What key elements should you include in your corporate communication plan?

Establishing clear communication goals is paramount for a global workforce. Whether fostering collaboration, disseminating corporate updates, or enhancing employee engagement, articulate specific and measurable objectives that align with organizational priorities.

Beyond that other elements that others have mentioned, today, it is more critical than ever to have a deeper understanding of the cultural, societal, and human forces and shifts that either transform or accelerate change in which a company operates. Many may say is this necessary for corporate comms and isn't it more relevant for brand comms. I disagree. Corporate must start beyond where it usually does: our company/our competition/our goals -- They are all important, but the plans which I believe resonate start from a keen observation and reflection of what the operating environment is.

Don’t develop comms goals in a vacuum. They should start and end at existing goals within the business. If you find yourself struggling to communicate those goals, it may be worth engaging with the business experts on clarifying or redefining anything that is vague or opaque. Life is a lot easier if communicators and business experts trust each other to be on the same page talking about the same thing.

SMART goals are important when creating a corporate communications plan. Does the plan align with the brand values? What does the plan look to achieve? Clearly define these overarching goals and set objectives of the corporate communications plan.

A key element of a corporate communication plan is to anchor it in the vision, mission, values and objectives of the organization. There is no point in communicating anything that goes against these key levers. So, its there critical, before one communicates to makes sure that this alignment exists. You dont want to be caught communicating things that go against your stated vision and mission statements. In an way then, the vision and mission constitute the "north star" of a corporate communication plan.

Identify and understand your diverse audience groups. Tailor your communication approach to resonate with the needs, preferences, and expectations of different stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, and the wider community.

Remember that the upcoming generation of future customers will consume media differently and language / messaging will resonate differently. Set aside budget and resources to address these future customers ‘before’ they become your target market.

Identifying your target audience is like being a detective at a masquerade ball. You're not just looking for anyone – you're looking for the one person who holds the key to your case. This means not just knowing who your audience is, but understanding them deeply. For example, your employees might be the enthusiastic party-goers who need motivation and clear direction, while your investors are the discerning guests scrutinizing the room from a corner. Each requires a different approach – one might appreciate a hearty cheer, while the other needs a well-reasoned argument. So, put on your detective hat, grab your magnifying glass, and uncover the unique needs and preferences of each group in your audience.

Any communication is only so with an audience, you should know them well, what they like, what are their preferences, and certainly what they don't like. Building awareness starts with knowing with is the current situation, its your starting point.

I always ask the client to name his existing or desired audience, as if he were a person - how old he is, what he does, what is important to him. And then we evaluate what the client can offer to such a person - this is an important exercise that allows us to calibrate expectations. There is nothing worse than being disconnected from reality. For example, if the tone and messages of the communication are strongly hipster, but the offered services/goods are more relevant to the parents of this hipster, the communication will not be effective for either of them. Future communication channels and tools depend on this naming.

Craft concise and consistent key messages that convey the organization's values, mission, and strategic priorities. Ensure these messages align with your brand identity and resonate with the intended audience, fostering a unified understanding of your corporate narrative.

✅ If possible meet with or survey (some of) your target audience to get a better understanding of them, so you can better craft, test, and communicate your key messages 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

A corporate communication plan should be aligned with the brand's values and vision that resonate with the audience. The same narrative should be driven through all the internal and external communication channels.

Every element of a corporate communication plan is linked. You can't arrive at one before deriving the preceding step. Once your objective and TG are defined, you can tailor your key messages in a way that would best align with your organizational objectives and audience requirements.

One of the things I like to do when creating corporate communication plans is gathering input from around the organization about what the C-suite, and each department's "pain points" are in terms of what they feel are misunderstandings/misperceptions or gaps in knowledge among employees. The times when you go: "Doh! How can they not know..." These might be internal-facing (e.g., employees don't understand the value of their benefits), or external-facing (e.g., how can employees not know we offer XYZ?). Then test to see if their assumptions are correct by polling employees to determine where gaps/misperceptions may actually exist. Prioritize the list and choose the top issues you want to address during the next planning cycle.

Select appropriate communication channels based on the nature of your messages and the preferences of your audience. Consider a mix of digital platforms, traditional media, internal communication tools, and direct engagement methods to maximize reach and impact.

When choosing your channels remember that people consume information in different ways. While some people prefer to listen to podcasts, others would prefer to engage more interactively like an in-person event or a webinar that allows for interactivity with the speakers. It's also important to consider the types of channels your audience has access to. In working for a manufacturer, more than 75 percent of our team members were located on the front line at manufacturing facilities. These team members were not able to access the company network therefore we had to be creative in our messaging and utilize alternative channels to make sure these individuals received internal communications.

horses for courses when it comes to channels. Mind you when it comes to editorial pitches, you may not have a choice, but pick the right content for the right channel. for eg: Long form for print media, and listicles for online.

Advances in technology have significantly expanded the options for communication channels. Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots: AI-powered chatbots are increasingly used to interact with customers in real time through messaging platforms, websites, and mobile applications. Offering an enhanced user experience and more efficient customer service. Augmented reality applications: Augmented reality (AR) allows virtual elements to be overlaid on the real world, creating immersive and interactive experiences. AR applications are used in marketing and advertising to offer demos of virtual products, allow customers to try products before purchasing them, offer virtual tours of physical spaces, and create memorable brand experiences.

Tailor your channel to your audience's preferences. For younger demographics, social media might be ideal, while for formal communication with stakeholders, email might be more suitable. Urgency & Complexity: How critical is the information, and how complex is it? Urgent or complex messages might require a channel that allows for back-and-forth communication, like a phone call or video conference. Security & Sensitivity: For confidential information, secure channels like internal messaging platforms are best.

"Is this working?" That’s a question that we often fail to ask about the activities in our plans. There are a lot of ways to approach this, but here is a simple way to get started. Begin by conducting an audit of what you are doing and why. Ask yourself these four questions: 1. What are you doing? 2. Why are you doing it? 3. Can you do it better? 4. If so, how? The beauty of this framework is that it can be applied to a single aspect of your work or your entire communication plan. Once you’ve taken a step back and evaluated the current state of your activities, you can shift into building a proactive, forward-looking plan.

Outline specific communication activities and campaigns to bring your plan to life. This may include regular newsletters, town hall meetings, social media campaigns, and other initiatives designed to convey key messages and foster engagement.

Align communication activities and plan to business goals and organisation priorities. misalignment here leaves stakeholders, customers and employees confused. Speak the same language as marketing/branding at least in terms of product priorities etc.

Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) into the communication activities planning in a corporate plan can provide unique and engaging experiences for your audiences. For example, Augmented Reality Applications for Product Demonstrations: Create augmented reality applications that allow customers to experience your products in a more immersive and realistic way. For instance, a furniture company could develop an application that lets customers see how a sofa would look in their living room using their phone's camera.

Accessibility: Ensure your chosen channel is accessible to your target audience. Consider factors like language, disability, and technology limitations. Cost: Some channels, like mass mailings, can be expensive. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness relative to your goals. Legal Requirements: Certain regulations might dictate communication channels for specific types of information. By understanding the different communication channels and carefully considering these factors, you can select the most appropriate channel to ensure your message reaches the right audience, achieves its objective, and fosters effective communication.

Deploy your analytical prowess to conduct regular evaluations. Gauge the effectiveness of your communication initiatives through surveys, feedback loops, and performance metrics. Your commitment to continuous improvement ensures that the communication plan evolves in sync with organizational dynamics.

Use AR to gather data on the user experience during interactions with AR content or experiences. For example, you can track the time users spend interacting with a virtual product in an AR application, the actions they take within the experience, and any feedback they provide.

Champion a culture of open communication. Encourage feedback, celebrate diversity, and address potential challenges transparently. Foster interdepartmental collaboration, nurturing a sense of unity across borders. As a communication virtuoso, anticipate emerging trends and technologies to stay ahead in the dynamic global landscape.

En la era de IA y la automatización, los planes de comunicación corporativa priorizan la eficiencia y la personalización, equilibrando tecnología avanzada con la autenticidad que demandan los usuarios: contenidos creativos, auténticos y adaptados a formatos dinámicos como videos cortos y podcasts, para capturar la participación y fomentar la pertenencia comunitaria. La ética y la transparencia son aspectos vitales para proyectar confianza y responsabilidad social en un mercado cada vez más consciente. Ojo a la comunicación interna, donde la transparencia y el diálogo refuerzan la lealtad y convierten a los empleados en los mejores embajadores de las marcas más respetadas y deseadas.

As is often the case, there isn't much distinction made between the strategy and the plan (and I mean from the LinkedIn perspective here!). Always keep in mind - the strategy is what you are trying to achieve, with whom, and why. And this should be aligned to business goals. And the plan is how you are going to achieve all of that, bring it to life if you like. You can then measure the success, or otherwise, of your plan, and whether it delivered the strategy you set out.

An impactful corporate communications plan should include clear messaging, consistent branding, stakeholder engagement, crisis communication protocols, and an adaptable strategy to address evolving business needs. Leveraging your storytelling skills can add a touch of creativity and relatability to enhance the plan's effectiveness.

Organizations must put SMART goals and clear measurement frameworks to be able to measure impact of each activity. Corp comms teams need to take holistic approaches and become outcome obsessed versus only prioritising stakeholder expectations.