The Power of Communication

As the external environment surrounding companies undergoes significant change, internal environments are also transforming dramatically, with increasing workforce diversity and varied values. Clients are establishing clear goals and visions to solve challenges faced both internally and externally, and are beginning to take action towards achieving these goals. Simultaneously, the role and functions of communication strategy are becoming increasingly diverse. Akihiro Tani, a planner at Dentsu Inc. Marketing Design Center who has been involved in numerous communication strategy projects, reports.

Why are the demands placed on communication strategy diversifying?

Recently, frequent client inquiries focus on establishing clear visions and goals that motivate employees, enhancing employee initiative to achieve those visions, and communicating and showcasing these efforts externally. To move an organization toward its stated vision, merely changing organizational structures is insufficient. Creating an environment where employees themselves proactively decide how to act, and transform with motivation and spirit, becomes a major challenge. It is precisely because of the efforts of the employees that a company earns high regard and builds a strong brand image.

Beyond campaign planning or consulting on specific themes, we must maximize the strengths and assets our clients possess and communicate them both internally and externally. The scope of these strengths and assets extends beyond new products and services.
I feel the scope of what is required in communication strategy is expanding.

When we talk about strategy, we often fall into the trap of thinking it must be built logically, step by step. However, I believe it's incredibly important to also value the balls that don't directly connect to the goal.
Planners are often perceived as primarily using logical thinking when performing left-brain tasks.

But among the ideas that weren't selected during logical thinking and scattered around, seeds of inspiration and important hints are scattered.
Picking up these scattered pieces, extracting meaning from them, and then deducing scenarios. I truly believe this is what we communication planners should be doing.

This approach is a technique creative professionals excel at, but communication planners must also embrace it. We must constantly switch between right and left brain modes.

We must dig for seeds of ideas and possibilities while also ensuring feasibility.
I feel it's incredibly important right now for planners to build this kind of approach.

No matter how much technology or thinking methods evolve, there are still many things we won't understand unless we explore possibilities and test them. It would be straightforward if all answers could be found by stripping things down and organizing them, but that's not always the case.
The possibilities of the future are infinite. Sometimes you don't even know if what you're doing is right.

Unless we maintain a perspective focused on exploring which possibilities to pursue among the many futures, we risk becoming yes-men who only affirm ourselves or fail to deliver value to clients.
The extension of the present isn't always the right path. Expanding clients' possibilities with this mindset might be the kind of work that truly embodies Dentsu Inc. going forward.

Next time, we'll consider the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics hosting and corporate strategy as catalysts for creating the future possibilities just mentioned.