Business plan without a solid foundation won’t become a reality just by talking about it
Summary
It’s that time of year again: annual business planning. Vacations are coming to an end, and meeting rooms will soon be filled with discussions of budgets, goals, investments, and new business opportunities. Flipcharts and slides will be flying, and the result will be a bold new plan for 2026.
Then we just call in the communications team, because now there’s a big story to tell! We need a press release, an article, a podium, a video, a front-page story in Helsingin Sanomat, and TV cameras!
Wait a minute! We have a problem.
The true value of communications?
If you want to ensure that next year’s business plan generates genuinely impactful communications – the kind that gets customers moving, employees fired up, and the media typing away – you shouldn’t bring communications on board only after the annual planning is done
When communications only make it to the planning table during the final stages, its role is reduced to polishing a finished product. And that is not the true value of communications for business. If the plan is already set in stone, there’s no point in flagging that its content probably won’t interest the company’s customers, partners, employees, or the media.
Communication plays a strategic role when the timing is right
Communication serves as a company’s antennae to customers, the media, investors, authorities, and employees. Its job is to view the organisation from the outside: What trends and conversations define our operating environment? What expectations are placed on us right now? How should major strategic directions be formulated so that they actually generate significant stories and trends?
At its best, communications identify what in the business plan genuinely interests stakeholders and what might need to be rephrased so that the direction also creates a story that resonates externally.
It’s not about the communications department deciding what to do. It’s about increasing the plan’s impact by building it together – while considering both business realities and stakeholder expectations.
Start collaborating early, also with external partners
So, it’s a good idea to involve communications in annual planning right from the very first organisational meetings.
If your communications team is already fully occupied with core tasks or you want to strengthen your team’s ranks, annual planning brainstorming works effectively even with an external partner. We view the company from an outsider’s perspective from the very start.
So, please get in touch. Let’s discuss your situation in more detail and ensure that your communications are not just window dressing, but a strategic tool that supports your goals.
Blog written by: Sara Anttila
