Why Simultaneous Communications Channels Matters More Than Ever

By Karen Davis, Founder & Director, KAD Advisory 

In today’s hyper-connected world, one of the risks in corporate communication is relying too heavily on a single audience or channel. Too often, companies default to PR and social media when launching news, assuming it will naturally filter to other stakeholders. But the reality is in this self-selecting news world, messaging doesn’t trickle, it splinters into individualised news feeds and algorithms and all too often gets lost in the noise. 

Your investors, employees, partners, media and customers aren’t waiting for your press release to reach them secondhand. In fact, they’re more likely to lose trust if they feel like they’re hearing it after everyone else, or worse, from someone else entirely. 

That’s why at KAD Advisory, we champion a simultaneous communications strategy: delivering the right message to every audience at the same time, in the channels they trust. 

According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, employees are now the most trusted voice in an organisation, ranking above CEOs, journalists and government leaders. Meanwhile, a study by PwC found that 79% of business leaders believe that clear, direct communication to employees has a greater impact on brand trust than external media coverage. 

So while PR still plays a key role in reach and perception, it's no longer the main stage. For most companies, internal/employee and direct stakeholder channels - such as employee town halls, investor briefings or customer emails consistently deliver stronger trust and engagement than broad public statements alone. 

The best communication strategies are multi-layered and synchronised. They respect the nuances of each audience and acknowledge that timing is not just everything, it’s trust. For employees; ensure they are hearing it before or at the same time as the market is receiving the news. Take the same approach with your customers. Give them the opportunity to hear it first hand; either through direct messaging or through your customer/sales team.

So next time your company has something important to say, don’t just press - send - on the media release and hope for the best. Pause, plan to ensure every audience hears it at the same time, in a way that matters to them. For employees to hear the news early it can help to drive a culture of trust, because in reality they are helping to amplify the message. I was once told by a wise PR sage, well networked employees advocating for a company can outpace a one-off article and can run rings around any PR agency. I never forgot that.

Reputation isn’t just what you say, it’s how your stakeholders experience your brand. It’s about who hears it, when they hear it , how clearly they understand it and and how that makes them feel about your brand.