THE ROLE OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN COMPANIES

Communication has always been a major part of man for as long as we can remember, even the cavemen communicated using writing symbols on cave walls.

Communication is so important that the Braille was invented for the blind and sign language was designed for the deaf. Man cannot be called a social being if he cannot communicate with his fellows.

Communication cannot be complete until there is a positive response from the person that is being communicated to, normally called the decoder, it's just like giving the decoder signals from a remote control and you can't see a response on the television or electronic device, you will either get frustrated or change the batteries because communication hasn't been completed.

Even a business place needs communication also, one cannot exclude the importance and role that communication plays within a company, firm, or organization.

Every company must find a way to communicate with their employees, the public, customers, and shareholders, or else there might not be effective and efficient responses or feedback from either employee.

The different ways Corporate communication can be done can be classified into three categories.

1. Public relations and media

This category deals with how the company or organization communicates with the general public. This communication is different because the company is dealing with potential customers, critics, and those that patronize the brand of their competitors as well.

Social media must communicate the brand of the company such that anyone in the public can without mincing words know what the brand of the company is and what value they are bringing.

This could be done through publications, emails, billboards, conferences, sensitization, seminars, press releases, etc

The person mostly in charge of this department in a company is called the P.R.O. which means the public relations officer although other companies may have different names for it it doesn't change the roles and responsibilities.

The P.R.O. is also the one who handles the crisis when they happen, for instance when there is bad news circulating about the company, the public waits for the P.R.O. to clear the issues around that saga.

2. Internal Communication

This is the communication that happens within the organization, here news and sensitive matters are discussed with the employees, matters that pertain to issues concerning the image, financial status, and brand of the company.

The employees are the one who gets first-hand information about the company way before the public get to hear it, part of this is because the employees are the paid ambassadors of the company, it matters what they say about the company to the public or customer.

Wherever an employee of a company is found, they are entrusted with the implied responsibility to defend the company regardless of whatever it is that is being said, people would believe an employee more than they would believe an employer or shareholder because their words are seen to be partial and biased since they are the one financially responsible to the company.

This communication is carried out through emails, memos, internal blogs, newsletters, meetings, employee handbooks, etc

The human resource manager mostly handles this communication, they are the ones that also oversee the welfare of the employee as well and approve salaries, absence, leave, Hiring, and firing as well.

The brand message, vision, and mission should be an anthem that every employee should know and have at heart and truly understand, that is the only way they can be able to communicate it to the customers and public.

3. Customer Communication and Promotions

This communication is how the company passes its message to customers and clients. Here the communication is not taken lightly because this communication either should lead to sales or retention of the customer.

This also can be done either through an advert, publication, email, word of mouth, etc

This communication is either done through the sales or marketing team and the customer relations manager.

This communication also deals with settling customer complaints as well as handling objections from potential customers and finding a way to either upsell the customer as well to buy either a complementary good or a supplementary good.

When all these three categories have been well structured, then the company can say that they have gotten their corporate communications right.