Shaping stories, not spin: The power of early communication

There is a particular kind of silence that follows when you are handed a media mandate for a product you have just heard of—expected to distill meaning and magic from decisions you had no part in. And yet, somehow, you do it. That’s the beauty, and the burden, of communications.

I remember, early in my career, frantically crafting key messaging for a launch I had learnt about only 48 hours ago. I pulled it off but not before wondering how much stronger the story could have been if we had been part of the conversation months earlier.

But it does not have to be this way. Don’t you agree?

Architects of authenticity

The real impact of corporate communication is not in the aftermath. It is in the architecture. It lies in shaping the sound before it becomes language. It is in understanding not just what is being said or meant, but what will be heard and by whom.

Communication is less about storytelling and more about story-shaping. We do not spin, we clarify. We do not dramatise; we regulate the temperature of heated rooms using words. We gauge sentiment long before it surfaces. As we evaluate words for their impact on a situation, we ensure that what leaves the boardroom can land well in the real world. We are the quiet force that helps the brand speak out loud what it actually means—an indispensable trait in a world where authenticity is not only preferred but expected.

The empathy pillar

In an environment where trust has become transactional and attention spans unforgiving, the role of communication has quietly, but decisively, shifted. The mantle falls on us to decode cultural signals, translate strategy into human language, and remind organisations that audiences do not just read between the lines but have started living there.

That is empathy at scale. It is not fluffy but strategic because it transforms a communication campaign from broadcasts into honest conversations. Empathy is born when we listen and anticipate—the reactions, the repercussions, and the relationships. It enables us to connect the emotional with the operational.

Replacing misinterpretation with meaning

For the communication team to truly play this role, we need to be part of the blueprint—not the paint job! The earlier are we involved, the more can we align narratives with purpose, the more cohesive can the story become across audiences, and the more resilient can the reputation become over time. We can source collaborative answers to questions such as ‘How does this development connect to the larger conversation happening in our industry?’ or ‘How can we help a journalist cover our product specs differently, specially when she has heard similar claims from the competitors?’

The cost of non-communication isn’t silence but speculation and misinterpretation—it is an opportunity lost. Shareholder confidence in these times of media clutter is not won overnight or with a single campaign. Regular interactions in premier financial dailies or broadcast interviews create a ripple effect of confidence. A well-timed 10-minute segment with our CEO or MD or CFO is more than earned airtime. It is a signal to shareholders that the leadership is committed to curating a future with value and stability for their company, calming nerves on the trading floor. The positive impact of such communication on share prices is not magic. It is intent, access, and collaboration. Similarly, an employee town hall scripted with the communication team’s input does more than just inform, it aligns thousands around a shared ‘why’.

When communication brings its stakeholder-insights, cultural nuance, and even vulnerability to storytelling, it stops being just a part of a campaign or a product. The communication then starts to have meaning for investors, customers and employees so they can choose to believe in the vision they walk into each morning.

The strategic KPIs

As communications professionals, we must evolve. While we talk about impressions and share of voice, our colleagues in other departments are speaking the universal language of ROI. We must learn to speak in strategic KPIs. We cannot measure our success in column inches or airtime alone, but measure the confidence we build, the questions we pre-empt, and the risks we avert. It is time to speak the language of business louder than earlier. Use KPIs as tools, bring out the ROI that you drive, and own the value you add.

Here is what I have found gets attention in budget meetings: Explaining how an INR 20 crore advertising campaign might bring INR 10 crores in value, while a strategic communications approach could deliver INR 20 crores in value with just INR 50 lakhs invested.

A pledge for clarity

This is not about competing for space at the table but showing what happens when the table is set together—when clarity is designed, not demanded; when trust is built into the process, not tacked on as a disclaimer; when every campaign, policy, pivot, and promise is communicated with the care it deserves.

So, here is my gentle request to business leaders: Involve your communication teams earlier—whether it is a product, an initiative, or a campaign. And to my fellow communications professionals: Let us get better at showing our value in ways that resonate beyond just our department. I will leave you with a simple pledge my team and I have taken:

1. Speak the language of value: Let’s frame our work not as ‘costs’ but as multipliers—of trust, advocacy, and even revenue.

2. Swap ‘silos’ for symphonies: A great narrative needs R&D’s depth, marketing’s rhythm, and comms’ harmony.

3. Celebrate quiet wins: That glowing customer testimonial? That analyst’s unsolicited praise? That is our stock price rising.

So, no, we are neither the post-script nor the final flourish; we are the context providers. We are the meaning makers; the quiet force that ensures a brand not only speaks but is heard. And when we are in the room early enough, everyone wins. Because the best stories are often not written overnight but grown together as an organisation.

Yet, clarity cannot thrive in chaos. When comms is treated as an afterthought, we become firefighters—heroic, but perpetually singed. When organisations treat trust-building like R&D by bringing the communications team into the room early for every product launch, policy shift, campaign, or CSR initiative, they invest in clarity. With our iterative, intentional, and integrated process, the communications team highlights the right stories for the relevant stakeholders. The trust we build takes years to earn, but only seconds to lose. It is worth getting it right from the start.

– Ms Chikita Sobti, head of communications, Castrol India.