Corporate Communication

Introduction & Strategy

Phillip G. Clampitt, Ph.D.

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1. Introduction

 Corporate communications is the strategic

management of issues and relationships
between an organization and its various
constituent audiences.
 Key issues
 Strategy
 Issues
 Relationships with audiences

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Introduction cont.

 What CC/PR is Not

 Press kits
 News conferences
 Press releases
 Web sites
 Schmoozing

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Introduction cont.

Org. Identity Issue Mgt.

•Strategy
•Audience
Relationships
(AA)

Risk Comm. Crisis Comm.

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2. What is strategy?
 Macro-level orientation
 Implicit or explicit choices resulting in
tradeoffs
 Who vrs. What
 When vrs. How
 Why vrs. What

 Goal Setting
 Anticipating other’s reactions
 Serves as a basis for action

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3. What makes strategy
effective?

 Links to organizational goals

 Legitimizes some issues/de-legitimizes others
 Shapes memory
 Makes sense out of the confusing and
ambiguous
 Provides point of identity
 Evolves

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4. What are the strategic
options?

 Spray & Pray

 Sell & Tell
 Underscore & Explore
 Identify & Reply
 Withhold & Uphold

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 Types of strategy cont.

Underscore &
Explore
+++

Sell & Tell Identify & Reply

Effectiveness

Spray & Pray Withhold &

Uphold

--- Great
Little
Amount of Information
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5. Developing the strategy

 Discover
 Study (Organ., People, Issues)
 Discern critical issues
 Establish Goals
 Create Strategy
 Assess

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Developing cont.

Stage 1: Discover Stage 2: Create Stage 3: Assess

Study Discern Develop Assess

Establish Implement
- Organ. Critical Strategy
- People Goals
Issues
- Comm.
Systems

Organizational Environment

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6. Audiences/stakeholders
 Activist publics  Legislators
 Intraindustry players  Regulators
 Interindustry players  Judiciary
 Potential activist  Investors
publics  Neighbors
 Customers  Media
 Employees

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7. Issues analysis

 Issues identification
 Issues scanning
 Issues monitoring-tracking
 Issues analysis
 Issues prioritization

FACTS - VALUES - CONCLUSIONS

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8. Issue Monitoring/Analysis Form

 Name of issue  Implications for org.

 Monitor’s name  Stress points/threats
 Internal liaisons  Opportunities
 External liaisons  Public policy plan
 Relationship to other  Comm. plan
issues
 Lions, special-interest
 Measurable outcomes
groups  Supporting
 Stage of development documentation

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9. Gap Analysis

Organization Stakeholder’s
Gap
•Performance Expectations
•Activities •Facts
•Policies •Values

•Procedures •Policy

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