Businesses need to communicate to current and potential customers. These come in the form of advertising or press releases. Businesses also need to communicate to its employees, board members and other relevant persons for running the business. As such, they need both internal and external communications specialists. These people can have specific roles such as public relations specialist or roles with a broader scope such as a corporate communications manager.
Corporate Communications / Affairs Managers
The role of corporate communications manager is to present the company to shareholders, investors, employees, the government, the media and other interested parties. This multi-faceted role requires the person to be able to present annual reports, design company websites and documents, arrange meetings and present various corporate incidents to government bodies, among many others. This broad role requires a person to be able to gain the trust of people both in and outside of the organization, have excellent written and verbal communication skills, have the ability to adapt to numerous situations.
Training in public relations and communications is helpful in this role. Journalism training and on-the-job experience are also beneficial.
Public Relations Specialist
The public relations specialist's role in a business is to serve as its advocate, protecting its reputation and creating positive relationships with the public by helping to steer the business' actions to ensure the public will support them. Public relations specialists write press releases, handle media, community, consumer, industry and governmental relations; as well as mediate bad press.
The public relations specialist must understand the attitude of the public and the various changes in consumers' thinking to put together effective press releases, product launches and smooth out conflicts with the public.
Human Resources Communications Manager
The human resources communications manager prepares, coordinates and directs internal communication activities by the human resources department that is aimed at the entire company. He also helps to disseminate the policies and procedures of the HR department, and communicates various aspects of employment, benefits, compensation, employee relations, employee assistance and human-interest stories to the entire company.
Advertising, Marketing and Promotions
Communicators with roles in a business' advertising, marketing and/or promotions department are tasked with selling the company to its target demographics. They must communicate the business' positive aspects as well as the benefits of the business' products and/or services. They do this through print, online, radio and television campaigns.
They put together various marketing schemes, possibly including guerrilla-marketing tactics when appropriate.
Tags: public relations, press releases, communications manager, corporate communications, corporate communications manager, entire company, human resources