9 Types of Corporate Communication to Power Up Your Brand Identity
‘Corporate communication’ has earned the reputation of being a bit of a buzzy buzz phrase.
When you hear it, chances are you’re going to think of dull samey emails, or deleted-without-opening newsletters.
Am I right?
But this is a common – and unfortunate – interpretation of corporate comms.
In reality, corporate communication is a powerful and essential tool for all businesses to develop a strong brand identity… and thrive as a result.
As communications master Richard Dolphin puts it in his ebook, published alongside The Chartered Institute of Marketing:
“No organization exists in a vacuum. Every organization has a place in, and impacts on, its own environment. Each organization needs to communicate with those key publics whose perceptions and opinions it deems important.”
And we would wholeheartedly agree with this standpoint.
The thing is, mastering the art takes time and strategic thinking. It takes looking at your brand from an objective, holistic view and careful consideration of the impression you want to leave on your stakeholders, employees and customers.
And this is from an all-channel standpoint, communicating both internally and externally (examples of this later).
But first, let’s drill down into the details.
What exactly are corporate communications?
Take a second to think of a person you trust and admire. What is it you like about them?
Most likely it’s their consistency. Their actions match up to what you believe about them – their personality traits, their behavior, and your expectations.
But also because you have similar values and recognize yourself in their personality.
This is the same for a brand’s corporate communications.
If a brand delivers consistently across the board and the customer knows what to expect, they will develop a sense of trust. And if they communicate their values in a way that resonates with customers, this can help to cement that trust – and their likeability appeal – even further.
5 reasons why corporate communications are as powerful as ever
1. Companies with highly engaged employees can improve operating income by 19.2% over a 12-month period.
2. Presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.
3. 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values.
4. Organizations with effective change and communication programs are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers.
5. 85% of employees say they’re most motivated when management offers regular updates on company news.
As you can see, a solid corporate communications strategy is going to power up your brand identity. And the positive repercussions can boost revenue and overall contentment amongst stakeholders.
I think it’s time to take a look at best practice corporate comms in action.
Hold on tight.
9 Types of Corporate Comms that Work Wonders
1. ANNUAL REPORTS
On the face of it, an annual report could seem yawn-inducing. But in fact, it’s a great opportunity to showcase and communicate your brand’s achievements in a creative and relatable way.
Take a look at this gleaming example from spirit company, Corby.
Why it works like a dream
- For one thing, it’s impeccably presented. It’s easy on the eye and each section of the report has a unique illustration for an added creative touch.
- The information is presented concisely, with a backdrop of storytelling, such as ‘OWN YOUR STORY’ and ‘NEVER STAND STILL’, so the brand identity is reinforced at every step.
- All data is presented in bite-sized chunks, so the reader won’t be overwhelmed. But if the reader’s after more in-depth data, they can easily navigate through the links and prompts within the stories.
2. DIGITAL SIGNAGE
Digital signage around a building is a powerful way to connect employees, teams and whoever comes to visit (which could be customers).
Key messages such as room booking, emergency information, company news, sales dashboards, and even fun inspirational quotes can be instantly displayed across the network of digital signage screens.
Plus it’s actually a seriously cost-effective solution that can help deliver your brand message and grab the attention of your audience. So it’s a win-win.
Here’s an example of industry-specific news being used on a digital signage display.
Why it works like a dream
- Everyone in the company will be interested as industry-specific news is most likely something employees (and customers on a lesser scale) will live and breathe.
- Digital displays capture 400% more views than static displays, so you can be sure everyone is informed.
- The mix of visuals and informative text on a large screen will be attention-grabbing for passers-by and those seated too.
3. MISSION STATEMENT
Ah, the company mission statement. Not a comm with a good rep, it’s fair to say.
But companies can miss a trick with powering this up.
“A mission statement is intended to clarify the what, who, and why of a company. On the other hand, a vision statement describes where the company wants a community, or the world, to be as a result of the company’s services. A mission statement is the roadmap for the company’s vision statement.”
Take a look at this glowing example from Sweet Green.
Why it works like a dream
- The mission is positioned to align with the customer’s values, not just portrayed as something the brand believes.
- The language is inclusive and lets us know that the company is all about connecting its network of farmers growing healthy local ingredients. But importantly, the company also stands for connecting with the customer.
- The mission to connect people comes across powerfully and clearly, with no room for misinterpretation.
4. FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS
Corporate communications aren’t just limited to the visuals and the written word. It’s also about how a brand interacts on a face to face level.
Imagine you’re meeting an online date (bear with me). You’ve exchanged messages and they’re witty and seem friendly and approachable. And you like their pictures too. But when you meet in person, their personality level drops to sub-zero. They don’t quite match up to how they came across in other communications.
Disjointed, right?
And that’s why the company culture and face to face interactions need to feel cohesive with all other communication avenues.
This goes for online video conferencing too – which is going to be increasingly prevalent as time goes on.
According to a 2009 Forbes Insights survey of more than 750 business professionals, 80% of people said they thought face to face meetings led to stronger, more meaningful business relationships.
5. YOUR WEBSITE’S ABOUT PAGE
About pages are a bit of a lost art.
Many companies just add a boring blurb without seizing the opportunity to reinforce their brand and all its bells and whistles.
Put simply, it’s another chance to connect with your audience and showcase who your brand really is.
Look at this example from children’s personalized book creator, Librio.
Why it works like a dream
- It powerfully conveys how Librio cares for their customers and their customers’ children. The reader is left in no doubt that they are dealing with a caring company.
- They promote two impressive CSR efforts to reinforce their caring side.
- The copy is clear, concise and easy to read. This means the reader will stay engaged and not switch off due to a text overload.
6. COMPANY BROCHURE
Company/marketing brochures are a flexible form of communication that can be used just about anywhere. You can present them to warm up leads and they serve to give a holistically impressive overview of your company.
Take a look at this example from the magazine company, Aeon.
Why it works like a dream
- It’s designed in brand colors and fonts to be cohesive with their branding across the board.
Reboot did a test within their company and after studying brand logos for 10 minutes, 78% were able to recall the primary color of the logo, compared to only 43% who were able to remember the name. So it goes to show how important brand colors are when it comes to recognition.
- The header is short and snappy, but manages to show exactly why they’re so great (we work hard) and what their customer gets from them (so you can work smart).
7. DIRECT MAIL
According to a study by CompuMail, ‘73% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want.’
So it still holds a lot of weight in a corporate communications strategy.
Let’s take a look at this example from World Water Day, who launched a direct mail campaign to demonstrate the importance of water.
Why it works like a dream
- The campaign wanted to convey that water is the source of all knowledge. And they created it so that recipients could only read the mailer when it was held underwater. Seriously creative, right? Yes, but it also strengthens their brand by being highly memorable.
- Its tactile nature helps to engage and pique curiosity, which helps the reader to emotionally connect with the experience and the brand as a whole.
8. EMAIL BLASTS & NEWSLETTERS
Remember what I said at the beginning about deleted-without-opening newsletters?
While this is true in some cases, it doesn’t have to be for all. In fact, some brands are doing amazingly when it comes to incorporating newsletters into their corporate communications strategy.
These examples from HubSpot hit the nail on the head perfectly – have a peek.
Stuck for inspiration? Here is a pick and mix of ideas to spice up your newsletter and keep it in line with your corporate communications.
- Favorable articles about your company
- Business changes that impact customers
- A company anniversary or milestone
- Recent award nominations or wins
- A list of recent job openings
- Monthly business recaps
- A behind-the-scenes look at your company
- A message from the CEO
- Insight into your company’s history
- Important dates to keep in mind
And the great thing is, these can work for both external and internal audiences.
Although, you will want to tailor the tone of voice for each one to make sure you’re talking directly to your employees or customers.
9. SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is becoming an important part of the corporate communications mix, as it perfectly presents the opportunity for companies to showcase their brands.
In fact, research from Investis shows the following:
“There has been a rise in the FTSE 100 companies linking their corporate websites to social media from 35% three years ago to 72% today, and a rise of US SEP 100 linked companies from 61% to 89%.”
Look at this (pretty hilarious) example from The Royal Academy.
This tweet actually went viral, and it had no purpose other than to make people laugh and generate a buzz around the brand.
Why it works like a dream
- More than anything, it’s demonstrating the brand’s sense of humor. It’s not trying to sell anything, it just wants to make people laugh. This portrays the fun side of the company and helps to create that all-important emotional connection.
- There’s not much text and it’s led by imagery, which is eye-catching on social platforms.
The vital need for cohesion
The most important thing to remember with your corporate comms, is that being cohesive and consistent is everything.
If you can manage to fuse your brand values and personality into your communications, at every step, and every stage, you will have happier employees, and more engaged customers. And with any luck, as history shows – more profit as a result.
