What is sincere communication according to the French?

Questions concerning the sincerity of corporate communication are increasingly being asked among public opinion. The institute Viavoice conducted an exclusive study on this theme for the We Are COM team with more than 1.000 French people*. Arnaud Zegierman, sociologist and associate director of Viavoice, and Eléonore Dumont, co-founder of Club We Are COM, reveal the main results. I promise, they will surprise you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_MyWNf0OWo

 

Why care about the sincerity of communication?

Arnaud: Already, because when faced with a communication, the first question we all ask is whether what we are being told is true. If it is in line with reality. On the other hand, companies are now speaking out more and more on societal issues: environment, product production, employment, etc. This theme has greatly emerged with the Covid-19 crisis. Each time in our studies – it is almost systematic – we hear our interviewees question the motivations of companies to speak out on these societal issues. Are these companies sincere? Is this fake, greenwashing or socialwashing or simply opportunism? And if it's opportunism, is it really that embarrassing?

In fact the question of sincerity in communication raises the issue of the link between business and society. We are very attached to it because we are convinced that it has become dangerous for companies to misunderstand societal trends. And on this, we see major developments in this post-containment study.

Why should communicators question the sincerity of their company's communication?

Eleonore: What we notice through our workshops with the members of the We Are COM Club is thate more and more communicators are seizing the purpose of their company to build their communication plan. This became the starting point of the communication strategy. This means that our member companies deploy communication around their societal role without being limited to a mercantile activity. Each communication action at its level contributes to the expression of the company's mission of general interest in society. With the Pacte law, certain large groups – such as MAIF or Danone – have chosen to go even further by becoming mission-driven companies. This notion explicitly and tangibly concretizes the company's societal commitments. The legal entity commits itself to natural persons who are citizens, and not only their consumers. Sincerity becomes the faithful expression of their intentions and then of their very real achievements.

We see through this exclusive study that the French are waiting for this involved communication and that communicators still have work to do since only 26% of French people surveyed by Viavoice have the feeling that corporate communication is moving towards more sincerity and 34% have difficulty perceiving this sincerity. We must therefore redouble our efforts to provide evidence and create a form of “transparency in the progress accomplished and yet to be accomplished”. The idea would be to give anyone who wants the opportunity to enter without knocking to see for themselves the company's progress. It’s a paradigm shift and a form of conversation. The challenge will certainly be its accessibility…

So, what is sincere communication according to the French?

Arnaud: Our results clearly illustrate the times we are experiencing. On the one hand, the end of COM' attacks. When we ask the French about what sincere business communication is, they place in first position consistency for 53% of respondents. This score clearly reinforces the fact that good communication is a long-term, aligned strategy, not just a short-term one. Long-term communication with precise objectives is a guarantee of success.

Transparency comes in second place, but far behind with 38% of responses. In fact, transparency would most certainly have come out on top a few months ago. This means that the myth of transparency continues. I say “myth” and that’s a personal opinion. Transparency is obviously a necessity, but we tend to oppose transparency and clarity. Pierre Bourdieu said: “ hide by showing ". Transparency can also be “I tell everything”. But the statement can be so technical that it doesn't mean anything to anyone. Ultimately, transparency can overlook pedagogy and therefore exclude a large number of individuals.

Remember that when it comes to expertise, we are not experts in everything. We can have the humility to tell ourselves that we cannot understand everything. There is therefore a form of demagoguery in the myth of transparency. In reality, we need education. Good communication is pedagogy!

Can sincerity in communication be a risk for businesses?

Arnaud: We asked this question to find out what seems more risky for the French in communication: to be sincere or not to be? Until recently, the majority would have answered that sincerity represents a risk for businesses. But today the French mainly respond that not having sincere communication is a risk for businesses. We have entered a period where the French no longer want to be infantilized, with companies that only present themselves as perfect, wonderful, incredible... at their best. Individuals need to understand who this company is, before purchasing its products or before applying. They are not looking for an ideal image at all, but want to understand the overall philosophy of the company towards them and society. The company's choices, its actions and possibly its weaknesses. Being sincere means explaining who you are and what process of progress you are involved in; and no longer simply what we sell.

And what to do in the event of a crisis?

Eleonore: No brand is safe from media lynching anymore. In crisis situation, sincerity is the key word. Above all, it is about presenting the facts and presenting the corrective measures being deployed to resolve the situation.

Through pressure from stakeholders and general awareness, all large organizations are changing to improve. The role of communicators is to support this process of progress. Public opinion is then evolving towards a less Manichean perception: everything is not all black and all white. The company shows that it is moving forward with confidence towards a greater positive impact in the City; and note that individuals on a personal level have this same awareness and apply these same changes on their scale.

Hopefully, in the long term, if a brand intervenes positively in society, the day it has to manage a crisis, it will be less condemned by public opinion. To summarize and be educational, the company must be exemplary towards others in order to ultimately protect itself.

In summary, what promotes communication perceived as sincere by the French?

Eleonore: I take away 3 key elements : First of all coherence. Consistency in facts because the mission of a company is rarely detached from its business at the risk of being judged as opportunistic. There may be inconsistencies in messages today due to the multiplicity of internal transmitters and channels; Added to this is the decompartmentalization of targets: an employee can very well be an individual shareholder, a financial analyst can very well be a subscriber to the brand's lifestyle account on Instagram. Added to this is consistency over time. Then the second key element is transparency of the progress accomplished and to be accomplished while being a teacher. Sincerity must be tangible and demonstrable by evidence. Finally the last element is transversality. The transversality between the company's commercial communications and corporate communications. Institutional communication guarantees discourse and its integration into reality in all company expressions. It cannot and can no longer be isolated.

What lessons do you draw from this study?

Arnaud: The role of business in society is evolving. We see in this survey for Viavoice for We Are COM that 53% of French people say they prefer that the company plays a role in society, rather than remaining focused on its products and services. We have been observing this shift in opinion for several years. This is a double movement. On the one hand, in the context of consumption, the choice of a product is also the choice of a universe and company values. If you do not share the brand's universe or values, you will prefer the competing product. So companies must know and feel the changes in society and value systems. The objective is not to follow them but to integrate them. On the other hand, the French increasingly expect businesses to get involved in moving society forward. Until recently, the general interest was the preserve of the public sphere, the State and institutions. From now on, both because individuals are aware that the State can no longer do everything and also that companies have an impact on society, all companies must progress, contribute and play a determining role. This is a real profound development in France.


Want to browse our entire study?

To receive the full results of the study and discuss their analysis, contact the Viavoice team by email here or at +33(0)1 40 54 13 90. Are you a member of the We Are COM Club? Do not hesitate to contact Eléonore directly.

* Survey conducted among 1.002 French people representative of the population by the Viavoice institute for the We Are COM Club, communicators accelerator, over the period from June 15 to 17, 2020.

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