New Corporate Communication
Thinking:
Why Corporations should stop talking to target groups and start creating
dialogues with stakeholder groups

A PR Professional 1985

A PR Professional 2008

Things have changed

Who is in control?
“The power is with the consumer. Consumers
are beginning, in a very real sense, Consumers
“The power is with the consumer. to own our
are beginning, in a very in their creation. We
brands and participate real sense, to own our
brands and begin to learn their creation. We
need to participate in to let it go…”
need to begin to learn to let it go…”
- A.G. Lafley, CEO, P&G Company
- A.G. Lafley, CEO, P&G Company

Key thoughts
INFLUENCE Real time Invest in Risk is in
Instead of Reputation Mgt RELATIONSHIPS NOT
Control Not Transactions Participating
Audiences do not want or Uncontrolled Push messages may Conversations are
respond to marketing messages are drive a one-time happening with or
messages, but they are trusted more than action, whereas without you
open to conversations controlled dialogue can build Companies who do
Focus group of advocacy not participate risk
Unstructured nature of
digital media creates new thousands Invest in building being seen as
participation opportunities Companies must relationships to irrelevant and out of
create trust between generate self- touch
Identify what messages propagating
you want to amplify or their brands and
stakeholders conversations and
minimize versus where brand loyalty
you can influence versus Allows you to be
control more influential in
controlled media

How digital is playing out
Flickr user Bennet sees
Target Ad on Times Square
Puts photo with critical
comment and tags on Flickr
Weblog Shapingyouth.org
writes a critical article and
contacts Target‘s
communication team to get
a statement

How digital is playing out
“Unfortunately we are unable to respond to
“Theyour inquiry because Target does not
power is with the consumer. Consumers
are beginning, in a very real sense, to own our
participate with nontraditional media outlets
… This practice is in place their creation.focus
brands and participate in to allow us to We
need to begin to learn to let it go…”
on publications that reach our core guest.”
- A.G. Lafley, CEO, P&G Company
Target’s media team

How digital is playing out
Now, news really flies:
More Bloggers jump on
the story (approx 7‘000
blog posts on topic)
Traditional mass media
press picks up the story
Pressure on target leads
to media policy shift

How digital is playing out
Weblog
Weblog
Weblog
Weblog

The return to more intimate customer interactions
Intimacy of the Interaction
Merchant
Dialogue
to
Age
Customer
We are
here
Mass
Marketing
Pre 1930’s 1930’s - Present Present

Changing Paradigms
Way Back Yesterday Today
Media Media Media
Individual Individual Individual
Social Media

Multi-Stakeholder Dimensions
“There is a much greater level of scrutiny of the purpose,
vision and values aspects of a company now than 5 years ago”
Strongly Disagree 2%
Somewhat disagree 7%
Strongly
agree 58%
Somewhat
agree 34%
Q: Thinking about businesses generally, do you agree there is greater
scrutiny on vision and values?

Corporate Communications in 2008
Arthur W. Page Society (www.awpagesociety.com):
White paper „The authentic company“
What does all this mean for a company CCO:
1. Leadership in defining and instilling company values
2. Leadership in building and managing multi-stakeholder
relationships
3. Leadership in enabling the enterprise with „new media“ skills
and tools
4. Leadership in building and managing trust in all dimensions

What are CEOs or Communications Officers doing about it?

10 ways to sell Social Media to your CEO
10

Your customers build their opinions increasingly 1
online and through SM

Your customers build their opinions increasingly
TEAM
online and through SM
Percentage who would be swayed to purchase when reading
a positive review from a consumer or private individual on
the internet

You cannot manage crisis in a todays 7/24/365 world 2
only through traditional media any more

Social media tools are more (cost) effective in reaching 3
the millions online

Social Media can act as a way to reduce customer 4
service or product development investments

SM helps you to differentiate and establish a 5
thought leadership platform

You learn more about the needs or concerns of your 6
stakeholders if you listen or participate in a dialogue

7
Traditional Media is losing ground
Traditional media is still
important, but user-generated
media is rapidly growing
- New relationship between
classic and digital Media
- Journalists get their stories
online, they check
information online
- Online news and online
content creates its own
influential dynamic
- The digital space serves as
the memory of humanity
- Citizen journalism – Bloggers
-> E-Fluentials

Important stakeholders such as NGOs run campaigns 8
that can create great awareness at low cost

Many of your stakeholders have developed new 9
expectancies regarding „tonality“ from Corporations
Openness, directness, speed and
authenticity

PERSPECTIVE learn
You can step by step (monitoring, listening, 10
from internal to external, selective participation)
High
Social
network Online video
Search
Degree of Influence
Wikipedia optimisation Display
advertising
Discussion Third party
forums Website Search
blog dialogue marketing
Company
Product blog Website
wikis
Email
marketing
Low High
Degree of Control

Team
The new playing field
High
Depth of Engagement
Collaboration Conversation
Communication Information
Low High
Degree of Control

The Times they are a-changin‘
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

It all starts with listening

THANK YOU
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