Strategic Communications in Commercial Environment is the non-military application of strategic communication principles and techniques are a new way for organizations to respond to a changed business landscape that results from today's networked communication environment. Back in the day, organizations could segment publics and audiences and target unique messages to each one. Employees, investors, partners, citizens of local communities, potential buyers and consumers could each receive messages that were not widely known or shared by the other groups. Now, all potential publics and audiences can access information about the organization. Providing dissimilar, even contradictory information is no longer possible and may even be problematic. Consumers see information targeted to investors and partners, employees see messages sent to members of the community. In short, with little effort, almost everyone can see almost everything.
Within organizations, the need to integrate communication efforts is moving the authority for creating messages from silos (media relations, investor relations, public relations, advertising, sales and promotion, community relations, corporate training) into corporate headquarters. When organizations adopt strategic communication processes, the message-originating departments -- although they were never fully autonomous -- must report to corporate communications units that issue guidelines for all organizational communication programs and efforts.
The term "strategic communication" means more than just getting the right message to the right people...and so on. It also means ensuring that communication programs meet the objectives of the organization. In order to meet those objectives and to obtain sufficient evidence to suggest that a program can or will meet them, SC is typically supported by a detailed research plan. Once the objectives are clarified, research to define audiences, to measure current attitudes, and to test ways to change those attitudes must be undertaken. Once the coordinating unit develops concepts, there will be focus groups and/or surveys to identify the most effective concepts. Final messages are also tested. The early research that shapes the message is called "formative evaluation." After implementation of the communication program, "summative evaluation" takes place. This research answers the questions: Did the program reach its goals? What effects did the campaign have? What remains to be done?
Research support for communication programs has long been a facet of advertising and, more broadly, marketing campaigns. In the commercial marketplace, sales are often the measurement for success and failure. In PR, the metric has generally been "clip files," the number of mentions in the editorial press: the more clips and the more influential the publications, the better. The underlying assumptions of strategic communication begin by rejecting these silos and adopting more robust measurements at all stages of program development, implementation, and post-campaign evaluation.
Within organizations, the need to integrate communication efforts is moving the authority for creating messages from silos (media relations, investor relations, public relations, advertising, sales and promotion, community relations, corporate training) into corporate headquarters. When organizations adopt strategic communication processes, the message-originating departments -- although they were never fully autonomous -- must report to corporate communications units that issue guidelines for all organizational communication programs and efforts.
The term "strategic communication" means more than just getting the right message to the right people...and so on. It also means ensuring that communication programs meet the objectives of the organization. In order to meet those objectives and to obtain sufficient evidence to suggest that a program can or will meet them, SC is typically supported by a detailed research plan. Once the objectives are clarified, research to define audiences, to measure current attitudes, and to test ways to change those attitudes must be undertaken. Once the coordinating unit develops concepts, there will be focus groups and/or surveys to identify the most effective concepts. Final messages are also tested. The early research that shapes the message is called "formative evaluation." After implementation of the communication program, "summative evaluation" takes place. This research answers the questions: Did the program reach its goals? What effects did the campaign have? What remains to be done?
Research support for communication programs has long been a facet of advertising and, more broadly, marketing campaigns. In the commercial marketplace, sales are often the measurement for success and failure. In PR, the metric has generally been "clip files," the number of mentions in the editorial press: the more clips and the more influential the publications, the better. The underlying assumptions of strategic communication begin by rejecting these silos and adopting more robust measurements at all stages of program development, implementation, and post-campaign evaluation.
Comments
Post a Comment