• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
 
Looking from the Inside Out and Outside In
The value of communications audits
Is our employee newsletter effective? Does our logo project the right image? Should we advertisein the newspaper, lifestyle magazines, trade publications – or save those dollars? What about social media – should we hire a recent college grad to “tweet” for us? 
These and countless similar questions play on the minds of business owners and communicationexecutives from Long Island to Los Angeles, and every place of business in between. While askingsuch questions can lead to sleepless nights and white boards filled with the evidence of brainstorming sessions, companies are indeed better for engaging in such self-reflective exercises.Conducting a communications audit can shed light on these topics and lay the groundwork for establishing a more effective communications campaign that speaks to your target audience – andsays what really needs to be said.If the prospect of an “audit” incites fear in you, it’s good to remember that a communications audit,unlike a tax audit, is self-imposed. Rather than being summoned to an IRS auditor’s office toanswer questions about your tax return and produce crinkly receipts with faded ink, conducting acommunications audit is a strategic business decision that shows you care enough about your company to engage in a research project that confirms – or contradicts – what you think you know.There are two kinds of communications audits, internal and external, and while they can beintegrated to produce a comprehensive report of strengths and weaknesses, they can also beconducted independent of each another. An internal communications audit uses surveys and focusgroups to “get into the minds” of staff, consultants, freelancers and volunteers – those on the insideof your organization. While many companies are quick to query their customers, there is value inmeasuring internal perception first.Employees – your company’s ambassadors and primary message bearers – are arguably your most important audience. If their perceptions of the company and its messages are misaligned withwhat company leaders want to project, chances are good that customers, vendors, shareholdersand the media are also scratching their heads because the messages don’t resonate with them.The management teams at American Medical Response and MedicWest Ambulance in Las Vegas,Nevada know the value of checking in with their employees. To make sure management knowswhat’s on employees’ minds, they do a self-check at least every 30 days to ask themselves if they’re connecting with employees.In fall 2008, management took it one step further and conducted a formal internal communicationsaudit to glean honest feedback from employees. The ambulance companies enlisted the services
 
The Firm Public Relations & Marketing
Looking from the Inside Out, and Outside In: The value of communication audits
2
of The Firm Public Relations & Marketing to conduct anonymous employee surveys. According toTony Greenway, administrative manager for MedicWest Ambulance, the results provided valuableinsight into employees’ perceptions about the company and its communications efforts.“Telling your boss how he or she can improve can be awkward, so having staff from The Firmconduct brief in-person interviews and prepare an objective report of the findings made greatsense for us,” said Greenway. “We shoot ourselves in the foot when we use too manycommunication vehicles. We learned how to streamline and now we post important notices on onebulletin board – not a dozen. It’s working well.”Greenway learned that management had been confusing employees by communicating in toomany different ways – via multiple bulletin boards, a newsletter and flyers. He also realized thatemployees wanted more “face time” with the company decision makers. Based on the audit’sfeedback, the management group now makes it a priority to visit the “ready room” – whereambulance crews begin and end their shifts.“A happy, satisfied workforce results in happy, satisfied patients. There’s a trickle-down effect, andmanagement is part of that equation,” Greenway said. “Without investing the time and resources toconduct an audit, we’d still be relying solely on intuition instead of making informed decisionsbased on research.”Rob Stillwell, former vice president of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming, agrees thatcommunications audits are a wise corporate investment. In 1995, just a few years after becoming apublic company, Boyd Gaming hired the global firm Burson-Marsteller to conduct a comprehensivecommunications audit. During the course of several months, the firm reviewed every aspect of Boyd Gaming relative to communications before presenting its recommendations.“We had a lot of company history, yet there hadn’t been a dedicated public relations office withinour infrastructure until one was created based on recommendations from the audit,” said Stillwell,noting that as just one tangible outcome of the audit. “A communications audit is money well spentbecause it creates efficiencies around the flow of information in today’s business environment. Justas people have perceptions about companies, so do companies have perceptions about howthey’re viewed by consumers? A communications audit exposes weaknesses and strengths inpractices and gives a good baseline to work from.”There’s immeasurable value in conducting a communications audit, and by following a systematicapproach to gathering and analyzing data, you can identify strengths and weaknesses in your communications. Ask yourself these questions to guide your planning process.
1. Will I conduct an internal communications audit, and external audit, or both?
Once you determine the course of action that fits your resources, identify key audiences.For an internal audit, consider surveying randomly selected employees of all levels and anyconsultants, freelancers and volunteers who serve as an extension of your team. For anexternal audit, remember to connect with customers, vendors, shareholders and evenmembers of the media.
2. How will I reach these people? What will I ask them?
Depending on the scope of your outreach, multiple options are available. You mightconsider in-person interviews, focus groups, participant observation, telephonequestionnaires or online surveys. Make a list of questions that are relevant to each group,combine questions with like themes and whittle down the list.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...