Communication in a corporate environment

This calls for consistency, content and reducing complexity to the max, according to our client Stefanie Nehlsen, Senior Manager Global Media Relations Clariant.

Clariant has emerged from a long period of change with a strong, clear ambition: to be the world leader in specialty chemicals. For the Group Communications department, reflecting this positive aim in all communications is a top priority. On a recent visit to the EMG HQ, Stefanie shared the steps the global comms team is taking to communicate the well-defined leadership vision.

Clariant wants to be seen as benchmark for value creation through sustainability and innovation, but how best to tell its story to the world? Ensuring the company’s branding, re-designed to represent the future Clariant, is used on all materials from exhibition stands to presentations is one aspect. But more than this, Group Communications’ sole mission is to translate Clariant’s positioning into communication that is compelling, credible and relevant, so that people want to learn about our value proposition, says Stefanie. And to take advantage of new and traditional media channels to reach out to them.

This has meant creating one company with one voice.  It’s a process that is still in progress. There are 17,000 people communicating on behalf of Clariant, working in different business units across different levels of the organisation. The challenge is to ensure consistency - because consistency creates trust; to find good content in order to tell stories in a consistent way; and to reduce complexity with simple messaging said in a clear way. This is particularly important in light of the many stakeholders, instant info access, and increasing cross-media world of online, offline, social media, videos, etcetera, in which we live.

To ensure that all communication measures contribute to the overall mission and positioning of the company, Group Communications is closing the gap between the corporate functions and individual business (product) units. This is also helping the team to be more efficient and effective in supporting projects and discovering inspiring content.  It’s highlighting its expertise in delivering excellent service, strategic consulting, and leadership within Clariant. And setting clear KPIs to give measurables for evaluating success and areas to improve.

An important factor is bringing the 46 global communications colleagues closer together metaphorically speaking to achieve a greater sense of unity and cooperation. This includes regular meetings and providing shared platforms for sourcing approved, ready-to-use material, such as communications packages on global trends and media releases.

With EMG at its side, Clariant has succeeded in moving the story on, creating visibility for its vision, product developments and contributions to society. The team is looking forward to supporting Stefanie and Group Communications in taking this to the next level in 2016 and beyond.

 

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