Fives (5) Styles Message of Corporate 1.

Rational Message Style

to Stakeholders
In this approach, an organization makes
a superiority claim about its products or
achievements based upon a distinctive
Three (3) categories:
advantage in:
i. Functional Orientation
a. Capabilities
Refer to tangible, physical or concrete b. Size
capabilities or resources of an c. Resources (including
organization. technology).

ii. Symbolic Orientation Objective:

Refer to psychosocial needs, Identifying an important difference that
preferences and experiences of can be highlighted and then developing
stakeholders. a claim that competitors either cannot
make or have not chosen to make.
iii. Industry Orientation
Categories: Functional Orientation
Does not necessarily use any particular
type of functional or psychosocial It addresses a basic need or
appeal but is designed to achieve an expectation of stakeholders.
advantage over competitors in the
same industry.
Reason been called as Rational:
The message style is labeled rational
1. Rational Message Styles because it follows a basic
argumentation structure where the
grounds for the claim for superiority
2. Symbolic Association are supplied through supporting
Message Styles information.
The rational message style can be
3. Emotional Message effective in cases where the
Styles organization can claim a distinctive
advantage in its capabilities, size or
4. Generic Message resources.
Styles

5. Preemptive Message 2. Symbolic Association Message Style

Styles Categories: Symbolic Orientation
Focuses on psychosocial, rather than
physical differentiation (Rational
Message Style)
Objective:
To develop an image for the Authentic:
organization and to differentiate the
Important for organizations to make
organization psychologically from its
sure that the display of emotions is
competitors through symbolic
seen as authentic.
association.
Inauthentic:
The core of this message style consists
of identifying a set of symbols and If stakeholders perceive references to
values that through repeated linkage emotions to be inauthentic, an
with the organization may come to be emotional message style may backfire.
associated with that organization.
Other Meaning:
4. Generic Message Style
Described as ‘transformational’
Categories: Industry Orientation
because it associates the organization
with a set of culturally shared An organization employs a generic
experiences and meanings which strategy when making a claim that
without corporate communication could be made by any organization that
would not typically be associated with operates in the same industry.
the organization to the same degree.
Objective:
The organization makes no attempt to
3. Emotional Message Style differentiate itself from competitors or
to claim superiority. This message style
Categories: Symbolic Orientation
is most appropriate for an organization
Objective: that dominates a particular industry.
One approach may be to use emotional
appeals in corporate communication to
5. Preemptive Message Style
regulate the emotional responses of
stakeholders and reach stakeholders at Categories: Industry Orientation
a visceral (feel in) level.
Involves an industry-wide orientation is
Advantage: employed when an organization makes
a generic-type claim but does so with a
o Lead to greater levels of
suggestion of superiority.
involvement and affiliation with an
organization. Objective:
o Displays of positive emotions may
Preemptive communication is a clever
also stimulate supportive, sharing
strategy when a meaningful superiority
and expansive behaviours of
claim is made because it precludes
stakeholders while the display of
competitors from saying the same
negative emotions may lead to
thing.
distancing and avoidance.
Advantage: Crisis Communication
In doing so, the company differentiates Five (5) Contingency Plans of crisis by
itself from its nearest competitors on a Mitroff and Pearson
relevant industry-wide capability and
suggests that it is leading the initiative Stage 1
to meet the increasing demand for Minimal planning around a few
energy. contingency plans drawn up for an
emergency response.

Stage 2
More extensive planning but is limited
to natural disasters and potential
human errors.

Stage 3
Extensive contingency plans which
include crisis procedures for
probable natural disasters and human
errors and the training of personnel
so that employees can implement
these crisis procedures.

Stage 4
Wider than typical natural disasters
and human errors and includes
products defects, tampering and
social issues regarding the company’s
supply chain, operations and
contributions towards society.

Stage 5
All of the previous stages but also
incorporates environmental scanning
and early warning systems to identify
crises as early as possible.
Five (5) Different Levels of Stage 4:
Contingency Plans
Similar to stage 3 but involves an
organization-wide consultation of
potential crises and their impact on
Stage 1:
stakeholders.
Involves minimal planning around a few
Wider than typical natural disasters and
contingency plans drawn up for an
human errors and includes products
emergency response.
defects, tampering and social issues
Purpose: regarding the company’s supply chain,
operations and contributions towards
Involve a limited set of plans such as
society.
evacuating a building during fire or
giving first aid to employees who suffer
injury or sudden illness.
Stage 5:
Involves all of the previous stages but
Stage 2: also incorporates environmental
scanning and early warning systems to
Involves more extensive planning but is
identify crises as early as possible.
limited to natural disasters and
potential human errors.
Purpose:
Planning at this stage involves
measures for damage containment and
business recovery.

Stage 3:
Involves extensive contingency plans
which include crisis procedures for
probable natural disasters and human
errors and the training of personnel so
that employees can implement these
crisis procedures.
Purpose:
To implement the crisis procedures.
 Tools and Techniques to Obtain News
1. Press Release
Objective:
The aim of press releases is to transfer
news to journalists so that it can be
made public.
▪ Press releases are more likely to be
used and placed in a news medium
when they refer to newsworthy
events or items that are current and
have a human interest or appeal,
when the release is written in a
factual (as opposed to judgmental)
manner and with a clear heading
and lead (first paragraph) into the
topic.
Communication Practitioners need to
focus on:
i. Keep the expectations, preferred
frames and deadlines of the
different media in mind.
ii. The time-frame of different news
media.
2. Press Conference
Objective:
Disseminating information to the news
media involves inviting journalists to a
press conference.
▪ Press conferences are normally
organized around fixed periods in
the calendar when organizations
release financial results or share
corporate information at the annual
general meeting with shareholders.
▪ An important element of the press
conference is that it allows
journalists to address questions to
the company executives gathered
at the event.
▪ A press conference is therefore
more applicable when information
cannot be conveyed in a
standardized, written form or when
the information involves a
controversial or sensitive issue.
3. Interviews
Objective:
Journalists often request an interview
with official spokespersons or with the
CEO or other senior executives of the
organization.
▪ For this purpose, communication
practitioners need to offer
executives advice and training on
news angles in relation to corporate
themes and on specific guidelines
regarding the interview format.
▪ Such guidelines may consist of
advising staff to keep ‘control’ of
the interview by asking the
journalist to call or come at a
prearranged time, to brief them
about the interview topics in
advance, and to supply them with a
copy of the interview transcript and
final article so that facts, opinions
and attributions can be checked.
Trained:
▪ CEOs and other executives who are
likely to be interviewed by
journalists over the telephone, face-
to-face or in front of a camera need
to be trained to be skilled
communicators.
▪ Many organizations therefore
instruct their CEO and senior
executives in media training so that
they stay on message, synchronize
their body language with their
verbal messages, and can anticipate
questions from journalists.
Corporate Taglines and Slogans
Meaning:
A tagline or slogan is a brief phrase that
highlights the overall positioning of the
organization and distills one or more
themed messages of an organization
into a single expression or statement.
Example:
▪ ExxonMobil - ‘taking on the world’s
toughest energy challenges’
▪ Blackberry - ‘built to keep you
moving’
Advantage of Taglines and Slogans:
o Useful in priming a particular image
for the organization or its products
and services.
o Have a strong effect on how
stakeholders in turn think of the
organization.
A good tagline with memorable and
relevant phrases:
a. Fluent;
b. Skilled writers;
c. Creative thinkers;
Tactics:
1. Wordplay
Meaning:
Playing with grammar is an easy way to
grab attention and to say something
unique and memorable about an
organization.
Rhetoricians call switching one word Naturally suggestive words iconicity
from one part of speech to another may also result from pairing words in a
‘anthimera’. narrative sequence.
A classic example of this is:
Verbing or verbification of nouns, i. First sub-category (Discrete Words)
where nouns are transformed into
Example:
verbs.
Coca-Cola – ‘always Coca-Cola’
2. Figurative Language Meaning:
Meaning: Invoke an image of the brand as
commonplace in many social situations.
Figurative as opposed to literal
language is metaphorical, where words
and phrases are used in ways that do ii. Second sub-category (Pairing the
not literally apply to the context at words)
hand.
Example:
Nike’s - ‘just do it’
Example:
Meaning:
Virgin Atlantic’s – ‘flying in the face of
Marks an attitude on the back of a
ordinary’.
narrative sequence that details the
▪ Flying refer directly to the core actions of aspiring athletes.
business of the company.
▪ Read metaphorically rather than
literally (usual).

Figuratively used words and

expressions may invoke secondary
readings and interpretations that
provide further resonance, and which
leads a phrase to be better
remembered and to pack more punch.

3. Iconic Words
Iconicity rests in words that are rich in
meaning and imagery.
 Stakeholder Salience Model Venn Diagram of Seven (7) Classes of
Stakeholders based on Power,
Salience is defined as how visible or
Legitimacy and Urgency.
prominent a stakeholder is to an
organization based upon the
stakeholder possessing one or more of
three attributes:
i. Power,
ii. Legitimacy,
iii. Urgency

The first step of the model is to classify

and prioritize stakeholders according to
the presence or absence of three key
attributes:
i. Power
The power of the stakeholder group
upon an organization. (Influence) Stakeholder Salience Model

ii. Legitimacy
The legitimacy of the claim laid
upon the organization by the
stakeholder group. (Relationship
with the firm)
iii. Urgency
The degree to which stakeholder
claims call for immediate action.
(Claim)
The more attributes such as power,
legitimacy, and urgency. The more
stakeholder is perceived to have the
higher their salience. In other words,
the greatest priority will be given to
stakeholders who have power,
legitimacy and urgency.
Three categories group:
Green
Latent stakeholders: one attribute, low
salience. Managers may do nothing
about these stakeholders and may not
even recognise them as stakeholders.
Amber
Expectant stakeholders: two attributes,
moderate salience. Active rather
passive. Seen by managers as
'expecting something'. Likely higher
level engagement with these
stakeholders.
Red
Definitive stakeholders: all three
attributes, high salience. Managers give
immediate priority to these
stakeholders.
Power
Dormant Stakeholder
Those who have the power to impose
their will on others but because they do
not have a legitimate relationship or
urgent claim, their power remains
dormant.
Example:
Wield power by being able to spend a
lot of money or by commanding the
attention of the news media.
(Prospective Customer)
Legitimacy
Discretionary Stakeholders
Those who possess legitimate claims
based upon interactions with an
organization but have no power to
influence the organization, nor any
urgent claims.
Example:
Recipients of corporate charity.
Urgency
Demanding Stakeholders
Those with urgent claims, but no
legitimacy or power. Irritants for
management, but not worth
considering.
Example:
People with unjustified grudges, serial
complainers or low return customers.
Power + Legitimacy
Dominant Stakeholders
Those who have both powerful and
legitimate claims giving them a strong
influence on the organization.
Example:
Stakeholder groups who regularly
transact with or have strong binding
relationships with organizations such as
employees, customers, owners and
significant (institutional) investors in
the organization. They have power to
withhold investment or labour.
Power + Urgency
Dangerous Stakeholders
Those who have power and urgent
claims but lack legitimacy. They are
seen as dangerous as they may resort
to coercion and even violence.
Example:
Unlawful or attempts at using coercive
(force) means to advance stakeholder
claims (which may or may not be
legitimate) include wildcat strikes,
employee sabotage and terrorism.
Legitimacy + Urgency
Dependent Stakeholders
Those who lack power, but who have
urgent, legitimate claims. They rely and
dependent on others for the power to
carry out their will because they lack
the power to enforce their stake.
Example:
Local residents of a community in
which a plant of a large corporation rely
on lobby groups, the media or another
form of political representation to have
their concerns voiced and considered
by a company.
Power + Legitimacy + Urgency
Definitive Stakeholders
Those who have power, legitimacy and
urgency. In other words, definitive
stakeholders are powerful and
legitimate stakeholders who by
definition need to be communicated
with.
Communication practitioners and other
managers have a responsibility to give
it priority and attention to these
stakeholders when it came to urgent.
The Organization of Corporate
Communication (Vertical & Horizontal)
Vertical Structure
▪ Large Organization:
i. Multi-Divisional Companies
ii. Multinational Corporations
▪ Often locate the corporate
communication department at a
high level, within the organization.
The way in which:
• Tasks and activities (and the
disciplines that they represent) are
divided and arranged according to
departments (defined as the
departmental arrangement)
• Located in the hierarchy of
authority within an organization.

Example:
Who are normally classified as
dominant stakeholders (Power +
Legitimacy), can become active when
they feel that their legitimate interests
are not being served by the managers
of the company in which they hold
stock, and then they effectively act as
definitive stakeholders.