Wanting to act differently, think differently or feel differently about marketing communications should mean asking some reflective questions to judge areas of change, excellence and a route for the way forward.
Try this scorecard. It should give you an indication of your company's communications skills, savvy and ability to respond to the market.
Try rating each of the above questions on a scale of 1-5.
1: NEVER / 2. RARELY / 3: REGULARLY / 4: MORE OFTEN THAN NOT / 5: VERY OFTEN
1. Does the communications team reach and interface with the entire organisation?
2. Can I/do I consider the communication department as our antennae/ears in the marketplace?
3. Do we invest in skills training and resources for our communications team?
4. Do we align the communications strategy with the business strategy on a goal-by-goal basis? This is not broadly aligned but specifically aligned to business targets?
5. Does the executive team have a good relationship with the communications team and do they engage happily in communications activities?
6. Are our key stakeholders satisfied with the organisation?
7. Does everyone in the communications team have ALL the following skills:
RESULTS
1-8: VERY POOR - The dismal result is staring us in the face. Help, please!
9-16: POOR - You do have a marketing communications capability. It just isn't focused enough and could do with some attention.
17-24: AVERAGE - If you listen hard enough, you'll hear it ticking (just about). The question is do you need a star performer or a barely there presence?
25-32: GOOD - Not bad at all. Are there areas where the department could add more value to maximise impact?
33-40: VERY GOOD - The department is a pocket of excellence within the organisation. Trust the department, maintain good measurement/performance systems and ensure on-going development.
So, how did you score? Intelligent tracking of routes to higher returns and improved performance of marketing communications resources must surely answer the questions that CEO's and communications people repeatedly ask about how to maximise the value-add of campaigns.
