Communicate strategically How to draft a

Transcript:Communicate strategically How to draft a:
Communicate strategically How to draft a communication strategy Introduction For the purposes of the Programme, you are required to draft a summary document outlining the key points of your project's communication strategy. On the following pages you will find a suggested structure for drafting the communication strategy of your project. There are no obligations, although the Programme recommends following this structure, you are free to develop it further and in the medium you prefer (ppt, word, etc.). Summary Strategic overview and situation analysis Objectives Target groups Channels and tools Key activities Timeline Financial and human resources Evaluation 1. Strategic overview and situation analysis Performing a SWOT analysis will help look realistically at the project’s communications environment and plan accordingly. STRENGTHS: What are the strengths of your project? WEAKNESSES: What are the potential weaknesses of your project? What could be damaging or negative? OPPORTUNITIES: What communications opportunities are there? Is there anything new, different in your project that you could capitalise upon for publicity? THREATS: Are there any potential threats that your project could face? How could this affect your communications and PR activities? Your goal is detailed 2. Objectives Communication needs to be goal driven. We communicate to achieve or change something. The communication objectives derive from the project objectives. Project’s overall communication objectives can be expressed in short bullet point format and clearly indicate what the project communication will bring to the project. It is important to define SMART goals that are broad enough to allow flexibility and room to adapt to changing circumstances. Specific S You can quantify your goal Measurable M Your goal is realistic Attainable A Your goal improve your project Relevant R Your goal has a deadline Time-based T 3. Target groups All partners need to communicate with several people/organisations who are – or might be – interested in their project and can have an influence on their ability to achieve their goals rapidly and efficiently. Knowing your “target audience” is the main starting point of a communication strategy. “Who is our target audience in the project?” and more precisely “which target audience do I have to reach in order to achieve the project goals?” are the first questions that project partners should ask themselves. The target groups need to be identified as accurately as possible to ensure that the key messages are transferred to the right audience. 3.1 Target groups For this purpose, it