The line between corporate and public affairs has blurred over the past decade, leading many organisations to develop a larger overarching department that covers both. They seek candidates with a blended background who can navigate an increasingly digital world in which communication is real time and a misstep can be costly. This evolution has brought corporate communications and public relations into close proximity.

Corporate affairs

Corporate affairs executives formerly had the responsibility to work directly with other corporate executives for organisations in both private and governmental sectors. The tasks included creating contacts, nurturing networks, and developing strong bonds that could be called on. Sharing of information in a judicial manner allowed partnerships to be formed and successes to be enhanced.
Over time, corporate affairs have become more inward facing, concerned with business strategy and brand management. Every action and communication is carefully weighted to measure its impact internally and in the view of competitors and partners, but also with an eye to the public gaze.

Public affairs

A less behind the scenes role was filled by public affairs experts, who were responsible for working with stakeholders. Their days were spent informing, educating, and advising, attempting to leverage the relationships they were building to provide support to the corporate arm.

Over time, public affairs grew to be more immediate communications oriented, designed to handle the fast-paced world of social media. Customers and local communities have gained the ability to wield more power, and must attentively monitor and gratify. This also ties back to a need to control and moderate the public gaze.

Corporate communications and public relations

The terms corporate affairs and public affairs may have similar meanings today depending on the industry and how traditionally it handles all aspects of communications. Close ties to government entities and the need to lobby can create one type of corporate or public affairs structure, while more relaxed, customer-oriented organisations lean heavily on public relations experts to achieve their goals.

Internal communications are also becoming more important, as employee retention becomes more difficult to attain and customer experience becomes the driver for ROI. However, what makes a good internal communications specialist can be hard to define, and the chosen candidate may well be expected to serve in outward facing capacity as well.

Most modern corporate communications and PR professionals come from a background of media relations and/or government / public affairs. Cross industry hiring has become the norm, with the focus on ability to communicate over strict industry experience.

A new breed of corporate/public affairs exec

At Salt & Shein, corporate affairs, public affairs, corporate communications and public relations go hand in hand. Your specific industry and amount of public gaze or government contact may well dictate the overall feel of how you communicate internally and externally, but overall the core of each of these is communication.

Companies in small markets, who do not have a dedicated corporate affairs team member, may try to handle corporate affairs-related matters through their strategy or marketing department. However, this can backfire if there is no thorough grounding in communications, or understanding of the vulnerability of a brand.

A corporate comms or PR team member should work in close collaboration with functions such as legal and finance for government affairs. They should be able to support marketing and sales divisions to enhance brand, customer and digital PR. They need to be available to the supply chain to spur market expansion and conceptualise sustainability initiatives, and integrated with human resources for internal communication.

The goal is to create a strong employer brand, that commands respect and has a healthy network across industries, platforms, and adjacent organisations. Building a team with a diverse range of skills and abilities can help you create the corporate affairs department of the future one that can seamlessly work with every other cog in the organisation to provide maximum efficiency.

New roles, new responsibilities

Corporate communicators and public relations specialists must have a deep understanding of their audiences’ needs and interests. They must be excellent planners, capably persuasive and able to win over audience trust and support. They must also be savvy, fast-thinking and fast acting problem-solvers, able to effectively and appropriately manage a crisis.

The roles are dual, whether performed by corporate communicators or public relations professionals. One side is handling day to day perception of their company from within and without. The other is developing crisis communication plans to help both internal audiences and the public understand what your organisation is doing to counteract the damage and steer a course to safety.

Our expert consultants can help you identify your goals, bringing the roles of corporate and public affairs executives into line with the most current vision for your company. At Salt & Shein, we can help you find the solution that works best for your organisation’s unique needs and position.