WHY DOES ANY COMPANY NEED A CORPORATE PROFILE FILM?

Company reputation is as important as having a great product or service out in the market. Reputation is intangible but it is a powerful asset that attracts great talent, builds consumer loyalty, allows businesses to influence stakeholder opinion and helps determine the premium customers are willing to pay. These are great differentiators and businesses are starting to recognise their importance.

Global studies are also reflecting this: the 2015 World PR Report said that the industry had shown 7% growth in 2014. It further strengthens the fact that a career in corporate communications would be a wise decision.

The profession is also becoming rather cool: some of the most advanced tools in the business are being thrown up by technology in the form of social media and community management, digital and multimedia channels, data-based insights that sharpen messaging and improve outcomes. So, if you’d love to write, communicate and rub shoulders with media, understand the underlying psychology that drives and motivates people, have a handle on the business, possess analytical skills and relish Organising events, you are already on course for a career in corporate communications.

The Global Communication Report 2016 says, “Writing — which might be considered a ‘price of admission’ ability for a communications department — was ranked as more critical than strategic planning (84%), social media expertise (76%), and multimedia content development (76%) and a long way ahead of things such as business literacy (62%), analytics (62%), research (48%), search engine optimisation (41%), and behavioural science (32%).”

Aside from being a ‘natural’ at communication, three other things will make it easier to break into the world of corporate communications: formal education in the profession, a valuable internship with a large business and a great Curriculum vitae.

There are other qualities that will serve you well in your quest to break into the world of corporate communication:

A lot of what goes on in the field of corporate communications is “feeling” and “gut instinct”. This takes time to not only develop but also for others to recognise that you have the right attitude and an appetite for corporate communications. So stay in touch with the people you dream of working with, always ensuring they see a little more of your personality than what is visible in your CV. In other words, prioritise your own PR.

Traditionally, corporate communications have been subjective — although that is changing now, with technological interventions.

The world of advertising, marketing, PR and communication are going through a dramatic change. We live in a world of technology-mediated communication: mobile applications, real-time systems, instant messaging, blogging, virtual reality devices, video conferencing, immersive experiences, QR codes, social media, hashtags, online surveys, and so on. Stay on top of these technologies because they will become the tools for success. The more you know how to use them, the easier it will be to build a career in corporate communications.

People crave insights. So, develop insights and a point of view on topics that are important. People remember you when you have a good, independent and well-thought-out point of view. This means reading as much as you can about business, culture, food, art, politics, sport, adventure and technology. Stay well-informed by regularly listening to global authorities (use YouTube and TED videos wisely) on topics such as energy, health care, regulatory developments and ethics. Corporate communication is not limited to preaching and proselytising a company vision. Smart communication is about contextualising it – and the only way to do this is to stay well-informed and create a point of view.