What is strategic communication?

The fields of business and communication have significant overlap, particularly in the area of strategic communication.  You might have heard of someone who actually majors in strategic communications, but have no idea what it is or what it means.  Strategic communications infuses communication efforts with an organization’s agenda and master plan.  Miami University defines it as the study of how organizations and individuals use communication to negotiate their role in society.  This means how a company or government interacts with the media, industry analysts, customers, and employers. 

The strategic element comes into play when a business treats media relations and press releases as fully integrated and consistent with the firm’s goals.  It deals with how a business uses communications to achieve a particular goal.   

The people at the top of the organizational hierarchy must drive and engage the strategic communication process.  It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that the organization’s actions are consistent with its words.  

In the context of a business, the purposes of strategic communications is to promote the public perception of the company, to reduce the cost of doing business, and to support marketing efforts.  Instead of trying to get as much media coverage as possible, businesses focus on how its core message supports its business strategy across the board.  For instance, a company might deliver different messages to its shareholders, employees, and customers, a move that might seriously damage its credibility.  If a business wants to build credibility, it should strive to present the right message to target audience through the most appropriate media in order to help achieve the company’s goals.

I realize that you probably have not read this far in this post because when most people hear “strategic communications”, their eyes immediately glaze over.  However, how a firm interacts with external actors can have a huge impact on profitability, perception, and the extent to which a company is able to accomplish its goals.