Digitalisation, Influencers, Change

Digitalisation

The communications industry is changing at an ever-faster pace:

2009: An aeroplane lands in New York’s Hudson River: users of the microblogging service Twitter reported the news before the New York Times or CNN…

2011: Allianz launches a corporate newsroom to communicate with around 20 million customers and just under 30,000 employees

2012: Gruner und Jahr discontinues the Financial Times Deutschland

2017: It is reported that Kim Kardashian (then with 9.4 million Instagram followers) can charge up to $500,000 for a post

We speak to our Managing Directors, Philipp Nieberle and Christina Heinickel, about their observations on developments and trends in communications.

Both of you have now been working in press and public relations, and product and corporate communications respectively, for over ten years. What has changed during that time?

Nieberle: Communication has become less linear. That might sound negative, but I mean it in an entirely positive sense, because at the same time it has become more flexible and dynamic. Looking at our industry: ten years ago, we worked on client accounts separately for product or corporate communications – today we advise our clients on a 360° basis, always keeping the communication objective – and thus the target audiences – in mind. The same trend has been evident in journalism for some time now; key terms include ‘newsroom’ and ‘cross-media’.

The effects of digitalisation can be seen everywhere. What is the right way to deal with this?

Nieberle: In the past, the increasing digitalisation of communication was evident, for example, in the rise of online over print, and then of social media over traditional channels; today, digital communication is everywhere, the tools are available and well-established, and what is changing above all is the focus of their use. I see a significant rise in the importance of communication disciplines that manage the organisational implications of digitalisation. Internal communication and change communication are now much higher on the agenda than they used to be.

Have certain practices gained or lost significance as a result of digitalisation?

Nieberle: Topic-based working has gained in importance and is becoming increasingly prevalent. To put it another way: the focus is now more than ever on the topic itself, rather than the communication channel. You have a topic and consider, across all channels – in an integrated way – how and when to communicate it. What has changed? No more silo thinking; faster, leaner working in open-plan offices.

Stakeholders can now be reached more directly through various channels. Does this entail any disadvantages for corporate communications and PR?

Heinickel: Communication does indeed take place more directly via the target groups themselves. Whether in dialogue with the public – for example, on energy projects – or in word-of-mouth campaigns where end consumers test products themselves and report on them. Furthermore, it is becoming less and less about simply describing features; it’s about good storytelling and evoking emotion. This doesn’t pose any disadvantages; rather, it makes things even more exciting. Of course, a good monitoring system that covers all channels is essential to ensure we don’t lose track of the big picture. Quick yet well-considered responses across the various channels are essential. 

The shift towards ever more communication possibilities is an ongoing process. What will the future bring?

Heinickel: “Innovate or die”. Every year, we have to reinvent ourselves to some extent – both companies and us as an agency – so that we can provide the best possible advice on the latest trends. In the coming years, communication will certainly be even more closely aligned with the customer’s journey. The topic of ‘voice’ – that is, voice-based messaging à la Alexa – could also become a trend in communication. Here, it’s important to master the new formats and how they work, and to assess whether they can be used to effectively reach your own target audiences.

Do you have any tips you can share?

Heinickel: The most important thing remains an overarching corporate strategy. What are the objectives to be achieved? Who are the target audiences? Based on these, campaigns and the communication mix can be defined optimally.

Nieberle: As mentioned, internal communication within companies is regaining importance in the context of digitalisation. It is essential to involve employees in change processes at an early stage. In this context, ‘participatory projects’ can be an effective way of fostering identification with the brand and the company.

Heinickel: Social media offers valuable feedback – listen and harness the potential of earned media. This is how you can find out what your stakeholders think about you, your products and the issues you address.

Nieberle: Last but not least, measuring results (monitoring) is becoming increasingly important, as ensuring a return on investment (ROI) in communications is more crucial today than ever before.