IN many organisations, communications and public relations (PR) are treated as peripheral services. They are nice to have, but not essential.
This undervaluation is evident in token budgets allocated to the departments and, more worryingly, in the chronic understaffing that defines many institutions.
It is not uncommon to find a single person managing media relations, crisis communication, internal communication, branding, digital platforms, stakeholder engagement and events. This approach is not only unfair; it is dangerous.
The danger lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of what communications and PR truly are.
Too often, PR is reduced to social media posting or website updates.
While these are important tools, they are merely the visible tip of a much deeper strategic function. Communications and PR are not operational add-ons; they are strategic components that directly influence an organisation’s sustainability, credibility and long-term success.
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This is precisely why communications and PR practitioners typically report to the accounting officer or chief executive. Their work cuts across the entire organisation, shaping how strategy is interpreted, understood and supported by stakeholders.
When communication is weak or misaligned, even the best organisational strategy struggles to gain traction.
As such PR and organisational strategy have to speak the same language. Alignment must be deliberate, structured and continuous. Alignment begins at the planning stage, not after the strategic plan has been finalised. Communication leaders must be involved in strategy formulation so that communication objectives are derived directly from organisational priorities.
If an organisation’s strategic plan focuses on growth, innovation, sustainability or transformation, the communications strategy must mirror these themes, using language, narratives and platforms that reinforce them consistently.
One practical way to achieve this alignment is by mapping strategic objectives to communication goals.
Each pillar of the organisational strategy should have corresponding communication outcomes.
For example, if the strategic objective is stakeholder confidence, the communications strategy must outline how trust will be built through transparent messaging, proactive media engagement and consistent internal communication.
If the organisation prioritises expansion or reform, communication must focus on change management, employee engagement and stakeholder education.
Equally important is audience alignment. Organisational strategies often identify key stakeholders, be they employees, regulators, investors, communities or partners.
Communications strategy must then translate strategic intent to messages tailored for each of these audiences.
This ensures that strategy is not confined to boardroom documents but becomes a shared organisational vision understood and supported by those who matter most.
Resource alignment is another critical factor. An organisation cannot expect strategic communication outcomes while allocating minimal budgets and skeletal staff to PR departments.
Under-resourcing communications is equivalent to underfunding strategy implementation itself. Effective alignment requires adequate staffing, skills diversity and financial investment.
Crisis communication, reputation management and stakeholder engagement demand capacity, expertise and preparedness — none of which can be achieved by a one-person department.
Measurement and accountability further cement alignment. Communications strategies should include clear key performance indicators that link directly to organisational performance.
Metrics such as reputation strength, stakeholder trust, employee engagement and media sentiment should be monitored alongside traditional business indicators. This reinforces the understanding that communication is not cosmetic, but a driver of organisational value.
Finally, alignment must be sustained through leadership support. When top leadership consistently communicates organisational priorities and empowers PR professionals to guide messaging, alignment becomes part of the organisational culture.
Conversely, when communication is treated as an afterthought, strategic coherence is lost and mixed messages undermine credibility.
In today’s complex and highly scrutinised environment, organisations cannot afford disjointed strategies and communications.
Public perception, stakeholder trust and institutional legitimacy are shaped as much by how an organisation communicates as by what it does.
PR and organisational strategy must, therefore, speak the same language — one that is clear, consistent and purpose-driven. When they do, communication becomes a powerful enabler of strategy rather than a weak echo of it.