As AI continues to grow and companies adopt it across the board, one topic keeps coming back: the irreplaceable role of humans: creativity and innovation. Lucky for me, this is exactly what I’m passionate about!
At bicom, not a single day goes by without us talking about the need to think outside the box, to be bold, to show up where no one expects us, to push limits, and to challenge the status quo. Our mission (yes, that’s exactly how we see it!) isn’t just to make sure our client partners are seen and heard by the right people, in the right circles, to help them shine at their full potential, but also, and above all, to surprise them with bold, original ideas, backed by our deep field expertise (guess who’s celebrating their 20th anniversary next year!).
That said, we sometimes have to admit that we can’t always be as creative as we’d like. Far from being a weakness, it’s simply a reality: too often, we’re brought into the process too late. Because really: how can you innovate if communications or PR teams aren’t invited to the table where the strategy is being drawn?
The disconnect between marketing and communications still too often holds brands back. Let’s talk about it.
A (Too) Well-Rooted Disconnect
In many organizations, marketing and communications operate like two parallel poles (dare I say silos?!): marketing focuses on performance, priorities, and business results, while communications zeroes in on visibility, inspiration, and storytelling. Of course, both share the same end goal: building a strong position, earning credibility, sustaining growth, and generating sales.
Too often, marketing decides on the strategic direction (budgets, key messages, partnerships…) before communications experts can even weigh in. The result? They’re expected to be “inspiring” … within a pre-defined framework. Imagine asking an artist to compose tomorrow’s next big hit… but only with instruments someone else picked out. (Billie Eilish on harmonica, or Mozart on the kazoo, not quite the same vibe, right?)
In truth, marketing and communications are inseparable. In the end, consumers only hear one brand voice. And if that voice lacks coherence, or fails to resonate with culture and current conversations, the entire strategy suffers. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? So why does this problem persist?
The Power of Habit (and Why It’s Holding Us Back)
Could it be that marketing still tends to see communications as a simple execution channel? That’s a shame, especially since the strategic role of communicators is to create meaning. At bicom, we firmly believe that the best ideas – the ones that truly engage and transform – are born at the intersection of these two worlds.
Rethinking the Dynamic: Three Concrete Steps
- Involve communications early in strategic planning
Invite your PR and communications partners to the table from the very first discussions. They bring a deep understanding of your audiences, social context, and current conversations. Bonus: they see EVERYTHING your competitors are doing! Their human and narrative perspective enriches marketing strategy, making it more relevant and timely. - Set shared objectives
Success metrics shouldn’t exist in silos. If communications (or PR, in our case) reports to marketing to share campaign results, the reverse should also be true. Since both fuel each other, creating common KPIs and recurring syncs fosters collaboration and alignment. A strategy shouldn’t be static, it should evolve. PR teams can’t adjust course if marketing doesn’t share sales data, growth indicators, or campaign outcomes. - Encourage ongoing co-creation
Keep communicators involved, not just at the briefing or rollout stage, but continuously. Whether it’s your PR agency, ad agency, or event team, each brings a unique creative lens to the table. This fuels creativity, helps spot weak signals early, and enables real-time course correction.
What If Creativity Became Strategic?
At bicom, we believe creativity isn’t just an execution: it’s a strategic mindset. It’s what allows brands to connect, stand out, and endure. But for creativity to play that role, it needs to be built in from the start, not brought in as backup. It needs space to thrive. So, think about that when you plan your next National Sales Meeting!
Together, Let’s Rewrite the Rules
True innovation doesn’t come from a lone idea, but from a collective process where every expertise has a voice. The most successful companies are those that no longer see communications as a support function, but as a strategic lever, especially in times of crisis.
If your PR team has no insight into your e-commerce performance, store traffic, product launch results, or customer feedback, how can they design activations that meet your real needs? How can they surprise you if you’ve already set the budget and defined the tactics before hearing from them?
Let’s be honest, marketing partners: you know how crucial it is to share data with your ad agencies, right? So why not do the same with your PR team? As we approach a new year and finalize budgets, ask yourself: “Have I invited my creative allies to the table before making decisions?”
At bicom, that’s exactly where our value lies: we’re the catalyst of your ambitions, present at every step of your thinking process.
And I’ll end on a personal note. Do you know what’s driven me for 20 years in PR, both in Canada and internationally?
Brainstorming with my clients! Thinking together, challenging ideas, bouncing back, trying, pivoting, improving, observing what others are doing (and wanting to do it better, bolder, or differently). I’ll let you guess what I teach my teams…(or you’ll find out soon enough: they’ll be at your table, won’t they?)
