Corporation communication and the impact of technology
The world of corporate communication harnesses technology to effectively spread a company’s message to stakeholders, both internal and external.
In a world where nearly everybody has a smartphone and easy access to a computer or tablet, it’s easy to see how technology has impacted the way we communicate in the corporate world.
The role of Corporate Communications is to oversee the organisation’s media relations, crisis communication, external communication with the public or investors and internal communications between managers and staff.
Speed, accessibility and flexibility of new technology has dramatically changed the way Corporate Communications teams work and organisations are quickly trying to meet the new communication expectations of their employees and the public.
There are a wide range of tools used to communicate. These include:
- Videoconferencing
- Social media
- Intranet
- Websites
- Scheduling and sharing software
- Task management software
- Internal instant messaging.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn allow organisations to instantly engage with the public and stakeholders, while also being a necessary tool for public relations.
Our Account Manager Erin Rhone says social media has drastically changed the way Corporate Communications strategies are formulated and executed.
“As the news cycle has become faster and more persistent, Corporate Communications officers need to be much more reactive than they once were,” she says.
“You really need to have your finger on the pulse to know what’s trending on social media and making headlines, in order to stay relevant.
“Nowadays, people have short attention spans – they only tend to engage at posts for seven seconds, so posts need to be punchier, more succinct and eye-catching.
“We’re also at the mercy of people. Instant feedback requires Communications teams to work quickly and efficiently to get their message across.”
In a Corporate Communications department structure, internal and external communications teams are often separated, but both can provide social media content to update the public and stakeholders on activity within the organisation.
“There is definitely a lot more work involved because of the nature of social media,” she says.
“Many companies now have separate teams who look after social media, while also juggling the demands of other departments.
“It’s all about engagement. Usually, an engagement rate of between two and five per cent is ideal and that dictates what you post and how you package your message.
“We measure our performance based on engagement and that then dictates what you can share and post.
“This evolving world of instant news requires media officers to be savvy with social media in order to better engage with the public.”
The Corporate Communications organizational structure is ever changing and getting more diverse with new technology.
For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) are now beginning to revolutionise the way brands deliver information and the way companies engage with consumers.
New technologies should be embraced rather than ignored, as they offer new, exciting and often easier ways to interact internally and externally.
