What Types of Corporate Communication Are There?

There are many different types of corporate communication.  

With the tagline "communication" there have been many terms that have tried to capture this reality of companies:

• Public relations and communication.
• Advertising and communication.
• Internal communication.
• External communication.
• Digital communication.

The list is endless.  

However, they are all parts of the same reality: corporate communication.  

As we saw in this article, corporate communication is all kinds of communication around a company: from inside to outside, from outside to inside and all around.  

And given that communication is one of the most important facets of a company's day-to-day running, it is worth reviewing the different types that exist:

What are the main types of corporate communication that exist?

Corporate communication can be categorised on the basis of various parameters:

• The department it comes from.
• The direction it takes.
• The channel through which it does so.
• The officialdom.
• Etc..

However, most communication specialists agree on a classification that differentiates in a particularly actionable way the different communications in a company:

The situation-channel matrix to delimit the types of corporate communication.

The situation-channel matrix is a 2x2 matrix that draws 4 quadrants for the different types of communication:

• Internal communication - formal
• Internal communication - informal
• External communication - formal
• External communication - informal

Internal formal communication

A company's internal - formal communication is the means by which work is organized, tasks are managed and the day-to-day running of the company takes place. It can be, in turn, of two types: upward or downward:

• In the first case it is when it goes from the grassroots to the management.
• The second is just the opposite.

This communication is particularly important to ensure that business processes run smoothly.  

Some types of internal - formal - communication are:

• Messages to shareholders .
• Employee handbooks.
• The mission of the company.
• Newsletters and e-mails to employees.
• Trainings and seminars.

Internal informal communication

Internal-informal company communication is communication that takes place at the coffee machine or in general company chats.  

It has no specific purpose for day-to-day work, but it is crucial for employees to feel part of a whole, to motivate and relate to each other.  

It is sometimes greatly underestimated by management, but if it is not nurtured and instigated, there is a risk of a bad working climate and unmotivated employees.  

One of the most curious characteristics of this type of communication is that it is almost always horizontal. 

If you want to read more about this type of communication and the previous one, you can do so here.

Formal external communication

Formal external communication is the one that the company issues from the door to the outside in an official way.  

It has to do with public relations, dealing with customers and suppliers and, in short, all types of communication that follow official channels and go out from the business.  

This category includes:

• Brochures or flyers.
• Annual reports.
• Case studies.
• Blogs.
• Websites.
• Media advertisements.
• Cold mailing.
• Social media.
• Financial records.
• Etc..

Almost all of this communication occurs in a two-way manner: from the inside to the outside and vice versa.

External informal communication

As with internal communication, in this case, informal communication is that which occurs through non-corporate channels.  

It is certainly the least frequent of the four, but it is not unimportant for that reason:

• Talks with journalists.
• Talks with other companies.
• Talks with clients.
• Talks with partners.

These are the main types of corporate communication.

If there is one tool in which you can capture all 4 types (or at least a very high percentage of them) it is a CRM.  

And the best CRM you can try is efficy.  

If you want, you can discover it today:  
 

Download now!  

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