LECTURE 5

Corporate Communications:
A Dimension of Corporate
Meaning
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Objectives
Appreciating the complexity of corporate
communications
Understanding Common Starting Points
(CSPs) and the Sustainable Corporate Story
(SCS)
MODEL(S) OF THE MOMENT:
THE NEW CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS WHEEL AND
THE T W O CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS MIXES
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Marketing and Corporate

Communications: What are the
differences ?
MARKETING

customer
defined set of channels
controlled communication
types
positions a product or service
more room for creativity
needs to be consistent with
product/brand attributes
identity/corporate

CORPORATE

multiple stakeholders
multiple channels
variety of communication

positions an entire
organisation
less room for creativity
needs to be consistent with
corporate
brand attributes
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THE NEW CORPORATE

COMMUNICATIONS
WHEEL

O
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R model

moment
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of the

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an
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Country of Origin

a Literatur
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The New Corporate

4 Communications Wheel:
Balmer and Greyser. Adapted

Model of the Moment: ii

(A process for using the Balmer and Greysers New Corporate

Communications Wheel * * adapted from Bernstein )

1 DEFINE ALL STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

2 IDENTIFY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
3 PRIORITISE STAKEHOLDERS
4 IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE CHANNELS FOR
EACH GROUP
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Model of the Moment: iii

5 TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE IMAGE OF:
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN and of THE INDUSTRY
6 additional elements identified by Balmer and
Greyser
TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CORPORATE
BRANDING COVENANT (where appropriate)
PARTNERSHIP(s) and the effect of
ENVIRONMENTAL FORCES
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model of the moment: iv

Provides a foundation by which a significant
part of a corporate communications strategy
can be established.
Illustrates the VAST SCOPE of the TASK
(comparing corporate communications to
marketing communications) For instance, 11
stakeholder groups and 11 channels results
in 121 considerations alone!
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Common Starting Points (CSPs):

what are they ?
An early example of an integrated approach
to corporate communications (developed by
Van Riel)
Rationale: to achieve CONSISTENCY in
corporate communications activities by
establishing COMMON STARTING
POINTS that underpin ALL FORMAL
corporate communications
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Common Starting Points continued...

CSP is an integrated and interdisciplinary
approach taking account of STRATEGY,
IDENTITY and IMAGE.
CSP process: representatives from the
corporations various communications
departments establish commonalties (based
on the above) which form the basis of all
formal corporate communications.
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The Sustainable Corporate

Story (SCS)
What is it? A realistic and relevant
description of key aspects of the
organization (origins, vision and
mission)
How is it distinct? It is derived from
an organizations distinctive
characteristics (its identity)
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The Sustainable Corporate

Story....continued
Perceived Benefits?
Via communications distinctiveness of
message and consistency of message is
achieved.

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The Sustainable Corporate Story.. continued

Van Riel suggest that the following should
underpin sustainable corporate stories in that they
should be:
REALISTIC (based on the identity)
RELEVANT (offer added value elements for
stakeholders)
RESPONSIVE (allows for two way symmetrical
communication)
SUSTAINABLE (needs to meet the sundry demands
of various stakeholder groups)
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What are the parameters of

corporate communications ?
Just as there is a marketing mix, services
marketing mix, promotional mix
(communication mix) a number of authors
have attempted to articulate a
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MIX
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TWO CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS MIXES
(a) THE CORPORATE

COMMUNICATIONS MIX OF VAN RIEL

and
(b) THE TOTAL CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS MIX OF BALMER
AND GRAY
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Van Riels Corporate Communication Mix

Comprises:

Management Communication: managers need

to establish a shared vision and trust
WITHIN the organization
Marketing Communication: the traditional
marketing communications mix
Organizational Communication:
communicating to the various external
groups (encompassing a plethora of
corporate-level communications functions)
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Balmer and Grays Total Corporate

Communications Mix

Encompasses:

Primary Communications: the communications

effects of products, services, management, staff and
corporate behavior.
Secondary Communications: controlled forms of
communications such as advertising and pr
Tertiary Communications: word of mouth/spin
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Finally...
If the importance of corporate
communications are not
understood/managed this can lead to
communications that are
diffuse,
confusing,
contradictory and sometimes
prolix.
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One More Time: why are corporate

communications important?
Bernstein (1984) argues that:
many business failures are caused by poor
corporate communications.
many businesses lack a clear, overarching,
corporate communications platform
managers NEED to communicate to internal
and external groups
fragmentation across communication
disciplines (pr, advertising, print, investor
relations) causes many difficulties.
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Summary: i
Corporate Communications is broader, and more
complicated than marketing communications.
It is complicated because of the existence of multiple
channels of communication in addition to multiple
stakeholder groups.
Moreover, individuals invariably belong to multiple
stakeholder groups.
Common Starting Points/the Sustainable Corporate
Story are two routes by which organizations may
achieve consistency in their communications.
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Summary: ii
Van Riels Corporate Communication Mix and
Balmer and Grays Total Corporate Communications
Mix afford two contrasting perspectives on the area.
The New Corporate Communications Wheel (Balmer
and Greyser) affords a framework for prioritising
stakeholder groups and channels and takes account
of other important factors such as corporate brand,
country of origin, and industry image.

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Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Stephen Covey

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