Why communicators must proactively chase down vital firsthand information
The ‘san-gen-shugi’—roughly translated as ‘the three realities’—offers a model for how communicators can ensure they have the resources and credibility to be strategic advisors.
We’ve all faced challenging assignments—a product launch, corporate initiative, or crisis response—where we feel ill-equipped to mount a successful campaign or formulate an effective strategy. The reason, we often tell ourselves, comes down to information: Either we’re not given enough of it, or what we’re given is inaccurate, incomplete or insubstantial.
I submit that these aren’t reasons; they’re excuses. The onus is on us as communicators—whether agency or in-house—to go out and get the information we need.
Within the automotive and mobility industry in particular, information-gathering is a persistent challenge due to the sheer complexity of the business and the vast array of stakeholders who either own some piece of the communication or are audiences for it—customers, suppliers, investors, regulators, policymakers, NGOs, collaborators, and associates, to name just a few.
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