How PR, marketing is shaping businesses

It would not be wrong to say that with evolving power and spread of the internet a drastic shift in the consumer behaviour could be sensed. However, this doesn't end here as we also know due to the pandemic there has been a lot of change in the existing world of marketing and branding. Enough and more has been talked about how the consumer has changed, the way they shop, learn, communicate, entertain, consume and interpret the information.

While the consumers' needs are changing, tech companies are trying to sync with consumers needs and demands to bridge the gap when it comes to marketing and branding.

Hence, corporate communications and marketing come into picture and are called as two essential pillars that play a vital role in the progression of business in this highly competitive era. These functions work together to establish and maintain the image and reputation of a company, and to effectively reach and engage with target audiences.

Corporate communication is the process of managing and controlling the flow of information between an organization and its various stakeholders, such as, employees, customers, and the public. Including internal communication to external communication, and encompasses a wide range of activities such as public relations, crisis communication, and employee engagement. Significantly, effective corporate communication is crucial for building trust and credibility with stakeholders and for maintaining the reputation of a company.

Marketing on the other hand can be defined simply as an strategic promotion of any brand, product or service to connect with audience through multiple mediums and tools i.e. advertising, market research, and branding. The objective of marketing is to generate awareness and interest in a company's offerings and to drive sales.

A Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Li Ka-shing has said "Information and communications technology unlocks the value of time, allowing and enabling multi-tasking, multi-channels, multi-this and multi-that"

Wisely understand your target audience: One of the most important aspects of corporate communication and marketing is the ability to understand and target specific audiences in accordance to their business. This means identifying who the company's customers are? What are their needs and wants? How to reach out leaving a strong impression?

After marking your target audience, the next crucial step is to reach out. In the internet age digital marketing comes as a boon, which includes tools like social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Digital marketing is a cost-effective way to reach to the mass audience.

Data analyzation: Another significant facet of corporate communication and marketing is the knack to measure and analyze the success and failure of the campaigns initiated. It includes tracking metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates. By understanding what is working and what isn't, companies can make data-driven decisions and improve their communications and marketing efforts.

Crisis communication & management: Nobody knows what could happen next and when it happens very few has the formula ready to deal with it and that's when corporate communications again come into picture. Crisis communication and management aims at protecting the reputation of the organization and maintaining its public image. In every crisis, there is a hidden prospect to grow faster.

The last three years of pandemic brought quite a learning for the human mankind, a decade's worth of developments and innovations on the digital front. Traditional PR and technology doesn't just co-exist but work seamlessly together. Additionally, technologies like Web3, Metaverse, AR/VR, AI, and ML, are offering a whole new dimension to immerse the target audience in the message even more. AI-driven platforms are taking over basic tasks bringing easy to reach to the mass.

As for any business the strategic planning is vital in the same way to create awareness and reach out to the mass strategic messaging is also crucial for the business to grow by drawing target audience attention for which tech and communication is walking along these days through multiple AI tools.

(The author is Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Onpassive)