Choose the channel based on what you’re trying to achieve
The channel you decide to use will depend on where you work. Consider the culture and size of the organisation and team.
| Channel type | Example | Good for | Comms role | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central (one to many) | Press release, email, memo, intranet post. | Inform a large group about an issue or initiative. | Create a clear message with the business partner. | Scalable and reach multiple people. | Hard to measure impact. The opportunity to clarify is limited. |
| Leader presentation (one to many) | Media interview, press conference, town hall, CEO video, blog. | Motivate and energise, important announcements. | Create a presentation and coach on delivery. | A good way to address issues. Highly credible source. | One-way communication. The audience often is intimidated to ask questions. |
| Manager cascade (one to few) | Communication in team meetings, email. | Inform the team about a specific or sensitive matter. | Create an information pack and send out talking points, FAQs. | Trusted source. Drives behavioural change. | The message often fails to get through. Unfamiliar (unconvincing) message or no buy-in. |
| Manager dialogue (interactive) | Group discussion, manager 1:1. | Problem-solving, gaining feedback, translating strategy into action. | Create discussion points, and provide conversation tools and coaching. | Helps resolve issues. Drives behavioural changes. | Time intensive. Manager's communication skill is highly variable. |
| Social media and mobile (one to many) | Corporate blogs, intranet, Twitter, SMS, Yammer, Slack, Workplace. | Time-sensitive information, humanise the company. | Develop social strategy, create, share and manage content. Track responses. | Ease of access to information. Track sentiment. | Risk of sounding phony if not executed correctly with the right balance. |
| Enabling advocates (many to many) | Employees, customers, suppliers. | Spread (viral) message, reputational management, reaching a sceptical audience. | Map roles of each advocate to a message they deliver and provide coaching. | Trusted source, high resonance and 'stickiness'. | Limited pool of advocates. Time sensitive. |