The organisations that will define the next decade are not the ones with the biggest budgets or the most advanced products. They are the ones that understand a simple truth: without strategic communications, even the most brilliant corporate strategy will fail.
Markets are shifting, stakeholder demands are expanding, and trust, the most valuable currency in modern business, is eroding across industries. Yet, organisations need to navigate this difficult terrain to achieve their corporate vision and protect long-term sustainability.
Within this reality, communications has become a strategic capability that determines whether an organisation thrives, stagnates, or disappears completely.
This is why every forward-thinking organisation needs a strategic communications playbook. It is not a nice to have but a must have that is required to to strengthen reputation, attract investors and position the organisation for the next level of growth.
What a Strategic Communications Playbook Really Is
A Strategic Communications Playbook is the organisation’s blueprint for how communications will interpret, execute, and amplify corporate strategy in measurable terms.
Built using the strategic communications framework, the playbook outlines the data-driven approach, strategy and tactics that will be deployed by the communications team to achieve the core priorities of the organisation.
How to Build a Strategic Communications Playbook That Actually Works
A strategic communications playbook must be co-created with senior leaders and executives within the organisation to ensure that it is appropriately tailored to deliver the outcomes that are important to the organisation.
The following steps can be used to develop a strategic communications playbook:
1. Define the Organisational Goals to Be Achieved
Before you create your strategic communications playbook, you need to be clear about the organisational goals to be achieved. You need to understand the following:
- What are the top priorities for the organisation in this period?
- What outcomes are most important to our executives and board?
- What short/ medium term goals or milestones need to be achieved within the timeframe?
Knowing what the organisational goals are provides a solid foundation on which you can build your strategic communications playbook.
2. Identify Where Communications Can Create Real Value
From the organisational goals, identify areas where communications can play a role or make a noticeable difference. It is important to properly identify the communication opportunities because there are some goals that are outside the scope of communications and there are some problems that communications alone cannot solve.
A poor product cannot be “messaged” into market leadership, neither can a toxic culture cannot be rebranded into trust. While communications is quite powerful, it is not magic.
Taking the time to identify the communications opportunities will help you to set communications objectives that are realistic and achievable.
3. Set SMART Communications Objectives
Always set communications objectives that are SMART and aligned with the overall goals and objectives of your organisation. Your communications objectives should be:
- Specific: What are we trying to achieve?
- Measurable: How will we know it has been achieved?
- Achievable/ Attainable: Can we achieve this within the timeframe?
- Realistic: Considering our resources and context, can we deliver this?
- Timebound: When must this be achieved?
4. Map Your Stakeholders and Audiences
In today’s environment, stakeholders expect personalised, relevant, timely communication, and you need to bear this in mind. Start by identifying your key stakeholders and audiences. Use the KNOW, FEEL, DO framework to identify their needs, priorities and the important message(s) that needs to be communicated to them.
This stakeholder map should not be a static document. You should visit it regularly, especially as things change within the social, economic, political and regulatory landscape.
5. Define Your Strategic Approach
Using all the information you have so far, define what your strategic approach will be. Your strategy must clearly articulate how communications will drive the organisational goals and outcomes identified earlier. It should also be based on research and aligned with the priorities of your senior leaders.
There is a science and an art to creating an effective strategy. It is important to get the balance right and avoid being carried away by trends.
6. Select Your Tactics
There are many tactics that can be deployed to bring your strategy to life. However, not all the tactics will yield the desired results and some may be wrong for your context. Let your organisational goals and insights gathered from research guide you in your choice of tactics.
Don’t be rigid with your tactics. If a tactic isn’t working, you can change it. Also avoid choosing a tactic simply because that’s what is trending. It may be the worst tactic for your organisation. It is also important to consider the budgetary implications of every tactic you choose.
7. Identify Potential Implementation Risk
Having a good strategic communications playbook on paper is one thing. Being able to bring it to life without any hitches is another thing. It is, therefore, wise to consider potential risks that may negatively impact the implementation of your strategy. This could be policy change, social unrest, increase in cost of goods and so on.
Identifying risks in advance will help you to adopt a proactive approach towards mitigating those risks.
8. Select Your Metrics and KPIs for Measurement
Finally, your strategic communications playbook needs to have key metrics and KPIs. Otherwise, how will you know what difference your strategy is making to organisational outcomes?
The metrics you choose should be aligned with your communications objectives and they must be able to show how communications has contributed to achieving the outcomes defined by your senior leaders.
Aside from selecting your metrics, it is best practice to also identify how you will effectively measure those metrics and at what points the metrics will be measured.
Strategic Communications – The Differentiating Factor
In a world defined by rapid change, market shifts and evolving stakeholder sentiment, strategic communications is no longer optional for organisations.
A strategic communications playbook is required to enable organisations to adopt a proactive and tailored approach to communications to achieve key organisational goals and stay relevant in an increasingly competitive landscape. Organisations that invest in this capability will not only survive the next wave of disruption, they will shape it and enjoy sustained growth.