Communication controlling
The communication controlling is a support and control function in the corporate communications , the strategy, process, result and financial transparency for the work-sharing process of communication management is to create as well as suitable methods, structures and key figures for the planning, implementation and monitoring of Should provide corporate communication or public relations.
Definition of terms
Communication controlling is to be distinguished from marketing controlling, which has been discussed for a long time, and which includes other control parameters (price, product, distribution) in addition to the communicative aspects and which focuses on customer-oriented issues.
Likewise, communication controlling must not be equated with evaluation or control. The retrospective, concurrent or forward-looking control of individual measures as the last phase in the communication management process is an activity that every communication manager must carry out himself. It is only made possible by communication controlling, which is often organized as a staff function, by providing suitable criteria, key figures and methods for determining added value through communication and for evaluating communication measures.
Scientific discussion
The scientific discussion on communication controlling began at the end of the 1990s in the USA and Australia (Institute for Public Relations, Lindenmann, Macnamara) and Sweden (Hamrefors) and has been promoted internationally since the early 2000s, particularly in Germany (Zerfaß, Rolke ).
A distinction is essentially made between four levels of communication effect: input, output, outcome, outflow: The input is about the efficient use of personnel and resources when creating press releases, advertisements, websites, etc. On the one hand, the internal services of Communication departments and agencies (process efficiency, quality) and, on the other hand, the availability and perceptibility of messages by the recipients (reach, comprehensibility). Outcome describes the direct effect (perception, use, knowledge) and the indirect effect (opinion, attitude, emotion, change in behavior) of communication among the target groups. This spectrum of effects can be examined more closely by means of media resonance analyzes or surveys in order to check whether messages have actually reached the recipient or whether opinions or perceptions have changed. Outflow is understood to mean the resulting added value for the company or organization; this can affect financial or strategic goals (increase in sales or purchase rates, cost reduction) as well as intangible resources (reputation, brand value, employee satisfaction). Based on these impact levels, concrete key figures (so-called key performance indicators - KPI) and measurement methods for individual areas of communication controlling are developed from theory and practice. In addition, based on the debate about value links and balanced scorecards (Kaplan / Norton), specific impact level models were presented in which typical relationships between communication and value creation for individual fields of action such as investor relations , public relations, etc. are shown. See in particular the DPRG impact level models.
Overall, the research field of communication controlling is still very heterogeneous. While many discussions so far have focused on operational survey methods, more recent concepts focus on the relationship between communication and intangible values.
Methods
Depending on the level of measurement, there are various methods that have more or less established themselves and either practiced by those responsible for communication themselves or (can) be outsourced to service providers. These range from simple methods of media monitoring (clipping, web tracking) through surveys and media resonance analyzes to more elaborate forms based on the balanced scorecard or similar multi-factor models or integrated systems.
Practical meaning
The measurement of the effects and the success of communicative services is asked more and more by companies, especially in times of economic instability and shrinking budgets. According to the European Communication Monitor (ECM), a Europe-wide trend survey among communication and PR managers, evaluation and communication controlling are currently the most important fields of action in the economy. Linking corporate strategy and communication, and thus optimizing measurement at the outflow level, will be the main challenge, according to the results of the study.
In practice, too, there is a heterogeneous picture with regard to the current implementation status. Controlling activities are still strongly concentrated on the output level, namely on media monitoring and internet statistics. Whereas large listed companies try to record the value contribution of communication at the level of company valuation and corresponding key figures, SMEs and especially public institutions and NGOs have often not yet penetrated these levels of measurement. Almost every second listed company (45 percent) measures according to the ECM the contribution of communication with regard to corporate goals with scorecards or other methods; in the case of non-profit companies, however, only 19.7 percent do this.
Sources and further reading
- Buchele, Mark-Steffen / Pollmann, Rainer / Schmidt, Walter: Communication controlling - starter kit for the conception and implementation of a controlling system for corporate communication. Haufe, Freiburg 2016
- Möller, Klaus / Piwinger, Manfred / Zerfaß, Ansgar (eds.) (2009): Intangible assets: valuation, reporting and communication. Stuttgart: Schaeffer-Poeschel (Edition Handelsblatt)
- Pfannenberg, Jörg / Zerfaß, Ansgar (Hrsg.): Value creation through communication. FAZ book, Frankfurt a. M. 2005
- Piwinger, Manfred / Porák, Victor: Communication Controlling. Gabler, Wiesbaden 2005
- Reinecke, Sven / Tomczak, Torsten (eds.): Marketing controlling handbook. Wiesbaden 2006, Gabler
- Rolke, Lothar / Koss, Florian: Value Corporate Communications. BoD, Norderstedt 2005
- Straeter, Henning: Communication controlling UVK-Verlag, Konstanz 2009
- Thomas, Tim: Communication Controlling - An Analysis for Controlling and Measuring the Contribution of Corporate Communication to Corporate Value VDM, Saarbrücken 2008
- Will, Markus: Value-based communication management. Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart 2007
- Zerfaß, Ansgar: Communication Controlling. in: Meckel, Miriam / Schmid, Beat (eds.): Unternehmenskommunikation, 2nd edition, Wiesbaden (2008) Gabler, pp. 431–465.
- Werner, Andreas : Social Media - Analytics and Monitoring. Processes and tools to optimize the ROI. dpunkt, Heidelberg 2013
Single receipts
- ↑ Ansgar Zerfass 2008; see. also Pfannenberg / Zerfass 2005, Piwinger / Porák 2005, Rolke / Koss 2005
- ↑ cf. at a glance Reinecke / Tomczak 2006
- ↑ For the - comparatively new - area of social media cf. Werner, 2013, p. 131 ff.
- ↑ DPRG impact level models (PDF; 55 kB)
- ↑ Will 2007, Möller / Piwinger / Zerfass 2009
- ↑ ECM 2008 ( Memento of the original from January 18, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
