Remember issue management? Agenda setting? Two key topics in communication theory. Unfortunately few companies take this aspect of communication seriously. While it would make so much sense to sit down, take a little time to think about the main themes you want to focus on for the long-term and that go beyond daily business. These are specific yet broader topics, e.g. water resources, climate change, microinsurance etc. that you can connect to your business, that are relevant to your industry and clients, and that they can associate with. 
Raising the company voice on important topics
Determine who in your organization is or can become an expert in those fields and let them speak out on behalf of the organization. As knowledge is one of your best assets and specialists are one of the most effective means of communication, use them. Get them to the table, talk to them, listen to them and let their voice be heard.
Demonstrating transparency and open-mindedness
You have no idea what impact such statements can have. It’s all about credibility, reputation, image and demonstrating expertise through your own employees. One way of doing that, i.e. the communication channel chosen in this case, is to record the individual statements on video and publish them on the Internet. That’s the quickest face-to-face information you can get. A Swiss bank recently asked their hedge fund managers to talk about their products and portray their insight on the current market environment which were put on tape and published on the company’s website. What a great way to ‘meet’ the respective hedge fund managers on the Internet.
One can well imagine interested hedge funds surfing the net, looking for new contacts and information. Avoiding high travel costs, they can get a first impression of the banks’ experts, simply by watching the videos online. Wouldn’t you want that kind of exposure?
