Assessing and Evaluating Strategic Communication The term ‘strategic communication’ is a common part of the vernacular in any business. It is a means of communicating who they are, what they do, and why the public should care enough to purchase the company’s products or services. Perhaps this method of reaching out to the public and stakeholders was not as necessary in the past, and by past, meaning before the World Wide Web made transparency so vital. This paper focuses on how successfully three Colorado-based companies; Daniels Fund, Excel Energy, and New Belgium Brewing Company were in reaching their target audiences with their respective reports and websites. Chin-Ning Chu stated, “Before you journey, observe the wind carefully, detect …show more content…
On the other hand, the website was more reader-friendly and targeted to their energy customers. To the casual consumer, the annual report’s obvious barrier is the length of the document. This is a significant barrier in today’s business world when people are bombarded with messages all day, every day. According to Hoover (2014), framing and communicating an organization’s core message is critical and failure to do so produces mediocre change efforts and will dilute the organization’s effectiveness. Whereas, Excel Energy’s website provided a clear strategic communication method that provoked interest, the annual report failed in this respect. New Belgium Brewing Company New Belgium is an employee-owned company located in Fort Collins, Colorado. A benefit of employment of one year or more, allows co-workers to become shareholders of the company. Of course, New Belgian Brewing Company makes beer; however, the purpose of the company is “To operate a profitable company which makes our love and talent manifest” (New Belgium Brewing Company, 2007, p. 3). Although New Belgian seeks to make a profit, it is clear from its sustainability report their strategic communication message is to connect with other like-minded, environmentalists and beer enthusiasts. Assessing the …show more content…
Kawasaki (2014) stated, “The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning; to create a product or service to make the world a better place.” Toward that purpose, Daniels Fund has made the world a better place for thousands of deserving individuals and organizations through its scholarships and grants. Excel Energy has delivered gas and electrical power at a competitive price to many thousands in several states. Last, New Belgium Beer Brewing Company has created craft beer while staying true to their core value of environmental stewardship. These facts were clear from the first paragraphs of the annual reports, suggesting each organization understands the importance of reaching their target audiences. Nonetheless, only New Belgium spoke to a national audience as their product is sold and marketed nationwide, whereas, Daniels Fund and Excel Energy focus is solely on the states they serve. With a number of methods available to communicate today, the annual report continues to be an important component to the strategic planning and communication in this highly competitive business environment. To that end, all three organizations successfully accomplished their