An article that suggests that PR and communications might be the glue that helps stick an organisation together to help it move forward in the post GFC environment put a new angle for me on the potential role of Australian PR Departments.
Written by Kevin O’Neill, president and COO of dna 13, a US maker of communications software, it argues that there is a larger need for all departments within organisations to synchronize their objectives with those of the overall business – a need that can be met by starting with the PR and communications function.
As the article was published on PR News Online and access is only by registration I can only provide an outline of what O’Neill had to say which included:
“PR Departments now have a greater need to:
• Communicate with other parts of the business because of social media, such as customer service and sales;
• Stay coordinated across multiple regions, issues and business units”.
O’Neill comments that the most successful PR professionals synchronize their communications with their organisation’s business plans.
He says there are no silos anymore, thanks to the ubiquity of social media and to ‘synch up’ relations with other departments PR professionals need to:
• “Learn the objectives and pain points of your counterparts in operations, sales, marketing, technology HR etc;
• “Keep an eye out for issues or problems that could have an impact on their day-to-day operations; and
• “Cultivate relationships beyond the C-suite. In fact hold meetings to deal with issues jointly”.
His bottom-line is “In PR and communications, every message must map back to your plan to ensure delivery to the right audience via the best channels and to guarantee it is consistent with other departments’ objectives and messages.”
He concludes by saying that by taking steps to synchronize their plans, relationships, tools and messages, PR execs can drive organisational success in 2010 – and beyond.
As I say it opened up some new angles and thoughts for me. Hopefully this synopsis does for you too.
If you want to know more dna13 has a free White Paper for download entitled - “Synchronize your organization and regain control of your brand and reputation”. From it they claim you will get access to the top 4 tips from the experts, to ensure that your organisation is working in synch. It’s worth a read if you have ambitions for a greater role for PR and communications within your organisation.
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