Need and Strategies for

UNIT 9 NEED AND STRATEGIES FOR Corporate Communication

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
Structure
9.0 Introduction
9.1 Learning Outcomes
9.2 Defining Corporate Communication
9.2.1 Internal Corporate Communication
9.2.2 External Corporate Communication
9.3 Need and Strategies
9.3.1 Role of a Strategy
9.3.2 Monitoring & Reporting System of Communications
9.3.3 Needs for Marketing Strategy
9.4 Strategic Communication
9.4.1 Essentials of Strategic Communications
9.4.2 Levels of Strategies
9.5 Government Relations
9.6 Company’s Culture
9.7 Let Us Sum Up
9.8 Check your Progress: Possible Answers
9.9 Further Readings
9.10 Glossary

9.0 INTRODUCTION
Until the1970’s, practitioners had used the term ‘public relations’ to describe
communication with stakeholders. This ‘public relations’ function, which was tactical
in most companies, largely consisted of communication with the press. When other
stakeholders, internal and external to the company, started to demand more information
from the company, practitioners subsequently started to look at communication as
being more than just ‘public. This is when the roots of the new corporate communication
function started to take hold. This new function came to incorporate a whole range of
specialized disciplines, including corporate design, corporate advertising, internal
communication to employees, issues and crisis management, media relations, investor
relations, change communication and public affairs. An important characteristic of the
new function is that it focuses on the organization as a whole and on the important task
of how an organization presents itself to all its key stakeholders, both internal and
external. The word corporate in corporate communications refers to the business setting
in which corporate communication emerged as a separate function (alongside other
functions such as human resources and finance).
In this Unit, we shall cover this new branch that emerged. Why was it required? What
are the nice areas the Corporate Communications or CC, as it is popularly referred to,
entails. We shall also see the particular advantages that communications for corporates
has, including the government relationships and the role in creating a conducive
organizational culture. 163
Corporate Communications
9.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this Unit, you would be able to:
 Explain the importance of internal corporate communication and its various
methods in enhancing organisational communication.
 Analyse the types of external corporate communication methods and their
effectiveness in promoting the company’s image and reputation.
 Assess the role of communication strategies in achieving the company’s goals
and objectives.
 Recognise the importance of government relations in corporate communication,
including its role in enhancing the company’s reputation and image.
 Evaluate the impact of a company’s culture on its internal and external
communication.

9.2 DEFINING CORPORATECOMMUNICATION

‘Corporate’ originally stems from the Latin words for ‘body’ (corpus) and for ‘forming
into a body’ corporate, which emphasize a unified way of looking at ‘internal’ and
‘external’ communication disciplines. That is, instead of looking at specialized disciplines
or stakeholder groups separately, the corporate communication function starts from
the perspective of the ‘bodily’ organization as a whole when communicating with internal
and external stakeholders.
Corporate communication is the set of activities conceptualized and undertaken in
managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications aimed at creating
a favorable point of view among stakeholders on which the company depends. It is the
messages issued by a corporate organization, body or institute to its audiences, such
as employees, media, and channel partners and the general public. Organizations aim
to communicate the same message to all its stakeholders, to transmit coherence,
credibility, and ethics. Corporate Communication helps organizations explain their
mission; combine its various visions and values into a cohesive message to a disparate
set of stakeholders.
Corporate communication, in other words, can be characterized as a management
function that is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work done by
communication practitioners in different specialist disciplines, such as media relations,
public affairs and internal communication. Van Riel defines corporate communication
as ‘an instrument of management by means of which all consciously used forms of
internal and external communication are harmonized as efficiently as possible’, with the
overall objective of creating ‘a favourable basis for relationships with groups upon
which the company is dependent’.
“Corporate communication can thus be defined as a management function that offers a
framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication
with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with
stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.” Corporate
communication demands an integrated approach to managing communication. The
sustainability and success of a company depends on how it is viewed by key
164 stakeholders, and communication is a critical part of building, maintaining.
and protecting such reputations. Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
Richard Edelman, highlights the strategic role of corporate communications as follows,
“we used to be the tail on the dog, but now communication is organizing principle
behind many business decisions.” The sustainability and success of a company depends
on how it is viewed by key stakeholders, and communication is a critical part of building,
maintaining, and protecting such reputations. Thus, Corporate Communications is all
about managing perceptions and ensuring effective and timely dissemination of
information, positive corporate image, smooth and affirmative relationship with all
stakeholders. Corporate communication collectively refers to the communication
processes that are meant for corporate or business purposes. It refers to the
communication within corporate organization (internal communication) as well as the
communication between different corporate entities (external communication).

9.2.1 Internal Corporate Communication

\Internal Corporate Communication defines communication within a particular company.
Some of the commonly used tools for internal communication include business meetings,
conferences, interviews, presentations or print media like brochures, newsletters,
memos, or business letters. Corporate communication is a great way to create conducive
work atmosphere, thereby increasing the productivity of the organization. Factors like
hierarchy came into picture during internal corporate communication. Depending on
direction of communication, internal corporate communication can be further classified
as horizontal or vertical communication. Horizontal refers to communication within
peers and vertical refers to communication within different hierarchies in the organization.

9.2.2 External Corporate Communication

External Corporate Communication process includes communication of the corporate
organization with its current or potential investors, customers, opinion makers, special
interest groups, business partners and other corporate entities, among others. The
external corporate communication includes elements like advertising, marketing, and
public relations. The external communication is responsible for the way the company
portrays itself to the entire corporate world. Thus, external corporate communication
is instrumental in creating the brand image or brand identity. The advertising campaigns
and promotional events can be included in external corporate communication as well.
Television ads, newspaper ads, radio jingles. Promotional events or even business
proposals, affiliation or partnership proposals are included in external corporate
communication. Corporate communication encompasses methods and processes in
promoting a company’s credentials, its positioning pitch and its acceptability in the
marketplace, annual earnings and achievements, its roster products and services and
its philanthropy and community outreach efforts. It involves a series of planned,
interconnected activities and programs to communicate and engage with internal
employees and externally with partners, customers and other stake holders.
This objective of building, maintaining, and protecting the company’s reputation is
actually the core task of corporate communication practitioners. However, despite the
importance attributed to a company’s reputation, the role and contribution is, in many
companies, still far from being fully understood. In such companies, communication
practitioners feel undervalued; their strategic input into decision-making is compromised
and senior managers and CEOs feel powerless because they simply do not understand
the events that are taking place in company’s environment and how these events can
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Corporate Communications affect the company’s operations and profits. There is therefore a lot to gain when
communication practitioners and senior managers are able to recognize and diagnose
communication related management problems and understand appropriate strategies
and courses of action for dealing with these. Such an understanding is not only essential
to the effective functioning of corporate communication but is also empowering. It
allows communication practitioners and managers to understand and take charge of
events that fall within the remit of corporate communication, to determine which events
are outside their control, and to identify opportunities for communicating and engaging
with stakeholders of the organization.
Check Your Progress: 1
Note : 1) Use the space below for you answers.
2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
Q1. What is Corporate Communication?
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Q2. Differentiate between Internal and External Corporate Communication?
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9.3 NEED AND STRATEGIES

Customers need to know about the company; its management; its method of
manufacture; its mode of functioning, and the company’s philosophy and values. They
need to know its products and services so that they can trust what the company stands
for and confidently buy, consume and use their products.
Stakeholders — investors, shareholders, partners and suppliers, employees,
government, NGO’s, local community, industry and customers any individual or group
which can affect or be affected by an organization’s activities need to feel a sense of
involvementwith what the company is doing, the more they know, and the more open
the communication with them, the more they trust, and feel involved and responsible
for the company in which they have a stake.
Employees are most important to the organization; without them the company cannot
run. Both the management and employees must appreciate this interdependence. So,
both management and employees at all levels must develop a sense of inclusion, a
sense willing cooperation and a united pursuit of the company’s values and goals. This
is done through two-way internal communications up and down the hierarchy.
The field of corporate communications, with documented strategies to foster effective
business communications, emerged in response to the recognition that the better a
business communicates, the more successful it tends to become. For example improved
communications translate into a 29.5 % increase in market value and employee turnover
rates below or significantly below similar companies without formal, strategic corporate
communications programs, according to the “Communication ROI study” conducted
166 by human resources consulting firm Watson Wyatt in 2003. Its defined as because
“communication” applies to so many different processes within the business world , Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
the scope of a strategic corporate communication plan can be somewhat hard to define.
In general, it addresses the way management communicates with employees as well as
the way the company communicates with external parties like vendors, to improve
business operations. A comprehensive corporate communication strategy should include
tactics to maximize employee, shareholder, customer, community, media and public
relations. Creating consistent, concise, and clear messages so that management, human
resources and marketing can do the best possible job is the goal.
The Strategy Imperative- an article by Paul Argenti, Robert Howell and Karen
Beck in the MIT Sloan Management Review titled “ The Strategic Communication
Imperative” illustrates how critical long term planning is to effective corporate
communications. The article argues that the “tactical, short-term approach to
communicating with key constituencies” that so many large corporations employ may
actually do more harm than good. In short, the authors argued that communication
strategy must precede the development and implementation of larger strategic company
goals to achieve lasting success.
Implementation: The first step towards creating strategic corporate communications
plan itself relies on strong communications. Gather key management, human resources,
and marketing personnel to present the case for formal planning and seek buy-in.
Next, work together to outline key areas of concern. Focus on communication challenges
and successes. Next, create a formal plan that specifies how key business functions
will integrate and share information externally and internally. During this process, one
must align the voice and messages promoted with the company’s larger strategic mission,
vision,and objectives. An internal corporate communication’s professional or external
consultant can be invaluable during the process, helping participants to better document
and implement new Communication processes.
Misconceptions- Some business professionals have considered communication strategy
a “soft” business area, suggesting that this type of planning was nice but not necessary
to efficient and profitable operations. Studies conducted over the last two decades
suggest otherwise. Formally documenting a company’s communication strategies does
positively impact the bottom line. Infact, consulting firm Watson Wyatt found that
companies with the “highest levels of effective communication experienced a 26 %
total return to shareholders” over a four-year period as compared to the “15 % return
experienced by firms that communicate least effectively”, as reported in “The Essentials
of Corporate communications and Public Relations”, published by the Harvard Business
School Press.

Activity 1
Choose any company that you like. Research the company’s communication strategy,
brand messaging, and target audience. Now, talk to your friends about what you
found out. See what views they have to offer or add.

9.3.1 Role of a Strategy

Strategy could be seen as the thinking,the logic behind the actions, or even as an
indication of an organisation’s positioning for the future, deciding what should be done
rather than how it should be done.
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Corporate Communications Strategy requires choices- deciding what particular kind of value an organisation wants
to deliver to whom. A strategy could also be seen as an approach, design, scheme, or
system that directs the course of action in a specific situation –the means to achieve the
ends. At the corporate level, primary strategy- formulation responsibilities include
defining the set of businesses that should form the organisations overall profile.( e.g.,
taking decisions on mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures) selecting
tactics for diversification and growth and managing corporate resources and capabilities
(Harrison& St John). Corporate level decisions are typically made at the highest level
of the organisation by the chief executive officer and or the board of directors, although
these individuals may receive input from managers at other levels. Corporate strategy
can best be described as the responsibility of the board and top management for the
organisation’s financial performance. It ensures that effective systems of stakeholder
communication are in place and that there is transparency and accountability. The
corporate strategy highlights the need to align business goals, to have an effective
strategic management process in place and an effective organisation capable of delivering
the strategy and achieving the agreed goals. From finding out what the stakeholders
think of the company to disclosing full details of how it is run, communication plays a
vital role throughout. Successful companies connect communication with strategy through
structure, such as having the head of the corporate communication report directly to
the CEO. The advantage of this kind of reporting relationship is that the communications
professional can get the company’s strategy directly from those at the top of the
organisation. Companies like Unilever and Citibank have appointed Indian CEO’s for
their Indian operations to make tailormade products to suit different markets more
effectively. This way company’s communication is more focused and strategic. A clear-
cut corporate mission not only keeps employees aligned with what the company is
striving for but, also simultaneously acts a source of stability for consumers weary of
constant change in today’s rapidly changing environment.
The three considerations for creating an effective organisational strategy are setting
objectives, deciding on the proper allocation of resources and diagnosing the
organisation’s reputation upon which all other steps in communication strategy depend.

9.3.2 Monitoring & ReportingSystemof Communications

It is also logical that to know how well an organisation is implementing its strategy and
achieving its goals, there needs to be a monitoring and reporting system which is
connected directly to the stakeholders, upon whom the success depends. The
requirement of such a system and the resources required to put it in place will be a part
of the business plan. A good system provides the instruments whereby management
and all other stakeholders can be made aware of progress in implementing the agreed
strategy. Monitoring and reporting systems also keep a total focus on financial aspects.
Setting up channels of communication and reporting system as a whole can be used to
ensure that all stakeholders are happy with the proposed strategy, monitor progress
from point A to point B in the strategy and ensure most importantly that stakeholders
are receiving all the information they require. Such a system will thus include four
elements of:
 Ethics: projecting the ethos which permeates the company, and thus communicating
to all stakeholders an image of the company which board is striving to create and
operate.

168  Goal: reporting on the progress made by the company towards the agreed
 corporate goals, and in particular fulfilling the specific interests of the particular Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
stakeholders addressed in the actual communications received by them.
 Organisation: show that the company is organised effectively to achieve the goals
that have been communicated to all the stakeholders, to look after their individual
interests
 Reporting: demonstrates through the high quality of the communications that the
accountability and transparency is adhered to and understood.
Chaffee (1985-90) clusters strategy definitions in the literature into three groups:
 Linear Strategy, which “focuses on planning, and consist of integrated decisions,
actions or plans that will set and achieve viable organisational goals”.
 Adaptive Strategy, which is concerned with the “development of a viable match
between the opportunities and risks present in the external environment and the
organization’s capabilities and resources for exploiting these opportunities”. The
environment is seen to consist of trends, events, competitors and stakeholders to
which the organisation must adapt. In the adaptative model the organisation must
change with the environment.
 Interpretive Strategy, views the organisation as a “ collection of co-operative
agreements entered into by individuals with free will. The organisation’s existence
relies on its ability to attract enough individuals to co-operate in mutually beneficial
exchange” The focus is on desired relationships, symbolic actions, and
communication.
Check Your Progress: 2
Note: 1) Use the space below for you answers.
2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
Q1. Why is it essential for the customers to know about the company?
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Q2. What is the role of strategy and why is it critical for an organization
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9.3.3 Needs for Marketing Strategy

Effective marketing strategy is the primary key to the success of business. In case if the
company is not doing well from financial perspective, the foremost reason could be
that there are no adequately used and practiced marketing strategies. Effective marketing
strategy and right communication offers different opportunities for the company. First,
it concentrated resources and efforts on the company’s opportunities for success.
Second it increases competitive advantage and gives brands a clearer focus to be
recognized in the marketplace. It is essential to first define the product or service in
clear and simple terms, highlighting the benefits of the product or services to the clients,
identifying the key strengths and limitations. Also, important is to know competitors 169
Corporate Communications who operate in the same market and offer the same products and services. In creating
effective marketing strategy, first, the company should identify its targeted segment and
direct its efforts to satisfy those needs and wants. It is important to create a strategy
that makes the most of company’s strength ad matches to the needs of targeted
customers. The next step is to develop right corporate and marketing communications.
One must be clear about the target one wants to achieve, establishing a budget for
marketing, promotion, advertising, and identification of the vision of the company and
most appropriate resources for right communication. Right marketing and corporate
communications will help in developing brands and increasing awareness, thus making
the company name easily recognizable. It will also help in building positive image about
the organization, increases sales and thus generates higher profit.

Activity 2
Choose any company that you like, which manufactures a range of products and
offers varied services (Eg: Amul, Tata, Jio, Nestle etc).Now talk to at four of your
friends or family members about what image they have about this company. List
down the adjectives that each person uses. Do you notice a uniformity in the
image of this company in the minds of different audience?

9.4 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

Strategic communications require an integrated, multilevel approach. Combination of
four essentials generates high profits for a company. These are:
1. A strong strategic Foundation: Many organizations view their communication
teams as a service resource or as process enablers. Instead, communication teams
should be viewed strategic imperative for high performance and growth. Leaders
need to set the stage for the importance of communications with a clear mission, a
statement of purpose, and objectives that convey the benefits that an integrated
communications capability will bring to the organization. The obvious benefits are
that you will communicate not only more effectively, saving time and money but,
most valued benefit would be alignment and improved decision making would
yield better results. Therefore, it is important to have a strong foundation with
executive level alignment.
2. The right set of tools: The next step is to develop a set of tools that guide the
planning and creative efforts of your internal team and their external partners,
using a what, how, who model that defines the messages and experiences you
want to create (what), the means of communication you use to create them (How),
and people you need to reach to successfully to do business (Who). The What,
How, Who, model requires that plans be developed at each of the following levels:
The “What” of your communication requires Category Plans. This captures decisions
about the nature of different corporate and product messages. That is the reason why
a consumer should buy your product, or information about your company.
The “How” of your communication requires Channel Plans for evaluating the strengths
and weaknesses of alternative channels for delivering your message? For example,
you might favour social media over traditional media if you are hoping to reach a
generation next audience.
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The “Who” of your communications requires Audience Plans for the targeted audience Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
you want to reach. This identifies specific objectives and strategies for a particular
group – investors, for instance.
3. A development process: which is embraced company wide will be needed to
make sure that each initiative is on target, gets off to a good start, and is reviewed
at key points in its development. Enterprise level initiatives, departmental launch
initiatives and individual projects can all benefit from a disciplined communications
development and launch process. Budget requirements, cross functional scope,
governance and performance metrics should also be woven into the process. This
will allow you prioritize efforts, keep them as per your strategy, and reduce costs
by cutting wasted efforts.
4. A team of peoplewith the right spirit and skill set: It’s very important to have
the right team with the knowledge and passion to the job in an exemplary way.
Right leadership who understands the essence of the company, and can motivate
the employees by his newest strategies, methods and technologies, has the zeal to
create communications, would help in achieving the set goals.
Executives at Pepsi Co Inc and Dell Inc for example are keenly aware of the need for
a strategic approach to communications. Dell chairman Michael Dell says, “I
communicate to customers, group of employees and others, while working on a strategy.”
A key part of strategy is communication. Communication is key to operations and
execution an integral part of the process” Pepsi Co Chairman and CFO Indra Nooyi
puts it cogently, “you only have to go through one or two communication debacles as
a senior executive to understand the importance of communications” The job of
communication professionals is not only to reinforce and help implement the company’s
strategy by communicating with key constituencies but, also to interpret constituency
responses in ways that inform strategy going forward. “The Communication function
supports the businesses and brand building effort”, says Tod Mackenzie, senior vice
president of the corporate communications at Pepsi co. “It moves the organization.
The messages articulate the strategic directions of the company and motivate people
to move behind it”. According to T. Michael Glenn President and CEO of Fed Ex
Services, “Communications is at the center of everything. You cannot execute strategy
if you cannot communicate about it.” His management philosophy is “Shoot, move and
communicate” For example when the economy took a downward turn a few years
back, and FedEx had to lay off its employees, they realized that the good will and
morale of its employees is central to the success of its exceedingly customer facing
strategy. The company not only offered generous voluntary severance packages to its
departing employees, but it clearly communicated this both internally and externally
using a multifaceted approach across a variety of platforms to maintain employees’
loyalty, customer’s trust and the good graces of Wall Street. They created a number of
two-way communication channels to answer employee question son hot lines and
websites. Corporate crises both internal and external also can drive companies to
reconsider how they communicate. Strategic communication requires clarity and
consistency of the message. Channel choice is another integral part of strategic
communication process. Finally, feedback from constituents determines the overall
success of a communication and more critically, the successful implementation of a
strategy in general.
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Corporate Communications Check Your Progress: 3
Note : 1) Use the space below for you answers.
2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of this unit.
Q1. Briefly define strategic communication.
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9.4.1 Essentials of Strategic Communications

 Senior managers must be involved – The CEO and other top leaders must
understand the importance of communication and leverage communications
strategically with all their constituents. CEO is not only the thought leader but, also
the face of the company, setting the tone of the executive team and the organization
as a whole.
 Communication must be integrated- Dell achieves integration through the
relationships developed between corporate communications and investor relation
professionals. Though they have separate functions, yet they have one basic
common message.
 Long term orientation- Most enduring companies are those that focus on long
term, have strong set of values and are proactive rather than reactive in
communicating.
 Top communicators must have management skills- effective communication
professionals are those who speak the same language as executives and have a
deep understanding of the business and its strategy.

9.4.2 Levels of Strategies

1) Enterprise Strategy- is also visualized as the strategy level where the political
legitimacy of the organization is addressed. It deals with the issues of how a
corporation fits into the social environment and the body politic. It describes the
levels of strategic thinking of the organization needed in today’s complex and
dynamic social environment. It answers the basic questions like “what is role of
the organization in the society, what principles or values do the organization
represents, what obligations are there to the society and what are the implications
of the current business and allocation of resources”. In the enterprise-level strategy
the organization needs to address these questions specifically, cohesively and
intentionally. Strategy influences the organizations relationships with its environment,
particularly the relationships with those who have an interest in what the organization
does and how it conducts its businesses, how is the organization perceived by
their stakeholders and what are their values and expectations, mission and vision
statements. Enterprise strategy provides the organization’s best possible reasons
for the actions it takes, thereby enhancing the company’s image. This level of
strategy is important because corporate survival depends in part on some fit between
the values of the organization and its managers, the expectations of stakeholders
and the societal issues that will determine the ability of the organization to sell its
products. At the enterprise level, strategies to a large extent are stakeholder oriented.
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2) Corporate Strategy- At this level, strategies tend to be financially orientated Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
regarding shareholders as the primary stakeholders. Corporate strategy can best
be described as the responsibility of the board and top management for the
organization’s financial performance. It deals with corporate level decisions made
at the highest levels of the organization by the CEO or the board of directors with
regard to organization’s overall profile, decisions on mergers, acquisitions, strategic
alliances and joint ventures.
3) Business Strategy- At this level strategies are marketing oriented and the focus
is on the organization’s financial goals and objectives. It is about an organization’s
approach to a single product or a group of related products in competing market
or industry and can be as different as the organizations that create them. The
responsibility for developing business strategy lies with the general manager of a
business unit who must translate decisions taken at top corporate level into concrete
objectives/strategies for individual business divisions. (Jain 1997). Primary at this
level are customers, as well as all the other stakeholders in the value chain such as
suppliers, distributors and employees (Narayanan & Nath)
4) Functional Strategy- It is associated with the implementation of the strategy and
contains the details of how each functional area should work together keeping in
mind the resources. Each functional area makes its own unique contribution to
strategy formulation at different levels. Functional strategy should be orientated
towards supporting the enterprise, corporate and business level strategies (Pearce&
Robinson) Each functional area has its own primary stakeholders e.g. marketing
focuses on exchange relationships with customers, human resources on relations
with employees, labor unions, regulators and corporate communication on
communal relationships with employees, media, government and communities.
The role of information system has also revolutionized with the advent of computer
technology.
5) Operational strategy- Strategies are translated into action at this level. Operational
strategies are needed to manage operating units in a cost-effective manner. At this
level maximum emphasis is given on maximizing the productivity of resources by
capitalizing on any possible synergies and distinctive competencies that the
organization may possess. (Dig man 1990)

9.5 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Government relations is another form of corporate communications strategy that involves
external audiences, law makers, lobbyists, watchdog groups and the government itself.
Communications departments that spend time on dealing with government relations
usually will delegate this role to a specialized individual or team. Government relations
professional will need to have extensive knowledge of government processes have
relationships with key law makers and understand how to work with lobbyists. A
company might even employ a lobbyist to represent its interests and try to influence
decision makers. Examples of communications include materials outlining a company’s
industry and needs, and the effect certain laws might have. According to Baker (2002),
good communication strengthens our democratic system of government by developing
partnerships, informs policy development and improves service delivery and enhances
community participation in government. Communication in the public sector ensures
stakeholders such as citizens, leaders and institutions to be informed about the programs, 173
Corporate Communications services and matters which affect their benefits, rights and obligations. Communication
in public governance is longer limited to a media liaison function, but a basic service
that should be provided by government.

Activity 3
Has there been a popular government scheme promoted by the SateGovernment
of your State? (like, skill Inida, betibachao-betipadhao, pulse polio
abhiyaanetc)Try to find out the strategy that the governemnt employed to popularise
this scheme and build a favourable public opinion aroundit.

9.6 COMPANY’S CULTURE

A company’s culture may be strong or weak. Strong cultures are difficult to change
without great effort, time, and substantial disruption. Thus, companies with strong cultures
are wise to adopt strategies consistent with their cultures. Doing otherwise creates
implementation problems. For example, it is advisable for 3M, Hewlett Packard, Nokia,
and Siemens to stick to strategies consistent with their cultures of technical innovation,
those cultures will naturally support implementation. Companies that find themselves in
competitively dead-end positions, however, may have to adopt strategies that are at
odds with their existing cultures. The traditional air carriers (United, BOAC, Delta,
and so forth) are prime examples of companies that must change their strategies or go
under. Yet the strategic options before them will require a difficult set of cultural changes.
For some, the “us versus them” tensions between management and labor will have to
give way to a more collaborative culture. In these cases, the organizations will have to
reinvent their culture and strategy simultaneously which is a truly difficult proposition.
Changing company culture to better align it with a new strategy is the responsibility of
the CEO and the senior management team. It is a top-down job, and HR professionals
can play an important role in the process. How? Help your CEO and the senior
management team to identify the company’s current culture and evaluate cultural
alternatives. Provide guidance on how your company can undergo transition from the
current to the desired culture. Here are a few ideas for approaching the task:
 Identify aspects of culture that must change in support of strategy
implementation. Examples may include product quality, customer focus,
command-and-control management, etc. Concentrate on these and leave less-
critical aspects of culture alone.
 Model the behaviors and values you’d like to see employees adopt. For
example, suppose you’ve determined that people throughout your company must
be willing to take more risks in order to create the entrepreneurial culture your
company needs to carry out its strategy. In this case, you will have to first demonstrate
that entrepreneurial quality in yourself by taking risks in your own role for instance,
by proposing bold new HR initiatives that your company has not considered in the
past. If your company’s strategy hinges on lowering cost, you can model the right
behaviors and values by cutting your own travel and entertainment expenses before
you ask others to do the same. Remember, people are watching you.
 Engage employees in “townhall meeting” forums to build consensus and
commitment to change. The personal connection between leaders and rank-
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 and-file employees is an essential ingredient in reshaping an organization’s culture. Need and Strategies for
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Why? It builds trust, which in turn makes it easier for employees to embrace
change.
 Sponsor celebratory events when change milestones are met. Celebrating
the “small wins” that your company’s employees have achieved during a change
initiative further reinforces cultural change. Apply this practice in your own HR
department, and encourage managers throughout your firm to do the same.
 Set high performance standards. Help managers throughout your firm to establish
challenging but realistic expectations of their employees’ performance. Faced with
ambitious expectations, most people achieve more.
 Reward people for the results you seek. When people know that they’ll receive
praise, recognition, and financial and non-financial incentives for achieving clearly
defined goals, they’re more likely to strive to meet and even exceed those goals.

9.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have defined corporate communication and how over the years it has
undergone a change from mere public relations with the press to a role of strategic
communication, its needs and importance in today’s market environment. We have
also defined essentials of strategic communications and different levels of strategies.
Corporate communication is a set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating
all internal and external communications aimed at creating favourable point of view
among stakeholders on which the company depends. We also saw that it is the messages
issued by a corporate organizationto its audiences, such as employees, media, channel
partners and the general public. Organisations aim at communicating the same message
to all its stakeholders, to transmit coherence, credibility, and ethics.
CC, as itis popularly referred to, helps organisations explain their mission and combine
their values into a cohesive message to stakeholders. By now, you would have realized
that corporate communication is an integrative communication structure linking
stakeholders to the organization, helping the company to build positive image and
healthy relations.

9.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE

ANSWERS
Check Your Progress: 1
1) Corporate communication is a set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating
all internal and external communications aimed at creating favourable point of
view among stakeholders on which the company depends.
2) The key difference between internal and external corporate communication is the
target audience. Internal communication focuses on the exchange of information
and ideas within the organization, while external communication focuses on reaching
external stakeholders and promoting the company’s brand and reputation. Both
types of communication are essential for a successful organization, and they should
be aligned to ensure consistency and coherence in the company’s messaging.
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Corporate Communications Check Your Progress: 2
1) It is essential for customers to know about the company to develop brand
awareness, build trust, make informed decisions, create loyalty, and gain a
competitive advantage. Therefore, effective communication with customers is critical
for the success of any company.
2) Effective strategy requires a deep understanding of the target audience and their
communication preferences, as well as the ability to craft messages that resonate
with them. It also involves selecting the most appropriate communication channels,
such as social media, email, print media, or face-to-face interactions, to reach the
target audience.
It is an essential tool for organisations to achieve their communication goals and
objectives, whether it be promoting a product or service, managing a crisis, or advocating
for a particular issue. It helps to ensure that communication efforts are focused, relevant,
and impactful.
Check Your Progress: 3
1) Strategic communication is a planned and coordinated approach to conveying a
message to a specific audience or target group with the goal of achieving a specific
objective. It involves developing a comprehensive communication plan that includes
identifying the target audience, defining the key messages, selecting appropriate
channels for delivering those messages, and evaluating the impact of the
communication.

9.9 FURTHER READINGS

 Cornelissen, J. (2014). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice.
Sage Publications Ltd.
 Davies, G., & McDonald, M. (2019). Corporate reputation: Managing opportunities
and threats. Routledge.
 Falkheimer, J., & Heide, M. (2015). Strategic communication: An introduction.
Routledge.
 Kumar, A., & Sharma, K. K. (2018). Strategic communication management: A
handbook for Indian practitioners. SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd.
 Shah, N. H. (2017). Organizational communication: Approaches and processes.
Pearson Education India.
 Shrivastava, K. M. (2015). Corporate communication: A guide for managers.
Oxford University Press.

9.10 GLOSSARY
4 P’s : Product, Price, Promotion (marketing
communications) and Place (distribution)
Above the line : All media that remunerate agencies on the basis of
commission (e.g. advertising)
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Below the line : Non-media advertising or promotion when no Need and Strategies for
Corporate Communication
commission has been paid to the advertising agency.
Includes direct mail, point of sale displays and
giveaways.
Corporate personality : The core values of an organization as shared by its
members.
Downward communication : Electronic and verbal methods of informing
employees about their organization, its performance,
and their own performance in terms they can
comprehend.
Logo : A graphic, usually consisting of a symbol and/or group
of letters, that identifies a company or brand.
Micro environment : The immediate context of a company’s operations,
including such elements as suppliers, customers and
competitors.

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