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Digital Intervention is Shaping up Business Communication

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the corporate to announce drastic measures, which has led to an overnight change in the way the communication is done. Abhishek Sinha, Director, Digitales spoke to Kalpana Ravi, Communication Coach on how digital intervention is shaping up business communication and also how companies are leveraging technology to boost employee morale and maintaining productivity. Here are the highlights –

Questions 1: How has COVID-19 changed the communications industry? Do you feel brands exposure will now be titled more towards digital platforms?

Answer 1: The current pandemic has changed the way we have been communicating.  We have entered into an era where social distancing is going to be the new norm which has forced many of us to discover new mediums to engage with our friends. Brands are also realigning their approach with the emerging lifestyle with a bigger thrust on digital communication. I am specially talking about those brands which have been relying upon more traditional ways to engage with their audience have also woken up to digital transformation. However, I believe that somewhere down the line brands will find a balancing point because no brand could afford to lose out on customers who may have been left behind because of not getting adequate access to technology.

We also have to understand that while technology plays an important role in building resilience to disasters, it also creates vulnerabilities and risks around data privacy. A careful approach to using technology is the way forward.

Question 2: Government across the world are struggling to effectively implement digital technology where access to information and government schemes is seamless. What are your suggestions to overcome this challenge?

Answer 2: We need swift policy decisions from government and collectively brainstorm ideas to navigate these challenging times. An open government approach along with a very informed use of digital communication channels is the key to provide reliable information and effectively distribute government help. There is a variety of e-participation platforms which offer useful tools to engage with vulnerable groups. We need to customise them to suit local requirements. In the long-term, governments need to accelerate the implementation of innovative digital technologies.

I believe this is the pathways for success that will leave a strong legacy for the future – striking effective public-private partnerships, fast-forwarding the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as well an effective mechanism for sharing new technology.

We also have to understand that while technology plays an important role in building resilience to disasters, it also creates vulnerabilities and risks around data privacy. A careful approach to using technology is the way forward.

Governments also need to safeguard themselves against viral hoaxes that have the potential to jeopardise genuine government initiatives. We have already seen thousands of COVID-19 scam and malware sites. There is an urgent need to float quick response units and campaigns to coordinate the fight against online misinformation.

Question 3: Many IT companies have declared that employees must work from home till the end of this year. Do you feel we are fully equipped, technologically and emotionally, to embrace this huge shift?  

Answer 3: Corporate have already rolled out several schemes to minimize business disruption and encourage their employees to remain optimistic about the future. Accenture’s Elastic Digital Workplace solution is a great example of how we must change with the changing times without compromising on the quality and efficiency. It is based on parameters such as culture and awareness, elastic collaboration, virtual work environment, seamless networking, distributed connectivity and adaptive security to ensure a highly extendable and dynamic workplace environment which is fully equipped to quickly scale up to changing business requirements.

There are many others who have introduced special modules to make their employees more digital savvy and offer them expert guidance to maintain a certain level of productivity while working from home. This is the new normal and we must adapt this with enthusiasm.

Question 4: What is that one factor that brands must adapt to remain relevant in these highly volatile times?

Answer 4: Authenticity – it must be the most important aspect of your messaging in an era where communication is fast paced and transparent because of the emergence of digital media. Technology is a double edged sword and any reckless misadventure in the way brands communicate with their customers may prove to be disastrous. Be as honest and authentic as you can, keep a close watch on all kinds of uproars about your brand on social media and put in place a quick response team to counter any misdirected communication. A hashtag has the potential to go viral in a matter of few hours and many times it demolishes the image built over many years.

A hashtag has the potential to go viral in a matter of few hours and many times it demolishes the image built over many years.

Question 5: Please share a few useful tips to effectively communicate with the audience?

Answer 5: There is no handbook but I always believe that we should stick to basics instead of too much experimentation with the way we communicate. Brands should take care of the following –

  1. Pop-up feature on your homepage to announce latest updates
  2. Create a dedicated COVID-19 webpage “only” if your industry is affected by the pandemic
  3. Invest in audio video communication to enhance trust
  4. Go live on facebook and instagram to engage with a broader group effectively

…and most importantly, be consistent in your messaging. That is most critical but often most ignored.