CORPORATE COMMUNICATION 1

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION: IS THE COMMUNICATION ISSUED BY A

CORPORATE/ ORGANIZATION/ BODY / INSTITUTE TO ALL ITS PUBLIC(S).
PUBLICS HERE CAN BE BOTH INTERNAL (EMPLOYEES,
STAKEHOLDERS, I.E.- SHARE AND STOCK HOLDER) AND EXTERNAL
(AGENCIES, CHANNEL PARTERNS, MEDIA, GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY
BODIES AND INSTITUTES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES AND GENERAL
PUBLIC.
AN ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO TALK THE SAME MESSAGE TO ALL OF
ITS STAKEHOLDER, IN ORDER TO TRANSMIT COHERENCE, CREDIBILITY
AND ETHIC. IF ONE OF THESE POINTS IS BROKEN, THE WHOLE
COMMUNITY CAN MAKE THIS ORGANIZATION DISAPPEARS, FROM ONE
DAY TO THE OTHER. THE CORPORATE COMMUNICATION AREA WILL
HELP THIS ORGANIZATION BUILD ITS MESSAGE, COMBINING ITS VISION,
MISSION AND VALUES AND WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION
BY COMMUNICATING ITS MESSAGE, ACTIVITIES AND PRACTICES TO
ALL OF TIS STAKEHOLDER.
THE TERM CORPORATE COMMUNICATION CAN BE DEFINED AS THE
SET OF ACTIVITES INVOLVED IN MANAGING AND ORCHESTRATING ALL
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AIMED AT CREATING
FAVORABLE STARTING POINTS WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON WHICH THE
COMPANY DEPENDS. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION CONSISTS OF THE
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION BY A VARIETY OF SPECIALISTS AND
GENERALISTS IN AN ORGANIZATION, WITH THE COMMON GOAL OF
ENHANCING THE ORGANIZATION’S ABILITY TO RETAIN ITS LICENSE TO
OPERATE. 2
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION SERVES AS THE LIAISION BETWEEN AN
ORGANIZATION AND ITS PUBLICS.
ORGANIZATIONS CAN STRATEGICALLY COMMUNICATE TO THEIR
AUDIENCES THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING. THIS
MAY INVOLVE AN EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER OR VIDEO, CRISIS
MANAGEMENT WITH THE NEWS MEDIA, SPECIAL EVENTS PLANNING,
BUILDING PRODUCT VALUE AND COMMUNICATING WITH
STOCKHOLDER, CLIENTS OR DONORS.
WHAT CORPORATE COMMUNICATION ENCODES AND PROMOTES:
A – STRONG CORPORATE CULTURE
B – COHERENT CORPORATE IDENTITY 3
C – REASONABLE CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY
D – GENUINE SENSE OF CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
E – AN APPROPRIATE AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
PRESS, INCLUDING QUICK, RESPONSIBLE WAYS OF COMMUNICATING
IN A CRISIS.
F – UNDERSTANDING OF COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES
G – SOPHISTICATED APPROACHES TO GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS
HOW AN ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATES WITH ITS EMPLOYEES, ITS
EXTENDED AUDIENCES, THE PRESS AND ITS CUSTOMERS BRINGS ITS
VALUES TO LIFE. CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS IS ALL ABOUT
MANAGING PERCEPTIONS AND ENSURING:
A – EFFECTIVE AND TIMELY DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
B – POSITIVE CORPORATE IMAGE 4
C–SMOOTH AND AFFIRMATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL
STAKEHOLDERS.
BE IT A CORPORATE BODY, COMPANY, ORGANIZATION, INSTITUTION,
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, GOVERNMENTAL BODY, ALL OF
THEM NEED TO HAVE A RESPECTABLE IMAGE AND REPUTATION. IN
TODAY’S DAY AND AGE OF INCREASING COMPETITION, EASY ACCESS
TO INFORMATION AND THE MEDIA EXPLOSION, REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT HAS GAINED EVEN MORE IMPORTANCE.
IT HAS NOW EMERGED AS A SCIENCE AND ART OF PERCEPTION
MANAGEMENT.
KEY TASKS OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION:
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION ARE
THEREFORE:
A – TO FLESH OUT THE PROFILE OF THE “COMPANY BEHIND THE
BRAND” (CORPORATE BRANDING); 5
B – TO DEVELOP INITIATIVES THAT MINIMIZE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN
THE COMPANY’S DESIRED IDENTITY AND BRAND FEATURES;
C – TO INDICATE WHO SHOULD PERFORM WHICH TASKS IN THE FIELD
OF COMMUNICATION;
D – TO FORMULATE AND EXCEUTE EFFECTIVE PROCEDURES IN ORDER
TO FACILITATE DECISION MAKING ABOUT MATTERS CONCERNING
COMMUNICATION;
E – TO MOBILIZE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SUPPORT BEHIND
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES.
TOOLS OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION:
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION CAN BE ACHIEVED IN VARIOUS WAYS.
THE MAIN FOUR PRACTICES ARE:
A – APPLICATION OF VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEMS (SOMETIMES
REFERRED TO AS “HOUSE STYLE”)
B – USE OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION;
C – ADOPTION OF A CENTRALIZED PLANNING SYSTEM 6
THE COMMUNICATION AGENDA: TO BUILD REPUTATION:
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION HELPS AN ORGANIZATION TO CREATE
DISTICTIVE AND APPEALING IMAGES WITH ITS STAKEHOLDER GROUPS,
BUILD A STRONG CORPORATE BRAND, AND DEVELOP REPUTATION
CAPITAL. TO ACHIEVE THOSE ENDS, ALL FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
MUST BE ORCHESTRATED INTO A COHERENT WHOLE, AND SUCCESS
CRITERIA DEVELOPED THAT ENABLE MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF
THE ORGANIZATION’S COMMUNICATION ON ITS REPUTATION AND
VALUE.
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION:
MEDIA RELATIONS:
THIS INVOLVES BUILDING AND MAINTAINING A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE MEDIA (TELEVISION, PRINT, WEB, ETCETERA). THIS
INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, DARFTING & DISSEMINATION OF
PRESS RELEASES, ORGANISING PRESS CONFERENCES AND MEETING
 WITH MEDIA PROFESSIONALS AND ORGANIZING EVENTS FOR THE
MEDIA AS A GROUP. 7
EXTERNAL EVENTS:
COULD INVOLVE VENDOR/ SUPPLIER/ DISTRIBUTOR MEETS, CHANNEL
PARTNER MEETINGS, EVENTS RELATED TO PRODUCT LAUNCHES,
IMPORTANT INITIATIVES, ETC.
COMPANY/ SPOKESPERSON PROFILING:
ENSURING THAT THE COMPANY/ ORGANIZATION SPOKESPERSON IS IN
THE PUBLIC LIMELIGHT, IS WELL-KNOWN AND CONSIDERED AS AN
AUTHORITY IN THE RESPECTIVE SECTOR/FIELD AS BELOW:-
A – MANAGING CONTENT OF CORPORATE WEBSITES AND/OR OTHER
EXTERNAL TOUCH POINTS.
B – MANAGING CORPORATE PUBLICATIONS – FOR THE EXTERNAL
WORLD.
C – MANAGING PRINT MEIDA.
BRAND MANAGEMENT:
A – DEVELOPMENT AND UPKEEP OF THE CORPORATE IDENTITY TO
ENSURE ADHERENCE TO CORPORATE BRAND GUIDELINES.
B – TO IMPROVE OVERALL BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SO AS TO
CLEARLY AND EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THE ESSENCE OF THE
COMPANY. 8
CORPORATE IDENTITY/ ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY:
THERE ARE TWO APPROACHES FOR IDENTITY, RESPECTIVELY
CORPORATE IDENTITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY.
A – CORPORATE IDENTITY IS THE REALITY AND UNIQUENESS OF AN
ORGANIZATION WHICH IS INTEGRALLY RELATED TO ITS EXTERNAL
AND INTERNAL IMAGE AND REPUTATION THROUGH CORPORATE
COMMUNICATION.
B – ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY COMPRISES THOSE CHARACTERISTICS
OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT ITS MEMBERS BELIEVE ARE CENTRAL,
DISTINCTIVE AND ENDURING. THAT IS,
ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY CONSISTS OF THOSE ATTRIBUTES THAT
MEMBERS FEEL ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO (CENTRAL) AND UNIQUELY
DESCRIPTIVE OF (DISTINCTIVE) THE ORGANIZATION AND THAT PERSIST
WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION OVER TIME (ENDURING). 9
CORPORATE REPUTATION:
REPUTATIONS ARE OVERALL ASSESSMENTS OF ORGANIZATIONS BY
THEIR STAKEHOLDER. THEY ARE AGGREGATE PERCEPTIOS BY
STAKEHOLDERS OF AN ORGANIZATIONS’S ABILITY TO FULFIL THEIR
EXPECTATIONS, WHETHER THESE STAKEHOLDERS ARE INTERESTED IN
BUYING THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTS, WORKING FOR THE COMPANY,
OR INVESTING IN THE COMPANY’S SHARES.
IN 2000, THE US BASED CONCIL OF PR FIRMS IDENTIFIED SEVEN
PROGRAMS THAT WERE DEVELOPED BY EITHER MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS OR MARKET RESEARCH FIRMS, AND THAT WERE
BEING USED BY COMPANIES TO ASSESS OR BENCHMARKS THEIR
CORPORATE REPUATIONS. OF THESE ONLY THREE ARE CONDUCTED
REGULARLY AND HAVE BROAD VISIBILITY:-
A – “AMERICA’S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES” BY FORTUNE MAGAZINE.
B – THE “BRAND ASSET VALUATOR” BY YOUNG & RUBICAM
C – “REP TRAK” BY REPUTATION INSTITUTE. 10
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION:
A – SHARING INFORMATION WITH EMPLOYEES, BUILDING EMPLOYER
PRIDE, MANAGING EMPLOYEE,ISSUES, ETC.
B – MANAGE THE INTRANET AND OTHER INTERNAL WEB PORTALS.
ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION:
ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE THE EMPLOYEES TO PLAN FOR ENW IDEAS
AND EFFECTIVIELY IMPLEMENT THEM.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION:
A – MANAGING CORPORATE PUBLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES AND
PARTNERS.
B – ORGANISING INTERNAL EVENTS FOR STAFF.
CORPORATE PROPAGANDA:
A – CORPORATE PROPAGANDA ARE PROPAGANDIST CLAIMS MADE BY
A CORPORATION, NEARLY ALWAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
MAINPULATING MARKET OPINION TO THE BENEFIT OF THEIR PRODUCT
OR TO DIVIDE PUBLIC OPINION WITH REGARD TO CONTROVERSIAL
ISSUES RELATED TO THAT CORPORATION, AND ITS ASSOCIATED
BUSINESS DEALINGS. 11
B – CORPORATE PROPAGANDA IS DISTINCT FROM ADVOCACY.
ADVOCACY PRESENTS PRODUCT AND SERVICE INFORMATION FULLY,
FAIRLY, AND WITHOUT EXPLOITATION OF CONSUMER EMOTIONS. JUST
AS THE USE OF THESE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CAN PROVIDE
PLUSES WHICH OUTWEIGH THE MINUSES TO SOCIETY AND
INDIVIDUALS, THEIR ADVOCACY MAY FUNCTION MORE POSITIVELY
THAN NEGATIVELY.
C – THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF CORPORATE PROPAGANDA ARE
ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.
EXAMPLES:
A – DECISION EARTH PROCTER & GAMBLE PROPAGANDA MATERIALS
DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS, TO INFLUENCE YOUNG CHILDREN WITH
PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC NOTIONS. 12
B – TOBACCO INDUSTRY LONG HISTORY OF ADVERTISING AND
LITIGATION WHEREIN PRACTICES OF MANIPULATION AND DECEPTION
ARE COMMON.
C – WALT DISNEY’S PRODUCTION OF PROPAGANDA FOR THE US
GOVERNMENT DURING WORLD WAR II.

SPIN (PUBLIC RELATIONS):

A – IN PUBLIC RELATIONS, SPIN IS FORM OF PROPAGANDA, ACHIEVED
THROUGH PROVIDING AND INTERPRETATION OF AN EVENT OR
CAMPAIGN TO PERSUADE PUBLIC OPINION IN FAVOUR OR AGAINST A
CERTAIN ORGANIZATION OR PUBLIC FIGURE. WHILE TRADITIONAL
PUBLIC RELATIONS MAY ALSO RELY ON CREATIVE PRESENTATION OF
THE FACTS, “SPIN” OFTEN, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS, IMPLIES
DISINGENUOUS, DECEPTIVE AND/OR HIGHLY MAINPULATIVE TACTICS.
B – POLITICIANS ARE OFTEN ACCUSED BY THEIR OPPONENTS OF
CLAIMING TO BE HONEST AND SEEK THE TRUTH WHILE USING SPIN
TACTICS TO MAINPULATE PUBLIC OPINION. 13
C – BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENT ASSOCIATION BETWEEN “SPIN” AND
PRESS CONFERENCES (ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENT PRESS
CONFERENCES), THE ROOM IN WHICH THESE TAKE PLACE IS
SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS A SPIN ROOM. A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO
DEVELOP SPIN MAY BE REFERRED TO AS “SPIN DOCTORS” WHO
ENGAGE IN “SPIN DOCTORING” FOR THE PERSON OR GROUP THAT
HIRED THEM.
OVERVIEW:
THE TECHNIQUES OF SPIN INCLUDE:
A – SELECTVIELY PRESENTING FACTS AND QUOTES THAT SUPPORT
ONE’S POSITION (CHERRY PICKING)
B – NON-DENIAL DENIAL
C – PHRASING IN A WAY THAT ASSUMES UNPROVEN TRUTHS.
D – EUPHEMISMS TO DISGUISE OR PROMOTE ONE’ AGENDA.
E – “BURYING BAD NEWS”: ANNOUNCING ONE POPULAR THING AT THE
SAME TIME AS SEVERAL UNPOPULAR THINGS, HOPING THAT THE
MEDIA WILL FOCUS ON THE POPULAR ONE. 14
I – EDWARD BERNAYS HAS BEEN CALLED THE “FATHER OF SPIN”. IN
HIS BOOK HE DESCRIBES SOME SITUATIONS IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY
AMERICA WHERE TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL COMPANIES USED
TECHNIQUES TO MAKE CRETAIN BEHAVIORS MORE SOCIALLY
ACCEPTABLE.
II – ANOTHER SPIN TECHNIQUE INVOLVES THE DELAY IN THE RELEASE
OF BAD NEWS SO IT CAN BE HIDDEN IN THE “SHADOW”
III – IN THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEALING WITH MILITARY
CONTACTS DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR IN IRAQ USED A SPIN
TACTIC. SEVERAL PARTS OF U.S. MILITAY WANTED TO HIRE PR FIRMS
TO SEND OUT FABRICATED OR MISLEADING INFORMATION TO GET A
RISE IN THE PUBLIC APPROVAL OF THE WAR. SOME OFFICIALS DID NOT
WANT TO JOIN INFORMATION OFFICERS WITH PUBLIC AFFAIRS
OFFICERS FOR THE FEAR OF UNDERMINING THE MILITARY’S
CREDIBILITY. THIS FORM OF SPIN USES THE TACTIC OF BLOWING
SMALL CIRCUMSTANCES OUT OF PROPORTION TO GET A CRETAIN
REACTION FROM THE PUBLIC. 15
IV – SKILLED PRACTITIONERS OF SPIN ARE SOMETIMES CALLED “SPIN
DOCTORS”, THOUGH PROBABLY NOT TO THEIR FACES UNLESS IT IS
SAID FACETIOUSLY. IT IS THE PR EQUIVALENT OF CALLING A WRITER A
“HACK”. PERHAPS THE MOST WELL-KNOWN PERSON IN THE UK OFTEN
DESCRIBED AS A “SPIN DOCOTOR” IS ALASTAIR CAMPBELL, WHO WAS
INVOLVED WITH TON BLAIR’S PUBLIC RELATIONS BETWEEN 1994 AND
2003.S
V – STATE – RUN MEDIA IN MANY COUNTRIES ALSO ENGAGE IN SPIN BY
ONLY ALLOWING NEWS STORIES THAT ARE FAVORABLE TO THE
GOVERNMENT WHILE CENSORING ANYTHING THAT COULD BE
CONSIDERED CRITICAL. *****END*****