Week 1: Introduction
1. Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice
(Zefrass et al., 2018)
2. Communication Research into the Digital Society: Fundamental Insights from the
Amsterdam School of Communication Research (Van de Meer et al., 2024)
3. Back to the roots? The applications of communication science theories in strategic
communication research (Lock et al., 2020)
Reading 1:
Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice (Zefrass
et al., 2018)
INTRODUCTION
Hallahan et al. (2007) defined strategic communication as the intentional use of communication by
organizations to achieve their mission, which sparked significant interest and research. However,
after a decade of discussion, the concept remains unclear and inadequately defined. Some scholars
propose alternative approaches, while a minority call for a more rigorous focus. Many use strategic
communication as an umbrella term, diluting its meaning and creating confusion.
To advance the discipline, strategic communication must establish clear research objects and
perspectives, distinguishing it from fields like economics and business administration. As an applied
science, it requires an interdisciplinary approach while focusing on its core areas. The article reviews
existing approaches, offers a precise definition, and highlights what makes strategic communication
research unique, concluding with future challenges for the field.
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
There are four different meanings of the concept that are often overlapping:
1. Strategic Communication as Integrated Communication:
Synonymous with "integrated communication."
Involves all goal-oriented communication initiated by organizations to engage stakeholders.
Emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach utilizing insights from various fields.
Focuses on creating messages aligned with organizational objectives.
Highlights the need to manage diverse communication platforms (paid, earned, owned, and
shared media) and types (persuasion, education, argumentation).
Posits that communication should be harmonized across domains to support a broader
organizational strategy.
2. Corporate Communication and its Strategic Role:
Viewed as a vital part of decision-making in large corporations.
Moves beyond a supportive function to a core activity aligned with overall strategy.
Helps organizations define goals and engage with stakeholders.
Emphasizes the organization as a corporate actor with distinct interests and processes.
Focuses on purposeful messaging that supports organizational objectives.
3. Strategic Communication in Military and National Power Contexts:
Addresses the role of strategic communication in military operations and national power.
Integral to military planning and often associated with information warfare.
Used to influence perceptions domestically and internationally.
Military organizations, such as NATO, consider it woven into military actions and political
strategies.
Gained attention recently, particularly in counterterrorism and soft power diplomacy,
despite associations with propaganda.
,4. Public Relations and Strategic Communication as Synonyms:
Seen as a substitute for "public relations" (PR) to distance the field from negative
connotations.
Aims to overcome associations with manipulation and propaganda in PR.
PR traditionally manages communication to foster relationships with various publics.
Critical scholars investigate the societal impacts of PR practices and audience behavior.
In regions like Europe, "public relations" is often viewed as discredited, leading to a
preference for terms like "corporate communication" or "strategic communication," which
encompass a broader strategic focus beyond traditional PR practices.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
The passage critiques existing definitions of strategic communication as being too narrow and
highlights several shortcomings in current approaches. The main issues identified are:
1. Neglect of emergent strategies and strategies-in-practice: Existing definitions often fail to
account for spontaneous, evolving strategies within organizations.
2. Organization-centric focus: Many approaches focus primarily on organizational interests
without sufficiently considering the needs and interests of external stakeholders.
3. Overlooking the constitutive role of communication: Communication is not merely a tool
for executing strategies but plays a fundamental role in creating and shaping strategy within
organizations.
4. Overemphasis on communication professionals: Current definitions often focus too much
on communication professionals and overlook the everyday communication activities of
other organizational members.
While these criticisms are helpful, the authors argue that most proposals for redefining strategic
communication don't sufficiently carve out a distinct domain of study. The risk is that any
communication activity could be labeled as strategic, which would make it difficult to develop a
focused and viable research agenda.
To address this, the authors propose a more precise definition of strategic communication by
answering five key questions:
1. What differentiates strategic communication from nonstrategic communication?
This involves identifying the unique characteristics that make communication strategic as
opposed to routine or nonstrategic.
2. What drives the complexity of strategic problems?
They explore the factors that contribute to the complexity of issues that require strategic
communication, likely considering organizational, social, and contextual variables.
3. How does communication come into play?
They examine the role of communication in strategy formation and execution, emphasizing
that communication is integral to the strategic process.
4. What is strategic communication management?
This refers to how communication is systematically planned, executed, and evaluated to
meet strategic objectives.
5. What does the strategy process look like?
They focus on the specific steps and processes involved in developing and implementing a
communication strategy, emphasizing that strategic communication is a dynamic and
ongoing process.
,Strategic communication the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfil its
mission. Strategic communication is used as an umbrella term for any communication by any actor
to serve the interests of any constituency.
Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as
well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a
distinctive role for the formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and
operationalization of strategies.
External strategic communication plays a key role when it comes to addressing different kind of
stakeholders and audiences
Based on factual evidence, stakeholder’s images and expectations can be monitored
Inform and influence stakeholders about events they cannot know from personal experience
Strategic communication involves all substantial or significant activities carries out by an
organization to survive and be successful, this does not include operational and routine issues
Strategic communication can take place on a variety of media platforms and withing
different spheres (global spere of mass media and private conversations) so it is pivotal for
organizations to be aware of development in communication landscape
Communication embraces both giving a message and listening to the surrounding
information that can help the organization quickly making sense of changes in the
environment
Strategy is about making choices and taking actions whose effects will be visible in the long
run. Choices need to be well pondered, since if mistakes are made, they are not easily
reversed.
o mistakes because issue that is objectively of strategic importance is not picked up as
such by the management; or it is picked up, and then becomes acknowledged as
irrelevant.
STRATEGIC VS NONSTRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
Defining strategic communication is complicated by three sources of confusion:
1. Colloquial Use: The term "strategic" is often used casually to denote well-executed actions,
blurring the distinction between strategic, tactical, and operational communication. This
casual usage dilutes the term's meaning, making it challenging to determine what qualifies
as truly strategic.
2. Prestige and Status: The term "strategic" is frequently employed to enhance prestige for
practitioners and academic programs, leading to its over-application. This emphasis obscures
its true meaning and creates resistance to limiting its use, as doing so may challenge the
status of professionals in the field.
3. Confusion Between Subject Matter and Object of Research: Scholars often conflate the
subject of strategic communication with the observable phenomena it describes, leading to
misunderstandings. This overlap with other fields, such as management and media studies,
complicates the effective application of a strategic perspective.
Substantiality
Subjective: Refers to the perceived importance of issues based on collective sense-making.
The interpretation of a situation influences the actions taken, emphasizing that perceptions
shape reality.
Objective: Reflects the actual impact of issues on an organization's goals and future plans.
Recognizing what is objectively substantial often requires retrospective analysis and
, highlights the importance of environmental scanning and reflective communication
management.
Role of Strategic Communication
Strategic communication is crucial in various scenarios, including:
Utilizing high-value assets
Addressing competition
Adapting to changing environmental conditions
Responding to "black swan" events
Managing innovations and operations to achieve organizational vision
Taxonomy of Strategic Issues
This framework categorizes organizational issues based on two dimensions: substantiality (actual
importance) and recognition (perceived importance). It is visualized as a four-quadrant model:
Upper Right Quadrant: Subjectively and Objectively Strategic Issues
o Significant and impactful; organizations should focus resources here.
Lower Right Quadrant: Objectively Strategic but Subjectively Unrecognized Issues
o Important but unrecognized; proactive identification is essential.
Upper Left Quadrant: Subjectively Recognized but Not Objectively Strategic Issues
o Considered important but have little impact; organizations should avoid wasting
resources here.
Lower Left Quadrant: Non-Strategic Issues
o Not recognized as significant; routine management is appropriate.
Applications of the Taxonomy
Strategic Planning: Helps prioritize issues based on potential impact.
Risk Management: Aids in managing risks associated with unrecognized strategic issues.
Communication Strategy: Guides communication efforts, focusing on strategically significant
issues.
Decision-Making: Facilitates informed leadership decisions by distinguishing critical issues
from distractions.
Organizational Awareness: Promotes a culture of recognizing subjective perceptions and
objective realities, fostering agile organizational responses.
1. Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice
(Zefrass et al., 2018)
2. Communication Research into the Digital Society: Fundamental Insights from the
Amsterdam School of Communication Research (Van de Meer et al., 2024)
3. Back to the roots? The applications of communication science theories in strategic
communication research (Lock et al., 2020)
Reading 1:
Strategic communication: Defining the field and its contribution to research and practice (Zefrass
et al., 2018)
INTRODUCTION
Hallahan et al. (2007) defined strategic communication as the intentional use of communication by
organizations to achieve their mission, which sparked significant interest and research. However,
after a decade of discussion, the concept remains unclear and inadequately defined. Some scholars
propose alternative approaches, while a minority call for a more rigorous focus. Many use strategic
communication as an umbrella term, diluting its meaning and creating confusion.
To advance the discipline, strategic communication must establish clear research objects and
perspectives, distinguishing it from fields like economics and business administration. As an applied
science, it requires an interdisciplinary approach while focusing on its core areas. The article reviews
existing approaches, offers a precise definition, and highlights what makes strategic communication
research unique, concluding with future challenges for the field.
DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
There are four different meanings of the concept that are often overlapping:
1. Strategic Communication as Integrated Communication:
Synonymous with "integrated communication."
Involves all goal-oriented communication initiated by organizations to engage stakeholders.
Emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach utilizing insights from various fields.
Focuses on creating messages aligned with organizational objectives.
Highlights the need to manage diverse communication platforms (paid, earned, owned, and
shared media) and types (persuasion, education, argumentation).
Posits that communication should be harmonized across domains to support a broader
organizational strategy.
2. Corporate Communication and its Strategic Role:
Viewed as a vital part of decision-making in large corporations.
Moves beyond a supportive function to a core activity aligned with overall strategy.
Helps organizations define goals and engage with stakeholders.
Emphasizes the organization as a corporate actor with distinct interests and processes.
Focuses on purposeful messaging that supports organizational objectives.
3. Strategic Communication in Military and National Power Contexts:
Addresses the role of strategic communication in military operations and national power.
Integral to military planning and often associated with information warfare.
Used to influence perceptions domestically and internationally.
Military organizations, such as NATO, consider it woven into military actions and political
strategies.
Gained attention recently, particularly in counterterrorism and soft power diplomacy,
despite associations with propaganda.
,4. Public Relations and Strategic Communication as Synonyms:
Seen as a substitute for "public relations" (PR) to distance the field from negative
connotations.
Aims to overcome associations with manipulation and propaganda in PR.
PR traditionally manages communication to foster relationships with various publics.
Critical scholars investigate the societal impacts of PR practices and audience behavior.
In regions like Europe, "public relations" is often viewed as discredited, leading to a
preference for terms like "corporate communication" or "strategic communication," which
encompass a broader strategic focus beyond traditional PR practices.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
The passage critiques existing definitions of strategic communication as being too narrow and
highlights several shortcomings in current approaches. The main issues identified are:
1. Neglect of emergent strategies and strategies-in-practice: Existing definitions often fail to
account for spontaneous, evolving strategies within organizations.
2. Organization-centric focus: Many approaches focus primarily on organizational interests
without sufficiently considering the needs and interests of external stakeholders.
3. Overlooking the constitutive role of communication: Communication is not merely a tool
for executing strategies but plays a fundamental role in creating and shaping strategy within
organizations.
4. Overemphasis on communication professionals: Current definitions often focus too much
on communication professionals and overlook the everyday communication activities of
other organizational members.
While these criticisms are helpful, the authors argue that most proposals for redefining strategic
communication don't sufficiently carve out a distinct domain of study. The risk is that any
communication activity could be labeled as strategic, which would make it difficult to develop a
focused and viable research agenda.
To address this, the authors propose a more precise definition of strategic communication by
answering five key questions:
1. What differentiates strategic communication from nonstrategic communication?
This involves identifying the unique characteristics that make communication strategic as
opposed to routine or nonstrategic.
2. What drives the complexity of strategic problems?
They explore the factors that contribute to the complexity of issues that require strategic
communication, likely considering organizational, social, and contextual variables.
3. How does communication come into play?
They examine the role of communication in strategy formation and execution, emphasizing
that communication is integral to the strategic process.
4. What is strategic communication management?
This refers to how communication is systematically planned, executed, and evaluated to
meet strategic objectives.
5. What does the strategy process look like?
They focus on the specific steps and processes involved in developing and implementing a
communication strategy, emphasizing that strategic communication is a dynamic and
ongoing process.
,Strategic communication the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfil its
mission. Strategic communication is used as an umbrella term for any communication by any actor
to serve the interests of any constituency.
Entity includes all kind of organizations (e.g., corporations, governments, or nonprofits), as
well as social movements and known individuals in the public sphere. Communication can play a
distinctive role for the formulation, revision, presentation, execution, implementation, and
operationalization of strategies.
External strategic communication plays a key role when it comes to addressing different kind of
stakeholders and audiences
Based on factual evidence, stakeholder’s images and expectations can be monitored
Inform and influence stakeholders about events they cannot know from personal experience
Strategic communication involves all substantial or significant activities carries out by an
organization to survive and be successful, this does not include operational and routine issues
Strategic communication can take place on a variety of media platforms and withing
different spheres (global spere of mass media and private conversations) so it is pivotal for
organizations to be aware of development in communication landscape
Communication embraces both giving a message and listening to the surrounding
information that can help the organization quickly making sense of changes in the
environment
Strategy is about making choices and taking actions whose effects will be visible in the long
run. Choices need to be well pondered, since if mistakes are made, they are not easily
reversed.
o mistakes because issue that is objectively of strategic importance is not picked up as
such by the management; or it is picked up, and then becomes acknowledged as
irrelevant.
STRATEGIC VS NONSTRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
Defining strategic communication is complicated by three sources of confusion:
1. Colloquial Use: The term "strategic" is often used casually to denote well-executed actions,
blurring the distinction between strategic, tactical, and operational communication. This
casual usage dilutes the term's meaning, making it challenging to determine what qualifies
as truly strategic.
2. Prestige and Status: The term "strategic" is frequently employed to enhance prestige for
practitioners and academic programs, leading to its over-application. This emphasis obscures
its true meaning and creates resistance to limiting its use, as doing so may challenge the
status of professionals in the field.
3. Confusion Between Subject Matter and Object of Research: Scholars often conflate the
subject of strategic communication with the observable phenomena it describes, leading to
misunderstandings. This overlap with other fields, such as management and media studies,
complicates the effective application of a strategic perspective.
Substantiality
Subjective: Refers to the perceived importance of issues based on collective sense-making.
The interpretation of a situation influences the actions taken, emphasizing that perceptions
shape reality.
Objective: Reflects the actual impact of issues on an organization's goals and future plans.
Recognizing what is objectively substantial often requires retrospective analysis and
, highlights the importance of environmental scanning and reflective communication
management.
Role of Strategic Communication
Strategic communication is crucial in various scenarios, including:
Utilizing high-value assets
Addressing competition
Adapting to changing environmental conditions
Responding to "black swan" events
Managing innovations and operations to achieve organizational vision
Taxonomy of Strategic Issues
This framework categorizes organizational issues based on two dimensions: substantiality (actual
importance) and recognition (perceived importance). It is visualized as a four-quadrant model:
Upper Right Quadrant: Subjectively and Objectively Strategic Issues
o Significant and impactful; organizations should focus resources here.
Lower Right Quadrant: Objectively Strategic but Subjectively Unrecognized Issues
o Important but unrecognized; proactive identification is essential.
Upper Left Quadrant: Subjectively Recognized but Not Objectively Strategic Issues
o Considered important but have little impact; organizations should avoid wasting
resources here.
Lower Left Quadrant: Non-Strategic Issues
o Not recognized as significant; routine management is appropriate.
Applications of the Taxonomy
Strategic Planning: Helps prioritize issues based on potential impact.
Risk Management: Aids in managing risks associated with unrecognized strategic issues.
Communication Strategy: Guides communication efforts, focusing on strategically significant
issues.
Decision-Making: Facilitates informed leadership decisions by distinguishing critical issues
from distractions.
Organizational Awareness: Promotes a culture of recognizing subjective perceptions and
objective realities, fostering agile organizational responses.
