Timing can make or break a company’s announcement. Whether it’s unveiling a new product, disclosing financial results, ribbon cuttings, grand openings, or brand unveils, timing can impact your success.
Having led a few announcements over the years, I can tell you a lot of work goes in to how we talk about our products or services, the way we describe our brands, the words we use to engage a community, the channels we want to be present on, or the audiences we need to communicate with.
Countless hours are spent refining these elements so we communicate exactly as needed to make that connection. But so many times these announcements fall short of expectations because of the timing.
A well-timed announcement can generate positive buzz, while a poorly timed one can lead to confusion, backlash, or missed opportunities. In this article, we’ll explore the critical factors businesses need to consider when making announcements, including societal factors, internal audiences, adjusting after the announcement is made, and learning from the announcement.
The Societal Factor: Understanding What’s Happening Around Your Brand
One of the first considerations when planning an announcement is the societal context in which it will be made. This includes current events, trends, industry news, and cultural sensitivities. These considerations will vary from brand to brand, but generally speaking there are a few that you should consider:
Current Events: look at what’s happening in the world at the time of your announcement. If there’s a major global event or crisis dominating headlines, it might not be the right time to draw attention to your news, as it could get lost in the noise or come across as insensitive.
Or perhaps there’s something related to your news that puts your announcement in a different context than what’s intended. Leading into your announcement, have your teams scanning the news daily to ensure there’s nothing out there that will have unintended consequences on your announcement.
Cultural Sensitivities: it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re in a particularly divided society at the moment, so be mindful of cultural events, holidays, or anniversaries that might affect the public’s mood or receptiveness. For example, announcing layoffs on the day before a major holiday can be perceived as callous as a worst case scenario, or at best your audiences may just not be paying attention.
Trend Relevance: assess whether your announcement aligns with current trends or issues. If your product or message can be linked to a trending topic, it might gain more attention and relevance. Or, your news may be tied to a trend that doesn’t align with your organization, creating confusion around your announcement or brand.
Internal Audiences: Understanding Your Internal Audiences and Priorities
Before making an external announcement, it’s crucial to consider your internal audiences, including leadership, employees, partners, investors, and other stakeholders. They are your company’s first and most important advocates, so understanding their priorities and bringing them along for the journey is critical.
Again, these factors vary from business to business, but here are a few tips on how to handle internal communications leading up to and during an announcement:
Timing Alignment: ensure your internal and external announcements are synchronized. Employees should not learn about significant company news or developments through external sources. Provide internal communication before the public announcement to maintain trust, boost morale, and foster brand advocates.
Clear Messaging: craft a message that explains the reasons behind the announcement and the potential impact on the team. This can oftentimes be a bit more “in the weeds” than your external communications (although remember any communication you put out will likely be shared in the public arena). As you’re communicating with your internal audiences, be sure to address questions and concerns to minimize uncertainty and anxiety.
Employee Feedback: communicating to internal audiences doesn’t end when the announcement is made. You need to encourage feedback and questions from your employees throughout the process. First, their insights may help you refine your external messaging. Second, this will help foster positive company culture. Third, feedback helps you plan for better announcements in the future.
Adjusting After the Announcement: Flexibility is Key
There’s a saying in strategic planning – no plan survives initial contact. Even with careful planning by experienced strategists and communicators, not all factors can be predicted. And let’s face it, sometimes things change, and the public’s response to an announcement can be unexpected.
That’s why it’s important to continuously evaluate your announcement once the news is out and remain flexible to make the necessary adjustments to ensure success. Here are some tips and what to do and how to adjust:
Monitor Feedback: Keep a close eye on public sentiment and media coverage after the announcement. Social media, news outlets, and customer feedback can provide valuable insights. Be sure to look at things collectively and not jump to conclusions based on a single social media posts or new article, but be ready to make the necessary adjustments.
Be Adaptable: If the initial reaction is negative or raises unforeseen issues, be prepared to adjust your strategy. This might mean issuing clarifications, addressing concerns, or altering your approach. Do some planning before the announcement if possible so you’re ready to adapt. Regardless of the planning, be ready to pull your team together to talk through what adjustments needs to be made.
Crisis Management: In the event of a crisis, have a crisis management plan in place – we’ve talked about the need for a crisis plan in the past, but this includes designated spokespeople, a crisis management team, a clear chain of command and communications channels, and strategies for damage control.
Learning from the Announcement: Continuous Improvement
Every announcement, whether successful or challenging, offers an opportunity for growth and improvement. Like we said, you can’t predict everything. But you can learn from the experience to make the next announcement better, because there’s always another announcement to be made.
Here are some tips to ensure you’re ready to make the next announcement better:
Post-Announcement Evaluation: conduct a thorough analysis of the announcement, taking an honest look at what happens (this is not the time to be shy). Think about what went well, what could have been done differently, and what elements may have not hit the mark. This should be a collective exercise, so encourage team members to share their observations and insights.
Collect Feedback: critical information can come from the most unexpected places. Put processes in place to gather feedback from both internal and external sources. Think about your stakeholders – customers, employees, leaders, friends, family, and others. They may all have valuable input that helps shine a light on ways to improve for the future. Don’t take it personal, just take it seriously.
Adjust Future Strategies: once you have the feedback and insights, don’t put them on a shelf never to be seen again. That’s the fastest way to repeat what you just went through. Use the insights gained from the announcement to refine your future communication strategies. That means pulling your team together to review the feedback and find ways to implement what needs to be adjusted to ensure greater success down the road.
Strategic Timing Leads to Success
No matter the industry, product, team, location, or purpose, timing is everything when it comes to making announcements.
While factors can and do change from organization to organization, taking a few of these elements into consideration during your planning – societal factors, internal audiences, being adaptable, learning from the experience – businesses can greatly increase their chances of successful and well-received announcements.
In the always-on and fast-paced world that we operate in, making the right announcement at the right time can be a game-changer for your brand, your business, and your audiences.
More Strategic Thoughts
Here are some additional posts to help as you create your Strategic Communications campaigns and plan your announcements:
– Don’t Leverage The Disaster
– Why You Should Take the “It’s THEIR Platform” Mentality for Social Media
– Leveraging Leadership Principles for Communications
– 3 Thing You MUST Consider During A Crisis Not Directly Impacting Your
– Do I Really Need A Strategic Communications Plan?
– A Meaningful Message, Or Pandering Without Purpose
– Pitching Media Like The Pros
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
