Strategic Communication 101: Branding and Corporate Communication Stakeholder Mapping and Communication Employees Investors Community Government

What This Is

Stakeholder Mapping and Communication is a crucial aspect of strategic communication that involves identifying, analyzing, and engaging with various groups that have a vested interest in an organization's success. Effective stakeholder mapping and communication can help build trust, foster relationships, and mitigate risks. For instance, Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol recall in 1982 is often cited as a gold standard for crisis communication. The company's swift and transparent response helped to restore public trust and minimize the damage to their reputation.

Key Theories & Models

• Image Repair Theory (Benoit): This theory proposes five strategies for repairing an organization's image after a crisis: denial, evasion, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification. The choice of strategy depends on the severity of the crisis and the availability of evidence.
• PESO Model: The PESO model categorizes media into four categories: Paid (advertising), Earned (media coverage), Shared (user-generated content), and Owned (company-controlled media). This model helps organizations plan integrated campaigns that leverage all four categories.
• Stakeholder Theory: This theory identifies stakeholders as groups that have a vested interest in an organization's success. Stakeholders can be internal (employees, management) or external (customers, investors, community).
• Social Identity Theory: This theory explains how individuals derive a sense of identity and belonging from their group memberships. Organizations can use this theory to create campaigns that appeal to customers' social identities.
• Diffusion of Innovations Theory: This theory explains how new ideas and behaviors are adopted by individuals and groups. Organizations can use this theory to create campaigns that promote the adoption of new products or services.
• Crisis Communication Theory: This theory proposes that crisis communication should be proactive, transparent, and empathetic. Organizations should have a crisis communication plan in place to mitigate the impact of a crisis.
• Reputation Management Theory: This theory explains how organizations can manage their reputation by creating a positive image and building trust with stakeholders.
• Public Relations Excellence Model: This model proposes that public relations excellence is achieved through a combination of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and media relations.

Step-by-Step Application

1. Identify Stakeholders: Conduct a stakeholder analysis to identify all groups that have a vested interest in the organization's success.
2. Analyze Stakeholder Needs: Analyze the needs and expectations of each stakeholder group to determine how to engage with them effectively.
3. Develop a Communication Plan: Develop a communication plan that outlines the key messages, channels, and tactics for engaging with each stakeholder group.
4. Implement the Plan: Implement the communication plan and monitor its effectiveness.
5. Evaluate and Adjust: Evaluate the effectiveness of the communication plan and make adjustments as needed.

Common Misconceptions

• Misconception: "PR is just spin."
• Correction: Public relations is about building trust and credibility with stakeholders through transparent and honest communication. For example, Dove's Real Beauty campaign is a great example of a PR campaign that built trust and credibility with its target audience.
• Misconception: "A crisis will never happen to us."
• Correction: Crises can happen to any organization, and it's essential to have a crisis communication plan in place to mitigate the impact of a crisis. For example, Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol recall in 1982 is a classic example of a crisis that could have been avoided with better quality control.
• Misconception: "Advertising is dead."
• Correction: Advertising is still a powerful tool for reaching target audiences, but it's essential to integrate it with other forms of communication, such as social media and public relations. For example, Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad campaign is a great example of a successful advertising campaign that integrated with public relations and social media.

Exam / Accreditation Tips

• Case-study prompts: Be prepared to analyze a case study and develop a communication plan that addresses the needs of various stakeholder groups.
• Tricky distinctions: Be able to distinguish between outputs, outcomes, and outtakes in a communication campaign.
• Strategic thinking: Demonstrate strategic thinking by analyzing the needs of various stakeholder groups and developing a communication plan that addresses those needs.

Quick Practice Scenario

Scenario: Your company's CEO is caught on video making an offensive remark. Outline the first three steps your crisis communication team should take.

Answer: 1. Acknowledge the issue and apologize for the CEO's behavior. 2. Provide context for the CEO's behavior and explain the actions being taken to address the issue. 3. Engage with stakeholders through social media and other channels to provide updates and answer questions.

Rationale: This response is grounded in Image Repair Theory, which proposes that organizations should use a combination of denial, evasion, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification to repair their image after a crisis. In this scenario, acknowledging the issue and apologizing for the CEO's behavior is a key step in repairing the organization's image.

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

• PESO Model: Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned media categories
• Image Repair Theory: Five strategies for repairing an organization's image after a crisis
• Stakeholder Theory: Identifies stakeholders as groups that have a vested interest in an organization's success
• Social Identity Theory: Explains how individuals derive a sense of identity and belonging from their group memberships
• Diffusion of Innovations Theory: Explains how new ideas and behaviors are adopted by individuals and groups
• Crisis Communication Theory: Proposes that crisis communication should be proactive, transparent, and empathetic
• Reputation Management Theory: Explains how organizations can manage their reputation by creating a positive image and building trust with stakeholders
• Public Relations Excellence Model: Proposes that public relations excellence is achieved through a combination of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and media relations
• APR Code of Ethics: Provides a framework for ethical public relations practice
• ⚠️ 'Two-way symmetrical' is not just 'listening' – it's mutual adjustment, not just research to improve persuasion."