03 Mrz Corporate Communication: Credible corporate communication

Companies have a large number of addressees with a wide variety of needs. But whether employees, customers, or even business partners, satisfactory information must be delivered to all stakeholders of a company. Consistent communication across all channels can lead to increased trust among communication partners and thus to a significant competitive advantage. This week, we therefore focus on corporate communication, its goals and measures for its implementation.

Corporate communication

All activities and instruments used by companies for communication are summarized under the term corporate communication. The aim is to communicate all relevant content to a company’s stakeholders. The areas of corporate communication are divided into internal and external communication, which are explained in more detail below.

The goals pursued by successful corporate communication are manifold:

• If internal communication is coherent, this can lead to a generally improved working atmosphere and promote employee identification with the company. Consequently, employee motivation can also be increased, which can reduce the fluctuation rate as well as absenteeism.
• Uniform communication can increase the recognition value of a company.
• By successfully conveying the company’s values, a positive image can be achieved. Customer loyalty and customer satisfaction can also be increased.

Corporate identity ensures recognition value

For the successful implementation of a communication strategy, all measures must be coherent across all channels and have a uniform effect. To this end, the measures can be aligned with the corporate identity in order to build up a recognition value. The corporate identity describes distinctive and characteristic features that set a company apart from others. In terms of corporate communication, corporate design and corporate language are of particular importance.

Corporate design refers to the visual appearance of the communicated content. In this way, company-specific characteristics can be incorporated through design elements such as the color scheme, as well as the font and also the logo. This coherent appearance leads to the differentiation of the company from others and can provide a competitive advantage in the long term.

A subcategory of corporate design and therefore also of importance is corporate architecture. According to this, companies try to express their philosophy and values through architectural features. Corresponding buildings or rooms can therefore leave a lasting impression and strengthen the recognition value.

Corporate language, on the other hand, refers to the linguistic style of a company. The way a company communicates conveys values and norms. A guideline can be created so that employees can also internalize this language. By having all employees of a company follow these, a uniform image is communicated to the outside world and a coherent overall picture is created.

Internal communication

Internal communication within the framework of corporate communication is directed at all members of the company, i.e. all employees. Since colleagues communicate with each other as well as the management with the employees, this communication is very diverse. From newsletters and employee newspapers to outings and any talks and meetings to digital media, coherent and, above all, sufficient communication is crucial on every channel and at every level.

Employees should be informed about any news and plans of the company. In this way, they can be integrated into the company’s activities at every level and identify with the company’s values. In this way, the working atmosphere as well as the satisfaction of the employees can be increased. Since employees form the basis of a company and act as multipliers, successful internal communication is of enormous relevance.

External communication

The counterpart is external communication, which is directed at a variety of addressees. In addition to customers, who are addressed through marketing and advertising, this communication is also directed at suppliers and other cooperation partners, investors and also the general public. For the latter, the area of public relations has become established. Since the interests and needs of these groups, as well as the way in which they must be addressed, differ greatly, a clear communication strategy is necessary.

Both online (e.g., on the corporate website, the corporate blog, and in social media) and offline (e.g., at open houses, in catalogs, or at press conferences) communication should therefore be coherent and consistent. No matter how different a company’s stakeholders are, they all play a crucial role in the success of a company.

Conclusion

Communicating all relevant content to a company’s stakeholders is an indispensable part of corporate activities. Especially important is a consistent style in terms of corporate identity. Internally as well as externally, values can be successfully communicated and the company can stand out from others. Successful and coherent corporate communication thus leads to a considerable competitive advantage.