Money on the table: seeing comms as a revenue driver

by Clarissa van Emmenes:

For years, corporate communications has been treated as a nice-to-have, an essential but non-revenue-generating function that gets praise in good times and budget cuts in bad ones. In many organizations, comms is still viewed as an internal service desk – there to clean up PR messes, draft announcements and publish website and social content.

But here’s the problem: businesses that fail to treat communications as a revenue driver are leaving money on the table. Worse, they’re missing opportunities to turn customers into advocates, employees into engaged contributors, and stakeholders into long-term partners.

But with communication sitting across so many business functions – marketing, HR, internal comms, PR – who really owns it? And more importantly, how do we ensure communication is not just consistent, but actually driving measurable business value?

The Business Case for Communications

If you’re in comms you’ve probably been asked at some point: How does this contribute to revenue? It’s an exhausting question, mostly because it assumes that the value of comms is intangible and unmeasurable.

But the data says otherwise.

• Customer Retention & Loyalty: Bain & Company found that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Proactive, targeted communication strategies keep customers engaged, reducing churn and increasing lifetime value.
• Employee Productivity & Turnover: Companies with highly engaged employees – those who feel informed and connected to business goals – are 21% more profitable, according to Gallup. Poor internal communication leads to disengagement, high turnover, and significant hiring costs.
• Crisis Response & Reputation Management: A badly handled crisis can wipe millions off a company’s valuation overnight. Research by the Institute for Public Relations found that companies with strong, transparent communication strategies recover faster and retain customer trust.
• Operational Efficiency: Poor communication causes bottlenecks, project delays, and duplicated work. The cost of miscommunication in large enterprises? A staggering $62.4 million per year, according to a study by Holmes Report.

If these aren’t business-critical metrics, I don’t know what is.

Why Comms Still Sits on the Sidelines

Despite this clear financial impact, many comms teams still struggle to get a seat at the decision-making table. Why?

1. Lack of Data-Driven Measurement
   Many comms teams track activity instead of outcomes – measuring press mentions, email open rates, or event attendance rather than how those efforts influence customer retention, employee engagement, or revenue growth.
2. Siloed Functions
   Internal comms, PR, marketing, and investor relations often operate in isolation, rather than working as a unified strategy. This disconnect weakens messaging, creates inefficiencies, and limits the ability to measure true business impact.
3. Executive Buy-in
   Leadership often sees comms as a support function, not a strategic one. This mindset means budgets go to sales, marketing, and product development, while comms fights for leftovers.

Reframing Communications as a Profit Driver

So, how do we shift the narrative and position communications as a business growth engine rather than a cost center?

1. Start Talking in Business Metrics

If leadership speaks in revenue, cost savings, and efficiency, comms teams need to do the same. Instead of reporting open rates, show how engagement translates to retention. Instead of tracking content views, measure impact on customer sentiment and conversion rates.

Example:
Instead of saying “Our employee engagement newsletter has a 60% open rate,” say:
“Employees who engage with internal content are 30% more likely to stay at the company for more than three years, reducing turnover costs by an estimated $250,000 annually.”

2. Align Communications with Revenue-Generating Teams

Communication shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. It should integrate with marketing, sales, HR, and investor relations to create a seamless strategy that influences every stage of the customer and employee journey.

Example:
If comms teams worked more closely with sales, they could produce targeted content that addresses specific buyer concerns, shortening the sales cycle and increasing conversions.

3. Use AI and Data to Strengthen Communication Strategies

AI-powered insights allow comms teams to track sentiment, predict engagement trends, and personalize messaging at scale. This not only improves efficiency but also provides concrete data to tie communications efforts to business outcomes.

Example:
AI sentiment analysis can reveal why employee engagement is declining or identify which customer communication strategies drive the most conversions. This allows businesses to pivot strategies proactively, rather than reacting too late.

Owning the Narrative

Communication is no longer just about telling stories. Instead, it’s about driving impact, creating value and proving its place at the center of business strategy.

Leaders who recognize and invest in strategic communications will build stronger brands, retain more customers, and drive greater profitability. Those who don’t will continue to struggle with disengaged employees, lost revenue, and reputational risks.

What’s Next?

What needs to change is how we approach communication as a business function. It should not be reactive or siloed but an integrated, strategic driver of performance. That means making communication measurable, aligning it with business objectives, and ensuring it delivers value across every touchpoint.

This month, I will be sharing more about the ENGAGE Framework I developed to help marcomms professionals overcome the ROI challenge and move from the sidelines to claim a seat at the revenue table.

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Clarissa Van Emmenes is an award-winning communications strategist specializing in aligning internal culture with brand storytelling to drive loyalty, impact and business success.

Written by: Editor