Trust in institutions and business continues to dwindle. Crusading media advances their own agenda through the sensational framing of issues that sometimes upset the business environment. Consumer activism is at an all-time high.
And all these are due to a myriad of factors that every communicator should know by heart – given that these can truly dent the thin line that separates crisis and business continuity.
New challenges
The communicator 10 years ago is no longer the same communicator as today. Then, communicators grappled with whether the message is really the message or the medium is the message. While we are still debating this dilemma, we also need to face reality that the consumer, the audience, the stakeholder is the now the message. Our engagement and conversations with them are king. We no longer just communicate but negotiate as well.
Meaning-making, reputation management, behavioural change, and that last push for adoption and/or purchase are the result of strategic exchange of symbols between consumers and brands. Communicative linearity gives way to multidimensionality of exchanges and instantaneous feedback.
However, even a minute kink in the exchange can result in disaster and crisis – when this happens, containment is not easy. In an “always on” and “in the now” milieu, a crisis can become a nightmare for communicators.
The problem is further compounded by an environment where quantity, quality and spread of information has worldwide reach; where multimedia technologies are used to shape public opinion either to promote or destroy public good; where availability of options from competing brands abound; and where knowledge, values and behaviours of consumers flip flop thanks to crowd-sourced values.
Additional challenges for the 24/7 communicator are the weakening public policy due to varying interpretation between national and local governments; constant scrutiny, or worse, attack of corporate behaviour from the seemingly all-knowing public; and the almost non-existent womb-to-tomb mentality and company loyalty.
A simple solution
When we have consumers and stakeholders who have been successful in wrestling away the power to educate themselves from media and the brands, what must a communicator do?
When we have task masters (i.e. consumers) who demand better values and are more likely to raise a howl on developments that do not match their own choices and perspectives, what can a communicator do?
Surprisingly, the solution is not a difficult one – it’s fundamental in every communications campaign: authenticity. Short of that is a crisis in varying magnitude and levels.
In an environment of disintermediation, disaggregation, big data and constant mobility, tailoring the 4 Ts (techniques, tools, technologies, terminologies) to consumers has become imperative. Creating multi-dimensional profiles and a multi-platform strategy will enable communicators to truly, madly and deeply understand and engage influencers and stakeholders.
Communicating is just half the battle. Today, more than ever, listening to engage is the central role of communicators.
