Defining a Global Communications Strategy

Challenge

Struggling with inconsistent communication strategies within their R&D/Manufacturing units and ineffective dialogue across their customer base, a client was paying the price. They found themselves unable to provide a unified message of services and value. They had become unproductive in annual and project-based budget negotiations. A disparate message at each local site was causing their customer base significant confusion, unaware of how much the business unit truly had to offer.

Approach: Think + Do

First we worked to identify communications gaps, or “pain points,” within the organization and across its customer base. We then created targeted messages to address those gaps and develop a set of standardized tools and templates to deliver communication messages and to manage communications more effectively on an ongoing basis. We led a project team comprised of representatives from each of the company’s global business units in developing a comprehensive communications strategy. We defined an approach for communicating with customers to confirm their needs and to sell the value of the organization. We assisted in creating supporting documents articulating the group’s value proposition, and a team structure for continued review and refinement of the strategy.

Results

Our communications strategy built greater awareness of the organization’s value proposition. We put in place a cohesive communications strategy aligning this global organization and creating “one face” to its customers. We implemented a set of standard communications tools (reference guide, FAQ document, case studies, performance surveys) to align the organization’s value message, and we built a communications team structure that fostered ongoing collaboration across regional business units.