Page 125 - Corporate Communication

Cornelissen-04.qxd 10/9/2004 9:04 AM Page 114

114 Corporate Communications in Practice

analysis phase represented the first key step in identifying and prioritizing the key
audiences that will be the focus of the communications programme. From this
initial analysis,it is then possible to further define the target audiences as precisely as pos-
sible drawing on further data such as media usage, usage of the company’s products,
geo-demographic characteristics, membership of interest groups, etc. Once the audi-
ences are sufficiently characterized, and against the background of the communica-
tions objectives, the message of the communications programme can be determined.This
involves determining the main themes of the communications message (from which
the specific copy can be developed), and the tone and type of response (awareness,
attitude/reputation, behaviours) that the message will seek to evoke.The important
factor is thus to decide what the message should say in relation to the organization’s
identity, as it needs to reflect and be in tune with the values of the organization, as
well as the stakeholder audience in hand. For programmes where communications
plays a support role for corporate strategy, for instance, a message may be to explain
the company’s position on a certain issue or to motivate a decision to audiences
in a way that has credibility and addresses their interests and concerns. Thus for
environmental issues-based campaigns, the message strategy should seek to demon-
strate the organization’s recognition of stakeholder concerns and demonstrate the
organization’s willingness and commitment to listen and be responsive to interest
groups’ concerns. This may then be translated into a slogan or strap-line, which
encapsulates the organization’s position, as shown in Shell’s ‘profits and principles’
campaign where advertising and public relations were used to inform the general
public and selected audiences of Shell’s environmental work in helping to conserve
the natural environment and bio-diversity in locations where it undertakes oil and
gas exploration.
When communications plays a lead role in effectuating the market strategy (as in
the case of Orange), for instance, the emphasis will often be placed on identifying
the key meaning and imagery that a message needs to evoke, around which all other
operational and marketing elements (including products and distribution) needs to
be based. Such a message then defines the unique selling proposition of a product;
the message being the key that makes the product different from its competitors and
thus attractive to consumer audiences. Once the message of the communications
programme has been identified, it is then key to determine what the appropriate and
effective media channels are through which it can be delivered to selected audiences.
In developing the media or channel-based element of the communications pro-
gramme, the overriding aim is to identify the most effective and efficient means of
reaching the target audiences within the given budgetary constraints. Here such cri-
teria need to be considered as the reach and coverage of the target audience pro-
vided by certain media, the creative match of the medium with the message, the
degree of control over the message available, competitors’ use of the media, and the
25
ability of media to enable dialogue and interaction with the audience. Discussion
around media selection has recently centred or the notion of ‘zero-based’ selection, 26
where the most appropriate medium in the light of the criteria selected is chosen,
rather than a pre-fixed and standard choice for a medium that may have worked in
the past.That is, rather than heading straight for, say, (corporate) advertising, other
media including free publicity, promotions, interactive meetings (with stakeholders),
personal communications or sponsoring may be equally feasible means to get the