corporate communications
Corporate Communications and Social Media
June 13, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Social media -- media where consumers, customers, and curiosity quenchers can interact with producers, distributors, and creators -- is here to stay.
Companies must adapt to the new paradigm of social media or otherwise increase the risk of damaging consumer relationships in an already fragile economy. The challenge intensifies if the company owns brands that rely on a personal relationship with the consumer, for example, children's entertainment.
Parents make the ultimate purchasing decision regarding children's entertainment in the household. Companies attempt to reach these consumers by investing time, money, and personnel resources to create elaborate product launches, marketing campaigns, and public relations strategies.
These methods all have their place in creating anticipation, building loyalty, and maximizing awareness. Old school methods communicate messages to media in the traditional sense, usually trade magazines (Hollywood Reporter, Ad Week) and consumer magazines (Parents).
Social media, however, allows the company to communicate directly with the consumer.
For example, a blog gives the company terrific flexibility in consumer relationships. In our scenario of a children's entertainment company, a blog can reinforce the company's brand values and reflect the parents' values. Because a blog may have opportunity for comments, the communication becomes a conversation directly with parents in the language they speak instead of the rather dry language used for press releases.
Additionally, a blog can provide information about children's safety, health, and education to reinforce the company's image of understanding the complex challenges involved in improving children's well-being.
Facebook also allows the company to build, maintain, and increase customer awareness of its brands. Besides giving information about the company's products, the company can create fun quizzes for the parents to find out which of the company's franchise characters match their respective personalities. Parents were once kids, too!
Also, when parents become Facebook fans of a character or the company, then the company has another outlet for immediate communication to customers.
Through awareness comes interest. Through interest comes decision. Through decision comes action. If this cycle is successfully repeated, customer loyalty increases.
Twitter requires more active maintenance of communications. In short, rapid-fire bursts of 140 words or less, the company can keep "followers" informed of deals, upcoming product launches, and reviews.
The responsibility for maximizing the value of social media falls squarely on the corporate communications team. The team needs to be proficient in three key areas:
1) History
Because the corporate communications staff comprises the "face" of the company in communicating with the media, staff, and consumers, it must show deep knowledge about the company. It begins with the history, particularly when the company revives brands. For example, when Warner Brothers released the film Batman in 1989, it was the first major relaunch of the property since the 1960's television show Batman starring Adam West. Warner Brothers heavily promoted the rich history of the Batman property in comic book reissues, press releases, and news stories.
Accumulating knowledge about a company's property is a deep challenge. Institutional memory fades with layoffs, cutbacks, and lateral moves within the industry. Corporate communications staff must build its own institutional memory through a variety of sources. In the entertainment industry, for example, fan sites, books, and previous press releases will be helpful in addition to the memory of long-time employees who still work for the company.
However, all information must be vetted. Trust but verify. No corporate communications staff member wants to be challenged because the information represented is false, incomplete, or misleading.
2) Listening
Corporate communications staff will represent the company's message, brand, and values to consumers, trade media, and mass media. However, different divisions in the company will have different priorities. Consequently, the elusive skill of active listening is an invaluable asset. Corporate communications professionals must incorporate the needs of the respective divisions and the company as a whole in its communication strategies.
3) Crafting a Message
Ultimately, the corporate communications team will have to craft a message. It can be a speech by the CEO to an industry group. It can be a press release touting a product launch. It can be an update about deals on Twitter.
Whatever the media, the corporate communications team needs to have a plan for each avenue of communication. What is the objective of sending the message? Who will be the voice of the company? What is the crisis communication plan?
Additionally, avenues of communication exist beyond courting editors in old media and consumers in digital social media. Executives can speak at industry conferences, author scholarly and mainstream articles in industry media, and speak to consumers at the grass roots level -- Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, PTA, et. al.
In every case, though, corporate communications staff must have the writing, speaking, and networking skills necessary to ensure the message it sends is the message received.
david@davidkrell.com
Social media -- media where consumers, customers, and curiosity quenchers can interact with producers, distributors, and creators -- is here to stay.
Companies must adapt to the new paradigm of social media or otherwise increase the risk of damaging consumer relationships in an already fragile economy. The challenge intensifies if the company owns brands that rely on a personal relationship with the consumer, for example, children's entertainment.
Parents make the ultimate purchasing decision regarding children's entertainment in the household. Companies attempt to reach these consumers by investing time, money, and personnel resources to create elaborate product launches, marketing campaigns, and public relations strategies.
These methods all have their place in creating anticipation, building loyalty, and maximizing awareness. Old school methods communicate messages to media in the traditional sense, usually trade magazines (Hollywood Reporter, Ad Week) and consumer magazines (Parents).
Social media, however, allows the company to communicate directly with the consumer.
For example, a blog gives the company terrific flexibility in consumer relationships. In our scenario of a children's entertainment company, a blog can reinforce the company's brand values and reflect the parents' values. Because a blog may have opportunity for comments, the communication becomes a conversation directly with parents in the language they speak instead of the rather dry language used for press releases.
Additionally, a blog can provide information about children's safety, health, and education to reinforce the company's image of understanding the complex challenges involved in improving children's well-being.
Facebook also allows the company to build, maintain, and increase customer awareness of its brands. Besides giving information about the company's products, the company can create fun quizzes for the parents to find out which of the company's franchise characters match their respective personalities. Parents were once kids, too!
Also, when parents become Facebook fans of a character or the company, then the company has another outlet for immediate communication to customers.
Through awareness comes interest. Through interest comes decision. Through decision comes action. If this cycle is successfully repeated, customer loyalty increases.
Twitter requires more active maintenance of communications. In short, rapid-fire bursts of 140 words or less, the company can keep "followers" informed of deals, upcoming product launches, and reviews.
The responsibility for maximizing the value of social media falls squarely on the corporate communications team. The team needs to be proficient in three key areas:
1) History
Because the corporate communications staff comprises the "face" of the company in communicating with the media, staff, and consumers, it must show deep knowledge about the company. It begins with the history, particularly when the company revives brands. For example, when Warner Brothers released the film Batman in 1989, it was the first major relaunch of the property since the 1960's television show Batman starring Adam West. Warner Brothers heavily promoted the rich history of the Batman property in comic book reissues, press releases, and news stories.
Accumulating knowledge about a company's property is a deep challenge. Institutional memory fades with layoffs, cutbacks, and lateral moves within the industry. Corporate communications staff must build its own institutional memory through a variety of sources. In the entertainment industry, for example, fan sites, books, and previous press releases will be helpful in addition to the memory of long-time employees who still work for the company.
However, all information must be vetted. Trust but verify. No corporate communications staff member wants to be challenged because the information represented is false, incomplete, or misleading.
2) Listening
Corporate communications staff will represent the company's message, brand, and values to consumers, trade media, and mass media. However, different divisions in the company will have different priorities. Consequently, the elusive skill of active listening is an invaluable asset. Corporate communications professionals must incorporate the needs of the respective divisions and the company as a whole in its communication strategies.
3) Crafting a Message
Ultimately, the corporate communications team will have to craft a message. It can be a speech by the CEO to an industry group. It can be a press release touting a product launch. It can be an update about deals on Twitter.
Whatever the media, the corporate communications team needs to have a plan for each avenue of communication. What is the objective of sending the message? Who will be the voice of the company? What is the crisis communication plan?
Additionally, avenues of communication exist beyond courting editors in old media and consumers in digital social media. Executives can speak at industry conferences, author scholarly and mainstream articles in industry media, and speak to consumers at the grass roots level -- Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, PTA, et. al.
In every case, though, corporate communications staff must have the writing, speaking, and networking skills necessary to ensure the message it sends is the message received.