Mastering corporate communication: a modern guidebook for future-fit strategies, tools and skills

Abstract

The book Mastering Corporate Communication by Anne Katrine Lund and Mette Refshauge was born out of the need to understand how corporate communication must evolve in the face of new realities: a changing business world, digitalisation, ongoing crises and the need for continued trust in the eyes of stakeholders. The book is set against the backdrop of a modern business world that demands organisations to not only manage external messages, but also build internal credibility through strategic and integrated communications (Lund and Refshauge, 2024, pp. 1–2).Anne Katrine Lund is an academic with a Ph.D. in rhetoric and is recognised as a strategic advisor in the field of communications, while Mette Refshauge is a senior practitioner serving as Director of Communications at Maersk, one of the largest global logistics companies. Their collaboration blends academic perspectives and real corporate practice, making this book unique among contemporary business communication literature.The book is organised into ten chapters, each exploring an important aspect of strategic communication: The first chapter, Introduction, outlines the context of today’s world of organisational communication, emphasising the importance of trust and openness amid rapid social and technological change (pp. 1–4). The author underlines that professional communicators are now faced with the need to be not only strategic advisors, but also real communication producers capable of bridging senders and receivers of messages (p. 2).The second chapter, Strategic Organisational Communication in a New Era, emphasises the shift in the role of communicators from mere text creators to “strategic producers” who orchestrate the voice of the organisation internally and externally. The author introduces three important pillars: strategic anchoring, organisational anchoring, and situational anchoring in all communication activities (pp. 6–7). The third chapter, Credibility and Trust as a Field of Work, examines the elements of building organisational credibility, asserting that trust is not only built through the communication of messages, but also through organisational actions that are consistent with its values (pp. 43–45). One notable quote states, “Trust is challenged, and credibility must be managed proactively and systematically” (p. 50). The fourth chapter, Corporate Citizenship in a Changing World, explores how companies must balance their commercial objectives with their social responsibilities. Focus is given to the concept of social licence to operate, which is now a modern corporate necessity (pp. 66–67).The fifth chapter, Communication Must Create Contact, emphasises the importance of building emotional and cognitive connections with stakeholders, especially in a fast-paced and interconnected media ecosystem (pp. 91–92). The sixth chapter, The Data-Driven Communicator, highlights the importance of a data-driven approach in understanding audiences, evaluating communication effectiveness, and driving future strategies based on real insights (pp. 115–116). The seventh chapter, Internal Stakeholders in Focus, discusses internal communication as the key to organisational success. The author argues that building a strong communication culture is a prerequisite for a successful long-term business strategy (pp. 141–142). The eighth chapter, Facilitating Change, focuses on the role of communicators as facilitators of organisational change, with an emphasis on the importance of ongoing communication that promotes engagement and a sense of psychological security (pp. 163–165). The ninth chapter, When the Crisis Is Triggered, offers concrete strategies for crisis communication management, highlighting that preparedness, speed of response and focus on affected stakeholders are key to success (pp. 187–188). The tenth chapter, Skills of the Future, summarises the skills required by future communicators, including strategic thinking, data literacy, social empathy, as well as the ability to integrate technology with audience sensitivity (pp. 213–215).One of the main strengths of this book is its balance between theory and practice. The authors not only build a solid theoretical framework, but also present numerous case studies from Maersk to illustrate the application of concepts in the real world (pp. 20–35; 76–81). The presence of interviews with world communication experts such as James Grunig and Ana Tkalac Verčič enriches the book with a weighty global perspective (pp. 36–38; 85–88). However, the overwhelming focus on Maersk may introduce bias. The predominant case study of one company makes generalisation of the concepts to different types of organisations – especially smaller ones or in non-logistics industries – less than optimal. Some readers may wish for a variety of case studies from a wider sector.This book contributes significantly to the strategic communication literature by introducing the concept of “strategic producer” and emphasising the integration of data in all communication processes. It encourages researchers to broaden the focus of study from message effectiveness to orchestrational analysis and deeper stakeholder engagement processes. In terms of practice, the book is an essential guide for professional communicators to hone their skills in the new era, as well as a reminder of the importance of ethical foundations in every communication activity.This book is very useful for communication students, public relations professionals, corporate communications officers and business executives who want to understand how to build trust, handle change and manage crises with a modern approach. I recommend this book as mandatory material in undergraduate and postgraduate business communication and public relations courses, as well as a strategic reference for companies that want to build a relevant corporate communication function in the future.

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