What are strategic communications?

Launching a new product is not the same as establishing a new corporate brand. A product launch requires a focused, goal-specific plan that targets specific audiences. A corporate brand? That is all about building and maintaining the reputation of a person, company, or brand. PR is the gatekeeper. Playing a key role in shaping and safeguarding a brand's reputation is just one of their superpowers.

Is it just another way to say public relations?

PR—aka corporate communications—uses earned and owned, traditional and social media to keep the good vibes coming. It involves long-term goals and a big audience.

Strategic communications look at all the possible levers to pull to meet your objectives. We like to think of it as “meeting your customers where they are” because you know exactly who they are, where they look for information, and even what problems keep them up at night. Data and analytics provide continuous feedback to make smart decisions about adjusting your strategy.

So, no, it isn’t another way to say PR.

When do I use strategic communications?

Product launches, partner initiatives, tentpole moments, rebranding announcements. These all involve beginning and endpoints with very specific goals and outcomes. They target specific audiences with messages crafted around the launch or event.

For example, a partner program has a new technology training initiative. The goal is to get a certain number of junior technologists to attend at least 2 events.

• Messages, incentives, communication channels, and informational content build awareness and interest.
• An ongoing email campaign to their managers drives awareness and understanding of how the training helps the partners' bottom line.
• A newsletter the partner organization sends to all partners has at least one business impact story.
• A series of weekly registration emails to the junior technologists start 6 weeks before the first event.

Continual data analysis highlights positive engagements and uncovers areas for improvement. Success is based on final headcounts at training.

Tell me about the business impact

Working with an executive of a tech company to elevate her presence, we built a messaging narrative that pulled together the programs under her direction. The strategy involved a combination of social posts and blogs. An editorial calendar that provided a regular cadence of insights and industry trends immediately gained traction.

Her first four stories had close to 120k impressions and even caught the attention of key senior leaders. A global storytelling component of their strategic communications delivered the most buzz. Her first four stories achieved 120,000 impressions and almost 800 engagements. The team shifted resources to the stories and accelerated the timelines.

When one of her teams launched a new social channel as part of an overall visibility and awareness campaign around two international tentpole events, 11,000 of her followers joined the channel immediately when it launched.

How do I start?

Our award-winning integrated marketing and communications services put B2B and B2C brands in the spotlight. Our data-driven strategic communications campaigns build awareness and demand across social and media platforms. Our message development, channel curation, and engagement strategies expand your brand’s voice.