Corporate communication in the Digital Era
Academy
Corporate communication is the link between a company and its ecosystem. Let's discover its characteristics, roles and objectives.
“Dear Sir…” “I am delighted to inform you…” “Awaiting your reply, your sincerely”
If this is how your e-mails usually look like, we regret to inform you that you are out of time.
Every historical era has – communicatively speaking – its own code. And the years we are going through have adopted that of informality. Does that mean we’re improving? Or are we getting worse? In our humble opinion, it means that the way we interpret communication is changing!
To those who sat at a desk in a suit and tie ten years ago, today’s working world will seem very distant indeed. What would our grandparents, fathers and mothers think of the clothes we wear in the office? Of the working hours spent on the sofa at home in front of a laptop? And of the informal way we speak to our superiors in?
Yet it is not respect that has changed, but the way in which it is communicated. It is not professionalism and seriousness that have been lost, but the scales of values we use to judge them.
Corporate communication and digitalisation
The tech industry and its constant advancements have certainly given a boost to the development of new means of communication, which are now more varied than ever. Moreover, the pandemic and forced social distancing policies have accelerated the common attitude of staying connected.
In the age of digitalisation, working on corporate communication is something that cannot be overlooked. It represents an ongoing challenge for companies that want to survive the increasing complexity of the market.
But what do we mean when we talk about corporate communication?
Whether Internal or external, it is far from the mere exchange of information. Rather, it is a well-constructed strategy for a well-defined audience, consisting of possible customers, but also and above all of colleagues and stakeholders.
External Corporate Communication
The goal of external corporate communication cannot be merely identified as only an attempt to increase profits. Its very scope is to create ‘goodwill’: the benevolent predisposition of the public towards the company. Brand awareness and Brand identity strategies steam from here.
It is not only the choice of what to say that drives communication strategies. Planning a strategy today means to also pick which channels to go through and adapting one’s brand voice to them.
In an interconnected world, marketing cannot rely solely on print and face-to-face exchanges. Today more than ever, digital is the new stage on which to perform.
The digital world has been shaping the job market since it appeared in our lives, allowing for the rise of increasingly sectoral and specialized professionals. Professionals who make art out of visual and written communication and its strategies.
Internal Corporate Communication
When we talk about internal corporate communication, we are referring to the management of a company’s internal relations. Often taken for granted, it is instead an important asset when planned carefully: a good corporate communication improves employees’ involvement and satisfaction.
For everything to work at its best, however, internal and external communication must go hand in hand, reflect the same brand values and, consequently, speak the same language.
Effective communication
In-company training
Are technical skills really enough? At the basis of a partnership, or a long-term collaborative relationship, there can be nothing but trust. Obvious much? Maybe. The truth is that building trust between people isn’t an easy task. It is a job, even a rather delicate one, made up of a balance between give and take, but above all, of effective communication capable of conveying reliability, motivation, and a sense of belonging.
Competence in this area is often taken for granted. By nature, we are all able to express ourselves, but communicating effectively is a matter of experience and practice. In such a rich and complex communication environment, there is a need for constant training.
Recently, our marketing and HR departments have had the opportunity to test their skills and expand their knowledge base, thanks to the course on linguistic intelligence offered by Professor Luca Talamonti, corporate training expert and business coach.
Why invest in training? In an ever-changing market, where competition is high, what makes your offer outstanding is having a distinctive element. The market is full of professionals playing the same role, with the same expertise. What makes the difference are the individuals and the fruitful relationships they manage to build.