What Is Strategic Communications?

If you are reading this document, you are studying strategic communications, or as some—
especially those in academia—refer to the field, strategic communication.
That is all well and good, but what does the term really mean?
This is an important question because in academia and industry there are multiple
definitions of the term.
According to Roberts (n.d.),
Scholars and communication professionals have adopted strategic communication as
an umbrella term meant to include a variety of communication-related professions,
such as public relations, brand communication, advertising, and more.
In defining strategic communication, Hallahan, Holtzhausen, van Ruler, Vercic, and
Sriramesh (2007, p. 7) state,
the emphasis is on the strategic application of communication and how an
organization functions as a social actor to advance its mission . . . . strategic
communication focuses on how the organization itself presents and promotes itself
through the intentional activities of its leaders, employees, and communication
practitioners.
Looking at the concept from a national security perspective, Paul (2011, p. 3) defines
strategic communication as “coordinated actions, messages, images, and other forms of
signaling or engagement intended to inform, influence, or persuade selected audiences in
support of national objectives.”
While the above are just a sampling of the opinions regarding what strategic
communications is and how we should define it, there are a few general concepts that we
can take away:
Learning Topic
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Strategic communications is focused at the organizational level and is employed to
further the organization’s strategic interests.
Strategic communications employs a range of tools and techniques, which have been
taken from several disciplines including public relations, marketing communications,
and advertising.
Strategic communications represents the continuing convergence of the
communications disciplines, including public relations, marketing, and advertising. As
the lines between older professional designations continue to blur, professionals will
increasingly focus on the development of strategic communications programs that
are effective, and not on the particular tools that are used to undertake those
programs.
As many of the strategies and tactics associated with strategic communications have been
borrowed from contemporary public relations (PR), we will consider PR to be the
foundational discipline, though we will reference the contributions of other disciplines
where appropriate.
Ultimately, the formal definition of strategic communications is less important than the
fact that, as a practitioner in the field, you will need to recognize that ideas about
organizational communications are changing. You will be entering a highly dynamic
communications environment where your ability to influence organizational strategy and
realize organizational goals is greater than ever before.
Broom & Sha
Chapter 1: Introduction to Contemporary Public Relations, pp. 1–23
(https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133468328/epubcfi/6/24%5B%3
Bvnd.vst.idref%3DP7000478488000000000000000002782%5D!/4/2%5BP70004
78488000000000000000002782%5D/2/2%5BP70004784880000000000000000
02783%5D/4%400:0) provides an essential orientation to the field. Learn about
the focus on building and maintaining relationships and what distinguishes strategic
communications from marketing and advertising.
References
Hallahan, K., Holtzhausen, D., van Ruler, B., Vercic, D., & Sriramesh, K. (2007). Defining
strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3–35.
1/11/2021 What Is Strategic Communications?
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Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: Origins, concepts, and current debates. Santa
Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Roberts, J. (n.d.). Writing for strategic communication industries. Columbus, OH: The Ohio
State University. Retrieved from https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/stratcommwriting/
As you read above, this Broom & Sha chapter provides an excellent
orientation to the field and how it intersects with and diverges from
other functions in an organization.
Broom, G. M., & Sha, B.-L. (2013). Chapter 1: Introduction to
contemporary public relations
(https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133468328/epub
cfi/6/24%5B%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3DP70004784880000000000000
00002782%5D!/4/2%5BP7000478488000000000000000002782
%5D/2/2%5BP7000478488000000000000000002783%5D/4
%400:0) . In Cutlip & Center’s effective public relations (11th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2–23.
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