Trends in Corporate Communications and four new competencies for success: strategist, scientist, activist, artist. Based on lecture by Lois Kelly to Emerson College Integrated Marketing Communications graduate class.

1. Reinventing Corporate Communications!
@Lois Kelly | foghound.com | April 17, 2015!

2. 2

3. A Handbook for Leading
Change from Within
Lois Kelly & Carmen Medina
REBELS
AT WORK
“Rebels at Work is the essential guide to rocking the boat. From the trenches,
Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina outline how to gain credibility, pitch ideas,
navigate politics, manage conflict, and maintain sanity.”
—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and
New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take
3

4. Traditional Corporate
Communications
Innovative Corporate
Communications
Publicity
Purpose
Awareness
Perception
Target audiences
Build communities +
relationships
Uphold voice of the institution
Activate voices of people
Produce materials
Support creative expression
Distribute
Share
Responsive
Always on
Measure volume
Assess strategic impact
Source: Lois Kelly/Foghound
4

5. TREND: Blurring lines + consolidation
Chief Communications !
Officer!
Chief Marketing!
Officer!
Brand
reputa+on
Corporate
reputa+on
REPUTATION
5

6. Which of these competencies do
corporate communicators need?
Strategist
Scientist
Activist
Artist
6

7. Which of these competencies do
corporate communicators need?
Strategist
Scientist
Activist
Artist
7
Purpose
Narrative
Reputation decisions
Exec coach
Crises
Questions
Data analytics
Behavioral
science
Sense making
Community building
Adaptive change
Participative leaders
Convenings
Design thinking
Creative expression
Experience design
Wonder as planning

8. 8
People don’t buy
WHAT you do,
they buy WHY
you do it.
Strategist

9. 9
Solve
biggest
science
challenges
to
make
lives
safer
and
healthier.
Nourishing
families.
DemocraAzing
the
skies.
Inspire
the
athlete
in
all
of
us.
Strategist

10. 10
What is purpose?
What is its value?
Motivational force that drives you.
Reason company belongs in world.
Informs, aligns strategy.
Guides decisions and investments.
Sets you apart.
Provides continuity.
Strategist

11. IBM Smarter Planet:
Solve the world’s
most challenging
problems
11
hGps://vimeo.com/18590195
Strategist

12. 12
Strategist
COACHING: crisis communications, exec communications
-- decisions effecting reputation!
hGps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzcVcjWeEog
Boston
Marathon
Lessons
in
Crisis
CommunicaAons

13. In what ways are
great corporate
communicators
like scientists?
13
Scientist

14. 14
Scientist
Be Curious. Master insightful questions.!

15. Understand research, tools, possible applications.
Way beyond social media analytics and focus groups.
15
Scientist

16. 10%: minority belief to majority opinion
h"p://news.rpi.edu/luwakkey/2902
Scientist
16

17. 17
Activist
Top down communicating
Controlling the “message”
“Owning” communications
Employee “engagement”

18. 18
Everyone communicates.!
Everyone can effect reputation.
Activist

19. 19
hGps://wolweek.wordpress.com/
hGp://workingoutloud.com/
Everyone communicates.!
Everyone can effect reputation.
Activist

20. What to do if you’re in charge of
communications?
20
Activist
Foster communities, networks and
relationships.
Hire community managers.
Make sense of internal and external
conversations: So what? Now what?
Bring outside ideas in. Act on them.
Never, ever bullshit people.
Your credibility is everything.
Ask people to help. Invite cognitive diversity.
Don’t think your talent is limited to your staff.

21. 21
The things we fear most in organizations—
fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances—are the
primary sources of creativity.”!
!
-Meg Wheatley!
Artist

22. Bring creativity to all you do.
22
Gutsy stories.
Ban the bland.
Make shareable.
Share everywhere.
Express in many ways.
Video, original songs, games,
World Cafes, Tweet-ups, salons,
photojournalism, info-graphics,
documentaries, mash-ups, etc.
Producer
Publisher
Talent agent
Filmmaker
Writer
Distributor
Coach
Spokesperson
Artist

23. 23
hGps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WepiuDT_Zrs
Artist

24. Set your default
to curiosity and
wonder.
(The overlooked magic
element of planning.)
24
Artist

25. 25
Always
have
a
wild
pack
to
run
with
and
learn
from.
Artist

26. And be a good
rebel, leading from
whatever your
position or
experience.
Adapt and change.
26
A Handbook for Leading
Change from Within
Lois Kelly & Carmen Medina
REBELS
AT WORK
“Rebels at Work is the essential guide to rocking the boat. From the trenches,
Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina outline how to gain credibility, pitch ideas,
navigate politics, manage conflict, and maintain sanity.”
—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and
New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take

27. 27
@LoisKelly
|
lkelly@foghound.com
h"p://www.slideshare.net/Foghound
Tons of good resources.
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