Moradia Isolada com Logradouro; Detached house with patio in Penacova
Strategic Communication: A Business Perspective
1. STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATION
A Business Perspective
Robert T. Hastings
Senior Vice President
Communications & Gov’t Affairs
Chief of Staff
Bell Helicopter
Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Public Affairs (acting)
2008-2009
2.
3.
4. The Birth of
Human Communication
4000 BC
The Evolution of the
Strategic Communicator
5. The Golden Age of
Advertising
1930’s – 1970’s
The Evolution of the
Strategic Communicator
6. The Age of
Public Relations
1990’s-2000’s
The Evolution of the
Strategic Communicator
8. The Evolution of the
Strategic Communicator
Today - The Age of Strategic Communications
9. Strategic Communication
The Information Environment is Changing…… Every Day
• News has become hyper-competitive
• Perceptions drive customer behavior
• Everyone is trying to influence everyone
• All information reporting is biased
• There is a journalist on every corner and a camera in every pocket
• Consumers choice their source and give it credibility
• Institutional trust is down – whistleblower trust is up
• There is no longer a news cycle – speed is paramount
• Tactical actions can have immediate strategic consequences
• “Reporting” is faster than operational reporting
• We are competing with many voices
• Technology equalizes big and small voices
12. The strategic communication process is designed to
synchronize - and thus maximize the impact of - efforts
to achieve one or more of the following:
• Improve U.S. credibility and legitimacy;
• Weaken an adversary's credibility and legitimacy;
• Convince selected audiences to take specific actions
that support U.S. or international objectives;
• Cause a competitor or adversary to take (or refrain
from taking) specific actions.
Strategic Communication Joint Integrating Concept; 2009
Strategic Communication
13. Gentle/Indirect Forceful/Direct
Inform Educate Influence/Advocate Induce/Coerce
PSYOPS
The Information Operations Spectrum
MIL
DEC
Info Operations
PSYOPS
Public Diplomacy
Public Diplomacy
Public Affairs
Public Affairs Strategic Communication
14. Effective strategic communications are……
• Leadership driven: leadership provides clear
intent, direction, and engagement.
• Business focused: derived from the business’ goals and
objectives and short and long-range strategic plans.
• Strategic: focused on understanding and shaping the
environment through sound research, analysis, planning and
assessment.
• Credible: honest, timely, and as transparent as possible.
Hastings Principles of
Strategic Communication
15. Effective strategic communications are……
• Thoughtful: engaging the right audience with the right
message at the right time.
• Results oriented: undertaken to achieve specific outcomes.
• Dynamic: persistent, continuous, adaptable and agile
• Employee centric: well informed and engaged employees are
a competitive advantage.
• Coordinated: synchronized and coordinated across the
business, horizontally and vertically.
Hastings Principles of
Strategic Communication
16. Lessons Learned………
• Strategic Communication is a leadership function
• It must be embedded in business strategy
• Influence is name of the game
• Think bigger than media, but don’t forget about it
• Use every tool, every channel, every opportunity
• Listen, understand, know audiences
• Act first and communicate first - Imagery and speed win
• Credibility and legitimacy are paramount
• Research, assess and measure
• Be prepared for “casualties”
Strategic Communication
The practice of strategic communication is not limited to the world of government and military public affairs. Today businesses large and small are discovering the power of synchronizing their images, actions and words to be more effective in the marketplace and win. Success or failure in strategic business communications can grow a business or ruin it; create jobs or lose them; build capital or wipe it out; or as we’ve seen in recent years, shape the future of entire industries. What I hope to share with you today is my perspective on strategic communications, gained as a military public affairs officer,former Pentagon public affairs chief, accredited public relations professional, and a business executive.
It’s no surprise to those of us in this room that the way the world develops, manages and consumes information is changing faster today than at any time in our history, and along with it so is the way we practice communications. With this speed of change, the need for effective strategic communication is more important than ever. When I walked into the pentagon a few years ago – this was the world of strategic communications. These are the images that many of you in this room would select to represent what you do every day. This world has been the focus of the strategic communications dialogue. This world has been at the core of most of the presentations you’ve heard over the past few days. Today’s dynamic communications environment requires a new brand of leader who is more than just the architect of a company’s words. Communication leaders must be more than counselors for what an organization says; they must be architects, advocates and watchdogs for its actions as well. They must have not only a seat at the table, but a voice as well; one grounded in credibility as a member of the C-suite leadership. Communication leaders must be business leaders who understand their environment well enough to participate in the decision-making process and exercise influence at the front end, not just develop the talking points, after decisions have been made.
This is the view of strategic communications out in the business world. Today’s dynamic communications environment requires a new brand of leader who is more than just the architect of a company’s words. Communication leaders must be more than counselors for what an organization says; they must be architects, advocates and watchdogs for its actions as well. You - strategic communicator - must have not only a seat at the table, but a voice as well; one grounded in credibility as a member of the C-suite leadership. Communication leaders must be business leaders who understand their environment well enough to participate in the decision-making process and exercise influence at the front end, not just develop the talking points, after decisions have been made.
Everyone here knows this – the environment that we do our jobs in has changed – and continues to do so at a rapid pace.
Modern technology equalizes the battlefield of communication, giving small voices equal and sometimes even more powerful voices. The war of ideas can be between east and west, between capitalism and communism, or it can between corporations and individuals.
