Corporate communication
Anouk de Groot
Inhoud
Hoorcollege 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2
Boek H1: Defining Corporate Communication .................................................................................... 4
Hoorcollege 2: Media: Environment & Relations .................................................................................... 7
Boek H3: Corporate Communication in a Changing Media Environment ........................................... 7
Boek H8: Media Relations ................................................................................................................. 10
Hoorcollege 3: Stakeholder Management & CSR .................................................................................. 12
H4: Stakeholder Management and Communication......................................................................... 12
H13: Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Relations ...................................................... 16
Hoorcollege 4: Identity & Reputation ................................................................................................... 20
Boek H5: Corporate identity, branding & reputation ....................................................................... 20
Hoorcollege 5: Issues management ...................................................................................................... 24
Boek H10: Issues Management ......................................................................................................... 24
Hoorcollege 6: Crisis communication .................................................................................................... 30
Boek H11: Crisis communication ....................................................................................................... 30
Hoorcollege 7: Employee Communication ............................................................................................ 34
Boek H9: Employee Communication ................................................................................................. 34
Online lecture ................................................................................................................................ 34
College ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Hoorcollege 8: Communication strategies ............................................................................................ 40
Boek H6: Communication strategies ................................................................................................. 40
Hoorcollege 9: Research and Measurement ......................................................................................... 44
H7: Research and Measurement ....................................................................................................... 44
Hoorcollege 10: Leadership and change ............................................................................................... 48
H12: Leadership and Change Communication .................................................................................. 48
,Hoorcollege 1: Introduction
Issue attention cycle
Anthony Downs, writing in the early 70s described the Issue-Attention Cycle – the five stage
cycle of media attention and public interest regarding a particular issue
• The Pre-Problem Stage: This is when most people aren’t yet aware of the issue but
experts or interest groups might be.
• Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm: This is when the public suddenly
becomes aware of and alarmed about an issue
• Realising the cost of significant progress: Disillusionment sets in once people realise
how much it will cost to solve the problem, not only in terms of money but also
through sacrifices by large groups of the population.
• Gradual decline of intense public interest: “As more and more people realise how
difficult and how costly to themselves a solution to the problem would be, three
reactions set in. Some people just get discouraged. Others feel threatened by
thinking about the problem, so they suppress such thoughts. Still others become
bored by the issue.” Other issues start to get more attention instead.
• The post-problem stage: The problem gets moved off into a “twilight realm of lesser
attention.” But things are not the same as before – new institutions, policies and
programmes are in place, and any issue that has been through the cycle is more likely
to get attention again at certain points.
The business follows the rules, but still people think it’s not good
How issues can evolve
Research
Research questions
1. What do Dutch communication professionals at organizations currently do regarding
issue monitoring and issue communication in the pre-problem and peak stage?
2. To what extent does issue communication strategies affect corporate reputation
and/or legitimacy, and does this effect differ per issue stage and issue type?
Study 1: research question 1 -> 2 online focus groups, 5 participants per group, self-
selection: communication professionals with experience in issue communication
Key findings:
• Monitoring and assessment: when does a topic become an issue, and how can you
raise intra-organizational awareness? The pre-problem stage is essential
, • The participants prefer to use bridging strategies to cope with (evolving) issues.
Effective issue communication does not always take place in or via media
• Organization’s reputation and license to operate are important, but not key
o More important: In the end the stakeholders have to be satisfied with the
decisions
o Less important: what other people think about it
Bridging strategies = talk to people, try to avoid conflict → (try to build bridges between)
Study 2: research question 2 -> experiment
Materials
• 4 response strategies:
o No response: no substantive change (consolidation), no communication
o Defensive: no substantive change (consolidation), defensive communication
(buffering)
o Accommodative: no substantive change (consolidation), accommodative
communication (bridging)
o Adaptive: some substantive change, accommodative communication
(bridging)
• 2 issues stages: pre-problem vs. peak
• 2 (fictious) issues
o Sustainability issue: chemical factory that discharges in water
o Social issue: housing of employees that restrict housing of other citizens
Measures
• Reputation = the general evaluation of an organization, leading to likeability and
preference
• Legitimacy = the assessment of an organization against the norms, values, and
expectations of its stakeholders, in terms of what those stakeholders deem
acceptable and favored by the organization
• Skepticism = whether the company’s response is misleading
Conclusion
• Sending an accommodative or adaptive response enhances reputation and legitimacy
compared to no response
• Timing matters:
o An accommodative response lowers perceptions of skepticism in the pre-
problem stage (vs. peak stage), which in turn impacts reputation and
legitimacy
, o An adaptive response in the pre-problem stage (vs. peak stage) enhances
perceptions of skepticism
• But only for the sustainability issue (not the social issue)
o Not important for everyone but for specific person
• Conclusion: bridging strategy is preferable but be aware of consolidation versus
adaption and its timing
Corporate communication
• Who is concerned by the scandal?
o Shareholders (people who are financially involved), customers
• What needed/needs to be done?
o Apologize to customers
• What has been done?
• How can the negative effects be countered?
o Communication strategy
• How could it have been prevented?
o (Communication) management
Boek H1: Defining Corporate Communication
Definition of Corporate Communication
• A management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all
internal and external communication with an overall purpose of establishing and
maintaining favorable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the
organization is dependent
• It’s important to know how people think about your organization and how you can
influence it
Change over time
• In the 1970s it was more about public relations (how do you stay connected with the
press, very tactical, e.g. staying in touch with journalists)
• Now: it is more holistic (focus on organization as a whole), stakeholder presentation
(how an organization presents to its key stakeholders, internal and external)
• 21 century Corporate communications: range of specialized disciplines
o Corporate advertising, corporate design, internal communications, issue and
crisis management, media relations, investor relations, change
communications, public affairs
Types of activity
• Managerial
o Planning
o Coordinating
o Counselling CEOs and senior managers
• Tactical
o Producing messages
o Disseminating messages
Anouk de Groot
Inhoud
Hoorcollege 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2
Boek H1: Defining Corporate Communication .................................................................................... 4
Hoorcollege 2: Media: Environment & Relations .................................................................................... 7
Boek H3: Corporate Communication in a Changing Media Environment ........................................... 7
Boek H8: Media Relations ................................................................................................................. 10
Hoorcollege 3: Stakeholder Management & CSR .................................................................................. 12
H4: Stakeholder Management and Communication......................................................................... 12
H13: Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Relations ...................................................... 16
Hoorcollege 4: Identity & Reputation ................................................................................................... 20
Boek H5: Corporate identity, branding & reputation ....................................................................... 20
Hoorcollege 5: Issues management ...................................................................................................... 24
Boek H10: Issues Management ......................................................................................................... 24
Hoorcollege 6: Crisis communication .................................................................................................... 30
Boek H11: Crisis communication ....................................................................................................... 30
Hoorcollege 7: Employee Communication ............................................................................................ 34
Boek H9: Employee Communication ................................................................................................. 34
Online lecture ................................................................................................................................ 34
College ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Hoorcollege 8: Communication strategies ............................................................................................ 40
Boek H6: Communication strategies ................................................................................................. 40
Hoorcollege 9: Research and Measurement ......................................................................................... 44
H7: Research and Measurement ....................................................................................................... 44
Hoorcollege 10: Leadership and change ............................................................................................... 48
H12: Leadership and Change Communication .................................................................................. 48
,Hoorcollege 1: Introduction
Issue attention cycle
Anthony Downs, writing in the early 70s described the Issue-Attention Cycle – the five stage
cycle of media attention and public interest regarding a particular issue
• The Pre-Problem Stage: This is when most people aren’t yet aware of the issue but
experts or interest groups might be.
• Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm: This is when the public suddenly
becomes aware of and alarmed about an issue
• Realising the cost of significant progress: Disillusionment sets in once people realise
how much it will cost to solve the problem, not only in terms of money but also
through sacrifices by large groups of the population.
• Gradual decline of intense public interest: “As more and more people realise how
difficult and how costly to themselves a solution to the problem would be, three
reactions set in. Some people just get discouraged. Others feel threatened by
thinking about the problem, so they suppress such thoughts. Still others become
bored by the issue.” Other issues start to get more attention instead.
• The post-problem stage: The problem gets moved off into a “twilight realm of lesser
attention.” But things are not the same as before – new institutions, policies and
programmes are in place, and any issue that has been through the cycle is more likely
to get attention again at certain points.
The business follows the rules, but still people think it’s not good
How issues can evolve
Research
Research questions
1. What do Dutch communication professionals at organizations currently do regarding
issue monitoring and issue communication in the pre-problem and peak stage?
2. To what extent does issue communication strategies affect corporate reputation
and/or legitimacy, and does this effect differ per issue stage and issue type?
Study 1: research question 1 -> 2 online focus groups, 5 participants per group, self-
selection: communication professionals with experience in issue communication
Key findings:
• Monitoring and assessment: when does a topic become an issue, and how can you
raise intra-organizational awareness? The pre-problem stage is essential
, • The participants prefer to use bridging strategies to cope with (evolving) issues.
Effective issue communication does not always take place in or via media
• Organization’s reputation and license to operate are important, but not key
o More important: In the end the stakeholders have to be satisfied with the
decisions
o Less important: what other people think about it
Bridging strategies = talk to people, try to avoid conflict → (try to build bridges between)
Study 2: research question 2 -> experiment
Materials
• 4 response strategies:
o No response: no substantive change (consolidation), no communication
o Defensive: no substantive change (consolidation), defensive communication
(buffering)
o Accommodative: no substantive change (consolidation), accommodative
communication (bridging)
o Adaptive: some substantive change, accommodative communication
(bridging)
• 2 issues stages: pre-problem vs. peak
• 2 (fictious) issues
o Sustainability issue: chemical factory that discharges in water
o Social issue: housing of employees that restrict housing of other citizens
Measures
• Reputation = the general evaluation of an organization, leading to likeability and
preference
• Legitimacy = the assessment of an organization against the norms, values, and
expectations of its stakeholders, in terms of what those stakeholders deem
acceptable and favored by the organization
• Skepticism = whether the company’s response is misleading
Conclusion
• Sending an accommodative or adaptive response enhances reputation and legitimacy
compared to no response
• Timing matters:
o An accommodative response lowers perceptions of skepticism in the pre-
problem stage (vs. peak stage), which in turn impacts reputation and
legitimacy
, o An adaptive response in the pre-problem stage (vs. peak stage) enhances
perceptions of skepticism
• But only for the sustainability issue (not the social issue)
o Not important for everyone but for specific person
• Conclusion: bridging strategy is preferable but be aware of consolidation versus
adaption and its timing
Corporate communication
• Who is concerned by the scandal?
o Shareholders (people who are financially involved), customers
• What needed/needs to be done?
o Apologize to customers
• What has been done?
• How can the negative effects be countered?
o Communication strategy
• How could it have been prevented?
o (Communication) management
Boek H1: Defining Corporate Communication
Definition of Corporate Communication
• A management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all
internal and external communication with an overall purpose of establishing and
maintaining favorable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the
organization is dependent
• It’s important to know how people think about your organization and how you can
influence it
Change over time
• In the 1970s it was more about public relations (how do you stay connected with the
press, very tactical, e.g. staying in touch with journalists)
• Now: it is more holistic (focus on organization as a whole), stakeholder presentation
(how an organization presents to its key stakeholders, internal and external)
• 21 century Corporate communications: range of specialized disciplines
o Corporate advertising, corporate design, internal communications, issue and
crisis management, media relations, investor relations, change
communications, public affairs
Types of activity
• Managerial
o Planning
o Coordinating
o Counselling CEOs and senior managers
• Tactical
o Producing messages
o Disseminating messages
