This document discusses various corporate communication systems and tools. It begins by defining corporate communications and the key audiences companies aim to communicate with. It then describes different forms of communication like written, spoken, and visual media. The document outlines the roles and functions of communications departments, including media relations, internal communications, and public relations. It provides examples of specific communication tools and channels used by companies like newsletters, social media, conferences, and press releases. Finally, it discusses skills needed for corporate communications professionals and how to start a career in the field.

1. CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
AND TOOLS
Dr. S. Srinivasaragavan,
Professor & Head,
DLIS.BDU

2. Corporate Communications
Corporate communications refers to the way in
which businesses and organizations
communicate with internal and external various
audiences. These audiences commonly include:
 Customers and potential customers
 Employees
 Key stakeholders (such as the C-Suite and
investors)
 The media and general public
 Government agencies and other third-party

3. Corporate communications can take many forms
depending on the audience that is being
addressed. Ultimately, an organization’s
communication strategy will typically consist of
written word (internal and external reports,
advertisements, website copy, promotional
materials, email, memos, press releases),
spoken word (meetings, press conferences,
interviews, video), and non-spoken
communication (photographs, illustrations,
infographics, general branding).

4. Role of Knowledge Managers understanding
the Functions of a Communications/PR
Department
In most organizations, the communications
department is responsible for overseeing a
wide range of communications activities. One
of the simplest ways of understanding these
different activities is to group them according
to the role that they play within an organization

5. Media and Public Relations
This refers to the way in which a company or
organization communicates with the general public,
including the media, by:
 Organizing news conferences, product launches, and
interviews, and creating materials (banners, flyers,
etc.) for such events
 Writing and distributing press releases to the media
to garner coverage
 Monitoring the news for mentions of the organization,
its product, and key employees such as stakeholders
and members of management
 Devising a plan to address unfavorable press
coverage or misinformation

6. Forms of corporate
communications
 email communications
 Brochures
 Flyers
 Newsletters
 Website copy
 Social Media strategy
 Surveys
 News summaries
 Interviews

7. Internal Communications
 In addition to being responsible for
communicating the organization’s message
with external audiences, library managers
work with communications teams will play at
least some role in internal communications,
including:
 Drafting emails and memos announcing
company news and initiatives
 Compiling employee resources (such as
information about employee benefits)
 Creating printed materials, such as employee
handbooks or flyers

8.  Facilitating group brainstorming sessions
and training sessions amongst employees
 Managing internal blogs, newsletters, or
other publications
 Internal communication is often done at
the direction of or in partnership with the
human resources management team.

9. Required Skills for Corporate
Communications Professionals
 Writing skills
As a member of the communications department, you will likely
spend the majority of your day writing copy in various formats,
from emails and memos, to blog posts and articles, to website
copy, social media posts, printed collateral, and more. To be
effective in the role, you will need to hone your writing skills so
that you can communicate clearly to diverse audiences across
many formats.
 2. Presentation and public speaking skills
Presentation skills have become more important in recent years.
In fact, according to once survey of corporate recruiters, it’s in
the top five skills that companies look for when filling positions.
Communications professionals are regularly expected to interface
with the public and members of the media, as well as fellow
employees and internal stakeholders. The ability to clearly and
confidently present your ideas and information, whether in person
or through the aid of technology (such as a video or webinar) is
expected in many roles.

10.  Communicating with data
 Organizations now collect more data than at any
point in history, all of which is critical in informing
important strategic decisions. As data has
proliferated, employees across disciplines are finding
that they must interact with this data in new ways.
Modern communications professionals must be adept
at interpreting data from a variety of
sources, communicating with that data, and using it
to tell compelling stories.
 4. Research and critical thinking
 Depending on your exact role within an organization
and the types of communication that you are
expected to create, you may find yourself spending a
lot of time searching for resources that can inform
your content. The ability to conduct research and—
more importantly—evaluate your resources critically,
is an essential part of many communications roles.

11. Technical skills
Technological advancements are shaping the field
of communications as much as any other
industry. The International Association of
Business Communications states that the five
most important technology trends impacting
corporate communications are chatbots,
blockchain, virtual reality, extremely-personalized
experiences, and artificial personal assistants.
Many (if not all) of these technologies are being
driven by developments in machine learning and
artificial intelligence, which threaten to automate
many roles. Developing your technical skills can
help you remain competitive in this new reality.

12. Starting a Career in Corporate
Communications
 Those looking to break into many entry-level
communications positions at most companies can
typically do so by earning a bachelor’s degree in
communications, marketing, or a related field.
However, in order to qualify for more competitive
managerial and senior-level positions, candidates
must be capable of demonstrating a certain level of
skill and expertise beyond what an undergraduate
degree typically signifies.
 Earning an advanced degree, such as a Master of
Science in Corporate and Organizational
Communication, can help you obtain this level of skill
to advance into senior-level positions.

13. At Northeastern, the MS in Corporate Communication
is designed specifically for professionals looking to
fast-track their professional careers. Challenging
academics are taught by professors with real-world
experience and paired with many experiential
learning opportunities (such as co-ops and
capstone projects) to prepare students to address
the complex communication challenges faced by
modern corporations. Six unique concentrations
allow students to learn deeply about the area of
communications most closely-aligned with their
career aspirations, including:

14. Communication Systems
Communication systems are the various processes,
both formal and informal, by which information is
passed between the managers and employees within
a business, or between the business itself and
outsiders. Communication—whether written, verbal,
nonverbal, visual, or electronic—has a significant
impact on the way business is conducted. The basic
process of communication begins when a fact or idea
is observed by one person. That person (the sender)
may decide to translate the observation into a
message, and then transmit the message through
some communication medium to another person (the
receiver). The receiver then must interpret the
message and provide feedback to the sender
indicating that the message has been understood
and appropriate action taken.

15. The goal of any form of communication is
to promote complete understanding of a
message. But breakdowns in communication
can occur at any step in the process. Business
managers need to understand and eliminate
the common obstacles that prevent effective
communication. Some of the causes of
communication problems in business settings
include:

16.  Human resources management
 Public and media relations
 Leadership
 Project management
 Social media
 Cross-culturalcommunication

17. Internal Communication Tools
 With the rise of information technology, knowledge
workers have the power to work from any location.
This makes it essential for internal communicators
to introduce innovative internal communication tools
and tactics that boost employee engagement.
 With so many different types of online
communication tools with different functions
available, it can be difficult to choose.
 Are you looking for the best internal communication
tools, the most effective employee communication
tools, or the most popular internal communications
software? We’ve compiled a list of the top 14
internal communications tools for you

18.  It’s difficult to predict whether any of
these corporate internal communication tools
will increase productivity or cause the workforce to
become more distracted.
 That’s why we’ve compiled and categorized the top
online internal communication tools and platforms
that are proven to be excellent for managing team
communication and improving workplace
productivity.
 When used in the right way, internal
communication tools can help you improve your
current internal communications, gather employee

19. Types of internal communication
tools:
 Newsletters
 Video
 Conferencing
 Intranet
 Mobile App
 Chat and Forums
 Surveys
 Podcasts
 Collaboration Tools
 Digital Signage
 Social Media
 Recognition and Rewards
 Planning Tools
 Graphics Creation Software

20. Newsletter
 The newsletter is the most common form of serial
publication. About two thirds of newsletters are 'internal'
publications, aimed towards employees and volunteers,
while about one third are 'external' publications, aimed
towards advocacy or special interest groups. newsletter is
a printed or electronic report containing news concerning
of the activities of a business or an organization that is
sent to its members, customers, employees or other
subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic
of interest to its recipients. A newsletter may be
considered grey literature. E-newsletters are delivered
electronically via e-mail and can be viewed as spamming
if e-mail marketing is sent unsolicited.

21. The newsletter is the most common form of
serial publication. About two thirds of
newsletters are 'internal' publications, aimed
towards employees and volunteers, while about
one third are 'external' publications, aimed
towards advocacy or special interest groups.

22. Social Talks
Social Talks focuses on drawing maximum attention
and support for people who are making constant
efforts to serve humanity. Social Talks understands
the valuable labors done by such people towards
society; finally culminating their work into creative
visualization and stories to motivate others.
Social talk is a general term for small talk, or light
conversation. In an office situation, it's any kind
of talk that is not task-oriented, from pleasantries
exchanged on arrival in the morning, to chatting
around the coffeemaker, to snippets of conversation
with clients before getting down to business at a
meeting.

23. conference
A conference is a gathering of people with a
common interest or background, with the
purposes of allowing them to meet one
another and to learn about and discuss issues,
ideas and work that focus on a topic of mutual
concern.
A conference is generally understood as a
meeting of several people to discuss a
particular topic. It is often confused with a

24.  convention, colloquia or symposium. While a conference
differs from the others in terms of size and purpose, the
term can be used to cover the general concept. A
convention is larger than a conference; it is a gathering of
delegates representing several groups.
 At a conference, innovative ideas are thrown about and
new information is exchanged among experts. Its purpose
could be one of the following:
 An academic conference is a gathering of scientists or
academicians, where research findings are presented or a
workshop is conducted.

25.  A business conference is held for people
working in the same company or industry. They
come together to discuss new trends and
opportunities pertaining to the business
 A trade conference takes place on a larger
scale. Besides businessmen, there are
members of the public who come to network
with vendors and made new connections. Such
a conference consists of workshops and white
paper presentations.
 An unconference differs from the traditional
conference, since it avoids the high costs, top-
down organizational hierarchy and sponsored
presentations. All attendees are equally
knowledgeable about the topic and the
discussion follows an open mode; usually
without a single speaker addressing the

26.  Most conferences have one or more keynote speakers who
will deliver the keynote speech. These are common at
academic and business conferences. The speakers chosen
are eminent
 personalities in the related field and their presence is meant
to attract more people to attend the conference. There are
various types of conferences:
 A symposium is a casual gathering and includes
refreshments and entertainment.
 A seminar is organized to discuss a particular topic. They
are usually educational in nature and attendees are
expected to gain new knowledge or skills at the end of the
seminar
 A workshop is more of a hands-on experience for the
participants with demonstrations and activities; the amount
of time one speaker addresses the group is limited
 A round-table conference is a get-together of peers to
exchange thoughts and opinions on a certain topic, usually
political or commercial. There are a limited number of
participants who sit at a round table, so that each one can

27. News briefs
 News briefs are a condensed version of the
news. Their purpose is to provide a snapshot or
an introduction to a news story. The purpose of
a news brief is to share newsworthy
information in a thorough, yet quick and
efficient manner.
 Standard news articles are longer, typically
between 300 and 700 words in length, while a
news brief is shorter, usually 100 words or less.
The contents of a brief is broken down into two
or three short yet concise paragraphs with the
aim of communicating a news story in a shorter
amount of time than a standard news article.

28. Press release
 A press release is an official statement delivered to
members of the news media for the purpose of
providing information, an official statement, or making
an announcement. A press release is traditionally
composed of nine structural elements, including a
headline, introduction, body, and other information.
Press releases can be delivered to members of the
media physically on paper and electronically.
 Using press release material can benefit media
corporations because they help decrease costs and
improve the amount of material a media firm can
output in a certain amount of time. Due to the material
being pre-packaged, press releases save journalists
time, not only in writing a story, but also the time and
money it would have taken to capture the news
firsthand.

29.  Although using a press release can save a
company time and money, it constrains the
format and style of distributed media. As well,
press releases are biased towards the
organization which ordered them. In the digital
age, consumers want to get their information
instantly which puts pressure on the news
media to output as much material as possible.
This may cause news media companies to
heavily rely on press releases to create
stories.

30. Editing
 Editing is the process of selecting and preparing writing,
photography, visual, audible, and film media used to convey
information. The editing process can involve correction,
condensation, organization, and many other modifications
performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent,
accurate and complete work.
 The editing process often begins with the author's idea for the work
itself, continuing as a collaboration between the author and the
editor as the work is created. Editing can involve creative skills,
human relations and a precise set of methods
 There are various editorial positions in publishing. Typically, one
finds editorial assistants reporting to the senior-level editorial staff
and directors who report to senior executive editors. Senior
executive editors are responsible for developing a product for its
final release. The smaller the publication, the more these roles
overlap

31. Reporting
 Reporting is providing information about serious
wrongdoing that you have become aware of at
your workplace/ place of study. Reporting is about
notifying concerning what you believe to be the
discovery of breaches of laws and regulations,
breaches of ethical norms or serious conditions
which might harm individuals, the university,
cooperative partners, or society as a whole.
 According to The Working Environment Act 2-4,
employees have the right and, in some cases,
duty to report wrongdoing at the institution, such
as when there is a danger posed to life and
health.