Corporate Communication Blok 2.1

Question 1

Corporate communication

Answer 1

Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the stakeholder groups upon which the organisation is dependent.

Question 2

Mission

Answer 2

Mission:

Overriding purpose in line with the values and expectations of stakeholders

Question 3

Vision

Answer 3

Vision:

Desired future state – the aspiration of the organisation

Question 4

Corporate objectives

Answer 4

Corporate objectives:

Statement of overall aims in line with the overall purpose

Question 5

Strategy

Answer 5

Strategy:

The ways or means in which the corporate objectives are to be achieved and put into effect

Question 6

Stakeholders

Answer 6

Stakeholders:

Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organisation’s objectives

Question 7

Market

Answer 7

Market:

A defined group whom a product is or may be in demand (and for whom an organisation creates and maintains products and services)

Question 8

Communication

Answer 8

communication:

The tactics and media that are used to communicate with internal and external groups

Question 9

Integration

Answer 9

Integration:

The act of coordinating all communication so that the corporate identity is effectively and consistently communicated to internal and external groups.

Question 10

Corporate identity:

Answer 10

Corporate identity:

The profile and values communicated by an organisation

• Symbolism: corporate logos and the company house style of an organisation
• Communication: all planned forms of communication including corporate advertising, events, sponsorship, publicity and promotions
• Behaviour: all behaviour of employees that leaves an impression on stakeholders

Question 11

Corporate image

Answer 11

Corporate image:

The immediate set of associations in response to one or more signals or messages from or about a particular organisation at a single point in time

Question 12

Corporate reputation

Answer 12

Corporate reputation:

An individual’s collective representation of past images of an organisation (induced through either communication or past experiences) established over time

Question 13

Corporate branding

Answer 13

Corporate branding:

Attempt to attach higher credibility to a new product by associating it with a well-established company name. Unlike a family-branding (which can be applied only to a specific family of products), corporate branding can be used for every product marketed by a firm
Identity structures

Question 14

Corporate branding - Monolithic

Answer 14

Monolithic:

single all-embracing identity (products all carry the same corporate name)

Question 15

Corporate branding - Endorsed

Answer 15

Endorsed:

businesses and product brands are endorsed or badged with the parent company name

Question 16

Corporate branding - Branded

Answer 16

Branded:

individual businesses or product brands each carry their own name (and are seemingly unrelated to each other)

Question 17

Risk society

Answer 17

Risk society has created an emphasis on health and safety, environmental concerns, security and terrorism, and financial risk and regulation. All these issues have an influence on the public mind. General public expects a corporate response. Organisations have started investing in issues management programs such as corporate advertising campaigns.

Question 18

Issues

Answer 18

Issues:

• A public concern about the organisation’s decisions and operations that may or may not also involve;
• A point of conflict in opinions and judgements regarding those decisions and operations

Question 19

Crisis

Answer 19

A crisis is defined as an issue that requires not just decisive but also immediate action from the organisation. The necessity for immediate action may be triggered by, for example, mounting public pressures, intense media attention or direct danger.

1. Anticipation: involves the capacity of organisations to predict and prevent potential crisis scenarios from arising before they have occurred.
2. Resilience or the ability to cope with a crisis once it occurs and confronts the organisation. A resilient performance is, in effect, one where members of the organisation improvise and act mindfully in real time to deal with the crisis and minimise its impact.

While organisations may not oversee every possible crisis that may affect them, they can develop crisis contingency plans in advance and in anticipation of major possible crisis.

Question 20

development Issue into a crisi

Answer 20

4 stages of development issue into a crisis

1. Latent
2. Active
3. Intense
4. Crisi

Question 21

Life Cycle of an issue

Answer 21

Issues Development life cycle process

Stage 1: Emergence
Stage 2: Debate
Stage 3: Codification
Stage 4: Enforcement

Question 22

Position / importance matrix

Answer 22

Problematic - low importance / low support
Antagonistic - High importance / Low support
Low priority - Low importance / High support
Supporter/advocate - High importance / High supprt

Question 23

Problematic stakeholders

Answer 23

Problematic stakeholders:

those stakeholders who are likely to oppose or to be hostile to the organisation’s course of action, but are relatively unimportant to the organisation because they are not normally recognised as important stakeholders and have little power to exert strong pressure on the organisation – educational programmes

Question 24

Antagonistic stakeholders

Answer 24

Antagonistic stakeholders:

those stakeholders who are likely to oppose or be hostile to the organisation’s course of action and hold power or influence over the organisation – anticipating the nature of their objections and developing and communicating counter-arguments as well as bargaining with selected stakeholders to win their support

Question 25

Low Priority stakeholders

Answer 25

Low Priority stakeholders:

those stakeholders who are likely to support the organisation’s course of action but are relatively unimportant in terms of their power or influence on the organisation
Supporter stakeholders: those stakeholders who are likely to support the organisation’s course of action and are important to the organisation in terms of their power or influence – educational programmes and promoting the company’s involvement with these supporting stakeholders

Question 26

Supporter stakeholders

Answer 26

Supporter stakeholders:

those stakeholders who are likely to support the organisation’s course of action and are important to the organisation in terms of their power or influence – providing information to reinforce their position and possibly asking them to influence indifferent stakeholders

Question 27

Issue-specific response strategies

Answer 27

1. Buffering strategy:
2. Bridging strategy:
3. Advocacy strategy: try to
4. Thought leadership:

Question 28

Buffering strategy

Answer 28

Buffering strategy:

organisations can deny the existence of an issue and remain silent

Question 29

Bridging strategy:

Answer 29

Bridging strategy:

recognise the issue, adapt their operations and actively communicate and engage with stakeholders

Question 30

Advocacy strategy:

Answer 30

Advocacy strategy:

try to change stakeholders’ expectations and public opinions on an issue so that these expectations and opinions conform to current practices and values

Question 31

Thought leadership:

Answer 31

Thought leadership:

proactively move on the issue, stake out a position and commit the company to progressive change on the issue

Question 32

five different levels of contingency plans

Answer 32

Crisis experts Mitroff and Pearson highlight five different levels of contingency plans:

Stage 1- involves minimal planning around a few contingency plans drawn up for an emergency response. This may involve a limited set of plans such as evacuating the building in case of a fire.

Stage 2- involves more extensive planning but is limited to natural disasters and potential human errors. Planning at this stage involves measures for damage containment and business recovery.

Stage 3- involves extensive contingency plans which include crisis procedures for probable natural disasters and human errors and the training of personnel so that employees can implement these crisis procedures.

Stage 4- involves an organisation-wide consultation of potential crises and their impact on stakeholders. The scope of stage 4 is wider than typical natural disasters and human errors and includes product defects, tampering and social issues regarding the company’s supply chain, operations and contributions to society.

Stage 5- involves all of the previous stages but also incorporates environmental scanning and early warning systems to identify crises as early as possible.

Question 33

Reputational capital

Answer 33

Reputational capital is an organisation’s ‘stock of perceptual and social assets – the quality of the relationship it has established with stakeholders and the regard in which the company and brand is held. Based on past performance and communication, organisations accumulate such capital with their stakeholders over time. A crisis will inflict some reputational damage, and as such some capital is lost or spent.

Question 34

Goodwill - Halo Effect

Answer 34

Depending on the amount of that was there in the first place, enough goodwill may remain. It has also been described in terms of a ‘reservoir of goodwill’, which means that, generally speaking, an organisation with a more favourable reputation prior to a crisis is also likely to have a stronger post-crisis reputation because it has more reputational capital to spend. As a result, a favourable prior reputation means an organisation suffers less and rebounds more quickly.

As such, previously accumulated reputational capital may create a ‘halo effect’ that protects an organisation during a crisis and negates any long-lasting reputational damage.

Question 35

organisational stigma

Answer 35

An organisational stigma is defined as a collective stakeholder group-specific perception that an organisation possesses a fundamental, deep-seated flaw or quality which is demonstrated in repeated crisis or failures, and which, in effect, leads stakeholders to single out and discredit the organisation. Stigma leads to negative stakeholder attributions and judgements of organisation and leads stakeholders to ‘disidentify’ with the organisation and at against the organisation.

Question 36

Controllability of the crisis

Answer 36

the controllability of the crisis. Intentional means that the crisis event was committed deliberately by some actor. Unintentional means that the crisis event was not committed deliberately by some actor.

Intentional / External = Terrorism
Intentional / Internal = Transgression
Unintentional / External = Faux Pass
Unintentional / Internal = Accidents

Question 37

Controllability of the crisis - Faux Pass

Answer 37

Faux pas is an unintentional action which is transformed into a crisis by an external actor. A faux pas often begins as an issue between an organisation and a particular external actor who challenges the appropriateness of the organisation’s actions.

Question 38

Controllability of the crisis - Accidents

Answer 38

Accidents are unintentional and happen during the course of normal organisational operations.

Question 39

Controllability of the crisis - Transgressions

Answer 39

Transgressions are intentional acts taken by an organisation that knowingly place stakeholders at risk or harm. Such as knowingly selling defective or dangerous products.

Question 40

Controllability of the crisis - Terrorism

Answer 40

Terrorism refers to intentional acts taken b external agents. These intentional actions are designed to harm the organisation directly (hurt customers through product tampering) or indirectly (reduce sales or disrupt production.

Question 41

Crisis communication strategies

perception low level of responsibility

Answer 41

• Non existence strategies
• Distance strategies
• Association strategies
• Suffering strategies

Question 42

Non-existence strategies

Answer 42

Non-existence strategies: Claim of denying the crisis

1. Denial
   A simple statement denying that a crisis exists
2. Clarification
   An extension of the denial tactic with attempts to explain why there is no crisis
3. Attack and intimidation
   A tactic of confronting the person or group who claims that a crisis exists; may include a threat to use ‘force’ against the accuser

Question 43

Distance strategies

Answer 43

Distance strategies
Claim of distancing the organisation from direct responsibility for the crisis

1. Excuse
   A tactic of denying intention or volition by scapegoating others for the crisis
2. Downplay
   A tactic of convincing stakeholders or the general public that the situation is not that bad in itself or compared to other crises

Question 44

Association strategies

Answer 44

Association strategies
Claim of connection the organisation to things positively valued by stakeholders and publics

1. Bolstering
   A tactic of reminding stakeholders and the general public of existing positive aspects of the organisation in order to offset the negatives the crisis brings to the organisation
2. Transcendence
   A tactic of associating the negatives and loss arising from the crisis with a desirable, higher order goal

Question 45

Suffering strategy

Answer 45

Suffering strategy
Claim that the organisation suffers from the crisis

1. Victimisation
   A tactic of portraying the organisation as a victim of the crisis in order to win public sympathy

Question 46

Crisis communication strategies

perception of High level of responsibility

Answer 46

• acceptance strategy

- accommodative strategy

Question 47

Acceptance strategy

Answer 47

Acceptance strategy
Claim accepting responsibility or culpability for the crisis

1. Full apology
   A tactic of simply apologising for the crisis and accepting the blame
2. Remediation
   A tactic of announcing some form of compensation or help to victims
3. Repentance
   A tactic of asking for forgiveness; the organisation apologises for the crisis and asks stakeholders and the general public to forgive its misdeeds

Question 48

Accommodative strategy

Answer 48

Accommodative strategy
Claim promising to prevent the crisis from recurring

1. Rectification
   A tactic of taking corrective action to prevent a recurrence of the crisis in the future

Question 49

Media Relations

Answer 49

Media relations involves managing communication and relationships with the media – all the writers, editors and producers who contribute to and control what appears in the print, broadcast and online news media.

Question 50

News Media

Answer 50

The news media involve a variety of organisations with the core operational process of production and dissemination of news content through various media (newspapers, radio. TV and the internet).

Question 51

Framing

Answer 51

Framing essentially involves selection and salience. To frame is to select some aspects of perceived reality and make them more salient in the communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation and/or treatment recommendation for the item described.

Question 52

News framing

Answer 52

News framing refers to the way in which news is selectively portrayed by the media in an effort to explain news or ideas about organisations in familiar terms for a broader audience.

Question 53

10 new rules of crisis communications

Answer 53

10 new rules of crisis communications

• Communications are a 2-way street
• Real-time is not a suggestion but an expectation of your audience
• Informative is the only way
• Listen, listen, listen
• Your audience will be responsive and so must you
• Sincerity, honesty and apologies go a long way (though actions should speak louder than words)
• Humans dealing with humans
• Adaptability and flexibility are highly recommended
• Twitter-friendly communications are your friend
• Communicate with your staff throughout the internal crisis.

Question 54

3 steps to communicating with all your stakeholders

Answer 54

3 steps to communicating with all your stakeholders

• Who are your different stakeholders, both internally and externally?
• What social channels do each of these stakeholder groups use the most, and for what purpose?
• Don’t forget about email, SMS and phones

who / when / how

Question 55

reputation platform

Answer 55

A strong reputation platform rests on a rendering of the company’s history, strategy, identity and reputation that rings true to internal and external observers. Three important questions to ask yourself: Is your reputation platform:

• Relevant
• Realistic
• Appealing

Question 56

Communication specialists

Answer 56

Despite the different dynamics of their specialties, experience suggests that all communications specialists benefit: (1) from having a solid appreciation and understanding of the company’s reputation platform, and (2) from being provided with a clear version of the corporate story that is adapted to the interests of their target groups. Consistency in the articulation of the corporate story among specialists is more likely to increase awareness, understanding, and ultimately build trust and respect for the company with its key stakeholders.
 

Question 57

Internal Communications:

Answer 57

Internal Communications:

A group responsible for communicating with employees, that frequently interfaces with the human resources function in the company.

Question 58

Marketing Communications

Answer 58

Marketing Communications:

A group responsible for communicating with the company’s customer accounts and often interfaces with marketing and customer service functions in the company.

Question 59

Investor Relations

Answer 59

Investor Relations:

A group responsible for communicating with investors and analysts who monitor the company’s financial performance and prospects

Question 60

Government Relations

Answer 60

Government Relations:

Often called “public affairs”, these specialists are generally responsible for improving the company’s relationships with regulators, legislators, and other government representatives.

Question 61

Public Relations

Answer 61

Public Relations:

A group whose responsibilities would include interacting with the diffuse set of NGO and activist groups motivated by concern over a specific social problem to which the company may be contributing.

Question 62

Communication strategy

Answer 62

A communication strategy stars with formulating a desired reputational position for the organisation in terms of how it wants itself to be seen by its different stakeholder groups. When such a broad-based objective is set, communication practitioners translate that aspiration into specific communication programmes and campaigns aimed at both internal and external stakeholder audiences.

Based on an assessment of the gap between how the company is currently seen (corporate reputation) and how it wants to be seen (vision), a communication strategy specifies a strategic intent, on which possible courses of action are formulated, evaluated and eventually chosen.

Communication strategies typically involve a process of bringing stakeholder reputations in line with the vision of the organisation, in order to obtain the necessary support for the organisation’s strategy.

• Strategy formation consists of a combination of planned and emergent processes.
• Strategy involves a general direction and not simply plans or tactics
• Strategy is about the organisation and its environment

Question 63

The link between corporate strategy and communication strategy

Answer 63

On the one hand, the decisions that are made at the level of the corporate strategy need to be translated into specific communication programmes for specific stakeholders. At the same time, corporate communication and communication strategies need to be linked to the corporate strategy. This link consists of advising and informing the CEO and senior executives on stakeholders and reputation issues so that these can be factored into the overall corporate strategy and the company’s strategic vision.

Question 64

Ideal situation

Answer 64

• The content of the strategy starts to form an organisation-wide assessment of how the organisation is seen by the different stakeholders (reputation) in the light of the organisation’s vision at a particular point in time
• Gap between reputation and vision – basis for the formulation of a strategic intent
• Strategic intent is translated into strategic messages (or content platforms)

How the organisation is seen by stakeholders -> reputation -> strategic intent -> the change or consolidation in the company’s reputation that is intended

Question 65

Strategic messages

Answer 65

Strategic messages are designed to change or reinforce perceptions in line with the vision of how the organisation wants itself to be known

Question 66

Themed messages

Answer 66

Themed messages relate to specific capabilities, strengths or values of an organisation. These messages are continuously and consistently communicated to stakeholders to achieve the strategic intent of changing or consolidating the company’s reputation. Such a themed message may involve a company’s specific capability, its general strengths or achievements or particular values associated with the company’s identity. Themed messages emphasize an aspect that the organisation wants to become associated with in the mind of important stakeholder groups.

Question 67

Message styles

Answer 67

Message styles:

Functional orientation Symbolic orientation Industry orientation

Question 68

Rational message style

Answer 68

Rational message style

1. Definition: a superiority claim based on actual accomplishments or delivered benefits by the organisation
2. Conditions: most useful when the point of difference cannot be readily matched by competitors
3. Content: informational in the form of a claim that is supported with information as the grounds for the claim

Question 69

Symbolic association message style

Answer 69

Symbolic association message style

1. Definition: a claim based on psychological differentiation through symbolic association
2. Conditions: best for homogeneous organisations where differences are difficult to develop or easily duplicated, or for messages around areas such as CSR or social capital that are difficult to communicate in concrete and rational terms
3. Content: transformational in the form of endowing the organisation with a particular image through association with culturally shared and recognized values or symbols

Question 70

Emotional message style

Answer 70

Emotional message style

1. Definition: attempts to provoke involvement and positive reactions through a reference to positive (or negative) emotions
2. Conditions: effective use depends on the perceived authenticity of the professed emotion and on the relevance of the emotion to the stakeholders
3. Content: appeals to specific positive or negative emotions (e.g. romance, nostalgia)

Question 71

Generic message style

Answer 71

Generic message style

1. Definition: a straight claim about industry or cause with no assertion of superiority
2. Conditions: a monopoly or an extreme dominance of industry
3. Content: a general claim (to stimulate demand for a product category or raise awareness of cause)

Question 72

Pre-emptive message style

Answer 72

Pre-emptive message style

1. Definition: a generic claim with a suggestion of superiority
2. Conditions: changing industry, allowing a company to take a position on an issue connected to that industry
3. Content: a claim of industry-wide leadership on relevant issue or capability

Question 73

CSR

Answer 73

CSR can be defined as the continuing commitment by business to contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the community and society at large.
CSR is often defined in terms of the notion of a ‘triple bottom line’ that includes people, planet and profits.

Question 74

Basic communication strategies for CSR:

Answer 74

Basic communication strategies for CSR:

• Informational strategy
• Stakeholder response
• Stakeholder involvement strategy

Question 75

. Informational strategy

Answer 75

• Informational strategy:

There is not necessarily a persuasive intent, but companies instead aim to inform the public as objectively as possible about their CSR activities.

Question 76

Stakeholder response

Answer 76

• Stakeholder response strategy:

Stakeholders are asked for feedback on CSR activities, or more generally in response to organisational decisions and actions. This strategy is a two-way in that stakeholders are asked about their opinions and expectations, but it is ultimately the company that decides what the focus of the CSR activities should be, and then engages with stakeholders to promote these activities.

Question 77

Stakeholder involvement strategy

Answer 77

• Stakeholder involvement strategy:

There is a real mutual dialogue between a company and its stakeholders. Stakeholders have a genuine say in the CSR commitments of a company, with the company trying to meet, if not exceed, the expectations of various stakeholder groups on social and environmental issues.

Question 78

Guidelines for CSR

Answer 78

• Set clear objectives: The company shows that it is serious about CSR by setting clear objectives for social and environmental performance annually, and by systematically reporting on the results achieved afterwards.
• Set progressive objectives: Objectives are progressive in bringing new aspirations and standards to bear upon business operations instead of a regurgitating of existing practices that may be seen as socially and environmentally viable.
• Involve stakeholders: Objectives and targets include issues that are relevant to stakeholders (or ‘material’ in integrated reporting terms) and are linked to clear benchmarks and standards (at the industry and policy levels)
• Report transparently: Reporting is an honest, transparent and full-scale self-assessment instead of polishing of performance data.
• Be accountable: Performance data are rigorously assessed and verified by credible auditors (accountants or consultants)

Question 79

Focus group

Answer 79

Focus group:

A semi-structured group discussion facilitated by a researcher whereby the researcher tries to dig deep into the underlying motivations around an issue or a problem.

Question 80

Survey

Answer 80

Survey methods are quantitative in nature: the attempt is to record in numbers the level of awareness, attitudes or behaviors of the population in relation to certain issues or circumstances. Advanced forms of statistical analyses are then used to test hypotheses concerning relationships amongst a group of variables under study. Surveys serve both descriptive and analytical purposes.
Descriptive: Characteristics of customers
Analytical: Consumption behavior

Question 81

stages and levels of evaluation

Answer 81

During the preparation of the program or campaign, practioners may pre-test the appropriateness of messages and the way in which such messages are presented.

The implementation of the program or campaign in turn is associated with continuous measurement and evaluation of the outputs in terms of, for example, the amount of on- and off-line media coverage received or the number of stakeholders who have received or attended to the messages and activities.

At the impact level, research focuses on the number of people in the target audience who have seen the message, digested its contents, and have in turn changed their views of and behaviors towards the organization in a favorable way.