Strategic business communication

Strategic Business Communication Faculty Strategic Business Communication Communication is a process involving three main component. The sender decides on what and how to communicate. Sender designs the message on the basis of communication needs and sends message to the target audience. Message when received by the target audience the communication process is complete. Based on the effect of communication response is generated. The communication process gets impacted by various noise or constraints.
Figure 1: Communication Process
Strategic business communication is one of the most important tools for the business organizations today.
Strategic communications means using corporate or institutional communications to create, strengthen or preserve, among key audiences, opinion favourable to the attainment of institutional/corporate goals. (Malley)
There are various factors which are important for strategic communication decisions. The first and most important among these factors are target audience. The goals of communications are set. The strategic communications decisions are always based on the target audience. The communication tools, communication message, content, message design and timing of the communication are decided on the basis of target audience. The strategic communication tools include Advertising, Public Relations, Publicity, Branding, Direct Marketing, Packaging, Internet, Graphic Design, Print Media, Packaging, interactive communication tools and others. Each of the tools is different from each other in its objective, reach, medium and presentation. Advertising on one hand can be used to communicate with all the stakeholders are it customer, shareholders or community. It is one of the most effective communication tools which are targeted to larger audience. This is one way communication process where the consumer feedback is not directly measurable. Usually it is done by the pre advertisement and post advertisement surveys or research. Advertisement can utilize print, radio or electronic media for the communication process. On the other hand the latest tools of interactive media like Internet offers cheap options of communication and it is also measurable with direct response. Through internet the target audience can be contacted through websites (URL), emails, direct feedbacks and others. Branding efforts are directed to contact stakeholders to build positive images.
The strategic communication decisions are also based on the business context. In the present scenario when cola giants like Pepsi and Cola are facing controversial situations regarding the health impacts cold drinks can have on an individual’s health, their communication strategies have been changed. These are one of the biggest advertisers in the world. Their communication strategies have changed to improve the image of being unhealthy products.
On the other case of Wal-Mart’s operations in Germany it faced certain problems. Experts believe that one of the areas where Wal-Mart needed improvement was its strategic communication strategy. The message Wal-Mart have used were simple translation of messages in German, while messages need to be interpreted in same manner hence required similar interpretation rather than translation. Apart from that the cultural issues and context had not been considered while designing the communication strategies. All these have resulted in failure of communications.
For any business organization it is very important to have an effective communication strategy to keep in touch with its stakeholders for various purposes. These purposes can be informing about new product or services, change in the organization structure or expansion decisions, building favorable image, collecting feedback or informing about the success and growth of the organization. Strategic business communication decisions are one of the vital and important decisions. Organizations takes care of goals and objective of communication, target audience, communication tools, scope, reach and available resources while deciding on effective communication tool for communication process.
Reference:
OMalley, P Strategic Communications Planning retrieved on 1 November 2006 from Bhan, Niti (2006) Lessons From Wal-Mart: Five Common Mistakes When Brands Cross Borders retrieved on 1 November 2006 from < http://gain. aiga. org/content. cfm? ContentAlias= _getfullarticle&aid= 2339930>