coms 213 study unit 2.1

• Corporate Communication


  Purposes: Process (Dynamics, Exchange), Stimulates meaning, Verbal & nonverbal communication, In/by an organisation
• Public Relations (PR)


  The discipline which looks after reputation, with the aims of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour
• Public Relations (PR)


  The planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics
• Public Relations (PR)


  The deliberate, planned and sustained efforts to establish and maintain mutual understanding between the organisation and its various publics/stakeholders – both internal and external
• Public Relations (PR)


  The management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the publics on whom its success or failure depends
• Public Relations (PR)


  The management of communication between an organisation and its publics
• Public Relations (PR)


  • Helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics
  • Involves the management of problems or issues
  • Helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinions
  • Defines and emphasise the responsibility of management to serve the public interest
  • Helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change
  • Serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends
  • Uses research and ethical communication techniques as its principal
• Functions of Public Relations

  • Inform
  • Regulate
  • Integrate
  • Manage
  • Persuade
  • Socialise
• Internal communication networks


  • Formal - follow hierarchical lines, management control
  • Informal - Grapevine, develop from informal relationships between employees, powerful network that provides "inside information", must fit in well to share in informal communication
• External communication


  All communication with people OUTSIDE the organisation, includes both public relations and marketing
• Internal communication


  Importance of internal communication, employees are the dominant stakeholder, reputation management = behaviour & communication - corporate image & identity, organisation's greatest challenge - retain loyalty & commitment of employees = symmetric communication, strategic aim - building two-way relationships - improving organisational effectiveness
• Purpose of Corporate communication management

  • Legitimacy - decisions/actions of org perceived by community as desirable, proper or appropriate within their norms, values, beliefs & definitions, not focused on clients - establish trust & respect = licence to operate
  • Social capital - norms & social relations embedded in social structures of societies that enable people to co-ordinate action to achieve desired goals, social networks & norms of reciprocity, reputation & trustworthiness, relationship building; 2-way communication; networking, demonstrate org value to society
• Crisis


  Unexpected, threatens the future existence, ever increasing rate of destruction, financial implications, control as soon as possible
• Types of crises


  • Natural disasters
  • Technological
  • Confrontation
  • Malevolence
  • Skewed management values
  • Deception
  • Mismanagement
  • Business & economic cycles
• Media Relations


  • Journalists are the public's eyes & ears/watchdogs, they seek truth, accurate & balanced info, have agenda-setting function
  • Public relations practitioners view journalists as audience, way to reach larger audience, gatekeeper, provide info in format journalist prefer - enhance possibility for publication, mutual dependency
• Financial PR


  Org success - relationships with stakeholders, communicate about org trading activities, financial status, strategies, values, stakeholders evaluate investments, can only do it if one has thorough knowledge of the org business
• Corporate Image


  Impression of individuals about org at a given time, different for individuals, different/change at different times
• Corporate Identity


  Proactive, reactive & unintentional activities & messages of org, org want to influence image & reputation - use corporate identity, manage identity proactive & deliberate
• Corporate Reputation


  Images of org accumulate over time, total image = corporate reputation
• Marketing


  The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer, client, partner and societal requirements profitably
• Marketing Mix


  • Product
  • Price
  • Promotion
  • Place
• Advertising


  Pay media for airtime/space, PR: persuade media for coverage, PR - create understanding, Advertising - persuade for sales
• Corporate Advertising


  Message about org - pay
• Advertorial


  Bought space - looks like article
• Integrated communication - marketing and public relations in one department, same strategic plan


  Crucial for seamless communication across all departments, ensuring consistency in messaging and alignment with organizational goals, promotes collaboration and efficiency, unified brand image and stronger relationships with stakeholders
• Aim of corporate communication management = building organisation-stakeholder relationships
• Legitimacy & social capital are the purpose of corporate communication management
• PR, marketing & advertising have 3 different roles & functions but support each other
• Specialist areas of corporate communication management focus on building relationships
• Influence


  Awareness, attitudes & behaviour
• Attitudes formed by


  • First-hand knowledge
  • Second-hand knowledge
  • On- & offline media
  • Conditioning (background)
  • Commonly held beliefs
  • Personal beliefs
  • Facts
• Aim of PR


  Please note
• Importance of feedback


  • Communication with groups
  • Application of symmetrical two-way and mixed motives models
  • Communication via mass media
  • Role of gatekeepers – NB to identify specific persons
  • Communication via Internet
  • Two-way communication & feedback NB
  • NB – Implications of Internet for public relations
• Aims (Goals)


  • Broad statement of what communicator wants to achieve
  • NO specific, measurable outcomes
• Objectives


  • Measurable steps & activities to achieve aim
  • Highly specific
• Aims & Objectives


  • Outcome aims - What do you want the stakeholders to do? - results
  • Process aims - What is done to achieve aim?
• Guidelines for Aims & Objectives


  • Singular, clear/specific, understandable
  • Clear outcomes – describe process how it will be achieved overall
  • Evaluation – turn into question
• Aims & Objectives


  • What do want to achieve?
  • the word "to"
  • an active verb
  • conceptual, quantifiable statement of the desired outcome
  • identify relevant target stakeholder(s)
  • Focus on one aim per statement
• Objectives on 3 levels

  • Awareness – promote understanding
  • Cognitive - knowledge
  • Attitudes & opinions – positive
  • Affective – feelings
  • Behaviour – motivate actions
  • Conative – Behaviour
• Aims & Objectives


  • Choose level carefully
  • Who are priority stakeholders?
  • Both stakeholders & organisation can change
  • Difficult to effectuate behaviour