WHAT DOES AN EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER DO?
Updated: Jun 13, 2025 - The External Communications Manager develops and implements external communications strategies, including PR, media, and social media outreach, to enhance engagement with key stakeholders and promote organizational initiatives. This position manages the creation and dissemination of communication materials, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and effectively representing the organization's public events and campaigns. This role builds and maintains partnerships with media, community groups, and influencers, overseeing media interactions and sponsorship activities while managing associated budgets and compliance.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for External Communications Manager
1. External Communications Manager Duties
- Global Media Relations: Activate global media relations plans and any associated events/experiences.
- Event Management: Attend global PR events and take overall responsibility for the media and influencer element.
- Brand Communications: Develop and distribute brand communications assets for use by market companies & marketing teams.
- Consultation: Consult for brand teams on communications and messaging across owned areas.
- Campaign Evaluation: Manage global evaluation of flagship brand campaigns.
- Strategic Communications: Work with the Brand and Brand Heritage team to develop and implement a strategic communications plan to drive conversation around brand homes and ultimately increase visitors to homes and websites.
- External Communications: Support the Sustainability and Responsibility team with external communications campaigns and initiatives related to the single malt brands and the brand homes.
- Sustainability Integration: Ensure that S&R is at the heart of all communications across the brands.
- Premium Communications Strategy: Work with the Prestige Communications Manager to develop a communications strategy to transform and accelerate premium and collectible ranges of Scotch whisky across the single malt portfolio (with a focus on China).
- Luxury Brand Communication: Drive conversation of Chivas Brothers rare collections amongst luxury titles and influencers.
- Brand Launch: Work with the brand team to launch a brand new overarching ‘brand’ for rare and collectible ranges to sit under.
- Representation: Represent Chivas Brothers and its brands at media and launch events, globally.
- Internal Collaboration: Build relationships with sister companies’ communications teams and sell in global brand communications campaigns to ensure consistency and achieve KPIs.
2. External Communications Manager Details
- PR Communication Planning: Develop and execute PR communication plans to achieve quantitative and qualitative objectives.
- KPI Definition: Define quantitative and qualitative KPIs across earned media initiatives.
- Outreach Planning: Develop an overarching outreach plan for the right message to the right media.
- Message Development: Develop talking points, media messaging, press releases, etc., that enhance the positioning of the brand.
- Media Relationship Building: Work with the agency to identify and build good relationships and networks with media.
- Agency Collaboration: Work closely with agency partners to ensure that all external communications are tactful, accurate, and credible.
- Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively with regional and global team members.
- Knowledge Sharing: Share and learn from within the communications network.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with necessary stakeholders and seek all required approvals.
- Crisis Communications: Media inquiries response management, issues management, including crisis communications.
- Media Release Review: Develop and review all media releases, speeches, and media responses.
- Media Training: Ensuring media readiness of key spokespersons within the organization through media training, and profile updates.
- Brand Campaign Execution: Support the development and execution of brand campaigns across all marketing channels.
- Sponsorship Management: Contribute to the development of, and manage the execution of sponsorship properties.
3. External Communications Manager Responsibilities
- Audience Targeting: Identify target audiences, tactics, and methods for communications outreach and engagement.
- External Communications: Develop relevant and quality external communications programs, plans, and materials, including key messages, content, and positioning, to be disseminated to targeted external audiences in a timely and accurate manner.
- PR and Media Execution: Execute PR, media, and social media communications programs and day-to-day activities to engage with external influencers and stakeholders, and promote the organization’s public events, campaigns, and other communication activities.
- Relationship Building: Proactively build relationships and collaborate with media outlets or organizations, community groups, commentators, opinion makers, and relevant influencers to expand outreach, source opportunities, and generate interest in topics.
- Media Request Management: Act as a focal point for media requests, monitoring and responding appropriately to requests from the media.
- Media Facilitation: Facilitate and organize media interviews, articles, press briefings, and public speaking engagements for the organization’s designated spokespeople.
- Spokesperson Preparation: Support the preparation of spokespeople for media interactions and public appearances, including the briefing process.
- Sponsorship Management: Responsible for the day-to-day management of sponsorship entitlements and fulfillment.
- Partnership Management: Manage the organization's partnerships with chambers and associations.
- Budget Management: Manage budgets under scope, with accountability to plan, project, and reconcile.
- Reporting: Timely and accurate reporting.
- Brand Compliance: Ensure all communications are compliant with brand guidelines.
- Brand Advocacy: Live the values of the brand and champion them in day-to-day activities and engagement.
4. External Communications Manager Job Summary
- External Communications Strategy: Set the strategy for and implement powerful external communications targeting enterprise businesses in focus industries.
- Information Flow Management: Create a continuous flow of information about BTEB’s solutions and products towards the business industries.
- Channel Utilization: Utilize both earned and paid channels.
- Team Collaboration: Work closely with BTEB and Global Function communications teams.
- External Partner Engagement: Engage key external partners, influencers, and journalists within identified verticals.
- Speaking Opportunities: Seek speaking opportunities for BTEB executives and experts.
- Communication Planning: Draft and execute communication plans, and develop messages and talking points.
- Creative Communications Leadership: Lead on the development and delivery of insight-based, creative external communication activities that deliver against business objectives, enhance reputation, and maximize return on investment.
- Environmental Understanding: Curate an understanding of the wider environment and specific TAs/brands operates in, to enable external communications to help tackle challenges in line with business objectives.
- Internal Relationship Building: Build internal relationships and provide expert advice and counsel on communications needs/opportunities.
- Creative Communication Tools: Develop a variety of communications tools and assets that resonate with target audiences, with a focus on creativity and simplifying complex information.
- Stakeholder Relationship Building: Build relationships with external stakeholders including healthcare professionals, patient groups, and patients.
- Issues Management: Support issues management and lead on specific projects.
- Agency Collaboration: Work with third-party agencies, maintain an effective working relationship, and complete projects on time and on budget.
5. External Communications Manager Accountabilities
- Reputation Strategy: Development and implementation of corporate reputation strategy, including goals, budget, and tactics.
- Brand Communication Support: Communication support of brand activities.
- Crisis Management: Crisis communications management.
- Localization: Localization of global toolkits and press materials.
- Media Inquiry Management: Management of media inquiries and interview requests.
- Press Material Development: Development of press materials such as press releases, interviews, comments, Q&As, infographics, etc.
- Media Relations Strategy: Development of media relations strategy, seeking high-level placements in print, broadcast, and online media.
- Sponsorship Evaluation: Evaluation of opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships, and advertising on an ongoing basis.
- Thought Leadership: Building relationships with thought leaders to grow industry awareness.
- Event Participation: Ensuring the company's expert's participation in key business events and awards.
- Compliance Assurance: Ensuring compliance of all marketing and sales materials with the Responsible Marketing Communications Code.
- Association Communication Support: Communication support of Beer Producers Association.
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