COMMUNICATION
The Changing Communications Landscape
By Stephanie Mwega
The communication leader ’ s role is to articulate what a company does and why it does it to multiple audiences through multiple channels . They educate the market about what a brand stands for beyond its product play through powerful storytelling . For most technology brands , it is all about driving adoption , engagement , and market awareness to help accelerate growth of the brand ’ s visibility and influence as a market leader .
Moreso , communications is a strategic partner of the business ( and , by extension , the core marketing team ) that drives commercial outcomes . It goes beyond awareness levers like PR / AR , executive thought leadership positioning , social media management , and external speaking opportunities . It delivers real impact across the latter stages of the sales funnel through research and insightful content , client references , and community advocacy programs in a scalable , repetitive , and trackable manner .
As the globe accelerates into a digital-first world , so too has the media landscape . The increasing aggregation and consumption of information across social and digital channels have brought about a fundamental change in communication strategies and tactics in the following ways :
● Reaching intended audiences requires more data-driven communications . It ensures that the right content appears on social media feeds and online channels when key stakeholders are most active .
● Demonstrating technology ’ s real-world impact is achieved by highlighting your brand ’ s purpose and how your solutions and services help solve problems for businesses and communities alike .
● The rise of user-generated content also points to emerging opportunities and challenges . On the one hand , there is increased competition for people ’ s attention amidst an avalanche of content . On the other hand , this allows communications to leverage a community of likeminded contributors to amplify its message more authentically .
“ The communication leader ’ s role is to articulate what a company does and why it does it to multiple audiences through multiple channels . They educate the market about what a brand stands for beyond its product play through powerful storytelling . ”
In today ’ s world , everyone is a spokesperson , and the communication leader ’ s role shifts notably ; they are the quintessential “ collaborator in chief ” and creator of new external and internal alliances . In this new reality , all stakeholders have the potential to be channel-media partners who can help grow the company ’ s influence ten-fold . External partnerships are centered around working with customers and influencers to advocate how your solutions helped solve their problems . Internally , they focus on sparking a “ culture of communications ” by being more intentional about educating and empowering employees to become brand ambassadors who extend the organization ’ s reach to broader audiences .
All the above makes it harder to control the message , thus making reputation management an even more crucial role . It requires the communications lead to continually gather insights and provide strategic input to the business on its key reputational drivers .
Lastly , the leader ’ s role is to lead with empathy . This competence is critical for helping discern stakeholders ’ motivations , values , needs , and perspectives that foster the creation of authentic content that is always-on , relevant , and engaging for intended audiences , ultimately humanizing the brand while delivering desired results to the business . ■
Stephanie Mwega is the GM Marketing , East and Central Africa , at Dimension Data . You can commune with her on email via :
Stephymwega @ gmail . com .
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