The digitalization of communication – a modern imperative for communication departments

The digitalization of communication – a modern imperative for communication departments

Author: Ulrike Schiermeister

Digitalization continues to gain momentum – and we would do well to help shape it in the communications industry. From process automation to content creation and impact measurement, digitalization offers valuable tools. But it doesn’t stop at the operational level: digital technologies also help us to develop data-based communication strategies. In this context, it comes as no surprise that 82% of communication professionals in the latest CommTech Index Report agree that digital technologies will change the way they work in communication enormously. There is nothing to add to this, except for one thing: digital tools will not change work, they already do.

Communication without digitalization? Possible, but pointless.

Digitalization has already fundamentally changed how we develop, implement and evaluate communication strategies. Communication based on gut feeling is – fortunately – a thing of the past. This is because we are already able to carry out data-based topic management. Thanks to artificial intelligence, we will also be able to analyze content in real time in the future and thus adapt our communication strategies flexibly and, above all, based on data. Over the past 12 months, we at E.ON have therefore not only set up our own PowerBI-based dashboards to measure internal and external communication, but have also initiated the technical and digital optimization of editorial planning. In order to be more agile in daily planning and to be able to react more quickly to issues. This foundation, combined with the teams’ expertise and experience in drawing the right conclusions, is an unbeatable combination that needs to be further optimized.

Does your team already think digitally?

However, a successful digital transformation requires more than just the use of new technologies. It requires a fundamental openness, a willingness to constantly transform and a culture of learning – a major task for communications teams. Investing in further training is essential in order to develop and expand digital skills for the use of new tools and, above all, to keep them up to date. Around two thirds of communications experts are already approaching the topic through internal training courses and workshops, as the CommTech survey shows. That is positive.

It is important that training not only focuses on the use of tools, but also promotes a culture of innovation that will ultimately make us more effective communicators in this digitalized world. At E.ON, we therefore consciously use the opportunities provided by our learning platform for all employees in general, but we are also specifically developing our own communication skills, for example in relation to AI. Within the team, we have established a duo of two AI experts who keep their finger on the pulse of developments, offer internal training for the entire communications team, but also provide further training for other specialist areas, and constantly test which tools will help us make the most progress in our day-to-day work. This approach of integrating AI harmoniously and almost incidentally into the existing operational processes increases the aforementioned prerequisite for fundamental openness enormously.

AI is accelerating the digital transformation – and it is challenging us

Artificial intelligence not only opens up completely new opportunities for communication professionals in the digitalization process, but also acts as a catalyst, enabling us as an industry to transform ourselves digitally even faster and more strongly. This is also urgently needed. The fact that around 41% of communications experts rate their department or agency as a late bloomer, with only average use of digital tools, shows that there is still a lot of catching up to do in many areas of the industry. I am convinced that companies that know how to use the possibilities of artificial intelligence for communication at an early stage are much less likely to be confronted with the question of whether communicators are still needed at all in the age of AI. After all, it enables even small teams to quickly analyze an almost infinite amount of data and thus make data-based, more informed decisions about what content to create, when to publish it and through which channels it should be distributed – in a targeted manner and not by watering can.

When the speed increases, it is better to keep a firm grip on the reins

Implementing all of this is undoubtedly not an easy task, nor is it something that can be done overnight. Resistance to change, a lack of qualifications and concerns about data protection are common obstacles. Overcoming these requires a clear roadmap, support from managers and continuous learning opportunities for employees. Because what must not be lost in all this transformation is the human touch and the realization that digital tools – with or without artificial intelligence – should make our lives easier, not more complicated. The digital transformation of communication is neither a short-term phenomenon nor a current trend – rather, it represents a fundamental change that we are currently in the midst of. Communication leaders must actively drive this change, prioritize data-driven work and at the same time foster a team culture that creates acceptance for innovation. In this way, we can exploit the full potential of digitalization and ensure that we not only measure the value of communication better, but also increase it.

Ulrike Schiermeister Senior Vice President Communications & Regulation at E.ON Germany