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Current Situation/Background: How To Get The Most Out of This Template

This document provides a template for developing a communications strategy. It outlines 8 sections to fill out, including current situation, objectives, target audiences, key messages, communications mix, timeline, and ensuring the strategy is on-brand. The template is designed to help capture all key elements of an effective communications strategy to either external or internal audiences.

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anvesha khillar
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87 views

Current Situation/Background: How To Get The Most Out of This Template

This document provides a template for developing a communications strategy. It outlines 8 sections to fill out, including current situation, objectives, target audiences, key messages, communications mix, timeline, and ensuring the strategy is on-brand. The template is designed to help capture all key elements of an effective communications strategy to either external or internal audiences.

Uploaded by

anvesha khillar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to get the most out of this template

Please use this template to develop your Programme/Project communications strategy.


Simply delete the existing guideline text and fill in the sections listed below.

Whether you communicate to external or internal audiences - or both, this template will help
ensure that all key elements of a communications strategy are captured.

1. Current Situation/Background
Before you map out where you want your communications strategy to take you, you need to
find out where you are now.

What has been accomplished so far from a communications point of view? How effective
have previous communications been?

2. Overall Programme/Project Objectives


This communications strategy must support your specific Programme/Project objectives. Use
this section to list your key Programme/Project targets.

3. Communications Objectives
Use this section to list your external and/or internal communications objectives. What do you
hope to achieve as a result of your communications activities? How can communications
activities help you achieve the Programme/Project targets you've listed above (section 2)?

Clear, specific, and measurable objectives are key to the success of any communications
strategy. When setting these objectives, whether your communications will be external (i.e.
targeted at consumers, government and business decision makers...etc) or internal (WWF
Network/consultants/partners), or both, you should:

 be realistic within the timeframe, budget and resources


 ensure the objectives are measurable

The following are examples of communications objectives:

 Build awareness of a project among a wide but defined group of audiences and user
groups.
 Secure the commitment of a defined group of stakeholders to the project aims.
 Influence specific policies or policymakers around key aspects.
 Encourage participation among researchers or partner bodies.

4. Target Audience
If you're targeting an external audience - who do you want to get your message across to? Be
as specific as possible:

 Who will best help you achieve your goals?


 What demographic groups are you trying to reach?
 What do you know about the best ways to reach them?

Target audiences should be described in terms of:

 current behaviour
 level of awareness
 level of knowledge
 preferred methods for receiving information
 motivations/barriers to hearing and believing/accepting the information.

The more refined the target audience description, the more precise and effective your
communication will be. Broad descriptions such as the “general public” are less likely to lead
to a successful communications campaign than a tightly defined target. The more thoroughly
you understand your target audience(s), the higher the probability of communications
success.

Primary Target Audience – These are the key persons/groups you communicate to directly..
You can have more than one primary target audience.

For example: Parents, particularly mothers of children aged 0 – 6 years.

Secondary Target Audience – people of less importance who you wish to receive the
communications campaign messages, people who will also benefit from hearing the
messages or people who influence your target audience now or in the future.

If you're targeting an internal audience (i.e. WWF Network for example) - which individuals,
teams or departments do you need to reach within the organization?

For more information about target audiences, please see the Publishing Guidelines on
Connect:

http://intranet.panda.org/documents/document.cfm?
uNC=08887440&uFolderID=4291&uDocID=10849

5. Key Message per Target Audience

Fill out the following for each target audience you want to communicate to.
Whether your target audience is external or internal:

 What is it that you want to change?

 What do you want the target audience to know?

 What do you want them to feel - what perception do you want to create?

 What do you want them to do - what action do you want as a result?

 Examples of a "result" could be the following:

 Do you want to change their attitude towards WWF or your


programme/project?
 Do you want them to donate funds?
 Do you want to change the awareness of the environmental hazards in a
particular country/region?
 Do you want them to be motivated to take action or make a decision?
 Etc

See the Brand Guidelines - Key on-brand messages and word banks by audience:

http://intranet.panda.org/documents/document.cfm?uFolderID=53053&uDocID=56417

6. Communications Mix
We want to get the message across. We are preparing a 12, month communications plan.
Marketers use multiple communication channels for a reason. Everyone has different
preferences, so we can’t rely on a single channel and expect to reach everyone in our target
audience .By utilizing multiple mediums, we can increase our chance of not just reaching
every user, but actually getting their attention.
People need information.
When a change is first announced, consumers often react with shock or denial. This isn't
surprising, since the comfortable, familiar status-quo is about to go out the window!
When reality begins to hit, however, people need to understand what's happening. They need
information. they need Information about…

 What the change entails


 What the goals of the change are
 What the timeframe for the change is
 What other similar services are available

External Communications Mix

Since our target group was 40+ these are the mediums through which our change can reach the user.

 Press
 Press release will help us to get the least amount of resistance.the press release will
notify the media about the change in hopes that they will spread the word.
 To promote the change on the internet via blogs, websites, and social networks.

 Advertisements
Advertisements of other mediums/platforms other than theatres can help this change be a
success.the advertisements can introduce the consumers to ott platforms and help them
adapt to it as well as lure them into buying the services which is cost-effective as well.
 News
Considering this change as a news it should be propagated through various mediums to
let the people know of it beforehand.we are also prepping a 12 month communication
plan which will help the change to go forward smoothly and give people enough time to
move to other platforms to watch movies/give them enough time to adapt and get
comfortable with OTT platforms.
 Print
 Radio
 Television

Internal Communications Mix

 Online Discussions
Since we cant provide all our consumers emotional support.Online discussions will help
us understand them and help them out by finding remedies for their problems.It will help
them get over the denial and resistance phase of the change.

7. Timeline

When will you need to communicate over the next 12, 24 or 36 months? List the key dates -
what do you need and when.

Describe each key event or activity that will need communications (incl. launch of a report,
forum, conference, etc.).

What:

Why:

Where:

When:

Who:

How:

Target Audience:

Objective:

Key Message(s):

Media Strategy:

Tools and Materials:

Under this section you can also attempt to identify, or at least anticipate, any communications
opportunities that may emerge from the actions of others working in the region, e.g., events
such as partner or other agency media events, legislation processes, or expected government
announcements that are not controlled by WWF. Describe those opportunities here.

8. Being on Brand
How are you going to ensure that your communications (external and internal) will be on
brand?

Presenting our brand correctly is crucial. This means being consistent with our logo,
typefaces, slogan, colours, and "on-brand" with our key messages and the way we use words
and images on all applications. All this will combine to communicate the sort of organization
we are – active, passionate, solutions oriented.

When communicating with your audience follow this simple checklist and
ask yourself:

 Is my message passionate? Does it really show my enthusiasm?


 Is it optimistic? Is it positive and forward looking?
 Is it inspirational? Will it move someone to take action?
 Does it challenge? Does it confront the issues?
 Is it credible? Will people believe me?
 Is it accountable? Does it demonstrate our honesty and trustworthiness?
 Is it persevering? Does it prove our commitment?
 Is it delivering results? Does it show what we have achieved?

Keep in mind that your message does not need to include all of the above. In other words,
your don't need to reflect every single brand value in your message.

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