What are creative communications?

Communications is a skilled profession like accountancy, law, nursing or, teaching. But in my experience, nobody understands what communicators do. This is odd, because everything we do is audible, visual or readable! So, why this lack of comprehension? Maybe the description “communications” is too generic, spanning a vast number of subjects, options and skills?

In smaller organisations, one person might be responsible for the website, social media, issuing press statements, media relations, an intranet, exhibitions etc. In larger corporations one or more individuals might be responsible for each of those functions.

Some communications roles are highly specialised, such as Medical Writing or MedEd and Publishing, Financial PR and communications for Change and Issues Management. Some communications roles are senior, at the director level and others, more junior. Communications positions do span the whole career spectrum.

Some organisations use external agencies or freelancers to supplement expertise and person power for their internal team. The independent contractors, consultants or freelancers like me, take on some of the more complex and time-consuming projects such as annual reporting or development of websites.

But whatever the role, anyone in communications needs several skillsets and over time, builds expertise and critically, forges relationships. The most skilled individuals have spent time in the public and private sectors, have worked in agency and “client side” and maybe in more than one industry.

My focus is on corporate communications such as the development of collateral materials, websites, PowerPoint presentations, photo libraries, exhibition stands etc but all on a creative spectrum. Hence the term:

I work with creative specialists to undertake projects of all sizes. Their skills include: graphic design for print and digital media, PowerPoint, illustration and animation, film-making and video production, photography, speechwriting, and more besides. I also recommend proofreading, to make sure that all communications are perfect.