Corporate Affairs: From Communicators to Campaigners
Corporate affairs has long been seen as the guardian of reputation and a conduit between business and the consumer. In recent decades, following rapid technological change, this function, like many others has had to adapt and evolve.
As the function looks to bolster and stay ahead of this change, it is also increasingly investing and shifting towards a campaign mindset.
Today, corporate affairs leaders are not just managing communications – they are designing and running campaigns. By doing so, they drive tangible value to the Board like never before.
This shift reflects today’s world where companies are expected to play an active role in shaping and responding to public debate. In turn, corporate affairs is stepping into the role of strategist, campaigner, and influencer of change.
There are many forces driving this transformation, notably:
Political and regulatory complexity has grown exponentially. Last year, almost half of the world’s population took to the polling stations in a historic year of elections. Multinationals have had to navigate this fragmented global landscape with varying government agendas like never before. The ramifications of geopolitics is firmly on the doorstep of the Boardroom. In response, corporate affairs leaders are borrowing from grassroots campaigning by mobilising coalitions, shaping narratives, and using digital intelligence to influence outcomes.
No longer is the primary audience the investor and policymaker – employees, activists, customers, and communities all have the power to shape reputation and value. To meet this demand, multinationals are adopting campaigning tools through storytelling, advocacy, coalition-building, underpinned by a need to engage with these audiences authentically, rather than defensively.
As in house communications functions adapt to innovation like AI and digital influencers, the digital threat is ever present. A tweet can escalate into a political flashpoint or a boardroom crisis. The expectation to forward plan, anticipate opposition through scenario-planning helps businesses stay ahead rather than reacting after the fact.
In recent years, we have seen Boards becoming increasingly aware how campaigning can serve as a lever of enterprise value creation and not a defensive cost. When corporate affairs arrives with data on stakeholder sentiment, competitor positioning, and a proactive plan to shape the external environment, they are no longer reporting risk, they are driving strategy.
This is why we are witnessing an increasing number of communications functions investing in creating new roles to lead the campaigning approach. These roles drive clarity of purpose, rooted in the company’s values and commercial goals.
The modern corporate affairs function is no longer a backstage adviser, it is a front-line campaign engine. In an era where reputation is inseparable from value, that shift has made corporate affairs one of the most strategically important functions at the Boardroom table.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.
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