Corporate communication

Corporate communication includes a wide range of activities and many terms are used to define specific disciplines of communication. Although it is important to understand these specific disciplines, the use of specialized terms often leads to misunderstandings. However, some terms are often used by professionals in the field of communication and are important to know. Some examples of these terms follow.

Integrated Communication                               

This term is often used for integrating corporate communication, marketing communication advertising, marketing, public relations, sponsorship, promotions, direct marketing, point of sale, personal selling, exhibitions and trade fairs into marketing communication

Public Relations                                                   

In many countries the field of Corporate Communication is called Public Relations. However, it is often not done to talk about public relations (especially in the northern, the north western and Central European countries). There, the term Public Relations conjures up images of wheeling and dealing or spin doctoring influencing people instead of entering into an honest dialogue with them. In Turkey, for example, the profession had a bad image as it was associated with ‘young ladies wearing miniskirts over stockings.  In Germany in the head of a public relations department could be called a

director but only dined with the guests. However, in an international context may people continue to use the Anglo-American term public relations. Public relations are about reputation – the result of what you do, what you say, and what others say about you. Public relations aim to earn understanding and support, and influence opinion and behavior. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its public.

(PRCA, Public Relations Consultants Association, UK)

Public relations help an organization and it’s public groups to adapt mutually to each other.

In this definition, the essential functions of research, planning, communications dialogue and evaluation are implied. Key words are organization rather than the limiting implication of company or business and public groups which recognizes that all organizations have multiple public groups from which they must earn consent and support.) (PRSA, Public Relations Society of America, USA)

Reputation Management

Recently, the term Reputation Management has been added to the collection. Corporate reputation management claims to be the creation of values for stakeholders. On average, firms with the best reputations enjoy around a percent share price premium relative to their industry are measured by

various methods and organizations. For example, the Reputation Quotient (RQ) measures corporate reputations by asking representatives of stakeholder groups how they perceive companies in areas such as, emotional appeal, products and services, vision and leadership, financial performance workplace environment and social responsibility

Marketing Communication

Authors of books on Corporate Communication generally include Marketing Communication as a division of Corporate Communication.  On the other hand, authors of books on Marketing view Public Relations as an instrument for Marketing Communication as a whole. Public Relations is then divided into, product-related publicity; corporate communication.

The big differences between corporate communication and marketing

communication is Corporate communication is the communication of the organization as a

whole, whereas marketing communication is communication aimed at

customers and other parties in the selling chain.

By Mbogo Tausi

  BAPRM 42611