goyette fcp cook - session 1 - understanding audiences

Slide 1

New Strategies for Political Engagement in a

Post-Wisconsin World

Session 1 – Strategic Communications & The Role of Your Association

You can do this!

* Lifetime Guarantee Included *

Slide 2

Dan Cohen, PrincipalFull Court Press Communicationsdan@fcpcommunications.com@DCSTPAUL & @FullCourtPress510-271-0640

Josh CookCook Government Affairs

Josh@Joshcook.com916-233-5553

Slide 3

We can all do this! Take one step…

In the next 5-7 days:1.Think about where you stand today

2.Think about who are your friends & opponents

3.Start working on a game plan & ask for help

Slide 4

Exercise #1:Find out who your friends are

Slide 5

What is success? How do you get there?

• Planning now means success later

• Do a few things really well – prioritize

• Stay focused on your goals

• Use the media & other dissemination strategies to achieve them.

Slide 6

Make a Plan to Communicate

• Make communications an organizational priority

• Think “Dissemination” not “Media Relations”– Go beyond the media– Own your target audiences

• Utilize proven resources/Ask for help– Smart Chart– Communications Trainings– Ask your team – we are living

in a communications culture

Slide 7

So…You’re New To This?

• Your skills apply.– You can think.– You can write.– You can use a telephone.

• All of your daily work skills are transferable. – Persuasion– Cajoling– Consensus building

Slide 8

YOU are the network

• You know the field and have the “rolodex”

• You have the network & are doing the networking

• You are visible to communities that matter

• You are the frontline of communications

Slide 9

Public Speaking Fundamentals

• Be Prepared• Do your homework• Is it better to be right?

Or effective?– Being right means you

need to be confrontational– Being effective means you

actually make headway• Connect – dry facts won’t

do it• Always come home to your

key messages– Regardless of the question

asked, know the top issues you want to discuss and always come back to them.

Slide 10

Where Is Your Audience?

Start where they are• 55% of Americans watch

TV news every day• 41% read newspapers• 41% listen to radio news• 16% consume online news• 80% getting daily news from

these mainstream sources(Source:Pew Center for People

in the Press 2004)

Slide courtesy of SPIN Project Media Training

Slide 11

Where Is Your Audience?

Pew 2007

Slide 12

Where Is Your Audience?

Pew 2010

Slide 13

Where Is Your Audience?

Slide 14

BEYOND the Mainstream Media

Think beyond the Mainstream Media• Where is your target audience?• Who do they rely on for information? • How do they make decisions?

Strategies for Broader Dissemination• Ethnic Media• Internet Communications – blogs, social

networking, user-created content• Specialty Publications• Direct communications – FIND THEM

Slide 15

What is the role of my Association?

Slide 16

Know your strengths

"As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time."

 —Defense Secretary Donald

Rumsfeld

Slide 17

Associations & Concerns

Two priorities: 

• Pay & Benefits

• Working conditions 

You will win when you come to consensus and get buy-in on these priorities & the balance between them

Slide 18

Determine what “Winning” looks like

• Avoid division – among ideas & people

• Develop a core group of “doers” & hold them accountable

• Fix your house first – focus at first on “internal” communications

There are lots of ways that “evil doers” infiltrate and use the divide and conquer tactic on officer associations