Public affairs and communications management

"Surprisingly few business people think in a business like way about how to organise and deliver their corporate communications. Too many still believe in the power of traditional media coverage, wanting to get their name out there, anywhere.

This is missing a trick. It sees communications as an end in itself, not as means to a bigger business goal, be that driving sales, staving off unhelpful regulation or placating a group of twitchy shareholders.

A different approach is not rushing blindly into public relations, public affairs, marketing or advertising. It is first working out exactly who their company wants to engage with, what concerns those people have and where they go to for information.

If senior executives did more of this, they'd have some nice surprises. For example, setting up a Twitter account might get to more shareholders than a column inch in the Sunday business press, for a fraction of the cost. An intelligent feature in a trade magazine might get to more potential customers than an expensive set of conference exhibitions.

What could be more businesslike approach to communications?"