360° Communication: One Message, Many Channels

The sustainability report has been published, a new strategy has been adopted, the company’s positioning is in place – what comes next?

Companies invest a great deal of time and expertise in developing strong content. But there is one crucial step between good information and successful communication: the message needs to reach the people for whom it is relevant. That is why this part of our blog series focuses on the principle of 360° Communication.

Not Every Target Audience Needs the Same Information

Investors are interested in different aspects of a company than prospective employees. Customers have different questions from employees. And business partners may require a different level of detail from the general public. Yet the underlying information often comes from the same source.

Take a sustainability report, for example. It contains information on climate targets, employees, supply chains, strategy and governance. For formal reporting purposes, these topics are documented in detail.

That level of detail is not suitable for a LinkedIn post. For prospective employees, however, certain aspects may be highly relevant. Employees, meanwhile, may need context to understand what a strategic objective means for their day-to-day work.

360° communication therefore does not begin with the question: Which channels should we be present on? Instead, it starts with: Who do we want to reach, and with which message?

One Core Message – Adapted for Different Audiences

Once the target audience and communication objective are clear, the right format can be determined. A comprehensive report, for example, can provide the basis for a key facts brochure, social media content, a management presentation or internal communication materials.

A corporate strategy can be explained in a strategy book, condensed for the intranet and brought to life visually at an internal event. A sustainability strategy can give rise not only to formal reporting but also to communication measures aimed at customers, employees or prospective candidates.

The core message remains the same. How it is communicated changes.

360° Does Not Mean Being Everywhere at Once

The term 360° can create the impression that effective communication means using as many channels as possible. But not every channel is relevant for every message. Not every company needs TikTok, a podcast, a printed magazine and an elaborate campaign.

Good integrated communication selects channels and formats based on whether they serve a specific purpose. Sometimes this results in a cross-channel campaign; in other cases, a small number of precisely targeted measures is enough.

For us, 360° therefore describes less the number of channels and more the perspective: we consider content, target audiences, messages and touchpoints together.

Turning Specialist Content into Communication

Many communication topics already emerge from the consulting projects we carry out with our clients – whether in sustainability strategy, ESG reporting, financial communications or annual reporting.

This is exactly where our Communications & Design team can step in. Through regular collaboration with our consultants, our designers also understand the subject-matter perspective and can translate complex topics into communication tailored to specific audiences – from flyers, social media assets and presentations to events, internal campaigns and digital formats.

This means that specialist consulting and communication do not need to be treated as separate projects.

Communication Does Not Stop at the Company’s Boundaries

360° communication is not exclusively outward-facing. Internal communication plays a particularly important role when it comes to strategy, transformation and sustainability. Employees should understand what is changing, why it is changing and what those changes mean for them.

This may require different formats from those used for external stakeholders: intranet articles, presentations, posters, internal campaigns or materials for workshops and events.

What connects them is not the format, but the starting point: a clear message.

Meike Speckin
Senior Art Director