Why communicators must be responsible for getting the information they need

As PR professionals, we’ve all faced challenging assignments—a product launch, corporate initiative, or crisis response—where we feel ill-equipped to mount a successful campaign or formulate an effective strategy. The reason, we often tell ourselves, comes down to information: either we’re not given enough of it, or what we’re given is inaccurate, incomplete or insubstantial.

I submit that these aren’t reasons; they’re excuses. If I’ve learned anything from my years in the automotive and mobility space, it’s that the onus is on us as communicators—whether agency or in-house—to go out and get the information we need.

Within the automotive and mobility industry in particular, information-gathering is a persistent challenge due to the sheer complexity of the business and the vast array of stakeholders who either own some piece of the communication or are audiences for it—customers, suppliers, investors, regulators, policymakers, NGOs, collaborators, and associates across the global enterprise, to name just a few.