that they have the information they need to represent their ideas and the firm’s position clearly and effectively.
Supports media relations projects and/or campaigns in accordance with goals and priorities of the Media Relations and National Marketing team.
Monitors and updates website newsroom and media release database.
Assists in the facilitation of media training for identified internal spokespeople.
Experience: My personal experience working at Globals Inc. I got a chance to face the media for one of the famous German news channel. During the interview I had to make sure that I answered to the point, I don’t reveal out more information than required. As I had to promote our services, I had to convey the public about the services that we offer in a short span of time. Over all it was a great experience which I can never forget in my life.
Internal Communication:
Internal communication plays a vital role in any organization. Nowadays, many organizations focus their attention on their own employees, as they contribute wholly to the success of the business than any other constituency. Internal communication is more important than external communication. It is also known as employee relations, it includes all communication within an organization.
Since 80’s and 90’s the internal communications department reports directly to the senior management in many organization and not to the human resource department. In some organization where the internal communication department has not been established as a separate communication function it may be coordinated by Human resources and Marketing departments.
Internal communication helps employees to understand the company’s vision, values and culture. The key steps in implementing an effective communication program are :
Communicate Up and Down: In upward communication every employee should give regular status reports to his/her supervisors. In downward communication every employee should receive a copy of the strategic plan and handbook that contains all up-to-date personnel policies, every employee should have a copy of his/her job description, and every employee should receive yearly performance reviews.
Face-to-face Meetings:
This can be achieved through holding face to face meetings with the employees at regular intervals, say once a week to discuss their problems.
Communicate online: Online communication is tremendously important in companies. Intranets are used as an important medium to communicate with the employees broadly and quickly.
Example: At IBM employees can log onto the discussion forum online and discuss issues real-time. The management used this technology to identify and formulate IBM’s new culture.
Create Employee oriented publication: It focuses on print communication. This is important when employees don’t have access to their e-mail access. In order to grab the employee’s attention it should be attractive and the employees should be informed with happenings beyond their surroundings.
Communicate Visually: As employees are becoming more visually oriented in their consumption of information as they prefer television and computer for the news rather than news paper.
For example: In my current organization Globals Inc video conference is scheduled every month with all the regional heads and with employees of different branches located in different countries in order to know the status of the company.
Focus on Internal Branding: It is important to build morale and work place where employees are engaged in their jobs. In times of mergers and acquisitions internal branding is critical. When internal audits reveal that the employees are not connecting with the company’s vision or when morale is low, internal branding campaign should be launched.
Article link http://360.jackmorton.com/articles/article032002.php
Company Grapevine: This is an informal communications network including everything from private conversations between two employees to the latest anecdotes shared in the cafeteria. We cannot neglect the importance of informal meetings it is as important as the formal communication. The senior management should be aware it is a “culture carrier” and visionary within the company. Their physical presence and interaction is important. They should coordinate with communication professionals to make sure their messages are received and understood by all employees.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_communications
http://www.keeneypr.com/en/art/?3
http://www.measure-x.com/publication/pubs10-05-internal.html
Investor Relations:
The objectives of Investor Realtions are to explain the company’s vision, mission clearly to the potential investors, and its conduit constituencies, ensure that expectations of the company’s stock price are appropriate for its earnings prospects, the industry outlook, and the economy, and to reduce stock price volatility.
For example: Raymond’s which the top 10 Indian men’s wear brand the highest distributed fashion brand in the across India and has a dedicated network. It has a separate section where in it gives the detailed information of the revenues generated from each fabric and retail sectors and from the brands to their potential investors.
http://www.raymondindia.com/oc_mile.asp
References
http://investor.worldspace.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=189783&p=irol-IRHome
Crisis Communication:
Crisis is an unexpected event in any organization which creates problem for business. It may occur naturally which cannot be avoided. Those crisis caused by human error, intervention, malicious intent can be avoided. Crisis can include tangible devastation, such as the destruction of lives or assets; or intangible devastation, such as the loss of an organization’s response to tangible devastation or the result of human error.
There are several characteristics of crisis such as the element of surprise, insufficient information, the quick pace of events, intense scrutiny. Before crisis occurring, it is important to take necessary steps such as develop a crisis communication plan, create a crisis management team and create a crisis communication team, including spokespeople.
For example: The Sheetz tomato incident was taken care of, because they followed the steps to correct the situation and let the public know that the problem was taken care of. Sheetz pulled the tomatoes from their menus, found the source of the problem, changed their operations, and put their president out front in a press conference, in which he ate a sandwich with tomatoes on it to prove that the tomatoes were now safe.
References:
http://www3.niu.edu/newsplace/crisis.html
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