Securing Commitment and Achieving Buyin: Communications

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Securing Commitment and Achieving
Buy-inCommunications

• Jana Leigh Thomas
• Porter Novelli
• jana.thomas_at_porternovelli.com

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Planning A Sound Investment

• Every minute you spend planning saves 10
  minutes in execution this gives you a 1,000
  percent return on energy!
• -- Brian Tracy, consultant

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Why Is Planning for Communications Important?

• A communication plan serves as the foundation for
  your program.
• It helps you
• Identify challenges and opportunities
• Provide a common framework for all activities
• Recruit partners
• Establish a shared definition of success

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Action Plan

• Put Together a Plan Of Action, Including
• What are you trying to achieve?
• Where are you now?
• Who are your targets?
• Who are your potential partners?
• What are your key messages?
• How will you implement your campaign?
• How will you measure success?

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Step 1 What Are You Trying To Achieve?

• Set A Specific Goal
• Name the ultimate end the organization wants to
  achieve.
• For Example
• The goal of the State of Iowa is to transform the
  state into one healthy community that is
  committed to health promotion, prevention and
  chronic disease management.

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Step 1 What Are You Trying To Achieve?

• Identify Clear Objectives
• List specific outcomes you want to see happen
  along the way.
• Objectives should be
• Specific (to the desired change the population
  to be affected)
• Attainable
• Prioritized (to direct allocation of resources)
• Time specific

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Step 1 What Are You Trying To Achieve?

• Sample Marketing Objectives
• Raising awareness
• Enabling effective decision-making
• Persuading, motivating, or enabling behavior
  change
• For Example
• By 2006, 75 of residents will know the signs and
  symptoms of diabetes.

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Step 2 Where Are You Now?

• Market Situation
• Describe the problem
• Public health education efforts (if any)
• Current Climate
• Level of awareness/knowledge of chronic care
  issues
• Attitudes toward healthy lifestyles, preventive
  care
• Issues/Challenges

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Step 3Who Are Your Targets?

• Identify your Target Audience
• Target audience group you want to reach with
  your message, who will consider your
  call-to-action
• Segments of the general population, e.g., adults
  over 55, African-American men, parents of young
  children
• Policymakers
• Health care providers

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Do You Know Your Target Audience?

• How are these groups formed? Who is included?
• What is the profile of this segment of society?
• Demographic
• Geographic
• Lifestyle
• What terminology do people use to discuss the
  subject?
• Do any cultural differences or biases exist?
• Is the issue relevant to them?
• If its not relevant, what would make it relevant?

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Do You Know Your Target Audience?

• Consider these factors
• What are the benefits your program offers these
  people?
• How does the target audience perceive the risk of
  different types of diseases?
• What are the misconceptions people have regarding
  these issues, and what are the consequences?
• What costs exist human and economic?

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Step 4 Who Are Your Partners?

• Identify potential partners and alliances
• Identify organizations, agencies or individuals
  who can reach audiences
• Work with them early in the program planning
  process
• Develop a partnering plan

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Partnerships A Win-Win

• Partners provide
• Access to your target audience
• More credibility for your messages or program
• Additional resources, either tangible or
  intangible
• Added expertise (e.g., training capabilities)
• Co-sponsorship of events and activities

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Partnerships A Win-Win

• You provide partners
• Added credibility
• Access to your organizations data
• Assurance of message accuracy
• Liaison with other partners

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Identifying Partners Three Kinds of Roles

• Political clout
• Achieve legislative change
• Engage desired opinion leaders
• Fundraising power
• Provide resources to support activities
• Audience reach
• Locate and communicate with your desired target
  audience

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Identifying PartnersThree Kinds of Roles

• Political Clout Partners
• Seek out influential individuals or organizations
• Determine areas of common interest and/or shared
  agendas
• Identify legislative/grassroots objectives

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Identifying PartnersThree Kinds of Roles

• Fundraising Partners
• Identify organizations with resources and reach
• Avoid non-profit organizations also seeking
  support
• Develop innovative events, partnership
  opportunities
• Dining Out programs in which restaurants donate
  percentage to association

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Identifying PartnersThree Kinds of Roles

• Audience Reach Partners
• Find organizations that reach and have
  credibility with target audiences
• Medical associations
• Media outlets
• Non-profit, voluntary, community organizations
• Identify opportunities to distribute materials
  and messages
• Newsletters, media programming
• Web sites
• Events

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Identifying PartnersThree Kinds of Roles

• Establishing The Partnership
• Identify program needs that partner could fulfill
• Awareness, publicity, reach
• Printing, giveaways, sponsorships
• Research potential partners
• Who are their target audiences?
• What roles could they play?
• What types of partnerships are they engaged in?
• Determine the appropriate contact
• Marketing Director
• Community Affairs Director

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Approaching PartnersAction Plan

• Making Your Pitch
• Establish specific ask for partnership
• Event support
• Material distribution
• Meeting facilitation
• Fundraising/material support
• Identify key benefits of partnership
• Include logo on flyers/signage
• Publicly recognize sponsors in press releases
• Develop a clear and concise proposal
• Briefly explain the program and provide details
  about the specific event/activity
• Include specific ask, key benefits

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Approaching PartnersAction Plan

• Implementing The Deal
• Develop Partnership Plan for first program
• Include timeline, key activities
• Include anticipated results, expected outcomes
• Follow up after the program is complete
• Report on results, e.g., number of people who
  attended, media coverage
• Say Thanks!
• Thank partners for support and participation
• Build a strong relationship with ongoing
  opportunities

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Step 5 What Are Your Key Messages?

• Key Messages
• The information to be communicated to target
  audiences in clear, consistent points that your
  audience will know and recall
• What is the problem you addressing?
• What conclusions do you want your target audience
  to reach?
• Be clear, realistic about steps for target
  audience to take away
• Focus on the solution or benefit, as perceived by
  your audience(s)
• Remember that a motivating message will result in
  action

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How Do You Create Key Messages?

• Consider the goals of the organization
• What gets communicated about the groups purpose?
• What ideas do we want to convey?
• Factor in answers to three questions
• Why is the program important?
• What is the main role of your organization?
• How can the program be relevant to current news?
• Outbreaks, epidemiological data, consequences,
  scientific breakthroughs, clinical trial results,
  etc.
• Know your audience!

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When Creating Key Messages...

• The language must be
• Quotable
• Personalized
• Action-oriented use imperative verbs
• Structured in complete sentences
• Affirmative
• Limit 3-5 messages per topic, to minimize
  confusion in the audience

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Deciding on the messenger

• For each audience, ask yourself
• Who does the audience relate to?
• Who is a credible source of information?
• Who can best bring the message alive?
• How can I reach the audience where they live,
  work and play?

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Channels to deliver the messages

• Some channels commonly used to deliver the
  messages
• Mass media (e.g., television, radio, newspapers,
  magazines)
• Outdoor advertising (billboards, transit ads)
• Brochures, posters, newsletters
• Direct mail
• Community events
• Workplace events
• Internet

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Channels to deliver the messages

• Unorthodox but very effective channels
• Music videos and songs
• Dramatic presentations
• Comic books or fotonovelas (comic books using
  photos instead of drawings)
• Soap operas
• There are nearly unlimited numbers of channels
  that can be used. The key is to carefully select
  the most effective and efficient methods of
  reaching each target audience segment.

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Step 6 How Will You Implement Your Campaign?

• PR and Marketing Strategies
• The strategies that you use to put your campaign
  out into the field
• Attracting media attention
• Influencing public policy
• Engaging partners
• Stimulating activity

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Getting The Medias AttentionWhat Can Media Do?

• Drive Awareness On Key Issues
• Raise awareness about health issues
• Build Support For Your Programs
• Build public support for vaccine programs and
  association priorities
• Create A Positive Environment for Change
• Influence opinion leaders, legislators through
  targeted media opportunities/channels

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Three Types of MediaUsing Media The Three Ps

• Public Service Announcements
• Free commercial time
• Radio, Print, Television
• Advertising
• Very competitive limited availability
• Requires produced commercial material

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Three Types of MediaUsing Media The Three Ps

• Public Service Announcements
• Partnerships
• Sponsoring/promoting events
• Might include PSA placement
• Long-term relationship

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Three Types of MediaUsing Media The Three Ps

• Public Service Announcements
• Partnerships
• Public Relations
• Telling your story through a third-party the
  press
• News stories
• Opposite-editorials, articles
• Interviews
• Radio, television, print, etc

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Three Types of MediaWhy Do We Work With The
Press?

• What The Right Media Can Do For You
• An important information source for the public
• Able to reach large numbers of people quickly
• Able to spotlight important issues
• Provides third-party endorsement of your
  messages

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Three Types of MediaWhy Do We Work With The
Press?

• What No Media Source Can Do For Anybody
• Hide the truth or make a bad situation look good
• Guarantee that the story will be covered a
  certain way
• Manipulate people or issues to meet your specific
  agenda

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Getting The Medias AttentionPublic Relations
Key Elements

• Finding Your Target
• Making The Story News
• Starting The Relationship
• Making The Pitch
• Following Through

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A. Finding Your TargetWhich Media Should You
Approach?

• Television
• For high impact, maximum reach
• When theres a visual appeal
• Sound bite coverage
• The hardest definition of NEWS

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A. Finding Your TargetWhich Media Should You
Approach?

• Television
• Radio
• Storytelling
• More variety in opportunities
• Powerful grassroots medium often overlooked
• Provides longer story formats

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A. Finding Your TargetWhich Media Should You
Approach?

• Television
• Radio
• Major Market Print
• Opinion leaders, key influencers in communities
• Many beats to cover, more variety
• News, health, parenting, business/economic
• Provides longer story formats

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A. Finding Your TargetWhich Media Should You
Approach?

• Television
• Radio
• Major Market Print
• Small Market/Community Press
• You write, they print
• Powerful outlet for local messaging
• Ongoing grassroots coverage
• Sustaining message framework

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Something that hasnt been said before
• New research findings, surveys
• Current-day events, activities
• New approach
• Can be created by your campaign!

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Make It Near
• Local events get local coverage
• Local press conference, media event
• Can tie national story to a local angle
• e.g. if a scientist from another state did the
  research

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Make It Near
• Use A Celebrity
• Known people make news
• Can be a well known local leader, governor, etc.

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Make It Near
• Use A Celebrity
• What is News?
• Its called mass media for a reason
• Media cover things that affect all of their
  community

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Make It Near
• Use A Celebrity
• What is News?
• Find An Issue
• Media like to cover conflict and debate
• Be careful not to taint your story

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B. Making The NewsCreating The News

• Make It New
• Make It Near
• Use A Celebrity
• What is News?
• Find An Issue
• The Wild Card Factor
• Something with off-beat (especially visual)
  appeal
• What would make people watch? Or listen? Or
  read?

Always remember that you want each story to
reinforce your overall program objectives/agenda
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C. Starting The RelationshipEarning the Medias
Respect

• Respect Deadlines
• Daily papers Before 2 or 3 pm
• Weekly papers 5-7 days before the issue date
• Monthly pubs 6-8 weeks before publication
• Radio Day of for breaking news
• Television 10 am for evening news

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C. Starting The RelationshipEarning the Medias
Respect

• Respect Deadlines
• Find The Right Resource/Reporter
• Is this a TV story? Radio? Print?
• Read the papers, watch the news, know the name
• Start your own media list
• Most like e-mail, followed by phone but ask!
• Keep a record of contacts

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C. Starting The RelationshipEarning the Medias
Respect

• Respect Deadlines
• Find The Right Reporter
• Be Prepared
• Introduce yourself starting now
• Find out how the reporter wants to be contacted
• When you pitch,
• Know what you want the reporter to do
• Know your angle why its news
• Identify your three key messages

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D. Making The PitchHow To Make The Pitch Work

• Telephone Pitching
• Prepare key messages and talking points
• Write in sound bites
• Practice your pitch keep it under 30 seconds
• Voicemail is okay but in person is optimal
• Dont go off the record
• Hello, this is ____. Is this a good time to
  talk?

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D. Making The PitchHow To Make The Pitch Work

• Telephone Pitching
• E-mail Pitching
• Write a compelling headline mention interview
  opportunity
• Keep the e-mail under two paragraphs
• Provide spokespersons credentials
• Cut and paste no attachments
• Follow up after 1-2 days with phone call

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D. Making The PitchHow To Make The Pitch Work

• Telephone Pitching
• E-mail Pitching
• Fax/Mail Pitching
• Longer than e-mail but no more than one page
• Use a catchy opener, such as interesting
  statistic
• Use bold, italics and bullet points
• Include press kit or other materials, if possible
• Provide specifics about spokespeople for
  interviews

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E. Following ThroughTools To Tell Your Story

• Press Kit
• Press Release
• Media Advisory
• Fact Sheets/Backgrounders
• Spokesperson Bios
• Photos

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E. Following ThroughTools To Tell Your Story

• Press Kit
• Letter-to-the-Editor/Opposite Editorial (Op Ed)
• Article written by person/organization
• When you see a relevant story tied to news
• Explain why youre writing
• Clear point, call to action
• Check with local media for format

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E. Following ThroughTools To Tell Your Story

• Press Kit
• Letter-to-the-Editor/Op Ed
• Press Conference
• Tends to be overused not necessary for coverage
• Requires important, hard news
• The start of your program
• The launch of your campaign
• Must include a desirable spokesperson to deliver
  message

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E. Following ThroughTools To Tell Your Story

• Press Kit
• Letter-to-the-Editor/Op Ed
• Press Conference
• Video Package
• Spokesperson
• Strong visual elements
• Hard news for television appeal
• Powerful sound bites
• B-roll versus Video New Release (VNR)

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Step 7 How Will You Measure Success?

• Three types of evaluation
• Formative
• To develop messages and materials
• Process
• To track/monitor progress
• Outcome
• To assess the effectiveness of communications
  efforts

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Measure Your Success

• Track and monitor
• Media coverage
• Calls to the organization
• Visits to the Web site
• Number of materials distributed
• Assess number, type and quality of partnerships
• Measure progress towards achieving your
  objectives
• Increase in awareness/knowledge
• Change in attitudes
• Decrease in the number of diagnosed cases over
  time

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Pulling it all together...

• Setting Up Your Program
• Goals Objectives
• Situation Analysis
• Target Audiences
• Potential Partners

• Implementing Your Campaign
• Key Messages
• Implementation Plan
• PR Strategies
• Media Spokesperson Training
• Public Affairs Strategies
• Evaluation Plan