Studies in Media and Communication Vol. 4, No. 1; June 2016 ISSN 2325-8071 E-ISSN 2325-808X Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://smc.redfame.com 1 Communicating with Informal Sector Clients: A study of Strategies Employed by Ghana Commercial Bank and Unibank Ghana Limited Denise D. Duncan Correspondence: Department of Communications Studies, Central University College, Ghana Received: April 22, 2015 Accepted: May 13, 2015 Online Published: January 22, 2016 doi:10.11114/smc.v4i1.1329 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11114/smc.v4i1.1329 Abstract Even though theoretical evidence exists that tells of the need for effective communication between banks and their informal sector clients, little seems to be understood about the exact nature of communication between the two. Guided by the two-way symmetrical model and the communication accommodation theory this study set out to identify the communication strategies used by Ghana Commercial Bank and Unibank Ghana Limited in communicating with their informal sector clients in building mutually beneficial relationships. The objective was to identify and describe the specific communication strategies used by Ghana Commercial Bank and Unibank Ghana Limited to communicate with those clients. The study employed the in-depth interview method in gathering data as well as documentary analysis. The study found that the communication strategies employed by the two banks included using relationship managers as well as employing the technique of code-switching or using languages the client understood when communicating with the informal sector clients. The medium through which strategies were channelled included face to face interactions during workshops and banking clinics, telephone calls and regular visits from the bank officials known as relationship managers. These strategies helped both banks to promote mutual understanding and establish mutually beneficial relationships with their informal sector clients. Keywords: communication strategy, code switching, informal sector, communication, relationship managers, bank 1. Introduction Communication strategies adopted by Ghana Commercial Bank and Unibank Ghana Limited to engage individuals and small and medium scale enterprises operating within the informal sector was the focus of this paper. The informal sector according to Hart (1976) covered a wide range of labour market activities. According to the World Bank (2004), informal sector workers are people who are either self-employed or work as masons, carpenters, farmers, fishermen, potters, carvers, steel benders and small-scale plumbers belong to the informal sector. The informal sector again refers to traders, house-wiring electricians, funeral undertakers, night soil carriers, refuse collectors, traditional/herbal healers, attendants in private maternity homes, and traditional birth attendants among others. The management of corporate communication is undertaken in a strategic manner by organising the corporate communication function including building support systems, in such a way that corporate objectives are met and the organisation including the bank as a whole is served (Cornelissen, 2004). To Cornelissen, communication strategies help companies including banks to propagate information in a structured and controlled manner. An ideal strategy details the structure of information flow, the message, the correct audience to address, potential vehicles to carry the message, resources required to fulfill that communication strategy, and feedback mechanisms to learn from the whole exercise. In Ghana, 89 percent of the labour force is employed in the informal sector (Muwonge, Obwona and Nambaayo, 2007). In recent years, savings and loans companies such as Opportunity savings and loans limited and Procredit savings and loans limited have increased deposit mobilization from the informal sector. This has forced older players to begin looking further downstream at the informal sector. This is because banks now take into consideration or realise the need to open up their services to wider markets. They have begun to employ new and innovative communication strategies to win over hitherto untapped markets and the opportunities that come with them. Such banks design messages that are easily understood by clients and use appropriate media to convey these messages.