Strategic Communications Planning (Debrief Group, Fourth Meeting)

By Paul Matalucci, ABC; Stacy Wilson, ABC; and John Knox

The following notes were collected on October 20, 2009, at a fourth meeting of senior communicators who met initially on June 10, 2009, at the close of IABC’s World Conference in San Francisco, and again on August 18, 2009, and September 22, 2009.

A big thank you to Stacy Wilson, ABC, and John Knox for contributing meeting notes to this post.

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Strategic Planning
Using IABC’s Gold Quill standard for communications excellence, the group discussed strategic planning according to the six components of a winning Gold Quill entry. It’s simple, universal, and agnostic (i.e., it applies to PR, marketing communication, and employee communication alike).

Communications excellence in six parts:

1. Need/Opportunity
2. Audience Analysis
3. Goals/Objectives
4. Solution Overview
5. Implementation and Challenges
6. Measurement of Outcomes

There are many different ways to approach strategic planning. Taking each part of a Gold Quill entry individually, the group discussed some of the questions that communicators ask themselves as they build a strategic plan.

Need/Opportunity
Ask these questions:

• What is the business goal that communications
  can address?
• Is the need vital or urgent?
• What is the risk of not taking action?
• Can this problem be reasonably solved with communication?

Pay close attention to business cycles and broader goals. Don’t focus just on communication but be prepared to identify other issues and move those forward too.

Audience Analysis
Ask these questions:

• Whom are you addressing?
• What are their top concerns, fears, interests?
• How do they want to receive information?
• What are their demographics?
• What generalizations can you make based on age?

The group discussed the benefit of using the word stakeholders instead of audience to better reflect the changing role of the communicator in facilitating conversations vs. creating and delivering content to an “audience.” We will approach IABC to propose changing the word in the Gold Quill Call for Entries.

Think not only about your primary audience, but also any secondary audiences that may receive your messages. For example, if you’re communicating with employees, assume your messages will be circulated externally.

Focus on behaviors. Being aware is generally not enough. We must change/drive behavior. Consider how important the stakeholder group is and what kind of influence they have over others.

Goals/Objectives
Ask these questions:

• Goals: what broad outcome are you hoping to achieve?
• Goals: what do you want your audience to keep doing, do less of, do more of?
• Objectives: what measurable change will you be able to detect? Are you focused on behavior?
• Objectives: what supplementary emotion/perception changes are you seeking?
• Objectives: do your objectives support my goals?
• Objectives: are your chosen measures S.M.A.R.T?

While we’ve come a long way in measuring the results of our communication activities, we still need to focus on what really matters. For example, obtaining a dozen clips in publications that are not geared to your target audience is less effective than securing one clip in a publication that is very influential among your target audience.

The group discussed the difference between goals and objectives. Goals are the future vision. Objectives are the measurable change. Strategies are how it will be done.  Always connect communication goals and objectives to broader business goals.

Measure the right stuff. For example, measure the extent to which employees can explain your company’s vision, not whether or not they think they know or understand it.

Solution Overview
Ask these questions:

• Can a straight line of logic be drawn between your needs, through your audience and objectives, all the way to your chosen communication deliverables and programs?
• Does the behavior change require repetition, reinforcement? Does the solution timeline include recurring deliverables, events, etc?

Be careful what you name an initiative and how you describe it (the elevator speech). Use language that makes sense for stakeholders. Don’t allow other functions to highjack the naming and description.

Implementation and Challenges
Ask these questions:

• Who owns the delivery channel, event logistics, or content?
• Is the channel/program process repeatable (i.e., institutionalized)?
• Is there enough content to justify a particular channel/program?
• How frequently should updates be made?

Consider what tools you can use to create consistent approaches, prompt strategic thinking and enable faster response. Integrate channels well and add new channels or retire old ones where it makes sense.

Measurement of Outcomes
Ask these questions:

• How often should metrics be collected?
• Is the data collection impartial?
• Is there enough variety of data sources and are they representative?

Create a metrics plan up front so you know what will be measured, how, by whom and when. Pay attention to what is already being measured and how you might leverage that data. Note where a new measurement effort is required. Consider the qualitative stuff – analyze blog comment content, don’t just count them.

Always define and collect several measurements to avoid interference from background noise. For example, a single metric could be influenced by factors beyond control or the scope of communications. Collecting an array of measurement ensures a more complete picture and presents a more compelling case to senior leaders or skeptics.

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