The so-called intermediation crisis has eroded the credibility of traditional sources of information and authority, while it has given impetus to new types of prescribers. In the worst case, new references do not even emerge, but information is left in disarray or in the hands of metrics and algorithms.
It is increasingly rare for a veteran FM radio broadcaster to discover a genre of music to a large group of young listeners; for a film critic's printed recommendation to guide masses of moviegoers to theatres; or for a literary forum to make a manuscript a bestseller. Times seem to have changed, and influential voices, too.
Digitalisation has made it possible to eliminate intermediaries in different value chains, not only in the field of material production, services or trade, but also in the generation, emission, dissemination and reception of information. This situation can also be extrapolated to the political system, representation in democracy and the strength of institutions. But that would be the subject of another reflection. As far as corporate communicationIn this context, companies have an important role to play in these new mediation schemes, underlining their knowledge of each sector.
Corporate communications, also at the corporate level business to businessThe company's objectives must include the consolidation of the company as a credible source of information for audiences that are increasingly distrustful of the media, experts and traditional institutions. It is well known that the use of digital channels has facilitated the direct connection between companies, their stakeholders and the general public. But it is time to reflect on what is communicated and what credibility is achieved in a confused, saturated, disbelieving and stressed ecosystem.
A company that succeeds in establishing itself as an authoritative voice gains an advantageous position. It is the recognition of the society in which it operates as a trusted actor, whose messages are worth listening to because they bring value, knowledge or at least a point of view worth taking into account.
The communication strategy must prioritise this objective, recovering the true meaning of an influential voice. Companies can be excellent sources of quality information, beyond the mere promotion of their activity or commercial activity. They are institutions that know the sector in which they operate well, that have direct information on their market, that relate to other businesses, administrations, financial institutions, suppliers and consumers. They have the capacity for analysis, diagnosis and foresight.
It is clear that these capacities can be harnessed in a credible, rigorous, professional way, by communicating in a classic way, beyond marketing. In this sense, the media are once again a natural ally. Although part of the dissemination of knowledge is carried out directly through our own institutional channels, it is desirable to continue to count on the press as an ally in this task.
The decline of intermediation has shaken the classic sender-receiver, producer-consumer and prescriber-follower relationships, but there is still a place for traditional media. Social networks do not replace the work of journalists or the role of the media. Rather, there is an interdependence that means that networks also feed off the media and journalists.
In this simultaneity from cooperation to competition, companies must channel valuable knowledge and information through the media, just as some songs sound better on vinyl.
*Alberto Mendoza is an account manager at PROA.