Are you looking to improve your company's communication strategy? The axis of communication is the key element not to be neglected to achieve your objectives. In this article, we explain everything you need to know to choose the right axis of communication and succeed in your communication strategy. Discover the steps to follow, the tools to use and the risks to avoid to create effective communication. Do not miss these few tips that can help you boost the visibility, notoriety and sales of your company thanks to a well-chosen communication axis! 
Choose the right axis of communication in #Short
- Definition: the guideline of a company's communication strategy, which guides all messages and communication actions vis-à-vis its target audience.
- Reasons for its importance:
- Strengthens the brand image
- Promotes company products and services
- Attract new customers and retain existing ones
- Improves reputation
- 5 steps to choose the right axis of communication :
- Study your market and target audience
- Define your communication objectives
- Choose your key message
- Select the right tools
- Adapt your line of communication
- Mistakes to avoid :
- The lack of consistency
- The wrong target
- The overpromise
- The lack of follow-up
- The lack of differentiation
What is a line of communication?
The axis of communication is a key concept in marketing and communication. It is the guideline of a company's communication strategy, which guides all messages and communication actions vis-à-vis its target audience.
It represents the company's strategic direction and the key message it wishes to convey to its target audience.
The axis of communication must be in line with the objectives of the company, its market and its target audience. It should be clear, simple and easily understood by the target audience.
It can be broken down into different communication media such as advertisements, messages on social networks, press relations, emailings, etc.
Defining your communication axis is a process that involves:
- Understand your market and target audience
- Define your communication objectives
- Choose a consistent key message
- Select the appropriate communication tools
Important: The axis of communication must be regularly evaluated and adjusted according to the results obtained and the evolutions of the market and the target audience.
Why is the communication strategy so important for a company?
The communication strategy is very important for a company, in particular because it helps to create a coherent and positive image with its target audience.
It is essential to build and maintain a relationship of trust with customers, prospects, partners and investors.
Here are some reasons why the communication strategy is so important for a company:
- Create a strong brand image : allows you to define the visual and verbal identity of the company, as well as the key messages that represent it. A strong and consistent brand image makes it possible to stand out from the competition, attract new customers and retain existing customers.
- Publicize its products and services : makes the company's products and services known to its target audience. It can use different communication channels such as traditional media, social networks, influencer marketing, etc.
- Attract new customers: can attract new customers by increasing the visibility of the company and strengthening its credibility. It can also make it possible to target potential customers who do not yet know the company.
- Retain existing customers: contributes to the retention of existing customers by maintaining a relationship of trust and offering them offers adapted to their needs. It can also help create a community of engaged customers around the brand.
- Improve company reputation: can improve company reputation by conveying positive messages and effectively dealing with problems and crises that may arise.
How to choose the right axis of communication for your business strategy?
1. Start by researching your market and target audience
It is important for a company to know its market and its target audience well before defining its axis of communication.
To fully understand its market and its target audience, a company must carry out market research, data analysis, customer and prospect surveys, etc.
This step allows the company to better understand a large number of criteria which will then be essential for the definition of its axis of communication:
- Expectations
- Needs
- Buying behaviors
- The preferences
- Its demographic characteristics
This knowledge is essential to choose the most appropriate key message and the most effective communication tools.
It must analyze the trends of its market, the needs and expectations of its target audience, purchasing behavior, etc. This analysis can be done through market research, surveys, data analysis, etc.
2. Define your communication objectives
Once the company has fully understood its market and its target audience, it must define its communication objectives . These objectives depend on each organization and can be very varied: to make its brand known, to develop its notoriety, to increase its turnover, to retain existing customers, etc.
Communication objectives must be consistent with the strategic objectives of the company.
This step allows the company to define the performance indicators and the measures to be taken to assess the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
3. Choose your key message
Choosing the key message is an important step in defining the axis of communication.
It should be clear, simple and easily understood by the target audience. But above all, it must be in line with the objectives of the company and its market.
Thanks to this key message, the company must succeed in differentiating itself from the competition and highlighting the advantages of the company.
Good to know : it must also be consistent with the visual and verbal identity of the company.
4. Select the right communication tools
Once you have defined your axis of communication and your key message, you need to choose the most appropriate communication tools to convey it to the audience concerned.
These tools can be varied: advertisements, press relations, social networks, emailings, etc.
The role of the company is to choose the most suitable tools to achieve its communication objectives and its target audience. It must obviously take into account the resources and skills needed to implement these tools.
5. Be able to adapt your line of communication
And finally, a last step which may seem optional, but which is in fact essential: it is important to regularly evaluate your line of communication to ensure that it is effective and adapted to changes in the market and the target audience.
The results obtained must be measured through performance indicators (conversion rate, engagement rate, number of sales generated, etc.) and the communication axis must then be adapted accordingly.
Without this adaptation, it is much more complicated to spot any problems or opportunities that would improve the quality of your company's communication.
Mistakes to avoid when defining your communication axis
When choosing the communication axis, it is important to avoid certain risks that could affect the effectiveness of the communication strategy:
- Lack of coherence : The choice of a communication axis that does not correspond to the values and identity of the company can harm the coherence of the communication and create confusion among the target audience.
- The wrong target : The choice of a communication axis that does not correspond to the needs and expectations of the target can lead to ineffective communication.
- Over-promise : Choosing a communication channel that over-promises results can lead to customer disappointment, loss of credibility and poor brand image.
- Lack of follow-up : The choice of a communication axis without follow-up and without measurement can lead to ineffective communication and disappointing results.
- Lack of differentiation : Choosing a line of communication that does not differentiate itself from the competition can lead to ineffective communication and loss of opportunities.
Communication Axis FAQ
Who is responsible for defining the axis of communication within a company?
It all depends on the size and organizational model of the company. Depending on the different scenarios, this can be:
- The marketing manager : He is often responsible for defining the company's global communication strategy. He is responsible for defining the communication objectives, the key message, the appropriate communication tools and coordinating the various departments involved in the implementation of the communication strategy.
- The communication manager : He may be in charge of implementing the communication strategy defined by the marketing director. It is responsible for defining the actions to be taken, coordinating the various external service providers and measuring the effectiveness of the communication strategy.
- The public relations manager : He is generally in charge of managing the relationship with the media and influencers. He can play an important role in defining the axis of communication by working with the marketing director and the communication manager to define the key messages to be transmitted to the media and influencers.
- The product manager : He can also be in charge of defining the axis of communication when it concerns a product or a range of specific products. In this situation, he is responsible for defining the positioning of the product on the market, the key message to be transmitted to customers and the appropriate communication tools.
- The communication agency : The company can call on a communication agency to define the axis of communication. She can bring her communication expertise to help define the objectives, the key message and the appropriate communication tools.
What are the main tools useful for defining the right axis of communication?
There are a large number of useful tools for defining the right axis of communication. Here are a few :
- SWOT analysis : to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company. These elements can then be integrated into the communication strategy, and thus contribute to the development of the communication axis.
- The persona : this fictitious representation of the typical customer makes it possible to better understand the criteria which characterize the company's target. This allows the latter to choose an appropriate communication message.
- The benchmark : it makes it possible to compare the performance of the company with that of the competition. This comparison can help identify the company's strengths and weaknesses relative to the competition. It can also help identify opportunities for improvement and differentiate the company from the competition in the area of communication.
- Performance indicators: they can allow a company to concretely measure the effectiveness of the communication strategy.
Is it mandatory for a company to create a communication strategy?
No, it is not mandatory for a company to create a communication strategy, but it is strongly recommended to do so for several reasons.
First of all, because communication is a key element for the development of any business. It makes its products and services known, attracts new customers, retains existing customers and improves its reputation. Without a communication strategy, the company risks missing opportunities to develop and failing to achieve its growth objectives.
Then, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the competition is increasingly strong on most markets and that companies must absolutely differentiate themselves from the competition by creating a strong and coherent image. The communication strategy makes it possible to define the visual and verbal identity of the company, as well as the key messages that represent it.
And finally, remember that a good communication strategy can help manage crises and difficult situations . It makes it possible to transmit clear and reassuring messages in the event of problems and to maintain the trust of customers and partners.
To briefly answer this question: although it is not mandatory, the creation of a communication strategy is highly recommended for any company that wishes to develop and differentiate itself from the competition.
What are the potential risks for a company that does not take care of its communication axis?
- Loss of visibility : A company that does not take care of its communication axis risks going unnoticed in the eyes of the target audience, not standing out from the competition and not attracting the attention of prospects.
- Damage to brand image: Inconsistent, unclear or poorly adapted messages can damage the image of the company. Poor branding can impact sales, customer retention and company reputation.
- Potential loss of customers : If customers do not recognize themselves in the company's messages, they risk turning to the competition.
- Potential loss of turnover : If the company's messages are not adapted to the target audience, it can lead to a decrease in sales.
