Setting up your Corporate Marketing Strategy

Whether a company, an NGO, city, government entity or branch of the armed forces, truth is Corporate Marketing is usually a poorly defined role within most organizations. It is something ethereal and inconsistent, fluctuating as the organizational structure shifts from centralized to decentralized and back.

Clearly, it seems easier for organizations to see the short term benefits of results oriented marketing investments for specific products and campaigns, rather than the long term investment of corporate marketing. It shouldn’t be that way...

What is Corporate Marketing exactly, and what is it good for?

Corporate Marketing is concerned with the multiple relationships the organization builds with its stakeholder’s overtime, both internally and externally. In this sense, corporate marketing will set-up communication channels, strategies and frameworks for each of the defined purposes/stakeholder group.

Let me put you an example. Every time you visit a Nestle factory, you will notice a poster picturing the Nestle CEO with the phrase “one accident is one too many”.

There is no question Nestle is first concerned with the wellbeing of its employees, but you need to look a step forward to see the real implications of such message: productivity, positive image in the communities it employs, resonance for its manufacturing best practices and ultimately an image for good quality products. Corporate Marketing pays off in the long term.

There will be 2 key questions every organization will have to ask itself in order to build a solid corporate identity that can lead into an effective Corporate Marketing campaign:

How is the organization perceived today and how is it perceived over time?

Corporate Marketing is just the tip of the iceberg. The base for success is the company’s behavioral guidelines, codes of conduct and ultimately its cultural values. We must understand that the way a company does things will also shape consumers perceptions and purchase decisions. That is why it is important to set those up and communicate them first internally.

What are our distinctive attributes? To whom and what do we want to commit publicly?

Think about the companies positioning and long term vision. Do we want to be perceived as a trusted mass manufacturer for its healthy and nutritional products (Nestlé)? Here again, the changes will have to start from the inside out. Put the resources behind your statement and then communicate the results. It is not a simple process, and it certainly takes a very long time, but get the right direction and you will be building a competitive advantage over time.

Posted by Ignacio Molins