What is corporate communication?

We explain what corporate communication is and what its elements are. In addition, how it is classified and why it is effective.

1. What is corporate communication?

Corporate communication is a process that establishes an organization and consists of transmitting information and knowing the response of the audience receiving the message . For this, it develops actions that allow the organization to be connected with the people who integrate it ( internal communication ) or with an external audience (external communication) with the aim of improving the relationship between them.

Corporate communication is one of the strategic tools that allow a company , for example, to achieve a good position in the market or improve the relationship between its members . As the organization grows and the number of employees and customers increases , it is increasingly important to implement good communication management , taking into account the objectives of the company, the organizational climate and the unforeseen or crisis situations that may occur in the environment and impact on the organization.

2. Elements of corporate communication

Corporate communication, like other types of communication , requires elements to achieve its objective, and these are:

• The communication professional. It is the one that represents the sender (organization) that seeks to communicate with others and is the one who initiates the transmission of the message.
• The planning of strategies. It is the adaptation (or endocoding) of the idea to be communicated, through a suitable language for the recipient of the message.
• The message. It is the information that the receiving public will receive.
• The communication channel It is the vehicle through which the organization sends its message to the recipient and can be through one or the combination of several channels, in order to reach the entire public of interest.
• The receptor. It is the public that receives the message (one or several people) and reacts to it.
• The decoding process. It is the interpretation made by the recipient of the message and it is the moment in which the communication strategies show whether they were effective or erroneous.
• The measurement of results. It is the response (or feedback) of the public that received the message (the non-reaction is also a response to be taken into account because it evidences the recipient’s disinterest, which allows us to choose another strategy or other content to communicate).

3. Types of corporate communication

The types of corporate communication performed by an organization are classified as:

• Internal communication It is the set of activities that allows you to create and maintain good relationships with its members for informational purposes (on tasks and instructions), motivational (stimulation to optimize work performance) or to foster good relationships and values ​​(based on culture business ).
• External communication It is the set of strategic actions aimed at the external public of the organization with the aim of maintaining or improving the corporate image, promoting products or services or expanding the number of customers. To ensure successful communication, the organization needs to know the different factors involved, such as the characteristics of the external public, the socioeconomic situation of the environment and the companies that are part of the competition , among others.

4. Effectiveness of corporate communication

The effectiveness of corporate communication, both internal and external, will depend on two stages:

• The ability to plan strategies (prior to the issuance of the message).
• The analysis of the results (after the message is issued).

In this way, the organization will have specific information about the impact generated by its message. If the objective of the communication was not fulfilled, the company may have important information for a new decision making in relation to its communication strategies.