The Digital Transformation of Strategic Comms

While often functionally different disciplines, marketing and public relations have historically been connected at the hip, depending on the size and makeup of an organization. Together, they are the communications engine behind any company or organization—the source of all paid, earned, shared and owned media.

The results of the 2023 PRWeek Cision Global Communications survey are in—and the published report includes unique slices of data, regional and global industry trends, and a few surprises (or “reasons to be cheerful”) for leadership in the integrated marketing and communications space.

The role of tech in effective communications may be at a tipping point. In the decades since the term MarTech came into common usage, the capabilities have expanded from a relatively modest set of tools for things like digital advertising and keyword research in the early aughts to programs that churn terabytes of data in the blink of an eye today. Not only have the features and outputs evolved, so has the user base and the rise of CommsTech.

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While marketers have been utilizing data and analytics in their everyday work for some time, only recently have the tools and technology become an essential part of the larger strategic communications function. From deciding what content to produce and where to publish it, to capturing demographic and engagement data, and aligning activities with measurable results, all manner of optimizations and outreach could and should be led by data and analysis. The majority of communications teams understand this, and are looking to analytics to drive their strategies, fuel their planning, support their campaign execution and report on their efforts.

How do we know this? A global cohort of senior- and executive-level communications professionals have spoken: According to the 2023 PRWeek Cision Global Communications Report, 79% of these professionals said they are relying on data and analytics more now than in the previous year.

Even as they rely more on data and analytics, however, 61% still struggle to measure the impact of their efforts effectively. The challenges around data and analytics don’t end there: 50% of communicators say they struggle cite “aligning metrics to revenue or other vital business KPIs” as a top challenge, and an equal number struggle with “converting data into actionable insights.” These findings here are telling: They indicate that even as marketing and PR professionals recognize the necessity of using data and analytics and are increasingly embracing it, there is still room to grow that analytical muscle.

When asked about their biggest priorities going into 2023, content creation made the top of the list, followed closely by analytics and reporting, and media outreach/influencer management. This finding underscores a major opportunity for technology providers: There is not one item in that list that the right tools and technology cannot enhance, streamline or accelerate. Certainly, the human factor is and always will be the biggest asset communications teams have to offer, but paired with technology, the true potential for communications teams has yet to be realized.

The question will be whether strategic communications teams are willing to invest in the tools and talent to discover – and leverage – the technology available. Given that 44% of communications teams reported that their budgets would be increasing in 2023, all signs point to…very possibly. Clearly, there is a potential customer base that understands the power of tech to improve their performance and demonstrate departmental ROI to senior leadership. It’s incumbent on us to help them to connect the dots.

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Communications has always been both an art and a science. But as the C-suite is increasingly reliant on communications teams to advise on key business decisions that impact the brand – and stakeholders’ decision to invest in it – communicators are tapping more heavily into the science of their role. They are looking for solutions that enable them to not only gather more granular data around competitive intelligence, consumer sentiment, industry insight and brand reputation, but contextualize that data into actionable insight.

It’s an exciting time for tech, where there is not just an appetite for innovative solutions among a growing user base of strategic communicators, but a need to better understand it. Between creating innovative solutions that help communicators meet their biggest challenges, and educating them on how to leverage these tools, the opportunities for CommsTech providers are far and wide.

So where do we go from here? How can we better understand and start to anticipate the needs of this ever-growing potential user base? How do we not only create innovative solutions that meet their challenges, but empower them to use these tools and create opportunities?

Let’s continue to probe these questions as we look for new ways to innovate for a more diverse user base. There will be bumps along the way, but ultimately, it’s going to be an exciting and rewarding ride for both user and provider.