Creating a Communications Plan

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Creating a Communications Plan
TAI Trainers Workshop 245445pm, 5 July 2007
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What are Your Communications Challenges?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
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What is a Communications Plan?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

• A strategic roadmap to getting the most
  persuasive messages to the
• right audiences through the
• most effective channels
• at the most opportune time
• to effect change.

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Why is a Strategic Plan Important?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

• Comprehensive approach
• Focus on real outcomes
• More versatile with a strategy
• The process is inclusive
• Provides timeline
• Sets expectations

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? Objective ? Communications Objective ?
Situation Analysis ? Audiences ? Messages ?
Strategies ? Tactics ? Timelines ? Evaluation
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
What are the 9 Components of a Plan?
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ObjectiveWhat is your projects strategic
objective?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
1.

• Examples
• To create a national freedom of information
  act
• To improve citizens ability to access
  justice in the courts
• To guarantee rights of indigenous
  people to participate in
  decision-making

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Communications ObjectiveHow will communications
support your overall objective?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
2.

• Examples
• To inform government officials of less toxic
  means of disposing munitions
• To inform a community of their constitutional
  right to be informed by investors of any
  proposed development so that they
  can participate in the
  decision-making process

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?Situation AnalysisDescribe the current (and
past as appropriate) environment in which you are
functioning.
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
3.

• How is/are your organization/partners perceived?
• Who are your competitors?
• What issues are in competition with yours?
• Have your past communication efforts been
  successful? Why/why not?
• What are the known obstacles?

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? AudiencesWho are you trying to influence?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
4.

• Whose behavior do you want to alter?
• Who influences those individuals?
• How do they get information?
• Is there more than one audience?
• What do you know about them?
• What experiences have you had with them?

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? MessagesWhat are the primary messages for
your audiences?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
5.

• There may be a unique message
  for each
  audience segment
• Need to appeal to your audience
• Keep it simple use words that work
• Be consistent
• Be repetitive

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? MessagesCreate key messages sub-messages.
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
5.
Participation and access can be achieved
inexpensively.
Decisions without citizen input can have
catastrophic results (example).
Better decisions with transparency and full
participation.
Elected officials who are open have more
credibility.
Religious and ethical support for moral
understanding between citizens and government.
The environment is better with more citizen
input.
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? MessagesTesting your messages.
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
5.

• Qualitative vs. quantitative testing
• Professional research firms
• focus groups, surveys
• Be resourceful
• create your own focus groups
• survey informally

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StrategiesOverall communications strategy for
reaching all audiences. Specific communications
strategies for reaching audience segments
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
6.

• Media strategy
• Community strategy
• Lobbying strategy
• Influencers strategy

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? Tactics and ToolsWhat are the best
communications tools to convey our message and
reach our audiences?
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
7.

• Budget
• Media releases
• Contact journalists
• Establish high profile spokesperson
• Fact sheets
• Web strategies - web site(s), blogs
• E-Newsletter
• Personal meetings
• Presence at conferences

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? Timelines Identify key events and deadlines
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
8.

• Align timetable with strategic objectives
• Keeps everyone on track
• Work backwards to create
• Update it communicate it

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? EvaluationIdentify metrics for measuring
progress
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
9.

• Integrate at onset
• Are your tools effective?
• media stories right message
• response rates hit rates, open rates
• data collection
• Is your message getting across?
• attitude survey
• Communicate your level of success to partners

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Take-AwaysTools for training your partners.
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

• Powerpoint on CD-Rom
• Booklet

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Discussion
CREATING A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
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Creating a Communications PlanWho Is Your
Audience?
TAI Trainers Workshop 1145am-1245pm 6 July 2007
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Objective ? Communications Objective ?
Situation Analysis ? Audiences ? Messages ?
Strategies ? Tactics ? Timelines ? Evaluation
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
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You Said
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

• Audience Identification and Research
• Determining How Decision Makers Get their News

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What is an Audience? The people who can best
help you achieve your goals.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
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Primary Audience The people whose behavior you
are trying to alter.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

• Examples
• Members of parliament
• Regulatory officials
• Participants in legal system
• International funders

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Secondary Audience Those who can influence your
primary audience.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

• Examples
• Media
• NGOs
• Communities
• religious
• political

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The more you know Understand what motivates
your audiences
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

• empirical research
• capture anecdotal or intuitive knowledge
• credible sources for audiences
• media habits of audiences?
• past experience with this (these) audiences?

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Charting your influence
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
HIGH INFLUENCE
President
Minister
MP
MP
Media
CON
PRO
Partner
Partner
Partner
LOW INFLUENCE
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Charting your influence
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
HIGH INFLUENCE
President
Minister
MP
MP
Media
CON
PRO
Partner
Partner
Partner
LOW INFLUENCE
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Take-AwaysTools for training your partners.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

• Powerpoint on CD-Rom
• Worksheet

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Discussion
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?