Modern Corporate Communications Training

Introduction:

Public Relations and Communications are at the heart of business performance. The discipline of corporate communications has evolved as modern methods, tools, and channels have greatly increased the speed at which communications can be disseminated, from local to global. Understanding corporate communications and its integral role in an organization's strategy is crucial for professionals in this field.

In this corporate communications course, participants may pursue a corporate communications certification to solidify their expertise further and establish their credibility as skilled corporate communications professionals. Whether obtaining a corporate communications certificate or striving to master best practices in corporate communications, this course provides the foundational knowledge necessary for success in the field.

Targeted Groups:

• Corporate Communications Practitioners and Managers.
• Public Relations Officers and Managers.
• Marketing Officers and Managers.
• Digital and Social Media Specialists.
• Internal Communications Practitioners.
• Professionals Wanting to Improve Communications in Their Areas of Responsibility.

Course Objectives

By the end of this corporate communications course, participants will be able to:

• Set Corporate Affairs in strategic, anticipatory, and effective context.
• Develop an understanding of stakeholder programs for regular, focused communication.
• Examine the development of Corporate Affairs tools.
• Understand the development of strategy/plans/tactics and coordinate these.
• Evaluate the use of research.
• Learn the tools and techniques required to manage reputation in a complex media environment.
• Manage knowledge within the business for effective media management.
• Shape external perceptions of their organization through first-class corporate internal communications.
• Develop a strategic approach and a clear plan of action to achieve corporate communications goals.

Targeted Competencies:

At the end of this corporate communications training, target competencies will:

• Plan, organize, and lead with a focus on corporate communications strategy.
• Control and evaluate communication effectiveness.
• Write communication tailored for corporate audiences.
• Public speaking and media handling to maintain positive public relations and corporate communications.
• Build rapport and effectively engage stakeholders.
• Provide and receive feedback to refine corporate communications best practices.

Course Content:

Unit 1: The Power of Communication:

• Learn about goal setting within the corporate communications framework.
• Corporate Affairs and Public Affairs approaches.
• Corporate identity and image are part of the definition of overarching corporate communications.
• Corporate communications overview and strategy.
• Understand external reputation management Communication as a change agent.
• Communication is a goal for all managers and is aligned with corporate communications goals.

Unit 2: From the Inside Out: Crafting Consistent Messages:

• Understand internal communications as a cornerstone of corporate communications.
• Learn about family and friends as stakeholders in a comprehensive corporate communications strategy.
• Measuring Emotional Capital in Connection with Corporate Communications Goals.
• Communication channels mapping and monitoring.
• Set internal communications goals.
• Explore new media for rapid interaction and enhanced engagement.
• Learn about the champions, opinion formers, and incentivization.
• Understand the place of the company magazine/newsletter in the corporate communications mix.
• Explore the multinational internal communications program and its importance.
• Learn about commitment from internal decision-makers to support corporate communications efforts.

Unit 3: Risks and Threats: Their Identification and Management:

• Explore single-issue politics and its impact on public relations and corporate communications.
• Understand special interest groups and their influence on corporate communications.
• Know the whistleblowers and the rules of disclosure within corporate communications.
• Understand external opinion formers and their role in shaping public perception.
• Know cause-related PR and core values alignment.
• Explain campaigns and their design and planning within a corporate communications framework.
• Understand a crisis management toolkit tailored for corporate communications analysts.
• Know the Stakeholders' interest inventories as a tool for corporate communications professionals.
• Opinion on former networks and their impact on corporate communications strategy.

Unit 4: Corporate Affairs/PR in the Corporate Mix:

• Know the PR in the communications mix and its relation to corporate communications training.
• Know the PR in the marketing mix – complementing corporate communications efforts.
• Explore the direct response PR and its effectiveness.
• Know the financial PR as a niche within corporate communications.
• PR and strategy integration.
• Learn about the brand PR and its alignment with corporate identity.
• Learn about persuasion measurement techniques in the context of corporate communications.
• Integrate PR/Communications and marketing plans for consistency.
• Overview: The art of leveraging corporate communications for branding and image.
• Corporate affairs and customer relations – enhancing the corporate communications strategy.

Unit 5: Powerful and Persuasive Action Planning:

• Measure the performance of the bottom-line impact of effective corporate communications.
• Translate strategy to tactics within the purview of a corporate communications analyst.
• Know horizons for PR and corporate affairs development.
• Learn about Tools and Techniques Summary: a tactical inventory for corporate communications.
• Recruit allies: a networking approach to strengthening corporate communications.
• Justify the plan and convince top management of the importance of corporate communications goals.
• Make the most of other disciplines to maximize results in corporate communications.
• Know the individual and group consultancy to improve corporate communications practices.
• Know the further sources of help and information for continuous learning in corporate communications.

Unit 6: International Communication on CSR & Sustainability:

• Overview of communications and reporting revolution (what happened and what it means) in corporate communications.
• Understand strategic approaches to sustainability reporting and communications within the corporate communications framework.
• Make reporting and communication work for your organization in alignment with corporate communications goals.
• Sustainability Reports (do we need one, what standard, and what should be included) are part of corporate communications.
• Explore the Global Reporting Initiative and its role in enhancing corporate communications reports.
• How can a sustainability reporting and communications strategy be created and implemented as an extension of corporate communications?

Unit 7: Common mistakes in CSR communication:

• Discuss the common mistakes to avoid to help your CSR work and investments to create better and preserve value for shareholders and the community.
• Understand corporate communications best practices.