Communication and technology are proving to be the true engines for progress nowadays. Today, the big challenge for companies is to understand and manage their context. Thus, the figure of influencers is essential for companies, who consider them as a basic active for brands because of their ability to influence through the new digital channels. It is also important to understand that this new context promotes communication models based on the contents, corporate values or business ethics. Storytelling is, in this sense, an important element that helps audiences establish their view of reality, generate human emotions associated to the brand and in consequence create feedback as feelings, which favour the consumers’ engagement. In this context, employee alignment is fundamental for any company. It is also very positive to have clearly defined mission, vision, and values. Working atmosphere is also important as it impacts on business outcomes and helps a company to gain a better reputation among its key stakeholders. It is essential to promote innovation and a values-oriented leadership. This new upcoming landscape is based on the speed at which change overcomes, and a large volume of available, varied information. These three axes unveil a business management model in tune with the times and in a decidedly technological environment. Consequently, Big Data has transformed the world as we knew it, turning users into content managers. Besides, the new technological context and the arrival of Big Data have also had important consequences in the IT field. Besides, the new technological context and the arrival of Big Data has also had important consequences in the IT field. Listening to the public is the government’s juridical responsibility and all management must display an integrating attitude, organising and managing the large volumes of available information that is within our reach. Technologic development becomes a useful tool to measure, evaluate and control the different scenarios that can arise in business but which, at the same time, current circumstances demand a very person-oriented focus. Under this framework, companies need to bear in mind the important role employees play, vouching for their business project and their company’s competitiveness within the market.

1. The main task of communication departments
and technology solutions providers is joining
effort and value, and quantifying how much
communication adds to the final result balance.
All of this adds up to the need of redefining the
individual’s function within the organisation,
providing more independence and orienting their
focus towards innovation and added value.
Influencers, actors with a relevant
role for the organisation
The arrival of influencers signals the entrance of
a new actor in business communication. This new
stakeholder represents a social actor with the highest
levels of impact amongst consumers, since they
connect brands with final or potential customers
through new digital channels, fundamentally social
networks.
Influencers generate information traffic towards
the firm, have their own channels, and spread
relevant messages for a very specific public, who
immediately generate feedback. This circumstance
turns them into an asset for brands, which can
build content strategies through them and, using
different partnership models, will build over time
a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship.
This liaison must be managed transparently and
personally, since its main motivation is not always
linked to professional or economic aspirations, but
rather it has an emotional component.
On the other hand, influencers are experts in very
niche topics who hold a vast knowledge of specific
areas, who generate highly relevant contents for
their audiences. In addition, they also hold great
influence over the consumer’s behaviour whilst
incurring into very low production costs, which is
especially interesting for brands when it comes to
creating and promoting their content.
Content becomes the central
axis of brand communication
Communication is transforming the world at
global scale. Moreover, this transformation is
developing at a pace never seen before, thanks to
new information technologies. This radical change
means older strategies lose validity in favour of new
models of communication, which represents a great
opportunity for businesses.
Communication and technology are proving to be the true engines for progress nowadays.
Today, the big challenge for companies is to understand and manage their context.
Strategy Documents
I71/2015
A New Information
Environment: from
Persuasion to Influence
Communication
Insights&Trends
This document was developed by Corporate Excellence – Centre for Reputation Leadership and among other sources contains references to the
statements made by Jose Luís Polo, Territorio Creativo’s funding partner; Patricia Salgado, Digital Reputation Manager at Webloyalty; Ignacio
Samper, director of the European Parliament’s Office in Spain; during the event #InfluenceOne that took place in Madrid, on March 24, 2015.

2. Insights&Trends 2
A New Information
Environment:
from Persuasion
to Influence
It is now the time to create and share new
experiences and content. Values, business ethics or
social behaviour must be the base upon which to
build relevant stories around our brand. Storytelling
is an element that helps audiences establish their
view of reality, generate human emotions associated
to the brand and in consequence create feedback as
feelings, which favour the consumers’ engagement.
Employees as the brand’s engine
José Luís Polo, Territorio Creativo’s founding
partner, states that 1 in 5 workers do not feel
satisfied with their current position. This lack of
passion for their job impacts negatively in the
employee’s working environment, as well as in their
productivity and proactive capacity.
In this context, employee alignment is fundamental
for any company. It is very positive to have clearly
defined mission, vision, and values. Identity acts
as a unifying element within firms, since workers
understand and share the common goal, which in
turn has to be coherent with the business model and
the company project. Moreover, a solid project will
attract and retain talent, which will de facto turn
the company into a more competitive organisation.
Consequently, this has a direct reflection in the
results balance, generating larger revenues and
consolidating our position before key stakeholders
such as shareholders or the board of directors, in the
specific case of communication departments.
In the same way, favouring a working dynamic
with a focus on innovation will guarantee future
success. This work focus uses trust on the employee
as a central element, while it also generates team
spirit and translates into a leadership style based on
corporate values.
Connecting communication
with business results
A breakaway from older contexts and models is
already a well-established reality in the daily life of
companies. This new upcoming landscape is based
on the speed at which change overcomes, and a
large volume of available, varied information.
These three axes unveil a business management
model in tune with the times and in a decidedly
technological environment. Consequently, Big
Data has transformed the world as we knew it,
turning users into content managers.
On the other hand, the new technological context
and the arrival of Big Data has also had important
consequences in the IT field – its significant growth
over the past few years and excellent development
potential ensure good future prospects.
We are also speaking about a new context for
communication, where there is not a unique
solution, so a successful management will depend
on knowing how to combine the diverse measuring,
evaluating, and control tools, and on the company’s
capacity to put them at the service of strategy.
On this topic, Patricia Salgado, Digital Reputation
Manager at Webloyalty, reminds us a human
component is vital for technological development,
as technologies “must arise from people to circle
back down to them”.
«The arrival
of influencers
signals the
entrance of
a new actor
in business
communication»
Figure 1: The New Communication Model
Source: Corporate Excellence
ACTION
Boost action by
those who take
decisions based
on the beliefs
shared
ADVOCACY
Reach broder
audiences,
amplias, through
the networks
of a company’s
influencers
What makes us unique:
Our beliefs
Our values
Our purpose
Our actions
BELIEFS
CORPORATE
CHARACTER
Align those who take
decisions building
shared beliefs
TRUST
Gain trust:
their actions are
important

3. Insights&Trends 3
A New Information
Environment:
from Persuasion
to Influence
Walking towards a new Lobby Model
According to Ignacio Samper, director of the
European Parliament’s Office in Spain, listening
to the public is the government’s juridical
responsibility. It is also fundamental to tackle the
matter with transparency and without euphemisms.
The Institutional Relations area carries out a
basic function – allowing companies to prepare
in advance for the new legal frameworks arriving
from Europe. Companies not only have legitimacy
to represent their interests before regulating
institutions, but they also have to advocate for a
relation model with institutions that lobbies for the
field’s professionalization. Regulation of lobbying
activities is a guarantee of professional security,
which will increase the public’s trust on companies
in the occasion a case is in the public spotlight.
Europe is an exemplary model of this activity’s
regulation. The EU counts with an official registry
of lobbying professionals, which also records
their visits to political representatives. Thus, the
perception of this field, which is largely negative
amongst the members of the public, is normalised.
At the same time, we also favour the access
to regulators by societies defending social and
environmental causes.
Lastly, it is important to understand and place
the function of institutional relations within each
company. Depending on the intended market, we
will have to tackle this activity in different ways.
Nevertheless, regulation frameworks exist. These
affect the economic structure and society as a whole,
which is why professional bodies such as APRI (in
English, Association of Institutional Relations
Professionals) always advise to have a proactive
attitude towards regulatory bodies.
Conclusions
The only way to understand the environment
where companies and organisations carry out their
activities is under a holistic and broad perspective
of context.
Middle and higher management must display an
integrating attitude, organising and managing the
large volumes of available information that is within
our reach. Technologic development becomes a
useful tool to measure, evaluate and control the
different scenarios that can arise in business but
which, at the same time, current circumstances
demand a very person-oriented focus.
Individuals have become content managers in real
time, since not only do we produce it, but also we
are also able to spread it directly to our audiences.
Figures such as influencers become highly important
and attract media departments’ attention. These
teams will make great efforts to adapt their content
strategies to new trends. Under this framework,
companies need to bear in mind the important role
employees play, vouching for their business project
and their company’s competitiveness within the
market.
«Nowadays,
any individuals
can become a
content manager
in real time
and spread that
content directly
to the different
audiences»
Figure 2: Transmedia Wordle
Source: haikucomunicacionactiva
ARG´s
IPL
storytelling
performance
form
time
ARG stories
given
one
scene
fiction
members
experience
actors
someone
reality
improv
character
life two
known
show
scenes
audience
protagonist
real
transmediawithin
interactive
story
social media
interactive
players
fictional
games
part
play
online
choices
game
three
created
world
member
participant
inter-actors
characters
game
choose
several
players

4. Leading by
reputation
©2015, Corporate Excellence – Centre for Reputation Leadership
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lead and consolidate professional reputation management as a strategic asset, fundamental for building value of companies around the world.
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