Communication leaders have unprecedented choices when it comes to the technologies they can use to inform, connect, and mobilize employees.
At the same time, leading platforms and tools are taking on a lot of similar functionalities and capabilities. They’re also more and more able to integrate with other tools (Slack, MS Teams, SharePoint).
Sparrow Connected began really exploring that question a year ago - and found that they didn’t see anyone in the market fundamentally focusing on the needs of communication leaders.
To a large extent, this is because of how the internal communication platform market has evolved so far. On the buyer side, a lot of the decisions have been made by IT or HR departments - so vendors started focusing on what was needed to get the IT or HR departments to sign on the dotted line.
For us, talking with communication leaders and the customers who are involved in driving the use of technology in their businesses and enterprises, we quickly realized that these market trends weren’t reflecting the needs of communication leaders, even though they have the day-to-day responsibility of using these platforms to inform, engage and mobilize employees.
Since we began collaborating earlier this year, we’ve worked together to reboot the Sparrow Connected strategy - by putting communication leaders at the heart of everything the company does.
That willingness reflects Sparrow Connected’s thinking that the product is only as compelling and engaging as the process and the context of working with a vendor who is focused on strengthening the skills and stature of communication leaders so that they can be more influential before, during and after the decision to buy.
Sparrow Connected’s approach to content reflects this intent: equipping communication leaders to challenge conventional wisdom on subjects like “employee engagement,” “ROI business cases for internal comms,” and how to actively engage the C-suite. It also means working to build up a team of consultants and thought leaders to support Sparrow Connected customers in getting the most value out of the platform in their businesses - and, uniquely, to get the most out of IC even if it doesn’t directly involve the platform itself.
Just like marketing platforms in the 2000s helped elevate marketing leaders to the decision-making table, Sparrow Connected's goal is to elevate communication leaders and help them gain the influence they merit with the C-suite".
For us, focusing on communication leaders makes sense because it combines the usual focus on improving the technology with a conscious connection with strategy and impact - giving clients and the profession as a whole the support and inspiration they need to get the best results on and off the platform.
It also makes the investment in technology much more sustainable. It’s a smart approach, and we believe it’s the right approach.