Institutional Communication: Beyond the Image

What is institutional communication and what are its objectives?

Institutional communication is the strategic management of an organization's intangible assets—such as its reputation, identity, and culture—to build and maintain trusting relationships with its publics. It goes beyond the mere dissemination of messages; it is the process by which an organization articulates its purpose, values, and role in society, behaving as a coherent and responsible entity.

Its objectives are not merely commercial. They seek, first and foremost, social legitimacy: the right to operate granted by society. Second, they aim to build a solid reputation that acts as a shield in times of crisis and a magnet for talent, investment, and loyalty. Finally, they aspire to establish a meaningful dialogue with their stakeholders, turning communication into a function of intelligence and adaptation to the environment.

How does institutional communication differ from corporate communication?

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a relevant conceptual distinction. Corporate communication traditionally focuses on the business entity (the corporation) and its business ecosystem: investors, customers, employees, and market regulators. Its ultimate goal is usually linked to economic performance and the protection of the commercial brand's value.

Institutional communication adopts a broader perspective. It deals with the organization as a social institution, a civic actor with responsibilities that transcend the economic sphere. Its scope of action includes dialogue with the government, NGOs, the academic community, and the general public. While corporate communication talks about the business, institutional communication talks about the organization's purpose and impact on society.

What department is responsible for institutional communication in an organization?

The ultimate responsibility for institutional communication lies with senior management, as it defines the organization's identity and positioning. Operationally, it is usually led by a Communications Department (DirCom), which acts as a strategic and cross-functional role, not as an operational silo.

A common mistake is to isolate this function. Effective institutional communication requires precise orchestration among multiple areas: Human Resources (for internal communication), Marketing (for commercial communication), Public Affairs (for lobbying and public policy), and Legal (for risk management). The Communications Director is not just a message broadcaster but a strategic advisor who ensures that the organization's actions and words are aligned.

What are the functions of an institutional communication manager?

The role of the institutional communication professional has evolved from a tactician to a strategist. Their key functions are not operational but analytical and managerial. They are the custodian of the reputation, the organization's main intangible asset. They act as an interpreter of the social and political environment, translating its complexity for executive decision-making.

Furthermore, they are the architect of the institutional narrative, the story that gives meaning and coherence to the company's actions. They manage relationships with key stakeholders, building social capital and trust. Ultimately, their function is to ensure that the organization maintains an authentic, relevant, and credible "voice," aligning its being, saying, and doing.

What types of institutional communication exist?

Rather than a typology based on channels, it is more useful to classify institutional communication according to its intentionality and nature. We can distinguish between planned and unplanned communication. The former is the set of deliberate actions (sustainability reports, positioning campaigns, media management). The latter emanates from the organization's own activities: the way it treats its employees, the quality of its products, or its environmental impact are powerful forms of communication.

It can also be classified by its strategic purpose: communication for awareness (to make known), for reputation (to build trust and admiration), for advocacy (to influence public policy), or for crisis management (to protect the "social license" to operate).

How is an institutional communication plan developed?

An institutional communication plan is a strategic exercise, not a to-do list. Its development follows a rigorous process consisting of four fundamental phases.

• First, the analysis and research phase, where the reputation is audited, stakeholders are mapped, and the context is analyzed to identify risks and opportunities. This is the diagnosis.
• Second, the strategic definition phase, where communication objectives are established in alignment with organizational goals, priority audiences are identified, and the central narrative and key messages are formulated.
  Third, the action plan, which translates the strategy into concrete tactics, selecting the most appropriate channels, allocating resources, and defining a timeline.
• Finally, the evaluation phase, which establishes qualitative and quantitative indicators (KPIs) to measure the real impact of the strategy, not just the activity.

What is the relationship between institutional communication and internal communication?

Internal communication is the backbone of institutional communication. They are not two separate disciplines but interdependent dimensions of the same reality. An organization cannot project a credible external identity if it is not understood, shared, and lived by its own members. Employees are the first and most important ambassadors of the institution.

Any dissonance between the external discourse ("we are an innovative and ethical company") and the internal reality (bureaucratic processes and a toxic culture) creates an insurmountable credibility gap. Therefore, internal communication is not limited to informing; its objective is to align, engage, and mobilize the team around the organization's purpose and values, making culture the main support for the reputation.

What channels are used in institutional communication?

The selection of channels should be a strategic decision, not a reaction to technological trends. They are orchestrated in a media ecosystem that combines owned, earned, and paid channels.

• Owned channels (institutional website, annual reports, corporate blogs) offer full control over the message and are fundamental for building the brand narrative.
• Earned channels (media coverage, mentions by opinion leaders) provide third-party credibility and validation, although they involve a loss of control.
• Paid channels (institutional advertising, sponsored content) allow for segmenting and reaching specific audiences with a controlled message.
• The digital evolution has added shared channels (social media), which require management oriented toward dialogue, active listening, and the co-creation of meaning with communities.

How is communication managed during a crisis?

Crisis communication management is not about "damage control" or applying "spin" techniques, but about managing uncertainty and protecting trust. Its success depends on prior preparation: risk analysis, development of crisis manuals, and spokesperson training. During the crisis, the guiding principles are anticipation, transparency, and responsibility.

It is crucial to take control of the narrative from the very beginning with truthful and verified information, even if it is incomplete. A single spokesperson should be appointed to ensure consistency. Communication must be empathetic, acknowledging the impact on those affected, and agile, adapting to evolving events. The long-term goal is not to avoid criticism, but to demonstrate that the organization acts responsibly and ethically under pressure, thereby strengthening its reputation.

What is inter-institutional communication?

Inter-institutional communication refers to the strategic dialogue and collaboration between two or more organizations, whether from the public, private, or third sectors. Its purpose transcends traditional public relations and focuses on building alliances, advocating for common interests, or addressing complex problems that no single institution could solve on its own.

This type of communication is fundamental for generating collaborative intelligence within an ecosystem. It allows organizations to establish industry standards, promote favorable regulatory frameworks, launch large-scale social responsibility initiatives, or build relational capital that can be vital in the future. It is the diplomacy of the organizational world.

How is the impact of an institutional communication strategy measured?

Measuring the impact of institutional communication requires going beyond vanity metrics (likes, impressions) and the obsolete Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE). Measurement must be directly linked to the strategic objectives defined in the plan and combine quantitative and qualitative indicators.

Three levels of measurement can be established. The first measures "outputs": the quantity and quality of media coverage, the reach of publications. The second measures "outcomes": changes in brand awareness, perception of reputation (measured with surveys or sentiment analysis), and the quality of stakeholder relationships. The third and most strategic level measures the real "impact" on the organization's objectives: its correlation with talent attraction, investor confidence, support for legislative initiatives, or the economic value of the brand as an intangible asset.