Digital corporate communication and stakeholder relationship management

The advancement of digital technologies has transformed the media landscape, stakeholder dynamics and the practice of corporate communication and relationship management. A critical issue facing companies, business leaders, and corporate communicators in today’s digital era is how to utilize digital technologies to their full potential while simultaneously mitigating risks in the practice of digital-mediated stakeholder relationship management. This chapter first provides an overview of the relationship management literature and defines digital corporate communication. It then transitions to digital corporate communication and its transformation of relationship management from perspectives of increased access, voice, engagement, and so on. We also discuss the flip side of the coin-that is, the risks and challenges associated with digital corporate communication and relationship management, followed by a case study. Finally, we present our concluding thoughts regarding how digital corporate communication has reshaped the theorization and practice of stakeholder relationship management and identify opportunities for future research.