The "Integrated Corporate Story" as an Essential Foundation for Multi-Stakeholder Communication

"We want to bring consistency to communication activities that have become siloed within each department and specialized field."

This growing awareness of the issue has become one catalyst for companies launching corporate branding projects, and the demand for such initiatives has increased rapidly in recent years. However, the reality is that many companies struggle because the target stakeholders and desired communication goals differ by department.

This article introduces approaches to internal collaboration for achieving integrated, consistent corporate communications and offers tips for smooth implementation. Dentsu Senior Consulting Director Naota Nakamachi then explains the "Integrated Corporate Story," a framework unique to Dentsu Inc. that forms the foundation for communication with multiple stakeholders (*).

※Multi-stakeholders = Diverse stakeholders including customers, employees, investors, business partners, recruitment candidates, and local communities
 

The "Invisible Corporate Face Problem" Born from the Sophistication and Complexity of Management Agendas

Business restructuring, group reorganization, DX, sustainability management, human capital management, DEI initiatives... Today, many Japanese companies are compelled to simultaneously advance management challenges across different layers. Moreover, their ability to address these challenges directly impacts their reputation among internal and external stakeholders, driving a proactive stance toward information disclosure.

However, many Japanese companies express frustration that "despite undertaking various positive initiatives, they are not being adequately communicated." There is a growing awareness that sufficient recognition, understanding, and even empathy are not being achieved, not only externally but even among internal stakeholders like employees.

A major cause of this is that information dissemination has become trapped in individual optimization by specialized domain—the pitfalls of a "siloed" approach. While most companies do initiate the act of information dissemination itself through PR/advertising or corporate communications departments, the task of "crafting narratives to clarify the company's unique value" is often left to individual departments.

Consequently, despite disseminating various topics, consistency in information is often not guaranteed. This frequently results in communication where the "corporate identity" remains invisible.

Furthermore, it's no exaggeration to say that the various management challenges mentioned earlier are issues "every company is tackling" today. Consequently, the information being disseminated tends to become homogenized. Without a conscious effort to differentiate, communications risk becoming indistinguishable from those of other companies. It's fair to say we've entered a phase where a strong need exists for a story framework that integrates individual management challenges and for coordinated information dissemination based on that framework.

Marketing has evolved into "co-creation activities with stakeholders"

Last year, the Japan Marketing Association revised its definition of marketing for the first time in 34 years, as follows:

"Marketing is the concept and process of creating value together with customers and society, widely disseminating that value, fostering relationships with stakeholders, and realizing a more prosperous and sustainable society."

The new definition places significant emphasis on marketing's role not only in creating customers and "building systems that sustain sales," but also in creating social relational capital with multiple stakeholders—in other words, "building systems that sustain being chosen by society." This reflects the changing times.

It is essential for a company to have many customers who think, "I want to keep buying this company's products."

• but also a company where talented individuals aspire to work.
• a company that organizations and individuals with outstanding technology wish to collaborate with
• and companies that are expected to continue existing for the benefit of society and attract investment

is becoming an unshakable consensus as essential for future survival.

Indeed, consumer goods manufacturers, which previously focused primarily on product brand communication, and B2B companies, which were not particularly active in communication activities to begin with, have increasingly invested in corporate branding in recent years. This shift is precisely a manifestation of the awareness of the challenges outlined above.

And, needless to say, changes in the media environment have led employees from various internal departments to become involved in disseminating company information. This has resulted in diverse company information becoming "transparent" through websites and social media. The growing need to centralize information dissemination management is also a key factor driving the demand for integrated corporate communications aimed at creating a consistent corporate image.

The "First Step": Establishing a Cross-Departmental Steering Committee

To achieve integrated and consistent corporate communications, it is essential to create a "platform" for collaboration among departments that were previously siloed. Figure 1 below illustrates the recommended vision for building such a platform.

A steering committee is a meeting body responsible for strategic decision-making within an organization.

For example, in recent years, an increasing number of companies are renewing their philosophy systems, starting with the formulation of their purpose. Naturally, management expects that based on this purpose/corporate philosophy, intrinsic transformative actions will emerge from frontline employees.

For such intrinsic transformation to occur, the organization must be structured to ensure the purpose/corporate philosophy is accurately shared. However, while corporate departments maintain close collaboration with management in their daily operations, they are often preoccupied with their specific specialized areas. Surprisingly, integrated communication and coordination across these departments appear to be lacking.

Furthermore, customer-facing departments like marketing, advertising, and sales tend to prioritize business outcomes, such as sales figures, and metrics directly linked to them. Often, they do not strongly feel the need to strengthen the corporate brand in their daily operations, leading to a frequently passive stance toward collaboration in the initial stages.

When there is such a significant divergence in the metrics and priorities emphasized by different departments, it is essential for key stakeholders—including executive management (the officer in charge of corporate communications), front-line departments, and corporate functions—to regularly convene. This provides a forum to share information about each other's initiatives and engage in discussion.

Initially, there will likely be differences in enthusiasm among departments and individuals. However, simply bringing everyone to the same table by organizing and operating a steering committee represents significant progress. Through steady, continuous effort, the situation will inevitably improve. It is crucial to adopt a "quick win" mindset: avoid rushing for results, don't get overly fixated on "theoretical ideals," and instead push forward with what is achievable, accumulating small successes.

Many may also feel uneasy about how to sustainably operate such a meeting body where numerous people with differing positions gather. Figure 2 below outlines the key know-how necessary for steering committee operations.

First, it is essential to establish the overarching purpose of this steering committee and set the immediate agenda for the meeting body.

To serve as a roadmap for this, it is essential to understand the KPIs set individually by each department and to clarify the common metrics pursued to realize the company's desired state in corporate communications. Beyond information sharing and discussions at regular meetings, it is recommended to occasionally hold workshops or create dedicated discussion forums when formulating major policies like annual plans.

The process of clarifying metrics requires the skill to restructure the company's organizational chart by categorizing it according to the stakeholders each department targets, thereby suggesting how collaboration should be structured.

Furthermore, facilitation skills are essential to ensure these meetings become collaborative spaces for co-creating necessary actions, rather than merely one-way information sharing from the hosting department (often Corporate Planning, Public Relations, or Corporate Communications).

Managing these initiatives alongside regular duties, especially in the early stages, places a significant burden on just a few members of the lead department. It is realistic to involve external partner companies as needed to acquire know-how and reduce the workload of creating materials, aiming for gradual self-sufficiency.

The "Integrated Corporate Story" as the Foundation for Stakeholder Communication

Once the steering committee has overcome the initial "chaos" and the initiative is on track, the next priority should be developing an "Integrated Corporate Story."

Why is creating a "unified, foundational story to establish a single corporate identity" so difficult? It stems from the separate "knowledge systems" within each specialized domain, particularly the limited compatibility between "Management/Business Strategy" and "Brand Strategy."

For example, the brand department strongly desires that the defined mission, value propositions, or brand personality be actively utilized by other corporate departments, business units, and most importantly, by top management in their daily operations. However, the connection between these "value words" and the tangible business results urgently needed in each department's daily work is not always clear, making it difficult to convince others of their usefulness.

So, what is needed? The key to creating compatibility between "Management/Business Strategy" and "Brand Strategy" lies in the perspective of "creating stakeholders' 'expectations for the future.'" It means not shying away from articulating, firmly in the future tense, the essential points that are unavoidable for gaining stakeholders' belief in the company's sustainable growth. The "fundamental questions" for this purpose are the following four:

Q1. What kind of company do you aim to become through the business transformation (revenue model shift) currently underway?
= The company's role within society

Q2. What unique strengths (developed over a long history and not easily replicable by others) make you believe this transformation will succeed?
= The core competencies as a business entity

Q3. What kind of talent and organizational culture, built upon the foundation cultivated thus far, are you striving to create to realize this transformation?
= Core Competence as an Organizational Entity

Q4. What kind of society do you aim to create as a result of these transformations?
= Value provided to society

Answers to these questions will never emerge simply by listing activity guidelines submitted by individual operational departments. In fact, while many companies now publish integrated reports, very few clearly answer these four questions head-on and present a coherent growth story. Conversely, companies that can articulate answers to these questions often appear to have successful corporate branding.

The framework below, "Integrated Corporate Story," structures these four questions.

The defining feature of this framework is that it

• Defining the company's future direction not only from its business domains but also from its "position within society as a whole, including other industries."
• It connects business growth and human/organizational growth not as parallel paths, but as a story where "people's growth leads to business growth."
• Expressing value delivery as "how we contribute to the future society we aim for," grounded in our corporate philosophy.

To achieve this, it is crucial not only to understand current stakeholder evaluations but also to review the company's history, take stock of its core competencies, and integrate these with insights and intentions for the future society. This creates a "foundational story for generating future expectations" by unifying the management/business perspective with the brand perspective.

Once the components are finalized, we recommend creating a document for internal sharing, such as a PowerPoint presentation, to ensure it can be used universally. This not only establishes a common foundation for corporate communication stakeholders but also contributes to achieving a unified voice among top management and executives. Furthermore, it is expected to enhance PR effectiveness and contribute to building employee trust in management, a challenge often cited for Japanese companies.

Building on this shared integrated corporate story, we then customize communications for individual stakeholders. Alternatively, we improve current communications that lack consistency. This enables significant progress toward achieving the ideal: integrated corporate communications that clearly show the company's face while disseminating information across various domains.