1. Media and Communications – issues, challenges and way forward
In today’s world of one click solutions and 24/7 switched on stakeholders have
thrown new challenges for Media and Communications. Not to mention the
various new terms that come into existence every few months…… traditional
media; New media; Social media to name a few.
I have tried to list down a few key challenges that we face today as we reach out to
various global locations. The global imperative for communications is changing to
bring about a revolution in how we perceive, manage and engage our stakeholders.
We are trying to resolve the differences that exist between our perception of
traditional and new media. Think global and act local has become the mantra to
resolve this chasm.
1. Media and new technologies are pervasive, instantaneous, and global.
2. Transparency and disclosure laws and practices have made media relations
more complex, and strategic for stakeholder engagements.
3. New technologies force corporations toward tactical responses.
Corporations have to be ready to respond instantaneously in this age of first,
quick and effective responses.
Verdict - Expect more demand for transparency from internal as well as external
stakeholder. Clarity and knowledgeof key issues will be advantageousfor
engaging thestakeholder’s imagination.
Future- Embracenew tools (blogs, posts and surveys). Audio visuals become key
in communicating values, strengths and image.
4. New technologies such as Web 2.0 offer a new crisis, creating a geometric
progression of more challenges as a result of more transparency and hyper-
connectivity.
Verdict - Ethics and values offer a strong base for advocacy in the practice of
corporate communication. We must bear in mind that different societies consume
media differently. Communication mustbe structured keeping in mind the end
consumer, i.e. cultural nuances, language, content, channel etc.

2. 5. Although writing is still the core skill for Communication, the
communicator needs to have business knowledge; to understand budgets,
and to know how to measure the value of communication to the
organization and be able to perceive the stakeholders pulses. The what, how
and when to communicate is as much an art as a science.
Verdict - Also part of the skill set for the communicator – strategic thinking;
problem solving, discipline, integrity, crisis management, media relations and
grace underpressure
Critical issues and trends for corporate communications –
First and foremost is trust. As much as we have made advances to repair the
reputation of business through better governance and communication, we continue
to take steps back as well. For example, corporateblogs have been helpful by
fostering direct, candid and open conversation with stakeholders, but some
companies and agencies have engaged in deceptive practices concerning blogs.
When these frauds are exposed, the impression is: new channel, same corporate
trickery.
More willingness to explore social media and other non traditional channels of
communication; growing dissatisfaction with advertising as too one-way and
expensive. The organization can take a more personal, less corporatevoice, such
as that of corporateblogging, and the personal and friendly nature of that voice
personalizes the company and engenders trusting conversation. Greater leadership
and involvement in social issues that is important to stakeholders and the general
public. Clarity in communication in all aspects and across the board of an
organization can bring greater brand synchronization for internal as well as
external stakeholder.

3. The Blending of traditional and new media –
The focus of most advertising campaigns, ATL/BTL is to create awareness and
impart a certain message across to the customer/stakeholder. However in most
cases we forget to link up the traditional and new media and close the loop. If
blended properly with traditional ads, the combined effort can supercharge the
expected results.
I don’tfeel that it is a contest between different ways to communicate. You don’t
have to chooseone or the other. Today’s stakeholders cross easily between online
and offline worlds. Our goal is to reach them and reinforce our message in both
places, giving you greater controlover your message.
It’s also important to blend channels because each one plays a different role in
influencing how stakeholder perceive and discover you. Forexample, a print ad
might stimulate a customer to want to learn more about what you offer, causing
them to search social media for more information.
I am sharing a few of my learning -
1. Make print a socialdriver. If your Facebookpage is becoming your main
online communicator, print and other traditional marketing tools can be used to
help drive people to your page. Promote your Facebookaddress onmagazines,
brochures, OOH media.
2. Showcase socialmentions in print. Use your print ads to showcasewhat
others are saying about your business, products orservices through Facebook,
review sites, Twitter or elsewhere. This helps amplify the buzz about your
business and can generate (or reinforce) all-important goodwill.
3. Get everyone in your business involved. Every employee should be trained
to inform stakeholders of your social media presence and to recommend they

4. visit you on Facebook/twitter/you tube etc. Think of it as pure one-on-one
offline communication.
4. Cross-sellcontinuously online and offline. Each time you use a
communications channel, mention the other channels you are using and what
you are doing there. Forexample, OOH, magazines, banners, posters should
all mention how to find you on social media. On the flip side, your Facebook
page and You Tube posts can tell people to be on the lookout for what’s
coming through other channels.

5. Way forward –
Strategy1 – Align, Engage & Enable. By align, I mean to align the brand and the
company with the declared mission and vision, engage stakeholders on topics and
activities of interest to them, and enable stakeholders to achieve their personal and
professional goals. Media and Communication should be extended to all aspectof
the corporation, be it CSR, Brand Management, Crisis Management or stakeholder
engagement. Media consumption has becomeinstant…..everything is now….
Either you are ON or OFF.
Strategy2 – SocialMedia – TodaySocial media is touching many areas of an
organization. It has transformed recruiting and the HR function. Social media can
be a very cost-effective way to handle customer service. It can be used as an
educational and business networking tool. The social web can be an enormous
contributor to research and development and a sourceof low-cost, high-quality
crowd sourcing. The companies on the leading edge of the social revolution are
exploring ways social media can improve almost every company function. There is
a very exciting movement toward applying private versions of these social
technologies to internal staff functions, too, to improve communication and
collaboration. So social media marketing is really a subset of what will be
happening in a bigger way across the organization. It is no longer either listening
or speaking, today; the organization is doing both at the same time. How quickly
and to what extent an organization uses social media tools can be the
differentiating factor.

6. Road to a successful Social Media Strategy –
We have all heard the expression “Content is King”, and this is absolutely
true, but to successfully develop a social media strategy, the following needs to be
considered:
1. Filter and Focus - – Companies developing a content strategy often fall into
the trap [that makes them think] that they need to create unique content to
be relevant. Nothing is further from the truth. This holds true for
stakeholder groups who are looking for new articles and blogs, analyze
them for relevant ideas. The strategy must be structured to help the
stakeholders find important information.
2. Multi-task your Content & Promote it –this means the importance of
creating content once and using it multiple times on multiple platforms. For
example, a white paper can become a number of blog articles, which in turn
can have multiple tweets, Facebookmentions, and LinkedIn discussions to
promote each one. Simply creating content is not enough. It must be shared
and re-shared with the stakeholders in different ways to generate the
maximum buzz.
3. Provide solutions and recommended actions – stakeholders are looking for
expertise and guidance. When creating content end with a series of
recommendations and action steps that resonate with the interests of the
stakeholders.

7. 4. Use Multiple Media – More and more, people do not have time to read
lengthy articles and verbose literature. They want information to be fast and
easy to digest. Use a mix of articles, videos, and even basic Power Point
recordings to reach stakeholders. With more and more emphasis on mobile,
the written word is becoming less effective in reaching your target audience.