Communication companies aren't just some marketing experts to promote a product, idea, or niche. What dominates today and gives a head start to communication companies is crisis management, which is almost daily.
"A picture is worth a thousand words", says the popular saying. In our time, however, this picture seems to equal millions of words, and the saying has taken on even greater importance.
The ways of communicating and conveying messages to the public and the average citizen have changed, in some cases to a dangerous degree.
In an era where superficial analysis, positioning or opinion have replaced thought and logic, politicians, businesses and even the companies themselves specializing in communication are facing serious problems.
The dilemma is clear: A communication campaign that conveys the message in detail or a quick superficial, "virtual" positioning, which will simply make an impression?
In today's society and the age of social media, every day is a challenge. A complaint, a complaint or even a false report can create a huge crisis in all areas, as it is possible for them to spread with incredible speed.
In this context, communication companies are called upon to deal with the diffusion of information at the speed of light and the need to adapt not only their communication planning, but also the speed at which they respond.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that communication has changed fundamentally. Communication companies are no longer just some marketing experts to promote a product, idea, or niche. What dominates today and gives precedence to communication companies is crisis management, which, as we said, are almost daily.
On the other hand, almost all organizations, companies and politicians have understood that with conventional ways of communication the message is not going to get across and may not even reach the public. This is also the reason why there has been an increase in the number of such companies recently. Communication management has now passed to professionals, who have the knowledge and tools to effectively send the message on the one hand and to refute a negative development on the other.
THE EXAMPLEIN POLITICSOR
A striking example of the above is what happened with the former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, and his travels by plane. Demetris Christofias had then decided to charter an aircraft for the needs of his trips abroad. However, there was a huge outcry and strong criticism, as a result of which the decision was changed.
However, a few years later, the next President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, apologized to Demetris Christofias for the severe criticism he had made of him at the time. It is now self-evident that Demetris Christofias' decision to use an aircraft on presidential trips abroad was correct. The question, however, is: if the decision was correct, why did there be an outcry?
Experts answer that the mistake lies in the way the then government handled the issue in terms of communication. With this simple example, the exceptional importance of communication is highlighted, since a correct decision eventually turned into a bad one for the people, due to "bad" PR.
Always on the lookout
A communication campaign, even on the simplest issue, will have a counterargument. For this reason, communication companies must always be on "alert". Social Media and everyone's right to an opinion have created a landscape in which criticism is now considered a reflection of society in everything it sees and reads.
That's why communication companies are constantly on the lookout, not necessarily to refute a criticism, but to "fend off" the impact and absorb it as best as possible.
Strategy and smart marketing
Communication today looks like war. A strategy is needed to win the battle of impressions, but also flexibility, so that the messages correspond to the style of each era and the profile of consumers/citizens.
But beyond that, companies need to know where they are addressed. By knowing their audience, they also know how they respond. Now, even the duration of a campaign and the style to be used have a catalytic role. It doesn't take much for this effort to turn from advertising to defamation for a company. It is not necessary to make a big mistake; A little carelessness is enough. And no, it is no longer the case that sometimes defamation is the best advertisement. The terms of the game have changed and, in the event that false impressions are created, they are extremely difficult to reverse. What may stress communication experts the most today is not how to promote a new campaign, but how to prevent bad impressions.
Society has become more sensitive and at the same time more critical. This explosive cocktail can take you off and land you abruptly in a matter of time. After all, the channels of communication in today's era do not belong exclusively to anyone.
One could argue that, in previous decades, the media — radio, newspapers, television — could "manipulate" the needs of citizens and promote more easily what companies wanted, provided of course the price was right. This does not automatically mean that it was unethical or that advertising is illegal or unfair and should not be done.
What is underlined is that, in those times, a company could very easily gain a fanatical audience and gain the largest share of the market, simply because it had the money to buy television and advertising space in the largest channels and newspapers, which at the time were the only media for citizens and consumers.
It is no coincidence that in Cyprus we have seen these results. In the public perception, to this day, there are remnants of this era. For example, aspirin. The headache pill has its own nickname in Cyprus and this refers to the most famous company that produced aspirins. Another example is the eraser or corrective we used at school. These companies were not established by accident in the minds of consumers, but as a result of all the factors mentioned above.
Less money in the media – More in social
media The above, of course, does not apply only today. It is obvious that in recent years the "pie" of advertising in the traditional media has shrunk to such an extent that media revenues have fallen to the ground.
This is the phenomenon of the new era, since communication, as we said, is no longer the exclusive right of the Mass Media. After all, numbers never lie. If one analyzes the traffic on various communication channels on Social Media in relation to that of traditional media, one can easily see the pattern. Even advertising space on Social Media is granted at a lower price than a page in a newspaper.
It is also no secret that a result of the new era is the creation of so-called "influencers", through which companies use their recognition to promote campaigns. A single post by an individual can attract thousands more consumers than the traditional way of information, while in some cases the cost of this advertising can be much lower than what the media would charge.
The dilemma, however, still exists, since not everything can be "promoted" through social networks. Companies that manage the communication strategy of large organizations or even politicians know that the credibility of the media or even their name itself can add special value to a campaign. But even in this case there are changes.
Traditionally, advertising in the media was done through so-called banners, if we are talking about online communication channels, and full-page advertisements in newspapers. But this has changed. The use of "native articles", signed opinions and promotional information has entered the strategy of companies for good. This is not done to camouflage advertising as objective information, but to take advantage of the prestige and credibility of a media. A campaign can be clearly advertising and promoted as such, but its presence in a reliable medium gives the company the same credibility.
An important parenthesis in all of the above is the fact that journalists no longer have direct access to companies or even people involved in public affairs. In most cases, companies turned to communication specialists who manage their PR and even inquiries from journalists.
This is an important element that shows that in today's era companies have understood that the right communication policy takes precedence over the direct "friendly" relationship with those who exercise journalistic control. A point that has now been taken up by the communication companies, since through them the answers are given and the work of various organizations is promoted.
Art of knowing what to advertise and where
Another part of this communication that concerns the media is which product you are advertising and where. Companies choose on which website or newspaper to advertise something specific, counting its readership as "quality", if one can call it that, and not as quantity.
For example, a group of companies will advertise its most affordable car on a website aimed at the middle class, while a more expensive model will promote it on niche websites with an audience that has particular knowledge or opinions. This is not done blindly, of course. The same goes for gender or age. There will be one advertisement on a website for women and another on sports media. Another product or other way of communication will be selected for online advertising and different for advertising in the press.
Journalists turn it to marketing
Lately, more and more communication companies have recruited journalists, who for many different reasons that do not need to be analyzed in this report, leave the media and look for their future in a different type of communication.
On the one hand, their contacts and on the other hand, their experience in terms of what can "intrigue" the audience and in what way, are the biggest "weapons" that any marketing company would like to have.
From millionaires... bankrupts
What does the above mean? That communication is not something simple and needs to be constantly adapted to every change and new fact. Marketing is no longer just a science, but has the potential to create new millionaires or new bankrupts. New ideas, but also the correct perception of things, not only make a difference, but have the power to shape opinions, needs and impressions.
FROM INSIDER MAGAZINE
