Corporate Communications in a State of Upheaval

We have learnt to work and communicate remotely from home, we have all improved our technological skills, we have engaged with ‘New Work’ concepts, and we are living the ‘New Normal’.

Three key changes will continue to occupy us communicators for a long time to come:

1. The virtualisation of traditional PR formats will become firmly established
2. The digitalisation of employee communications will continue to grow in both scope and quality
3. ‘Strategy first’: changing circumstances require an update to every communication strategy

Thesis 1: The virtualisation and hybridisation of analogue PR formats will become firmly established

Many formats traditionally conceived and designed as analogue had to be cancelled at short notice in 2020. Some were held in a hybrid format or even entirely virtually. We have taken a huge step forward in the industry, and there is no going back.

There is one thing we will have to get used to: in future, there will be events organised in analogue, virtual and hybrid formats. The virtual world should primarily be used for productive and measurable interactions; the real world for the human and social aspects. This creates a good balance between effectiveness and people’s desire to engage with one another.

Formats such as

• press conferences, media round tables and panel discussions
• workshops
• editorial tours
• forums and expert discussions
• Barcamps (just think of the hype surrounding Clubhouse)

will increasingly take place digitally in future. If organisers wish to achieve high-quality results, they must understand the opportunities associated with the virtualisation of these formats and harness the corresponding communicative potential. The digital environment offers simpler, faster and more accessible ways of engaging all desired stakeholders. More people can take part, whilst geographical barriers, tight travel budgets and, above all, the significant time commitment required to attend in-person events are eliminated.

We have summarised our lessons learnt from 2020 in the article ‘Press conferences, product presentations and so on – whether analogue, hybrid or virtual – strong content, professional partners and a coherent script are the be-all and end-all’. What began as a necessity has become the norm, and we will not be reversing this step entirely.

Thesis 2: The digitalisation of employee communication will continue to grow in both quantity and quality

Virtual employee communication has been gaining in importance for years; it reached its peak in 2020, when working from home became the new normal. The importance of internal communication has also been growing for years due to the need for change – change is the new constant.

Today, alongside customers, employees are the most important target group for companies. The ‘employee experience’ shapes internal communication. It describes the experiences employees have within the organisation. For companies, this means that reaching out to employees, keeping them informed, communicating with them, leading them and also encouraging communication amongst themselves has never been as crucial as it was last year. In 2020, internal communication made it onto the management agendas of all companies. This was not just about informative and communicative aspects, but about much more: team spirit, solidarity, a ‘one company’ ethos and a sense of community.

Technologically, we are better equipped than ever to optimise internal communication:

• Enterprise collaboration platforms such as Office 365, Slack and Zoom enable teams to work efficiently
• Traditional TYPO3, Joomla or WordPress-based intranets are just about managing to do their job …
• … but in many places they are being overtaken by the social intranets from COYO and Staffbase. Why? Because the employee experience is of a more consistent quality here.

The most important thing is to differentiate between collaboration (in groups, teamwork, file sharing, etc.) and information (news, editorial content) and to bring professional partners on board. The days of the staff magazine as a stand-alone solution are over! The aim is to orchestrate the organisation’s messages and stories across all internal channels and to engage both managers and employees. We have the right tools (e.g. translating strategy, storytelling, learning nuggets, spaces for reflection and exchange) to achieve this.

Thesis 3: ‘Strategy first’ – changing circumstances demand an update to every communication strategy

2020 marked a turning point. In this second year of the pandemic, it is more important than ever to put your own corporate strategy to the test and update it. The same applies to communication.

• Are the adjustments made in 2020 still relevant in 2021?
• How has our communicative positioning in the market changed, and what are the implications?
• Have our target groups (stakeholders) changed? If so, how?
• Should I adapt my core messages?
• What is the best way to manage the timetable and action plan?

These and other questions need to be answered. Otherwise, there is a risk of wasting time and money to no avail.