Building a communications strategy

PASOS/OSI Workshop24 May 2010

Peter Harrington

A good strategy is like a…

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

…soufflé

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Simple, yet so hard

It must be:

• Clear• Realistic• Measurable• Time framed

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

"The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” Michael Porter

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

The ‘art’ of making a strategy…

• Where are you now?• Where do you want to be? • How do you get there?

The importance of the right process.Like a good recipe…Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Establish where you are

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Choosing your objectives

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Choosing your objectives

Clear: Become the best think tank in the world

Realistic: Become the best think tank in [your country]

Measurable: Become the most influential think tank in [your country]

Time framed: Become the most influential think tank in [your country] in the next two yearsDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Tell a story…

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Audience breakdown

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

The hierarchy…

All flow upwards , and focus on relationships

Organisational goals|

Communications goals|

Events goals Media goals Web goals Publishing goals|

Tactics

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Here’s one I made earlier

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Here’s one I made earlier

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

It has a clear sequence

• Set out how you’re going to do it• Establish where you are• Set your overall objectives• Develop your narrative and brand• Define key messages, themes and facts• Do audience breakdown and prioritise• ‘Sub’ objectives – Media (+crisis), Events, Web, AV,

Pubs• Social media and community• Engagement plan and internal strategy• Capacity building• EvaluationDeveloping and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

The internal process

That was the easy bit. This is the hard bit

• With the right process you’re half way there

• Be patient, and repeat the messages• Repeat repeat repeat

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Making it all happen

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Making it all work, together

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Money

Making money out of comms is tricky…

• Try to build into budgets• If you build a product, you can sell it or get

it sponsored

• Be careful with your brand

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

If you remember 3 things… ahem

1.Your communications strategy is inseparable

1.The process matters as much as the outcome

2.Know your model, and have something to say

3.(It’s all about relationships)

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

"In preparing for battle I have alwaysfound that plans are useless, but

planning is indispensable.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington

Questions…

Developing and implementing a communications strategy Peter Harrington