Communicators touch every person inside and outside a company, from the CEO down to a new assistant, from a reporter to an investor.
However, managing all these various touch points requires an indestructible strategic communications roadmap, which Lester Potter, president of Les Potter Incorporated, and
Paul Argenti, professor at the Tuck School of Business, outline in the following management plans (for Argenti's perspective, see chart on page 7).
The preliminary step to understanding the necessary skills for strategic communication, Potter says, is to be able to:
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Conduct research on issues, publics and organizations;
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Develop strategies, starting with goals and objectives;
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Develop a strategic plan with the right tactics, budget and timeline;
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And conduct research to determine if your goals and objectives were met.
With this skill set, the basis of any strategic communications management plan is research - of the organization, the situation and the company's publics. To conduct effective
research of the organization, Potter says, it's essential to look at these three factors:
1. The internal environment: This includes internal performance, organizational structure and any challenges faced by the current situation.
2. The external environment: This entails an in-depth analysis of the company's "friends and foes."
3. Public perception: This is a compilation of the company's visibility and reputation, the latter being a very tenuous thing, and very integral to any communications strategy.
Patti Temple Rocks, Dow Chemical's VP of global communications and reputation, defines reputation as "what we do and what we say."
Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway famously affirms that reputation matters by the punishments Buffet imparts on those who comprise it:
"If you lose money for the firm, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless."
Judging from his overwhelming success, it's a good theory to live by.
Then, Potter says, research the situation by identifying the company's problems and/or opportunities, and analyzing how these affect your ability to achieve your mission. In
terms of the "publics" research, look at all constituents - customers, media members, government regulators, opinion leaders, employees and shareholders - and incorporate their
needs and perceptions into the strategy.
With solid research behind them, communicators can begin to develop and shape their strategies, goals and objectives. Potter urges professionals to make all objectives SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-sensitive
It sounds like a basic recipe, but consider the pitfalls that often plague communications efforts: An untargeted audience, intangible results, too many goals. Keeping the
scope narrow allows it to be highly defined and targeted - two very positive attributes when executing a strategy.
For the tacticians among us, there are various stakeholder groups that must be considered when launching a strategic communications strategy, or just when managing
communications in general. For starters, there's what some would argue the foundation of public relations and communications: media relations. Potter identifies these basic,
fool-proof tactics:
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Establish a media relations program;
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Hold press conferences;
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Send news releases;
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Build press kits;
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Tape video news releases; and,
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Take digital platforms into consideration.
Then there are the internal constituents - employees - to address. Incorporate these tools into the strategic communications portfolio:
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Internal publications;
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Direct mail;
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Intranets;
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Internal blogs;
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Podcasts;
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E-zines; and,
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Internal wikis.
Potter points to the next form of communications - interpersonal - as the "most persuasive and powerful of all tactics." He identifies these as:
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Meetings;
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Special events;
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Tours; and,
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Educational sessions.
Finally, there are the advertising and promotional media tactics:
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Print advertising;
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Broadcast advertising;
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Outdoor advertising;
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Promotional advertising; and,
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Online advertising.
Once all of the boxes have been checked in tactics-execution department, it's essential to evaluate the communications strategy to help revise and improve it. This evaluation
is done against the preliminary objectives. Those that were met completely and effectively should be highlighted, but the most important part of any evaluation is those that fell
short - the ability to identify these is the key to future success.
CONTACTS:
Lester Potter, [email protected]; Paul Argenti, [email protected]
Corporate Communication Strategy Framework
Messages
- What is the best communication channel?
- How should the organization structure the message?
Corporation
- What does the organization want each constituency to do?
- What resources are available?
- What is the organization's reputation?
Constituencies
- Who are the organization's constituents?
- What are their attitudes about the organization?
- What is their attitude about ?the topic?
Constituent's Response
- Did each constituency respond in the way the organization wished?
- Should the organization revise the message in light of the constituency responses?
Source: Argenti
Documenting The Strategic Communications Plan
1. Title page.
2. Executive summary (this should be written last).
3. The communications process/background (to use as a teaching tool).
4. A situation analysis, identifying the issues the organization must deal with:
- Organization
- Situation
- Publics
5. Recommendations, identifying what you propose to do about these issues:
- Goals and objectives
- Strategies
6. Implementation plan, identifying how you will proceed with all activities:
- Tactics
- Timeline
- Budget
7. Program/plan evaluation, identifying your research design:
- Did you accomplish your goals and objectives?
- How will you prove it?
- What lessons did you learn that will help you in the future?
Source: Lester Potter, President of Les Potter Incorporated, IABC International Conference, 2007