Business communication is going through its very own golden age. The director of communications has gone from playing a secondary role to taking on an increasing range of functions, on many occasions even acting as a right hand to the presidents and CEOs of large corporations.
Various factors point in the same direction. The evolution which this sector has undergone within organisations, along with the growing existence of agencies and consulting firms specialising in these services, simply confirm the fact that the way companies communicate and interact with different sections of the public is fundamental to their development. A study by the Association of Directors of Communication (Dircom) shows that 78% of companies have a communications department. Companies have noticed that in a highly competitive business environment they need to offer more than just a product. Maintaining a good relationship with all their consumer audiences can lead to a clear-cut advantage. This explains the growth of the sector, whether in-house or by means of outsourcing to suppliers such as agencies and communications consultants, who become important allies for directors in this field.
The functions and responsibilities of the director of communication have been growing over time, and now reach well beyond mere responses to media requests. As a result, the abilities that are now needed by a communications director transcend simply knowing how to organise a press conference or how to draft a communiqué. It is also essential to know how to anticipate events, to have a strategic business vision and to be able to advise the entire organisation. The new functions being developed by directors of communication include brand management, event planning, marketing and staff activities. Seen another way, a number of years have had to pass for all business organisations to accept and even embrace the need for a communications department, having come to understand that the work they do is an integral part of the company’s overall strategy.