The Communication Strategy Handbook

Betteke van Ruler, Ph.D., is a professor and leading scholar in corporate communication and public relations. She received the honorary title of Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands for her groundbreaking work in bridging the gap between academic theory and practice. Van Ruler is published in Public Relations Review, Journal of Communication Management, Journal of Public Relations Research, and in many international scientific and professional journals and books. She is founder of the Van Ruler Academy and was Chair of the Public Relations Division of International Communication Association and President of EUPRERA, the European Public Relations Education Research Association. She was honored with the prestigious ICA Fellowship award of the International Communication Association (2018). Frank Körver, M.Sc., is a partner at go WEPUBLIC, an Amsterdam-based consultancy firm and Dutch affiliate of the international Interel Group. Körver is an experienced consultant at the intersection of strategy, leadership and communication. He is a renowned consultant in The Netherlands and trusted advisor of senior executives and CCOs.

List of figures – Acknowledgements – Why a Communication Strategy Framework? – The Communication Strategy Framework: A practical method – Agility versus linearity – Strategy is about making choices – This is strategy – When do you need a strategy? – The Communication Strategy Framework – The Communication Strategy Framework helps you to make choices – Do you need the Communication Strategy Framework? – 8 building blocks for the Communication Strategy Framework – Orientation: The left part of the Communication Strategy Framework – Building block: Vision – Jim Macnamara: Communication Strategy – Building block: Internal Situation – Dejan Verčič: Communication Strategy – Building block: External Situation –Inge Wallage: Communication Strategy – Building block: Ambition –Xianhong Chen: Communication Strategy – Implementation: The right part of the Communication Strategy Framework – Building block: Accountability – Ansgar Zerfass: Communication Strategy – Building block: Stakeholders – Larissa Grunig: Communication Strategy – Building block: Resources – Angeles Moreno: Communication Strategy – Building block: Game Plan – Robert Heath: Communication Strategy – Case: An inhouse communication strategy for CoolDays – Where do we go from here? – Four myths debunked – Ronel Rensburg: Communication Strategy – High requirements, rising expectations – Business-focused communication – Maria Aparecida Ferrari: Communication Strategy – Leadership in communication – Stephen Waddington: Communication Strategy – Bibliography – About the authors – Notes.

"If you’re ready to flip your thinking and streamline your strategic planning choices, this book is for you. I highly recommend it."—Sarah Hall, 2018 President of the UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations, founder of #FutureProof and a PR and marketing agency owner

"The Communication Strategy Framework is a management tool that deserves attention by practitioners and academics alike. It helps to develop communication programs in today’s agile environments."—Prof. dr. Ansgar Zerfass, University Leipzig, Germany

"The time is ripe for an academically secure and constructive practical communication framework during strategic judgment."—Prof. dr. Ronél Rensburg, University of Pretoria, South Africa