Communication 2.0: Symbolic Identity, Interactivity, and Research

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been in an extensive dialogue with some professional colleagues regarding the importance of reputation management (which in many ways is a return to good, solid communication and public relations practices) to provide communication value in a (long-tail media) world of fragmented communication channels.

Our discussions have reinforced my thinking about some of the key areas that are/will be needed by communication professionals in the 21st century. In short, I believe that communication professionals must embrace and master a holistic approach when it comes to integrated communication. There are three areas that comprise this holistic approach - (1) symbolic identity (or brand management), (2) interactive strategies and tactics (continuing to master all media and channels at your disposal), and (3) communication-based research.

Symbolic Identity & Brand
As the number of media channels continue to expand and traditional (and not so traditional) audience groups continue to segment the need for a strong brand and understanding of your symbolic identity is imperative for marketing and communication professionals. Having a cohesive, understood symbolic identity helps you cope with the changing elements of your audience. We, as humans, continue to re-tribalize through our symbol systems – most of which are now delivered electronically. This retribalization makes it nearly impossible for communication practitioners to master, let alone manage, all available channels. Instead, one should understand the symbolic dramas that comprise their brand or identity (see research). In many ways, as Reis has said, it is the rise (or return) of PR, as communication professionals need to manage reputation (and symbol systems) rather than channels. One way to do so is to be honest to your identity – know what it is you are and embrace it – don’t try to be all things to all people, it will help you in the wild, wild west of Web 2.0. It is my belief that most brand damage comes from within – try not shoot yourself in the foot buckeroo.

Interactive Strategies & Tactics
The name of the game, so far this century, is interactive. The Web, Web 2.0, Social Media, etc. continue to be new, or emerging, channels that introduce a new vernacular. We need to continue to use good, sound communication practices and balance that redundancy with the novelty of new channels. The channels enable and restrict the message as well as the potential bandwidth for our symbols. We no longer have the luxury of mastering a few channels and messages – in a world when we generally had similar shared experiences when it came to the places and types of media we consumed. However, we need to understand how the Web, interactive, and mobile is changing the way we negotiate meaning with our publics and the cue-givers. Appointment television is over. Newspaper readership is dying. However, interactive continues to grow and better yet it is measurable (with the caveat that just because you can measure doesn’t mean it’s valuable). With the growth of interactive channels and devices it is important to know how new technology enables and constrains your communication with your audience segments. Strategically, you need to understand and master grounding your symbolic identity in a valuable way with your constituents. Tactically, you need to consider messaging and CRM tactics that leverage an interactive world that is continuing to leave the desktop and mouse behind. Think about the iPhone and gesture technology, texting (and the vernacular or vulgar, depending on your point of view), and search engines influencing web traffic as examples of how new media is changing the communication landscape.

Communication-Based Research
Finally, research. Specifically, communication-based research (qualitative and quantitative), like that in SymbolicID. What’s research have to do with the two items above? Well, a lot frankly. You need to know what symbolic visions or dramas your audiences are participating in. The best way to get there is to use communication-based research. Communication professionals need to understand how to operationalize communication variables and constructs. This is what helps you tell a fact from a not-fact and avoids expensive scavenger hunts with your communication campaigns. You need to know what creates value for your constituents. You need to measure and manage the customer-experience. Beyond traditional marketing and research metrics (which are necessary but not sufficient), you need to be able to understand meaning, motive, identity, and emotion as the construct a symbolic reality for your audience segments. You also need to understand the current value and life cycle standing of your symbolic identity. This understanding impacts your communication strategies and tactics. Remember, all symbolic visions have a life cycle, which includes five stages:
1. Consciousness Creation (bringing a new symbolic identity to life - -think innovation);
2. Consciousness Raising (growing the vision, expanding your audience);
3. Consciousness Sustaining (shielding the committed, inoculating against competing visions);
4. Decline (the vision loses currency in the symbolic marketplace) and; finally,
5. Implosion (the vision dies as there is no symbolic value in the market place).

Research helps you better understand, explain and predict audience behavior. Through a mix of research tools available to us, it becomes easier to conduct research from easy to conduct quantitative surveys and polls, to in-depth qualitative work. While it becomes easier, like our communication practices, you need good, solid research practices to help you separate facts from noisy and expensive non-facts. Communication-based research is the key to "cracking the code" on constituent behavior. Research is sounding pretty valuable right now isn’t it? To what extent can you currently explain and predict your audience behavior?

In summary, the three components of symbolic identity, interactivity, and research helps tie together a unified and valuable approach to communicating with our constituents in the 21st century. A holistic approach, grounded with the previously mentioned touchstones, will prevent a confusing smattering of shotgun tactics that can hurt more than help your brand. Instead the approach enables you to effectively tie together your strategy and tactics in a valuable and meaningful way. Utilizing these elements will prevent you from wasting energy trying to keep up with the Joneses 2.0. Right, everything just sounds more authoritative if you throw a “2.0” on the end. But seriously, you should really focus on the trifecta of symbolic identity, interactivity, and research.