Presentation Transcript

1. Strategic Communication

   Rainer Heufers Strategic Planning in Think Tanks, Baku, October 22 - 24, 2012 SIAP Solutions Pte. Ltd., Singapore, rainer.heufers@siapsolutions.com
2. Components of a Target Image Strategy Promote the institutes’ values and vision Create personal trust Motivate supporters Concentrate on needs satisfaction Prove your competence Position your leader Intellectual, aesthetic needs Esteem needs Belonging needs Safety needs Physiological needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
3. Strategic Communication Stakeholders Activities External Prioritize stakeholders/timing Specify concerns/view of each stakeholder group (skeptical toward you, supporter etc.) Identify the best channels to reach these stakeholders Check who within your team already has ties/contacts to these stakeholders Media Governments Peers/ NGOs Donors Private Sector companies Other relevant audiences e.g. churches, schools
4. Stakeholders Activities Who will buy into your message and who will resist? Set up communications coaching for staff / team Make a plan to go campaigning for your story Think tank leadership Supporters Staff / team Family of staff / team (2008, most trusted person was the man on the street!) Internal
5. How to get started on a communications plan Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Write down your story/message/ purpose Identify relevant stakeholders and list/define stakeholders‘ interests Analyze common interests and possible contradictions between various stakeholder expectations Define your own limits, prioritize and draft your own comm. concept and plan Sort your thoughts on one page with the essential pieces of communication
6. Communications Plan Part 1 Part 2 Project Plan Stakeholders Why? What? Think tank leadership Supporters Legislators Staff Donors Press Peers Church / Schools Key messages, overall story List back-up plan In order to establish reputation Address open issues and concerns Projects Progress Issues Viewpoint
7. Communications Plan Part 1 Part 2 How? When? Who? Preparation Direct contact Events (sports, parties, inaugurations) Print media (Adverts, op-eds, press releases) Electronic media (Adverts, talk-shows) Banners, posters, billboards, pennants, t-shirts… Town hall Specify Timing Think tank leader Staff / team Supporters Experts Peers Prepare presentation and message Prepare press release and Q&A
8. Target Audiences Those social groups or their organizations that are important for achieving the mission. They are used to steer the process of communication so that a broad outreach is achieved. They must be communicated with at defined points of time to enable them to react as strategically planned. Identification of target audiences establishes the foundation for the communications plan of the campaign.
9. Social and Lifestyle Target Audiences Lifestyle target audiences Social target audiences Formal access Informal access Media access Formal access: organizations, associations, clubs, etc. Informal access: places of assembly Media access: media
10. From target audiences to ways of access Tax payers Formal access Informal access Media access Association of tax payers, association of property owners, tenant’s associations, employers’ associations, chambers of industry and commerce, consumer organizations etc. Visitors to the tax office, demonstrations by taxpayers, tenant meetings, etc. Property and real estate newspapers, newsletters of building societies, consumer protection magazines, TV and radio programs dealing with tax issues etc.
11. Messages to your target audience Find the appropriate messages for the target audience: Confine yourself to max 2 – 3 messages • Focus on positive achievements and benefits • Support your messages with proof points • Keep them simple, jargon free • Turn them into sexy « soundbites » • Think in « headlines »
12. Make it emotional!
13. The Toaster During World War I, Charles Strite decided to do something about the burnt toast served in the company cafeteria. He incorporated springs and a variable timer, and filed the patent application for his pop-up toaster. Invention: toaster (pop-up) in 1919 Function: A mechanical device used to toast bread, especially by exposure to electrically heated wire coils. Patent: 1,394,450 (US) issued October 18, 1921
14. Thank you! rainer.heufers@siapsolutions.com Political and strategic consulting Leadership training Monitoring and evaluation
15. Case study 1 In a village there will be a marriage with 400 invited guests and all are voters in your constituency. Until one week before the wedding you have not received an invitation. What are you going to do?
16. Case study 2 You have done a door-to-door campaign in one region. All people visited either directly or indirectly expressed sympathy for you. But afterwards they were successively also visited by another candidate. How do you respond?
17. Case study 3 During the campaign, on the same day and at almost the same time you are being invited to a campaign speech in four different places. All hosts are people who are working for you. How do you choose?