Lasting Impact: SKOT Calls for Stronger Corporate Messaging

Edafe Onoriode, Director of Business Transformation and Strategy at SKOT Communications, has urged companies to establish well-defined messaging frameworks in the age of pervasive social media, employee opinions and instantaneous public reactions. He claimed that traditional communication methods, such as press releases, scripted interviews, and annual reports, are becoming less effective due to the rapid escalation of corporate decisions in Nigeria.

In his statement, 'The Architecture of Messaging: Designing Narratives That Speak to Your Market', Onoriode explored how organizations can create consistent communications that resonate across various audiences and platforms.

Onoriode emphasized that an organization's identity is shaped not only by its official statements but also by customer experiences, employee feedback, investor briefings, regulatory comments, and public perceptions. He noted the potential for an unhappy customer to tarnish a brand's image within minutes via a smartphone or an employee's candid account of workplace culture reaching thousands through social media.

A regulatory statement or a misinterpreted CEO comment can also spark a national conversation or cause widespread misunderstanding.

Onoriode argued that rather than producing more messages, organizations should focus on building a coherent communication framework that provides consistency and meaning across various audiences, sectors, and channels. He identified the key stakeholders as customers, employees, investors, regulators, and the broader public, each with distinct concerns and expectations. He advised organizations to create a central narrative that can be tailored to different audiences while preserving their core identity.

To create effective messaging, Onoriode stressed the importance of brand purpose and positioning. Purpose represents the reason an organization exists beyond its products or services, while positioning determines how the organization wants to be perceived in relation to competitors and the broader market. He further highlighted that an effective message should be clear, consistent, credible, relevant, and emotionally resonant.

Storytelling could enhance corporate communication by providing context and human meaning to an organization's purpose, actions, and ambitions. However, he cautioned against the misuse of corporate jargon, exaggerated claims, and competing priorities, as polished language can sometimes result in communication that fails to convey a clear message.

Onoriode urged organizations to identify the core message they want stakeholders to remember, believe, and ultimately act upon, and how a well-defined messaging architecture could help them respond more consistently to emerging issues and crises.