Summary of Chapters of Decoding Communication

Decoding Communication

The book 'Decoding Communication' is expected to be launched in the first/second week of July 2012 and will be available in all major online stores and book stores across India. 

DECODING COMMUNICATION 

(summary of chapters)

SECTION 1 - COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1

A Brief History of Communication

Basic communication has evolved to give humans the advantage of language. Did sophisticated communication develop by accident? Why are we able to communicate better than other species? What are the key principles that underlie modern communication?

Chapter 2

Life's Script: Trust

Trust is indispensable and is the basis of all our relationships. What makes trust so important? How does it develop? What are the characteristics of trust? Can all human behavior be explained on the basis of trust?

Chapter 3

Understanding Brands

Brands are living ideas. They grow by transmission, from one person's mind to the next. What makes brands so interwoven with everything else in life? What is the true nature of a brand? How can we create and recognize great brands?

SECTION 2 - MODELS IN COMMUNICATION

Chapter 4

Brand Appeal Model

All brands have in-built appeal, a magnetic force that attracts others. What is Brand Appeal made up of? Can brands enhance their attractive force? What role does communication play in appeal?

Chapter 5

Perception Model

Perception creates many truths in communication. How does our thinking influence the truth? What is the language of thought? Can we impact the force of influence?

Chapter 6

Propaganda Model

Propaganda has the power to sway audiences. Is it right or wrong? Why it is necessary to understand propaganda? What are the methods of propaganda and why are they so effective?

Chapter 7

Trust Model

Trust is the degree of believability of anything. What are the benefits of measuring Trust? What is the Trust Paradox? What are the ingredients of Trust? How can a brand acquire Trust?

SECTION 3 - FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION

Chapter 8

Increasing Business Predictability

Organizations exist only to communicate their vision. How does such an approach help build flexibility in business? How does it create Organizational Resilience? What is the Organizational Maturity Model?

Chapter 9

Liberating Organizations

Public Relations liberates organizations and helps them reach greatness. What role do Popularity and Reputation play in making a company great? What are the traits that good public relations programs display?

Chapter 10

Sustainable communication

We are perpetually surrounded by high decibels of brand communication. Does it really work? How can an organization communicate better? What is sustainable communication?

Chapter 11

Leadership Strategy

The most difficult task in the communication age is leadership. What are the pillars of leadership in this era? What rules must leaders follow in such times? What is the 4 Cs of Leadership Strategy?

Public Relations in the digital age - (keynote address at Engage - The Digital Summit), Kolkata

Today was a day among digital stalwarts. Mr. Jawahar Sircar, Chairman, Prasar Bharati declared the summit open and spoke about the legacy of the organization that he recently took over - AIR, the government's FM channel, and Doordarshan - the free-to-air channel that still covers 40% cable homes in India. Anurag Batra, Chairman, exchange4media, was the first keynote who spoke about the growth of digital with inimitable panache, followed by Mahesh Murthy, CEO, Pinstorm, who showed how necessary it is to listen to  digital conversation and how to make sense of it. Vikramaditya Sinha, Director, Online, The Nielson Company was next and Narendra Nag and Geetanjali of Naked Communications followed after. There are several other greats I missed listening to, but just the first half of the day made my trip to Kolkata well worth it. (for a list of all the speakers and other details see http://www.engagedigitalsummit.com/speakers.php?page=speakers)


A gist of my keynote on the topic of 'PR in the digital age' is given here:

"Several speakers before me today have told us about the importance and nuances of the digital medium. My talk connects the institution that is the platform for today's event, PRSI, and the topic of the event, Digital Summit, and shows the intimate connection between digital medium and Public Relations. 


We know how the digital age is defined by an extremely high degree of interconnectedness, instantaneous communications, and its inherent capacity explosion or implosion capacity - the ability for things on the internet to significantly propel or impede any idea, organization, person or brand. 


Some inventions are life-changing - implying that life changes as a consequence of these inventions. The steam-engine, printing press are examples of such inventions and the Internet is one such. Our lives have changed forever. 


Due to the Internet, every person has an opportunity to be a part of a world changing idea. Each person can influence any other connected person, pushing their ideas and thoughts into people they have never met or even known. The small can kill the gargantuan and the new can hit at the belly of the established. We live in an world in which everyone has information access and its arbitrage alone can no longer be an advantage. Its how we process and use this information that is the key. 


Let us see if you can identify this  definition, and I'll ask you to tell me what it defines after you listen to it:
'It brings our complex, pluralistic society to reach decisions and it helps us function more effectively, contributing to mutual understanding and sharing. It brings private and public into harmony'


What do you think this defines? 


It sounds extremely close to social media, it almost sounds like it can also be used for defining the internet system as a whole. But, this is actually a definition for Public Relations!


Surprised? Well - Public Relations has always been about having 'important others' to project your point of view. Almost exactly what we are all attempting digitally. So, if you see, the advent of the internet has not dramatically changed what PR practitioners have been doing for decades - the digital era is just an extended way of life for Public Relations professionals. 


If we finally cut all the clutter, PR typically attempts to build two things, Reputation and Popularity. While the definition of Reputation has been attempted by previous speakers and its importance is understood in by digital professionals, Popularity is an extremely aspect common to PR and digital world as well. Let me define this first. 


Popularity can be loosely defined as the degree of 'likability' by a significant many. Does this remind you of a button that you click often? 


Reputation also is very important, but I would define it differently from the way other speakers have sought to. This all important indicator of social-worth, is the transmitted belief about attitudes of respect of something. Transmission being the operative word in the sentence. 


Media scrutiny is something all PR professionals are used to. All messages, stories have to be whetted by the media so that it is in line with the needs of the readers. Something like a moderated internet. All they need to do now, is cater to the needs of this reader/viewer audience directly. Digital just got PR  a little tighter, that's all. 


I now outline 6 steps that will help any organization to make their PR effective. But apart from this, it will also make them more suitable for the digital era automatically. Lets see what these important points are: 


1. Self awareness: Several of the audience has asked previous speakers, 'Must we tell it as it is?'. Well, I answer it a little differently. First you must know yourself. Its like the answer to the ubiquitous question, 'Who am I?' And once you know yourself, be yourself. It will help build organizational self confidence, and resultant self-respect.  


2. Principled approach & Transparency: This implies that the brand or organization act according to the self-awareness. If I were to ask you the owners of the brand Maggi, you may say Nestle. But it is you, as the users of the product, the consumers, the influencers, the brand participants who are the true owners of the brand. If the custodians of the brand (legal owners of the brand) act such that all action is such that it benefits these 'real owners', such action will be in line with this rule. It leads to self-regulation and greater belief in the brand. 


3. Criticism - self and from others: Public Relations and also the brands digital foray require one to be self-critical. This is a self-improvement method that allows continuous betterment. The other part, the ability to take external criticism builds resilience from others. After all, we must believe and know that there will always be the 'other point of view'. Once the brand has the ability to take criticism, society considers it to be dependable, and gives it more 'likability' and 'transmission'. 


4. Organizational humility: Humility is the sign of greatness. When it comes to the unfettered field of brands, it becomes even more important. It is shown by an absence of vanity, lack of selfish interests. When brands become all embracing and understand the 'law of unintended consequences' they become more humble. The unintended consequences is of two types. First, when the brand knows that what it achieves is not just a consequence of its own actions; and many others, even those unknown to it, affect in unintended ways. Second, it must  also know that the brand has the ability to affect similar others in unintended but positive ways. It must act with this belief, and when it does, it is on a path to greatness. 


5. Commitment: Showing commitment is the showing the will that makes winners. It is evident in sportsmen, where years of training is required to participate in one event, the result of which is totally indeterminate. That is commitment. It is infectious and spreads in society like a positive contagion. The world loves anything with commitment, and society tries to emulate anything with commitment. 


6. Sensitivity: This answers the question 'how must one act' in Public Relations and in the digital world. It must be with a deep and genuine caring for all the 'true owners' of the brand. The world of unintended audience must be embraced. 


Employ these 6 factors in what you do in the digital world, as they are only extensions of what the PR world has perfected over decades. 


  

Book Review: Mitch Kent, Global PR Head, Hay Group

The Hay Group is a consultancy that operates from 47 countries and has 2700 employees globally. It offers organizational and human resources consulting services; it helps its clients design organizational structures that are in line with business strategy, clarify roles and responsibilities, develop and retain talented leaders, measure the value of various kinds of work, and set up effective performance management processes.  The firm was founded in 1943 as Edward N. Hay and Associates. (www.haygroup.com)

Mitch Kent,
Global PR Head,
Hay Group

"Chandramouli has written a fascinating book about both the evolution of communications in humans and how that evolution has manifested itself in today’s world.  He understands well how consumers choose the brands they choose and how the art of effectively telling a story is one of the most powerful selling tools available today."

How my book was born

Can inertia be the reason for momentum? Are the two opposites connected? This post is about how my inertia in fact gave me the momentum to embark on writing a book.

It was early in 2008 and I had reached my extreme pendulum swing at work, a point at which there's very little movement - almost a standstill. Mechanical action takes over, and the sails of intellect are windless.

It was then that a dear and close friend, Meghna, gave a suggestion to take-off from this rut to think. Just think! Since I had never thought it necessary to take time off to think before this, the idea seemed quite bizarre. You could think anywhere, where-ever you are; its in the mind, you know. That seemed like a logical argument.

But Meghna's insistence made sure I went. To Goa, and that too in the peak of summer. Providential, I will say in retrospect, because the heat forced me to stay indoors for most of the day. The place I chose to stay, called Nirvana Hermitage, also seemed to have some sacred force in it. The hotel was ensconced atop a hillock, and my room overlooked a thick forest (or something forest-like). Something I was not quite used to in Goa, but it was enchanting. 

Thinking is not easy, especially if the goal itself is just to think. I tried hard. I took early morning walks, meditated, slept, but I could not think-about-thinking. After a few evenings, some fine wine was ordered and since my thinking began soon. (Naturally, I cannot but give some of the thinking credit to the spirit!)

I wrote down the following questions:

1. What do I really enjoy doing?
2. Why do I enjoy doing these things?
3. Does that show a pattern in what-I-want from life?
4. What do I fear in life?
5. Why do I fear them?
6. What do I feel when I overcome fear of these things?

The answers got scribbled on 10-12 paper napkins. While those answers themselves have the makings of another book, Decoding Communications evolved because I wanted to tell the story of communications to others. I thought that it would be a process I would enjoy.

Soon after I came back, I began a lecture series titled 'Communications 101 - The basics of communications'. I delivered this presentation to clients, students, my peers and colleagues. And, the presentation kept evolving and I kept delving deeper.

Once I had enough material, I took a week long holiday to pen my first chapter - just to see how it might evolve. The writing method I adopted was to just keep typing and let the words flow naturally from the inside. And it did - the pages just flowed and flowed, and every evening I would surprise myself with what I had written.

Three years later, I approximately had 50,000 words, which I ran through a few friends. Endorsement received, my search for my editor began.

My inertia gave the momentum for my book Decoding Communications. Everyone's inertia has the same potential. Scribble down your fears. Act to overcome them. If that's not life's cycle, what is?

The sneak-peek of the contents page

DECODING COMMUNICATIONS

Communications is a universal remedy. It helps bridge relationships, sustains knowledge, and also makes chance more predictable. Communications builds a nourishing environment for organizations, brands and individuals to grow. Businesses, brands and individuals, all need to understand communications better in order to impact their own futures.

Decoding Communications is a fascinating journey that turns everyday experiences into revelations, and it demonstrates how communications can help make best use of opportunities.

The book also covers  new communication theories like Trust Matrix, Brand Appeal, Organizational Maturity Model, and 4 Cs Leadership Model, explained simply to apply them in business lifecycles. Decoding Communications is an important read for all communicators – the brand custodians, spokespersons, communication agencies, teachers and students alike. 

The sneak-peak of the contents page of Decoding Communications is here for your exclusive viewing. I am thinking of putting up the synopsis of each of these chapters up for the regular visitors to this blog. 

Please write in in case you would like to view these...

	C   O    N    T    E    N    T     S
Introduction	Sigma bonds to Ethos & Pathos
1	Communications
2	Trust – The basis of everything
3	Trust in Business
4	What is a Brand?
5	Brand Appeal
6	Sustainable Communications
7	Perception, Thinking and influence
8	Propaganda
9	Public Relations
10	Why must organizations communicate
11	4 Cs Leadership Model
Conclusion	Tell it, Don't sell it
	Glossary
	Bibliography