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  • Corporate Communication: An Overview

    Coming into this semester I had no idea what to expect from this class.  I figured that we would just discuss companies and how they communicate, but it has been so much more than that.  The book,  Good to Great, expanded on what actions a company should take if they want to be successful and move past just being good.  It also provided me with a great depth of knowledge to help me become successful when I graduate college and start my career.  The amount of communication that companies must constantly maintain is impressive and how well they accomplish these tasks ultimately determines how successful they will become.

    This course has been a great learning experience, helping me realize that having a major in Communication Studies can really get you a job in just about any field.  Communication is involved in every company, whether they realize it or not.  Corporate Communication is one subject that is overlooked and the importance of it is often bypassed by many people.  Throughout this class we have discussed many companies, programs, TV Shows, movies, etc. that practice corporate communication on a daily basis.   Each class session has enhanced our knowledge and opened our minds to a wide variety of communication techniques that we can all apply in future careers.  Discussing the topics of crisis management, corporate image, reputation, stakeholders, and by focusing in on actual companies has helped my classmates and I see all of the aspects of communication used in such an essential way.

    I hope that everyone learned as much as I did throughout this semester and will be able to look back upon this information when they are in their future careers.

    -Megan Regele

  • What I Learned in Corporate Communication

    I cannot believe the semester is coming to an end. As I reflect on the Corporate Communication course, there are several things that I have learned. Thinking back to our first day of class and the definition of corporate communication we formulated, we selected several terms; brand, consistent, reputation, identity, narrative, integration, persuasion, symbolic, building/maintaining. These terms only started the process of discovering what corporate communication is about. From class discussions, our mid-term project and our readings there are more that I would add; discipline, alignment, values, vision, mission, responsibility, customer service, diversity and the list could go on!

    One concept that struck me the most from our readings was the Hedgehog concept. The story is about a fox and a hedgehog. The fox is cunning and always trying to get at the hedgehog in various ways. The hedgehog follows his daily routine and whenever the fox tries to pounce, he consistently rolls into a ball with his spikes protruding. The point of the story is the hedgehog has a simple plan and he wins every time. The underlying message of the hedgehog concept is to align your strengths with your passions and what drives you economically. As I reflect on the key terms from our definition of corporate communication and the Hedgehog concept, they are not solely meant for a corporation as a whole, but for each individual that breathes the life into a corporation as well.                                               -Jocelyn Beam-Walson

    Corporate Communication has certainly taught me a great deal over the course of this semester.  I have expanded my knowledge on all of the things Jocelyn touched on above, but I think the most important concept I am walking away from the class with comes from a book we read called Good to Great, by Jim Collins.  In the book, Collins talks about getting the right people “on the bus”.  This essentially means that if you want to succeed, you need to surround yourself with people that also want to succeed and who are driven and motivated to do so.  Although I’ve been doing group projects for most of my college career, this thought never occurred to me.  Obviously I never intentionally agreed to work with bad group members, it just seemed to happen.  After reading about the importance of getting the right people on the bus and the bad ones off, no matter what.  From now on I will always remember this concept and make sure that I get on the right bus with the right people!                                                                                                                                                         -Eliza Wadson

    Corporate Communication has given me a surprising amount of information and provided me with helpful experiences as well. I found the content of Good to Great very insightful. I was surprised by the attributes that forge the path to greatness. Rather than there being a miraculous transition or advances in technology, greatness is obtained through a collection of factors that synergistically interact, specifically having the right solidarity between indomitable perseverance, winning people, and valuing actual results over flashy appearances. The information gathered from this textbook helped me to view successful companies in a different light. This course also gave me some good experience with group work. I have had some unpleasant experiences with groups in the past; however, this semester I have been part of a group that displays efficiency, a desire to get things done, and putting forth equal effort in completing objectives. Corporate Communication has taught me new facts and ideas and I feel these will be useful in my future career aspirations.                              -Sean O’Connell

    This class was set up unlike any other class I have taken at UNCW.  It was structured to mimic a real work environment by allowing us as students to formulate class discussions.  Each class, we took topics from the reading and generated them into issues that were relevant to us.  When we presented our midterm papers, we arranged the class like a boardroom and fostered a conversation on our findings, rather than standing up in front of the class and lecturing.  Another helpful tool that we used in this class was the blog.  Having something that we are responsible for that reaches a large audience is empowering as students.  It also made us a part of the current transition in corporate communication towards social networking. This skill will prove useful to us in our future careers.  Overall, this class gave me a new perspective on corporate communication and what it means to work in the industry.  It made me excited to enter the work force and start putting these skills I have learned to action.                                                                                                                  -Sarah McIntosh

  • Corporate Communication: Then and Now

    Corporate Communication began in the early 1900’s during the time the United States was mass producing and consuming products.  Today, we have a market that is based more on supply and demand, not solely in bulk amounts.  Communication practitioners have had to alter the way their discipline is managed.  As far back as the start of the 1900’s, practitioners in the field of public relations, marketing and publicists were employed by corporations.  A lot of these jobs entailed playing the “gullible” card in order for the corporation to manipulate the public.

    In the 1930’s “writers, publicists and advertising agents were needed on a more continuous basis” rather than temporary jobs.  Shortly thereafter, marketing and public relations became two distinct professions.  For decades, these two were looked at differently.  During the 1980’s, they began to be looked at together again under the same umbrella due to so many similarities

    The world of corporate communication has changed over the course of the past century, and will continue to change.  With the field of technology advancing by the hour, this will drastically change the role of marketing and public relations practitioners.  The growing popularity of smart phones, twitter, blogs, etc. will continue to rise and connect people and the field of communication must also continue to keep the pace with these advances.

    Breanna Alexander

    Lauren Dehart

    Lauren Smith

    Kelly Wiley

  • Finding Our Place

    As a college student and a Communication Studies major I know I have spent a fair amount of time imagining where exactly my skill set will fit in the workplace after college.  Different students within the major will all take different things from each course as our perceptions and intentions will inevitably vary.  We went around the classroom at the beginning of the semester like we always do in college, in order to introduce everyone and tell the class a little bit about ourselves.  One of the things we were prompted to tell the class is what we wanted to do when we finish school.  There were countless different responses and career fields that were mentioned; I told the class that I wanted to be an entrepreneur.  I mention this to provide some context as to how I interpret the class.  If my interest were in PR, then I would be drawn toward different aspects of the course and the information it offered.

    Through working together as a class to interpret our textbook and bring to life our definition of corporate communication, I was brought a lot of peace.  It became more evident to me that the things we practice every day as Communication Studies majors are some of the things that have stood out in the progress made by excellent organizations, and likewise in their absence have contributed to the decline of good companies.  I am talking about leading others, working in groups, and analyzing scenarios in order to not only identify problem areas but suggest sound, thought-out solutions.  Being able to measure and interpret things which only exist within our day to day experiences is a skill that will no doubt set me apart as a valuable asset.

    What do I know?  How do I know it?  How can I use it?

    All questions that when implemented correctly can guide a company and a person to success.

    Wade Boteler

  • Corporate Communication Wrap Up

    As our time in the Corporate Communication classroom comes to a close, the information and knowledge that we have gained will continue with us as we each venture out after graduation into our desired career field.  Among the class of communication majors are students interested in event planning, public relations, integrated marketing communication and advertising, just to name a few.  Corporate communication is involved in all of these industries.  As stated in Corporate Communication: a guide to theory and practice by Joep Cornelissen, one of our required readings for the course, “Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favorable reputations with stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.”

    When the course first started back in August, not a single student in the class knew what the definition of corporate communication was.  Even though everyone registered to take the class, no one really had an idea of what it entailed.  Today, every student in the class has a definition of corporate communication, as well as plenty of detailed and background information that will give people a better understanding of the topic.  A big improvement from three months ago, wouldn’t you agree?

    We have covered a variety of forms of corporate communication that take place in sports, music, movies, politics, crisis management and careers this semester.  We have learned that communication is essential when it comes to an organization’s corporate image and identity, reputation, stakeholders and shareholders.  We have learned what makes a company go from good to great, the characteristics of a great company and why every company should strive to become one.  We hope we have left everyone with a better understanding of corporate communication.

    REMINDER! This week is NBC’s Green Week!  Green Week runs from November 14-21.  All this week, green topics will be featured into news and your favorite shows on the NBC network, such as 30 Rock and The Office, as well as special reports, fundraisers and documentaries.  Join NBC in celebrating the numerous ways that you can make a difference in the environment.

    -Danielle Dorantich

  • “Look! It’s SpongeBob!”

    I don’t know about most people, but for my family, Thanksgiving just would not be Thanksgiving without flipping the channel back and forth between football and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Although I enjoy watching football, I can’t help but hope that the parade ultimately wins the battle of the remote control. I can remember watching the parade on TV since I was a little kid, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my favorite cartoon characters’ floats and to get that first glimpse of Santa Claus.

    Besides being a Thanksgiving Day tradition, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is also an example of corporate communication. In the 1920’s, many of Macy’s department store employees were new immigrants to the U.S. The employees wanted to celebrate the American holiday with the type of festival they had loved in Europe. So, on Thanksgiving Day, 1924, the employees marched down the streets of New York City dressed in their favorite costumes. There were floats, balloons, and even live animals from the Central Park Zoo in the parade! With a live audience of over 125,000 people, the parade was a hit!

    Since 1924, the Parade has gone on every year, except during World War II when rubber and helium could not be wasted. In the 1950’s the Parade was first televised nationally, thus securing its place as an American holiday tradition.

    The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gives Macy’s department store quite a favorable image. This beloved parade, mostly marketed towards children, emphasizes Macy’s commitment not only to the community, but to every member of the family. Programs sponsored by organizations for the community, such as the Macy’s Parade,  create a perception of  that organization in customer’s minds. By sponsoring such a wholesome family event, Macy’s establishes its corporate reputation as being a store for the entire family.

    So, as you’re nodding off on the couch this Thanksgiving Day after eating too much turkey, listening to your family members yell “Change it back!” every few minutes the channel is changed, I hope you stop on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I think this parade creates a favorable image for Macy’s; what do you think?

    http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_history1.htm

    Fran Greene

  • Seasons Greetings (For Whom, Actually?)

    The Yuletide season is drawing closer, as stores begin displaying decorations and Christmas music makes its seasonal debut on the radio. Some would say that the holiday spirit is in the air, but what is truly being celebrated? Is it a time of giving and charity, or a testament to our nation’s consumerism and emphasis on material possessions? As our earlier posts pointed out, advertising and marketing campaigns equate holidays to buying products and spending money. This deflects from the real meaning of the season of giving, and even excludes some less recognized holidays. These corporations need to realize that the holidays retain different meanings to different groups of people.

    Most people tend to categorize the month of December as the month of Christmas. Often times, the mainstream audiences overlook other holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. This could result from the lack of media attention given to these holidays. Currently, the greeting card industry offers cards celebrating these events, but that is about as far as it goes. The attention is almost always directed towards Christmas. This could be because Christmas is more marketable, thus turning a larger profit for companies. In the end, a company’s main goal is to earn a profit, no matter what it takes.

    These corporate practices are not exclusive to Christmas. Other holidays display the same profit-minded trend as well. With the creation of Black Friday, Thanksgiving has become less about giving thanks, and more about marking the beginning of the shopping season. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are synonymous with showing someone how much you care about them by purchasing a gift for them. Halloween advertises costumes and candy. Almost every holiday has some kind of themed product linked to it (clothing, party supplies, decorations, etc.), all in the name of profit. It could be argued that society has become so wrapped up in consumerism and receiving gifts, that the true meaning of holidays can become lost in the translation. In the corporate sense, holidays are about generating income and creating innovative new products. So who is really experiencing “Happy Holidays” around this time? Is it the corporations gaining substantial revenue, or is it the consumers providing the revenue?

    Sarah McIntosh, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson, Sean O’Connell