How internal communication improves external perception
When it comes to perception management, many PR professionals have an external focus – trying to navigate the relationships the company has with the public and shareholders as a whole. However, recent research argues that managing credibility externally is actually highly dependent on your internal processes. This means that employees play a vital role in supporting,…
When it comes to perception management, many PR professionals have an external focus – trying to navigate the relationships the company has with the public and shareholders as a whole.
However, recent research argues that managing credibility externally is actually highly dependent on your internal processes. This means that employees play a vital role in supporting, or not supporting, the external perceptions of a company, and vice-versa.
This means that internal communications are not as internal as previously thought, playing an important role in complementing and reinforcing external perceptions.
In fact, a recent survey on company trust has found that employees are one of the most trusted sources of information for the public. The Edelman Trust Barometer found that 53 per cent of respondents viewed employees as a trustworthy source of information. This compares to only 43 per cent who trust CEOs.
This survey shows that employees play a critical role in engaging the public with your brand and crossing the line between internal and external forms of communication.
Central to the relationship between good internal communications and external public relations is that coordination must exist for either of these areas to work well.
While good internal perception management can turn your employees into brand ambassadors, this will mean very little if your external communications have a completely different focus. Likewise, building a strong external reputation is meaningless if staff have a negative or indifferent opinion of the company.
Unless the internal and external perceptions are presented in a logical and consistent manner, it is going to be more difficult for public relations professionals to conduct either strategy effectively.
Transparent and coordinated communication across both of these spheres is therefore crucial for companies looking to get the most from their engagement initiatives.
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