VA R

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VA Research Development Communication
Initiative
Gina Clemons ORD Communications
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Discussion Topics

• Why a Communication Initiative?
• Process
• Timeline
• Doing Your Part
• Available Resources
• What Else Would Help You?

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Why is a communication initiative necessary?

• I didnt know the VA had aresearch program.

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Benefits

• A message of hope to veterans and family
  members
• Improving veterans lives by
• Assisting to attract top caliber investigators
• Recognizing investigators contributions (job
  satisfaction)
• Bringing resources to the table through new
  sources
• VAMC prestige
• The best defense is a good offense

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Draw Backs

• Short-term time resource commitment
• Conflicting priorities/messages
• CHANGE

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Why is a communication initiative necessary?
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS OF THE MISSION

• I didnt know the VA had aresearch program.

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Process

• Social Marketing

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Social Marketing Is

• the application of marketing concepts and
  techniques to exchanges that result in
• the achievement of socially desirable aims
• that is, objectives that benefit society as a
  whole.
• Robert Donovan
• the systematic application of marketing
  concepts and techniques, to
• achieve specific behavioral goals,
• to improve health and reduce inequities.
• French, Blair-Stevens, 2006

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Social Marketing Is

• Marketing for THEIR benefit
• Direct impact on behavior (ATTRIBUTION)
• Mutual exchange and benefits
• Essential question
• When we succeed, is it ok to go out of business?

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Social Marketing ModelNational Social Marketing
Centre (UK)

• Process Steps
• Defining self
• Desired outcome
• Select target
• Consumer motivation
• Identify competing factors
• Behavior goals
• Exchange
• Intervention
• Marketing Mix

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Who are We? (the Program)

• Mission
• Improving veterans lives (primary)
• Advancing medical knowledge and care practices
  that benefit the whole nation (secondary)

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What sets us apart?VA RD Distinct Competence

• Only program dedicated to discovering knowledge
  and creating innovations that improve veterans
  lives.
• Part of an integrated health care system with a
  state-of-the-art electronic health record.
• Serves as a model of research excellence.
• Attracts and retains exceptional investigators,
  furthering their development as leaders in their
  field.
• Fosters dynamic collaborations.

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Why are we doing this?

• Communication Initiative Goal
• Increase awareness and acknowledgement
• of the RD program advancements

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VA Target(s)

• Decision Makers
• Internal (VA, VHA, ORD)
• Congress
• OMB
• Partners Collaborators
• VSOs
• Federal Agencies
• Volunteers
• Investigators
• Non-profit and private industry sponsors

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VA Target(s)

• Influencers
• Media
• Academia
• Veterans and Family Members
• A primary secondary audience
• Others

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Possible Interventions
WE WILL

• We can
• Collaborate
• Educate
• Promote
• Influence
• We cant
• Solicit
• Lobby
• Pay

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Implementation Strategy

• Internal
• ORD
• VAMC Research Facilities
• VACO
• External
• VSOs
• Non-profits
• Stakeholders
• Coalition

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Reaching the Tipping Point

• Whats it going to take?
• Influencers
• Early adopters
• Early majority
• Late majority
• Laggards

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Timeline

• Three Year Initiative

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Social Marketing Life Cycle (Continuous quality
improvement - CQI)
CQI
CQI
CQI
CQI
National Social Marketing Centre (UK)
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Campaign Timeframe(Three Years)

• Phase I - Creation
• Initial Market Research
• Initial Development
• Limited Local Implementation (Early Adaptors
  national partners)
• More Market Research
• Phase II Testing/Refinement
• Refinement
• Full Scale Rollout (local, national, partners,
  coalition)
• Phase III Evaluation/Attribution
• Refinement
• Implementation
• Laggards
• Program ( 3 to 10 years)
• Long term

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Branding Resources Tools

• Core Messages
• Identity
• Graphic Collateral
• Information
• Written
• Video
• Visual

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Core Messages

• Public Message
• Improving Veterans Lives
• Veterans Message
• HOPE
• A promise for a brighter tomorrow
• Research Message (Link)
• Discovery Innovation Advancement

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Branding Elements
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Written Material
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Other Resources
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Project Title (Gills Sans)
Research Investigators/Collaborators/Credits
Text
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Doing Your Part

• Implement locally, recognition nationally
• Consistent, reinforcing message
• Attribution
• Brand adoption
• Dont be different for the sake of being
  different

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Branding Options

• Monolithic VA R D
• Products with the same singular brand identity
  (Marriott)

• Monolithic Plus ID VA R D Texas
• Products with the same brand identity but
  descriptive designations (Marriott Food Service)

• Endorsed Brand VA Texas R D
• Products with independent brands and the
  corporate name as makers mark (Residence Inn by
  Marriott)

• Discrete VA Texas Research
• Products with totally independent brand
  identities. (Ritz-Carlton)

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Early Adopters
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What else would help?

• ORD Communication Point of Contact
• Christine Amereihn
• Christine.amereihn_at_va.gov
• [phone], 273

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References/Resources

• Marketing
• The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell, 2002
• Market Strategies, Inc. (Branding slides used.)
• Coalitions
• The Community Tool Box, University of Kansas
• http//ctb.ku.edu
• From the Ground Up!, A Workbook on Coalition
  Building Community Development, Gillian Kaye
  and Tom Wolff, tomwolff.com

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References/Resources

• Social Marketing
• National Social Marketing Centre
• www.nsmcentre.org.uk
• Social marketing works!, National Social
  Marketing Centre
• Social Marketing, Why Should the Devil Have All
  the Best Tunes?, Gerard Hastings, 2007
• Social Marketing Quarterly, AED

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VA Research Improving Veterans Lives