Strategic Communications
Most academics, journalists, and consultants start with a basic assumption that all people in an organization march in lockstep to a common set of goals, that they are all devoted to maximizing corporate profits, that they can all recite the goal set, and that they are all “sort of automatons.” The Bolin Group—based upon over a decade of research— is profoundly aware that this is not the case. Our studies have convinced us it is rare that more than 15% of a workforce has the same—or even coherent—goals.
Traditional communications models assume a top down, directed approach to goal setting and communications management. The Bolin Group uses a different, more realistic model in which an organization’s communications occur through various, often informal links. By using this model to identify the reality–perception discrepancy within a client’s organization or between our client and their market, we identify the causes of that discrepancy. We can then seek to transform and smooth the organizations messaging into a powerful marketing tool. We then work with our clients to deploy that information out to the organization and target audiences.
Strategic Communications Services May Include: Assessment and analysis of current market perceptions (e.g., customers, prospects, partners, suppliers, analysts) (perception-reality testing) Assessment and analysis of current employee understanding and communications (perception-reality testing) Creation of strategic messaging that targets a specific audience (guiding perceptions) Creation of a communications strategy that identifies where and how to deploy messages (changing perceptions) Development of a Communications Strategy Playbook (institutionalizing communications change)
