Top 10 for 2010
By all accounts, 2009 was a challenging year, and one that many were happy to see come to an end.
As we launch into the first week of the new decade, we believe we are headed for a year of steady recovery and gradual value creation. We see professional communicators playing a critical role, harnessing new technologies and squeezing value out of old assets to engage and inspire their audiences, while at the same time maintaining tight budgets and reduced headcounts.
Looking to the year ahead, we would like to offer what we believe to be the Top Ten Communications Issues for 2010:
10. Re-engaging employees to drive productivity: after the bloodletting and losses of the past two years, employees will require a renewed focus. Organizations that get this right will retain the best talent and drive overall productivity without increasing headcount.
9. Social media (finally) returns value: but it may not be where you were expecting it to be. Innovative organizations are taking a fresh look at how they use social media and Web 2.0, and many are being forced to realign their expectations at the same time.
8. The advent of GPS 2.0: as mobile technology gets smarter, and online map sites start to integrate customer reviews into their search results, communicators will want to take a keen interest in dealing with unfavourable feedback as quickly and efficiently as possible.
7. Content ownership wars: regardless of whether Rupert Murdoch is ultimately successful in suing online content providers or not, the issue of content ownership will start to change the way communicators approach media relations outreach and challenge who they count as their top tier outlets.
6. Taking corporate reputation off life support: it wasn’t just the recipients of government bail-outs that took a hit to their reputation last year. Many organizations will need to put substantial work into rebuilding trust with both the market and their customers.
5. Process becomes king: while communicators tend to shun process for creativity, great value will be realized – particularly in large or complex organizations – by creating and formalizing processes that reduce waste and streamline the delivery of day-to-day communications functions.
4. Devices challenge accessibility: as a new generation of content readers such as Kindle and iPhone increase in popularity, communicators will seek out new ways to distribute their content and integrate a wider variety of accessibility options into their outreach.
3. Websites that work: like it or not, websites take work to return results. Many organizations that have taken an ad-hoc approach to maintaining their websites will need to dedicate substantial time to refocusing their online strategies to create real value.
2. PR defeats advertising: paid circulation is dropping, publications are closing down and online banner ads are failing to show results. This year will mark a turning point in corporate budgeting, where PR budgets increase at the expense of advertising.
1. A permanent seat at the table: likely the most important development of the coming year will be the increased voice that communicators will have at the executive table. Having shown our value and grit over the past twelve months, professional communicators can expect to get more frequent calls from the CEO’s office this year.
Over the next ten weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each of these issues and explore potential solutions, best practices and themes that are certain to be critical for professional communicators in 2010. Coming up next week: Re-engaging employees to drive productivity.
We’re proud to unveil our new and improved website for 2010. Visit us at www.communicationsunlimited.ca and tell us what you think.
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on January 6th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I’m intrigued and but also concerned about your position in Top Trend #5 – Process Becomes King – which states “while communicators tend to shun process for creativity, great value will be realized – particularly in large or complex organizations” ! First I am not sure what if any experience or data this is based on but my own experience has been the opposite. Large organizations have the bench strength and payroll to ensure resources are in place to provide a strategic approach to communications – complete with sound processes. Conversely, it’s the smaller organizations that do not bode so well. Limited skill set and experience and inability to pay for good talent. But in fairness to the profession I’d like to think the number of “professional” communicators that “shun process for creativity” is in the minority.
on January 11th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Great counter-argument, Dennis. Thank you for taking the time to share your insight. Certainly my point is a generalization, and there are many organizations (both those with large payrolls and those whose pockets are somewhat smaller) that take a strategic and process-driven approach to communications. That said – and here comes another sweeping generalization – it’s been my experience that most of these processes have been born from the need for risk mitigation rather than a desire to reduce waste and maximize resources.
And while I mean no offence to our profession, I suspect the majority (but certainly not all) of our peers would prefer to spend a day creating a strategic plan, writing a press release or engaged in a team activity rather than drafting and formalizing a process document with the legal department.
We’ll take a much closer look at this – and other perspectives – in our February 24th edition. I will be looking forward to your feedback.