The role of strategic communication in driving marketing decision-making

Framing of the research: In recent years, the academic literature has focused on the topic of strategic communication as an emerging field of knowledge encompassing public relations, organizational communication and marketing communications. In this research stream, scholars interpret strategic communication as a discipline that embraces complexity and interdisciplinarity, with the aim of fully grasping the different nuances of the organization without neglecting strategy, orientation, and organizational objectives. Purpose of the paper. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of strategic communication in the marketing decision-making process. Methodology. We conducted a qualitative multiple-case study analysis involving five companies operating in the food industry. Specifically, we collected qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews with key informants operating in the case companies, company visits, and secondary data. Using multiple methods to collect qualitative data from various sources was useful to avoid bias from a single method and to obtain robust results. Findings. The results highlight that strategic communication plays an increasingly central role in the marketing decision-making process of companies. Specifically, our analysis reveals that, on the one hand, strategic communication influences product policy, while on the other, it fosters the innovation of marketing communications. Research limits. This study presents limitations related to the generalizability of the results, as it adopts a qualitative perspective. Future studies could include the consumer perspective by adopting quantitative methodologies. Practical implications. The analysis presents a series of implications for communication and marketing professionals, and in particular for corporate communication directors, identifying the potential of their role in the company’s strategic decisions. Originality of the paper. This study contributes to the management literature by clarifying the ways in which strategic communication influences the marketing decision-making process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study depicting a framework summarizing how strategic communication influences companies’ product policy and marketing communications.