Intuition to insight: The digital transformation of corporate communications
The shift to data-led practices in corporate communications is transformative. It is also inevitable.
Our latest report for NewsWhip - Intuition versus Insight: Digital transformation and the corporate communications function - is a study of the digital transformation of corporate communications.
Unlike marketing or sales, corporate communications doesn’t have a standardised workflow to underpin digital transformation efforts. Practice, processes, and structure differ from organisation to organisation based on factors such as culture, industry, scale and stakeholders.
We’ve identified distinct approaches to digital transformation. The most radical is a complete digital transformation from a data perspective. More commonly, teams approach the issue task-by-task and tool-by-tool.
Whatever the perspective of an agency or in-house team there is an inevitability about digital transformation.
Digital has become the dominant form of media. Data and insights have shifted practice from intuition to insight, and AI has brought a new wave of innovation.
The benefits of digital transformation are numerous, driving improvements in effectiveness and efficiency. These include:
Supporting strategic communications and alignment with management
Improving management planning and decision-making
Enhancing risk mitigation and crisis response
Boosting creativity and content generation
Optimising resources and efficiency
The report outlines the steps for solving business problems with communications technology, emphasising that tool selection should be the endpoint of a review of business processes, not the starting point.
It also includes guidance on future-proofing the corporate communications function. The steps include assessment and planning, tool selection and implementation, capability development, process optimisation, and measurement and reporting.
Intuition versus Insight, along with our earlier studies for NewsWhip on the contribution of corporate communications to management and managing issues related to purpose and polarization, provides valuable insights for communications professionals navigating the digital landscape and looking to improve their practice and strategic value within organisations.
All three reports are based on interviews with corporate communications practitioners from large international companies and senior public relations agency practitioners.
