We did a quick poll of our nearly 20 speakers before the 2nd Annual RETHINKING CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Conference & Bootcamp. All of them have an amazing breadth and diversity of experience in all sizes and types of organizations, from corporate to non-profit to governmental and academia. Here is the question we posed, and their answers:
Of all the issues you see facing corporate, government, non-profit and small business communicators this year, which one do you see needing rethinking the most – and why?
Michael Morley, President, Morley Corporate Consulting, former Deputy Chairman of Edelman New York, and author, How to Manage Your Global Reputation and The Corporate Global Brand Book (Spring 2009):
“To be relevant in the new era, communicators will need to combine strong old-fashioned values with a mastery of the new techniques spawned by the digital revolution. Nothing less will be demanded by a general public disenchanted with the behavior and performance of institutions –Government, Banks, Corporations, Media, watchdog organizations and their leaders. Citizens are increasingly well educated, strongly motivated and skilled in the use of the new democratizing communications tools available to them”.
Greg Caires, Director, Public Relations, BAE Systems, Inc.:
Rethinking media engagement – who are “the media” now, when anyone with Internet access and a penchant for typing/filming their opinions can be “published” or “broadcast,” found via Google alert, and has the potential to impact an organization’s reputation and possible business operations. The public seems less concerned whether their sources of information come from professional journalists or amateurs with an avocation, as long as the source appears credible and their message aligns with preconceived notions; “YouTube” may be seen as a farm team for 60 Minutes, Angie’s List the equivalent for Consumer Reports. How PR professionals choose to either engage or ignore these new media sources has the potential to affect their employers in ways we have yet to imagine.
Roger Conner, Vice President, Marriott International:
Authenticity and trust, with new media/social media channels a close second.
Jeff Porro, PH.D., Principal, Porro Associates:
The struggle will be find a way to keep three critically important balls in the air — staying proactive, being realistic, and staying optimistic. The current crisis is making it harder than ever to do more than just react to problems, but communicators absolutely have to find the time and energy to stay out front. At the same time — the audiences most critical companies’ success demand realistic communication (frank acknowledgement or problems, tansparency about plans, etc.) But these audiences also want evidence from communicators that a company has a path to recovery and future success.
Ned Lundquist, Senior Science Advisor for Alion Science and Technology and Founder, Job of The Week:
Everyone is under the pressure of a tighter budget, so we need to find simple and effective ways to communicate with big impact, but without a big price tag. Good communications has always been about making meaningful connections. Social media allows you to do just that in an immediate, direct and personal way.
Shonali Burke, Principal, Shonali Burke Consulting
Measurement has started making its way across the average communication professional’s radar screen, but lately, it’s been running. And about time; it’s the one area that communicators have fallen woefully short in. Perhaps one of the mixed blessings of this economy will be to give it its rightful place.
Andrew Gilman, President & CEO, CommCore Consulting Group
The Boot Camp offers attendees an opportunity to work on their own personal leadership and technical skills. In times like these, it’s critical that communicators have a seat at the table. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it and demonstrate communications leadership that counts.
Debbi Jarvis, Vice President, Communications, Pepco Holdings, Inc.
Like many organizations, during these challenging financial times, we are rethinking our communications strategy. While our customer are asking for more, we are working with less. But still, we have to deliver. To do that, we are looking for ways to enhance the tools and information on our Web site and exploring social media as a way to connect with customers. I’m encouraging my team to bring ideas to the table and to not be afraid to try something new.
Mark Weiner, CEO, PRIME Research and author of Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian’s Guide to Marketing and Communication.
One area that is ripe for re-examination and change is the common equation for proving the value of public relations. Especially in these economically challenging times, understanding the often cryptic system by which your internal clients value public relations is the key to sustaining PR resources, improving performance and driving meaningful business outcomes. Unfortunately, “value” is highly subjective and its definition changes not just from organization-to-organization but from person-to-person within the same organization. As such, most public relations people — whether their organizations are large or small — have found it impossible to align PR performance with expectations.” At a time when resources are precious, PR must be one of those functions with a clear sense of what drives their own value equation in terms that are meaningful, measurable and reasonable.
Debbie Weil, consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book (One book will be given away, and Debbie will do a book signing at the event)The value of FREE. Everyone is critically budget conscious. The best way to build long-term value for your customers or members is to ramp up your efforts to create useful and engaging experiences. Stop thinking about selling. Start thinking about what’s valuable to your stakeholders and how you can seamlessly deliver it online. A corporate blog that’s truly engaging. An online community via Ning that ignites passion. Twitter accounts that enable customers to connect with real people in your organization in real time.
What do you think needs rethinking?
