Optimizing Corporate Communications
Creating and maintaining a high-performing communications function is critical to an organization’s success. With the complexity of today’s business operating environment, the rapid pace of change and the complexity of stakeholder capitalism, most organizations must optimize the corporate communications function to drive greater value to the enterprise.
At Orangefiery, we have built a suite of consulting tools grounded in data and analytics that are tailored to optimize the communication function for impact. Our marriage of strategy consulting and communications activation makes us uniquely well suited to aid organizations in unlocking the value of the corporate communications function. We know the trends that are shaping the modern communications function and collaborate with top communications officers and their teams to tailor the function’s approach to the specifics of their organization.
Chief Communications Officers today are increasingly tasked with a broad span of control that includes communications, media relations, thought leadership, issues and crisis management, social and digital media, advocacy, corporate reputation and internal communications. They are expected to be trusted advisors to CEOs and other C-suite executives on corporate strategy while executing communications campaigns at a high level. The diversity of audiences and responsibilities, the volume of emergent priorities and the need for agility require a strong operating model for communications.
Assessing an organization’s
communications needs
Here’s how we approach working with our clients on optimizing the communications function:
Visioning the function: We start with a comprehensive assessment, looking at the current state of communications, external metrics and management’s expectations on both the priorities and ideal outcomes tied to communications. We conduct interviews with top communications team leaders and select organizational leaders outside of the communications function to understand their perspective on the organization’s needs and opportunities from a communications perspective.
Assessment: We conduct a qualitative and quantitative analysis of key metrics relating to the organization’s reputation, including media coverage and share of voice, employee engagement and preparedness relating to key issues facing the organization. We review internal capabilities, such as crisis, internal communications, executive communications and related functions. We incorporate existing research and best practices to identify desired outcomes and measurement frameworks that speak to the communications function’s impact on the organization’s corporate brand, reputation and products.
Gaps and opportunities: Through this process, we identify gaps in resources, capabilities and processes that should be addressed. We also review opportunities to deliver high-value activities through an optimized communications function that are priorities for the organization.
Defining norms and building
a communications function
and capabilities
Communications team operations review: From there, we speak with members of the communications team itself – or, in organizations that don’t yet have a defined corporate communications team, we speak with individuals historically responsible for communications-related tasks – to identify strengths and growth areas. We typically explore the team’s expertise in insight-driven communications planning, data and analytics, content development, stakeholder engagement and measurement. We review resources and technology, along with strategic plans and standard operating procedures, to create a holistic picture of the functions people, processes and tools.
Operating norms and action planning: From there, we facilitate a series of planning sessions for members of the communications team to articulate how they want the function to be known within the organization and how to bring that about through updated practices, operating norms and measurement models. We work closely with communications team leaders to address key issues and unlock opportunities to have a greater impact on business outcomes.
Operating model development and implementation: Finally, we work to create a new operating model for communications that will align resources against value and ensure the communications function is delivering on the organization’s priorities. A critical component of this is a set of dashboard metrics that the CCO can use to track progress and report measurable impact to their C-suite colleagues.
In today’s dynamic business environment, organizations need a communications function that is optimized to deliver on the key priorities of the organization while being flexible and nimble enough to capitalize on emergent trends and opportunities. Our collaborative model can help communications leaders innovate, evolve their function’s capabilities and align their team with impact.
The right time to build
a communications function
For organizations that are not yet at the size or level of resources to build out a corporate communications team, we make recommendations for the best way to meet communications needs with the resources that are available. This often involves identifying internal champions with the capabilities to look at cross-functional activities through a communications-focused lens and close partnership with Orangefiery as an agency partner to drive communications strategy and execution forward.
